Articles

What is Quality? 'What is Quality?' this is not a question we hear very often, but we wish more people would ask. It is relatively easier to understand the concept of quality in respect of the production, where components and products are manufactured and, the defects are visible, but quality applies to the output of each process in any organization. Quality means that correct data are entered, stocks are accurately managed, suppliers are paid in time and, customers are kept satisfied. Everyone from front office employers to general managers, each stakeholder, including customers, investors, employees, and societies are responsible for the quality outputs with an effect on them. What are the Basic Principles of Continuous Quality Improvement? Each organization shapes their approach to the CQI, but there are also some guiding principles shared among most people:• Quality means that the expectations of internal and external customers are met or exceeded.• Most of the problems are with not the people but the procedures. CQI is about seeking issues and accusing people, but searching for solutions and delivering the best results.• Standardization is required to avoid differences in the results. Processes are applied to the standard until improvement opportunities are identified and acted upon.• Improvement is possible by means of incremental changes based on scientific methods.• Improvement should be a natural part of the organizational culture and the way people do their daily routines. How is the CQI Implemented? The basic steps to implement improvement by using the philosophy of CQI are as follows:• Select a team with knowledge about the process or system to be improved. Those who will do the job should take place in this team together with other employees and relevant experts:• Define the problem and the effect thereof.• Document valid actions.• Document the requirements of those who will take the process outputs.• Define success and identify how to measure it.• Brainstorm for potential improvements.• Implement selected changes.• Collect data about Key Performance Indicators (KPI).• Tune out the changes.• Adjust the standard accordingly if the changes have resulted in desired outcomes. Repeat the action, if not. Which Tools and Techniques are Used for Continuous Quality Improvement? Some various tools and techniques may help bring order into and make remindful the way of improvement. These are;Improvement Management Software: A central system intended to document improvement efforts and collect information for positive changes helping accelerate the efforts for improvement. It delivers a standard way and makes the cooperation possible to measure the effect of progress. The most efficient solutions are those with a built-in workflow containing warnings and notices intended to accelerate change.Standard Working: Standard working is that the best practices for any action or task are documented. Standard working underlies the concept of improvement.PDSA: PDSA stands for Plan, Do, Study, Act. It is also known as the Deming Cycle. The opportunity for improvement proceeds with documents that are formed in each step. When the cycle is completed, it is restarted with a new improvement plan.Value Stream Mapping-VSM: Value Stream Mapping is a CQI method intended to document and analyze each step of the process through which a service or product is requested and then delivered to customers. It helps identify such opportunities to eliminate steps with no added-value and enhance the quality of outputs from any type of action. Catchball (Hoshin Kanri Method): Catchball is a technique where an idea is produced by a person and shared with another. This person sends this idea to another person for feedback and action. This idea is transferred forwardly, backwardly, upwardly, and downwardly among several people required to apply an improvement. A continuous quality improvement program is intended to ensure that all the team members, employees, managers, and other stakeholders continuously feel strengthened to improve efforts and results. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is a praiseworthy objective that could be accepted by any leader. However, it is not a process that appears by itself. To attain this objective, successful goals need to identify, implement, and maintain certain principles and techniques. Tuğba Atilla Quality Assurance Manager

As a defeated country during the World War 2, Japan was devastated. There was an attempt to achieve industrial development and shift to a mass production method. Known as the American quality guru, W. Edwards Deming was invited to Japan in 1950 by Japanese scientists and engineers to deliver conferences. Back then, Japanese products were considered cheap and poor quality like Chinese products in the past. During the conferences, Deming defended the idea that improvement in quality would result in an increased market share, decreasing expenses and enhancing productivity. As the quality increases, less scrap would be produced and, the need for repair would decrease resulting in improved machine productivity and a reduced level of consumables. This would enhance productiveness; an opportunity would be achieved to offer products for affordable prices thanks to high quality and improved costs resulting in an increased market share.In the western countries, quality control took place after the manufacturing of products so that defective ones were sorted out, repaired or scraped and, quality ones would be sent to customers. Deming suggested to Japan that quality should be applied in each stage of the production and assembly processes so that each step would internally achieve quality. He also found a chance to apply his systems (such as SPC ‘Statistical process control’, and PDCA ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act”), mainly in Japan, although these systems had been developed in the USA.Toyota adopted this principle and became a candidate for Deming Awards. It started to implement and enrich the philosophy ‘’Build in Quality’ on which the TPS (Toyota Production System) is based. Taichii Ohno was one of those who contributed to the establishment and development of the TPS putting it into practice. He taught the principles of Leadership through the Root Cause Analysis with 5 Whys and the infinite Kaizen philosophy. According to Taichii Ohno, ’No problem was a big problem”. Accordingly, the TPS adopted the approach that a problem is an opportunity to improve our business place and the business itself.In the production, the Jidoka principle (Intelligent Automation/ Do not receive, make, send those defective) started to be implemented with an approach that each process is the customer of the next one. An order was brought to all types of movements of materials based on the principle of JIT (Just In Time). JIT and Jidoka have become the two keystones of the TPS. Based on the Kaizens (change for better), a continuous improvement has been achieved to solve problems in cooperation, deliver permanent solutions, and seek the better. The mudas (wastefulness-all factors with no added-value): Waiting, Repair, Stock, Overproduction, Unnecessary Processing, Transport, Movement) have been approached with the Kaizen approach. According to Taichii Ohno, the standards should not be forced by the management but directly created by those who do the job. In this way, there would be no functionless procedures that are hard to be applied. As stated in today’s lean management understanding, a standard business logic would be adopted instead of a business standard and, the focus would be given on the solution of root causes rather than people accusing one another whenever a problem occurs. In addition to the principle of continuous improvement, one of the most important TPS concepts is ‘respect.’ Respect for nature and people. This is the power for motivation for the efforts concerning continuous improvement. In the book “’The Toyota Way,” Jeffry Liker explains the key management principles adopted in Toyota to deliver the best service to customers. Some of these principles are as follows:• A management decision should be taken based on long term objectives, even if these would harm the short term financial objectives.• A pull system should be employed to avoid over/unnecessary production. Production based on customer requests.• Creation of a culture that takes a risk of stopping the production when a problem arises in order to deliver quality at source.• Standardization of works and processes to ensure continuous improvement and engagement of employees. • Visual checks to ensure that problems are not hidden.• Training select people and teams that put into practice the founding philosophy.• Direct observation to understand what is going on in a detailed manner. (‘Genchi Genbutsu’ concept.)• Consideration of all the options with all details to ensure that decisions are taken with all the related parties' participation and quickly put into practice.• Formation of a self-learning organization through self-criticism and continuous improvement.In the TPS, the logic of profitability differs from the general approach. General Logic of Profitability Sales Price = Cost + ProfitToyota Logic of Profitability Sales Price – Cost = ProfitCosts are the only control point and should be reduced. Therefore, the TPS focuses on Muda (Wastefulness), Muri (Excessiveness), and Mura (Unevenness).When you buy bananas, all you want is the fruit, not the skin. But you have to pay for the skin also. And you, the customer, should not have to pay for the waste. Shigeo Shingo Greatly contributed to the development of the TPS. (Creator of the methods ‘Poke-Yoke’, Inadvertent Error Prevention, and ‘SMED’ - Single Minute Exchange of Die.) Göksel Savaş Erözmen  Plant Manager - Acron

Every electronic product manufactured today is virtually powered by one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs). In the past few years, designers have pushed PCBs' limits to fit a series of integrated circuits and critical connections with smaller sizing requirements. To keep up with these rapid advancements, PCB assembly (PCBA) providers, as Alpplas, must conduct quality assurance testing capable of thoroughly examining assemblies and detecting defects in nearly microscopic packages. Even an occasional deformity in high volume production runs will undermine manufacturers' fundamental goal of achieving higher yields with lower defect rates and reduced costs.Today PCBA providers want to guarantee the quality checks of the used materials that ensure by manufacturers. They also validate each assembly with their inspections with the highest quality part for their end-user product. The most commonly utilized PCB quality inspection methods and tools are Optical Inspection (microscope & Visual & Inspection cameras), Automated Optical Inspection (AOI&SPI), In-circuit tests & Functional testing (ICT&FCT), and X-Ray Inspection. X-RAY INSPECTION DEVICE X-ray inspection technology, usually referred to as Automated X-ray inspection (AXI), is a technology used to inspect the hidden features of target objects or products with X-rays as its source. Nowadays, X-ray inspection is widely used in many critical industries such as medical, industrial control, and aerospace to test the quality of PCBs. In recent years, components such as BGA, QFN, flip chips, and CSP are used extensively. That kind of components makes solder joints hidden under the packages and impossible for traditional inspection devices to play their role perfectly in PCB inspection. In addition, traditional inspection methods, including optical, ultrasonic, and thermal imaging with smaller SMT appearance are insufficient to control the solder joints hidden and holes buried. Besides, it is a predicted fact that with increasing miniaturization in terms of semiconductor package, X-ray control will become more critical in the future. Compared with other inspection methods, the X-ray is capable of penetrating inner packaging and inspecting the solder joints. ADVANTAGES OF USING X-RAY DEVİCES This inspection system provides safe, reliable, non-destructive testing of electronic, microelectronic, and electromechanical products. It is crucial to find cracks, open solder joints, or voids via X-ray inspection. Additionally, X-Ray devices are used for the measurement of voids sizes and their distribution. Many of these inspections are performed for an improvement in the production process. USING X-RAY INSPECTION TO FIND PCBA DEFECTSIn X-ray images, the metal is dark, while glass, plastic, and ceramics are transparent. The metal plates in the capacitors are dark, while the thick-film resistor is mostly transparent except at the terminals. The inductor coil shows up as darker rings within the mostly metallic ferrite material. In conclusion, X-ray inspection technology has brought new reforms to SMT inspection methods. It can be regarded as the best alternative for PCBA manufacturers to further increase the fabrication craft and product quality. Tuğba Atilla  Quality Assurance Manager

Injection molding technique is the most commonly used plastic shaping method due to its suitability for mass production and enabling many different product geometries. With the advancing technology, prominence of such features as the quality of the parts and their aesthetic appearance, their durability etc. has played a major role in the emergence of technologies such as multi-component injection. Today, this one-step process, which offers compact products, reduced logistics costs and optimized production costs with the multi-component injection molding method, has become an effective solution for innovative products in almost all industries, from automotive to construction, packaging and medicine. As Alpplas, with our expertise of over 30 years, we produce solutions for our customers in every aspect of the manufacturing phase from multi-component injection applications to mold design and production to mass production. What is the Multi-Component Injection Method?This method is a plastic injection method that allows two or more different plastic materials to be produced within the same process. There are different injection methods according to the part design and requirements. Examples of multi-component injection methods used especially in the white goods and automotive industries are given below. Core-Back Process: In the core-back process, the core that is pulled back on the moving side of the mold creates space in the mold cavity for the second material in the second stage of the process. Rotary Table Process180° Index Plate ProcessIn the rotary table process, which is a different form of the multi injection molding method, the moving side of the mold is rotated. The geometry of the product to be molded can only be changed by the thread of the mold. It begins by injecting the plastic melt into the primary cavity of the 2-chamber mold. Then the rotating plate is rotated 180 degrees and the primary molding is moved to the secondary cavity. Finally, another plastic melt is injected into the 2nd cavity formed inside the mold on the part formed by primary molding.It is possible to perform more than 2 injections in the same mold according to the requirements (e.g. 3 components). Rotary Core ProcessSuitable for production processes that require the same geometry on both sides of the mold cavities. This method provides considerable freedom for part design. Vertical Rotation MethodThe mold cavity of the group of plates in the middle faces both directions. In order to use different materials or colors, the closing process takes place when the mold turns 180 ° thanks to the cores used during the first injection, and the sections left blank by the cores during the first injection are filled in during the second injection. Transfer MethodIn the transfer method, the semi-finished part that is injected into the first mold cavity is moved to the second mold cavity by a robot or by hand.Material Selection in Multi-Component Injection In this method, where more than one plastic is used, the interrelations of the plastics should be taken into consideration during the design phase and appropriate materials should be selected. The materials used during the process should form a chemical bond among them and stick together. Not all materials are able to bond and stick together. The Tables below show the bonding abilities of different plastic materials.Hard Plastics Hard – Soft Plastics Fevzi Güler Process Development Specialist

A correct electronic board design not only helps you avoid unnecessary costs in long-term production, but also helps you achieve the target quality. We have explained the importance of design for manufacturing in another article. In this article, we are sharing the points of consideration during the PCB design phase and the importance of fiducial points. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTBefore the beginning of design, the determination of the following points regarding PCB by the designer will provide insight into the manufacturing processes and the implementation of manufacturability arrangements. With the manufacturing processes to be followed for PCB determined, suitable selection of the layout, pad size/shape, panelization, breakaway tab and similar arrangements will be ensured. 1- Which sheating materials will be used for the PCB ? a. Only Through Hole Mountedb. Only Surface Mountedc. Both Through Hole and Surface Mounted 2- On which side / sides of the PCB will the materials be located ? a. Only Top Side b. Both Top side and Bottom side 3- With what will Axial Inserter and Radial Inserter be used ? a. Only with Through Hole material.b. With top side SMD material.c. With bottom side SMD material.4- Will there be and adhesive application on the bottom side ? 5- Will Selective Wave Soldering be used ? With example questions such as above, the path to be followed for the electronic manufacturing processes will be determined with the table below, and the type of manufacturability arrangements to be used for the design to be created may be decided. PCB FIDUCIAL POINTS When the PCB Design begins, if any automated machinery is to be used in the manufacturing processes, fiducial points or holes must be added on top of the PCB. Today, there are AOI machines that scan an area of 60cm⊃2; with 10um resolution, and chip driving machines with a capacity of 40.000 components per hour with a tolerance of +/- 0.025mm. In order for the machines to process the PCB, the machine operator or engineer prepares a CAD / CAM program in a language that the machine is capable of understanding. According to this program, the machine can perform processes along 2, 3, 4 or even 5 Axes. For the machines to operate with the incredible accuracy as stated above, in addition to their capacity, the design of the PCB must also be compatible with this technology. In order for the machine to recognize the layout of the PCB and perform the relevant process with 10um or 0.025mm tolerance, the program must be matched with the PCB. This matching is possible with fiducial points or holes (for Axial and Radial machinery). If there are no fiducial points on the PCB, in accordance with the appropriate locations, numbers or shapes, the machine will be left blind and will be unable to perform accurate matching or any matching at all. Some of the manufacturing errors that can be encountered in such a case are overhangs, wrong positioning, missing components, short circuits and tombstones. If it is mandatory to use a PCB, the fiducial points of which were designed incorrectly during the design phase, an attempt will be made to utilize fixtures or the existing holes on the PCB, resulting with extra time and cost spent. In order to avoid such manufacturing issues, the fiducial points on the PCB must be dimensioned, formed and positioned correctly and must be included in the CAD data (Pick and Place / Gerber) created at the end of the design phase. PCB FIDUCIAL POINT APPLICATIONS Fiducial Point Application for SMD ManufacturingThe point must be solid, with a diameter of 1-3 mm (preferably 1.5 mm), and round-shaped. There should be a solder mask that is at least twice the diameter. There should be no Tracks, Vias or Silkscreens on the Fiducial. X, Y coordinates must always be provided with the CAD data. Fiducial Point Application for Axial and Radial Manufacturing If THT Axial and Radial inserters are to be used in production, 2 holes with a diameter of 4mm must be drilled (may vary according to the machine's pin diameter). These holes must be positioned along the PCB's longitudinal strip and at a distance of 5mm from the edge of the transverse axis (may vary according to the machine's pin layout). Fiducial Point Layout The following points must be considered when adding fiducials for SMD manufacturing; For the machines to perform accurate centering, there must be at least two fiducials located on the diagonal corners rather than on the same X, Y coordinates.If the PCB is not to be panelized and manufactured as a single component, the minimum distance from the board edges must be 5mm.If the PCB is to be manufactured as a panelized components, Fiducials to be located on breakaway tabs must be positioned along the PCB's transverse strip and at a distance of 5mm from the edge of the longitudinal axis. The fiducial points must not be located on the bottom of the components (SMD-THT). Fiducial points at the bottom of the component will be rendered ineffective during the machinery processes that follow the inclusion of the component (SMD, AOI, Flying Probe Tester etc.). There should be no material leg holes, vias or similar shapes of the same size near the fiducial points. Similar shapes located near the fiducials will reduce the decision-making speed of the machine during the matching process, or cause the wrong point to be selected as the Fiducial point. Cem Kanımdan Production Manager  

In the process of coming to life, an electronic device goes through the phases of being defined, designed, manufactured and delivered to the end user. The needs and requirements enable the identification of the electronic product, knowledge and experience enable its design, manpower and machinery enable its manufacture and logistics and marketing ensure that the product is delivered to the end user. In this section, we will talk about the arrangements that must be implemented in the PCB design phase in order to conduct the production phase, where manpower and machinery are used intensely, in the most ideal manner possible. When designing a new electronic device, the primary goal is to meet user requirements and needs. For this reason, design remains the last point of consideration or is never considered for manufacturability. Sometimes it is not possible to make adjustments in terms of manufacturability due to mechanical installation requirements, space limitations, electrical restrictions (LVD Low Voltage Directive) or component structures. This causes time losses, extra labor, scraps, reworks or touch-ups during production, and these result in an increase in production time, poor quality and increased production cost. Although these effects are not as pronounced in short term production and low production volumes, high return costs can be encountered in high volume and long term production. With simple design touches we will implement in PCB design such as changing the pad shape, shifting the component's location, proper panelization, application of fiducial points and proper breakaway spots, production time, cost and error rate can be significantly reduced. Even if these are not considered during the design phase, revising the PCB design will be more convenient than the extra labor and time loss costs that will occur in the long run. When the PCB is being designed to be mechanically and electrically suitable, the designer's incorporation of manufacturability arrangements in the design to the extent that the layout allows, or the process engineer's review of the finished PCB drawing before the placement of the prototype order to determine the manufacturability practices, will eliminate or minimize the aforementioned time, quality and cost factors. Production is a process based on machinery and manpower, that is designed to work on a continuous basis. From this perspective, since interruptions in the production line or the presence of factors that slow down the production will cause the aforementioned effects, manufacturability arrangements must always be considered by the designer as a priority during the design phase (Design for Manufacturing - DFM). As Alpplas, we prevent unnecessary costs by taking part in the design processes of our customers and ensuring that the designs are created to be suitable for production. Cem KANIMDANProduction Manager

During PCB production, PCB must be panelized according to suitable dimensions and shapes in order to bring the production costs and durations down. Let's see the effects of a suitable PCB panelization design on production times, and therefore costs, with an example. Let's try to sample the Loading/Unloading times for the same single PCB, which is panelized as a Single, 2x3 and 4x4. The table shown in Figure-1 specifies the estimated times for single and panelized PCBs. As it can be seen from the table above, when we manufacture the same card as a single, it takes 270 seconds for it to go through the Wave Solder machine, when we panelize it as 2x3 (6 pcs.), the duration per card is reduced to 45 seconds, and when we panelize it as 4x4 (16 pcs.), the duration per card is further reduced to 16,88 seconds. While it takes 8 seconds for it to go through the Cream Solder machine, if we panelize it as 2x3 (6 pcs.), the duration per card is reduced to 1,33 seconds, and if we panelize it as 4x4 (16 pcs.), the duration per card is further reduced to 0,50 seconds. This will give us a time reduction of 83 % 2x3 (6 pcs.) panelized cards and 94 %  for 4x4 (16 pcs.) panelized cards in terms of loading/unloading times. While there is no significant reduction of time or cost in low production volumes, the reduction of time and cost in daily productions or high volume PCB production will not be negligible. Panelization Applications Before we begin panelization, we have to know the minimum and maximum dimensions of the machinery and conveyors to be used in the processes and act accordingly. A panelization application that exceeds the dimensions of the conveyor will cause a panelized card to not fit in the machine. (For instance, the Optical Inspection (AOI) machine only allows a minimum card size of 50x60mm and a maximum card size of 460x510mm.) If possible, the panelization must have a rectangular shape and preferably not exceed the dimensions of 200x200mm. During the card manufacturing processes, panelization must be done so that the card is carried on its longer edge and the breakaway tab application must be designed accordingly. Even if the PCB has fiducial points, it is useful to place fiducial points on the breakaway tab as well. If the width of the breakaway tab is 5mm or shorter, the fiducials will be left at the bottom of the Conveyor Clamps, so they must be positioned at a distance of 5mm from the Board Edge along the card's transverse axis. If the materials or legs on the side of the longer edge according to the direction of flow on the PCB, are not located within 5mm of the board edge, a 5mm breakaway tab must be included to the side of the edge on which the card will be carried. If this tab is not included, conveyor clamps or fingers will touch the material or lift the legs up. If axial or radial inserters are to be used in the production process, the tab on the side of the longer edge must be 8 mm in length and located on the longer edge.During panelization, taking into account the weights of components such as transformers, coolers, coils on the PCB, the bending of the card on the conveyors or the deflection / breakage of the V-CUTS as a result of panelization must be prevented. During panelization, if Manual Installation is to be performed, it must be ensured that all cards are facing the same direction. If the cards in the panelization are positioned to be facing different directions, there will be a possibility that the operators who will perform the Manual Installation may install directional components in the wrong direction. There may be materials located at a distance of 5mm or closer from one board edge of the PCB. In this case, one inverted/one regular panelization method may be implemented in order to reduce the costs of the PCB material. The directions are adjusted by aligning the edges within which the materials are located, with the conveyor clamps or fingers. During panelization, overhanging components of the PCB (e.g. Socket, Header, LED, Switch, Button, Cooler) (if any) must be taken into consideration while designing the edge strips. If a strip that has the same dimensions as the overhanging parts of the components of the PCB is not included, these components will be hooked on or stuck to the conveyors or the edges of the machinery. During panelization, an internal strip must be applied so that the overhanging components of the PCB (e.g. Socket, Header, LED, Switch, Button, Cooler) cannot touch the components on the other card. If this strip is not used, the overhanging components will overlap with the other components, it will not be possible to attach the component or solder it due to the fact that it is hanging in the air. If the edges of the PCB that are placed on the conveyors are flat or have a design that is not the same length as the PCB, PCB edges on the side of the conveyors must correspond to the card's length with breakaway tabs. If the card edges have variable lengths or are shorter than the card's length, the machine's Conveyor Clamps or Conveyor Fingers will be unable to hold or advance the card or will be stuck on the joints of the conveyors. During PCB panelization, gaps may be left between cards that are not rectangular or square-shaped. If the gaps inside the panelized card are bigger than a Few cm, during Wave Soldering, the solder material may overflow from the gaps and spread over the card. In order to avoid this issue, the gaps must be sealed with breakaway tabs. With variable PCB edges or in cases where there should be no burr formations as the PCB will be placed in a very sensitive box mould, Mouse Bite breakaway tabs can be applied. In these applications, the weight of the card must be taken into account so that the tabs are not broken or the card is not bent. Another point to consider must be the position, number and thickness of the tabs to be placed according to the card's weight. The holes to be drilled on the tab must start from the outside of the tab. The holes must be positioned along the edge of the PCB.  Cem KANIMDANProduction Manager

With the introduction of internet and digital media objects into our lives during the last quarter of the 20th century, Industry 4.0 and Warehouse Management quickly began to adapt to these innovations. Today, factories, warehouses and production facilities will take their place in the changing world by keeping up with the technological developments brought on by the new age.Instant traceability in smart warehouses increases uptime and quality, while reducing running costs and total cost of ownership. Many of the advantages come from the integrated component and software platform, which enables seamless data exchange between devices and the control system. Access to this component-level data is one of the key factors in bringing the benefits of the Industry 4.0 system to life. EFFECTIVE USE OF CAPACITIESIn smart warehouses, following warehouse occupancy rates in real time has significant effects on product purchasing, product sales and shipping strategies. Intelligent warehouses integrate with the software platform, the product movements can be tracked and software-supported warehouse optimization can be done independently from individuals, which provides great advantages in using warehouse capacities more effectively. This also makes it easier for the purchasing departments to work with real time and accurate information while creating their purchasing strategies. While warehouse optimization is performed automatically with software support, providing advantages in terms of labor, with the periodic transportation of the most outgoing products to the nearest points, the shipping times of the product are shortened, which both prevents the loss of labor and increases the rapid and accurate shipping rates in shipments. MORE ACCURATE AND FASTER OPERATIONSince many of the Industry 4.0 equipment can be used in conjunction with each other in smart warehouses, instead of performing different operations related to the product and obtaining the information separately, obtaining a lot of information about the product in a combined system by means of a single-center analytical software and storing it in the central information system, provides advantages in terms of increase in labor, accuracy and speed, due to the departments in different locations being capable of displaying the information related to the products in the smart warehouse in real time. WHAT DOES INDUSTRY 4.0 BRING TO SUPPLY CHAIN AND WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT?1- More storage in less space. Therefore, up to 80 percent savings from storage spaces.2- Warehouse management software integrated with ERPs. Therefore, minimum error rates.3- Automated material circulation. Therefore, improved work safety, fewer work accidents.4- Supply and waiting modules per each line. Therefore, excellent inventory management, "0" inventory loss.5- Automated ready-made product warehouses. Therefore, unmanned warehouses that can operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, fast vehicle loading and unloading systems.6- Profit and cost optimization. Therefore, the return of investment between 18 and 48 months. Serpil ÖĞRETMENPlanning Manager

We use UV light cured inks in our screen and pad printing processes, especially for many customers in the white goods industry. UV Inks have many advantages compared to solvent-based inks due to ease of printing, rapid drying, not being affected by environmental conditions such as temperature, especially abrasion resistance, compliance with white goods test standards and low ink consumption. We can say that in the future, they will replace the conventional solvent-based inks. Many  ink manufacturers continue to work on developing UV-based ink assortments. Despite the many benefits of UV applications, one of the biggest disadvantage is the need for mercury UV lamps in order to finish the drying/curing. The initial investment costs of this type of lamps are high and their maintenance costs are very high as well, but their lifetimes is very short, they require very high electrical energy and produce very much of waste gas. Studies indicate that ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LED) will eliminate the disadvantages of mercury lamps. We have started to use the UV-LED system in pilot applications, which we developed in our R&D center. Compared to conventional UV lamps, new generation UV LED lamps will eliminate the disadvantages of conventional UV systems with their energy saving, time saving, ease of installation, zero maintenance costs and environmental features. If we need to specify the advantages of UV-LED System in general: • It provides a safer printing environment by eliminating the effect of ozone, mercury and heat formed during printing.• It saves energy consumed by min. P ratio.• It provides fast drying during the process.• It has low ink consumption.• It is not affected by environmental conditions.• Unless conventional UV lamps are cooled, temperature values reach up to 1000 ˚C. UV LED technology eliminates the risks of high temperatures and cooling costs.• UV LED technology, which has a 10 times longer lifetime than traditional UV lamps, increases efficiency by eliminating the risks that may arise during lamp replacement. Some of the traditional UV and LED UV basic features are compared below. Traditional UV LED UV Lamp Lifetime 1000 hours >20.000 Environmental Impact Mercury, ozone gas waste No mercury, no ozone Need for Maintenance Lamp maintenance, reflector ecleaning Maintenance free Energy Need High Low(>`) Heat Emission 1000 ˚C 60 ˚C Turning on/off speed 5 minutes Instant Wavelength 100-1800 nm 365-415 nm With the efforts of the Alpplas R&D Center, we’re planning to produce 407 nm wavelength and 100 Watt power UV LED lamps and to replace the conventional lamps used in internal processes with new lamps within a program. Due to the cost advantages obtained with these applications, we offer options to increase the competitiveness of our customers without sacrificing quality. In addition, we also provide benefits for our employees, such as reduced waste levels in the working environment and higher temperature comfort levels. You can contact our expert team to get to know the advantages of UV LED printing technologies that will take even further the conventional printing techniques we have used in our processes for 30 years. We continue our R&D project in order to spread these pilot applications among our projects. In current development project, 48 UV LED which has a power of about 100 watts and a wavelength of 407 nm, will be used as an alternative to conventional mercury UV lamp that we frequently use in our internal processes. Due to the cost advantages obtained with these applications, we offer options to increase the competitiveness of our customers without sacrificing quality. In addition, we also provide benefits for our employees, such as reduced waste levels in the working environment and higher temperature comfort levels.You can contact our expert team to take advantage of our new generation UV LED printing applications, which can be an alternative to traditional solvent drying inks by adding UV LEDs within the conventional printing techniques we have used in our processes for 30 years.

Gas Assisted Injection Molding is a method which is developed against production and design constraints due to the high thickness of plastic parts such as door handles, long parts mainly in white goods and automotive sectors.  The first applications started in the mid-80s, and its use in real understanding was in the early 90s. In particular, the advantage of the products that were previously mounted in 2 parts supported with inner metal parts compared with the excessive costs contributed to the development of this method. Our company has been producing since 1996 and one of the first practitioners in Turkey using this method. Although there are several different application types with this method, there are 2 types of processes that are used most in accordance with the need. Full Emptying Method It is a method in which the desired quality product is obtained by completely emptying them inside with pressurized gas during the injection process of plastic parts such as white goods handles, automobile door handles with very high thickness. It is a solution to design constraints as well as cost advantages. Since the internal emptying takes place naturally in accordance with the parts geometry, it creates a solid and non-fragile structure. In addition, due to the internal cooling of the plastic, the dimensional stability of the product rises to higher levels.  As seen in the pictures below, the interior of the parts is emptied naturally and balanced as the geometry allows. Wall thicknesses can be adjusted by reducing and increasing the gas pressure. The application is not only for white goods and automotive, but also suitable for similar types of products. Partial Emptying Method It is a system used to eliminate the surface defects (such as collapse, deformation) especially seen due to the support frames or screwed connection feet and to eliminate the visual defects here by partially emptying the areas of large parts. Since it is possible to use this method to provide dimensional stability, it is also possible to use it in parts that have no visual but distortion and tensile problems.  You can contact us for further information about our Gas Assisted Injection and other capabilities.  Mehmet YetişkinTechnical Manager