BPM Microsystems, a leading global provider of device programming solutions, received the 2018 New Product Introduction (NPI) Award in the category of Production Software for its WhisperTeach+ solution, only available on BPWin™ software. The award was presented to BPM at the 2019 IPC APEX Show on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. This marks two years running to win the NPI; WhisperTeach won last year for automating the z-height teach.

WhisperTeach+ takes it to another level by automating not just the critical z-height, but all of the socket locations as well. With WhisperTeach+ fully-automated self-teaching (Patent Pending), operator involvement in job set-up is radically improved, reducing manual teach points by 94% for a machine with a standard tape-in/tape out and 48 programming sockets.

The operator teaches the input/output locations using WhisperTeach, then manually places a device in the first socket, and executes the WhisperTeach+ command to begin the auto-teach process. The pick nozzle then moves to this first socket location and automatically detects the top of the device in the socket, accurate to within 15 microns, and “learn” X, Y, Z, and Theta. Auto-teach then continues, populating and teaching each remaining socket. As each site is taught, the programming process begins immediately. With the typical scenario described, teach points are reduced from fifty to three. WhisperTeach and WhisperTeach+ (both Patent-pending) are only available with BPM Automated Systems.

A factory with 3 shifts and 3 job setups per shift, saving conservatively as little as 15 minutes per setup can recoup 563 production hours annually, greatly improving machine capacity. Assuming 1,000 units per hour typical run-rate, the operation can produce 563,000 additional devices per year with the potential to generate or save $85,000 or more annually. The annual NPI Awards recognize companies that introduce innovative new products for electronics assembly equipment, materials, software, and PCB fabrication. Award recipients are chosen by an independent panel of industry experts.

James Holava, BPM’s Global Sales Director and Scott Bronstad, Marketing, accept the 2019 NPI Production Software Award on behalf of BPM Microsystems. Presenting is Circuit Assembly Magazine’s Editor in Chief Mike Buetow

See Circuit Assembly NPI Awards
White Paper
See WhisperTeach Page