Automated Material Flow Optimisation: Resource Conservation for Sustainable Manufacturing

In the Intelligent Factory, optimising the flow of materials is not only a key to productivity but an essential contributor to resource conservation. ASMPT relies on digital and automated solutions to efficiently manage materials and minimise line downtimes and waste. The Factory Material Manager and WORKS Logistics applications control and streamline material flows from the warehouse to the SMT line.

Upon receipt, each package receives a unique ID under which the system stores all relevant information such as the quantity, material number, shelf life, and moisture sensitivity. This data forms the basis for a digital twin of the material flow that reflects the physical process in real time, making it possible to plan material transports in a route-optimised manner and avoid unnecessary material movements.

Factory Material Manager ensures a resource-conserving material distribution by enforcing the firstin/ first-out principle and avoiding waste by monitoring use-by dates and exposure times. WORKS Logistics supports this further through precise demand forecasts that are based on actual consumption data in order to avoid emergency stocks along the line as well as bottlenecks. In this way, material is provided efficiently and in line with demand according to the 4R principle: always the right material in the right quantity in the right place at the right time.

The interaction of the two software solutions enables a sustainable production and the on-time delivery of the end products to the customer. It eliminates unnecessary material movements, excess stocks and manual inventories, which saves energy and materials. The optimised machine utilisation also reduces energy consumption and relieves valuable specialists of time-consuming routine activities.