【Semiconductor processing industry】Continuous processing, accelerating return rates.

Semiconductor Processing Industry - One-to-Many System Integration Application of Robotic Arms

HHO Automation’s customer had a practical requirement for continuous 24-hour machining. They needed to solve the most labor-intensive pain points and reduce defect rates. Through HHO Automation’s system integration, machine data was consolidated, increasing sensitivity to process information such as temperature and alarms, which in turn led to a very high machine utilization rate.

The customer aimed to meet three requirements: reduce labor allocation, increase production capacity, and stabilize product quality. They chose a long-term intelligent automated production line as their first choice for strengthening competitiveness.

In the early planning stage, two main issues were identified in single-machine production: frequent tool changes during machining, and the supply, collection, and storage of parts, both of which required multiple operators. The customer also wanted higher output per unit of floor space, so compact imported machines were selected. After reviewing these conditions, HHO planned an automation system with one robot arm on a travel axis (linear track) serving four machine tools to improve efficiency.

The goal of using one arm for four machines was to save labor. The frequent tool-change issue with the machined material was handled by storing tools in cabinets and having the robot arm change tools automatically in coordination with production. The customer also needed mixed-line production for high-mix, low-volume orders. To make the automation more flexible, zero-point positioning fixture trays were introduced to standardize the management of different parts. Multiple cabinets store these trays, and the control system automatically loads the corresponding parameters and programs according to the tray order in the cabinets. This enables line changeovers with zero human intervention and meets the need for flexible, rapid changeover.

After the automation system was implemented, output rose from that of 4 manually maintained machines to the equivalent of 10 machines. The system ran continuously for 30 days without interruption, and machine utilization increased from 50% to 80%.

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