A high-reliability surface mounter, which can place components to an accuracy of +/- 45 micron provides a cost-effective pick-and-place system that enables rapid return-on-investment.

Sony Manufacturing Systems Europe has extended its successful range of cellular electronic production equipment with the announcement of a new high-reliability surface mounter which can place components to an accuracy of +/-45 micron. The SI-F130AI high-speed mounter provides a cost-effective pick-and-place solution that enables rapid return-on-investment. The F Series has been proven in Sony's own production facilities and by third parties over an extended period of time.

'Our ethos is to provide real return-on-investment at every point in the cycle,' said Kazuo Ito, UK-based managing director of Sony Manufacturing Systems Europe.

'At the outset we offer flexible rentals, so that via leasing, our customers can increase their production capacity by 25,900 components/h (CPH) for just EUR 2,500/month'.

'By cutting maintenance requirements we also reduce lifetime cost: the small footprint of our cellular mounters allows us to provide maximum productivity per square metre of factory space.' Featuring an advanced 'third generation' Sony developed rotary 'planet' head that can move freely in two directions, and with an overlapping process to pre-load components, the SI-F130AI achieves tact times as low as 0.139s.

The device also features an ejector system that reduces PCB load/unload time to zero, further cutting cycle time.

The SI-F130AI is only 120cm wide and less than 145cm deep.

All Sony chip mounters are designed so that multiple cells can be connected in-line, within a small space, giving full flexibility to meet any low, medium or high mix production and throughput demands.

Equipped with high-speed 'on-the-fly' parts recognition, the SI-F130AI features an image processing system that automatically generates image data for complex new parts.

Its compact cellular design extends Sony's approach of offering a market-leading combination of speed, placement accuracy, and small footprint, to help create production lines that are flexible and expandable and thus improve cost-performance figures.

To facilitate its customers' advanced manufacturing operations, Sony Manufacturing Systems collaborates with Sony's Financial Services division to provide a range of monthly rental or finance options.

These give customers access to the latest technology, whilst managing capital expenses.

Sony Manufacturing Systems has worked closely with its software partner, Sony TiMMS, to offer further integrated hardware/software solutions for customers with more complex data handling and process requirements.

The TiMMS system not only provides industry leading mounter optimisation, but also real-time lean manufacturing control between procurement, design, manufacturing and test, improving inventory management and ensuring that their final product is not only completed most cost-effectively, but is fully traceable before and throughout its life cycle.

* About Sony - Sony manufactures audio, video, communications and information technology products for the global consumer and professional markets.

With its music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be one of the Worldandacute;s Leading Consumer Brands.

Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 54.96 billion (yen 7,475 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006 and it employs approximately 156,500 people worldwide.

In Europe, Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 12.61 billion (yen 1,715 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006, based on an average market exchange rate for the same period of yen 136 to the EUR.

Sony Europe, headquartered at the Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany, is responsible for the company's European electronics business and registered consolidated sales of EUR 8.22 billion (yen 1,118 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006.

* About Sony Manufacturing Systems - drawing on a wealth of Sony experience and expertise in manufacturing, Sony Manufacturing Systems Europe (SMSE) provides manufacturing equipment and devices to aid technology development, design and quality assurance for a broad spectrum of industries.

These include automotive, aerospace, medical, systems manufacturing, consumer electronics and surface mount technology (SMT).

The SMSE product portfolio includes SMT equipment, measuring systems for motion and quality control, factory automation equipment and data recorders, as well as DUV lasers and optical disc analysers.

With its headquarters at Weybridge, UK, SMSE is the European arm of Sony Manufacturing Corporation, Japan.

It operates as a division of Semiconductor and Electronic Solutions (SES), a division of Sony United Kingdom - Show quoted text -