SCIENSCOPE

Scienscope’s Incoming Materials Technology Provides VARROC with the Innovation Needed to Automate Its Romanian Facility

Varroc Lighting Systems Electronics Romania (Varroc) was initially founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Varroc Lighting Systems (70%) and ELBA (30%). In December 2020, Varroc purchased ELBA’s 30%, and the company became a new electronic business unit of VLS. Since then, the company has grown from one to three SMT/BEs. Varroc is based in Targu Mures, Romania, focused on manufacturing electronics for the automotive industry. Varroc Lighting Systems is a global automotive supplier providing custom design solutions and innovative product development for exterior vehicle lighting systems.

Varroc places customer care and innovation at the top of its success list. “Our people are the key drivers for our success,” said Cristian Szpisjak, a .net developer. “We ensure sustainable economic growth and a constant contribution to our customer’s success through innovative and high-quality products.” To actively support the development of products from concept to manufacturing, the team strives to continuously improve its performance and anticipate and drive change to be one step ahead of the competition. So, when the company was working to automatically receive and process materials, including the option to validate the process data at the end, it turned to Scienscope. Varroc began discussing this process in 2021, and while researching potential suppliers, the company came across Scienscope and realized it had a facility in the same city as Varroc. Once it was ready to move forward, the company purchased the Reel Smart Lite (Incoming Material System-100 (IMS-100) equipment to improve its reception of materials process. Before the IMS-100, Varroc had to conduct reception, including printing the labels manually, and the information gathered from the process was not validated. Now, with the help of automatic validation done by the Scienscope system, the company knows the information will be accurate, which is a significant time and cost-benefit.

Szpisjak continued, “In addition to being local, Scienscope provided a service tailored to our unique needs by adjusting how the software on the equipment works to support our business needs. Since implementation, we’ve noticed a marked reduction in time for receiving materials/automatic validation and significantly fewer errors generated

by manual reception.” He added that because Scienscope is local, Varroc was able to implement the system quickly.

The integration and management of components are critical when trying to achieve a “smart factory.” Scienscope’s IMS system integrates from start to finish with accurate and complete data of all material processes and procedures. Packed components are received with labels from manufacturers’ barcodes, a distributor’s barcode, a forwarder’s barcode, the customers’ barcode, etc. When received, it can be difficult for the person scanning to pick the correct barcode to scan. Any incorrect reading can lead to an inventory and manufacturing process nightmare.

The IMS-100 high-resolution barcode camera system has an image-based algorithm that reads any barcode, even with defects. It reads and stores the information of four 7” reels simultaneously. As one reel is removed, a unique identification number label is printed, archiving reliable data that can be easily and conveniently traced. Additionally, the IMS-100 allows for EMS/ERP integration in seconds. It captures multicodes quickly and without errors, enabling seamless integration of any material. Additionally, it helps automate the incoming goods process and boosts productivity dramatically.

Szpisjak added that he was impressed with the level of engagement from Scienscope. “This was one of the contributing factors when we chose the supplier, and the same level of engagement was shown throughout the course of the implementation. Additionally, technical assistance has been comprehensive, and everyone we’ve come into contact with at Scienscope has been knowledgeable and friendly.”

Because the IMS-100 has been received so well, Varroc is considering purchasing the Reel Smart Pro (IMS-200) system as the company grows and continues strategizing for plant automation.

“We aim to be the best electronics provider for intelligent vehicle lighting,” said Szpisjak. “Scienscope’s Reel Smart Lite technology helps us accomplish our goal. We enjoy partnering with companies like Scienscope that are reliable and flexible enough to provide a tailored service to fit our specific needs.”

DURABILITY AND RELIABILITY

The use of electronics has become standard place, not just in the automotive sector but across products and industries where such things were unimaginable in the past. However, whilst continuing reduction in device sizes and available real-estate drives increasing technology break throughs, there are requirements that stay constant. Assemblies and their components are expected to hold up to extensive vibration and thermal cycling over long time periods.

Two new product innovations help to address these requirements:

UV20GEL - Designed to Provide Protection Against Vibration & Mechanical Shock in Electronic Devices

UV20GEL is a recent innovation from the polymer scientists at HumiSeal. It provides additional durability and ruggedisation for printed circuit boards in demanding applications including automotive, aerospace, and appliances among others. This flexible, high adhesion gel is used for staking taller or sensitive components to provide resistance to vibration and mechanical shock conditions.

UV92 Curable Masking Gel

Reductions in component sizes and distances make applying conformal coatings and avoiding “keep-out” areas more challenging. This is where our UV curable masking Gel excels. It is a soft, one part, UV curable masking material in the form of a thixotropic paste. It can be applied easily because of its shearing thinning viscosity profile and is 100% cured by exposure to UV to provide a temporary barrier to prevent ingress of coatings into keep out areas. The material demonstrates excellent solvent resistance that provides selective release from conformal coating. It also boasts the ability to survive intermittent exposure to temperatures up to 150°C and is REACH and RoHS compliant.

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Varroc Lighting Systems is a premier developer and manufacturer of next-generation external lighting systems and vehicle control electronics for the automotive and two-wheeler industries. Focused on safety, mobility, and style, Varroc Lighting Systems brings leading-edge technology to the mainstream automotive market with high-quality and cost-competitive solutions. Headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, U.S., the company has more than 8,000 employees worldwide with operations in 17 countries and capabilities on every continent where vehicles are produced. Varroc Lighting Systems is a vital member of the Varroc Group family of automotive components businesses.

Scienscope was founded in 1994 to meet the growing need for reliable and affordable generalpurpose optical and video inspection solutions for the electronics and PCB industries. The company began with essential stereo zoom microscopes used for SMT inspection and reworking circuit boards and electromechanical assemblies with a commitment to quality, value, and support. Over the past 28 years, Scienscope has evolved to become a complete inspection solution provider, offering offline and inline X-ray systems, Video coordinate measurement systems, video inspection systems, and microscopes to meet a wide variety of applications and manufacturing quality requirements. It also offers the X-Scope 1800 X-ray inspection system, AXC-800 III Component Counter, and Smart Storage Rack.

To find out more about Varroc Lighting Systems Electronics Romania, contact the company at +40 265262.870, office@zass.ro,

For more information about Scienscope International Corp. and its range of technologies, contact the company at 5751 Schaefer Ave., Chino, CA 91710; 909-5907273; E-mail: Info@scienscope.com; Web site: www. scienscope.com.