Material Serialization#

Overview#

The Material Serialization feature provides a framework for assigning unique identification codes to PCB panels and boards at various stages of the manufacturing process. By utilizing specific Smart Tables, users can determine exactly when and how materials expand into smaller units during track-in or track-out operations.

The system supports multiple configurations, including Special Mode, which allows for two levels of serialization to occur simultaneously within a single production step.

This level of traceability ensures that every individual component is accurately tracked from the initial SMT line through to final assembly. The flexible setup also accommodates both internal name generation and external naming conventions to suit different factory requirements.

Pre-Conditions#

• Enable global settings:
  • /SMT/MaterialSerialization/ - enable the Material Serialization feature
  • /SMT/MaterialNameGeneration/ - enable the ability to generate names for the materials
  • /SMT/MaterialAutomaticLabelPrinting/ - enable the label-printing functionality of this feature
• Define the relationship through the Material Form Generic Table between parent and child materials.

Concept#

When a Material is tracked-in or tracked-out, the table SMTMaterialExpandContext is resolved and based on that context the Material is Expanded. Then if the columns:

• IsExternalNaming equals False
  • The table SMTMaterialNameGenerationContext is resolved and based on that context a Name Generation is assigned to the Material Expand Operation that will be performed

Setting up Material Serialization#

The following configuration is needed:

• Enable the feature by enabling the /SMT/MaterialSerialization/IsEnabled config.
• Configure the SMTMaterialExpandContext smart table.
• Configure the SMTMaterialNameGenerationContext smart table.
• Configure the SMTMaterialPrintableDocumentContext smart table.

Configuring the SMTMaterialExpandContext ST#

The expansion context must be specified in the SMTMaterialExpandContext smart table.

• Expand Step: the step where expansion is going to occur;
• Parent Form: parent material form;
• Child Form: Child material form (Example: Board or Panel);
• Sub Child Form: Sub Child material form (Example: Board);
• Expand Operation: transaction that will trigger the serialization process, Track-In or Track-Out;
• Is External Naming: set to true if naming is external or false if naming is performed by an MES name generator;
• Expansion Factor: integer value to expand material from parent to Child form (you can think of this as the primary quantity that the child materials will have)
• Sub Expansion Factor: integer value to expand the sub material from Child to Sub Child form
• Detach Step: the step where boards are detached from panels (Optional)
• Position Mapping: set to true if you want to set the sub material position;
• Is Special Mode: If the expansion (serialization) has 3 levels such as: Lot, Panel, Board and it all occur at the same expand step, property is special mode must be set to true. If the expand from Parent to Child and from Child to Sub Child occurs in different steps, Is Special mode should be set to false.

Without Special Mode#

As mentioned above, if the expand from Parent to Child and from Child to Sub Child occurs in different steps, Is Special Mode should be set to false.

Considering an example for a Panel that has 4 boards each and a lot as a parent material with quantity 8, the target of the parent material is normally defined in quantity of needed boards so in this case the configuration should be as follows:

State of the lot material after tracking in the the SMT_Serialization step:

State of the lot material after tracking in the the SMT_Packing step:

With Special Mode#

When the Is Special Mode flag is set to true, two levels of serialization are performed within a single step (e.g., from Lot to Panels, then from Panels to Boards). Each material whose form matches the value defined in Parent Form and enters the specified Expand Step produces Child and Sub Child materials during that same step.

The quantities of the Child and Sub Child materials, as well as the Primary Quantity of each, are calculated based on the parent material’s Primary Quantity and the configured Expansion Factor and Sub Expansion Factor.

For clarification, consider the following two-level serialization example where a material with the Lot form and Primary Quantity 12 is Tracked In in the SMT_Serialization step.

• 1st Expand (Panels)

  • \(\text{number of panels} = \frac{\text{parent primary quantity}}{\text{expansion factor} \times \text{sub-expansion factor}} = \frac{12}{1 \times 4} = 3\) panels created
  • \(\text{panels primary quantity} = \text{expansion factor} \times \text{sub-expansion factor} = {1 \times 4} =\) with quantity of 4

• 2nd Expand (Boards)

  • \(\text{number of boards} = \text{sub-expansion factor} = 4\) boards created
  • \(\text{boards primary quantity} = \text{expansion factor} =\) with quantity of 1

By the end of the expand process, the SMT_Serialization step will contain the following materials:

• 1 Lot material with a Primary Quantity of 0 with 3 Sub-Materials
• 3 Panels material with a Primary Quantity of 0 and each with 4 Sub-Materials
• 12 Board materials, each with a Primary Quantity of 1

Configuring the SMTMaterialNameGenerationContext ST#

On the SMTMaterialNameGenerationContext ST, configure and derive, for boards and/or panels, the Name Generator to be applied if Is External Name was set to false. Define the following fields:

• Step: step where serialization for the board or panel form is going to be performed;
• Form: material form for which a name is to be generated;
• Operation: select "ExpandMaterial";
• Name Generator: name generator name from Name Generators list;
• Label Validation Mask: define a validation mask for the label if necessary.

Board name generator configuration example:

Configuring the SMTMaterialPrintableDocumentContext ST#

This smart table is used to configure and derive the labels applicable to each expand (serialization) if a label is to be printed.

• Step: step where serialization for the board or panel form is going to be performed;
• Material Form: material form for which a label is to be printed;
• Operation: select the operation that will trigger the label printing;
• Label: printable document name from Printable Document's list;
• Syncronous Printing: select or deselect synchronous printing.

Board label configuration example: