PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVE
For Immediate Release – April 2006
AEGIS RECEIVES THE FROST AND SULLIVAN
COMPANY OF THE
YEAR AWARD IN SMT
Palo Alto, California. — Frost & Sullivan has selected Aegis
Industrial Software Corporation (Aegis) as the recipient of the 2006
Company of the Year Award in the surface mount technology (SMT) software
sector for its role in helping clients to successfully transition to a
lead-free manufacturing process.
With the deadline for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
directive approaching on July 1, 2006, electronic manufacturers
worldwide are likely to be challenged with effectively employing
lead-free components in their products.
The lead-free solder process in electronics assembly brings about
different defects, revised production processes as well as inspection
criteria. It also introduces more intensive requirements for shop-floor
materials control, quality and repair management, materials declaration
and total traceability. Aegis' solutions help manufacturers address
these challenges through a combined product launch and manufacturing
execution platform supporting improved speed, control, and visibility.
The Company of the Year Award is presented to a company that has
exhibited excellence in technology innovation, competitive strategy, and
leadership within the electronics manufacturing industry on the SMT
line. Thus, each year, the Award lauds innovating concepts that pioneer
client applications. It recognizes exceptional products and services as
well as outstanding customer service.
“Aegis provides a highly competent platform that integrates CAD and bill
of materials intelligence to the real-time events and variables emerging
from the executing process. A singular solution spanning product data
launch, shop-floor materials control, manufacturing execution, quality,
test, and analytics yields real enhancement of production processes,”
says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Deepa Mathew. “Additionally,
Aegis’ comprehensive, standards-based machine data acquisition
technology enables mapping real-time data to the product intelligence,
ensuring a high degree of visibility for the customer who wants to keep
tabs on any issue in real time. It also yields a unique scope and depth
of traceability, for quality and regulatory purposes. Aegis’ delivery of
a single platform encompassing product intelligence, MES, Quality,
analytics, and actual shop-floor product and materials control enables
manufacturers to overcome the challenges in their lead-free future.”
Beyond its impact to RoHS, the issue of traceability is a key factor in
industries that have strict guidelines for products with high associated
risk, in particular the medical, military, and automotive industries. To
undercut the risk involved, and to meet the ever-increasing customer
demand for component level product traceability mapped to process data
from production and measurement devices in the factory –– Aegis is a
must-have solution.
Aegis’ solution begins with risk control in the factory office during
data preparation for product launch. Front-end modules effectively
control a key element of risk on the production floor by eliminating
errors rooted in data preparation. The system successfully cleans bills
of materials data, ensures proper routing, develops machine recipes
off-line, and generates automatic operator visuals and documentation
across the entire route. Prior to job launch into the MES section of the
system, the prepared information defining and supporting the process is
placed under version control, sent through approvals, and electronically
assured as good, thereby greatly increasing the probability of sound job
execution and consequently a quality product.
On the factory floor, Aegis monitors and controls product movement, the
shop-floor materials movement intercepting the process, and the
information emerging from all stations as a result. This real time
connection to materials, lines and machines is defined by Aegis’
"Control and Visibility" solution concept. It achieves physical control
over materials verification, station setups and job changeovers by
employing RFID and PLC hardware utilizing SMEMA communications that
connect to the adjacent inline equipment and the central information
database. This control mechanism is vendor-independent and non-invasive
to the production line equipment. It assures the right tools, chemicals
and components are utilized at the right station and for the right
product at every moment. Combined with visual quality collection and
Aegis real-time XML machine data acquisition technology, the solution
delivers unique levels of both process automation and information
access.
Customers have the benefit of adopting modular solutions or the entire
suite to suit their application for maximum product content (Level 4)
and process-related traceability. Furthermore, Aegis offers its
solutions at a low cost of ownership as compared to its competitors. A
significant portion of their solution is out-of-the box and does not
require significant customization per application. Besides being
extremely competitive when it comes to annual contract fees, the company
also employs a number of value added services to ensure they remain in
sync with their customers.
Overall, its highly flexible range of solutions, combined with support
services recognized through 6 consecutive years of independent survey
awards has won over a customer base that ranges from tier-1 players to
relatively smaller tier-3 companies. Aegis solutions find high
acceptance in industries that have strict regulations and place high
value on data collection and analysis.
In recognition of its product intelligence and scope to beat
competition, Frost & Sullivan is proud to present Aegis with the 2006
Company of the Year Award In SMT Software.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been
partnering with clients to support the development of innovative
strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise
integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate
management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost &
Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000
companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing
comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global
perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies,
econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit
www.awards.frost.com or www.electronics.frost.com.
For additional information contact:
Paul Ferdas, Marketing Director
Aegis Industrial Software Corporation
Email:
pferdas@aiscorp.com
Phone: 215.773.3571