Aegis Receives the Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award in SMT Software

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.

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.

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 http://www.awards.frost.com or www.electronics.frost.com.

For additional information contact:
Deb Geiger
VP, Global Marketing
Phone: +1 215.773.3571 x 1106
Email: [email protected]