Publication date: 24 February 2010
The globally operating Preh GmbH with headquarters in Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale, Germany, develops and manufactures complex driver control and vehicle sensor systems as well as controllers and assembly systems for the automobile industry. What sets Preh apart is its manufacturing depth, which integrates its expertise in software, electronics, plastics and surface technologies into customer-specific solutions.
After the recent decision for SIPLACE machines for the Preh factory in Trofa, Portugal, the Preh GmbH also decided to invest in new SIPLACE SX placement machines for the headquarters in Bad Neustadt in order to be able to produce its rising order volume on time in 2010 and with the highest possible quality standards.
To improve the productivity of its electronics manufacturing plant in Bad Neustadt, the Preh team upgraded its production with a highly flexible SIPLACE SX 2/SX 1 combination.
The critical factors for the SIPLACE SX line were the new models’ high flexibility and performance as well as their high placement quality. Wolfgang Storath, Preh’s head of electronic assembly, is impressed by the new SIPLACE SX modules: "The new machines with their capacity-on-demand concept enable us to respond with exceptional flexibility to the kind of order fluctuations we have to deal with a lot in the automotive supply industry. We were particularly impressed by the high performance and reliability of the SIPLACE SX machines and by the outstanding cooperation with the SIPLACE people – from the line's design to its installation."
The new SIPLACE SX is the world’s first placement platform that lets the user scale placement performance and capacity independently and on demand. The interchangeable SIPLACE SX gantries, the new SIPLACE MultiStar CPP head, flexible setup and line concepts and innovative SIPLACE rental services permit electronics manufacturers for the first time to let their production "breathe" in line with their order situation. To add, reduce or transfer performance between lines, the self-calibrating, rail-mounted SX gantries can be installed and uninstalled by a single person in less than 30 minutes. To meet short-term demand peaks, users can rent gantries from SIPLACE or use them for a longer period of time with the special "floating demand" concept, enabling them to turn fixed asset costs into variable costs in the future. Preh GmbH, which was established in 1919, has become one of the world’s leading suppliers for driver control systems in automobiles. The company employs roughly 2,000 people in Germany, Portugal, France, Romania, Mexico, the United States and China.With its SIPLACE machines and innovative manufacturing concepts, Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG (SEAS) is the world’s leading manufacturer of surface mount technology (SMT) placement machines and solutions. From its early days in 1985 through 2010, the company has installed roughly 22,000 placement machines at more than 2,000 customers. Electronics manufacturers all over the world take advantage of the broad SIPLACE portfolio of products and services. SIPLACE placement machines are used in all industrial applications in fields such as telecommunications, automotive, consumer electronics and automation.
