SigmaTron International : Source Q2 2024 - ’s IT Organization on Path to ISO/IEC 27001

Inside this issue:

	Second Quarter 2024	Volume

SigmaTron's IT Organization on Path to ISO/IEC 27001

Lean 6 Sigma Dashboard	2
MVS 2.0 System	3
Articles	3

About SigmaTron

International

SigmaTron International (NASDAQ:SGMA) is a full service EMS provider with a network of manufacturing facilities in the United States, Mexico, China and Vietnam.

We focus on companies who want highly customized service plus a scalable global manufacturing footprint.

We serve a diversified set of markets which include: industrial, consumer and medical/life sciences customers. Our quality certifications include ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016 and IATF 16949:2016. We are also International Traffic in Arms Regula-

SigmaTron International is pursuing ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for its facilities. The Elk Grove Village (EGV), IL facility will be the first facility to be audited later this year. ISO/IEC 27001 is an international standard focused on information security. It was published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in partnership with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Among other improvements, the 2022 revision of the standard enhances data leakage prevention controls.

As with other ISO standards, the standard is based around a Deming Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and emphasizes risk identification and mitigation. Key points of focus include information security for use of cloud services, readiness for business continuity, threat intelligence, controls related to people interacting with data and systems, monitoring activities and secure coding.

A positive of the standard is that it drives a planning focus that looks not only at how to protect information, but also at ways to ensure accessibility to data by those who should have access. It also looks at ways to ensure integrity of data. It also recognizes the need for recovery planning in the event of a cyberattack

"Cybersecurity has become a hot topic in recent years as the number of cyberattacks continue to increase. We have developed a comprehensive security program at SigmaTron over the years which includes extensive training for our employ- ees. This has helped promote a cyber security culture so our users can also become defenders against cyber threats. Obtaining a third-party ISO certification will reinforce our commitment to cybersecurity. While EGV is the first facility undergoing the audit, we plan to continue this process with our other facilities in 2025," said Charles Donaldson, Director, IT Infrastructure and Security.

tions (ITAR) registered.

Chihuahua Facility Develops Proprietary Inspection System

SigmaTron International's Chihuahua, Mexico facility's engineering team recently developed proprietary equipment to cost effectively address a customer requirement. A consumer product customer added conformal coating to a product experiencing field failures related to operating environment issues. An automated selective coating machine is used that controls conformal coating deposition areas and application thickness. The customer wanted an automated visual inspection to ensure any overspray or missed coating was caught.

The Chihuahua engineering team evaluated available off-the-shelf automated optical inspection equipment and found that most had more inspection functions than the cus-

The automated inspection system checks for overspray or missed coating.

tomer required and also carried a cost that would

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Chihuahua Inspection System

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price the process above the customer's target price.

The team designed a proprietary automated visual inspection system that only incorporated the inspection functions the customer required. The cost of this system was less than one-tenth of the cost of an off-the-shelf system. While the off-the-shelf systems were faster, the customer only required inspection based on a sampling plan consistent with IPC-A-610 workmanship requirements so only a portion of the 3,000 units per day would undergo inspection. This made slower throughput an acceptable option, particularly given the cost differences.

To reduce cost, the AOL system was designed to only incorporate the inspection functions the customer required.

The development effort started in Febru- ary and was complete in a month. The systems were validated using a measurement systems analysis (MSA) methodology that included gage R&R studies. One system has been deployed in Acuna, Mexico, a second system is waiting for PPAP approvals in Chihuahua and a third system is in development.

"Having internal resources able to design equipment that meets customer requirements is definitely a competitive ad- vantage. In higher volume production, even a small yield issue can translate to a large number of defects. Automated inspection helps ensure that any equipment variation issues are quickly caught and addressed," said Alvaro Grado, the Chi- huahua facility's Manufacturing Engineering and Quality Manager.

Lean Six Sigma Dashboard Helps Drive Improvement

SigmaTron's Lean Six Sigma team in Tijuana, Mexico is using an advanced electronic dashboard to track its continuous improvement projects and collaboratively share data and progress during projects. The dashboard is database -driven which enables lookup of specific phases of each project. The team is currently working on 9 projects right now.

The dashboard includes a Lean project selection tool where the team calculates the business impact, probability of success, resources required and time to completion to determine the projects likely to have the most impact on a scale of 1-5. Projects which score 4 or 5 are color coded green and sched- uled. Projects which score 2-3 are color coded yellow and carry a caution warning. Projects scoring 1 are color

coded red and carry a beware warning.	defining the problem and the project
The selection tool enables creation of a pri-	objective. They also identified 7 critical
oritized to do list.		to quality (CTQ) elements by working
There is also a value stream mapping sec-	through a CTQ tree, setting goals for
machines, materials, method, measure-
tion where current state and future state
ment system and personnel. A current
diagrams are shared among the team. A
state value stream map was created,
project gantt chart section enables the team
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to track critical milestones and resource use.
In one recent pro-
ject, the team
focused on im-
proving second-
ary operation
production line
throughput in a
project where
demand was in-
creasing above
planned volumes.
They started by
The dashboard helps the team calculate business impact.

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Suzhou, PRC Facility's Proprietary Inspection System Enters Stage C

Development on the SigmaTron International Suzhou, PRC facility's proprietary Machine Vision System (MVS) for automated inspection of odd-formthrough-hole parts has progressed to Stage C. The MVS system is designed to inspect odd-form plated through- hole parts (PTH) that are used in applications where operating environments or legacy designs are not conducive to use of SMT parts. From a production standpoint, this is legacy technology and there are limited options for cost effectively automating odd-form part placement or inspec- tion.

The development effort began in May 2022. The platform has been developed by a cross functional team that included a project leader, machine technology and mechanical engineers,

1. purchasing representative, a pro- duction supervisor, a process industrial engineering supervisor and a produc- tion inspector. The result is product design input from the stakeholders who understand the production chal- lenges that the machine needs to solve.

A Stage A prototype with a single camera was added to production in July 2023. The Stage B prototype with

The MVS system is designed to inspect odd-form PTH parts used in legacy products or applications where a PTH part is the best option.

dual cameras was added to production in August 2023. The Stage C MVS-V2 machine now incorporates a dome lighting source on the solder side of the printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) to better reflect the image of wave soldering joints. It has been upgraded to semi-automatic processing via a

programmable logic controller (PLC) mechanical system to minimize handling and improve cycle time. It was introduced to production in May 2024. The Stage C unit also has a better dual camera system and is capable of inspecting for a greater number of defect types than Stage B. It scans product QR codes, can take photos, can read the marking of components, and can scan for polarity, missing components, wrong components and wave soldering quality. A Stage D MVS-V3 will be installed inline and integrate Industry 4.0 AI inspection capabilities into a final machine after Stage C analysis is complete. This final unit will have machine learning ca- pabilities, enabling it to improve detection as its database analyzes trends over time.

This development effort supports customer requirements for inspection levels, improved process control and traceability in processes where automated inspection and test options have been limited. The current version helps reduce cost and the variation associated with manual inspection operations. Longer term, the goal is to provide an Industry 4.0 compatible robotic system for PTH PCBA manufacturing to improve quality and efficiency on a broader scale.

SigmaTron's Articles Cover a Broad Range of Topics

SigmaTron International's team regularly publishes articles in industry publications, including Circuits Assembly and Global SMT &

Packaging

Links to all recent articles are provided on our website: News | Sigmatron International (sigmatronintl.com).

Articles and whitepaper sortable by key word topic and/or date are also provided on our blog: News, Events and Best Practices Tips from SigmaTron International (wordpress.com)

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Dashboard

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along with a suppliers, input, process, outputs, customers (SIPOC) diagram. This information was analyzed and a future state production layout was proposed. The result was a 12% improvement in takt time as well as a 28% improvement in units produced. These types of projects help SigmaTron's Tijuana, Mexico Lean Six Sigma team help customers with changes in project volumes.

A current state value map helps the team identify opportunities for improvement.

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