This blog shows how custom PCB automation and tailored wire shelving solve high-mix, odd-form and quality issues, making SMT lines smoother and workers safer.
If you run a PCB assembly line today, you probably feel this: products change fast, batch size go down, customers still want zero defects. A “one-size-fits-all” SMT line just can’t keep up.
Custom automation sounds heavy. Big CAPEX, long project, too many meetings. But done right, it can be very practical. You start from real pain points on the line, then build simple, modular automation around them. And you design storage and material flow at the same time, not as an after-thought.
In this article we’ll walk through key PCB assembly challenges and show how custom automation + smart storage (like tailored wire racks and shelving) can work together.
More EMS and OEM factories move to high-mix, low-volume (HMLV):
On a classic, “speed only” SMT line, every product change means:
Custom automation for HMLV is less about extreme speed, more about flexibility and quick changeover:
Here your storage hardware matters. For example:
It looks simple, but it removes a lot of non-value “walking time” before you even switch on a robot.
Next big headache is odd-form components:
Standard pick-and-place machines don’t like these. So you end up with a “hand insert” station that always becomes the bottleneck.
Custom odd-form cells normally combine:
You don’t have to automate every single part. Many plants start with one or two parts that hurt OEE the most.
Here again, material flow is key. If odd-form parts live in random boxes, your robot will wait for human all the time. But if they sit on a dedicated grelha de arame para frigoríficos comerciais designed as a “supermarket” for odd-form, operators can refill fast, and the cell never starves.
You can even design special shelves or hooks for:
Custom automation isn’t only about moving parts. It also about seeing and tracking.
Modern lines use:
When you design a custom cell, you want the following to be part of the spec, not an afterthought:
This makes it easy to prove to your customer that:
Good news: AOI, fixtures, and testers are often compact. They can sit right beside your storage zone, on the same frame or rack structure. Many customers mount test jigs or screens directly to heavy-duty wire rack uprights. So your automation cell and your shelving play together as one modular station.
A lot of automation projects fail because the product design fights the equipment.
This happens when:
So before you order a robot, you should run at least a simple DFAA / DFM review:
You can invite your automation partner and also your storage provider to this step. Why storage? Because layout and buffering depends on both machines e racks:
If you think about it early, you avoid ugly “metal patchwork” around your shiny new cell.
Another big trend is collaborative robots (cobots) and small modular workcells. They fit PCB assembly well because:
Typical PCB cobot scenarios:
Add a vision system, and you can:
These workcells nearly always stand next to some kind of rack or shelf. So it makes sense to design them together:
Because QIAO also does custom ODM/OEM for wire shelving, you can turn these ideas into real hardware: special brackets for cameras, fixed stops for totes, even integrated cable channels.
You don’t need a complex spreadsheet to see if your custom automation works. Keep the KPIs simple:
A smart approach is phased rollout:
This way you build a repeatable playbook, not a one-time science project.
Below is a simple table you can reuse. It shows how custom automation plus smart shelving can answer common PCB assembly problems.
| PCB assembly challenge | Custom automation focus | Storage / rack strategy | Business impact (no cost math) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMLV with many SKUs and frequent changeover | Flexible programs, shared fixtures, recipe-based setup, modular workcells | Kitting zones on prateleiras de arame para frigoríficos comerciais grouped by product family; clear labeling | Shorter changeover, less chaos before each run, fewer picking errors |
| Odd-form insert bottleneck | Small odd-form robot cell with quick-change grippers and vision | “Supermarket” layout on grelha de arame para frigoríficos comerciais; fixed tray locations | Higher throughput at the slowest station, more stable line balance |
| Poor quality and weak traceability | Inline AOI, simple functional test, MES connection to each station | Racks for NG boards, rework bins, and quarantined material; clear physical flow | Lower rework load, easier audits, faster root-cause analysis |
| Design not friendly to automation | Early DFM/DFAA review with equipment and fixture suppliers | Standard rack footprint reserved in layout; clear space for pallets and totes | Fewer late design changes, smoother NPI ramp, less panic before SOP |
| Labor shortage and ergonomic risk | Cobots for packing, handling, final assembly; vision-guided tasks | Mobile rack+robot cells that can move between lines; fixed height shelves | Better ergonomics, easier staff training, flexible capacity where you need it |
When people think “custom automation”, they picture robots and controllers. But the humble rack is part of the system:
At QIAO, we make serviços de fabrico de estantes metálicas por medida that match your automation plan:
So when you plan your next PCB automation project, don’t only ask “what robot do I buy?”. Ask also:
“What does the whole cell look like, from feeder to rack to finished board?”
If you design the automation and the estantes metálicas together from day one, the line feels smoother, operators happier, and the numbers on your dashboard start to move in the right direction—even without any complicated cost formulas on paper.
