For Production, Quality, and Maintenance Managers in SMT Manufacturing
Why do critical positioning errors in SMT manufacturing often go undetected?
CeTaQ identifies precisely these deviations, pinpoints the causes, and helps with optimization. Guaranteed.
The Challenges
The Hidden Problem with Your SMT Equipment
In many SMT production facilities, the machines appear stable and reliable. In reality, however, accuracy deviations frequently occur that only become apparent when it is already too late—usually when costs have already risen significantly.
Deviations Hidden in Daily Operations
Positioning errors are often so minor that they go unnoticed during normal operation—but they are significant enough to cause scrap and rework in the long run.
Unstable Processes with No Apparent Cause
When products suddenly yield poor results or production lines operate erratically, the problem often lies not with the process itself, but with undetected positioning issues.
Critical Questions During an Audit
How do you ensure that your equipment meets the required accuracy? Without objective measurement data, this question becomes a challenge.
Uncertain Status After Maintenance or Repair
After service work, no one knows whether the machine is actually operating within specifications again.
Time Lost Through Trial and Error
Teams spend valuable hours adjusting parameters—without measurement data, root cause analysis is impossible.
Why Many Approaches Come to Nothing
Common methods often come to nothing
Many manufacturing operations rely on internal procedures, manufacturer specifications, or product measurements—but none of these methods provides truly independent, traceable, and audit-proof data.
Manufacturer calibrations test their own systems—but not independently
Machine manufacturers evaluate their own systems. This inevitably leads to a conflict of interest, and audits accept these evaluations only to a limited extent because they are not neutral.
Self-tests and camera systems only demonstrate repeatability
The machine measures itself using its own sensors. It cannot detect whether its internal reference system is faulty, which is why actual deviations remain undetected.
The “It's working just fine” mentality masks creeping problems
Many deviations develop gradually and go unnoticed for months. The problem isn't noticed until scrap rates rise or audits become critical. By then, the damage has usually already been done.
AOI and SPI do not measure, they inspect
AOI and SPI detect many quality defects—but this does not allow for a reliable conclusion about the cause of misalignments.
Adjusting parameters treats symptoms — not causes
If the cause remains unclear, people tend to tinker with programs, offsets, or process parameters. This takes time, rarely leads to a solution, and masks the actual machine deviation.
Trial and error and the “scotch tape method” are no substitute for measurement data
People often improvise—using adhesive tape to position components, checking under a microscope, or adjusting offsets “by feel.” This may help in the short term, but it doesn’t provide actual measurement data and ultimately amounts to nothing more than trial and error.
The only reliable method
Our Objective Measurement Solution for Your SMT Equipment
CeTaQ measures machine capability rather than the product itself, thereby revealing just how precisely your SMT equipment actually operates. Instead of relying on manufacturer specifications or internal routines, you receive unbiased, traceable, and fully audit-ready measurement data that serves as the foundation for true process optimization.
How the Measurement Works
A Few Clear Steps to an Objective Machine Evaluation
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01. Analysis & Test Plan
We determine the machine type, process parameters, and accuracy requirements, and create a customized measurement layout for your production.
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2. On-site measurement
Our technicians test your SMT equipment under real production conditions by processing the test board just like a normal printed circuit board.
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3. Precise Evaluation & Error Analysis
The machined measuring plate is measured using the CeTaQ measuring system. Any offsets, trends, concentricity errors, and head and nozzle deviations are precisely determined.
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4. Audit-ready report & clear recommendations
You will receive a comprehensive, traceable test report with recommendations for optimization and process stability.
Contact
It's that easy to get in touch
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Send Inquiry
Please fill out the contact form or write to us directly. We only need a few details about your manufacturing process and your machines.
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Free Initial Consultation
Our team will review your situation and provide you with an initial assessment of whether there are any potential accuracy deviations and which measurement would be appropriate.
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On-site appointment
Together, we'll plan your customized measurement project. If you'd like, we can conduct a measurement right at your location in just a few days.
Your Benefits at a Glance
Greater precision, less risk, and full process control
The independent CeTaQ measurement provides clear data on the actual accuracy of your SMT equipment and lays the foundation for precise, efficient, and audit-ready manufacturing processes.
Clear Decisions Instead of Assumptions
You know exactly how precisely your machines are operating and where there is room for improvement. All measures are based on objective data, not on assumptions.
Less scrap and rework
Hidden positioning errors become apparent and can be specifically corrected. This saves materials, time, and resources.
Precise, reproducible processes
Once machine capability has been clearly demonstrated, product changeovers, setup times, and line transfers become significantly more reliable and faster.
Audit-compliant, accredited certificates in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025
The results meet international standards—ideal for industries with the highest quality and verification requirements.
Less Trial and Error in Manufacturing
Parameters are no longer adjusted at random; instead, you optimize them in a targeted manner based on measurable deviations.
Better Investment Decisions
You can see in black and white which systems are operating within specifications and
where service, replacement, or modernization would be advisable.
The Effecet of a CeTaQ Measurement
How the precision of your SMT equipment changes after optimization
The data clearly shows that even small adjustments to offsets and machine parameters result in significantly more stable positioning accuracy, which has a direct impact on quality, scrap, and process stability.
Before
Unoptimized machine condition
After
Optimized Machine Condition
Demo Test Report
Visualizing Machine Condition Using CeTaQ Measurements
A sample demo test report clearly demonstrates how precisely CeTaQ detects positioning errors in SMT placement systems. The initial measurement cycles revealed significant deviations—values outside the ±100 µm tolerance limit—that would have gone undetected in the regular production process.
Through targeted system optimization, a significant improvement was achieved in the follow-up measurement: The measured values clustered closely around the target value with significantly reduced variation. The measures implemented successfully restored the system’s process capability.
The demo report details how the identification of hidden inaccuracies by CeTaQ and subsequent adjustments lead to accurate, reproducible, and audit-compliant machine performance.
About us
CeTaQ - Your Independent Authority for SMT Measurements
CeTaQ is the world’s only ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing laboratory for the objective evaluation of the positioning accuracy of SMT equipment.
Since 1996, we have been helping electronics manufacturers make their processes more accurate, more efficient, and audit-ready—through measurement data that is independent, traceable, and internationally recognized.
With our own measurement systems, in-depth expertise across all SMT manufacturers, and over 1,500 measurements per year worldwide, we set the standard in the industry.
FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About CeTaQ Measurement
How does CeTaQ differ from manufacturer calibrations?
How long does a measurement take?
Does production have to be stopped for the measurement?
Which SMT machines can be measured?
Are the results truly audit-ready?
What will I receive after the measurement?
How soon can an appointment be scheduled?
How much does a CeTaQ measurement cost?