Critical Manufacturing at APEX 2025

“Customer demand for new and unique products is rising, which means electronics companies must shorten development cycles,” states Dante Dominguez, Director of Sales for SMT, North America. “Being first to market with new products means producing low-volume runs quickly at high quality and at the right cost. This capability requires the implementation of a smart, Industry 4.0-led MES solution that provides an elevated level of process orchestration and standardisation, alongside the agility to execute rapid changeovers. So, yes, manufacturers might need a new MES for making Industry 4.0 a reality.”

Hit those Industry 4.0 goals

Visitors will see how Critical Manufacturing MES helps manufacturers make industry 4.0 a reality, using the latest IIoT, equipment integration, augmented reality, and digital twin technologies. As an Industry 4.0 enabler, MES innovation pioneer, and problem solver that delivers tangible results supported by a robust partner ecosystem, Critical Manufacturing addresses the unique challenges of OEM, EMS, and PCB manufacturers. Industry 4.0 is transforming manufacturing, but without the optimal MES to support the replacement of multiple disconnected point solutions with a fully integrated factory system, achieving real time visibility, material flow automation, and scalability will prove challenging.

Differentiated MES for SMT

Electronics manufacturers visiting Critical Manufacturing at IPC APEX EXPO will discover an MES with many industry-specific attributes, such as: MSD and floor-life control for handling sensitive components; material serialisation, and tracking for complete traceability; material availability checks for upcoming orders; set-up preparation ensuring the right recipes, consumables, and durables for key processes; X-outs and virtual ink spot handling to minimise costs and waste; and advanced analytics to provide insights for process optimisation and better decision-making.

Alongside a future-ready MES that serves as a complete Industry 4.0 platform to manage advanced processes seamlessly, the Critical Manufacturing solution offers actionable insights through the company’s advanced IoT Data Platform with MES data in context. It is also SMT-ready with out-of-the-box features for complete visibility and control over SMT operations.

The open and integrated SMT solution leverages the major capabilities of the core MES alongside existing line solutions and machine-specific software programs. Connect IoT, equipment integration and automation modules link all types of systems and IoT devices. The solution also oversees Edge Processing within the IoT Data Platform to reveal powerful real-time factory insights that drive tangible outcomes.