Since about 2010, the strongest market segment for Automated Programmers has been Automotive suppliers. Automotive suppliers have an ever-increasing need for programming as cars become more complex and technology-driven. They also often require 3D inspection and laser marking to ensure consistent quality and to track inventory. Big projects, with millions of programmed devices, make device programming in-house a no-brainer.

Smaller OEMs, while perhaps having many of the same needs as the Automotive guys, were constrained by limited resources. As their programming needs outgrew their ability to produce on manual systems, the only option was to outsource to the programming houses or ship their component manufacturing off-shore.

Then came the perfect storm of 2019: a crippling trade war, followed by a growing pandemic.

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Hot buttons for OEMs and Contract Manufacturers

• Faster time to market– go from prototype to production in weeks, not months
• Expand vertical manufacturing capability
• React to design changes quickly– tweaks in code can be updated to the workflow in just a few minutes
• Intellectual Property physically protected from theft
• Don’t have to shut down the line due to supply chain issues with programmed devices
• Device programming is easier than ever before; Installed and operational in less than one week
• Manual programmers can provide 10s of thousands of devices per year; when demand exceeds manual capacity, it’s easy to migrate to an automated system (same sockets, software, no need to redo first article, etc.)
• One high-speed universal platform can support millions of devices per year, at an incredibly low cost per device
• As demand increases, it’s easy to add additional sites for more capacity. If additional capacity is needed, add additional shifts without needing highly skilled technicians
• Lower cost solutions (3901, 3928) provide the greatest value in the industry. ROI in months, not years.

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