HONG KONG -- Automation and even "lights out" PCB manufacturing are among the themes of the upcoming HKPCA Show. 

The annual trade show is the largest in Southeast Asia for electronics manufacturing.

Show organizers are leveraging interest in “Made-in-China 2025” and “Internet+” to position the event at the hub of a transformation of electronics manufacturing industry in China.

Consumers demand for personalized products has become the biggest challenge that manufacturing industry needs to address, says the HKPCA. In turn, manufacturers need to embrace "rapid response" production and delivery methods. The philosophies and methodologies outlined by Made-in-China 2025 and Internet+ are designed to boost manufacturers in meeting those goals.

The 2016 International Printed Circuit & Apex South China Fair (HKPCA & IPC Show) covers the entire supply chain of PCB and electronics assembly products, technologies and solutions. This year, the Smart Automation Pavilion will be enhanced to offer up-to-date automation equipment, technologies and effective solutions to facilitate intelligent production, reduce labor cost and aid development of Industry 4.0 and related IoT and smart factory projects.

Overall, the show expects about 550 exhibitors from around the world, covering an exhibition area over 50,000 sq.m at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. 

The PCB industry, as a labor- and capital-intensive industry, stands to benefit, the trade group says.  Since the world's first unmanned factory was set up in Japan 30 years ago, lights-out automation has gradually spread throughout the world. In North America, one manufacturer has developed a fully automatic PCB production line to address small batch production. The line uses a digital inkjet printer to replace the traditional optical imaging process, thus significantly reducing production time, raw materials, and labor costs. According to HKPCA, the elapsed time from PCB CAM file input to the inkjet printer and the PCB digital file developed to the etching or plating process takes only 5 minutes. 

PCB factories in China won’t lag behind, the organization says, asserting that the number of workers in a smart workshop decreases from 1,500 to 350, while efficiency is improved by about 48%. Visit hkpca-ipc-show.org for details.

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