The strategic decision: choosing excellence through collaboration
The decision to implement Koh Young technology emerged from extensive internal discussions and careful evaluation of global best practices within the SICK organization. “Within the SICK world, we discussed the experiences with these machines and we decided on Koh Young machines,” explained Imre Vido, Managing Director of SICK Hungary, whose leadership has been instrumental in driving the facility’s technological advancement.
The decision was not made in isolation but rather as part of a comprehensive strategy for global alignment and operational excellence. “We would like to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our processes, and for this reason we try to harmonize the structures, the machines between us, so that means we can use the best practices from each other. That is another reason we selected Koh Young Machines,” Vido emphasized, highlighting the collaborative approach that defines SICK’s global manufacturing strategy.
The harmonization strategy proves particularly powerful given the different economic contexts of SICK’s operations. “We are here in Hungary in a so-called low-cost country, and our German production is a high-cost country. Independent from that, we have common goals for our processes,” Vido explained, underscoring how Koh Young technology serves as a unifying platform that transcends geographical and economic boundaries.
Exceptional implementation: a model for success
The rollout of Koh Young’s SPI systems at SICK Kft. Hungary has exceeded all expectations, demonstrating the value of both the technology itself and the collaborative approach to implementation. “We decided to install SPIs from Koh Young last year, and we started with four machines, and we really have a very good experience with the these,” reports Imre Kiss, Head of Operations, who oversees production of the facility’s vast product portfolio including semi-finished products for internal use and other SICK units worldwide.
The smooth implementation process stands as a model for successful technology adoption in complex manufacturing environments. “In the startup phase with the first four SPIs, the start was also very effective because we have a lot of programs from Germany and also support, so it’s really a good start,” Kiss emphasized. This rapid deployment was facilitated by the existing knowledge base within the SICK organization, where German facilities had already successfully implemented seven production lines with Koh Young SPIs and AOIs.
“We had our own experiences with SPI machines and we had the exchange of information about best practices with our German colleagues,” Kiss noted, highlighting how the combination of local expertise and global knowledge sharing accelerated the implementation timeline and enhanced the overall success of the project.
Transformative operational impact: redefining manufacturing efficiency
The impact of the technology on the company’s operations in Hungary has been nothing short of transformative, particularly in addressing one of manufacturing’s most persistent challenges: throughput time. “It’s very important the time, the throughput time, because if we have a manual visual inspection after the SMT process, it takes more time, sometimes some days after the SMT process. So with the inline SPIs, we can massively reduce the throughput time,” Kiss explained, quantifying a dramatic improvement in production flow.
The collaboration exemplifies how advanced inspection technology, combined with global best practice sharing, strong technical support, and visionary leadership, can drive manufacturing excellence across diverse product portfolios and production environments.
