Since 2003 Tilo Brandis has been head of the Siplace team, the globally active and recognized provider of outstanding solutions to board assemblers. Before having taken on this position, he was with Siemens Transportation Systems, first general manger for cargo, and then railways mass transit. He started his carrier at HBS Consulting Partners first in project management than as managing director.
Siemens has now restructured its activities in the former Logistics and Assembly Systems business where the Electronics Assembly Systems Division (EA) with its well-known brand Siplace used to be located. Siplace is now part of the automation business again. This looks like more than just another regrouping; rather, there must be benefits for the customers and the company alike.
With its Siplace machine portfolio, we are perfectly positioned as the global innovation leader for SMT solutions. The current strategy of focusing on a strong product brand based on Siplace is very successful and will be continued. We are certain that, as part of the successful A&D Group, we will be even more successful in the future.
What kind of synergies do you see between the automation and the Siplace business, and how will they provide value for your customers?
Siplace fits very well into Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) with complementary skills focused on the semiconductor industry. In the area of automation, A&D is active in markets that are similar to those covered by EA. With A&D as its partner, EA will be even more customer-oriented all over the world. Also, the Siplace team has been working with A&D groups for quite some time on shared software solutions for the electronics industry as part of the A&D Simatic framework. These joint solutions will definitely benefit from the integration.
How does that fit in with your global Siplace activities? You have just delivered your first machine from the new factory in Singapore.
We have to follow our customers and markets, know and fulfill their regional requirements, and we have to build up competencies and services in the specific regions. This is our strength in Europe, and it has to be the same in Asia and everywhere in the world, considering our understanding of globalization. Consequently, the Siplace Center Asia (SCA) is not only an assembly center, but a whole factory with capacities in R&D, product management, purchasing, sales and services. With this concept, we as the global innovation leader will set the industry standards in Asia again.
What are the Siplace business targets in general, and especially in Europe?
The success of the Siplace X series proves us right. We are on the right track with our state-of-the art placement machines and solutions. However, like everything we have done before, this was just another step on our way to worldwide success and innovation leadership. Modularity and flexibility combined with speed and accuracy are and will always be the foundation of our success. We will continue to deliver innovative, tailored solutions to meet the requirements of our global customers. The electronics-manufacturing business is moving towards Asia, and customers over there ask for high-volume machines. Unlike others, we are using our SCA to broaden the global Siplace supply chain instead of just “setting up a factory in Asia”. However, Europe is still our home turf. Many of our globally operating, but also our mid-size customers offer innovative, technologically outstanding products, and hold excellent market positions. The Siplace team will certainly have the perfect solution for every requirement. With global presence, we are close to our customers and offer the services they need to be successful. I am convinced – and Siplace has proven this for many years by now – that the future will be very successful for companies like ours that respond to the requirements of the global market with speed, innovation and flexibility.
Do you think the high growth and success made in Europe can be achieved in other areas of the world?
Yes, we are very confident about this. Actually, we are not a German company operating in Asia. Today we are a company cooperating on a global scale in all major markets of the world. The Siplace team has very profound experience in most regions worldwide, especially in Eastern Europe. And it is very certain that we will continue to offer the same global commitment to quality products and services, no matter where around the world our customers are located.
How important in your opinion is the role of platform-based machines in board assembly lines?
Siemens was the first in the industry to set the standard in 1992 with the introduction of its award-winning modular Siplace platform. Now, many equipment suppliers have followed suit. Our development group’s basic concept was to address our customers’ requirements for compatibility, modularity and low cost-of-ownership. Our machines share the same family-wide modular commonality and unique collect&place head technology. Through various combinations of general and specialized units, Siplace can deliver anything between the extremes of ultra high-speed and ultra high-technology placement. This means, our machines can grow with the needs of the customer, thus guarding against becoming outdated through the modification of existing modules, or the addition of continuously evolving cutting-edge models. Siplace customers can be sure that their investment is protected, because they have a platform that is always up-to-date.
The level of global competition in your business seems very tough. Some of your competitors have reduced their presence in the European market remarkably. Do you sense more pressure now that some of them are starting to recover?
Competition has always been very good for us, because in comparison to them we could and always can be sure to be the most stable and innovative partner with respect to products, services and close customer relationships. Our customers ask for stability and long-term partnership and dependability. They can be certain that they will get all this from Siplace. Our service organization is present everywhere in the world – exactly where our customers are. Of course, Europe is our home region, but today we are the global market and innovation leader with a truly global supply chain. Our customers can be sure that they will get the proven and certified quality anywhere in the world.
In which placement-equipment market segments do you foresee particularly exceptional growth trends?
It depends on which segment we look at. If we take the industries for example, we have indications that on a global basis IT, consumer electronics and telecommunications will outperform others. If we consider segments in terms of regions, the strongest growth clearly comes from Greater China. In terms of machine segmentation, we believe that the growth in the midrange market will be significant.
How has the advent of advanced packaging, flip chips, BGAs, etc. influenced the technology and the solutions?
These technological trends are always one of our most important drivers. With R&D departments around the world, we are quick to catch up with trends and design innovative production solutions for these challenges. The Siplace platform with its state-of-the-art framework, placement heads, vision systems and feeder modules as well as software solutions provides the perfect basis for the right solutions for any technological trend.
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