The management and control of Moisture Sensitive Devices (MSD) in printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) is undergoing a genuine resurgence. Since the beginning of the year, requests relating to MSD applications and equipment have been rising steadily. These enquiries reflect a growing urgency among manufacturers seeking to address the critical challenges posed by MSDs in the production environment.
Why this sudden interest?
Discussions with manufacturers reveal that several industrial trends are fuelling this renewed focus. Let’s explore these developments.
The push towards digitalisation
Digitalisation is not limited to analytics or artificial intelligence. It extends to the entire manufacturing ecosystem – including MSD management.
Historically, many small and medium-sized electronics manufacturers had not modernised their MSD management systems, as this was seen as unnecessary. A technician or engineer would take care of it. While this approach generally worked, it relied on spreadsheets and on over-baking components.
Today, in a fast-paced, data-driven production environment, that is no longer sufficient.
Labour shortage and lack of expertise
Assigning such a critical production task to a qualified technician is far from straightforward today. The sector is suffering from a shortage of skilled personnel, experienced technicians are retiring, and replacements are hard to find.
This raises the question: should such an essential and complex process depend on a single individual?
The answer is clear: manual MSD management is no longer viable. Manufacturers need an automated solution that reduces reliance on specialised labour.
Increasing complexity of PCBAs
The miniaturisation of components makes manual MSD management even more difficult. These smaller components absorb moisture faster and are more sensitive to it. At the same time, they enable high-density designs, incorporating devices with varying levels of moisture sensitivity (MSL).
This growing complexity calls for automated solutions capable of tracking components, monitoring exposure times, and ensuring compliance with current JEDEC standards.
Growth in the aerospace and defence sector
The aerospace and defence industries are booming. New players are entering the market with innovative products to be assembled. When preferred subcontractors reach maximum capacity, these newcomers must turn to alternative manufacturers to validate and produce their products.
These contract manufacturers, often less familiar with the strict aerospace and defence requirements, need a robust automated MSD management tool to meet such demanding standards.
The future of MSD management
These trends are driving manufacturers to rethink their MSD management strategies. Whether the motivation is linked to digital transformation, labour scarcity, product complexity, or market demand, the need for a reliable, automated solution remains undeniable.
Whatever your situation, our MSD Control application has you covered:
- Automated MSL classification
- Container tracking via unique ID
- Real-time exposure monitoring
- Management of dry storage and baking cycles
- Automatic blocking of expired components on the production line
- Integrated alerts and dashboards for proactive action
- Easy integration with MES, ERP, and placement machines
This solution was the first automated system designed specifically for electronics manufacturers, and it remains the leader today – particularly in multi-vendor environments.
Author: Cogiscan Specialist
