NSW Automation fulfils the global microelectronics industry’s demand for precision dispensing systems

Penang-based NSW Automation (NSW), established in 2004, is a Malaysian company that has become one of the world’s leading providers for precision dispensing systems in today’s global microelectronics and semiconductors industries.

The standard machinery of the pre-2000s era, coupled with the many manufacturing needs, were not enough to push forward the ideal desired outputs. This changed in 2007, when NSW provided the next step: the first generation of precision dispensing machines. Since its establishment, NSW founder and Managing Director Mr. Boo Kiang Ngee has been leading his team to solve the headaches and challenges of customised automation and machinery.

The company provides solder paste micro-dispensing solutions to achieve remarkably tiny, dispensed dots or lines sizes from as small as 80 micrometres (μm or one millionth of a metre). There is a great demand for this solution in today’s microelectronics packaging industry, including Electric Vehicle (EV) components, 5G devices, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), system in a package (SiP), or Package on a package (PoP), as well as active and passive components in Hybrid Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) assembly processes.

Aside from solder paste, NSW micro-dispensing solution is also applicable for various materials including as conductive silver epoxies, UV adhesives, silicone gel, and epoxies amongst other uses.

NSW has expanded its business footprints around the world with professional sales and technical service offices and representatives in the US, China, Taiwan, South Korea, the Southeast Asian region, SEA countries, Germany, and Russia.

With almost two (2) decades of experience in the advanced dispensing industry, NSW remains committed to delivering high-performance and reliable precision liquid dispensing solutions to support its customers’ automated dispensing needs, serving industries and functions such as EVs, semiconductor miniaturisation, green energy, aerospace, consumer, and wearable devices as well as 5G photonics.

With the ever-increasing dependency on electronics, manufacturers struggle to miniaturise the components to fit more features and function into the same or smaller device footprints. Conventional solder stencil printing can only be applied to flat Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and only down to 0.3mm sizes, which limits the end size of devices. NSW inventions are able to dispense solders through the dispensing process with “Synchro-Pulse” technology, which allows solder size to be created to a minimum of 0.08mm.

Its “Clog-Free” patent pending invention with the capability to dispense World Smallest Diameter consistently and reliably was announced in a White Paper in collaboration with Indium Corporation in Surface Mount Technology Association International (SMTAI) convention in Illinois USA, under the title of ‘Achieving Ultra-Fine-Solder Dispensing’. This redefines the industrial standards of PCB manufacturing to a new; making miniature component design feasible.

This innovation was employed in NSW SD1 to meet PCB design for its components miniaturizing trends with high productive demand. NSW Dual Fully Independent three axis T-Arms was designed to boost yield with smaller foot-print size saving up to 48 per cent with its double capacity.

In order to meet Industry 4.0 standards, the company’s products uses vision systems and, state-of-the-art spectrometry distance measurement sensors to collect and analyse information. Smart Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that are able to self-calibrate, self-diagnose, self-verify, and self-compensate, are then used to deliver users seamless automated productivity.

With almost two decades of experience in the advanced dispensing industry, NSW Automation remains committed to delivering high-performance and reliable precision liquid dispensing solutions to support its customers’ automated dispensing needs, serving industries and functions such as EVs, semiconductor miniaturisation, green energy, aerospace, consumer, and wearable devices as well as 5G photonics.

With the ever-increasing dependency on electronics, manufacturers struggle to miniaturise the components to fit more features and function into the a same or smaller device footprints. Conventional solder stencil printing can only be applied to flat Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and only down to 0.3mm sizes, which limits the end size of devices. NSW Automations’ inventions are able to dispense solders through the dispensing process with “Synchro-Pulse” technology, which allows solder size to be created to a minimum of 0.08mm.

Our “Clog-Free” patent pending invention with the capability to dispense World Smallest Diameter consistently and reliably was announced in a White Paper in collaboration with Indium Corporation in Surface Mount Technology Association International (SMTAI) convention in Illinois USA, under the title of ‘Achieving Ultra-Fine-Solder Dispensing’. This redefines the industrial standards of PCB manufacturing to a new; making miniature component design feasible. 

 This innovation was employed in NSW SD1 to meet PCB design for its components miniaturizing trends with high productive demand. NSW Dual Fully Independent three axis T-Arms was designed to boost yield with smaller foot-print size saving up to 48% with its double capacity.

In order to meet Industry 4.0 standards, the company’s products use vision systems and, state-of-the-art state of art spectrometry distance measurement sensors to collect and analyse information. Smart Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms that are able to self-calibrate, self-diagnose, self-verify, and self-compensate, are then used to deliver users seamless automated productivity.

More manufacturers today are demanding micron-level precision fluid dispensing systems, which is why NSW offers a broad range of solutions for precision dispensing needs and strives to deliver highly innovative solutions, always with the focus on microelectronics miniaturisation and heterogeneous integration, which is a highly-challenging application in the emerging market nowadays.

Equipped with NSW’s traditional strong performance in the precision dispensing process and experience in the market, NSW has invested a total of RM3 millions in R&D in year 2020 to develop new products and improve the capabilities of existing products to close the gap of market demands. NSW dedicated over 10 per cent of our annual revenue to increase the crucial capability of assembling more components into smaller volumes accurately. Since 2020, NSW has shipped over 12 systems, amounting to over RM12 million to Research Facilities of Multinationals as an early adopter of the solutions, defining the manufacturing packaging future.

W12 features a Linear Motor Drive Technology drive system with accuracy of up to 5μm and repeatability of up to 3μm to providing fast and accurate stage translation. Employing a Direct Mount Technology, the assembly of driving components are direct mounted to granite table as base to guarantee rigidity support and stability during operation.

NSW equipment can support a wide range of manufacturing materials including solder paste, phosphor, Galinstan, and adhesives, as well as supporting UV glue, TiO2, silver epoxy, and silicone gel.

NSW dispensing pump products are driven by the demand for a higher level of precision in dispensing and necessitated by new requirements in dispensing processes applied in the manufacturing of modern products and devices, where the miniaturisation of devices is the key consideration in the design of end products. To pack more components in smaller volumes, manufacturing is challenged with the need for precision and accuracy.

Industrial Revolution 4.0 (4IR) focuses heavily on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning, and real-time data. NSW dispensing systems are equipped with various types of sensors that allow machine learning technology to correspond with disparity and variations automatically as well as to smartly implement compensation of flaws and imprecisions on dispensing applications.

The combination technologies and innovation within this system allows stringent manufacturing to be feasible, and to-date. NSW is thus able to aid in the delivery of solutions for the latest automotive head lamp technology to the world’s largest electric car maker.

With the assistance offered by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) under the Industry 4WRD Intervention Fund, the company has successfully embarked on an automation system that has improved resource management by 80 per cent. This will lead to more efficient company productivity and will accelerate the company’s business growth through adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and processes

NSW has plans to reach 7 per cent of the global market by assessing external opportunities and realising gains in a profitable market segment.

Moving forward, NSW will continue utilising current methods to deliver good results and head forhigher heights, as well as adopt new strategies to move forward with stronger steps. Additionally, the company will invest in extended market surveys, and Research and Development in order to create additional products in response to consumer needs.

Managing Director Boo Kiang Ngee said, “We seek to keep the art of automated dispensing at the heart of what we do, to help our customers meet the ever-increasing demands for speed and quality in today’s microelectronics market.”

“Although there are a lot of adhesive dispensing systems in the market, our next-level nano-automated dispensing tech sets NSW apart. Our machines are highly stable in producing extremely fine volumes of fluid and microdots exactly and precisely – at all times, while our. NSW liquid dispensing systems are easy to use and get the tough jobs done effectively,” he added.

For more information on Industry 4.0 (Industry4WRD) incentives such as the Industry4WRD Intervention Fund, a financial support facility for Malaysian SMEs in the manufacturing and related services sectors to embrace Industry 4.0. Please contact Domestic Investment Division of MIDA.

Newsletter March 2022