Manufacturing Technology Insights: Specials Magazine

From semiconductor fabs to advanced electronics, motion systems remain the backbone of modern manufacturing. For OEMs, the challenge is no longer limited to a fast movement; it is now about achieving fast, accurate, and reliable performance every millisecond of every production cycle. In this environment, even the smallest disturbance, such as floor vibrations, position jittering, temperature fluctuation or contamination, can disrupt an entire process. Traditional motion setups, built from parts sourced across multiple vendors, often fall short in maintaining the tight integration required for peak performance. That is where ETEL gains its edge. With its Full Forward Integration (FFI) strategy, ETEL takes full ownership of the entire motion stack. This includes the supporting frame, active or passive isolation systems, the motion system—featuring optimized direct drive motors and advanced metrology—and motion control. The FFI approach ensures that every element is optimized to work together. The result is motion systems that are faster, more precise, ultra-stable and consistently reliable under real-world production pressures. This eliminates fragmentation and accountability issues that once plagued manufacturers relying on multiple component suppliers. By unifying every part under one roof, the company enables customers to focus on their core competencies with confidence in flawless motion performance. “The performance we deliver has a direct impact on our customers’ process yield and accuracy,” says Hervé Stämpfli, Head of Product Management. “And since we control every layer of the motion stack, we are able to meet those performance requirements very reliably.” MOTION SOLUTIONS AND ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES ETEL offers a diverse portfolio of motion technologies and systems for equipment manufacturers in the semiconductor and advanced electronics industries. Under its FFI approach, every solution supports a wide range of applications, from Front-end to Back-end segments, including lithography, process control, annealing, probing, dicing, wire, die and flip-chip bonding, test handlers, and more. “Today, the majority of our high-end motion system applications are propelled by the demands in Advanced Packaging, with heterogeneous integration playing a central role. This evolution is reshaping traditional semiconductor segmentation. Where the back-end once prioritized high throughput with moderate precision, and the front-end focused on ultra-high accuracy and cleanliness, Advanced Packaging is forging a new “mid-end” segment — one that requires all these attributes to coexist and perform together seamlessly,” says Hervé.

Framence is transforming how industrial teams access and manage critical information, cutting through the complexity of scattered data with its photorealistic digital twins. Acting like a ‘Google Street View’ for industrial environments, its solution provides a seamless, instantly accessible view of assets—eliminating the inefficiencies of navigating multiple systems. In fast-paced industrial settings, having real-time access to accurate data is not just a convenience—it is essential for efficiency and informed decision-making. Across industries, engineers and technical specialists spend up to 30 percent of their working hours searching for crucial data buried in ERP platforms, IoT networks, asset management tools, and cloud databases. The constant back-and-forth between interfaces makes retrieving insights time-consuming and inefficient. Framence streamlines this process by serving as a unified, user-friendly access point that integrates effortlessly with existing systems. Without altering third-party platforms, it ensures that teams can quickly locate and leverage the information they need, no matter where it is stored. Since its launch in 2019, the company has prioritized making digital twins fast, easy, and cost-effective to create and update—giving teams a smarter, more efficient way to navigate spaces, collaborate, and manage assets. “Whether managing a vast real estate portfolio or overseeing complex technical assets on a factory floor, Framence equips teams with everything they need at their fingertips—helping them spend less time searching and more time driving results,” says Adrian Merkel, Managing Director of Framence. Photorealistic Twins for Seamless Data Integration The company’s technology captures a photorealistic representation of facilities and embeds essential data points within the imagery. For example, engineers inspecting a pump in a facility no longer need to search through multiple software systems for maintenance records, IoT readings, or specifications. Instead, they can click on the pump within the digital twin, instantly accessing all relevant data from sources like SAP or IoT Cloud in one centralized, visually intuitive interface. This streamlined approach dramatically accelerates workflows and enhances decision-making. Beyond centralizing data access, Framence also addresses a key limitation of traditional digital twins—keeping them up to date. Conventional methods, such as laser scanning, require specialized equipment and professional expertise, making updates costly and infrequent. Over time, these digital twins become obsolete, making them less dependable for real-world applications. Framence takes a different approach, allowing users to update models using widely available cameras, including smartphones. This enables on-site staff to effortlessly capture new data without waiting for external specialists, ensuring the digital twin always reflects the current state of assets and facilities.