Reducing Electrical-Test Cycle Time for Electronic Component

Abstract

This research aims to lower the overall manufacturing time of a specific integrated-circuit (IC) product by shortening the electrical-test stage, which has a direct impact on the total cost. The existing testing procedure required an average of 11.53 s to process 480 units and generated an aggregate production cost of THB 1,863,655 for fiscal years 2023–2024. A root-cause analysis using a fishbone diagram and a time study on the testing procedure found that the long test time was mainly due to the graphics processing and display on the screen needed for the operator, particularly the Yield window that showed bar-chart graphics. To address these inefficiencies, it is crucial to streamline the graphics processing or consider alternative display methods that minimize delays. Implementing these changes could significantly reduce the testing time and ultimately lead to a decrease in overall production costs. The improvement strategy involved closing unnecessary display windows and replacing the bar-chart yield window with a text-based output. This modification reduced individual machine time for that step from 3.83 s to 0.58 s. The comprehensive post-improvement test results, which utilized a design of experiment, confirmed that the total electrical-test cycle time decreased to 7.96 seconds, indicating a 31% reduction. Correspondingly, the projected production cost for 2023–2024 decreased by THB 852,990, or 46%. The approach is readily transferable to other IC products and offers a practical pathway for organization-wide efficiency gains and cost reduction.