In the manufacturing industry, a “standard” is much more than a list of technical specifications.

How should machine accuracy be defined? How should placement speed be tested? What qualifies as acceptable performance? And how can equipment from different manufacturers be evaluated fairly and consistently?

Behind these questions lies the importance of industry standards.

So, how is an industry standard actually developed? Taking the SMT placement machine industry as an example, we can look at the key stages involved—from identifying industry needs to publishing and implementing the final standard.

01 | It Starts with an Industry Need

The development of a standard usually begins with a practical need within the industry.

As technology advances, different manufacturers may adopt different technical specifications, testing methods, and evaluation criteria for similar products. Without common standards, it can be difficult to make objective comparisons between products, while equipment selection and application may become more complicated for users.

When the industry develops a clear need for greater consistency and standardization, standard-setting becomes an important way to turn proven technical practices and industry consensus into a common framework.

For SMT placement machines, the growing demand for high speed, high precision, reliability, and intelligent manufacturing has created an increasing need for standardized approaches to equipment performance and evaluation.

02 | Proposing and Approving the Standard Project

Once an industry need has been identified, a standardization project can be proposed through the relevant procedures.

At this stage, factors such as industry development, technological maturity, market demand, and existing standards are considered to determine whether a new standard is necessary and technically feasible.

After the project goes through the required evaluation and approval process, the standard development work can officially begin.

Importantly, an industry standard is not normally determined by a single company. The process involves relevant standardization organizations, technical committees, industry experts, manufacturers, research institutions, and other stakeholders.

03 | Forming a Drafting Team

After the project is approved, a drafting team is established.

Depending on the scope of the standard, participants may include:

• Equipment manufacturers
• Research institutes
• Universities
• Testing and inspection organizations
• Industry experts
• Standardization organizations

Each participant can contribute knowledge from a different perspective, including R&D, equipment manufacturing, testing, production, and practical application.

This collaborative approach helps ensure that the standard reflects real industry conditions while taking into account both current technology and future development.

04 | Conducting Industry Research and Technical Studies

Industry research is one of the most important stages in standard development.

A standard should not simply assign a number to a technical requirement. It should be based on actual industry data, technical research, testing, and practical experience.

For SMT placement machines, research may cover areas such as:

• Basic equipment specifications
• Placement speed
• Placement accuracy
• Repeatability
• Component size range
• PCB size range
• Vision and recognition capabilities
• Feeding systems
• Equipment reliability
• Safety requirements
• Environmental adaptability
• Communication and data interfaces

By analyzing the current technology level across the industry, the drafting team can establish a more realistic basis for defining technical requirements.

05 | Turning Technical Experience into Standard Requirements

Once sufficient research has been completed, the findings can be developed into a draft standard.

A meaningful standard needs to answer more than:

“What is the required value?”

It also needs to define:

“Under what conditions should it be tested?”

“What test method should be used?”

“How should the results be calculated?”

“What criteria determine compliance?”

For example, if a standard specifies a placement accuracy requirement but does not define the test conditions or measurement method, different manufacturers could obtain different results using different testing approaches.

Therefore, an effective standard needs to connect technical requirements, test conditions, test methods, and evaluation criteria into one consistent system.

06 | Public Consultation and Technical Validation

A draft standard is not the final standard.

Before publication, the draft typically goes through consultation and review. Industry companies, experts, users, testing organizations, and other stakeholders may provide comments and suggestions.

Where technical requirements require further verification, additional testing, comparison, or validation may be conducted.

The goal is to ensure that the final standard is:

Scientific. Reasonable. Practical. Verifiable.

A standard should not only be technically sound on paper—it must also be practical to implement in real manufacturing, testing, and application environments.

07 | Review, Approval, and Publication

After multiple rounds of discussion, revision, and technical validation, the draft standard enters the formal review process.

Once approved according to the applicable procedures, the standard can be formally published by the relevant standardization authority or organization.

At this point, the standard becomes an established reference for the industry.

It provides a common framework for manufacturers, testing organizations, and users to evaluate and understand the relevant products or technologies.

08 | A Standard Continues to Evolve

The publication of a standard does not mean the work is over.

Technology continues to evolve.

New components, new manufacturing processes, new equipment architectures, and intelligent manufacturing technologies may emerge over time. As the industry develops, existing standards may need to be revised, supplemented, or updated.

In this sense, a standard is not a fixed set of rules. It is a framework that evolves together with technology and industrial development.

From Different Practices to Industry Consensus

For the SMT placement machine industry, standardization is not simply about defining equipment specifications.

More importantly, it helps establish a consistent, scientific, and verifiable framework for evaluating equipment performance.

It can help manufacturers clarify technical requirements, enable users to evaluate equipment more objectively, and support the overall development of the SMT industry toward greater consistency, quality, and efficiency.

Behind every industry standard is more than a single technical specification.

It represents a process involving industry needs, technical research, practical experience, expert input, testing, verification, and collective consensus.

From identifying industry needs and initiating a project, to conducting research, drafting requirements, collecting feedback, validating technical criteria, and completing the review and publication process—

the development of a standard is essentially the process of turning industry experience and technical consensus into a common set of rules that can be understood, tested, and followed.

As SMT placement machines continue to evolve toward higher speed, greater precision, increased reliability, and smarter manufacturing, standardization will play an increasingly important role in supporting technological progress and the high-quality development of the SMT industry.