As I reflect on our panel discussion at APEX 2025, I’m struck by how far we’ve come in implementing AI solutions in electronics manufacturing, and even more excited about where we’re headed. When Philip Stoten invited me to join Tom Zabkiewicz from Fuji and Oshri Cohen from Cybord to discuss AI and collaboration, I knew it would be a valuable conversation about the future of our industry.
The Power of Partnership
One theme that resonated throughout our discussion was the absolute necessity of collaboration. As Philip noted, this “fierce collaboration” combined with “respect for domain expertise” is transforming our industry.
Each of us brings different strengths to the table. At Koh Young, we’re focused on inspection and measurement with our equipment and KSMART technology, while Cybord specializes in AI-driven component analysis, and Fuji excels in placement equipment. But none of us can deliver complete solutions to customers by working in isolation.
As Oshri aptly put it: “If we don’t collaborate, it’s not going to work for the customer.” He emphasized that while “Koh Young has a fantastic solution” and “Fuji is a leading solution,” true customer value comes from integration.
Real-Time Innovation
One exciting development we discussed was the new RTI (Real Time Interceptor) technology collaboration between Cybord and Fuji. This allows for the detection and removal of problematic components during assembly, in real-time, without impacting line speed.
This kind of technology partnership complements our own work at Koh Young. As I explained during the panel, our KPO solution provides “instantaneous feedback of anomalies related to XY positional offset” that can be tied to “a feeder, spindle or nozzle.” With Cybord and Fuji’s solution eliminating bad parts before placement, “that’s one less piece that we have to account for, one less potential root cause of the problem.”
The AI Revolution Is Here Now
Unlike the perhaps overhyped Industry 4.0 movement, AI is delivering tangible results today. Tom made this point clearly when he said AI is “not coming anymore. It’s here and moving at a pace that everybody better keep up with or they’re not going to be competitive.”
I completely agree. At Koh Young, we’re seeing this in real-time with our tools like Smart Review, where we’re “using AI to help the operator classify defects.” The innovations we’re showing this year aren’t just concepts – they’re practical applications of AI that are “coming to fruition.”
As I mentioned during the panel, “All that talk, all those hours and conversations we had where we said the data really matters… that’s where we’re at.”
The Future: From Reactive to Proactive
What excites me most is where we’re headed. We’re moving from systems that simply identify problems to ones that automatically prevent them.
I shared my vision for the future: “Why can’t we, at some point, write that information back to the program automatically so that it never fails again?” And when we detect patterns in solder joint integrity, “why can’t I tie that information back to the printer to adjust pressure, speed, release, to put down less paste?”
Oshri offered another compelling example of how AI correlation could transform testing. Currently, manufacturers undertake “100% functional tests in each and every component,” which can take “10 minutes to an hour per board.” By using AI to identify “suspicious boards” versus “clean ones,” we could drastically reduce testing time for the majority of products.
Conclusion: The Path Forward
As Philip summarized, this combination of domain expertise and system-wide thinking is how we “improve efficiency, improve performance, improve competitiveness, and make more money.”
At Koh Young, we remain committed to both advancing our own AI capabilities and collaborating with partners like Fuji and Cybord. The landscape of electronics manufacturing is changing rapidly, and as Tom warned, if we’re not collaborating, we’ll be “outside looking in.”
The future belongs to those who can work together to create integrated, intelligent manufacturing systems. I’m proud that Koh Young is at the forefront of this revolution, and I look forward to continuing our collaborative journey with partners who share our vision. You can watch the full video of our panel discussion, just fifteen compelling and insightful minutes, at https://youtu.be/KL_1FfkLmqw.
