Three manufacturing innovation powerhouses are rewriting the rules of electronics production through unprecedented AI collaboration. As revealed at APEX 2025, Koh Young, Cybord, and Fuji demonstrate how “fierce collaboration” around artificial intelligence is transforming quality control without sacrificing speed.
The breakthrough centers on Cybord’s RTI (Real-Time Interceptor) technology, which detects defective components during assembly by integrating directly with Fuji placement machines. This partnership allows manufacturers to reject bad parts before they’re mounted – a game-changer for quality assurance. Meanwhile, Koh Young America GM Joel Scutchfield explains how KSMART software provides instantaneous feedback on positioning anomalies, creating a comprehensive quality ecosystem where multiple AI systems drive better decision making and performance.
What makes this collaboration remarkable is how it’s accelerating beyond previous digital manufacturing initiatives. While Industry 4.0 often felt overhyped and slow to materialize, manufacturing AI is delivering results already. As Tom Zabkiewicz from Fuji notes, “It’s 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.” Cybord CEO Oshri Cohen shared compelling examples of how these technologies could revolutionize functional testing by creating separate protocols for “suspicious” versus “clean” boards, potentially saving hours of testing time per unit.
The key insight? Successful manufacturing AI requires both domain expertise and collaborative thinking. Isolated smart systems deliver limited value; the real transformation happens when machines talk to each other across the production floor, opening the idea of agentic AI in a manufacturing ecosystem.
For electronics manufacturers facing relentless pressure to improve quality while reducing costs, this collaborative approach isn’t just innovative – it’s essential for survival. Ready to see how connected AI could transform your manufacturing operation?
EMS@C-Level Live at APEX is sponsored by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Creative Electron (https://creativeelectron.com)
Read more about Cybord and their RTI solution at https://cybord.ai And find Fuji America at https://www.fujiamerica.com/
