Feature Article Archives - Page 2 of 5

How Automation Is Enabling Semiconductor Industry Growth

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 21, 2025 | Feature Article

Computer hardware production with robot installing a component

The last few years have been tough for chip manufacturers. The pandemic threw global supply chain vulnerabilities into chaos, especially in the effect of chip shortages on product availability and delivery timelines. These challenges have prompted the high-tech industry to reevaluate its supply networks, prioritizing diverse and local sources of critical components. The United States government recognizes the importance of the domestic semiconductor industry as well, having passed legislation designed to support American fabrication plants in 2022.

Despite a tight few years, the semiconductor industry is poised for growth. Manufacturers need to be ready for increased demand, while simultaneously staying abreast of the latest technology, being nimble enough to pivot when the market demands it. Factory automation is helping chip manufacturers to accomplish this daunting slate of tasks by streamlining production, decreasing waste and cost, and driving the leading edge of manufacturing capabilities. Here’s how.

Business process re-engineering

In many cases, cost and logistical hurdles push fabrication plants to limit the scope of their automation efforts to find solutions: handling a particular task on the production line, in the warehouse, or transporting product between areas of the facility. Partial automation can and does provide significant efficiency gains, but a major benefit of full-scale automated systems is the integration of advanced decision-making capabilities with the plant’s production line.

With real-time data inputs, process control and manufacturing execution systems can proactively plan a fab’s capacity based on tool availability, and can adapt on the fly to changes in demand, equipment errors, and bottlenecks. Whether a customer unexpectedly scales up an order or a maintenance window is approaching on a wafer handler, automation software acts as a central collection point for this capacity-planning information and reassigns resources to achieve on-time delivery.

Consistency and throughput

Robotic material handlers have been providing consistent, precise execution in all types of manufacturing facilities for decades. While workers’ energy levels and focus naturally vary, chip production especially requires repeatable precision that doesn’t waver. Automation is, and has long been, an excellent option for freeing workers to handle more complex, creative tasks.

But with demand surging, companies are also looking for ways to increase throughput and do more with the resources they have. Increasing automation gets fabrication plants ever closer to the ideal of lights-out manufacturing, ensuring a steady flow of product with a minimum of downtime. Critical to this goal is quality control: the ability to integrate data from inspection and metrology systems and real-time status information from production line equipment to interpret that data and correct for faults. Catching chip flaws early means a minimum of wasted materials, which reduces cost and increases sustainability.

Sensitive material handling

The predictability—and controllability—of automated systems makes them ideal for cleanroom environments. Everything that enters and exits a cleanroom presents a possibility for contamination and human personnel are by far the most significant source. Robotic material handlers with low-particulate surfaces and shielded electronics, which need to leave the cleanroom much less often than workers, provide a fab with much greater control over its clean environment. Less contamination means less wasted material and effort and a leaner and more cost-effective production process.

The decision-making capabilities of a fully automated system can also respond in real time to the time-sensitive needs of chip production, preventing queue time violations in the production process. Tool availability planning reduces the chance that a bottleneck will build up anywhere along the line, causing chips to miss the window for their next processing step and requiring them to be reprocessed or scrapped.

Warehouse efficiency

Automation can also streamline fabrication plants’ warehouse operations. Track-and-trace systems make sure that tools, supplies, and finished products stay on the radar, reducing downtime spent looking for lost items or redundant activity when a component goes missing. Automated storage and retrieval systems optimize available space to both pack away and retrieve items simply and efficiently, saving all-important floor space for valuable manufacturing activity. Moving supplies and products to and from the cleanroom requires handling that is both delicate and efficient; automated transportation systems can ensure a reliable pipeline.

This frees up personnel for other, more complex work, and forestalls safety risks from storage equipment or injury from repetitive tasks. It also allows warehouse operations to stay nimble, able to pivot between activities and scale up or down as demand requires. In an industry where on-time delivery is key to customer satisfaction, the flexibility that automated warehouse functions provide is an enormous advantage.

Full automation is preparing fabs for growth in the semiconductor industry

The electronics-manufacturing market is starved for necessary components, and demand is growing for locally manufactured chips. Fabrication plants need to be agile to take advantage of a changing industry landscape. The impact of automated systems in a fab encompasses every aspect of production, from business process engineering to warehouse management. When high visibility into production line activity combines with advanced automated decision-making and responsive equipment, fabs can plan activity early, catch errors and adjust on the fly, reduce bottlenecks and scrap, and deliver product right on time.

CONVERGIX Automation Solutions is ready to assist you with finding the right automation solution for your semiconductor fabrication plant. Whether you need spot solutions to increase efficiency transporting materials to and from the cleanroom or are seeking a fully automated implementation to transform your facility, Convergix has the expertise to support you. Growing the domestic chip industry is both a government priority and a business imperative. Contact us today to explore how you can grow with it.

4 Ways Automated Packaging Can Transform Logistics

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 13, 2025 | Feature Article

Advanced robotics and leading-edge software are finding creative efficiencies in storage, packaging, and distribution

Automated packaging solutions have a host of benefits for any manufacturing business. But the material handling capabilities of robotic technology and leading-edge automation software aren’t limited to packing items in containers. There’s more to getting your products from the factory floor to the loading dock, and automation provides opportunities to increase productivity at every step along the way.

Packaging automation technology touches every aspect of logistics, and the advantages add up—especially in warehouses and distribution centers, where storage, transport, packing, and shipping make up a larger part of day-to-day activities. Introducing automation to any one task can streamline your storage and shipping. But if a larger network of automated systems is right for your business, it can transform your logistics and distribution operations.

Here are four ways automated packaging systems can reinvent your logistics workflows.

1) Safe, consistent, and scalable

Labor is often the first thing people think of when considering the advantages of automation, and with good reason. Packaging is especially hard on workers, where repetitive movements combined with lifting and twisting motions can take a heavy toll. Robots, working either alone or in collaboration with human workers, can perform a set of programmed motions precisely, consistently, and with no risk of injury.

Automated systems also scale with your business needs, so when demand increases, you’re not left struggling with production bottlenecks and staffing shortfalls.

2) More efficient use of resources

Packaging items in a too-big container means using void-fill material, spending extra on shipping, and risking quality or customer satisfaction issues. With access to real-time information on outbound items, advanced automation software can right-size packaging to cut down on shipping costs and empty space. Automation systems can even create custom-sized packaging on the fly, reducing decision-making time and the need to store multiple sizes of packing materials.

When multiple items are going out in a single package, either from a distribution center or as part of a kit, collecting the items and deciding on the best way to package them takes time. Advanced automation software can assemble kits for you and optimize cartonization, minimizing empty space in boxes and keeping shipping costs down. With access to your shipping data, automation systems can identify multiples of the same type of product going out and take advantage of batch processing to package them as efficiently as possible. Packaging software can even work side-by-side in distribution centers with automated pickers, selecting items directly into their shipping containers to streamline your workflow.

But top-to-bottom packaging automation isn’t the only way to boost your operations. Even partial automation can provide huge benefits. Robotic carton constructors and sealers can take over these repetitive tasks, allowing manual operators to focus on more complex work. Even freight rating can be automated so that workers don’t have to weigh and label packages by hand.

3) Better storage for better retrieval

Sorting products, stacking them for temporary and longer-term storage, palletizing them for easy transport, and loading them into trucks for delivery are all steps in the process that provide perfect opportunities for automation. Leading-edge vision systems and other detection systems can sort items by size, shape, and weight, and determine the safest configuration for storage or palletization.

Retrieving items from a storage shelf or a delivery truck also takes time, and automated warehousing can optimize the way shelves or trucks are loaded so that the items you need first are the first ones available. Robotic technology can quickly stack and palletize items to take them straight from the factory floor to the loading dock, cutting down on heavy lifting for workers and protecting the quality of your product with reliably secure packaging.

4) Get the most out of your space

Maximizing the use of floor space is a top priority in manufacturing. When space is at a premium, automated systems can streamline your processes and help you cut down on storage and staging space needs. When automated packaging technology is selecting the right size container for your items in real-time, or constructing custom-fit containers, you don’t need to keep as many packaging options on hand. You also need less void-fill material, freeing up inventory space.

Your warehouse also benefits from automation. Sorting and loading processes can palletize and stack products in ways that make the best use of your space, allowing you to either shrink your overall warehouse footprint, or making it more cost affordable to expand your inventory. Meanwhile, advanced software can organize storage in a way that makes locating and retrieving items simple and fast.

Automated packaging systems transform logistics from factory floor to loading dock and beyond

Robotics and leading-edge software take incremental gains in each step of the logistics workflow and combine them into game-changing efficiencies. The consistency of automated packaging systems reduces rework and waste, driving down costs and keeping your business greener. Automation takes the guesswork out of logistics by performing repetitive tasks with precision and using real-time data to optimize transport and storage—all of which combine to give your logistics employees a solid foundation for success.

At Convergix, we work with you to find the right automation solutions for your logistics needs. Our packaging capabilities include bag and case loading, conveyor systems, kitting, palletizing, sorting, stacking, and more. Our advanced robotics capabilities are equal to any task your team can imagine. Contact us today to talk about what packaging automation can do for your logistics and distribution operations.

5 Automation Advantages for EV Battery Production

by Convergix Marketing | Feb 6, 2025 | Feature Article

Electric Vehicle Battery Production Machinery

Leveraging automation for battery assembly will keep manufacturers on top of climbing demand.

Every year, electric vehicles (EVs) are getting closer to the tipping point of mainstream adoption. Infrastructure is catching up with consumer demand, and technology is improving every day. To take advantage of the industry’s growth, battery manufacturers must be ready to meet the increase in demand. If they can do so, the potential exists for a virtuous cycle: more efficient battery production drives down costs, which decreases the overall price of vehicles, making them accessible to even more consumers.

Financial forecasts are predicting rapid growth in EV-related industries, particularly in battery cell production and battery assembly. Manufacturers will need to move quickly to establish themselves in the market and must be ready to scale up as it expands. Fortunately, industrial automation provides robust solutions for the growing EV battery production sector that will help companies capitalize. Here’s how:

1) Efficiency gains with faster transport systems

Material handling is an important part of the process when assembling EV batteries. Housings need to be transferred to the production line, cells picked and inserted, and the battery pack moved and positioned for cleaning, assembly, testing, and packaging. Automated conveyor belts and autonomous cart systems transport products reliably and swiftly, moving component parts to the production line and collecting finished batteries.

Repetitive tasks like lifting, picking, and positioning are well-established candidates for automation. But advanced transport systems can also move at variable speeds, gaining time while in motion and decelerating the item as it reaches its target location, which compounds the increase in efficiency. These marginal time gains quickly add up to faster production cycles.

2) Precision material handling for every step

Battery assembly leaves little room for error. Tolerances are tight, and the safety implications for workers and consumers are significant. The equipment on an automated production line is programmed to perform tasks like wire bonding, plasma cleaning, and dispensing adhesives the same way every time. The result is a consistent, high-quality product and a repeatable, modular process—one with minimal risk of straying outside the bounds of heat, pressure, or other safety limits that could damage the finished battery.

3) Safety in production and performance

Vehicle batteries are hard-working systems, which is why production methods are carefully controlled to avoid damaging any components during assembly. To make sure the completed battery is functional and, more importantly, safe for use, the individual components and the finished product can also undergo multiple automated tests along the production line.

Robotic equipment enables the safer assembly techniques that build EV batteries, like wire bonding and laser welding, while automated electrical testing confirms that the assembled battery works as expected and isn’t leaking electrical current. These tests catch any flaws early in the process, reducing risk downstream and ensuring that the assembled batteries have the longest functional life possible.

4) Quality assurance through traceability

Tracking the history of a battery’s component parts is important both for ensuring the quality of the finished product, and for analyzing and improving production processes. With this information, manufacturers can verify that each part has completed all processing steps and passed every quality and safety check. Traceability data also allows manufacturers to quickly locate and address any issues within the production chain.

Tracking and tracing not just finished batteries, but all the parts that make them up, involves an enormous amount of data. This makes it an ideal task for advanced automation. Vision systems, for example, allow production equipment to confirm the identity of picked components and check for obvious defects. Barcode and RFID scanners can identify parts and update tracking records in real-time, while laser engraving creates permanent markers that will ensure traceability over the lifetime of the battery. Together, these systems can create a complete record of a battery’s production and service history.

5) Adaptability in changing markets

To stay nimble and respond to changes in demand, manufacturers need to balance process optimization with flexibility. Centralized, intelligent automation systems combined with advanced sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) can collect data at multiple points along a production line, helping manufacturers identify areas that are ripe for efficiency gains.

At the same time, robotic equipment and process controllers can be programmed to allow for multiple production modes, creating a variety of products on the same assembly line. Individual modules can even pivot to different types of work by automatically swapping the tool on a robotic arm. This kind of modular design, along with customizable programming, allows manufacturers to optimize their existing production lines while staying ready for the next challenge.

The electric vehicle boom is here. Battery manufacturers can meet the moment with automation.

Battery assembly is a complex and highly technical process with little margin for error—the kind of process where automation shines. The increase in demand for electric vehicles is set to outstrip current battery production, which means that manufacturers will need a strategy for scaling up. Automation can help businesses do more with existing resources and provide a template for future growth.

At Convergix Automation, we pride ourselves on our expertise with the latest automation technology, and the creative solutions we bring to growing industries. Whether you’re looking for big data analytics or a fully automated assembly line, we want to work with you to develop an automation solution that meets your needs. To discuss your business’s automation goals, contact us today.

3 Reasons Why Upgrading to Industry 4.0 Offers a Cybersecurity Opportunity

by Convergix Marketing | Jan 30, 2025 | Feature Article

Manufacturers should view upgrading their factories as a chance to revisit their cybersecurity and data governance practices.

The smart technology revolution that is currently taking the manufacturing sector by storm brings with it a range of operational advantages the full scope of which have yet to be fully grasped. From advanced robots that are able to perform complex and delicate operations in the blink of an eye, to big data analytics delivering nuanced insights into production processes, many factories are still looking for ways to incorporate these technologies to their greatest potential. And, as these technologies continue to evolve, the efficiencies they provide will only grow along with them.

However, if there is one stumbling block to the adoption of Industry 4.0, it is that many manufacturers have not yet taken the initial step of upgrading their IT systems and cybersecurity protocols. These outmoded systems have left the manufacturing sector unusually vulnerable to attack. The broad footprint of a modern factory, with its hundreds of Internet-enabled machines, is an added complication, because without comprehensive cybersecurity practices in place, one breach could compromise the broader system.

While this may seem like a cause for alarm, it is in fact an incentive to reassess data governance and cybersecurity practices more broadly. Here’s why meeting cybersecurity compliance standards and upgrading your automated factory systems are mutually supportive goals.

#1) Strong cybersecurity practices offer protection against broader business threats

To start, let’s review why industrial cybersecurity should be an operational priority for manufacturers. Even though stories break every day about large scale data breaches, security hacks, and infectious malware, many business owners continue to view security threats as something that could happen to others, but not themselves.

However, an investment in cybersecurity can save a business from more than just embarrassment. It can:

Retain customer trust. Consumers are growing increasingly weary of having their own private information compromised due to another entity’s negligence. When large-scale business operations are at stake, a breach of a partner’s identifiable information can mark the end of that relationship.
Avoid legal challenges. Businesses can be held accountable for financial damages if it is discovered that a security breach or data hack happened due to their own negligence. Documenting both your security practices and evidence that you followed them can save you from legal trouble.
Protect valuable IP and confidential information. Cybersecurity is more than a PR move. Your own information—including technical blueprints and operational details—can also be compromised. Moreover, industrial espionage often targets OEM suppliers on the assumption that they will be a weaker link.
Safeguard operations on the factory floor. Computer viruses don’t just target data. They can also hack operational equipment, either causing that equipment to malfunction, or holding it for ransom.

Reading the above, you may be tempted to think that you can avoid these threats by not investing in newer technology. However, many older machines still run on exploitable operating systems, even if they aren’t connected to the Internet. For instance, in 2010, a virus passed through a USB drive was responsible for a cyber-attack on an Iranian nuclear facility—proof that staying offline won’t save you.

Instead, make sure your modern factory can keep up with modern cyber threats. In the current cybersecurity arms race, most attacks search for weak links. Keeping your systems robust will deter would-be hackers who know there are easier targets elsewhere.

#2) Meeting cybersecurity compliance prerequisites allows manufacturers to bid on more projects

Anyone who has bid on government contracts, particularly for the Department of Defense, is familiar with the compliance standards required to handle this kind of work. The DoD isn’t the only one, however. Many other companies include cybersecurity requirements to protect their intellectual property, guard customer data, and to ensure confidential information about their operations stays safe.

Manufacturers may be used to highlighting features of their own facilities when bidding on contracts, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that robust cybersecurity practices—and the documentation to back them up—are just as strong a selling point. It’s not just about protecting against security threats, either. The business who can demonstrate the attention to detail required to guard against cyber-attacks and data leaks can reasonably argue that this care applies to other aspects of their business as well—from quality control to process management.

#3) Adopting advanced manufacturing processes strengthens factories competitively

By now, it’s well established that factory automation increases a manufacturing plant’s output, improves the quality of the final product, and reduces waste. As a result, modern plants are able to cut down on operating costs, mitigate the risk of broad product recalls, and offer lower prices to consumers. In some cases, factory automation can even enhance a product, by making possible various processes that are otherwise incompatible with a human-operated assembly.

Many of the most exciting Industry 4.0 advances, such as large-scale data collection or the Industrial Internet of Things, must be safeguarded against security threats. However, they are also better equipped to run more sophisticated cybersecurity programs. Just like keeping your operating system software up to date is essential for receiving security patches, keeping your factory technology up to date also helps you take advantage of new security features.

The advantages of advanced factory automation are too great to be undermined by poor cybersecurity.

The reality is that even manufacturers who haven’t fully upgraded their technology are not immune to cyberattacks. In fact, those running older systems are even more exposed to security threats given the known vulnerabilities of these systems, and the absence of the more sophisticated protections built into newer devices. This means that a factory upgrade presents a first-class opportunity to also bring in expert guidance to review your company’s data governance and cybersecurity policies and give them an upgrade as well.

Top Factors to Consider When Choosing a System Integrator

by Convergix Marketing | Jan 23, 2025 | Feature Article

Selecting the right systems integrator is crucial for any company seeking to enhance operational efficiency and achieve its ambitious goals. This decision, however, can be difficult. Finding a partner that seamlessly aligns with your business needs, understands your unique challenges, and possesses the expertise to deliver successful projects requires careful consideration.

As an experienced system integration provider, we can provide valuable guidance for companies navigating this critical selection process. It is important to explore key factors to assess when evaluating potential integrators. These will help you make an informed choice in your selection and ultimately drive meaningful results for your company.

Here are a few tips on what any company should be looking for when they choose a systems integrator.

#1) Resources

As you would with even a household project, you should seek out recommendations from a trusted source. In the system integrator game – the Control Systems Integrator Association (CSIA) is a good choice. A CSIA certified integrator ensures that industries everywhere have access to low-risk, safe and successful automation applications.

There are other organizations that you can consult as well such as the Robotic Industries Association (if you are looking at a robotics application), as well as partner organizations of companies that may have the right hardware and/or software for your solution.

The media offers another reputable source of unbiased information. The annual list of SI Giants is released at the end of December with CFE Media’s Global System Integrator Report. The report celebrates recent achievements by highlighting integrators who will make a difference in the years to come.

#2) Business Health

It’s important to investigate the business health of a Systems Integrator. How long have they been around? Have they been growing? Do they have a list of customers that will provide a recommendation for a similar solution? Are their customers long-term, or do they have a long list of “one and done” clients? Again, just as you wouldn’t hire a company to do a project in your house that hadn’t done a similar project for someone else, you need to look for experience, depth of industry knowledge, and qualifications they can show you before you engage.

#3) Bench Strength

Can the integrator you are considering vertically integrate local offerings to achieve business outcomes and deliver on its promise of outstanding service? Do they have enough people on their team to work on your project in “real-time?” You don’t want to contract with a company only to find out that they can’t really work on your project for six months. To avoid this, you need a company that provides you with a project plan that includes a roadmap to success, regular check-ins and check-offs, and regular communication that keeps you informed and involved.

As a top 10 Systems Integrator, CONVERGIX Automation Solutions knows what companies are looking for. Being a systems integration giant means we have the capacity, bench strength and resources to solve our customer’s production-related problems. Contact Convergix today – we’re here to help!

What Innovations Are Advancing Electric Vehicle Manufacturing?

by Convergix Marketing | Jan 16, 2025 | Feature Article

A translucent vehicle with all the electric systems visible

Advancements in automation and sophisticated testing systems are driving innovations of electric vehicle technology and manufacturing

Few industries are as committed to constant innovation as the automotive industry. Every few years, automotive manufacturers rethink and redesign every aspect of the automobile from the ground up. In an industry where marginal improvements yield significant results, OEMs have a lot to gain from investing heavily in machinery that can produce high-caliber results.

For many years now, the area of automotive manufacturing that has led research and public interest has been electric vehicles—and, by association, autonomous driver technology. These technologies often work hand-in-hand, with cutting-edge electronic vehicles incorporating advanced driver-assistance technology systems, and autonomous vehicles operating on hybrid-electric engines for fuel efficiency.

At Convergix, we are committed to delivering automated platforms that can take your electric vehicle manufacturing and battery testing to the next level. Whether you are an OEM or a supplier, we can provide the equipment you need to remain at the forefront of automotive innovation. Here are three ways our technology is leading the way.

#1) Advanced testing for autonomous systems

Autonomous vehicles rely on two powerful technologies: LIDAR, which scans an environment at high speed and with enough detail to create a dynamic, real-time map of surroundings, even as the vehicle is moving, and AI systems that interpret this input and responds by sending directions to the automobile.

The safety of any autonomous vehicle is only as good as the sensors powering it. Accordingly, autonomous systems require extensive testing to ensure they are accurately mapping surrounding environments and that they are responding quickly enough to avoid accidents.

Very few vehicles currently rely on fully autonomous driving. However, more and more vehicles are equipped with assisted driving technology that combines autonomous systems with human control. These assisted technologies include:

Adaptive cruise control
Lane departure warning
Blind spot detection
Collision warning
Pedestrian warning
Traffic sign detection
Parking assistance

At Convergix, we provide advanced testing systems for autonomous and assisted driving systems. These test technologies can be incorporated into your production equipment so that you can test at any point in the assembly process to be sure your components meet the high standards required of autonomous systems.

#2) Testing and assembly for fuel cells and batteries

Electric vehicles draw their energy from one of two sources: batteries or fuel cells. Batteries store energy and need to be recharged after a certain amount of use; fuel cells generate energy from a chemical reaction—most commonly between hydrogen and oxygen, with water as the byproduct—and, as a result, require refueling to continue operating.

Both of these technologies is currently undergoing extensive research and testing in order to improve them for electric vehicle use. Already, the advances made by these technologies have extended the range of electric vehicles while also reducing the refueling and recharging time. However, there are still major opportunities for improvement, and the EV manufacturers who find the most efficient solution stand to gain significantly in the automobile market.

The technologies we employ during the assembly process for batteries and fuel cells include robotic handling and assembly, and the application of thermal adhesives, catalyst coatings, conductive coatings, and other chemical surface treatments.

We also have advanced testing and verification tools that can be used throughout the assembly process to ensure components meet specification standards.

#3) Factory automation for EV components

While the components for electric generation and storage power an electric vehicle, they aren’t the only parts required to make an electric vehicle run. An electric vehicle’s drivetrain functions differently all down the line, from the motor, which is composed of both a rotor and a stator, to the inverter, which translates direct current into alternating current, to the drive unit, which communicates driver input from the accelerator to the inverter, thereby controlling speed.

Every one of these components requires its own processes for production, assembly, and testing. Our facilities can do all this, with both in-line and end-of-line testing as needed. Our assembly and test capabilities for EV drive trains include:

EV motors and test stands
Drive units
Inverters
Hybrid engines

We thrive off developing advanced solutions for our customers

The battery equipment we build for electric vehicles is also used in home battery packs, marine applications, consumer products such as headphones and hearing aids. Our automated solutions in this space are also used by the Department of Defense. The advanced testing capabilities we use for autonomous vehicle systems can be applied to other autonomous technologies as well. The assembly techniques we use for EV components are part of the toolkit we use in all our automated factory solutions.

Most importantly, we bring a mindset of efficiency and innovation to every project. We are always looking for ways to improve our assembly design, by reducing the number of steps required for a full assembly, improving the production quality of components, or shrinking the footprint of the production equipment on the factory floor.

We are prepared to apply the same dedication to your project. If you are looking for an automation partner to design systems for your factory, contact us. We can discuss your project, our capabilities, and come to a solution that will yield the results you need.

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