VisiConsult developed the first automated component estimation (ACE) system that makes a prior type selection obsolete. This decreases the handling time and leads to robust counting results.

The consequence is that even new types can be processed by the system if a similar type is already implemented in the type database. The system will just detect the similarity and automatically use the best solution. In case of a completely new type a warning is shown and a trained supervisor can usually teach this new type in less than 15 minutes into the system database. With every new type the system efficiency increases.

Today, mass-market electronics are manufactured almost exclusively on high-erformance assembly machines. Time is literally money. Therefore, two aspects are of particular importance: maximum quantities and minimum changeover time. When it comes to the necessity of counting components before or after the assembly progress most manufacturers are still using the old-fashioned approach of manual counting devices.