Asustek Computer company launches the world's first fully automated line for the production of graphics cards. All associated with the assembly and soldering components on a printed circuit board operations are performed by robots. This process received a marketing name Auto-Extreme.
Installed machine components on the board can be placed more densely than in the case of manual installation. This optimizes PCB design, to reduce the distance between the individual elements. Production boards can be moved to another environment, where the elements will not affect dust and oxygen in the same volumes as for semiautomatic assembly. Automatically produced video should last longer and operate more reliably, reducing the cost of the manufacturer for warranty repairs and replacements.