SMT assembly and pick-and-place equipment are the foundation of the electronics manufacturing process. At Restronics Metro, the sales staff has extensive experience with P&P equipment. As parts become smaller, new equipment may be required, and as volumes develop, current technology may need to be retired or upgraded for boosted productivity. As firms re-shore PCB production, there is a great need for enhanced speed and functionalities. Across the nation, supply chain problems and the desire for improved control over delivery cost and time are creating a demand for higher performance of SMT pick-and-place equipment.
The necessity for new product introduction technology is rising, and it must be convenient to utilize and versatile, along with dispense paste or adhesive, and also install components. By doing so, users can create small quantities of printed circuit boards without having to wait for stencils to arrive and then making changes, then waiting again for newer, modified stencils to arrive. While these systems may not be the fastest, they can give excellent versatility for very low volume and high mix tasks. Moreover, many of these tools can pick and place parts including odd-shaped parts and connectors that are inaccessible to most high-speed SMT machines.
The latest iteration of pick and place equipment for SMT has dual lanes of operation for ultra-high speed applications, interchangeable pick and place heads for high speed and large component placement, and electric component verification. Some devices can install components at rates of up to 90,000 CPH (components per hour). Actual CPH speeds can be estimated off-line to provide accurate speed and time for manufacturing particular PCBs. With pick and place equipment, off-line programming and line balancing are generally standard features to improve feeder set up and decrease changeover time. With most equipment, jobs are set up on feeder carts that can be moved into place when the job is started. This greatly lessens feeder setup and changeover time.
Restronics Metro's expert workforce can help you in all elements of picking and placing SMT devices.