SMT placement machine differences between medium-speed and high-speed placement machines.

The basic principle of pick-and-place machines is the same: they all use basic steps such as PCB copying, PCB positioning point positioning, component suction, and lens recognition of material tilt to achieve component placement. Depending on different market requirements, pick-and-place machines can be classified by speed into medium-low speed pick-and-place machines, high-speed pick-and-place machines, and ultra-high-speed pick-and-place machines. To get started, we will explain the mechanism behind the speed and precision of pick and place machines in this passage.

First, let‘s discuss low-medium speed pick and place machines. The theoretical placement speed of medium-low speed pick-and-place machines is below 30,000 CPH. Medium-speed pick-and-place machines are commonly abbreviated as medium-speed pick-and-place machines and are also referred to as mid-range pick-and-place machines. Most medium-speed pick-and-place machines adopt an arch-frame structure, which is relatively simple in design, resulting in lower placement accuracy. They have a smaller footprint and lower environmental requirements. During design and manufacturing, cost savings are prioritized to meet the needs of general consumer electronics manufacturing and general industrial and commercial electronic equipment manufacturing, balancing placement capability with cost-effectiveness. Due to the above reasons, medium-speed SMT machines are widely used in small and medium-sized electronic manufacturing and processing enterprises, R&D design centers, and enterprises with production characteristics of multiple varieties and small batches. Specifically, in the early stages of surface mount technology development, SMT machines with placement speeds above 14,000 CPH could be referred to as high-speed SMT machines.

With the development of surface mount technology and automation technology, the speed and precision of SMT machines have continued to improve, and the criteria for classifying high-speed SMT machines have also been raised. The theoretical speed of medium-speed pick-and-place machines is now widely recognized. Some pick-and-place machines are primarily designed for mounting large components, high-precision components, and irregularly shaped components, but they can also mount small chip components. These machines are functionally classified as multi-functional pick-and-place machines, but since their theoretical speeds range from 3,000 to 20,000 CPH, they are also categorized as medium-speed pick-and-place machines based on speed classification. 

In secondo luogo, lasciamo che‘s discuss high-speed pick and place machines. The theoretical placement speed of a high-speed pick-and-place machine ranges from 30,000 to 60,000 CPH per hour. High-speed pick-and-place machines are primarily used for placing small surface-mount components and small integrated components. Some high-speed machines also have the capability to place small ball grid array (BGA) components. The structure of high-speed pick-and-place machines often adopts a composite structure in addition to the commonly used turret structure. In design, high-speed machines prioritize placement speed and stability, achieving high-speed placement while maintaining the precision required for micro-sized surface-mount components. High-speed pick-and-place machines are widely used in large-scale electronics manufacturing companies and some specialized original equipment manufacturing companies. Similar to medium-speed pick-and-place machines, with the advancement of science and technology, the speed of high-speed pick-and-place machines has also increased significantly, with speeds rising from 14,000 CPH to nearly 60,000 CPH. The design of pick-and-place machines has evolved from focusing primarily on speed to emphasizing high placement accuracy, high reliability, multi-functionality, ease of operation and maintenance, and the ability to quickly switch between products.

Third, let‘s move onto ultra high-speed pick and place machines. The theoretical placement speed of ultra-high-speed pick-and-place machines exceeds 60,000 CPH. For example, the Nectec NT-T5 achieves an ultra-high-speed placement rate of 84,000 CPH. Ultra-high-speed pick-and-place machines are advanced versions of high-speed machines, offering even higher speeds. In addition to placing small surface-mount components and small integrated circuits, some models can also handle ball grid array (BGA) components. Additionally, some ultra-high-speed pick-and-place machines are equipped with high-precision multi-functional placement heads, making them high-speed multi-functional pick-and-place machines capable of both high-speed placement of small components and placement of large, high-precision, and irregularly shaped components. The structure of ultra-high-speed pick-and-place machines generally comes in two types: composite structure and large parallel structure.

Next, let‘s talk about the precision of pick and place machines. There are two definitions of pick-and-place machine accuracy: positioning accuracy and repeatability. In essence, pick-and-place machine accuracy refers to the mechanical accuracy of the X and Y-axis navigation movements and the rotational accuracy of the Z-axis. It can be characterized by positioning accuracy, repeatability, and resolution. To begin with positioning accuracy, positioning accuracy refers to the deviation between the actual position of the component to be placed and the position of the component set in the placement file. For example, if the placement machine places the component at coordinates (0, 0), then the positioning accuracy is the deviation between the actual placement value and the coordinates of that point. Then, repeatability is when the coordinate value of the component placement machine is (0, 0), and multiple placements are performed at this point, the deviation value between each placement is the repeatability.

More precisely, each motion system’s X-axis navigation, Y-axis navigation, and p-value have their own repeatability values. The combined result of these values reflects the placement accuracy of the placement machine. Therefore, the placement accuracy of a placement machine is typically characterized by its repeatability. Lastly, resolution is R-axis rotation resolution. When the placement head receives a pulse command signal, the R-axis of the placement head will only rotate by a certain degree. The number of degrees the R-axis rotates per revolution is called the R-axis rotation resolution. The placement accuracy in actual production refers to the deviation between the device pins and the corresponding pads.