Pick-and-Place Machines

Abstract

Machines placing surface-mount components on a printed circuit board meet a staggering cast of device package styles and sizes, not to mention that they come in contact with them at the rate of 2000 to 500,000 times per hour. There are chip resistors and capacitors, metal electrode face (MELF) resistors, mini MELFs, small-outline transistors (SOTs) in around 25 different sizes, small-outline ICs (SOICs), leaded and leadless chip carriers, and flatpacks. All of these demand the accuracy from a pick-and-place machine to accommodate their 0.050in. down to 0.020in. pad or lead spacing.