May 2014
SMT Assembly Line ARTechnologies S.A. Installation
Posted by Manncorp
“Thank you very much for all your effort during the training…We are very happy with everything and feel very confident with the equipment. Moreover, we are very happy with the way Manncorp conducted business. I am committed to working with Manncorp for a long time. You now have one more happy customer. Thanks again for everything!!!” - Antonio Ricaurte V. President ARTECHNOLOGIES S.A.
Improved Dip Soldering Systems Have Wider Range of Capability
Posted by Manncorp
05/13/2014
While dip soldering of through-hole components has long been an easy and affordable way to automate manual soldering processes when the costs of wave soldering cannot be justified, these latest enhancements increase quality and repeatability to a degree that make Auto-Dip systems ideal for virtually any short-run, batch application.
New models of Manncorp’s popular Auto-Dip series include features that take dip soldering technology to new levels of performance and reliability. While dip soldering of through-hole components has long been an easy and affordable way to automate manual soldering processes when the costs of wave soldering cannot be justified, these latest enhancements increase quality and repeatability to a degree that make Auto-Dip systems ideal for virtually any short-run, batch application. Due to their quick setup time and ease of use, Auto-Dip systems fill an important role and are a valuable addition to electronic manufacturing facilities of any scale.
Most significantly, touch-screen controlled Auto-Dip models feature programmable preheat and dip height settings and include an adjustable, finger-type PCB holder that firmly grips the edges of the board throughout the soldering cycle. This flexible design is especially useful for heavy component-laden assemblies and can also accept customized pallets of very small, irregularly-shaped PCBs. Programmable speed, dip angle, lift angle, and dwell time provide a high degree of process control that ensures consistent, high-quality solder joints. An interchangeable version of the popular, pin-type PCB holder is also included which allows simultaneous soldering of multiple PCBs, randomly placed on the fixture-less, “bed-of-nails” loading platform.
Starting at $7,995, all Auto-Dip models have titanium solder pots with high-precision temperature controllers for use with lead-free SAC or SnPb solders. They also include an automatic dross skimmer and collection trough, and a programmable, 7-day, 24-hour startup timer. The largest model can handle large PCBs up to 600 x 350 mm (23.6" x 13.8") and its 100 Kg solder pot is still less than half the capacity of most small wave soldering systems and further lowering the comparative startup costs. A heavy-duty, steel mounting stand with leveling feet is also included for sturdy, safe installation.
The EZ-Flux 500A spray fluxing system is a handy accessory to the Auto-Dip systems and keeps the production area clean and residue-free. Foot-pedal activation frees the operator's hands for manipulating the PCB over the flux nozzle which includes separate adjustments for flow volume and mist density. Shields on the top of the unit are adjusted according to the PCB dimensions to minimize overspray and to recover excess flux.
To learn more about the Auto-Dip Series of dip soldering systems and accessories from Manncorp, please go to http://www.manncorp.com/Auto-Dip.html.
SMT Dispensing Systems
Posted by Manncorp
Manncorp offers a full selection of manual and automatic dispensing solutions for solder pastes, conductive epoxies, and SMT adhesives, as well as a wide variety of other materials used for die attach, underfilling, encapsulation, potting, and sealing. Our 2004D Series of high-precision dispensing robots provide a flexible, 3-axis architecture with fully integrated dispensing controllers and software, and are available in three different models with working areas from 300 mm²-500 mm². These compact, benchtop systems feature outstanding build quality and exceptional repeatability (±0.01 mm) at extremely affordable prices. Accessories include high-precision, micro-volume valves, dispensing tips, and material handling options for a broad range of viscosities and multi-component liquids.
Picking a Pick and Place
From Cogwheel Circuit Works
Overview
A key piece of equipment in electronic assembly is the Pick and Place machine or ‘PnP’ for short. A PnP places electronic components onto circuit boards. These days, the majority of components are about the size of a grain of rice and smaller, making hand assembly meticulous or impossible. Fully automated PnP machines with a basic set of features start at $35k. High volume, large capacity PnP machines can have price tags well north of $150k. This may seem steep, but since they are treated as something called ‘capital equipment’ by the bean-counters, you get to treat them as ‘Assets’ and ‘Depreciate’ them which, trust me, the bean-counters consider a Good Thing(tm) . The take-away is that their price tags shouldn’t give you as much sticker shock as you initially might think. For instance, if you are borrowing money from your Aunt Stella and she asks “What if you go under in a year ?”, after telling her that’s not ‘gonna happen, tell her that you can liquidate your assets and the PnP machine is likely to recover most of its value. Promise her some free assembly runs too :)
Feeder Requirements
Feeders are the parts of the PnP which supply(aka feed) components to be placed on the board. Feeders are designed for the packaging that the components are supplied in. There are many types of packaging – Loose, Tape, Tube and Tray are just a few.
Selecting a Pick and Place is driven by the size and type of components you intend to place. I analyzed some typical designs and determined my designs fit the following mix:
| Part Type | Footprint | Packaging | % of Total in Typical Design |
| Small Inductors, Resistors, Capacitors, Transistors, Diodes | 0603,0805,1206,SOT23 | 8mm wide tape | ~50% |
| Medium Inductors, Resistors, Capacitors, Transistors, Diodes, Small ICs | 2420, SMB,8-SOIC, 2010 | 12mm wide tape | ~25% |
| SMD Crystals, Medium ICs, | 16-SOIC, 14-SOIC, Medium BGA, Leadless, SOIC | 16mm wide tape | ~12.5% |
| Larger ICs, Small Connectors, Small Electrolytic Capacitors, | SOW-24, USB mini-b, Cap 10mm Radial, BGA, Small PLCC | 24mm wide tape | <~3% |
| Larger ICs, Connectors | Power Inductor | 32mm wide tape | <~3% |
| Other ICs, Modules, Connectors | TQFP, Large PLCC, BGA | Waffle Tray or Loose | <~3% |
| Certain SOICs | 16-SOIC, 14-SOIC, etc | Tube | <~3% |
It should be noted that determining the width of the tape and the specific packaging is usually buried deep in the component data sheet and typically a big pain in the tuckus to locate. Often, the packaging is driven by the distributor. Sometimes exact packaging cannot be predicted when ordering small quantities;
Armed with this general information our requirements for feeders are:
Waffle Tray – Highly desirable as an IC tray area can also be used for cut tape, or any part that can be laid out into a consistent X,Y array. Some parts arrive in waffle trays. Custom waffle trays can be easily laser cut. Some machines are sophisticated enough to be able to pick, align, and place parts placed randomly on the flat tray area, but this could slow down training and placement quite a bit.
Tape Feeders – As many lanes as possible. Order 8mm tape feeders in the largest number, w/some capability for 12mm. Larger 16mm, 24mm, and 32mm would be desirable but not mandatory to start off with as parts that large can be placed into trays
Tube Feeders – Desirable, but not mandatory as their functionality can be substituted by laser cutting custom waffle trays as previously mentioned.
Other Requirements
The machine should be able to place larger modules such as Wi-Fi or ZigBee radios, Leadless and BGA parts, and smaller parts below 0603 such as 0201
The Contenders
During my pre-purchase research in 4Q2012, Two machines made the shortlist (update 1Q2014: no new contenders in this price class):
Manncorp FVX
This machine is based off of the earlier Manncorp 7722FV machine, which originally designed and manufactured by Japanese company MDC. This model is used by Adafruit Industries and numerous others. It is the least expensive and generally highly capable, and meets all the basic requirements
Manncorp MC-400
This machine is actually designed by Autotronik of Germany and manufactured in Asia. It is sold in North America by Manncorp as the MC-400. It has a high degree of commonality with the Manncorp MC-385 series, and uses the same feeders. They are used by such companies as DIY Drones, Polulu, Spark Fun and many, many others. While more expensive than the FVX, it uses the same smart feeders as the MC-385 series which means a very easy upgrade path to the next level.
Machine Comparison
| FEATURE | Manncorp FVX | Manncorp MC-400 |
| Tape Feeder Lanes | 54 | 64 |
| Waffle Tray Area | Yes | Yes |
| Tube Feeder | Yes | Yes |
| Max PCB/Panel Size | 390 x 310mm (Shared with Waffle Tray Area) |
415×320 (Shared with Waffle Tray Area) |
| Placement Speed | 2200 placements per hour | 3000 placements per hour |
| Minimum Component Size | 0201 | 01005(ridiculously tiny, BTW) |
| Placement accuracy | +/- .1mm | +/- .05mm |
| Min Lead Pitch | .4mm | .4mm |
| BGA, Leadless (Bottom Vision) | Yes | Yes |
| Feeder commonality with higher capacity machines | No | Yes |
| Software commonality with higher capacity machines | No | Yes |
The Selection
While both machines met all of the basic requirements, the MC-400 was chosen over the FVX mainly because it provided an upgrade path to larger machines with respect to software and feeders. These features come at a higher cost, but my capital equipment budget allowed for it. That said, the FVX would also be an excellent pick for organizations on tighter budgets, and with their advanced vision capabilities, I expect both machines to postpone their obsolesence for many years to come.
