Tips for purchasing a chip mounter

Tips for purchasing a chip mounter
SMT mounting machine is the most important manufacturing equipment on the computer SMT production line Generally, surface mount pick and place equipment (including a complete feeder) accounts for more than 60% of the total investment required for a medium sized surface mount production line In addition, the throughput of the production line is mainly determined by the picking machine Since no single placement device is most suitable for all applications, the work required to select a device with a suitable paper feeding system should form a major part of the selection of basic equipment SMT production line
The choice of the right automatic placement machine depends on many factors,
Circuit board

For example, equipment complexity, applicable packaging and equipment standards, type and quantity of parts to be placed, and current and future requirements for capacity and flexibility
Maximum substrate size processing capacity
When selecting to place the equipment, the maximum substrate or panel size that the machine can handle is the starting position. This requirement alone can eliminate many machines, and the maximum size should be used as the selection criteria for picking and placing machines, not the size of the substrate.
Resettlement rate
When selecting a mounter or a group of mounters to meet production requirements, you must determine the product mix, the number and type of components for each circuit board, and the output. It is not enough just to understand the current needs. Also consider future demand and manufacturing plans.
The actual output depends not only on the placement speed of the machine, but also on the type of mixing and the feeder used The placement rate is also affected by the PCB size and the components used The most important thing is that the machine that is often shut down or needs maintenance, even if it runs very fast in the work, will have a negative impact on the delivery volume
Other selection considerations
With the wide use of components with larger size and finer spacing, the demand for precise placement becomes more prominent. In addition, repeatability rather than accuracy is a more useful criterion, that is, the consistent ability of placement heads to place parts within specified limits on specified targets.
Rotation accuracy is different from X/Y accuracy. For larger equipment, the same degree of rotation deviation will cause larger deviation on some pads compared with smaller equipment. Of course, the acceptable tolerance will be tighter for components with smaller spacing (<20 mils) and any components with very small spacing.
The software function of the chip mounter determines the ease of the chip programming of the circuit board. Different machines have different programming functions. Some are easier to use and friendlier than others.
Service, support and training
With the fierce competition in the patch industry, many new suppliers have entered the market, and many suppliers no longer exist. One criterion to keep in mind is the installation base of the device you are considering. After the equipment is shut down, can you get the necessary parts and service support in time? When trying to meet the delivery schedule, it is critical to be able to start and run the machine quickly.
Equipment training and technical support are very important After installation, a certain degree of training will be provided on the user's site The training time should be long enough to make the operator satisfied with the operation of the machine Some companies not only provide training on specific equipment, but also provide training on surface mount technology and design in other aspects This kind of training has a real help in reducing defects