Since the birth of the pick and place machine in the early 1980s, the basic functions have not changed much, but the pick and place requirements are mainly the requirements of speed and accuracy. With the rapid development of the electronic information industry and the miniaturization and high density of components The development of assembly is not what it used to be. we put early

The so-called small batch-level equipment mainly used for product trial production and scientific research, that is, the manual pick and place machine, which was used in the future and is still in use, is excluded from the scope of discussion, because these pick and place machines are technically incapable in terms of technical level and scope of use. Compared with mainstream pick and place machines. As far as the mainstream pick and place machines used for mass production are concerned, it can be technically classified into 3 generations so far.

1. Development stage of pick and place machine

1. The first generation pick and place machine

The first generation of pick and place machines was an early pick and place equipment that appeared in the 1970s and early 1980s, driven by the application of surface mount technology in industrial and civil electronic products. Although the mechanical alignment method used by the pick and place machine at that time determined the pick and place speed was low (1000~2000 pieces/hour), the pick and place accuracy was not high (X-Y positioning + 0.1mm, pick and place accuracy + 0.25mm), And the function is simple, but it already has all the elements of a modern pick and place machine. Compared with manual plug-in assembly, such speed and precision are undoubtedly a profound technological revolution.

The first-generation pick and place machine created a new era of large-scale automatic, high-efficiency, and high-quality production of electronic products. For the early stage of SMT development, chip components are relatively large (the chip component type is 1608, and the IC pitch is 1.27~0.8mm ) requirements, which can already meet the needs of mass production. along with

With the continuous development of SMT and the miniaturization of components, this generation of pick and place machines has long been withdrawn from the market and can only be seen in individual small enterprises.

2. The second generation pick and place machine

From the mid-1980s to the mid-to-late 1990s, the SMT industry gradually matured and developed rapidly. Under its promotion, the second-generation pick and place machine was based on the first-generation pick and place machine, and its components were centered by using an optical system. The speed and accuracy of the pick and place machine are greatly improved, which meets the needs of the rapid popularization and rapid development of electronic products.

In the process of development, a high-speed machine (also known as a chip component pick and place machine or a chip shooter) that focuses on the pick and place of Chip components and emphasizes the pick and place speed has gradually formed, and a multi-functional machine mainly used to mount various ICs and special-shaped components ( Also known as universal machine or IC pick and place machine) two models with significantly different functions and uses.

(1) High-speed SMT machine

The high-speed machine mainly adopts a rotary multi-head multi-nozzle patch head structure. According to the rotation direction and the PCB plane angle, it can be divided into a turret type (the rotation direction is parallel to the PCB plane) and the runner type (the rotation direction is perpendicular to the PCB plane or 45°). ), for relevant content, please pay attention to the official account, which will be detailed in the following chapters

Discuss in detail.

Due to the use of optical positioning and alignment technology as well as precision mechanical systems (ball screws, linear guides, linear motors and harmonic drives, etc.), precision vacuum systems, various sensors and computer control technology, the pick and place speed of high-speed machines has reached 0.06. s/chip, close to the limits of electromechanical systems.

(2) Multifunctional SMT machine

The multi-function pick and place machine is also called a general-purpose machine. It can mount a variety of IC package devices and special-shaped components, as well as small chip components, which can cover components of various sizes and shapes, so It is called a multi-function pick and place machine. The structure of the multi-function pick and place machine mostly adopts the arch structure and the translation multi-nozzle pick and place head, which has the characteristics of high precision and good flexibility. The multi-function machine emphasizes function and precision, and the pick and place speed is not as fast as the high-speed pick and place machine. It is mainly used to mount various packaged ICs and large and special-shaped components. It is also used in small and medium-scale production and trial production.

With the rapid development of SMT and the further miniaturization of components, and the emergence of finer SMD packaging forms such as SOP, SOJ, PLCC, QFP, BGA, etc. Retired from the vision of mainstream pick and place machine manufacturers, but a large number of second-generation pick and place machines are still in use, and their application and maintenance are still important issues for SMT equipment.

3. The 3rd generation pick and place machine

In the late 1990s, driven by the rapid development of the SMT industry and the diversification of demand and variety of electronic products, the third generation of pick and place machines developed. On the one hand, new micro-miniaturized packages of various ICs and 0402 chip components have put forward higher requirements for SMD technology; on the other hand, the complexity and mounting density of electronic products have been further improved, especially the trend of multiple varieties and small batches Promote the pick and place equipment to adapt to the packaging needs of assembly technology.

(1) The main technology of the third-generation pick and place machine

●Modular composite architecture platform;

●High precision vision system and "flying alignment;

●Dual track structure, can work synchronously or asynchronously to improve machine efficiency;

●Multi-arch, multi-patch head and multi-nozzle structure;

●Intelligent feeding and testing;.

●High-speed, high-precision linear motor drive;

●High-speed, flexible and intelligent pick and place head;

●Precise control of Z-axis movement and pick and place force.

(2) The main features of the third-generation pick and place machine - high performance and flexibility

●Integrating high-speed machine and multi-function machine into one: Through the flexible structure of modular/modular/cellular machine, the functions of high-speed machine and general-purpose machine can be realized on one machine only by selecting different structural units. For example, from 0402 chip components to 50mmx50mm, 0.5mm pitch integration

Circuit pick and place range and pick and place speed of 150,000 cph.

Taking into account pick and place speed and accuracy: The new generation of pick and place machines adopts high-performance pick and place heads, precise visual alignment, and high-performance computer software and hardware systems, for example, to achieve a speed of 45,000 cph and 50 μm under 4 Sigma on one machine or higher pick and place accuracy.

●High-efficiency pick and place: The actual pick and place efficiency of the pick and place machine can reach more than 80% of the ideal value through technologies such as high-performance pick and place heads and intelligent feeders.

●High-quality pick and place: Accurately measure and control the pick and place force through the Z dimension, so that the components are in good contact with the solder paste, or use APC to control the pick and place position to ensure the best soldering effect.

●The production capacity per unit area is 1~2 times higher than that of the second generation machine.

● Possibility of stacking (PoP) assembly 

● Intelligent software systems, eg, efficient programming and traceability systems.