-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Essemtec Premiers Pick-and-place for 3D-MID
November 19, 2008 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
AESCH, Switzerland Essemtec developed a system to dispense and place in three dimensions, targeting 3D-MID technology. Molded interconnected device (MID) applications are the current focus of the automotive and medical device industries. In such products, circuits are applied directly onto the surface of injection-molded plastic parts or are integrated as part of products. In a 3D-MID, SMD components typically are on multiple levels, the placement system manufacturer explained.
MIDs target higher design freedom, more efficient production processes, and increased environmental protection by reducing the material mix. For maximum room use, MIDs are designed in three dimensions (3D-MID), in which components must be placed in different heights and in different declinations. This increases an assembly's functional density, noted Essemtec representatives.
The Essemtec machine concept for such production is based on the reportedly flexible in-line pick-and-place FLX2011-LCV system. The placer is completed by a palette transport system, a five-axis robot, and a special dispensing head with two valves. The free motion robot arm is located in the chassis of the pick-and-place. It grips the 3D-MID module from the transport system and positions it for dispensing and placement.
The dispensing head comprises two individual touch-less dispensers, one for the precise dispensing of solder paste, one for accurate metering of fast-curing adhesive. Solder paste is applied to the electrical contact surfaces. Glue is dispensed on other locations to hold the SMD part until reflow and to absorb mechanical stress during the product's lifetime.
After dispensing, the SMD components are placed as usual with a vacuum tool. They are picked from feeders, measured and aligned by an optical centering system, and then placed to the contact surfaces. Standard components are aligned on-the-fly with a laser system. For BGA, QFN, and QFP, a Cognex Vision system is used.
When all SMD parts are in place, the robot arm grips the MID module and handles it to the transport system, which leads it to the reflow process.
The complete production cell is controlled by the pick-and-place system, which communicates with the robot and the transport system. Programming can be done by importing CAD data or by a teach-in process using the video camera integrated in the pick-and-place head.
For more information, visit www.essemtec.com.