Investing in a new placement machine means committing capital for many years to come. All the more reason to look beyond current market requirements and take foreseeable technological developments into account when making structured, like-for-like comparisons between systems. This is anything but easy, however, especially when it comes to processing speed because the common standardized benchmarks often do not adequately reflect the performance of a machine. Complex structures, high quality requirements and frequent product changeovers reduce performance in real-world applications and extend the payback duration.
Market and technology leader ASMPT thus measures performance improvements under real production conditions in direct comparison with standard systems available on the market. Key and future markets such as automotive and industrial manufacturing, IT and network infrastructure, consumer electronics, and smartphones serve as references. Here, the innovative SIPLACE V platform delivers real performance increases of up to 30 percent.
This significant improvement was achieved through a completely redesigned machine architecture. Key elements of the new design include higher system dynamics, shorter gantry travel paths, and significantly increased frame rigidity. Together, these measures permit higher accelerations on the main axes while reducing non-productive movements, resulting in a noticeable increase in overall placement performance.
Floor space performance also plays an important role in the evaluation process. The SIPLACE V high-speed platform has a footprint of only 1.1 by 2.4 meters, and the newly developed, significantly slimmer SIPLACE Tray Unit V, which can be added on both sides, contributes to the reduction in footprint as well.
Purely a matter of the head
Today’s placement heads must offer an optimal synthesis of quality, throughput, and flexibility. ASMPT solves this difficult optimization challenge with three variants that cover all areas of modern SMT production and can also be considered reference classes.
- CP20 Head: Now places up to 52,500 cph with an accuracy of 25 µm @ 3 σ – the optimal high-speed solution for standard components.
- CPP Head: Now processes up to 28,000 cph with a maximum placement force of 15 N and switches between collect-and-place, pick-and-place, and mixed placement modes as required via software control – ideal for complex mixed boards.
- Twin VHF Head: Now with a capacity of up to 6,000 cph, the innovative Twin Head is the pick-and-place solution for end-of-line placements of large and heavy components with a placement force of up to 100 N.
Enhanced quality assurance functions
Consistently high quality that can be tracked at all times is critical to success, both today and in the future. This was reason enough for ASMPT to optimize its established quality assurance functions and add new ones. These include, for example, seamless component tracking from the container to the finished product. There have also been significant changes to the cameras, which now have a higher resolution and check each component for presence and quality in several steps in real time.
Today’s extremely high component densities require particularly precise alignment, a trend that will become even more pronounced in the future. Here, once again, the SIPLACE V platform is leading the way. Collect-and-place heads from ASMPT with individually controllable rotary drives on each nozzle segment enable highly precise component placements – a unique feature in the industry.
Each component is pre-adjusted to its angular position immediately after removal. Only minimal final corrections are then required during the actual placement. The SIPLACE V platform also automatically compensates for varying pickup positions and PCB warping.
Odd-shaped components (OSCs) pose a particular challenge, especially in the age of electromobility and artificial intelligence. These are particularly heavy or large devices whose center of gravity often differs from their geometric center, which is why ASMPT has enhanced its SIPLACE V platform in this area as well with features such as smart pin support, 3D coplanarity inspection, and acceleration optimization.
Closed-loop sensor technology also plays a key role in ensuring process quality. SIPLACE placement machines detect and combine component height and PCB profile in real time in order to precisely adjust the placement force in a self-learning loop.
Flexibility even at high speeds
An either-or decision between maximum throughput and application flexibility no longer meets the requirements placed on modern placement systems. Outstanding platforms offer both. This is also evident in the SIPLACE V. User-friendliness plays a central role here with features like a new universal head interface that allows placement heads to be easily exchanged, even without special knowledge.
The SIPLACE V platform also demonstrates modern flexibility in its configuration options. The new high-end placement machine is available as a single or dual-gantry version, with the option of integrating a 3D coplanarity module and additional internal cameras. Each machine can be equipped with two tray units (one on each side) for automatic component supply from trays stacked in magazines. For the board transport, users can choose between a single conveyor for PCBs measuring up to 700 x 520 mm or a dual conveyor for two PCBs measuring up to 400 × 280 mm each.
Up to 90 single-track 8-mm feeders can be installed on the SIPLACE V platform irrespective of any options already installed, such as the Smart Pin Support, which places support pins fully automatically and without a separate pin picker.
Comprehensive investment protection
Although highly innovative, the latest generation of SIPLACE machines remains compatible with existing ASMPT hardware and software in all key areas. For example, all SIPLACE X feeders can continue to be used without restriction. The same applies to cameras that have already been purchased. The new SIPLACE V platform integrates seamlessly into existing lines, allowing the production to continue immediately in conjunction with existing SIPLACE series placement machines, such as the well-known SIPLACE SX or SIPLACE TX. Of course, ASMPT’s entire software portfolio, one of the most extensive in the industry, can still be used as well. The proven machine software, the WORKS Software Suite for things like planning, material flow, process optimization and monitoring, as well as all ASMPT factory solutions run smoothly on the new SIPLACE V.
Interfaces based on proven industry standards, such as The Hermes Standard (IPC-HERMES-9852) and IPC-CFX, help to implement ASMPT’s intelligent factory principle: Process data is continuously collected in real time, processed centrally, and used in a multitude of areas for quality assurance and predictive optimization.
Thinking ahead in assembly technology
As mentioned at the beginning, anyone investing in new equipment today must also think about the future. ASMPT has done just that with its SIPLACE V. The modular placement platform, which was developed from scratch, offers ample reserves for future placement head generations as well as future efficiency enhancements, such as intelligent automation solutions. Migrating the internal machine communication to an Ethernet-based architecture not only reduces latency and increases data throughput but also creates a scalable and standardized data backbone for further automation steps as well as AI-driven analytics and predictive quality applications. Production lines for large-format PCBs and tall components with heights of up to 55 mm can be equipped with the SIPLACE VL model variant.
Reference class for decision-making criteria
With the new SIPLACE V platform, ASMPT demonstrates today’s state of the art in placement technology. With groundbreaking performance, flexibility, quality and investment protection readiness, ASMPT is redefining key performance parameters in SMT manufacturing. For investment decision-makers, this placement machine is already a reference model against which existing and new production hardware is measured.
