The FLX2010-LCV from Essemtec is a flexible pick-and-place system designed for high-mix/low-volume production. Speed and throughput are interesting: In the changing world of PCB manufacturing, the question should be how many boards can be shipped out the door each day with a need to build lots sizes of 25 to 100, with three to five different jobs in an eight-hour shift. Now speed is not as important as changeover. The FLX series offers changeover without downtime. Intelligent feeders, large feeder capacity, and offline programming and job planning are some of the tools available to achieve the task at hand. The series start at 5,000 CPH , with 150 feeders inline and can be expanded to 15,000 CPH with over 470 feeders. The company’s MIS software offers production planning, inventory control, quality control through bar code verification and traceability of lots. Additionally, the offline setup gives the ability to produce without downtime. As an additional benefit, the series is environmentally conscious, requiring only 110 V of power and saving the consumption of electricity. The pick-and-place series is straightforward, making use and implementation simple. User-friendly windows programming with complete graphical interface shows operators or engineers images of the library, feeders, PCB and the overall machine. If a mistake is made during a PCB run, all corrections can be done on the fly, saved and continued on the same PCB. Also, all parts are accessible for replacement, cleaning and calibrations. All parts to the bare frame can be exchanged in the field, virtually eliminating maintainability and repairability issues.
The modular system features a large feeder capacity – up to 310 feeders, graphical control software, inventory control and traceability, and changeover without downtime. Easyplacer is the powerful man-machine interface of the pick-and-place system. For easy operation, all information is displayed graphically. Complex coordinate lists are quickly converted into a clear virtual view of the PCB, which operators can understand and control. The Easyplacer software is easy to learn and designed to fulfill both operator and programmer expectations. In a high-mix production, the changeover is the most important cost factor.
According to the company, with the FLX concept, changeover cost and time can be minimized. Offline production preparation and programming, in combination with intelligent feeders and a large feeder capacity, allow a product changeover with no downtime. Placing only chips and ICs from tape, stick and tray is not enough in a high-mix environment. Therefore, the pick-and-place system can accept nearly any kind of feeding system. Even an independent unit can be used as a feeder, such as a vibratory bowl feeder for bulk components with no electrical connection to the machine. The feeder flexibility enables customer-specific applications far beyond standard placement.
The system is equipped with a combination of different alignment systems: laser and vision. Together, they provide advantages for both chip shooting and ultra-fine-pitch placement. Vision systems can be upgraded at the customer site if the production requirements change.
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