How to Choose the Full SMT Line Solution
How to Choose the Full SMT Line Solution
How to Choose the Full SMT Line Solution for Electronic Products
Quality SMT line, SMT assembly line and high speed LED bulb production line, with professional SMT/ DIP line solution, oversea service and technical support.
Generally speaking, the configuration of the SMT production line requires many factors to determine, but today I will mainly introduce the specific plan in terms of budget.
Different budgets, how to choose different SMT solutions?
(1)If your budget is below usd100,000, You can choose below solution.
Solder paste mixer + Manual stencil printer+ Conveyor + pick and place machine + Conveyor + Reflow oven
(2) If budget is within usd100,000-usd120,000, You can choose the semi-automatic scheme, the specific machine configuration is as follows,
Solder paste mixer + Semi-auto stencil printer + Conveyor +pick and place machine + Conveyor + Reflow oven Machines are as follow,
(3) If your budget is between usd120,000-140,000, You can choose our full auto stencil printer. The advantage of this solution is in high efficiency, high precision, and can produce all electronic products. See the photo as below for details,
Solder paste mixer+ PCB loader + Full-auto stencil printer+ Conveyor + pick and place machine+ Conveyor + Reflow oven+ PCB unloader.
(4) If your budget is over than usd140,000, we can also give you highest-end solution with inspection as below,
Solder paste mixer+ PCB loader + Full-auto stencil printer+ Conveyor + SPI+ NG buffer/Reject Conveyor +pick and place machine+ Conveyor + Reflow oven + Cooling Conveyor + AOI machine+ PCB NGOK unloader.
Of course, the specific choice of SMT solution, no matter how much your budget is, ETA company can customized the suitable SMT solution for you, please see below photos, we provide global after-sales services to customers all around the world for installation and training.
A Guide to SMT Machines: What They Are and How to Choose
Nowadays, people’s life is inseparable from electronic products. And printed circuit boards, as the brain of electronic products, their demand is also increasing correspondingly. As a result, PCB manufacturers have tried their best to increase their output, and one of the effective ways is to introduce advanced SMT machines to their production lines. With these machines, even tiny electronic components can be assembled with fast speed and high precision.
We will introduce different types of SMT machines and their functions, and also provide some tips for selecting the right machines for your production line.
Different SMT Machines Used in PCB Assembly Process
According to the sequence of the SMT PCB assembly process, we will list the equipment used one by one as follows:
The Solder Paste Printing Machine
The first machine used in SMT PCB assembly is the Solder Paste Printing Machine, which holds the PCB in position in an automated paste printer, where a squeegee applies the correct amount of solder paste onto the pads. Subsequently, a blade scrapes the stencil, evenly distributing the solder paste in the designated areas where components will be affixed, leaving the remaining areas untouched. Finally, the machine removes the stencil. If everything has proceeded smoothly, the solder paste should now be in the appropriate locations for the later placement of components.
The Solder Paste Inspection (SPI) Machine
Once the solder paste has been applied to the board, the following important step is to inspect whether the paste has been printed onto the board correctly. Poor solder paste printing is frequently the cause of SMD soldering issues, so this stage is critical. This is where an SPI machine steps in. This kind of machine can capture 3D images with cameras, and then evaluate the solder paste according to its volume, alignment, and height. It can also recognize unsuitable sizes and imperfections.
Pick-and-Place Machine
A pick-and-place machine is the primary and most critical type of SMT machine. Its function is to pick up components and position them in their designated locations. There are three varieties of pick-and-place machines:
a)Manual pick-and-place-machines
Pick-and-place machines that are manually operated involve a person who picks and places SMDs using the machine. The accuracy of component placement depends entirely on the operator. Although such machines reduce the risk of misplacement, they may not ensure the accurate placement of components due to operator limitations. However, they are practical for de-soldering and resoldering specific components on a circuit board.
b) Semi-Automatic pick-and-place-machines
Semi-automatic pick-and-place machines combine manual and automatic machines, aiding the operator in reducing the risk of SMD misplacement. By providing a computerized visualization of the circuit board, these machines enable operators to accurately place components in their designated positions. Additionally, they provide an X and Y coordinate setup to help the operator accurately set the target to drop the surface mount device.
c) Automatic pick-and-place-machines
Automatic pick-and-place machines are advanced machines that take over semi-automatic machines. They eliminate human limitations and provide greater accuracy, making them an incredible invention. Some benefits of automatic pick-and-place machines include lower labor costs, high accuracy, and enhanced operating speed.
SMT Assembling Curing Oven
After placing SMDs on the circuit boards, the solder paste needs to be cured to ensure that the SMDs adhere to the surface of the PCB. This can be achieved through SMT curing or baking ovens, which operate similarly to standard household ovens by providing high temperatures to melt the solder paste and turn it into a conducting adhesive.
The surface mount device soldering process involves two steps: adhesive curing and solder mask baking. This means that separate machines may be necessary for each step, or a single convection oven could be used for both operations. The decision to use a single convection oven for adhesive curing, solder paste baking, and reflow soldering will depend on the required quantity of circuit boards.
Reflow Soldering Machine
The reflow soldering machine is a critical component in the process of permanently attaching surface mount devices to a printed circuit board. This machine preheats the components and then melts the solder paste to form strong and long-lasting joints between the SMDs and the circuit board, all without causing any heat damage to the delicate SMDs.
Solvent Cleaning Equipment
Despite the precision and care that goes into the soldering process, there is always the possibility of flux and excess solder remaining on the PCB. This is where Solvent Cleaning Equipment comes in handy. The purpose of this specialized SMT Machine is to eliminate any leftover flux and solder from the PCB following the soldering process, thereby guaranteeing that the PCB is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for the next stage in the manufacturing process.
Repair and Inspection Equipment
The PCB Inspection Equipment is a highly sophisticated SMT Machine designed for inspecting and repairing printed circuit boards. The machine not only identifies any potential defects or faults on the circuit board but also aids in repairing and fixing them. The thorough inspection of the PCB is guaranteed by its highly precise and accurate measurements, which enable the identification and resolution of any issues before delivery of the final product.
How to Choose the Best SMT Machines
Choosing a suitable SMT machine for your assembly line is not an easy task, there are several factors you should consider before making the decision:
Component Placement Speed
The placement speed of the SMT placement machine is the focus of the initial research on the purchase of the placement machine. These placement machines vary in placement speed and it is important to choose one based on your production needs and budget. You can check them against the IPC 9850 standard, which defines the placement speed of their pick-and-place machines.
Placement Accuracy
Placement Accuracy is another important aspect one should consider. Machines with higher accuracy tend to perform better, leading to high-quality yields. The optimal SMT machine should have an accuracy of 0.0001″ and a fine pitch lead of 12mil to achieve the best accuracy.
Machine repeatability
When selecting an SMT machine, it’s important to not only consider its accuracy but also its ability to produce consistent results. This is known as repeatability and is a critical feature to look for, especially in machines that use programmed software solutions to operate.
Parts Size
Another important factor to consider is the part size. For example, a pick-and-place machine should be able to handle parts of sizes 0402, 0201, and 01005. If the machine you have selected meets your other requirements but does not support these sizes, you can purchase an additional nozzle or feeder to enable the production of circuit boards with these sizes.
How to Choose SMT Electronics Services?
The manufacturing of electronics requires the use of surface-mount technology. This technology is a core aspect of electronics production. SMT electronics has gained popularity in the engineering field. Electronic manufacturers now make use of SMT electronics due to the growing need for smaller electronics designs.
SMT has been a preferred choice in the industry to date. Most components in devices feature SMT electronics. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about SMT electronics.
What is SMT?
To get a vivid explanation of SMT electronics, it is important to know what SMT is. SMT means Surface Mount Technology. SMT designs electronic circuits in which components are mounted on PCBs. SMT electronics are often lightweight. The use of SMT in electronics manufacturing has helped to replace the use of traditional components.
Most electronic devices utilize SMT. This is because of the benefits this technology offers. SMT is an important aspect of electronic assembly. SMT is different from through-hole technology. In SMT, automated machines help to assemble electronic components on the surface of the PCB. This type of technology is very common in the industry.
SMT has been the mainstay in the electronics industry since the late 1980s. Most components in electronic devices feature SMT electronics assembly. It is important to understand how SMT electronics assembly works. Today’s electronic equipment features minute devices. Most consumer electronics are manufactured using SMT.
SMT provides a lot of benefits to users. Since the use of traditional components isn’t easy for PCB assembly, SMT has been a preferred option. SMT is the primary technology for the assembly of PCB in electronics manufacturing.
This technology is now the standard for PCB manufacturing. SMT was invented to make PCB manufacturing easier.
Benefits of SMT Electronics
smt electronics manufacturing
SMT electronics offer a lot of benefits. Generally, SMT has helped in the production of smaller and lightweight devices.
Smaller size
This is one of the most common benefits of SMT electronics. With this technology, it is easy to create small PCB designs. With the use of SMT, it is easy to increase the density of the component on the board. It is very easy to place more components in a smaller space. However, this board still offers the capabilities of a larger board.
This makes it easy to produce smaller and lightweight electronic devices. These days, a very small device can be very complex. The size of a device doesn’t determine its complexity. For instance, some medical devices are very small, yet they are high-performance devices.
SMT reduces the weight of most devices. This provides more opportunities for designers to improve their skills. For example, if drones feature lighter and smaller circuit boards, they will need less power to fly. Reducing the weight of some electronic devices can also help to reduce the cost of shipping. SMT has helped in the production of smaller and lightweight electronic devices.
Better design flexibility
This is one of the benefits of SMT electronics. This technology offers designers more opportunities to be creative. When it comes to the production of PCB, flexibility is important. SMT helps in the production of rigid-flex and flex circuit boards.
This technology has contributed to the innovation of great designs. In those days, the traditional way of mounting components limited the ideas of designers. These days, the production of advanced electronics has continued to increase.
Lower cost
The ease of assembling these circuit boards helps to reduce costs. When it takes less time to assemble these components on the circuit board, the cost of production reduces in the long run. There is also a cost reduction in terms of the packaging, handling, and delivery of SMT devices. Since SMT requires drilling fewer holes, this makes SMT PCBs more affordable.
High frequency and high signal transmission
SMT electronics deliver high frequency and high signal transmission. This technology also enhances high density on multilayer and double sided PCB. These boards can offer high-speed signal transmission due to short delays.
SMT electronics can withstand vibration and impact. This is a major reason it is used in high-performance applications.
Easier automated assembly
SMT eliminates the need for custom wire layout, so it results in easier automated assembly. Since human assembly is eliminated, automated assembly is enabled. This also helps to reduce the time required for PCBs production.
Disadvantages of SMT Electronics
SMT electronics also has its downsides despite the benefit it offers.
Vulnerable to damage
Surface mount devices can damage easily. These devices are very sensitive to ESD. Therefore, manufacturers need to handle these devices with much care and caution.
Less power
The power of surface mount device components is less. Not all passive and active electronic components include SMT.
Difficult inspection
It is very hard to inspect components on a surface mount device because of its many solder joints and small size. Also, SMT inspection equipment is very costly.
Difficult to repair
Repairing surface mount electronics can be very difficult. This is because there is a small amount of lead space.
What is the Difference Between Surface Mount Technology and Surface Mount Devices?
Surface mount technology is different from surface mount devices. These two terminologies have confused a lot of people. In this section, we will talk about the difference between these two terms. SMD is one of the components of SMT. A surface mount device is a part attached to a circuit board during the manufacturing of electronics.
SMDs are much smaller than previous components. SMDs utilize surface mount technology. SMT involves the entire process of soldering and mounting electronic components onto a board. These components are surface mount devices.
Surface mount device is ideal for surface assembly on a printed circuit board. It is a small part fixed to a circuit board in electronics production. These devices are much smaller than previous components. Several different packages for passive surface mount devices. But, most passive SMDs are SMT capacitors or SMT resistors.
Surface Mount Assembly Process
SMT involves attaching electronic components to PCB’s surface. It uses reflow soldering to weld the surface-mount assembly to the plate. SMT is a common process in the electronics industry. SMT assembly process starts at the design stage. Here, the manufacturer selects different components and uses software packages for the design. The process of SMT assembly includes;
Preparation and inspection of material
You need to prepare the PCB and SMC. After this, ensure you check for any defects.
Prepare the template
In solder paste printing, the steel mesh helps to fix a position in solder paste printing. The design position of the pad on the circuit board determines the steel mesh production.
Printing the solder paste
The solder paste printer helps to apply the solder paste to the solder pad on the circuit board. This machine uses a scraper and a template to apply solder paste. Solder paste printing is a common method of applying solder paste. However, spray printing is another method that is becoming more popular.
Spray printing is commonly used in sub-contract departments. Here, you don’t need a template. You can use a mixture of tin and flux to connect SMC and solder pads.
Inspection
You can include automatic detection to most solder paste presses. But, this process can consume more time depending on the PCB’s size. You can use a separate machine to achieve this. The spray printing machine uses 3D technology to detect more problems. The solder paste printer’s detection system uses 2D technology.
Components location
After inspecting, the next stage is the placement of components. A clamping nozzle or vacuum helps you to remove every component from the package. Then, the visual system checks them and places them in a programmed position.
Reflow soldering
The next step here is to transfer the PCB assembly to the reflow welder. The welder then heats the assembly to a good temperature. The electric welding connections form between the circuit board and the component.
Reflow soldering is one of the less complicated stages in the SMT assembly process. However, the correct reflux profile ensures acceptable solder joints that don’t damage the assembly.
Cleaning and final inspection
After you have wielded and checked the board for any defect, clean the board. Repair any defects. This stage is very important in SMT assembly.
Applications of SMT
Surface mount technology is common in the electronics industry. This technology helps in the production of electronic circuits. SMT has grown so popular in the electronics industry due to the benefit it offers.
Since this technology helps in the production of smaller devices, it is a preferred choice among engineers. SMT also provides improved performance. With the introduction of SMT, the manual invention is not needed in the assembly process. It is very difficult to join wired components. This is because you need to pre-form them before fitting them into drilled holes.
SMT is ideal in the production of home devices and other electronic components. Most lightweight and small electronics feature surface mount technology. SMT is used in the production of medical, military, automotive, and industrial devices.
In terms of reliability, cost, weight, and volume, SMT is the best option. This technology has helped to improve the performances and life spans of electronic devices. Surface mount technology is used in the applications below;
Consumer electronics
SMT is the commonest method of mounting components on circuit boards. This technology helps in the production of tablets, computers, and smartphones. Since it is lightweight, it is the best option for the production of most consumer electronics. SMT allows for the production of smaller devices.
Medical devices
The introduction of SMT in the electronics industry has led to improvement in the production of medical devices. Surface mount technology has proved to be reliable for medical devices. Devices such as monitors, imaging systems, and infusion pumps feature SMT.
SMT has contributed to the production of more advanced and smaller electronic devices. Most medical devices today feature surface mount technology.
Industrial equipment
SMT technology is used in the industrial sector. This sector makes use of high-performance industrial devices. Electrical components help to power equipment in manufacturing centers and other industrial environments. Circuit boards in the industrial sector have to be durable enough. These PCBs feature properties that help them tolerate extreme temperatures.
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