Why you need bulk/loose SMDs?

[olkipukki]

I noticed that you can buy generic SMD capacitors down to 0402... well, puzzle for me, what people are doing with these? 

[ANTALIFE]

You talking like off eBay/AliExpress? If so some people just want to have something cheap to get them started

[olkipukki]

You talking like off eBay/AliExpress? If so some people just want to have something cheap to get them started

Nope, Mouser or DigiKey, for example.

[LukeW]

Manual hand assembly of experiments and prototypes, repairs and modifications, and hobbyist uses?

[SMTech]

Very high volume production lines can use bulk packs of surface mount capacitors in special feeders, this makes it easier to keep up with demand, and can result in massive reduction in used tape. Its also super-cool, check out this video from ASM

Or rather more specialised: this bowl feeder for LEDs from Mirae
. The big commercial machines can have all sorts of weird and wonderful custom feeders made for them by the manufacturer or 3rd parties like Hover Davies. Another common one is through hold LED feeders that can bandoliers of through hole LEDs, cut, form if needed, and place/insert. You can also place solder balls, solder preforms, labels or pretty much anything if you have the machine, requirement and tooling.

[ANTALIFE]

You talking like off eBay/AliExpress? If so some people just want to have something cheap to get them started

Nope, Mouser or DigiKey, for example.

Ah had no idea you could buy those sort of things from reputable suppliers

Very high volume production lines can use bulk packs of surface mount capacitors in special feeders, this makes it easier to keep up with demand, and can result in massive reduction in used tape. Its also super-cool, check out this video from ASM

Or rather more specialised: this bowl feeder for LEDs from Mirae
. The big commercial machines can have all sorts of weird and wonderful custom feeders made for them by the manufacturer or 3rd parties like Hover Davies. Another common one is through hold LED feeders that can bandoliers of through hole LEDs, cut, form if needed, and place/insert. You can also place solder balls, solder preforms, labels or pretty much anything if you have the machine, requirement and tooling.

Oh wow, had no idea those sort of PP machines/feeders existed. Makes sense, we had one customer that wanted to get their cut up wafer into cut-tape reel, they were a bit shocked with how much it costs

[SMTech]

Pretty sure you can get a customised machine/feeder that takes a wafer and does the rest

[ANTALIFE]

Pretty sure you can get a customised machine/feeder that takes a wafer and does the rest

Ah righto, we were going to use our one (MY12) but it turned out the piece of silicon had to be rotated in all 3 axies before it was placed on the PCB

[SMTech]

IIRC what I have seen online was a case study on the Essemtec website for a custom solution, but it was some time ago and based on an FLX, can't see it on the wayback machine tho'.

[mrpackethead]

The cost of putting parts on tape can be more than the parts themselves for small passives.

[olkipukki]

Very high volume production lines can use bulk packs of surface mount capacitors in special feeders, this makes it easier to keep up with demand, and can result in massive reduction in used tape. Its also super-cool, check out this video from ASM

Wow, looks awesome!
That's cool concept and not yet anyone copied it?!

P.S.
If someone struggle to understand German   
here is English version of above youtube video

[olkipukki]

You talking like off eBay/AliExpress? If so some people just want to have something cheap to get them started

Nope, Mouser or DigiKey, for example.

Ah had no idea you could buy those sort of things from reputable suppliers

Me either. I accidentally noticed in KEMET datasheet...

[mrpackethead]

Wow, looks awesome!
That's cool concept and not yet anyone copied it?!

It is a non trivial problem to solve and if you are goign to need to place 10's Millions of the same part, it may be worth pursuing.