SmallSMT PNP adventure, learning and documenting

[NorthGuy]

There is much to tell you about, but for now check out the latest video....

What's that sound when it does vision?

[Smallsmt]

What's that sound when it does vision?

Working vacuum generators produce this sound!

[IconicPCB]

Our machine is on its way.

Feeders expected to get here by end of week, machine due to land in about 4 days.

[revenue_controls]

Big announcement...

My company, Revenue Control Systems, here in the United States is now the official east cost distributor for the complete line of SmallSMT pick and place machines!

We will provide fast and direct sales and customer support from Williamsburg Virginia, USA. We will also provide additional services like installation, training and others to come.

www.RCSpnp.com (under construction)

sorry for the ad, but I think the forum should know.


BTW, this was not my original intention when I first decided to purchase the machine ( I have an existing manufacturing and installation company that the machine was purchased for). After successfully using the machine I purchased for about a month, we decided to pursue the opportunity of becoming a distributor for SmallSMT. We think the products are well engineered and manufactured and all that was needed was direct US based support. I  have over 30 years of eletro-machanical system integration, installation and service experience which I believe to be a great asset to the SmallSMT product line.

[ebastler]

My company, Revenue Control Systems, here in the United States is now the official east cost distributor for the complete line of SmallSMT pick and place machines!

Just curious, and only mildly off-topic: How did a company which makes access control systems end up with the name "revenue control systems"?
A "revenue control system" sounds like something my employer, a NYSE listed company, would be interested in... 

[revenue_controls]

I was in the parking (lot) control systems industry for 10 years. The systems to issue time stamped tickets and collect the parking fees is know as revenue controls. I stole the name. I even developed a Fee computer (like a cash register but based on time calculations to generate a parking fee). it was the first PC based system in the industry at the time, all previous systems were purpose built machines, the industry was behind the POS industry.

[mrpackethead]

BTW, this was not my original intention when I first decided to purchase the machine ( I have an existing manufacturing and installation company that the machine was purchased for). After successfully using the machine I purchased for about a month, we decided to pursue the opportunity of becoming a distributor for SmallSMT. We think the products are well engineered and manufactured and all that was needed was direct US based support. I  have over 30 years of eletro-machanical system integration, installation and service experience which I believe to be a great asset to the SmallSMT product line.

 Now hoping for a independant user-review.   Also if you have big announcements it’s good if the Chinese factory who’s making it doesn’t leak that out before you annouce it. 

[mrpackethead]

Our machine is on its way.

Feeders expected to get here by end of week, machine due to land in about 4 days.

Are you going to set up a distributorship in Australia as well?   Hope not, really hoping for an indepedant unbias end user review.

[IconicPCB]

trpackethead,

Your bias is now plainly on display, are you not biased AGAINST something that is not what You are doing.
Are your comments and opinions BIASED in favor of Your way of doing things?

Please do not go about peddling YOUR BIAS and ascribing it to me.

MY MOTTO, IN WHAT EVER I DO DECIDE TO DO. HAS ALWAYS BEEN SINCERE EFFORT.


If You wish to have a truly acceptable independent review, put Your money where Your mouth is , purchase a machine and rip it to bits.
Only then will Your opinion and experience make a genuine unbiased contribution to the discussion otherwise marred by tendentious commentary.

Accept the diversity of opinions and solutions.

[mrpackethead]

I’ll take that as a yes then iconic. When will I be able to place an order? Being able to order from an Australian company will remove much of the risk associated with it. 

[revenue_controls]

Contact me for special Maker/Hacker Space pricing...

[NorthGuy]

Contact me for special Maker/Hacker Space pricing...

Looking back through the thread, this wasn't entirely unexpected

[mrpackethead]

Not unexpected at all.  :-)

[revenue_controls]

It was a completely innocent turn of events and not my original intention.

[Kjelt]

When you get the chance I like to see a close up of that reel feedforward mechanism in action to the right 

[revenue_controls]

I will try to get you that today or tomorrow....
Currently working on the website...

[revenue_controls]

push feeder demo:

[Kjelt]

push feeder demo:

thanks for sharing.
So it is pneumatic cylinder with a fixed stroke of probably 4mm ?
Does the manual say you can only use the 4mm component pitch reels ?

Interesting concept also for the plastick cover tape remover.
It looks like they use one motor for the entire rack of feeders?
First give a bit more space so all plastick is loose then reverse and tighten it.
Probably some sort of play/slack so the plastick won't tear.
Very clever to cut costs 

[revenue_controls]

push feeder demo:

So it is pneumatic cylinder with a fixed stroke of probably 4mm ?
Does the manual say you can only use the 4mm component pitch reels ?

Yes, the stroke is adjustable in the sw.

push feeder demo:

Interesting concept also for the plastick cover tape remover.
It looks like they use one motor for the entire rack of feeders?
First give a bit more space so all plastick is loose then reverse and tighten it.
Probably some sort of play/slack so the plastick won't tear.
Very clever to cut costs 

yes, the cost savings on the "push" feeders is what attracted me in the first place.

[IconicPCB]

From what i understand the feeders can do multiple pushes to handle  larger pitch components.
The pick and place head can do sub 4 mm pick up locations such that a 2mm tape gets pushed 4mm and the heads tracks previously emptied pockets in 2 mm tape thus utilising all components in a 2 mm tape.

[Smallsmt]

From what i understand the feeders can do multiple pushes to handle  larger pitch components.
The pick and place head can do sub 4 mm pick up locations such that a 2mm tape gets pushed 4mm and the heads tracks previously emptied pockets in 2 mm tape thus utilising all components in a 2 mm tape.

That's right the push feeder head always move 4mm or multiples of 4 by doing multiple strokes.
For 2mm pitch the software modify the pickup position for the second part.

[TJ232]

From what i understand the feeders can do multiple pushes to handle  larger pitch components.
The pick and place head can do sub 4 mm pick up locations such that a 2mm tape gets pushed 4mm and the heads tracks previously emptied pockets in 2 mm tape thus utilising all components in a 2 mm tape.

That's right the push feeder head always move 4mm or multiples of 4 by doing multiple strokes.
For 2mm pitch the software modify the pickup position for the second part.

And how do you avoid the second uncovered part to not jump around until second pick up is done? It's a shutter cover system or something like that?

Asking about because I have used in the past some feeders with similar 4mm step only, dual pick&retry style without cover for the parts, but we had a lot of jumping parts all over the place, especially 0402, so we dropped that kind of feeders.

[Smallsmt]

From what i understand the feeders can do multiple pushes to handle  larger pitch components.
The pick and place head can do sub 4 mm pick up locations such that a 2mm tape gets pushed 4mm and the heads tracks previously emptied pockets in 2 mm tape thus utilising all components in a 2 mm tape.

That's right the push feeder head always move 4mm or multiples of 4 by doing multiple strokes.
For 2mm pitch the software modify the pickup position for the second part.

And how do you avoid the second uncovered part to not jump around until second pick up is done? It's a shutter cover system or something like that?

Asking about because I have used in the past some feeders with similar 4mm step only, dual pick&retry style without cover for the parts, but we had a lot of jumping parts all over the place, especially 0402, so we dropped that kind of feeders.

The parts are moved 4mm forward with closed pockets and then opened together. Components do not jump out when not in use. This is only critical for parts in plastic tapes. Here electrostatic forces of the masking tape can cause problems.

[Koen]

Revenue, are you going to be distributing these machines in the USA?

Sure I had disagreements with mrpackethead over this but I have to concede that he knew it all along. Proceed with caution, I reread this topic and it clearly is a polished infomercial. Wow, my son figured it out in 10 minutes. So easy, so great, such support, who even cares about tariffs, totally didn't think about selling them until I did, just made an account to share my fascinating experience.

[revenue_controls]

sorry, not true.