Makerspace pick and place line

[jmw]

I have a membership at a space that has a wood and metal shop, with manual and CNC mills, lathes, and routers. You bring our own materials and tooling, but the machines are available for reservation after you've been checked out by an instructor. Is there any place like this for electronics assembly? Other than the economics of finding a location where there's enough interested people to recoup the investment in the equipment, would this be a viable way to do prototype assembly? I feel like I'd eventually learn a lot of practical DFM by seeing what works and doesn't on a line I had to operate.

[doppelgrau]

I see the problem, that it is to specialized as an own makerspace.
For prototypes often something to hold a stencil, good light, tweezers, an oven and maybe a stereo microscope is needed. This fits in too many hobbiest homes.
If you start with a small PnP machine (e.g. Using OpenPnP), the problem with the parts beginn, to reduce the setup times you want to keep often used parts on the machine (reason why I programmed the HeapFeeder)...

To sum it up: The Basisc setup can be easily added to an makerspace, the more complex one is IMHO nut really makerspace-friendly.

[jmelson]

TX/RX labs in Houston has a P&P machine.  They do have a heavier focus on electronics than most makerspaces.
You might contact one of their people and see how they are doing with it.

Jon