I just got access to an SMT machine in a DIY fablab. I have a board that has about 50 unique components that I wish to assemble and test drive this new machine. I intend to make 20 of these boards. How should I go about it?
Do I load the 15 of the 50 components and have them put on the 20 boards or cycle through the components and complete one board at a time? My boards are not panelized since I was planning on assembling them by hand so I think would either have to take the boards out or the components. Looking for any practical advice on this.
Best Answer
Most contract fabrication houses would load up all their feeders and then make the run of boards for those components and then cycle back through the boards for the next load of components in the feeder. There are practical limits however including how many boards the factory can stage at one time, how long the solder paste stays able to accept additional components and how long the feeder change over takes.
In some factories you may see several pick and place machines in series on the line so that multiple sets of feeders can be active at a time to accommodate boards with very high BOM line item count.