redFrog Pick and Place machine - example of the pick and place process

[antadefector]

I think that a kapton tape or similar is on top of SMD switches (maybe a wash protection) that would allow You to pick it with enough suction. At least, thats what I think...

Thank You for patiently putting videos of your machine.

[anajonesr]

@antadefector That's an interesting Idea.

[uazn88]

for the rotating A-Axis how did you create a zero or reference point for that?

[anajonesr]

@uazn88 I just make sure it is rotated the same way. I have a hose on the side of the nozzle that informs me visually of its orientation.

[uazn88]

what kind of vacuum are you using?

[anajonesr]

@uazn88 Mcmaster part number 5670A2

[anajonesr]

@uazn88 It is a standard smd vacuum that I purchased at mcmaster.com, but I am looking for a better alternative as this vacuum is higher priced than I would like to supply to others, and the suction is not sufficient in my opinion.

[guruflorida]

Nice work. I wrote gcode subroutines to do PnP as well, my actual "place calls" ngc file looks almost exactly like yours. :) Yours looks more evolved though, more code if/then logic. I used a feed spike instead of the luer head. I made my spike and pickup head far enough apart it doesnt hit the part guide. We should chat, I have some ideas to share.

[anajonesr]

@guruflorida Definitely, let's chat. Email me thought the contact us form on buildyourcnc and ask for Patrick. We can exchange emails addresses and discuss these ideas. Actually, the luer is a mechanical pencil tip. It's nice to have the ability to screw and unscrew at the tpi of this rather than the luer's very loose tpi. I did think about using a solenoid with a small diameter shaft to advance the tape using the holes. I may actually still do this.

[MTHKITEBOARDS]

Shit that's precise now I want to rebuild my cnc machine.

[KingNetherdrake]

This is so awesome! Do you need to set the locations by hand though? That seems pretty tedious if you want to automate a single solder.

[anajonesr]

@KingNetherdrake the locations are set visually through camera siilar to most PnP machines. Thereafter, the machine will pick and place that board as many times as you want by itself. It takes the human imperfection out of the equation as long as the first one was done correctly.

[traxonja]

man, I would watch this machine work all day long :-)

[colt4547]

Could a micro version of the Universal Jamming Gripper work to pickup you dip switch?

[anajonesr]

@colt4547 Good thought. I did ponder this, but not a micro version. I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[lebeyes]

I really like the curvy traces on the PCB.

[anajonesr]

@lebeyes Thanks.  I really feel that circuit design is half art. Making the board have nice sweeping curves with equal spacing really makes a difference (visually). I'm sure it doesn't hurt the flow of electrons, either.

[jcims]

Does the tape advance procedure provide all the tool registration required on the part? Quite the project you have here...very fun to watch.

As a side note, servos seem more musical on wooden bodies. Someone should hack together a tool path generator that plays the axis in a specific key or mode. lol

[anajonesr]

@jcims The tool is considered in the advancement of the tape. There are many variables in the code that pertain to the tool (cup) vertical delta from metal tip, and width (diameter) of the cup and how it relates to the cavity of the part that is used in advancing. There is a cavity length in the pick and place line that the user enters. This cavity length determines the tool that should be used and informs the user automatically to change the tool appropriately.

[anajonesr]

@jcims Regarding the musical aspect of the machine, I totally agree. The whiteAnt 3D printer is even more musical. What would be even more interesting is what would be produced in 3D if the notes from the various speeds and angles matched a real song. :))

[keithstanley2007]

Congrats! Another great machine! A pleasure to see it working

[enliteneer]

Just curious.. how long does it typically take to do this by hand (i.e. laser cut stencil, squeegee paste, remove stencil and hand place components) vs programming the pnp and setting up the tubes?

Is there a size when it makes more sense to choose one over the other?

[anajonesr]

@enliteneer I don't actually set up the tape reels, I just keep them in place for all of my boards, so set up is a non issue. The initial board pick and place setup in software is the most time consuming, but this is a one time deal. Thereafter, you just watch the picking and placing and enjoy that there is no human error being introduced. Entire process took about 15 min, but if this was done in one man production line, each board from start to finish would take about 5 minutes.

[anajonesr]

@anajonesr When I was doing this by hand (hand placing the components onto the board after squeegee), the process took me an easy 10-20 minutes. I would much rather be designing, or doing something else while a machine picks and places.

[mondalaci]

You blow my mind! I can imagine myself buying a redFrog in the future. Wondering what the target price will be and also whether software / hardware will be 100% Open Source and Free.

[kurtnelle]

You can create a small claw that will grip the switch component and place it. Have the claw "fold" down on the z axis and fold back up when it's not needed. (just an idea)

[kurtnelle]

Build a delta robot and make it do your pick and placing.

[marcfeyzeau]

amazing ! are you going to produce the electronics for the cnc you sell ?

[anajonesr]

@marcfeyzeau Yes, I am finally going to be able to start designing a bunch of electronics. The first will be the electronics for the whiteAnt, but these drivers may also work well for the new redFrog. I still like using the beefy drivers, though.

[billyzelsnack]

Very very cool.

[anajonesr]

@billyzelsnack Thanks!

[karandex]

why dont you use cnc to apply solder paste, search for solder porn on youtube to see the machine

[anajonesr]

@karandex It's too easy to use the stencil. However, just for kicks, I may consider this later.