Hollis Future One SMT PC controlled

Does anyone out there have one we are currently looking at one from a used equipment dealer and would like to know how they work? Good or bad for SMT? Good or bad for high volume Thrue Hole?

Thanks Again, Brian Steelglove American Precision Electronics Wheaton, IL

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| Does anyone out there have one we are currently looking at one from a used equipment dealer and would like to know how they work? Good or bad for SMT? | Good or bad for high volume Thrue Hole? | | Thanks Again, | Brian Steelglove | American Precision Electronics | Wheaton, IL | Brian,

I had one about five years ago, and I wouldn't recommend it. If we're talking about the same model (whichI believe we are), It was a very high-maintenance machine.

The pump bearings were not sealed, which the industry has since found out is not such a great idea. The graphite bearings require frequent changing. There was a Z-shaped screen in the laminar wave, which had a tendency to clog with dross. We were taking it down for a pot cleanout every 10 days, or 200 hours of operation.

I wouldn't recommend it for SMT - the chip wave creates a lot of dross and will make for lots of maintenance. It might not be bad for high volume through hole if it's got the debridging knife on it.

Personally, I like Electrovert machines. Been running them for over five years. They're built tough, can take whatever you dish out on them, and keep on chugging as long as they are even marginally maintained.

Given the rapid depreciation of captial equipment, you could probably find a used Econopak for close to the same price as the Hollis SMT.

Good luck!

Chrys

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| | Does anyone out there have one we are currently looking at one from a used equipment dealer and would like to know how they work? Good or bad for SMT? | | Good or bad for high volume Thrue Hole? | | | | Thanks Again, | | Brian Steelglove | | American Precision Electronics | | Wheaton, IL | | | Brian, | | I had one about five years ago, and I wouldn't recommend it. If we're talking about the same model (whichI believe we are), It was a very high-maintenance machine. | | The pump bearings were not sealed, which the industry has since found out is not such a great idea. The graphite bearings require frequent changing. There was a Z-shaped screen in the laminar wave, which had a tendency to clog with dross. We were taking it down for a pot cleanout every 10 days, or 200 hours of operation. | | I wouldn't recommend it for SMT - the chip wave creates a lot of dross and will make for lots of maintenance. It might not be bad for high volume through hole if it's got the debridging knife on it. | | Personally, I like Electrovert machines. Been running them for over five years. They're built tough, can take whatever you dish out on them, and keep on chugging as long as they are even marginally maintained. | | Given the rapid depreciation of captial equipment, you could probably find a used Econopak for close to the same price as the Hollis SMT. | | Good luck! | | Chrys | Hey Chrys, We currently have a Electrovert Econopack 229 with a automated spray fluxer. We love the wave for thrue hole but the turbulent wave for smt is extremely scary. Makes way to much dross and causes the solder to flow on top of the board.

What Electrovert would you reccomend??

Thanks Brian Steelglove

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I used one on SMT at a previous employer.

Make sure that you have 3 zones of preheat.

Make sure that your operators are trained.

The airknifes are extremely difficult to set up properly. Don't use them on high mix lines. We didn't need them once the remainder of the machine was optimized.

+- 1 revolution on the choke bars at a critical point can quadruple (or more) your yield. Anything beyond that point (either way) has little effect. Plan on drossing the waves every 1/2 hour or so, and pulling screens every week or so. The rest of the machine is fairly durable, once set up properly. Check the rails for warpage, this was a common problem we had with them.

| | | Does anyone out there have one we are currently looking at one from a used equipment dealer and would like to know how they work? Good or bad for SMT? | | | Good or bad for high volume Thrue Hole? | | | | | | Thanks Again, | | | Brian Steelglove | | | American Precision Electronics | | | Wheaton, IL | | | | | Brian, | | | | I had one about five years ago, and I wouldn't recommend it. If we're talking about the same model (whichI believe we are), It was a very high-maintenance machine. | | | | The pump bearings were not sealed, which the industry has since found out is not such a great idea. The graphite bearings require frequent changing. There was a Z-shaped screen in the laminar wave, which had a tendency to clog with dross. We were taking it down for a pot cleanout every 10 days, or 200 hours of operation. | | | | I wouldn't recommend it for SMT - the chip wave creates a lot of dross and will make for lots of maintenance. It might not be bad for high volume through hole if it's got the debridging knife on it. | | | | Personally, I like Electrovert machines. Been running them for over five years. They're built tough, can take whatever you dish out on them, and keep on chugging as long as they are even marginally maintained. | | | | Given the rapid depreciation of captial equipment, you could probably find a used Econopak for close to the same price as the Hollis SMT. | | | | Good luck! | | | | Chrys | | | Hey Chrys, | We currently have a Electrovert Econopack 229 with a automated spray fluxer. We love the wave for thrue hole but the turbulent wave for smt is extremely scary. Makes way to much dross and causes the solder to flow on top of the board. | | What Electrovert would you reccomend?? | | Thanks | Brian Steelglove |

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| | | Does anyone out there have one we are currently looking at one from a used equipment dealer and would like to know how they work? Good or bad for SMT? | | | Good or bad for high volume Thrue Hole? | | | | | | Thanks Again, | | | Brian Steelglove | | | American Precision Electronics | | | Wheaton, IL | | | | | Brian, | | | | I had one about five years ago, and I wouldn't recommend it. If we're talking about the same model (whichI believe we are), It was a very high-maintenance machine. | | | | The pump bearings were not sealed, which the industry has since found out is not such a great idea. The graphite bearings require frequent changing. There was a Z-shaped screen in the laminar wave, which had a tendency to clog with dross. We were taking it down for a pot cleanout every 10 days, or 200 hours of operation. | | | | I wouldn't recommend it for SMT - the chip wave creates a lot of dross and will make for lots of maintenance. It might not be bad for high volume through hole if it's got the debridging knife on it. | | | | Personally, I like Electrovert machines. Been running them for over five years. They're built tough, can take whatever you dish out on them, and keep on chugging as long as they are even marginally maintained. | | | | Given the rapid depreciation of captial equipment, you could probably find a used Econopak for close to the same price as the Hollis SMT. | | | | Good luck! | | | | Chrys | | | Hey Chrys, | We currently have a Electrovert Econopack 229 with a automated spray fluxer. We love the wave for thrue hole but the turbulent wave for smt is extremely scary. Makes way to much dross and causes the solder to flow on top of the board. | | What Electrovert would you reccomend?? | | Thanks | Brian Steelglove | Yeah, the older chip waves are fairly scary. But they all make a lot of dross; there's really no getting around it. I've got the newer, rotary chip waves on my machine (they cost around $7K I think). I love them. They probably are the largest dross producer in the machine, but I'm running under nitrogen so I only dedross three times a week anyway.

If it's any consolation, the cost of touching up bottomside SMT skips is far more than the cost of dross production. It's a pretty widely accepted number that a bottomside defect costs around a dollar. Now a pound of dross costs around $1.25. The payback is definitely there.

Running with an intermittent wave (one that only turns on when the boards approach) saves a lot on dross production, as well. If your machine isn't equipped with the option, the circuit is pretty easy to build. We've got an electrical tech here who made the mod on our old Ultrapak 445. Cut dross production on that machine by 70%.

Chrys

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