Jan 29, 2014 
Two in One
Jetting of solder paste instead of printing saves costs for stencils, eliminates printing errors and enhances production flexibility especially for lower to midsize volumes. Until now, separate machines had to be bought to fulfil these requirements. Essemtec has merged its dispensing and pick-and-place know-how from the Scorpion and Paraquda machines into a SMT production centre.
Quick setup is performed directly from CAD data using an integrated paste library; the same that is used for the pick-and-place machine. Production is fully automated, and solder paste application and component placement are seamlessly integrated while process monitoring ensures high-quality results.
All Types of Pastes
Essemtec’s solder jet printer is fast (up to 80,000 dots/hr), very precise (51µm @3σ) and suitable for 0201 components. So far, jetting of solder pastes was possible only with limitations – electronics manufacturers needed to buy specially designed, costly solder pastes. The new system from Essemtec opens the range of pastes to most type 4, 5, 6 or 7 pastes. Essemtec’s solder paste jet valve can be installed on existing machines platforms, such as the Scorpion high-speed jet dispenser or the Paraquda component placer.
Fast ROI
The combination of jet printing with pick-and-place eliminates the need to program two different machines and reduces the investment costs dramatically. The return on investment (ROI) of the jet printing option is achieved with less than 100 stencils and even faster when the products require stepped stencils. Cleaning of the valve is an easy and quick (5-10 minutes) task.
Single Source Turnkey Supplier
Essemtec is the only manufacturer to cover the entire production process, such as printers and/or jet dispensers, pick-and-place and soldering systems. Manual, semiautomatic and fully automatic systems are available. The range of products also includes transportation and storage systems, as well as manufacturing software solutions for planning, simulation optimization and documentation.
At APEX 2014, Essemtec will highlight its modular mid-/high-volume production line, consisting of Tucano – a fully automatic stencil printer, Paraquda – a multifunctional SMT assembler with solder jet valve and Zonda – a high-capacity 26" wide reflow oven. The production line is suitable for subcontractors and product manufacturers producing a large variety of PCB at midsize to high volumes. Line changeover is very fast and simple. Modular expansion of the production capacity is possible.
Furthermore, Essemtec will showcase its high-mix/low-volume entry-level SMT assembly line, consisting of Fino – a semiautomatic printer with vision, Pantera-XC – an inline pick-and-place machine for prototype and mid-size series manufacturing and RO300FC-C – a full convection reflow oven. This assembly line is suitable for companies looking for an inexpensive entry into automatic SMT assembly. The modular line produces high-quality electronics with low effort. The line features quick setup and a large application range.
For more information about Essemtec's flexible production equipment, visit the company in booth #851 at the IPC APEX Expo or on the Web at www.essemtec.com.
