Aug 22, 2011 
Europlacer, a designer and manufacturer of comprehensive SMT pick-and-place equipment for the global electronics industry will demonstrate its XPii-II pick-and-place machine along with Speedprint’s SP700avi 29” Inline Stencil Printer in booth 309 at IPC Midwest, taking place September 21-22 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL.
The Europlacer XPii-II is a seamless, high-speed extension of the highly flexible iineo SMT pick-and-place platform, featuring two rotary heads on X/Y gantries with 8 or 12 pick-ups and “smart” nozzles.
Europlacer’s XPii and iineo share the company’s proven core features - turret heads, intelligent feeders, and powerful software. Users start with the iineo pick-and-place machine, accommodating up to 264 8 mm feeders to support high productivity in a high-mix environment. When additional capacity is required, the XPii is then added in front of the iineo to effectively double SMT line capacity without doubling the required floor space.
The Speedprint SP700avi delivers exceptional value and best-in-class accuracy. The system features numerous standard features including programmable vacuum underscreen cleaning, optical inspection of the paste bead, closed-loop squeegee pressure and 20 µm and 6 sigma performance. The SP700avi is equally confortable in both high-mix and high-volume environments. Numerous tooling options are available that deliver the solutions required for any application. The SP700avi is designed with 1 µm resolution linear encoders on all axes and a suite of intuitive software that enables total control of the SMT screen printing process. An integrated adapter facilitates easy handling of multiple stencil sizes and the large board capability makes the SP700avi ideal for both the EMS and OEM sectors.
The SP700avi stencil printer is feature-rich: included as standard are automatic rail width adjust, auto stencil loading and a fully programmable under stencil cleaner.
Both Europlacer and Speedprint Technology are subsidiaries of Blakell Europlacer Group based in the UK.
Europlacer has been developing machines for SMT electronics assembly since the 1970s and invented the intelligent feeder concept in the 1980s. After acquisition by Blakell Europlacer in 1991, the company moved away from split-axis to the inherently more capable X-Y architecture that underpins the company’s pick-and-place machines today. Europlacer’s policy has been to ensure wherever possible that technology purchased many years ago, especially feeders, remain compatible with the latest pick-and-place equipment. Europlacer designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of highly flexible SMT pick-and-place systems for the global electronics industry.
Speedprint Technology became a division of the Blakell Europlacer Group of companies in September 1998. Following the acquisition and re-establishment of Speedprint, the group formed a new engineering team, many of which had years of experience with locally based printer manufacturers including DEK and SMTech, to develop and enhance the company’s portfolio of products. In keeping with the ethos of the Blakell Group’s desire to offer flexible and innovative solutions to the market, Speedprint is committed to delivering affordable leading edge stencil printing technology. The realization of this ambition is clearly illustrated by the company’s flagship avi range of fully automatic inline printers. Today, Speedprint operates from a high-tech facility based in Poole, in southern United Kingdom.
