Nov 16, 2017 
Europlacer has unveiled an all-new high-speed, super-flexible placement platform. The renowned pick & place manufacturer used the Productronica exhibition to reveal two complementary placement machines from its new Atom platform range.
Over five years in development, the new Atom platform combines high speed placement with Europlacer’s legendary placement flexibility and accuracy. Atom is the new Europlacer flagship, with machine configurations that sit at the top of the company’s range of platform products, yet remain complementary to and compatible with all of them.
At the core of the new high-speed capability is the pioneering Pulsar pipette head. Each head features eight nozzles – themselves identical to those on Europlacer’s other platforms – handling components from 01005 profiles up to 13mm2 in size and delivering the same high accuracy for which the company is famed.
The new Atom 3 machine combines a pair of Pulsar heads, each on an independent axis, with a single Tornado turret head on a third axis to offer the perfect blend of high speed and ultimate flexibility for devices up to 99mm2. Placement rates with this Atom 3 platform configuration are up to 65,000 components per hour. The Tornado head can be specified with 8 or 12 nozzles.
Where devices on boards do not exceed 13mm2, Europlacer customers can opt for the raw performance of the new Atom 4 machine. Here the Atom platform is equipped with four independent axes, each fitted with a high-speed Pulsar head. While delivering the same exceptional accuracies, Atom 4 offers placement rates up to 104,000 components per hour.
All Atom platforms feature new robust X-Y gantries driven by advanced linear motors with linear encoders for positional accuracy. Precision is retained at the high acceleration speeds demanded by six-figure placement speeds by the deployment of synchronised X-axis linear motor drives at each end of the Y-gantry beam.
In keeping with its sibling iineo+ platform, the Atom range maintains Europlacer’s industry-leading on-machine inventory with 264 x 8mm reel capacity. The addition of an interchangeable tray sequencer removes only one part number from the machine.
The platform is also the first to deploy the company’s patented conveyor that eliminates physical board stops. Instead, these are software programmable to automatically determine the best stop position for optimum pick-to-place head travel paths, maximising placement rates and throughput.
“We believe our new Atom platform is a game changer for Europlacer customers and the wider surface mount industry,” says Andy Jones, Business Development Manager at Europlacer. “Now there’s no compromise between sustainable high placement rates and flexible mounting accuracy. Atom customers can have both – they can take advantage of placement speed and flexibility on one platform to restructure productivity in surface mount assembly. And thanks to our celebrated compatibility, they can use Atom machines in line with all other Europlacer platforms to balance loads and drive throughput.”
The Blakell Europlacer Group comprises the Speedprint Technologies, Europlacer, and Blakell Europlacer Distribution business units. All three are active and pre-eminent in the electronic circuit board assembly sector with advanced product and service solutions for electronics manufacturers in the UK and globally. Speedprint Technologies is a provider of screen printing equipment used in surface mount assembly processes. Europlacer is a provider of surface mount component placement equipment. Blakell Europlacer Distribution augments the provision of screen printing and pick & place platforms in the UK with a range of associated equipment, including AOI, reflow and PCB handling.
