With the development of SMT, the trend towards miniaturization and high-density assembly of components has emerged. Consequently, SMT pick-and-place machine nozzles have become more precise and have a greater impact on assembly quality. During actual assembly processes, nozzle blockages due to solder, flux, or other contaminants can lead to component misplacement. Previous methods such as using steel needles or ultrasonic vibration are inadequate in addressing these issues. Therefore, nozzle cleaning machines have been developed to address this problem with a new cleaning method, which can effectively remove dirt from nozzles that was previously impossible to clean in a short amount of time without damaging the nozzles. Additionally, the use of non-toxic cleaning solutions makes the entire process more environmentally friendly.
Reasons for choosing a nozzle cleaning machine:
Industry demands:
- Component miniaturization: The rapid development of the electronics industry has led to increasingly smaller components, with 0402 and 0201 components becoming more common and even smaller components emerging. As components become smaller, the corresponding pick-and-place machine nozzles also need to be downsized, posing challenges for cleaning. While larger nozzles could be cleaned with alcohol wipes or fine needle methods, the tiny apertures of modern small nozzles make this impossible. When blockages occur, the only option is to discard the nozzle.
- Smaller pitch: Modern electronic devices require smaller sizes and more functionality, resulting in denser component layouts on circuit boards with smaller pitches. Even slight misalignments during placement can encroach on neighboring components, leading to increased product failure rates.
- Impact of lead-free: Lead has good activity, allowing for corrections after soldering. However, with lead-free soldering, the activity of copper is greatly reduced, leaving no opportunity for correction if misalignment occurs during placement.
- Overall, higher placement accuracy is required, as even minor deviations can have significant consequences. While pick-and-place machine design accuracy is already high, various factors can compromise its performance, with dirty nozzles being a significant factor.
Economic benefits:
- Reduced nozzle procurement costs: Nozzle scrapage often occurs due to excessive contamination or related accidents. Using this machine can fundamentally solve the problem. Original nozzles are expensive, mostly costing over a thousand yuan. Therefore, there are considerable economic benefits in the long term.
- Reduced unnecessary labor: Traditional cleaning methods require significant manual intervention. With the RM12-24, there is no need for dedicated personnel; everything can be handled by the machine.
- Reduced product failure rates: Unclean nozzles with weak suction can easily lead to component sliding and rejection, increasing product failure rates.
- Increased SMT production efficiency: Proper cleaning keeps nozzles in a like-new condition, preventing recognition errors and greatly improving productivity.