Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/455818
February 2015 • SMT Magazine 105 HOW TO SeLeCT a PICK-aNd-PLaCe MaCHINe, ParT 1 continues smt quiCk-tips Figure 2: component trays and feeders. Figure 3: a vision-assisted manual machine. ing affordability of some of the more automat- ed systems on the market. They were originally introduced at a time when the leap from man- ual to fully automatic systems was just too cost- prohibitive and were made available with some features to assist the manual operation. More correctly referred to as "enhanced manual" systems, semiautomatic pick-and- place machines typically include a computer interface with a vision system that shows where the components go, but the placement itself is still done manually. This type of machine helps the operator position ultra-fine pitch compo- nents more accurately for low-volume applica- tions, an operation that is very difficult to ac- complish using a simple machine-assisted man- ual machine.