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SMD counting from during Pick and Place operation

Slash

Mar 16, 2018
2
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Mar 16, 2018
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Hello,
I need help to count the number of SMDs consumed in a reel during the pick and place machine operation in an SMT assembly line.
The pick and place machine must be having a mechanism to get the count. But I need to do this externally. Is there sensor I could use to determine the count of SMDs / number of revolutions of the reel?
Here's a video displaying the assembly line operation -
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
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Sep 5, 2009
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The pick and place machine must be having a mechanism to get the count. But I need to do this externally. Is there sensor I could use to determine the count of SMDs / number of revolutions of the reel?

so why o you need an additional external sensor ?
 

Slash

Mar 16, 2018
2
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Mar 16, 2018
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so why o you need an additional external sensor ?

I want to be able to autonomously generate an interrupt when reel is about to be emptied in addition to whatever warnings the machine may produce.
 

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
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Have you tried to communicate your request to the manufacturer of the machine (or machines) you plan to use? They may be able to provide the information you need without adding another sensor.

As you noted, surely they have a way to keep track of how many devices have been dispensed from each spool. Also, from the video, it appears the spools are "floating" and parts are removed by pulling the parts mounting-strip into the pick-and-place mechanism, and then removing the parts from the mounting-strip with a vacuum pick while discarding the mounting-strip.

Since the parts vary in size, there must be some way of determining when a particular strip of parts has been pulled far enough into the machine to allow a part of a particular size to be removed. Methinks this might be a "machine vision" function and that you have a rather simplistic (and probably inaccurate) view of what is going on with regard to parts-spool handling.
 

garublador

Oct 14, 2014
111
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Oct 14, 2014
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This is a much more complicated problem than some of the other posters have assumed. SMT machines can tell you how many picks have occurred but they don't always know how many parts are left on a reel. My experience is that there are always partial reels that are being used. My guess is that the machine manufacturers might have a solution but it's cost prohibitive.

We'll need a lot more info from the OP before anyone can make a recommendation. There is very little room to add sensors to the reels on a SMT machine. I can't imagine anything but a huge mess of wires for a home baked solution that wouldn't be any less expensive than just hiring another person or buying another machine. There could be some special situation he's in where this could make sense but it would have to be described.

If giving more info isn't possible I'd recommend taking a step back and look at the problem and reconsider your solution. You may be better off adding a machine or person and/or doubling up on reels of parts that need replacing often.
 
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