Philly wrote:Thats good enough for my needs, I will email you when Im at a proper machine :)
The video is cool, whats the cph rate on that bad boy and how do you handle paste dispensing?
They quote 1200cph for RV1s and 2000 for RV4s (the 4s has the same mechanical speed but a flying camera), but this is heavily dependent on feeder locations etc.
I currently use polyester stencils from smtstencil.co.uk, but I'm planning to investigate dispensing using an old X-Y plotter that I bought with the intention to convert to pick/place before realising it would be too much hassle.
How much are the feeders and are they available?
Versatronics went bust a while ago so feeder prices and availability depend on what used ones are available at the time, although I believe that feeders from older models (RV1 and RV placer) can be adapted fairly easily (minor electrical mod). Wider tape feeders are scarce, but at a pinch if you have access to a milling machine you could probably widen some lanes of an 8mm one. The feeder design is very simple, so quite amneable to adaption and readily repairable, and the software is flexible enough to be able to deal with nonstandard feeders. Things like new nozzles and consumables (o-rings and feeder drive belts) are available from an ex-versatronics guy who also does servicing etc. and knows the machines inside out.
If you need a lot of tape lanes for high-mix PCBs this may not be the best machine unless you find one that comes with lots of feeders. It is however easy to set up 'passive feeders' to pick from static strips, trays etc. and the only practical limit is the amount of space available on the bed alongside the PCB.
On another note, I didnt realise you were that electricstuff, I've been browsing your site for years, been a great source of reference. I even bought a GPS module from maplins after your article. Was it you who etched a spiral track on copper clad, wired it to the mains and dropped metal shavings onto it?
not guilty!
