Pick and Place ToolHead

From RepRapWiki

Pick and Place ToolHead

Release status: Experimental

Description	A new toolhead to allow RepRaps to manipulate surface mount components.
License	GPL 2.0
Author	Gene Hacker
Based-on	(nothing)
Categories
CAD Model(s)	disk1 disk2 clamp
External Link	forum discussion

This new toolhead allow RepRap to manipulate surface mount components. A pick-and-place toolhead is an important part of the complete SMT Pick-n-Place System. This is one small step towards enabling a RepRap to produce its own required PCBs. See Automated Circuitry Making for other steps towards that goal (milling head, solder paste dispenser, etc.)

How it works

a small vacuum pump creates suction in the blunt tip needle to pick up SMT components and the gear motor rotates the component into the proper position.

Materials

• 6 20 mm M3 cap screws
• 3 35 mm M3 cap screws
• 1 10 mm M2 screw, or whatever screw will couple with the shaft on the GM3 gear motor
• 1 18 gauge blunt tip dispenser needle
• 1 magnetic rotary encoder and magnet retrofitted GM3 gear motor
• 1 meter of 4 mm diameter aquarium tubing $0.43
• a low vacuum pump, possibly a reversed aquarium air pump

Instructions

1. connect the part named pnpdisk2 to the motor drive shaft
   
2. stick the 4 mm aquarium tubing into the blunt tip dispenser needle and put this into the part called pnpdisk1
   
3. attach pnpdisk1 to pnpdisk2 with the 20 mm M3 cap screws
4. attach the magnetic rotary encoder to the part called pnpclamp with 20 mm M3 cap screws
   
5. attach gear motor to clamp with 35 mm M3 cap screws
6. attach clamp to x carriage

Further reading

• "Pick and Place Project": designing an open-source pick and place machine[1][2][3][4].
• Tim's Pick-n-place toolhead on Thingiverse.
• "Controller Board for DIY Pick place Project"

Pick-n-Place related

• SMT Pick-n-Place System
• Pick-n-Place Feeders