What Is A SMT Feeder?
SMT Feeder, (also called SMT Feeding Gun, Component Feeder, or Part Feeder), is an electric device to lock tape-and-reel SMD components, peel off the tape (film) cover on the top of components, and feeds the uncovered components (by means of sprocket transmission) to the same fixed pickup position for pick up by pick-and-place machine.
SMT feeder is the most important part of SMT machine, and also an important part of SMT assembly that affects the PCB assembly capabilities and production efficiency.
Most components are supplied on paper or plastic tape, in tape reels that are loaded onto feeders mounted to the machine. Larger integrated circuits (ICs) are sometimes supplied arranged in trays which are stacked in a compartment. More commonly ICs will be provided in tapes rather than trays or sticks. Improvements in feeder technology mean that tape format is becoming the preferred method of presenting parts on an SMT machine.
Because there is a length of SMD components in the feeder cannot be grabbed by SMT machine’s nozzle, when run PCB assembly, we need some part spares to complete PCBA quantity in one turn assembly. Please refer to our page of PCB Assembly Reminders | SMT Manufacturer China | MADPCB
3 Main SMT Part Feeders
SMT machine is to pick up the components in the feeders through command to a specified location specified by coordinates. Different kinds of mount components adopt different packaging, different packaging requires corresponding feeder. SMT feeders can be divided into tape feeder, tray feeder, stick feeder and tube feeder.
- Tape Feeder: Tape feeder is the most commonly used standard feeder in the placement machine. The traditional structure has the wheel type, the claw type, the pneumatic type and the multi-distance electric type. Now it has developed into high precision electric type. When compared with the traditional structure, the transmission accuracy is higher, the feeding speed is faster, the structure is more compact, the performance is more stable, and the production efficiency is greatly improved.
- Tray Feeder: Tray feeders are divided into single-layer and multi-layer structures. Single-layer tray feeder is installed directly on the placement machine feeder rack, take up a number of bits, suitable for the tray is not much material. The multilayer one has a multi-layer automatic transmission tray, occupies a small space, compact structure, suitable for the situation of the tray material, disk components for a variety of IC components, like TQFP, PQFP, BGA, TSOP and SSOPs.
- Stick Feeder: Stick feeder is a kind of bulk-type feeders, the work of the unit is free to load into the molding of plastic boxes or bags, by using a vibrating feeder or feed pipe to the components in turn into mounter. This method is usually used in MELF and small semiconductor components, and it’s only for non-polar rectangular and cylindrical components, not suitable for polar components.
- Tube Feeder: Tube feeders often use vibration feeders to ensure that the components in the tube continue to enter the chip head to absorb the position, the general PLCC and SOIC is used in this way to feed the tube feeder has a protective effect on the component pin, Stability and normality is poor, the production efficiency of the end of the characteristics.