Cheap pick and place

I have something very similar. I avoid using it at all costs, but occasionally must use it.

I almost always have better luck with a pair of tweezers (or two).

If you could operate it with a foot-pedal it might work better. The reason I say that is because the action of letting off the vacuum disturbs the wand enough to mis-align the part at the last moment. Very frustrating to use.

You are going to want to grip very close to the tip.

"so do not worry SMD components sucked up to the solder paste printed on the paste after the phenomenon was sucked back."

You don't want pliers for that job, you want a nice set of curved-jaw stainless steel tweezers with a small binder clip sliding along the jaws for a very finely-adjustable self-closing action.

And a shot-glass-sized container of acetone to dip the tweezers in when they get sticky.

A Panavise is the best hundred bucks you'll ever spend on prototyping.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

You don't want pliers for that job, you want a nice set of curved-jaw stainless steel tweezers with a small binder clip sliding along the jaws for a very finely-adjustable self-closing action.

And a shot-glass-sized container of acetone to dip the tweezers in when they get sticky.

A Panavise is the best hundred bucks you'll ever spend on prototyping.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

This is extremely useful advice. I also keep a snap-top vial of acetone for the same purpose.

Panavise + 'helping hands' (like this:

I bought mine for $10 at a hamfest. :)

All kidding aside, I bet if you are facile with chopsticks, you can use this easily.

I got a much higher-end vacuum pick system and never use it.

It must be around here somewhere.

I agree about curved SS tweezers. Most critical is good optics, like a Mantis.

We have a very manual pantographic sort of pick-and place thing, no computer or optics or anything, but it helps for manual placement.

My production people use these for manual picking. Battery powered.

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The XY platform for a 3D printer seems like it would be good enough for thi s sort of work. I'm surprised there aren't low cost versions of these. Ev en if you have to work the part pick operation less automatically, it seems like just the placement would help a lot.

Why not an aquarium pump or similar? should be less expensive. DIY the tip.

Look at this kit: