Feeder eases automated THT LED assembly

16 February 2011 Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services

Essemtec’s CLM979 is a radial component feeder that enables the assembly of through-hole LEDs on a standard pick-and-place machine. The feeder releases LEDs from the tape, cuts the wire ends and prepares the component for pickup.

Typically, two different machines have been required for mixed placements – an SMD pick-and-place and a placement machine for conventional components. With the CLM979, however, a pick-and-place can accomplish both through-hole LED assembly and SMD placement. The LEDs are supplied in radial tapes. The feeder transports the components, releases them from the tape, cuts the wire ends to the desired length and aligns them parallel. LEDs thus prepared can be handled by the SMD pick-and-place with a vacuum pickup tool.

In order to guarantee smooth insertion of the LEDs into the soldering holes, the wire ends are inspected using optical systems (laser and vision). If the wires are out of tolerance, eg, because of bent terminals, the component is not placed but rejected. The feeder can be mounted in parallel to standard SMD component feeders; therefore, mixed placement is possible in one run. Depending on the application, through-hole LEDs can be soldered using the solder wave or reflow soldering system (pin-in-paste technology).

The feeder is compatible with most of Essemtec’s automatic pick-and-place machines and can also be retrofitted on machines of other brands.

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