Borey Advanced — Technical Components of SMT Pick-and-Place Machines

The pick-and-place machine is a highly sophisticated piece of equipment in electronic assembly systems, integrating skills from multiple disciplines—including mechanics, optics, electronics, materials science, mechanical engineering, automation, and computer technology. It encompasses a wide range of specialized technologies such as material forming and processing, mechanical transmission systems, electric motors and servo drives, laser technology, vision-based image processing, pneumatic systems, sensor technology, automatic control, and advanced computer software and hardware. As such, it stands as one of the key indicators of a nation's or company's advancement in electronic manufacturing equipment development.

Since their introduction, pick-and-place machines have continuously evolved, with skills being updated, functionalities enhanced, performance metrics improved, and automation and intelligence levels steadily refined—catering to the growing industry trends of miniaturization, multi-functionality, and cost-effectiveness in electronic information products.

Following the trend of diversification and personalization in consumer electronics, electronic components are becoming increasingly miniaturized. As a result, electronic devices now feature more and more pins, with ever-smaller pitch distances and tighter mounting tolerances. In response, pick-and-place machines continue to evolve, delivering higher precision, faster speeds, and greater flexibility. While the wide variety of pick-and-place machines available today can be overwhelming, their core functions and operating principles remain fundamentally unchanged. At their core, all types of pick-and-place machines share consistent basic components and underlying technological principles.

With the advancement of the electronics industry, electronic components have become increasingly miniaturized and diversified. Today, chip components have evolved from the 0402 size (metrically equivalent to 1005) all the way down to 0201 (metrically 0603) and even the ultra-small 01005 (metrically 0402). Meanwhile, new packaging technologies such as BGA, CSP/BGA, FC, and MCM have emerged in large numbers and are being widely adopted. These developments have naturally placed higher demands on pick-and-place equipment, driving the need for mounting systems that deliver ever-greater precision and throughput. As the primary equipment for electronic assembly, pick-and-place machines must keep pace with the evolving trends in the electronics industry by becoming more sophisticated and faster. A critical component of printed circuit board (PCB) assembly lines, pick-and-place machines enable the high-speed, high-precision placement of components—such as surface-mount capacitors, resistors, and chips—onto specific locations on PCBs. Before placement, these machines also perform quality checks and component identification tasks. Pick-and-place machines represent a highly automated system that integrates advanced mechanical engineering, precise motion control, and computer technology. They typically consist of several key subsystems: the machine frame and drive mechanism, the computer and hardware control system, the servo and motor drive system, as well as the software platform and material feeding system.

A pick-and-place machine is essentially a sophisticated industrial robot, representing a seamless integration of mechanical, electrical, optical, and computer-control technologies.