1. The Board Handling Process
Board Handling is used to transport PCB's and assemblies through the automated assembly processes and eliminating the need for manual handling. A continuous process automation is possible in a fully inline process however various equipment can be used for batch assembly applications and temporary storage.
Marking systems have been developed by board handling suppliers to enable traceability and product tracking information to be applied to the PCB or assembly for later identification etc.
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2. Board Handling Applications
Board handling and traceability equipment is used for product transfer through an assembly line without manual intervention. These systems are normally very flexible and configurable and offer options such as inspection areas, rework areas, good/bad sorting and flow buffering etc.
Often PCB magazines are used to offer users the ability to load up a large run of product at once for processing.
Traceability is a growing area and is required by many medical and safety critical products. It is often achieved by marking the PCB with barcodes or datamatrix containing various bits of information unique to that PCB including serial number, lot number etc. Marking is by label application or increasingly by making use of laser marking techniques. CO2 lasers aswell as YAG lasers are often used for laser marking.
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3. Board Handling Machine Types
There are numerous items of standard PCB handling equipment together with the option for fully customised systems.
Board handling consists of various conveyors, magazine loader/unloaders, flip units, turn units, buffers and workstations etc
Laser marking and label applicators form the usual traceability offerings.
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4. Troubleshooting Hand Soldering Problems
Board handling equipment is very robust and reliable with the majority of problems relating to communication protocols and mechanical setup issues.
Proper levelling and alignment of board handling equipment together with correct conveyor width settings will ensure that the transfer of product along the line is reliable.
Traceability problems relate primarily to the readability of the generated label or mark, therefore proper calibration and setup of these parameters is important.
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5. Expert Advice..
Please visit individual supplier websites for further detailed information.Browse manufacturers board handling and traceability equipment here
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