Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Smart Automation: Pick-and-place Machines—What Matters in 2025

When people talk about placement technology, they often zero in on speed: How fast can a machine place components? What's the quoted components per hour (CPH)? How many nozzles are on the head? While these metrics matter, on most production floors, the fastest machine on paper isn’t always the most productive.

Today, manufacturers focus less on raw speed and more on flexibility, ease of use, line balance, and real-world throughput. For mid-sized SMT operations (especially those doing high-mix, low-to-mid-volume builds), these improvements aren’t just nice to have—they’re critical to staying competitive.

Here, the focus is on the modern pick-and-place machine, and the areas outside of speed that have a drastic impact on production.

Speed Is Important, but It’s Not the Whole Story
Cycle time remains an important factor in electronics manufacturing, and maximizing CPH can absolutely boost line efficiency and reduce labor costs. However, when building a dozen or more different boards per day (each with distinct part counts, sizes, and footprints), changeover time, feeder setup, machine uptime, and software usability often impact overall output more than raw placement speed. For example, a machine rated at 50,000 CPH that requires 45 minutes to change jobs may deliver less production than a 35,000 CPH machine that can change over in 10 minutes.

Changeover Time: The Hidden Efficiency Killer
Over the past few years, there has been a renewed emphasis on fast, flexible changeovers. In high-mix environments, the ability to tear down and set up quickly can significantly affect overall throughput. That includes:

• Intelligent feeders that can be preloaded and verified offline
• Quick-release trolleys or feeder banks
• Recipe recall that handles nozzle, vision, and height settings
• Offline setup tools that reduce time at the machine

If a platform evaluation centers solely around top-end speed, changeover capabilities should also be part of the discussion. That’s where a significant amount of throughput is often lost or gained.

Component Versatility and Z-axis Flexibility
One of the biggest placement challenges today isn’t just about speed or size, it’s about handling a variety of components. Boards now combine ultra-small passives, tall connectors, electrolytic capacitors, and odd mechanicals on the same job. Key capabilities include:

• Wide Z-axis range to handle both low-profile chips and tall odd-forms
• Adaptive nozzles for the smooth placement of components of varying shapes and sizes
• Odd-form support and the ability to place connectors, RF shields, and other non-standard parts
• Auto height detection that can adjust placement depth on the fly to avoid errors

Versatility is critical in high-mix environments where each board presents unique challenges and automation must be as adaptable as the products being assembled.

Placement Accuracy and Vision Systems
While speed was once the defining race among vendors, component miniaturization has pushed accuracy and vision capabilities to the forefront. With 01005 passives and micro-BGAs becoming more common, today's pick-and-place systems need to offer:

• Advanced vision alignment systems that can detect and correct skew or part rotation
• Real-time nozzle inspection to catch worn or damaged tips before they cause defects
• Component height sensing to deal with warped boards or domed flex circuits

Modern systems often compensate for slight PCB warping or nonstandard component shapes using technologies such as laser centering, high-resolution cameras, and adaptive placement logic. These capabilities are critical for defect reduction, especially in tight-tolerance applications.

Software and User Experience

Usability is a competitive differentiator, not just for operators, but also for process engineers, maintenance techs, and quality staff. Systems should offer:

• Visual job setup guidance and setup verification
• Traceability options 
• Exportable KPI and OEE data for internal reporting
• Integration capabilities with factory MES systems
• On-machine diagnostics

In facilities where personnel perform multiple roles or where experienced SMT operators are in short supply, intuitive machine design leads to less training time, fewer errors, and faster onboarding, all of which contribute to a stronger return on investment.

Maintenance and Uptime
Discussions about pick-and-place machines often focus on performance during operation, but people pay less attention to downtime, which is just as impactful. The best modern platforms are designed with maintenance and uptime in mind and may include:

• Low-level alerts for component replenishment
• Self-diagnostics and error reporting
• Predictive maintenance alerts
• Tool-free access to high-touch areas
• Remote support connectivity

Reduced downtime leads to higher output, better OEE, and lower labor costs. For operations with lean technical support, ease of maintenance can be a deciding factor in long-term machine value.

Conclusion: What to Look For in 2025
When evaluating pick-and-place systems, look beyond headline specs like CPH or nozzle count. Some of the most important questions to consider include:

• How fast can the system change over between products?
• How well does the machine handle small or odd-shaped components?
• How easy is it to teach new parts or troubleshoot errors?
• Can the software scale and interface with other factory systems?
• What is the level of support and long-term serviceability?

There are more capable machines on the market than ever before. The challenge lies in identifying the platform that aligns with production needs, available labor resources, and long-term operational goals.

This column originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine.