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Comparing Apples to Apples
What does it really mean when sales literature says a machine is capable of placing 24,000 components per hour? What parts are being placed on what type of board to get that placement rate? Are the same number of heads tested for machine accuracy as used to test placement rate? If not, does it really matter how many parts are placed if they are not placed accurately? If you vary at all from the manufacturer's test run, chances are you will not be getting the rate that you paid for.Fortunately, the IPC, the major pick-and-place manufacturers and some of their key customers are in the midst of devising machine specification standards. This committee has been working since last summer on a method to standardize how a machine's capabilities are reported. Today, the customer really has no accurate way of comparing products. The current draft of the standard proposes four standard boards, each with its own set of unique components. The manufacturers will then test their machines with the same number of heads, using the same components, on the same board under the same environmental conditions.
The good news is that the IPC wants to keep this particular committee together to tackle other issues such as communications standards. The hopes are that other equipment manufacturers will follow suit and develop reporting standards, as well.
IPC-9850, "Surface Mount Equipment Performance Char-acterization," was scheduled for release for commentary in July. Take the time to review the draft and put your two cents in.
Sandra RuroedeManaging Editor
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