Assembléon is place first in three major pick & place awards for 2010.

Introduced as the most versatile, space-efficient machine on the market, Assembléon’s MC-24X modular placer targets equipment manufacturers who need a wide component range and many component feeding positions, large board sizes, and significant output within a very small floor space. “These products and services represent the best tools that our industry has to succeed in this tough economic climate. The SMT VISION award winners affirm the energy and vitality of the electronics manufacturing industry” said Meredith Courtemanche, SMT’s Executive Editor. Leo van de Vall, Assembléon’s CEO in the US, added: “In a year in which the industry had to look closely at productivity and costs, the MC-24X stood out as giving unrivalled value for money.”

Most exciting pick & place machine of the year
Placing 54,000 components per hour at top speed from a footprint of just 2.5 square meters, the MC-24X produces 50% more output from 50% less floor space than comparable competitive machines. “Because of its speed, it complements Assembléon’s AX-301 and AX-501 high speed chip shooting equipment. That makes the MC-24X a perfect end of line solution in high volume PCB assembly”, said van de Vall.

A newly developed ultra-thin electrical intelligent feeder gives the MC-24X 96 feeding positions, placing components as large as 100 by 45 mm with a maximum height of 15 mm. Alongside the MC-24X, Assembléon recently introduced the MC-24 which has 120 feeder positions and places up to 8 by 8 mm components with a max height of 6.5 mm at a top speed of 72,000 cph.. The MC-24(X) platform therefore has a total of over 200 feeding positions for large component mixes with minimum changeover times. That can save the need for an extra machine, and the ability to handle a wide range of product complexities and components makes the platform future-proof. The machines accept a board size up to 700 x 510 mm. For chip placements, a new side view and scanning camera helps to ensure excellent placement reliability.

The industry’s highest customer service ratings
Assembléon helps its customers optimize their factory operation and maintenance, with the stress on improving the Value of Operations by increasing the output and yield of the entire line. “Circuits Assembly recognized the companies that received the highest customer service ratings, as judged by their own customers. Electronics assembly equipment award winner for pick-and-place was Assembléon America” said Chelsey Drysdale, Circuits Assembly’s senior editor, on Assembléon’s Service Excellence Award.

The three awards are among the most prestigious in the pick & place industry. SMT held its 18th annual VISION Award in Las Vegas, USA, on April 6th. Circuits Assembly’s NPI Award, in its third year, recognizes leading new products during the past 12 months. An independent panel of practicing industry engineers selected the recipients.