Automatic Board Handling System Introduction
The Insertion machines are available in a number of automatic board handling configurations. The following are the most common configurations:
• Magazine-to-Magazine Configuration Magazines containing PC boards are placed on the input elevator (unloader) and the PC boards are then automatically transferred into the machine for component insertion. Once completed, the boards are loaded into an output magazine elevator (Loader). When the magazine if filled, the magazine is pushed onto the magazine buffer. The magazine buffer is a 1270mm (50”) long conveyor for storage of magazines. All loader systems and unloader systems are CE compliant systems.
• Destacker/Conveyor-to-Magazine Loader Configuration Bare PC boards are placed in a destacker and the PC boards are then automatically dropped onto a conveyor (optional conveyor lengths of 736.6mm (29”), 1117.6mm (44”), or 1473.2mm (58”)), which transports them into the machine for component insertion. Once completed, the boards are loaded into an output magazine elevator (loader). When the magazine if filled, the magazine is pushed onto the magazine buffer. The magazine buffer is a 1270mm (50”) long conveyor for storage of magazines. The loaders are CE compliant, but the destackers are required to be 1117.6mm (44”) or longer to be CE-compliant. Note: This unit will not function properly when eyelets are present on the PC board.
• In-line Configuration Machines can be connected in-line using the internal board handling system (BHS) and interconnecting conveyors. The BHS transfers two PC boards at a time: an unpopulated board in, and a populated board out. All board handling systems are factory-configurable for either left-to-right or right-to-left direction. The configuration allows connection with standard board handling equipment.