Cut tape strip feeders and modular tray (link to STL files inside)

[Malte R.]

I have designed a mostly 3D-printable system of feeders for cut tapes:



It supports paper and plastic (embossed) tapes of different widths and could be easily enhanced for custom parts.

Best thing is that it is modular:

Multiple blocks of feeders can be combined on a steel tray in a predefined grid using magnets + centroid index pins.

 

This allows for repeatable tape and part positions and greatly reduced setup time when running the same job multiple times.

Also, when making larger amounts of PCBs, I can configure two (or more) identical trays. This way I can add all the parts needed and just swap the tray when the machine runs out of parts...

You will find instructions and a link to a ZIP-file containing the necessary STL and DXF files on my homepage:
http://malte-randt.de/strip-feeders-and-modular-tray-for-smd/

Feedback is welcome!

[Ray Kholodovsky]

Very cool idea.  I like the idea of grid that can easily be drilled/ cut into the board and the pins making a mechanical alignment.  The magnets are just for holding it down? 

It's better if a ferrous surface isn't required, I think.  Maybe if the main block was milled out of something a bit heavier, it would have enough weight to keep itself down.  

[Jason von Nieda]

Hi Malte,

Looks very nice! Would you mind if I put a link on http://openpnp.org/hardware/ about it? And if that's okay, could you tell me what you'd like it to say?

I'm curious about the magnets. Have you had any trouble with parts flipping in their pockets due to the magnets? My iteration of a similar feeder had the magnets under the part lanes and I noticed that 0603s would sometimes want to flip up sideways near the magnets.

Jason

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[Malte R.]

Thanks for the uplifting comments :-)

@Ray Yes, the magnets are just for keeping the feeders down. You could just leave them out and make the tray from another material if the magnetism is causing any issues. The pins will still hold the feeders in place, you would just have to be a bit more careful when handling them. With magnets, the trays are rock solid and everything stays in place even if you shake it around. If you plan to use the same tray layout for an extended period of time, double sided tape might work as well.

@Jason Sure, go ahead and put up a link. I am sharing all my physical designs under CC BY-NC-SA so redistribution is totally fine. If you include a link to my blog article, that would be enough credit.

Regarding parts flipped by magnetism: I have had these troubles but - funny enough - only with a certain type of 0603 resistor. Most other parts seem not as affected by magnetism.

I have just skipped the first and last two or three pockets in those cases, the other pockets are far enough from the magnets. But it would also be possible to make a feeder without the magnets, see above.