LitePlacer DIY pick and place machine with camera guidance

Juha Kuusama developed a DIY pick-and-place machine inspired by Shapeoko CNC router. It is fully functional with computer vision / camera effector guidance, BOM import and precise enough to place 0402 parts with the vacuum head.

It is still not rough enough to take full production quantities but is more suited for small series of PCBs at 200-400 components per hour. The accuracy is limited and it can not yet do 0201s.

Very impressive video introduction and demonstration:



Here is the project homepage where you can get all the plans and custom software or buy a kit for 1199 euro:

http://www.liteplacer.com/

if you want to build it yourself, guide is at:

http://www.liteplacer.com/the-machine/assembly-instructions/

LitePlacer hardware is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

If you are interested in PCB manufacturing also check: FirePick 300USD DIY Delta pick-and-place or how to hack your 3d printer into solder paste dispenser.

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UberBlox construction modules for your home manufacturing machines

UberBlox are modular building blocks for any type of machine ranging from wheeled robot to CNC mill. You can create anything you want.

Pick and Place delta robot made with UberBlox

UberBlox description from the company page:

UberBlox is a new high-quality metal construction set and prototyping system for makers to build rigid structures and automated machines.

At the heart of the system is a new single-connector locking mechanism which uses a common small tool to quickly and precisely lock each block to the next. The firmly connected blocks provide accurate, strong and rigid frames for a wide variety of structures and complex machines such as robots, CNC machines and 3D printers.

In addition to the basic blocks, the system includes a growing catalog of compatible and reconfigurable parts, including moving components, sub-assemblies, motors, electronics and controllers based on popular boards such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, for a complete solution to the building needs of today's sophisticated maker.

Here is short video overview of UberBlox:



UberBlox homepage: https://uberblox.com/

They will be on KickStarter soon ...

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DIY 3d printable manual pick and place vacuum tool

While there are more and more robotic DIY print-and-place machines, sometimes you just need to use your hand to remove some fine and hard to reach electronics. zapta designed 3d printable pick and place tool that uses modified medical needles and power of vacuum.

All the files can be found at: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:607270

From project description:

NEW: added a model for a mouth piece that allow to have a stand alone pick and place tool with no vacuum pump. The tube is a flexible silicon aquarium airline from a pet store. The filter is a universal 1/4" automobile fuel filter (filed to fit the airline).
This is a single piece design a handle for vacuum hand picker for electronics SMT components. It has two versions, one with a release hole and without release hole (I am using the latter with a foot pedal and a 12V pneumatic valve for better release stability).

The printed release hole is intentionally small and you can drill a larger one if you want, or just print the no hole version and drill a hole wherever you want. The handle is compatible with standard industrial blunt needles (available on eBay) and with standard aquarium air hose (use silicon hose for better flexibility, e.g. "TopFin Silicone Airline Tubing").

The files with 'demo' in their name are provided to show the internal details. These are not the files you want to print.
I printed it on a Prusa i3V using PLA, 20% infill, 5 top, bottom and vertical shells (in Slic3r) for better air tightness and no material support (otherwise you will block the internal air passage).

Air tightness is important for proper operation so you want to test it by holding it under water with the tip blocked and blowing into the hose. If you still see bubble through cracks and holes you may want to increase the number of shells, print slower, make sure you don't under extrude or fill the holes with glue (you can apply vacuum to such the glue into the holes).

This is a base design and hopefully others will improve on it. For example, forcing the air to flow near the release hole for minimizing the residual vacuum when released, a built in adjustable valve for regulating the desire lifting force, built in air filter or somehow making this thing ESD safe.

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FirePick Delta open source DIY pick and place machine that can be made for 300$

Home electronics manufacturing is one step closer with FirePick project which gives you fully functional pick-and-place machine that can also serve as a 3d printer. The entire design is open sourced and can be made for some 300 USD in "hacker" version.

...video of the machine in action is under the text ...


Project description form the project webpage:

FirePick Delta is an open-source electronics manufacturing system, inspired by RepRap and powered by OpenPnP and FirePick's own Computer Vision software. We are taking the beginning steps towards a smart appliance that can manufacture electronic circuit boards in a home or office environment. Our machine is able to assemble open-source hardware boards like Arduino and Raspberry Pi accessories, and also has the capability to 3D print. It features an auto-tool changer that allows multiple plastic extruders, and/or multiple SMT vacuum nozzles. Other tools and applications will be available as our product matures.

FirePick Delta is an affordable, open-source electronics manufacturing system that sits on your desktop. It's capable of building complex electronic circuit assemblies, like Arduino and Raspberry Pi accessories. It is also able to 3D print plastic parts, just like a standard 3D printer. It assembles circuit boards just like a conventional pick-and-place machine, by using a vacuum nozzle and camera with computer vision to pick up surface-mount parts from component feeders, and precisely place them down on the circuit board. Our machine has an auto-tool changer, and we're working on designing other tools besides the SMT vacuum tip and the 3D print hotend. The system is capable of holding up to four tools and interchanging between them automatically. This also makes it one of the most versatile 3D printers out there, because it can print in four colors of plastic (or in four separate types of plastic, which would allow a single model to have a mixture of PLA, ABS, nylon, and NinjaFlex, for example).

Pick and place machines are used around the world to assemble electronic circuit assemblies, however they usually sell for $50,000 to $500,000. Our machine has a price point of $300 to $5000, depending on modules installed. We should be able to hit that price point by leveraging the open-source technology of the RepRap 3D printer movement. The FirePick Delta is designed to almost completely self-replicate. It is capable of 3d printing its own parts out of PLA or ESD-sensitive ABS plastic. It will also be capable of assembling its own electronic circuit boards. We plan to be the first successful, commercially available RepRap 3d printer to have the power of electronics self-replication. We envision a future where anyone can design (or download existing) electronic projects, and manufacture them in their own home, rather than outsourcing to a traditional factory. This approach saves time and money, and is a much more sustainable solution. FirePick Delta will enable a new wave of small businesses and entrepreneurs to provide unique, bespoke, niche items to the general public, that would be unprofitable for a large conglomerate corporation to manufacture. If you've ever had an electronic project that involved soldering surface-mount electronics, this machine is an incredibly cheap and fun way to do it. If you've ever wanted to sell an electronic board that you've created, and need a way to make lots of them, this machine is for you.

INTENDED USAGE

• Prototyping and small runs of PCB's (under 100 per run). Not intended to be used for mass production.

• Hobbyists, Makerspaces, high school and college students, entrepreneurs, small businesses.

• Great for those with poor eyesight, shaky hands, or those that just don't have the skills to solder on small SMT parts. We occasionally remind those that scoff at our project to check their privileges and remember that not everyone has guru SMT soldering skills or access to a full lab with hot air rework. 

COST

We would eventually like to cover three basic demographics:

• Hacker and Developer Version: Open framework to go crazy with. Purchased with retail parts from US or foreign distributors. Est. Cost: ~$400-$500.
• Maker / Student Version: Base machine in kit form for ~$300-400 is desired. That would not include any tools or feeders, or RasPi or camera. These things are modular and could be purchased at the time of sale or later on. Requires assembly, and support woudl be via internet forum / IRC / mailing list, etc.. The $300 figure is likely more of a BOM cost than final sale price with packaging, shipping, etc.
• Professional version: For the tech startups, businesses, etc. Machine would likely retail for $5,000 to $10,000 for a fully assembled machine, with tech support and warranty, and all the other things that a business would look for, before buying a
• Note that the Hackaday project is built around the Hacker / Developer version as a prototype, and we hope to offer the second (maker / student version) after the prototypes are built, and crowdfunding is secured. Version 3 ($5000-$10000) will be much later on, possibly 1-2 years from now.

DIMENSIONS

• Overall dimensions: 600mm H x 460mm W x 460mm D

• Frame dimensions: 520mm H x 300mm W x 300mm D

• Max PCB size / 3D print volume: 80mm H x 214mm W x 214mm D

CAMERA AND COMPUTER VISION

• Camera: Raspberry Pi 5MP. 3.6mm focal length with f/2.9 aperture. Full control of shutter time, hardware flash, ISO, etc via custom FirePiCam software

• Downward looking vision: Currently supported.

• Upward looking vision: Planned feature. Will be implemented in the coming weeks. Our software chain fully supports it, it's just a matter of making the 3d printed fixtures and trying it out.

• Flying vision: Not yet, but it would be super cool. No timeline to speak of. Forget I even mentioned it.

• Computer Vision Software: FireSight (high-level abstraction layer on top of OpenCV), via FireFUSE and FireREST

• CV Operations implemented: absdiff, backgroundSubtractor, blur, calcHist, calcOffset, Canny, cvtColor, dft (Discrete Fourier Transform), dftSpectrum, drawKeypoints, drawRects, FireSight, HoleRecognizer, HoughCircles, imread, imwrite, matchTemplate, minAreaRect, MSER, morph, normalize, Points2Resolution, PSNR Compare, putText, QRDecode, resize, SimpleBlobDetector, stageImage, threshold, transparent, warpAffine, warpPerspective, warpRing

SOFTWARE

• OpenPnP - Is a project to create the plans, prototype and software for a completely Open Source SMT pick and place machine that anyone can afford. This is the GUI, and the program that handles all of the feeder, camera, and general machien setup, and also the job creation and processing.
• FireSight - A high-level computer vision framework designed for Pick and Place machines, powered by OpenCV. No programming experience required - A pipeline of image operations is specified with a JSON structure. The results of the operations are returned as a JSON structure.
• FireFUSE - FireFuse is the FUSE driver for all FirePick machines. FireFuse maps all hardware input/output functions for FirePick to individual files in the /dev/firefuse virtual file system. For example, the current camera view of the FirePick camera is presented as /dev/firefuse/cam.jpg. Presenting the camera output this way simplifies and generalizes access to the camera, since "it's just a file."
• FireBOM - Similar to ThingDoc, FireBOM will auto-generate BOMs, documentation, real-time pricing and distributerer info, and keeps track of approved vendors and SMT part footprints.
• FireMOTE - A web-based frontend for OpenPnP.
• FireREST - FireREST is an open-source REST protocol for automated manufacturing. With FireREST, you can connect smart camera nodes, CNC application nodes, CNC machines and browser GUIs in a flexible, extensible manufacturing network. For the non-web gurus, this basically allows us to use raw http as a protocol between various systems in a robotics manufacturing network.
• Arduino - Needs no introduction :) We will be designing an Arduino-compatible motion controller with modified RepRap Marlin firmware.
• Raspberry Pi - Not 100% open-source, but their heart is in the right place. We plan on using the new Raspberry PI Compute Module, and the Raspberry Pi camera, to run OpenPnP and the other bits of software.
• OpenCV - is a library of programming functions mainly aimed at real-time computer vision. Written in optimized C/C++. Thankfully, a lot of work has been done to get it working on the Raspberry Pi.
• Linux - Too many crappy Pick and Place machines, only running on Teh Windows :-(
• RepRap - An initiative to develop a self-replicating 3D printer.
• Marlin firmware - The RepRap firmware is a mashup between Sprinter,grbl and many original parts. It runs on an Arduino and handles the very timing-sensitive job of sending STEP and DIRECTION signals to the stepper motor drivers, controls temperature and extrusion. We'll be modifying it to double as a Pick and Place motion controller.
• Greg's Wade Reloaded Extruder - Bulletproof extruder design
• RAMPS v1.4 - Our custom board will be roughly based off the Ramps, but with the added stuff necessary for pick and place.
• StepStick - Allegro A4988 16x microstepping motor driver
• Slic3r - The world's best slicing program for 3d printing
• Printrun - Pure Python 3d printing host software

COMPONENT SIZE / PLACEMENT ACCURACY

(Note many of these are not practical to place, until we get our feeders and vision 100% working)

• Passives down to 0402

• Diodes: SMC, SMB, SMA, SOD128, SOD80, SOD323, MicroMELF

• SOT-23

• QFN, DFN, QFP, SOIC, TSOP, BGA to ~0.4mm pitch

• SOT23-3, SOT23-5, SOT23-6, SOT223, SOT89, SC70, DPAK, D2PAK

• IC's and large/wide components to ~50mm wide

• Aluminum capacitors and tall components <= 15mm H

MODULAR AUTO/RAPID TOOL CHANGING SYSTEM

• Holds up to four (4) tools in the machine at the same time

• System will recognize tools upon insertion. EEPROM in each tool keeps track of SMT nozzle size, and 3D printing parameters like thermistor tables, etc.

• Tools are hot swappable

• Average cost of materials per modular tool: $10 - $500, depending on tool.

• Current tools offered: SMT vacuum nozzle, solder paste dispense, 3D Print hotend.

• Future tools offered: Professional shot-meter style fluid dispense system for scientific laboratory or solder paste / glue dispense.Pen plotter, laser sensitizer (not big enough to cut stuff with), pogo-pin based flying-probe (for voltage testing, etc), Atmel AVR flying-probe programer. Hot air rework station for minor rework. Note that we intend for other members of the open-source community to help us bring these tools into existence, as the need arises.

• MODULAR SMT COMPONENT FEEDER SYSTEM

• ESD-safe via conductive ABS plastic 3D printing filament.

• Average cost of materials per feeder: $5-10

• Auto-recognized by OpenPnP via QR code labels affixed to feeders

• Tape feeders: 8mm, 12mm, 16mm, 24mm, 32mm, 44mm. Drag-feed with (and without) cover-tape winding, and full-auto advancing version for 8mm

• Tray feeders: Non-JEDEC. Holds a few small loose parts. Supports pause/reload prompts.

• Tube feeders: NOTE: We've not started these yet, but see them as minimum risk. We started the tape parts first, since they're more desirable. Will have a vibratory source (DC motor w/counterweight). Will be easy to customize and print custom tube feeders for weird non-standard chokes and coils, etc.

Here is a video of FirePick in action and the main components:




FirePick homepage:

http://delta.firepick.org/

Project homepage on hackaday.io:

http://hackaday.io/project/963-300-pick-and-place-3d-printer

FirePick GitHub repository: https://github.com/firepick1/

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IcePick Delta 3d printer made with no linear rods or bearings

IcePick Delta 3d printer is a design without linear rods or bearings and with sturdy wooden frame. This approach lowers the total price and makes the machine parts more locally sourcable.
The project is developed by TTN and Matt Kimball and is still in intensive development stage.

From project description:

Icepick Delta is a open source 3d printer that was inspired by the Firepick Delta. The project aim is to build a 3d printer with no linear rods or linear bearings. I wanted a delta 3d printer, but was put off by linear rail and rod prices.

When the project started, the Firepick Delta files had not been released yet (they're on github now). The icepick is based on the Firepick Delta, but designed from the ground up.

The repapiness of this design is very high, leading to a smaller number of parts required, in turn lowering cost.

The build height looks to be about 160mm at the moment at a diameter of 200mm. Currently, printing speeds and acceleration have to stay low to avoid backlash. Another option to be explored is braided fishing line.

At the moment, the firmware is functional, but when going outside a certain radius (reachable points), it will decide to home that particular arm. Upper arm homing angle firmware needs some work.
The target printable area will be at least the standard 200mm cube.

More information and filess related to this project are at:

https://hackaday.io/project/1565-icepick-delta

https://github.com/Laura3/IcePick-Delta

FirePick project:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/12/firepick-delta-open-source-diy-pick-and.html

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FLX.ARM.S16 multitool low cost SCARA robot that can 3d print

FLX.ARM.S16 is industrial grade multitool SCARA motion robot that can 3d print, cnc mill, pick - place, dispense and probe.
This machine is industrial or laboratory grade tool priced at some 2000 USD which is in range of current DIY 3d printers. Similar tools at that market segment sell in 10-40 000 USD range. One can conclude that the quality is increasing, prices ar decreasing and more high-end equipment makers are going down into "prosumer" segment. This is also a part of digital fabrication and distributed manufacturing  trend where in near future you could see small robotic manufacturing cells in garages and micro companies.
It is made by Flux Integration LLC from Biddeford, Maine, USA.

Technical specifications:

• Motion Control and Simulation: FLX.IDE
• Motion Control Hardware Interface: FLX.CTL
• Connectivity: Ethernet
• Power: 100-120 VAC - 6 A 50/60 Hz or 200-240 VAC - 3 A 50/60 Hz
• Motors: Hybrid Stepper
• Reach: 16" [406.40 mm]
• Shoulder Joint Range: +/- 180 degrees
• Elbow Joint Range: +/- 155 degrees
• Angular Speed: 360 degrees/s (1)
• Linear Speed: ~ 3 ft/s [1 m/s] (1)
• Repeatability: 0.001" [0.025 mm] (1)
• Payload: 10 lbs [4.50 kg]
• Material: Aluminum - Stainless Steel - UMHW - ABS
• Weight: 15 lbs [6.80 kg]
• Environmental IP50 Rating

http://www.fluxintegration.com/pages/flx-arm#specs

FLX.ARM.S16 robot

FLX.ARM.S16 replaceable tool heads

Update:

Flux Integration has just successfully crowd-funded the low-cost version: the FLX.ARM.S16.Z8. They raised $82,905 out of $50,000 goal. I'm not sure what are the differences between models if any exist.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/535786699/flxarm-low-cost-precision-robotic-arm




Here are the technical specifications:

Here is the work area compared to other commercially available 3d printers:

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ZeGo delta robot with multiple tool heads

ZeGo is multifunctional delta configuration robot with multiple tool heads. It is much more then just a 3d printer. All tools can be easily replaced via magnetic joint attachments. This delta and other hybrid multitool machines are step closer towards desktop production cell. It would be interesting feature if several machines of this type could be linked and connected with some sort of transport platform. Small robotic factory on a table ...

ZeGo can use following tools:

• Plotter – An automatic drawing device used on paper or LCD sketchpads.
• 3D Printer Extruder – Prints using a fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique, and PLA plastic filament heated at 185 degrees C.
• Wood Burner – Hot end device for burning designs into various materials
• Pick&Place – Entry level pick/place machine with forth access availability
• Engraver/PCB Mill – for engraving PCB prototypes.

Company homepage:

http://zegorobotics.com/

Here is the Indiegogo campaign preview:

https://www.indiegogo.com/project/preview/7a5bfc63#home

It will be on Indigogo very soon.

ZeGo delta robot

Plotter 

Wood burner

Engraver / PCB mill

Pick and place attachment 

3d printing extruder

Things printed on ZeGo

Similar machines are:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/01/mtm-multifab-multitool-desktop.html

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/09/zmorph-personal-fabricator-3d-printer.html

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