Nozzle Manufacturer: What Are the Causes of Poor Component Pickup by Pick-and-Place Machine Nozzles?

During the process where components are picked from packaging tapes by high-speed moving placement heads and mounted onto printed circuit boards (PCBs), poor pickup failures such as failure to pick up components or component drop-off after pickup may occur. These failures can result in significant component wastage. Based on years of experience from nozzle manufacturers, poor component pickup is typically caused by the following factors:

1. Insufficient Vacuum Pressure

When the nozzle picks up a component, a certain negative pressure is generated at the nozzle to adsorb the component. Negative pressure detection is generally used to determine abnormal pickup: the machine recognizes normal pickup if the detected value of the negative pressure sensor falls within a specified range; otherwise, it is deemed a pickup failure. A vacuum pressure of over 53.33 kPa is required during component pickup to ensure sufficient suction. For insufficient vacuum pressure, regularly check the vacuum system, clean nozzles periodically, and inspect the contamination of vacuum filter elements on each placement head (which filter the air supply to the nozzle). Replace blackened or contaminated filter elements to maintain unobstructed air flow.

2. Influence of Feeders

Poor feeder feeding performance (such as damaged feeder gears), incorrect alignment of tape holes with feeder gears, foreign objects under the feeder, worn snap rings, or deformation/rust of tape pressure covers, springs, and other moving mechanisms can cause component misalignment, standing, or pickup failure. Conduct regular inspections and address issues promptly to avoid excessive component waste.

3. Nozzle Wear and Tear

Nozzle wear, deformation, clogging, or damage leads to insufficient air pressure, resulting in failure to pick up components. Regularly inspect the wear level of nozzles and replace severely worn ones promptly.

4. Impact of Pickup Height

The optimal pickup height is for the pick-and-place machine nozzle to press 0.05 mm downward after contacting the component surface. Excessive pressing depth may push the component into the tape pocket, resulting in pickup failure. If a component has poor pickup performance, appropriately adjust the pickup height upward (e.g., by 0.05 mm). In practical work, the author encountered poor pickup of all components on a specific feeder; the solution was to slightly increase the pickup height parameter of that feeder in the system.

5. Incoming Material Issues

Quality problems in chip component packaging produced by some manufacturers—such as large pitch errors of sprocket holes, excessive adhesion between paper tape and plastic film, or undersized pockets—may cause pickup failure.