The VP2500D looks like a machine we could use to replace the TM240A. Do you have other users writing about their experiences? I know its a fairly new machine but hearing from other users kinda makes purchase decisions easier.
Component height of 12mm makes this a good upgrade from the TM240, not to mention the vision feature.
You mentioned you will have a 4 head system soon, not that I would need it but is it something pretty close to completion?
I have a TM240 machine that I have not used much since moving production overseas. If anyone is interested in buying please PM me. Pick up only in Southern California. I really wanted to have in house pick and place but I dont get to use it really so it's basically new.
Not sure if I can post this here, feel free to remove if inappropriate.
The white glossy polycarbonate base material for laser is also nice.
The enclosure is hammond FL 1551 series. Very easy to use as you can sandwich the PCB in between the top and bottom covers and still use the screws that come with the enclosure( just make a hole on the PCB big enough for the screw post). It has a good range of sizes to choose from. http://http://www.hammondmfg.com/dwg9FL.htm
Instead of using a second sheet for thickness I use a clear laminate to protect the print and give it a more professional finish. It is also a very cool solution for LED holes by cutting the base material but leaving the clear overlay uncut so it has a diffused look when the LED turns on. It also makes the print appear deeper/more saturated.
One tip though, when laying down the clear laminate try not to cover the registration marks, the cutter's vision will have hard time finding them.
I cut all my stencils for prototypes using my Silhouette SD, its an older machine that comes with replaceable needle caps to adjust cutting thickness. The settings I have that work perfectly (and I mean super clean cuts on kapton sheets from Mcmaster) are SPEED: 3 , THICKNESS: 14 and BLADE CAP: Yellow (middle). These are on Silhouette studio. I export dxf from diptrace, fix/adjust it on inkscape or coreldraw and open up the DXF in silhouette studio.
I also have a Cameo but have not successfully converted those settings into the newer adjustable blade that it comes with.
I think your material may be shifting while being cut and causing the slight angle. What is the thickness of the transparency film? The kapton film I use is 2 mils I think.
Here are some tips on getting it nice and clean.
1. Make sure you cutting mat is free from debris when you place your stencil sheet, I scrape it with an unused PCB to remove all of the left over cut kapton.
2. Once you placed your stencil film use another PCB or credit card to squeegee the trapped air and flatten it out. This is very important because once you have air packets in there the blade will rip closely placed cuts into one big hole.
I have not powered up mine yet and yes it is packed really good. Hopefully I dont get the same issues you experienced but nice to hear that you got it up and running.
They used to have a 1 day service ( was that them or Itead? ) and I could get the PCBs in 5 days. I always use fedex or DHL as the regular mail take about 2 to 3 weeks. I think regular processing is 5 days.
Purchasing the pick and place from the group buy has me needing one more equipment to complete the assembly. A wave solder machine for the through hole parts. Hand soldering is always an option but it can slow you down and eat up the time you saved using the PnP machine. Designing out the TH parts is out of the question.
This is a bit more complicated that I thought it would be because of power, space and fume extraction issues. I prefer to have a selective soldering instead of a regular wave solder machine so I don't need to mask when required but those are way out of my budget. Ive seen some fountain type machines that maybe I can build a motorized XY carriage to move the board around (probably not a good/feasible idea).
So what are you guys using to solder your TH parts quickly?
Thats a pretty good volume for a machine like this.
I use diptrace too and was thinking of just exporting the pick and place files and editing them in excel. Is the interface program you mentioned custom created for you or something I can acquire or create on my own?
I think Ian mentioned in his video review that you would need a password to change the menus, This was supplied to him by the manufacturer(at least you know it can be changed). I ordered mine in English so hopefully that's not going to be a problem I have to deal with.
Low volume production meaning? 20, 30 50 boards a day? Do you have the need to adjust parts into place often?
There's a close up of the board that was stuffed by the bigger TM240A machine. If you watch the video, the guy says that he needs to re-position some of the parts after placement. It isn't perfect since it has no vision but I think after a few uses and getting the hang of it, you can make it work with minor parts adjustment.
Xinort has it working well after some initial setup issues.
I cant wait to get my TM240A, hopefully by mid next week.
