picky, picky, picky

So, it occurred to me, watching videos of people hand placing smt devices with tweezers, that I might get the shitz up with the fiddling AND my eyes are not what they were. Still for very small jobs I have a USB microscope for the laptop.

So, I thought about a small pnp machine BUT did I want an automated one?

I thought about it and settled on a manual one by lorinczroby, which looks like this:

It will turn out relative expensive, but its probably the best complete DIY system I have come across. I have already ordered the aluminium extrusions and corners at AUD$117. All up around AUD$400. Scary because its got not electronics past those for managing the pneumatics – that is, no cnc. Prices on Aliexpress are also not what they were, though they still beat local prices.

I am also swapping from OSHPark to PCBWay, as the prototype prices at PCBWay are ridiculously low.

For example, when toying with the idea of the automated index pnp, by Stephen Hawes (great project by the way) , and using a version of the feeder thus:

Ignoring postage, OSHPark wants you to pay USD$81.40 (AUD$104.33 at time of writing) for 3 boards, or AUD$34.78 a board.

PCBWay seems to want you to pay USD$41 (AUD$52.55 at time of writing) for 5 boards, or AUD$10.51 a board.

If it helps, 5 boards from OSHPark would go for USD$135.68 (AUD$173.30 at time of writing … WHAT!).

Though, whether PCBWay picks up on the shape and charges extra I guess is something I would need to discover. Noting, it wasn’t apparent from Stephen’s descriptions. Note also the pcb based index well turns up machined to shape, round, spoked and with teeth!

I also thought that I might try selling off the excess to see how I go about my little projects paying their own way – so I am buying enough parts to build all ten (5x zapta and 5x Pivovarsky).

So, FYI, the zapta paste dispenser controller board is:

So USD$5 for 5 at PCBWay. Same board USD$9.30 for 3 at OSHPark.

Ignoring postage, USD$1.00 per board at PCBWay. USD$3.10 per board at OSHPark (or USD$15.50 for 5 boards). The same 3x factor.

Mind you, it seems once you move into 4 layers the prices may be more comparable.

To test out PCBWay I ordered 5 boards for the solder paste dispenser by zapta. It was USD$5 and change for 5 boards. I also ordered 5 boards for the solder paste dispenser of Pivovarsky. Why? Well wasn’t sure which one I would prefer, but it turns out the two both make sense as zapta’s paste dispenser is for insertion into a manual PnP system (especially the manual PnP system of lorinczroby) and Pivovarsky’s dispenser is literally for using by hand.