Blundell Blog

A new iPulse M6ex assembly machine for PCB surface mount component placement has been ordered by Leicestershire based customer information display manufacturer Infotec Ltd.  

The M6ex has recently launched by i-Pulse to replace the mid range M4 machine which has been very popular in the UK over the past couple of years. Infotec’s machine has an IPC placement speed of up to 12,500 components per hour for 0603 chips and will assemble QFP’s at the rate of 3,700 per hour.

Infotec is the UK’s market leader in the design and manufacture of electronic displays to the transport industry. and has just completed work on a customer information system for the channel tunnel high speed rail link in Kent. The installation comes in advance of the 2012 Olympics when the line will be a key transport link for visitors to the Games.

For more information on the iPulse M6 please contact Nick Clarke on 07786 150864 or email us at sales@blundell.co.uk

Hampshire based Intercole Sub Contract Services has placed an order with Blundell Production Equipment  for two Fritsch PA510 surface mount pick and place machines.

The decision to purchase Fritsch machines was taken after extensive trials of the Fritsch system at Intercole’s factory.The machines feature optical centering, a CAD converter for easy offline programming. 

Fritsch have always been well known for their manual and semi automatic SMT equipment but with UK support from Blundell, they are fast becoming one of the leading names in small footprint high accuracy automatic pick and place machines. The Intercole order is an important milestone in expanding the UK user base.

For more information contact Paul or Neil Blundell on 02476 210270 or email us at sales@blundell.co.uk

The new iPulse M6 smt mounting centre is the latest development which moves iPulse even further ahead of the competition in the mid volume high precision surface mount placement market.

Now in its 10^th year since being bought by the Yamaha Motor Group, iPulse is powering ahead its development development program, and the M6 is the product of continuous evolution of the high precision manufacturer’s range.

In the knowledge that they are fully backed up by Blundells’ well trained and qualified engineers, more and more UK electronics assemblers are turning to a placement machine solution from iPulse.

Unique on-the-fly scanning technology combines with unbeatable build quality to provide a placement solution that is ultra-reliable and durable for the long term in the most demanding of production situations.

For more information call us on 02476 210270 or email sales@blundell.co.uk

Seaward Electronics has ordered a second i-Pulse pick and place machine to boost the surface mount assembly line at their Peterlee manufacturing facility. This time they have ordered an iPulse M4 cost effective chip mounting machine with on-the-fly vision centering. Their other machine is an iPulse M1 which has been in daily use since 2002.

Seaward are a leading manufacturer of PAT Testing instruments. The new machine is being installed in mid March.

For further information contact Paul or Neil Blundell on 02476 210270.

Essemtech pick and place machines have had a good run of popularity over the past couple of years but they now have stiff competition from Fritsch of Germany.

The Fritsch PA510 and PA600 automatic SMT placement machines are gaining ground rapidly, and have the added advantage of stable UK representation through Blundell Production Equipment.  

The PA510, which is the most sought after model in the range is available with either laser or optical vision centering, intelligent feeders as standard (it will hold up to 200 different component types at one time), very easy programming via teach-in or CAD converter, automatic kitting control and flexible variant assembly.

Anyone considering an Essemtech system should also look closely at the Fritsch alternative. Blundell are currently offering a 2 year warranty as standard on Fritsch machines.

For more information contact us on 02476 210270 or visit our website www.blundell.co.uk

The much anticipated new M8 slimline SMT placement machine is now available, and a demo machine will soon be installed in our Coventry showroom. The M8 is designed to provide maximum pick and place flexibility and maximum productivity per square metre of floor space. The unique design places up to 19,000 components per hour (IPC rating) within a 1 metre wide cabinet.

New manufacturing support software - known as ‘I-Plan’ is incorporated into the M8. This has been designed by iPulse in conjunction with Valor, who are a market leader in this field. I-Plan is a very powerful CAM tool which will provide iPulse users with fast, accurate information and data processing for CAD translation, optimisation, vision data creation and setting up programs to run on the M8 and other iPulse machines. 

The new iPulse M8 is a compact high speed SMD mounter for assembly of surface mounted PCB’s. Its small footprint and low floorspace requirement are going to be a big selling point. It provides the user with an unusually high placement rate considering its compact size. The 8 nozzle head version will place up to 26,000 components per hour. The M8 utilises a synchronised board and head movement system which reduces head travel to a minimum by presenting the board in an optimised location for placement efficiency. It has a feeder capacity of up to 80 x 8mmm tape reels or stick feeders.

The iPulse M8 will be running on the Blundell stand (D90) at National Electronics Week, Earls Court, London from 17th to 19th June. If you are reading this after the show, more information can be obtained by calling UK distributor Blundell Production Equipment on 0845 872 4975 or email us at sales@blundell.co.uk

NEW PRODUCT - JUST LAUNCHED: the iPulse M8 high speed SMT component mounter is designed to address the increasing demand for maximising placement efficiency from limited factory floor space. The M8 has a slim 1 metre wide frame, whilst maintaining a high feeder count of 80 x 8mm feeder positions. What is more, it can achieve a placement rate of up to 26,000 components per hour.

The M8 uses a synchronised board and head motion system which reduces head travel by presenting the PCB in an optimised location for placement efficiency. It can be used as a stand alone machine or as part of a multi module line, or it can be added to an existing iPulse placement line to boost assembly speeds and productivity.

Another key feature of the M8 is the fast changeover carts for both tape and tray fed components. A complete kit of parts can be changed extremely quickly allowing the user to benefit from minimal downtime between batch runs of different PCB types.

For more information call Nick Clarke our SMT placement specialist on 02392 791044 or 07786 150864 or email him nclarke571@aol.com.  

The M8 will be demonstrated at National Electronics Week in June on the Blundell stand.

Many electronics companies assemble prototype PCB’s or batches of one or two circuit boards. It makes no sense to program an automatic placement machine to do this kind of work. Fritsch SMT of Germany have long been producing manual and semi automatic surface mount assembly systems. They were one of the first to be involved in this specialised field in the early 1980’s. Now Blundell Production Equipment is the sole UK distributor for the Fritsch range of manual SMT workstations. The systems are modular, so you can start with a basic system and progress to a more automated station which guides the operator to the placement position. Components can be fed in tapes or bulk fed in bins, tubes or waffle trays. The ideal component assembly solution for small production runs, prototypes or one-offs. See our Website www.blundell.co.uk or www.fritsch-smt.com.