Equipment selection, integration and interfacing of a robotic PCBA component rework cell

Abstract

Defects are still common in printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) technology despite all the improvements made, and rework of PCBA is inevitable and performed manually in PCBA manufacturing floors since the cost of each component and the PCB itself may be hundreds of pounds. On the contrary, a lack of international effort for the early development of fully automated rework equipment has been hindered due to high cost predictions and complex process requirements. Therefore, there is a growing need for automated rework. Since the requirement is to automate manual rework using an industrial robot, choosing appropriate hardware and suitable methods is very important to meet the economic and ultimate rework requirements. Hence, a robotic rework cell has been developed as part of a robotic assembly cell where much of the required equipment is already present to meet the economic concerns. This paper illustrates the importance of rework tool selection for a successful development. It therefore presents the required techniques and the chosen tooling. After the introduction of the tooling, integration of tools and interfacing of control equipment are presented. Finally it describes the layout of the cell and concludes with recommendations and future studies with regard to chosen tooling and automation requirements.