Essemtec AG, a leading manufacturer of surface mount technology production equipment, announces a software upgrade for its existing CLM/FLX-Series placement systems that results in more power.

The new EASYPLACER 7.2 software package enhances the application range of Essemtec’s FLX pick-and-place series. It increases line productivity and expands the range of components. Standard on all FLX-Series deliveries after February 1, 2008, the software package includes: EASYPLACER version 7.2.0.0, BOX version 7.5.0.0, LIB version 7.2.0.0 and optional CAD version 7.2.0.0.

EASYPLACER 7.2.0.0 includes job function, lifetime counter that displays the total time of usage, production time counter that displays the placement time of the current production (manual reset by user), selectable speed or accuracy optimization, 01005 placement with special nozzle, warning message if a local fiducial mark is not found with the possibility to teach in manually (CLMFID option), and more precise placement of MFOV components (CLMVIS4 option).

BOX 7.5.0.0 includes an expanded job function: The current feeder allocation of all feeders can be saved as a job and reloaded if necessary, allowing users to always use the same feeder allocation for a particular production. This saves time due to the missing redefinition. Users can generate as many jobs as desired and/or generate a new job from an existing job, e.g. for similar productions. This package also includes a new dialog to define or edit feeders, only components with the appropriate tape width can be added to a feeder position, only components that are applicable to the selected feeder position are shown, dummies will be placed automatically into empty feeder positions while the already added components stay on the defined position, and feeder allocation will be saved automatically. Additionally, the lists of the definitions, including the current feeder allocation, can be saved in a .txt file and printed. BOX 7.5.0.0 also includes a FLX-BAR-2 option: Easy feeder setup by scanning the bar code of the component and on the feeder slot, minimum 5 times faster setup than manual, ensures setup reliability, direct component setup to a specific feeder slot of a cassette by scanning the according slot code, and barcodes can be directly printed if the barcode printer (FLX-PRI) is connected.

LIB 7.2.0.0 includes corner marking of palettes, selectable speed or accuracy optimization for each component, free definable rotation speed of a-axis for each component, vacuum activation at pick position, and definable vision window angle for each component in advanced setting (CLMVIS4 option).