Essemtec AG, a leading manufacturer of surface mount technology production equipment, introduces SP200-AV2, a new model of its automated stencil printer SP200. The printer is an advanced version of the previous generation system and offers increased robustness, precision and ease of use.

The new feature of the improved SP200-AV2 is Trans-Stencil-Vision that allows for faster set up and changeover procedures and provides higher accuracy than other vision solutions. Additionally, there is a theft-proof laptop mounted in the new model AV2 instead of the typical industrial PC to help reduce the weight and to provide an additional safety feature. The new system software now runs under Windows XP and, therefore, can be integrated easily into any company-wide net.

The upper part of the machine frame, which contains vision cameras, the print head and the stencil-frame guide, has been designed for more robustness and with increased operator comfort. Until now, the squeegee had to be removed for a stencil change; however, with the new printer that is no longer necessary.

The vision cameras are mounted in such a way that they can look directly through the stencil apertures down to the PCB. The software of the vision system is able to differentiate between pad and substrate geometries and automatically adjusts the PCB accordingly. The Trans-Stencil-Vision feature provides SP200-AV2 with higher levels of speed, accuracy and reliability than other printers with a PCB shuttle mechanism due to the direct PCB adjustment in the final position and immediate printing readiness without any further PCB movements.

The vision system features new cameras with even higher resolution and integrated LED-based lighting, allowing it to operate more precisely and faster than in the SP200. The cameras are now mounted using quick fix, spring-operated clamps. Integrated rulers help to easily memorize the individual camera position. Therefore, the time needed for set up or changeover is reduced significantly.

The newly designed print head comes standard with a continually operating squeegee-pressure control, similar to the SP200. This ensures constant contact pressure over the entire print movement and, for example, automatically accommodates for small steps at the PCB edges. This is the reason why SP200-AV2 can print so close to edges. Metal and synthetic squeegee blades can be used, and the printing movement is programmable for forward and backward actions.

SP200-AV2 can be operated in highly flexible SMT assembly environments. The PCB handler is a true ergonomic solution due to the sideward moving loading drawer. The machine controls the entire printing cycle from adjustment to the parallel separation of stencil and PCB after the print stroke is finished. The printing results are precise and of high quality, and can efficiently be reproduced with small and large batches.

SP200-AV2 offers a 23" stencil frame system with a print area of 360 x 400 mm free of any license fees. The system software follows a very clear and logic concept, making machine operation self-explanatory.