EasyPnPFeeder: An easy to use feeder for your pick and place machine

This PnP feeder is perfect for the Lumen pick and place machine by Opulo. But you can use it on many other machines. Why? Because there is no need for any communication with the software (OpenPnP or any other), because it is entirely automatic: When the machine picks a part, the nozzle is detected, and then the tape is automatically advanced. All you need to do if you’re using OpenPnP is to declare it as a ReferenceAutoFeeder, and to set the pick location. And you’re done!

The power is supplied through a power rail that sits at the bottom of the 2020 rail.

There’s a removable tape holder with a guide at the bottom, to direct the used tape back, avoiding any collision with material under the machine.

The peeling of the film makes use of a metal blade and a folding path, so it’s opened on one side and folded to the other side, uncovering the pockets.

There are two buttons at the rear of the body, to move forward/backward and an upper window above the sprocket wheel, to check the correct engaging of the tape during the installation of the reel.

There is a bi-color LED to see if the feeder operates well: at startup, it turns red, then green, then off, and in operation, it turns red when the nozzle is detected, and green when the nozzle leaves and the motor is moving the tape. If it stays red, this indicates a jam occurred and the motor had to stop.

All the internal mechanism is made of metal parts. The enclosure and the reel holder are 3D printed with PETG filament.

The feeder thickness is 16mm.

The supported tapes are 8mm paper tapes of any thickness (even thick capacitor tapes), and also clear and black plastic tapes, also known as embossed tapes.

The supported parts sizes are (imperial) 0603 and 0805. The peeling system cannot handle 1206, because the film folding is not enough to clear the entire pocket. But if you pull the film just before the peeling section and you route it above the reel and then attach a weight to it, you may use 1206. SOT23 for parts like transistors is supported.

You can buy the feeder as a complete product, assembled and tested, or as a kit without the 3D printed parts, that you have to print yourself.