Looking for an economical XY (well and Z) solution that is not for the normal use

[Muzzer]

The basic professional P&P machines position the placement head above the pads on the board, using the info from the manufacturing files. That's one of the most useful functions you need here. The next stage is presenting the correct component for placement, either by operating a carousel and/or compartmented tray or tape and reel dispenser and moving the head there. Then the ability to pick up and orientate the part, using a sucker and a (manually) rotating head. Even if you have loose parts in a tray and have to turn them the right way up, this can be a big bonus.

If you can get those elements covered, you have a pretty useful system. It will help you to select the right component and place it in the right location in the right orientation. Determining the correct component and its required position from the manufacturing files would likely be one of your main challenges.

Incidentally, I have a rather nice (professional) solder mask printing frame I want to sell on (don't recall the correct description). I keep planning to get it on ebay but it never seems to happen. If you are interested, I could send some pics.

[SparkyLabs]

The basic professional P&P machines position the placement head above the pads on the board, using the info from the manufacturing files. That's one of the most useful functions you need here. The next stage is presenting the correct component for placement, either by operating a carousel and/or compartmented tray or tape and reel dispenser and moving the head there. Then the ability to pick up and orientate the part, using a sucker and a (manually) rotating head. Even if you have loose parts in a tray and have to turn them the right way up, this can be a big bonus.

If you can get those elements covered, you have a pretty useful system. It will help you to select the right component and place it in the right location in the right orientation. Determining the correct component and its required position from the manufacturing files would likely be one of your main challenges.

Incidentally, I have a rather nice (professional) solder mask printing frame I want to sell on (don't recall the correct description). I keep planning to get it on ebay but it never seems to happen. If you are interested, I could send some pics.

Hi Muzzer

Yes you are correct and I should also be able to rotate part placement. So long as the parts are always the same way around and the XY of the PCB relative to the parts or the bed is known then the rotation information in the position file will allow that to be automated but again with manual confirmation I can have a button that rotates parts 90 degrees if the are wrong before placement confirmation because as they are all passives with no polarity that is very quick to correct for and of course I could just do +90, -90 and 180.

Yes by all means send me some pictures of your "stencil printer". I have just bought an SD-240 for frameless stencils that makes life easier although the 175*90 PCB was a struggle and did not come out so well. I am always trying to get my cheapskate employer to buy me more gear so maybe they will be interested and hopefully it's compatible with what I have. I am currently working at home which makes assembling boards a lot easier as I have my own equipment which is more than they have and more importantly my lab is a large bedroom not a shaky shipping container (I have already binned an item worth £300 just because someone walked across the floor and everything shook so badly that the culmination of a difficult attempt to solder a missing part to board that was very difficult to get up to temperature ended in failure and i could not be arsed to have another go or risk damaging it anyway with a second reheating attempt).

[Doddy]

Incidentally, I have a rather nice (professional) solder mask printing frame I want to sell on (don't recall the correct description). I keep planning to get it on ebay but it never seems to happen. If you are interested, I could send some pics.

Not a Blundell unit, by any chance?

I was in dialogue with someone in you neck of the woods a couple of months back about (me) getting rid of a reflow oven (then I talked myself out of it)... not you by any chance?

[SparkyLabs]

Not a Blundell unit, by any chance?

I was in dialogue with someone in you neck of the woods a couple of months back about (me) getting rid of a reflow oven (then I talked myself out of it)... not you by any chance?

My SD-240 was from Blundell yes although they are made in the Netherlands and shipped through Blundell, people sell the same unit under different names. No it was not me you were talking to about the oven, I'm sorted there for now.