Poka yoka tool for assembly of chip capacitors and resistros

They key requirement before any fancy tools is careful storage, stock control, labeling and handling. If your parts are incorrect before they even get to production, you're screwed. As gregp suggests, to get consistently correct value and orientation of THT components you ideally need a tool like his that you kit with parts carefully and it guides you to the correct place with a laser. http://www.robotas.com/mascot/ is a similar system perhaps using a slightly simpler/cheaper concept IIRC the Versatec system automates quite a lot of the process whereas the Mascot guides the user. http://www.compuphase.com/visualplace/visualplace_en.htm this site offers some free software and some ideas for a DIY system using a webcam connected to that software. For surface mount, if you are building manually you could use a machine like http://www.fritsch-smt.de/en/products/manual-placement/sm902/ this guides you to the location of each part. For fully automated placement, on most surface mount machines, you can add a component verification unit that measures the values of components to verify what you told it was loaded is correct or additionally maintain strict tolerances. I think I would expect such a device to be $15k + labour to be retrofitted. The most sensible thing to do here however is make sure all your parts are correctly labelled, and double check your machine loadout before running a job. Typically this is done using a barcode scanner ( you scan the part label and the lane it is loaded in), these features are often optional extras. Surface mount machines with intelligent feeders can also help, this removes the potential for inserting an incorrect "dumb feeder" in the wrong slot.

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