Feb 13, 2013 
Europlacer, a manufacturer of market-leading flexible SMT placement machines, will exhibit in booth #901 at the upcoming IPC APEX EXPO, scheduled to take place February 19-21, 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in California.
Europlacer will exhibit the new iico for the first time at the show. To build an iico, Europlacer recycles the EP600 and Progress6 systems into an entry-level machine that meets the latest electronic production needs. iico is compatible with other machines in the Europlacer range and is built to the Europlacer standard. This “green” product starts with the pre-owned EP600 or Progress6. Europlacer exchanges all critical mechanical parts and installs new encoders on the X and Y axis to improve accuracy, and the nozzles are changed for “smart” nozzles with a new magazine. The complete head is changed and fit with an 8-position turret head with optical sensors and high-resolution digital cameras. Additionally, the system gets a new cover with a flat screen and control panel. Finally the PC is exchanged for a new one that features the latest machine software.
Also on display, ii-Feed is based on the strengths of Europlacer’s proven concept of a cart plus elements but incorporates key aspects of its individual feeder technology, merging the best of both technologies. The ii-Feed Cart has a capacity up to 33 separate component channels and accepts any mix of 8, 12, 16 or 24 mm smart ii-Feed Elements.
Europlacer also will demo its award-winning iineo II and XPii-II SMT pick-and-place platforms. With the pick-and-place machines in an in-line-configuration, Europlacer will demonstrate how the iineo II and XPii-II work together to offer a highly flexible, 60,000 CPH solution to meet growing customer demand for greater productivity, without typical [competitor] compromises.
Widely configurable for numerous requirements, the Europlacer iineo II offers the industry’s largest board size (24” W x 63”L) under ‘one roof’, along with expansive feeder capacity up to 264 x 8 mm + trays. With 2 placement heads, 24 nozzles, huge component range and enough capacity for a broad range of presentation media including tape and reel, trays, tubes, cut tapes and POP, the iineo II can be employed to achieve optimal production efficiency on complex boards with ease.
The XPii-II is a smaller footprint, high speed, pick-and-place machine incorporating the same technologies as the larger footprint iineo platform. Intelligent trolleys and feeders, powerful software, high-resolution digital cameras and placement heads with advanced on-head optical component sensing are all shared and portable between both platforms.
When added in front of the iineo II, the XPii-II effectively doubles production line capacity without doubling required floor space and, as both machines have identical placement capability, dynamic program splitting ensures the combination is perfectly balanced. Each machine fully provides for tape and reel, matrix tray elevator and/or internal tray holder, tubes, cut tapes, waffle packs and POP fluxing.
For more information about Europlacer’s newest solutions, visit www.europlacer.com.
Europlacer has been developing machines for SMT electronics assembly since the 1970s and invented the intelligent feeder concept in the 1980s. After acquisition by Blakell Europlacer in 1991, the company moved away from split-axis to the inherently more capable X-Y architecture that underpins the company’s pick-and-place machines today. Europlacer’s policy has been to ensure wherever possible that technology purchased many years ago, especially feeders, remain compatible with the latest pick-and-place equipment. Europlacer designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of highly flexible SMT pick-and-place systems for the global electronics industry. For more information, visit Europlacer’s Web site at www.europlacer.com.
