Skip to main content

2.2 Program Creation & Tuning

CAD

A import,pick-and-place visionmachine teaching,is rotationonly sanityas checks,good and feeder optimization—soas the mounterprogram runsthat fastdrives andit. right.


Pick-and-place programming starts long beforeFrom the first board runs—it begins with clean, consistentmoment CAD data andis aimported, rock-solidevery partdecision—how library.rotations Gettingare units,defined, origins,how rotations,vision is taught, how feeders are laid out—shapes whether the line runs smoothly or stumbles into delays. Good programming turns chaos into consistency: machines recognize parts instantly, nozzles travel efficiently, and heightsoperators right at import prevents the “+90°” firefights that waste setup time. Vision teaching should be simple and repeatable, with clear pin-1s, good pick points, and golden images so every operator seessee the same “good.”truth” Feedershift layoutsafter canshift. makeWith ordisciplined break throughput—permanent banks for high-runner passives, shortest travel paths for busy nozzles,setup and splice-friendlyverification, positionsprograms for long runs. Sequencing partstransform from densefragile chipone-offs fieldsinto tostable, tallreusable odd-formsassets keepsthat thesustain headboth moving efficiently,speed and a quick, disciplined First Article catches orientation or pickup issues before they hit volume. When each step is locked and documented, programs become plug-and-play assets—fast to load, predictable to run, and ready to reuse without surprises.

quality.

2.2.1 Start with clean inputs (CAD/centroid → program)

Before you place a single part, make the data boring and consistent:

What you import (and freeze):

  • Units & origin: mm, one origin for top and bottom, and θ defined CCW.
  • Side & rotation: explicit “Top/Bottom” per refdes, rotation as seen from top view (bottom side mirrored in software).
  • Package names & heights: match your PnP library names and Z-heights—no one-off aliases.
  • Polarity/pin-1 & fiducials: match the assembly drawing, with global + local fiducials listed.

Put these rules in the Golden Data Pack so every line loads the same truth.

Quick tell: if your first import needs bulk “+90°” fixes, your rotation convention isn’t aligned—fix the library, not the program.



2.2.2 Vision teaching (make recognition effortless)

Build libraries that the camera can’t misread:

  • Clear features: use packages with obvious pin-1/polarity and body edges (your land-patterns and silks did this back in 3.2–3.3). Teach one good part per package, then lock it.
  • Nozzle/pick point: center on flat, repeatable surfaces; avoid embossed logos or domes.
  • Lighting/algorithms: pick the simplest algorithm that passes—fast beats fancy when it’s stable.
  • Golden images: keep a small photo set per package so night shift can compare “good vs weird” quickly.



2.2.3 Rotation sanity (catch 0/90/180/270° traps early)

Do a rotation audit before the first panel:

  • Build a one-page rotation table per package family (what “0°” looks like on top, and how bottom is mirrored).
  • Dry-run placement on screen and print a “rotation heat-map” (count of 0/90/180/270). Spikes at 90/270 on parts that “should be 0°” = library drift.
  • On the bench, check pin-1/A1 for BGAs/QFNs and polarity for diodes/LEDs on your First Article routine (see 8.5).



2.2.4 Feeder optimization (travel less, place more)

Your program is only as fast as its feeder map:

  • Permanent banks: park high-runner passives (e.g., 01005–0603) in fixed slots across products so changeovers don’t touch them.
  • Shortest paths: place the highest-hit parts from feeders closest to the head’s home; cluster by nozzle family to cut swaps.
  • Splice-friendly lanes: assign high-runner reels to feeders you can splice in place; avoid starving the constraint machine. (More in 8.3.)
  • Tray parts last: big BGAs/QFNs from trays cost time—sequence them after chip storms so the head isn’t jogging across the world mid-run.



2.2.5 Path & sequencing (seconds live here)

  • Zones, then details: place dense chip fields first (short head moves), then ICs, then tall/odd-form last.
  • Side strategy: if you run tandem mounters, split by effort (chips vs ICs) so cycle times match within ~10%—otherwise one machine idles. (8.1 covers load-leveling.)



2.2.6 First Article steps (prove the program, then freeze)

Run a quick, scripted FA on the first panel:

  1. Teach three fiducials; confirm X/Y/θ.
  2. Place witness parts for each package family near a board edge; check orientation/polarity, heights, offsets under the scope.
  3. Review pickup logs (miss/retry rates) and tweak vision/nozzle for the worst offender.
  4. Save the recipe and generate the Golden Board photo set for this rev (used again in 8.5).



2.2.7 Metrics to watch (keep tuning small)

  • Placement time per board (ex-travel) and CPH vs spec
  • Pickup misses / vision retries by part family
  • Nozzle swaps per board (aim low—group parts by nozzle size)
  • Starvation events (count of “no part” waits; splice earlier if rising)

Tie these to your OEE dashboard later so planners see the real constraint, not guesses.



2.2.8 Pocket checklists

Before import

  • Units mm, shared origin, θ CCW; top/bottom flagged
  • Library names/heights match; fiducials listed

Vision & rotation

  • One taught part per package; golden images saved
  • Rotation table built; bottom-side mirroring verified

Feeders & sequence

  • High-runners on permanent banks; splice-friendly lanes set
  • Chips first, trays last; tandem programs balanced (±10%)

First Article

  • Fiducials OK; witness parts pass orientation/polarity/height/offset
  • Logs clean (miss/retry); recipe frozen; Golden Board captured



Bottom

By line:standardizing cleaninputs, CADtuning in, teach vision once, sanity-check rotations, and maprotations, feedersand sooptimizing thefeeders, headplacement barelyprograms travels.become Thenpredictable provetools itinstead of firefights. The payoff is faster startups, fewer errors, and lines that run at speed with aminimal short First Article and freeze the recipe. Do that, and programs stop being adventures—they become reusable, fast, and quiet.  

intervention.


Back to top