How to choose a pick and place machine
The pick and place machine sets the pace and the capability of your SMT line: it picks components from feeders and places them on the paste-printed board, and its speed, accuracy, and feeder capacity decide both how fast you build and what you can build. Buy too little and it bottlenecks the line; buy far beyond your board mix and you pay for capacity you never use.
This guide translates the headline numbers, placement speed in components per hour, component range, feeder capacity, and placement accuracy, into decisions grounded in your real daily output and the parts on your boards.
What decides the choice
Placement speed (CPH)
Components per hour is the headline, but what matters is realistic throughput on your boards, not the marketing peak. Count the components on a typical board and multiply by your daily board target to size the machine. Leave headroom: a machine run permanently at its rated ceiling has no room for growth or downtime recovery.
Component range and fine-pitch accuracy
List the smallest and largest parts you place: chip sizes (0603, 0402, 0201), fine-pitch QFPs, BGAs, connectors, and odd-form parts. Placement accuracy and vision must cover your finest-pitch and smallest parts, and the nozzles and feeders must handle the physical range. The tightest part on your board sets the accuracy you must buy.
Feeder capacity and changeover
Feeder slots determine how many distinct part numbers you can stage without reloading. High-mix boards with many unique parts need more feeders; frequent product changes reward fast feeder setup. If you build many designs in small lots, feeder capacity and changeover speed matter as much as raw CPH.
Prototyping vs production
For prototyping and low volume, a compact, lower-CPH machine with flexible feeders is usually the right, cost-effective choice. For steady production, prioritise speed, feeder count, and reliability. Be honest about which you are: buying a production machine for prototyping work, or vice versa, is the most common and most expensive mismatch.
Pre-purchase checklist
- +Components per typical board, and daily board target (to size CPH)
- +Smallest and largest parts, and finest pitch (fine-pitch QFP, BGA, 0201)
- +Number of unique part numbers per board (drives feeder count)
- +Product mix: few designs at volume, or many designs in small lots
- +Feeder types you need (tape, tube, tray, odd-form)
- +Prototyping vs production as the primary use
Common mistakes
- −Sizing on peak CPH instead of realistic throughput for your actual boards.
- −Under-specifying feeder slots for a high-mix board, forcing constant reloads.
- −Missing the accuracy your finest-pitch or smallest part requires.
- −Buying a production machine for prototype work, or the reverse.
Frequently asked questions
What does a pick and place machine cost in India?
Price scales with placement speed, accuracy, and feeder capacity, from compact prototyping machines to high-throughput production systems. Share your board's component count, finest pitch, and daily volume and we will quote a machine matched to it.
What does 3,000 CPH mean for my daily output?
CPH is components placed per hour under ideal conditions. Real output is lower once you account for board changeover, feeder reloads, and vision on fine-pitch parts. Estimate realistic throughput by counting components per board and allowing headroom, rather than dividing the rated CPH straight into your target.
Can it place fine-pitch parts and BGAs?
That depends on the machine's placement accuracy and vision system. Match these to the finest pitch and smallest part on your boards. If you place fine-pitch QFPs, BGAs, or 0201 chips, prioritise accuracy and vision over raw speed.
Which machine suits prototyping vs production?
For prototyping and low volume, a compact, flexible, lower-CPH machine is cost-effective. For production, prioritise speed, feeder capacity, and reliability. Choosing the wrong side of this line is the most common pick-and-place buying mistake.
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