Close

Nozzles

A project log for Manual Pick and Place SMD Vacuum

Foot pedal operated SMD Vacuum for manual placement of components. This upgrade from tweezers simplifies SMD placement during PCB assembly.

leumasyerrpleumasyerrp 12/09/2021 at 01:380 Comments

Nozzles, you will need some. The Weller WVP comes with some nozzles and suction cup tips. You can also get these nozzle and cups with one of the cheap vacuum suction pens. These nozzles and suction cups are great for picking up larger SMD packages like microcontrollers and power MOSFETs but they are not useful for small packages such as 0603 resistors and capacitors. The suction cup gets in the way and grips the part so well that it will not release when suction is turned off. Removing the suction cup is not possible since the nozzle ID is large enough that a 0603 resistor can get sucked up it. Remember that filter, this is why it is installed before the shutoff valve.

What I found that works great for these small packages is blunt tip needles for syringes. I got a variety pack with 14ga, 16ga, 18ga, 20ga, 22ga and 25ga needles along with some syringes. I found the 20ga needle (pink) to be the perfect size for picking up 0603 packages along with SOT-23 transistors and some larger packages. The part drops off as soon as suction is off and you can see the part while manipulating it. The only problem is that the nozzle requires you to work with the hand piece vertical since it does not have the angle on it like the nozzles that came with the Weller WVP. If I get adventurous I may try bending one someday but for now I found working vertical gave me better position control.

Discussions