ABSTRACT
Surface mount technology (SMT) represents a progressive step in packaging and interconnect techniques. When an integrated circuit carrier such as a dual in-line planar package is modified so that its input/output connections are made by surface contact only on the substrate etch, it is known as an SMT component. The higher density of SMT interconnect and circuitry also concentrates generated heat in smaller areas than found on less dense packages, dual in-line planar, for example. SMT component connections and surface mount connectors on printed wiring boards (PWBs) are generally supported and restrained solely by the board copper and their solder joints. Pick-and-place systems have become popular with the increase in the number of surface mount devices available for hybrid substrates and PWBs. A placement head is that portion of a pick-and-place machine which interfaces directly with the component using either vacuum, mechanical jaws, or both in transferring the component from the feeder to the surface of the substrate.
