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Re: robot for circuit boards



Hall D Electronics:

Hi All

We should ask Paul Smith to  weigh in on this (I am cc-ing him and Matt in
case they are not in this loop).

The robotics was effectively used to manufacture 100 Cockcroft-Walton bases
that will be used for the FCAL beam tests.  Paul also used it to produce
boards for ATLAS.  The consensus seems to be that it is ideal for
prototyping.  Paul, who now also coordinates the IU Physics Dept Electronics
shop may want to say something about acquiring the robotics for IU.

Cheers
Alex

At 8:46 AM -0400 5/31/07, C. Cuevas wrote:
>Hall D Electronics:
>
>HI,
>
>The special handling and ability to assemble small quantities 
>quickly, was definitely the motivation for purchasing this machine 
>back in June of 2003.  At Jlab, and I speak for several groups, we 
>have the equipment and personnel to assemble prototype circuit 
>boards.  Once the prototype has passed verification, we send the 
>boards and components to a commercial vendor.  If the quantities are 
>small or the circuit board is not complex, we use the assembly 
>equipment and personnel to build the 'production' boards, test and 
>deliver the board project.  There are too many examples of this 
>'in-house' model that have been successful, and of course we use 
>industry to build the complex, larger quantity production boards 
>such as the F1TDC, and many other modules because it is much more 
>cost effective.
>
>Around this time last year, we discussed the circuit board assembly 
>machine.(Deja-Vu) There was a proposal that the machine could be 
>purchased from Jlab for a market price value by IU.  It was a very 
>low price compared to the original purchase price, and IU had a few 
>Staff members that had experience with the machine.  Things change 
>and people change jobs, etc, etc, and I had talked it over with a 
>few colleagues at Jlab (other divisions) about the machine's 
>capabilities, and trying to find space that would be adequate for 
>the machine.  Plus, as Gerard points out, it would require a 
>(almost) full time technician to manage the board projects, maintain 
>the machine, learn the setup/software, fix the problems, etc.  I was 
>not successful and did not receive support to secure a location nor 
>personnel to operate the machine.
>I will say it for the last time:
>1.  This machine was expensive and has a high yearly maintenance cost.
>2.  The machine has unique capabilities and if we continue to pay 
>for it, it MUST be used to complete assembly projects for IU, Jlab, 
>GlueX collaboration, etc.
>3.  If it stays at IU, hire a person to keep it running.
>4.  If it moves to Jlab, there must be a dedicated location and 
>technical support.
>
>At Jlab, we have lived without the machine, but given the number of 
>groups(Accelerator, RF, Detector/Imaging,FEL,Physics) developing 
>circuitry(prototypes) for different projects, it may be beneficial 
>in the long run to set it up here, but we must have agreement across 
>divisions for long term support.
>
>Cheers,
>Chris
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
>Visser, Gerard wrote:
>>Hall D Electronics:
>>
>>Hi Elke,
>>   This is tough question, really. My opinion has always been, you 
>>can get assembly done by professional commercial assembly vendors, 
>>so it does not pay to have such capability in house. There are of 
>>course some exceptions that could be taken to this point of view. 
>>1- very fast turnaround for prototypes is possible if you have the 
>>equipment and expertise in house. [But, you can also get very fast 
>>turnaround commercially, if you have $.] 2- some boards may need 
>>such special handling that you don't trust them to a commercial 
>>vendor. I think this was the motivation, in relation especially to 
>>the capacitors of Cockroft-Walton base, which are certainly subject 
>>to leakage current problems if handled roughly or soldered or 
>>cleaned with the wrong process. [But, there are many special boards 
>>in the commercial & military world too, and vendors who are used to 
>>such stuff.] 3- if a lot of repetitive rework is needed, e.g., 
>>replace some chips on a whole lot of assembled boards. [But aga!
>in, you can find a company to do this too, if needed.]
>>   Probably for "normal" rework robotics is probably not necessary, 
>>just manual use of hot air soldering tools. But <1mm pitch BGA's 
>>for instance, that may just not work. I'm hoping to avoid such 
>>parts if possible.
>>   For the assembly (including visual inspection and rework to meet 
>>that) of 200 of the ADC100 modules (400 printed circuit boards), we 
>>have on the budget ~190k. _If_ we have this robotics machine 
>>available, and a full-time expert to run it (certainly not me!), it 
>>is conceivable that the assembly work can be done for less money. 
>>At least this would be my guess; say 17k for the machine 
>>maintenance that year, 10k for supplies, 50k for half a year of 
>>this expert's time, some money for the lab space to do this in.
>>   I don't know, therefore, quite what to recommend. I think we 
>>could certainly live without it, but if someone makes it a project 
>>to leverage the investment in the machine it could in the end save 
>>the project a significant amount of money. Until we know that, I 
>>think the electronics assembly costing should be based on 
>>commercial vendors.
>>   Thanks,
>>    Gerard
>>
>>________________________________
>>
>>From: owner-halld-electronics@jlab.org on behalf of Elke-Caroline Aschenauer
>>Sent: Wed 5/30/2007 6:16 PM
>>To: Elke-Caroline Aschenauer
>>Cc: halld-electronics@jlab.org
>>Subject: robot for circuit boards
>>
>>
>>
>>Hall D Electronics:
>>
>>
>>Dear Mitch, Fernando, Paul, Chris and Gerard,
>>
>>okay, I learned today that some time ago we bought a "robot" to assemble
>>circuit boards, we are still paying the maintenance costs (17k$/year).
>>Paul are you using it at the moment for anything.
>>If not is the need from Gerard or is there either need at JLAB or at
>>Mitch's place.
>>
>>I'm sure Paul can give any detail needed on the robot. I'm writing as I'm
>>a bit concerned about having a 100k$ machine sitting there and paying in
>>addition 17k$/year for maintenance.
>>
>>So please tell me if one of you could use the robot.
>>
>>cheers elke
>>
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>>
>>


-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alex R. Dzierba
Chancellor's Professor of Physics (Emeritus)
Department of Physics / Indiana U / Bloomington IN 47405 / 812-855-9421
JLab Visiting Fellow
Jefferson Lab / 12000 Jefferson Ave / Newport News, VA 23606 / 757-269-7577
Home Phone: 812-825-4063  Cell:  812-327-1881  Fax: 866-541-1263
http://dustbunny.physics.indiana.edu/~dzierba/
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