SMT Pick and Place Feeders typically cost over $1,000.00 each. Typically a single production line will need over 100 feeders, some more than 200. This translates into $100,000.00 to over $200,000.00 worth of feeders. This is a huge investment and should be carefully handled, and protected when stored.

Bliss Feeder Carts are designed to safely store feeders typically without reels offline in the stockroom. Only Bliss carts protect your feeder investment from physical damage by surrounding the feeders in a welded tubular steel frame designed specifically for this purpose. Bliss feeder storage carts virtually eliminate damage caused by improper feeder handling,

The feeders are stored on feeder racks that are bolted into the cart frame and are adjustable. Bliss offers feeder racks for all major pick and place feeders. We put the feeder shelves vertically as close together as possible but with enough clearance to easily get feeders in and out without hitting anything. Store all of your empty feeders in what ever arrangement works best for you. Generally empty feeders are stored with all the same width and type on one shelf. Bliss feeder racks have spaces between each feeder far enough apart to help minimize damage to adjacent feeders when they are removed from or inserted into the cart. At first this may not seem space or cost efficient but it really pays off in the long run with big savings in feeder repairs. Subsequently, you end up with fewer of those feeders stored in the corner that are not usable because of damage.

 

Feeder setup is done on every feeder to put a reel of component tape on it and to test cycle it or perform repairs. The Bliss setup rack bolts to the end of our standard feeder cart. Adding a tool panel, an adjustable work shelf and an ESD wrist strap plug you will have a complete feeder setup area right on the end of your Bliss Feeder storage cart. This makes it easy for every operator to setup feeders more efficiently.

 

The change out of feeders on the pick and place machine is typically the biggest bottleneck on a production line as that down time is stopping all production on the line. Our feeder staging cart won the 1996 SMT Vision award, with good reason. It reduces downtime on your pick and place machine by 75%.

Bliss staging carts create the space to pre-stage all of the feeders in advance in the exact sequence that they are needed for the next changeover on the pick and place machine. Pre stage "Job B" off line while "Job A" is running. Leave the first position open during staging, this will create a place to put the first feeder off the pick and place machine as you swap feeders. When job “A” is nearing completion roll the staging station for job “B” over to the pick and place machine. When Job “A” stops simply swap feeder position for feeder position. Typically the changeover downtime is reduced from over an hour to about 15 minutes. About 20 seconds per feeder. Use this same process for replenishment of exhausted feeders.

To stage feeders off line you need to have adequate space to store loaded and empty staging carts. Have your stockroom and feeder set up people work together and you will have fewer people getting more done and they will all directly contribute to production.

For every minute of changeover time that is eliminated you create additional assembly capacity. One additional hour results in a 15% percent increase in overall assembly capacity for that line. Prove this for yourself by using the machines actual run time clock and see how much line capacity you can recapture.