Pick and Place Machine

A Pick and Place machine for placing SMD parts on PCB boards for soldering.
Designed as an easily attachable and removable add-on for the Prusa Mini+ 3D printer.

Features:

• Dual 12 MP cameras (Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3)
• LED ring light
• Vacuum nozzle that can be rotated by 180° on the Z-axis with a lever and with replaceable nozzles of different diameters (and with/without rubber pads)
• Web UI for
  • calibrating the camera images and 3D printer head alignment
  • adjusting the brightness of the LED ring light
  • moving the vacuum nozzle in all three dimensions
  • switching the vacuum pump on/off
• Wireless remote control of the vacuum nozzle and pump with a Playstation 4 controller via Bluetooth
• Frontend written in Node.js, backend written in C++, Playstation 4 Controller Bluetooth adapter written in Python, firmware for Raspberry RP2040 microcontroller written in C++

I have published the source code for the camera server (aka the backend) on GitHub:

And I've also published a little demo app (written in Java/Kotlin) on GitHub:

Placing a RP2040 MCU:

Placing a resistor network (filmed with smartphone):

Placing a TVS diode using the Playstation 4 Controller (screen recording of web UI):

The "head assembly" consists of

• Dual 12 MP cameras (Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3)
• LED ring light
• Vacuum nozzle that can be rotated by 180° on the Z-axis with a lever
• and replaceable nozzles of different diameters (and with/without rubber pads)

The little RP2040 board is responsible for controlling the pumps, solenoid valve and LED ring light. It communicates with the "controller" app on the Raspberry Pi via I2C:

Optically isolated PWM adapter board for the enclosure fan. This board receives a PWM signal from the RP2040 board that then controls the speed of the enclosure fan:

Optically isolated driver board for the pumps, solenoid valve and LED ring light. This board also receives PWM signals from the RP2040 board that then control the speed of the air pumps and brightness of the LED ring light. It also enables or disables the solenoid valve which decides which pump is connected to the vacuum nozzle:

There are two air pumps in the upper enclosure. One for sucking air in and one for blowing air out. With the help of the solenoid valve air can then either be sucked in from the vacuum nozzle or blown out. This makes it easier to release especially very light SMD parts, since they have a tendency to stick to the nozzle.
The firmware on the RP2040 will automatically operate the valve and pumps in such a way that air will be blown out of the nozzle for a brief moment when the vacuum pump gets turned off.
The solenoid air valve can be seen on the right side inside the enclosure. The two pumps are in center.

The heart of the Pick and Place machine is a Raspberry Pi 5. It is connected to the RP2040 board via I2C and also to the two cameras:

There are three individual enclosures, which are all screwed together to form a single unit:

And finally, this is the complete machine (the filament spool on the right has got nothing to do with picking and placing SMD parts, of course):