Product Idea: Modular Pick-and-Place + Solder Paste Module for Electronics
Hi Snapmaker team and users,
I’d like to propose a new addon for Snapmaker’s ecosystem - a modular pick-and-place machine/toolhead for assembling electronic components onto circuit boards, with an optional solder paste dispensing module and a feeder assembly.
Why this makes sense:
Modularity is Snapmaker’s USP — You’ve already delivered 3-in-1 machines and modular toolheads. A pick-and-place module fits perfectly into this vision.
Perfect form factor already exists — The Snapmaker Ray and Artisan both offer rigid, spacious platforms ideal for precise movements and camera integration. I’d upgrade from my A350 for this
Minimal hardware rework — A suction-based pick-and-place head, camera module, and solder paste dispenser could all be added as interchangeable toolheads. The bed could resemble the laser bed with modular holders for feeders or trays.
Huge potential with solder paste — Given Snapmaker’s experience with 3D printing extruders, a fine-control solder paste dispensing module seems very feasible—possibly using a syringe + pressure extrusion approach, perfect for prototyping and small runs.
Open ecosystem advantage — Open-source feeder designs already exist (referring to Opulo and others), and Snapmaker could tap into that ecosystem while providing a more refined, user-friendly alternative.
Growing market demand — Makers, prototypers, and small-batch hardware startups are actively seeking solutions between manual placement and industrial SMT lines.
This wouldn’t need to compete with high-end SMT machines placing hundreds of different components. Instead, it’d allow creators to go from PCB design to assembled board far quicker and cheaper than currently possible.
Snapmaker team, please look into this! You’ve already got much of the hardware and precision control infrastructure—this would be a very innovative next step.
Minimum chape for resistor/LED/capacitors? I solder 0402 with hand. How many different parts? The last PCB I have soldered was double sided with 50 different parts. Some with 100 pins and 0,5mm pitch.
Some parts are delivered in tubes. Other on reel or cut tape, …
Cool, but this isn’t a competition for who can solder the tiniest parts by hand under a microscope while blindfolded. If you’re happy manually placing 0402s and wrestling with 100-pin QFPs, great — Now back to my proposal for practical, modular automation for small-scale production……
The idea here is to extend Snapmaker’s modular platform into something useful for small-batch PCB assembly—where speed, accuracy, and repeatability matter more than showing off soldering precision. It’s inspired by the Opulo LumenPnP, which already supports a range of passive sizes (0402 and up), different tape widths, and limited tray handling—perfect for small runs, not mass production. LumenPnP is currently unreasonably expensive (unfortunately).
To reiterate:
• Component size: SMT-friendly for common sized parts, not ultra-fine QFP’s on day 1
• Feeders: not asking for the machine to open the mail and cook dinner -
A user would load the parts into the appropriate feeder. Cut tape, reels, and ideally tray support— why not?
• ESD: the idea is a modular toolhead or accessory, not an ISO-certified/audited cleanroom.
This isn’t meant to replace your hot air rework station. It’s meant to help designers and tinkerers iterate faster without spending hours hunched over a magnifier (you do you if that’s what you want).
So again: not a factory, not a bragging contest—just a logical, modular extension for multi-discipline developers like the Snapmaker seems to target.
First, on this forum, it isn’t custom to attack each other for an answer.
You got it completely wrong. I don’t make a competition. What I will say, the parts that I normal use, must be placeable by the PNP. Without that, it isn’t not worth for me (and much others). That I do that with or without microscope is only my problem. Not yours.
ESD: If it isn’t ESD save, all the IC, MOSFET and more aren’t possible without risk to damage them.
I don’t use hot air to solder, only for repair. Until a few months ago I use a Weller WECP-20 with ETH tip, more then 40 years old. Now I’m using a JBC CD-2BQF with different tips. At the moment, I use few solder paste. Mostly Kester Eutectic 63/37 no clean 0.5mm.
That the Opulo PNP has a price, isn’t without reason. You can build it as DIY. It is open source. All is on github. Will it be cheaper?
To be honest, your first reply came across less like feedback and was a wall of criticisms and blockers, without actually engaging with the idea or offering constructive input.
This isn’t about your personal soldering workflow. It’s about whether Snapmaker’s modular platform could support a pick-and-place head for small-batch PCB assembly — like the LumenPnP, which is priced very high.
Concerns like ESD and component variety are real, but that’s an engineering challenge — not reasons to rubbish the whole concept.
My post was about creating a practical, modular tool for makers who want to iterate faster — without the $2000 price tag.
If you’ve got ideas on how Snapmaker could make that work, fantastic. If not, let’s keep the thread focused on expanding what’s possible — not gatekeeping who needs it or what it can’t do.
Every engineering starts with what is the goal and what are the specs to score that goal.
Resistor/capacitor 0402 (and 0201) are normal used. SOT23 is very normal for transistor and TVS diodes. TQFP, SOIC, SOIC-wide, QFN, … are standard for IC use.
If you see what the price is for the 2W, 40W laser and 200W CNC tool, I think you’re not ready for the price of the LumenPnP.
There have been a couple DYI solder paste dispensers, both for the Original and the 2.0 .
I don’t think anybody has attempted the part picker and placer though. As @buckfast_beekeeper mentions, there are a ton of variables to work out, and you’d have to somehow mount them to the bed where the toolhead could reach them. Orientation, packaging, advancement, etc.
If you have a PCB with paste dispensed, placement is a lot easier, since the solder paste will help anchor the part to the pad.