• High precision rubber-to-metal bonding ensures component placement accuracy

DP Seals has developed a set of custom rubber mouldings that are helping Metro Technologies lead the world in replacement nozzles for surface mount pick-and-place machines. These soft rubber mouldings cushion components to eliminate damage during assembly and contribute to static management whilst helping to ensure accurate placement.

DP Seals created a special carbon-enriched carboxylated nitrile for the nozzle tips. In tests, this custom blend has demonstrated exceptional durability and abrasion resistance while making a discrete contribution to electronics manufacturers’ static electricity management regimes. Ranging in size from 3mm to 7mm diameter, the tips are moulded to better than ±5 micron accuracy and precision bonded to the nozzles, ensuring Metro Technologies’ performance.

SMT assembly is highly dependent on the nozzles that pick and place components for accuracy, efficiency and therefore throughput. However, nozzles wear out quite quickly and original equipment nozzles are frequently replaced by cheaper second source components. Metro Technologies designed its Optima range to significantly out-perform not only second source equivalents but also OEM nozzles.

“One of the keys to maintaining SMT throughput are the rubber mouldings that protect components from the nozzles, they need to be soft but highly durable,” notes Sean Cassidy, Metro Technologies’ manufacturing manager. “After extensive research of rubber moulding companies, only DP Seals underwrote component performance with the exceptional quality standards we demand to ensure continued zero-defect nozzle delivery.” DP Seals is one of the first custom rubber moulding companies in the UK to achieve the new ISO 9001 2000 quality standard.