Line loaders Machines

Which PCB Line Loader best suits your production process?

Nutek provides several PCB Line Loaders in all sorts of shapes and sizes. (PCB = Printed Circuit Board) We will highlight a number of Nutek Line Loaders and try to explain to you the variety and what to consider when selecting a certain Line Loader. To start, a PCB Line Loader can only be used for loading the SMT line with bare or unpopulated PCBs. In that case we recommend to use:

BARE BOARD - PCB Line Loader

The Bare Board Loader by-pass which uses suction nozzles/pads to collect a PCB for the top of the stack and place this on the internal conveyor. This type is very popular when the PCBs are a bit fragile and/or have multiple cut-outs along the transport edge. Do note that with product changeovers the position of the vacuum nozzle may also need to be adjusted with this type of PCB Line Loader.

DESTACKER - PCB Line Loader

The Destacker is a type of PCB Line Loader which has an open design where a stack of PCBs is placed above the internal conveyor. After the whole stack is lifted, a bulk clamp is activated to hold the majority of the stack. Then unique separation cams are used to take one Printed Circuit Board from the bottom of the smaller stack and lowers this on the internal belt conveyor. Usually, this type of line loader is chosen for PCBs with a thickness of 0.6 mm or more and when an open machine design is preferred so that the operator can add PCBs while the Destacker Line Loader is in operation.

PUSH-UP DESTACKER - PCB Line Loader

The Push-up Destacker, which has an enclosed design where the stack of PCBs is placed inside machine by opening the front-door. This SMT Line Loader uses a motorised lifter and clamping system to separate the top board from the stack and drop this on the internal belt conveyor. In the standard configuration this type of PCB Line Loader can handle printed circuit boards from 0.8mm or thicker. In case thinner PCBs need to be loaded we recommend to order the optional vacuum unit which incorporates two nozzle bars at both transport edges.

All above PCB Line Loaders are equipped with so called by-pass function allowing you to place a magazine type line loader upstream.

Magazine line loaders

Line loading can save a rack of time

Magazine PCB Loader or Magazine Line Loaders are used to load your production line with PCBs which are already populated with components on one side. Alternatively it is also possible to manually load the magazine rack with bare PCBs. We have divided the Magazine Line Loaders according to their warehouse capacity and functionality.

Magazine line loader sizes

On these type of PCB Line Loaders we use magazine racks in which up to 50 Printed Circuits Boards can be stored at a pitch of 10mm. Often the sizes of the magazine racks can be divided in three sizes:

M        355-400mm (l) x 320mm (w)
L          460-535mm (l) x 380-460(w)
XL        535mm (l) x 530mm (w).

However should your magazine rack dimensions or pitch deviate from the standard racks then Nutek will build the PCB line loader according to your specific magazine rack without any additional charges.

SINGLE MAGAZINE - Line Loader

The Single Magazine Line Loader has the capacity of one magazine rack which is manually placed and clamped on the lifter platform. Standard magazine loading is done at the rear-side of the Line Loader and a pneumatic pusher is used to push-out the Printed Circuit Board out of the magazine onto the belt conveyor of the downstream machine. For the Standard and Advance Series the Single Magazine Line Loader can also be configured with magazine loading at the front-side and have an electrical driven PCB pusher.

DUAL MAGAZINE - Line Loader

The Dual magazine line loader has the capacity of two magazine racks which are manually placed and clamped on the lifter platform. Besides the ball-screw driven lifter platform the PCB loader also uses a traverser/shuttle containing an internal belt conveyor and PCB puller to retrieve a Printed Circuit Board from the magazine rack one by one. Should one of the magazine racks be empty then it can be manually exchanged without interrupting the machine operation of the dual Magazine Line Loader.

TRIPLE MAGAZINE - Line Loader

The Triple Magazine Line Loader, has the capacity of three magazine racks which are manually placed and clamped on the lifter platform. Besides the ball-screw driven lifter platform the PCB line loader also uses a traverser / shuttle containing an internal belt convey racks be empty then it can be manually exchanged without interrupting the machine operation of the Triple Magazine Line Loader.

DUAL MAGAZINE- Line Loader AGV

Our Dual Magazine Line Loader – AGV version, has the capacity of two magazine racks which are  loaded onto a stationary magazine platform using an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) or AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot). Each magazine position has an individual magazine conveyor to automatically transfer and lock the magazine rack in its position. The second part of the dual Magazoine Lin Loader AGV uses a combined lifter and traverser / shuttle containing an internal belt conveyor and PCB puller to retrieve a Printed Circuit Board from the magazine rack one by one.

Should one of the racks be empty then it can be automatically be exchanged using the AGV/AMR without interrupting the operation of the Dual Magazine Line Loader AGV. The height of the magazine platform can be specified upon order to match the height of the selected AGW/AMR.

TRIPPLE MAGAZINE AGV - Line Loader

Triple Magazine Line Loader – AGV version, has the capacity of three magazine racks which are  loaded onto a stationary magazine platform using an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) or AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot). Each magazine position has an individual magazine conveyor to automatically transfer and lock the magazine rack in its position. The second part of the Tripple Magazine Line Loader AGV uses a combined lifter and traverser / shuttle containing an internal belt conveyor and PCB puller to retrieve a PCB from the magazine rack one by one. Should one of the magazine racks be empty then it can be automatically exchanged using the AGV/AMR without interrupting the machine operation of the Tripple Magazine Line Loader AGV. The height of the magazMine platform can be specified upon order to match the height of the selected AGW/AMR.

MULTI MAGAZINE - Line Loader

The Multi magazine line loader, has the capacity of 3 full magazine racks on the lower magazine conveyor, 1 magazine rack in the lifter and 2 empty magazine racks on the upper magazine conveyor. After the magazine rack is (lengthwise) transferred into the empty lifter platform it is pneumatically clamped both top- and bottom before it indexes to the initial PCB unload position. The unloading of the printed circuit board is done by a pneumatic pusher located underneath the upper magazine conveyor onto the internal belt conveyor of the downstream machine. After the magazine rack is completely unloaded the empty magazine rack is unloaded to the upper magazine conveyor before the lifter lowers down to retrieve the next full magazine rack from the lower magazine conveyor.

MULTI MAGAZINE L-TYPE - Line Loader

The Multi Magazine Line Loader L-typehas the capacity of 3 full magazine racks on the lower magazine conveyor, one in the lifter and two empty ones on the upper magazine conveyor. However the magazine conveyors are positioned at a 90 degree angle to reduce the line length of . After the magazine rack is (sideways) transferred into the empty lifter platform it is pneumatically clamped both top- and bottom before it indexes to the initial PCB unload position. The unloading of the printed circuit board is done by a pneumatic pusher located underneath the upper magazine conveyor onto the internal belt conveyor of the downstream machine. After the magazine rack is completely unloaded the empty magazine rack is unloaded to the upper magazine conveyor before the lifter lowers down to collect the next full magazine rack from the lower magazine conveyor.

ERGONOMIC MULTI MAGAZINE - Line Loader

Ergonomic Multi Magazine Line Loader, has two lower magazine conveyors beside each other both  have a capacity for 3 magazine racks. The lifter is equipped with a magazine conveyor which can move sideways between both lower magazine conveyors. After the full rack is collected from the front magazine conveyor by the lifter it is pneumatically clamped both top- and bottom before it indexes to the initial PCB unload position. The unloading of the Printed Circuit Board is done by a pneumatic pusher onto the internal belt conveyor of the downstream machine. After the magazine rack is completely unloaded the empty magazine rack is unloaded to the rear magazine conveyor before magazine conveyor in the lifter moves sideways to collect the next full magazine rack from the front magazine conveyor.

We hope that this detailed explanation of the various PCB Line Loader models allows you to select the machine which suits your production process best.