Define the process route
Start with SMT, DIP/THT, coating, cleaning, inspection, handling, and traceability needs before choosing models.
Technical equipment guidance
Technical guidelines for SMT and PCBA equipment selection
Use AVIZ engineering guidance to define the right process route, factory readiness, inspection points, and RFQ inputs before selecting SMT, DIP, coating, cleaning, handling, or quality-control equipment.
Decision flow
- 01PCB data
- 02Process route
- 03Factory readiness
- 04Recommended scope
Equipment decisions covered
The selector and guide modules translate production requirements into practical equipment groups and buying criteria.
AVIZ engineering selector
Find the right equipment scope
Answer the engineering prompts. The recommended scope updates immediately and highlights the information AVIZ still needs before preparing a serious RFQ.
Technical guideline library
Each guide is written as customer-facing AVIZ guidance. AVIZ engineering practice informs the content, but no internal files are published here.
SMT line planningDefine the process route before selecting machine models.
When you need this
- New factory setup
- Capacity expansion
- Replacing a manual or semi-automatic process
Main equipment involved
- Loader
- Stencil printer
- SPI
- Pick-and-place
- Reflow oven
- AOI
- Conveyors and buffers
Technical criteria to confirm
- PCB size and panel flow
- Production volume and product mix
- Line direction, height, buffer logic, and operator access
Common mistakes before buying
- Buying isolated machines before defining line balance
- Ignoring utilities and maintenance access
RFQ data to prepare
- PCB and panel dimensions
- Target output
- Product photos or process route
- Available factory space
Factory preparation and utilitiesConfirm installation conditions before equipment arrives.
When you need this
- New line installation
- Moving machines
- Adding ovens, air users, or exhaust users
Main equipment involved
- Power distribution
- Compressed air
- Exhaust
- ESD area
- Nitrogen where required
Technical criteria to confirm
- Voltage stability and breaker sizing
- Clean dry air pressure and filtration
- Floor loading, layout space, and machine access
Common mistakes before buying
- Preparing air without filtration
- Leaving no space for service doors or operator routes
RFQ data to prepare
- Factory layout
- Available power
- Compressed air details
- ESD plan
- Installation floor
Related AVIZ pages
Stencil printer selectionPrinting quality drives downstream placement and soldering quality.
When you need this
- Fine-pitch SMT
- Repeatable solder paste process
- Automatic line integration
Main equipment involved
- Automatic stencil printer
- Stencil cleaning system
- Board support tooling
Technical criteria to confirm
- PCB and stencil frame size
- Alignment method
- Squeegee pressure and cleaning cycle
Common mistakes before buying
- Selecting by board size only
- Ignoring cleaning frequency and product changeover
RFQ data to prepare
- PCB size range
- Stencil frame size
- Pad pitch
- Paste type
- Changeover frequency
Related AVIZ pages
SPI, AOI and X-ray strategyChoose inspection points according to defect risk, not only available floor space.
When you need this
- Quality improvement
- Fine-pitch and BGA products
- High-volume line control
Main equipment involved
- SPI
- AOI
- X-ray
- Repair and review station
Technical criteria to confirm
- Paste volume and alignment risk
- Component and solder defect library
- Hidden-joint inspection need
Common mistakes before buying
- Adding inspection without repair feedback
- Using one inspection point for every defect type
RFQ data to prepare
- Main defect concerns
- Package list
- Inspection location
- Reporting needs
Pick-and-place planningPlacement choice depends on feeder strategy, component range, accuracy, and line balance.
When you need this
- New SMT line
- Capacity upgrade
- Complex component mix
Main equipment involved
- Placement platform
- Feeders
- Nozzles
- Board support
Technical criteria to confirm
- Component size range
- Feeder count
- Placement accuracy
- Changeover method
Common mistakes before buying
- Comparing speed without feeder and changeover context
- Forgetting tall or odd-shape components
RFQ data to prepare
- BOM sample
- Smallest and largest parts
- Feeder estimate
- Target output
Related AVIZ pages
Reflow oven selectionThermal capability must match board mass, alloy, process window, and line speed.
When you need this
- SMT soldering line
- Lead-free process
- Thermal-profile improvement
Main equipment involved
- Reflow oven
- Cooling section
- Exhaust and optional nitrogen
Technical criteria to confirm
- Heating-zone count
- Profile stability
- Cooling demand
- Exhaust and nitrogen planning
Common mistakes before buying
- Choosing oven length without line-speed calculation
- Ignoring exhaust and heat release
RFQ data to prepare
- Board thermal mass
- Solder alloy
- Target speed
- Nitrogen requirement
Related AVIZ pages
Wave and selective solderingThrough-hole soldering should be selected from board geometry and process access.
When you need this
- Connector-heavy boards
- Mixed SMT and THT assembly
- Selective solder joints
Main equipment involved
- Wave soldering
- Selective soldering
- Fluxing
- Preheat
- Inspection
Technical criteria to confirm
- Joint accessibility
- Pallet need
- Flux and preheat control
- Residue and inspection method
Common mistakes before buying
- Ignoring component shadowing
- Skipping carrier or pallet review
RFQ data to prepare
- Board photos
- Connector list
- Solder side
- Pallet requirement
- Quality criteria
Related AVIZ pages
PCB handling and buffersHandling equipment controls flow, protects boards, and prevents one station from stopping the whole line.
When you need this
- Automatic SMT/DIP line
- Inspection reject routing
- Line balance problems
Main equipment involved
- Loaders
- Unloaders
- Conveyors
- Buffers
- Reject conveyors
Technical criteria to confirm
- Board edge clearance
- Line height
- Flow direction
- Buffer capacity
Common mistakes before buying
- Treating conveyors as generic tables
- Forgetting reject and repair flow
RFQ data to prepare
- PCB width range
- Line direction
- Machine interface
- Reject logic
Related AVIZ pages
Coating, dispensing and curingProtection processes require material, coverage, curing, and inspection decisions before machine choice.
When you need this
- Reliability protection
- Potting or sealing
- Selective coating
Main equipment involved
- Dispensing
- Coating
- Curing
- Inspection
- Handling
Technical criteria to confirm
- Material behavior
- Keep-out zones
- Coverage thickness
- Curing method
Common mistakes before buying
- Choosing equipment before material behavior is known
- Ignoring nozzle and valve maintenance
RFQ data to prepare
- Material type
- Board drawing
- Coverage areas
- Curing target
- Inspection method
Cleaning and maintenance planningCleaning keeps printing, placement, soldering, and coating processes stable over time.
When you need this
- Stencil contamination
- Nozzle issues
- Fixture residue
- Flux or process residue
Main equipment involved
- Stencil cleaner
- Nozzle cleaner
- Fixture cleaner
- Board cleaner
Technical criteria to confirm
- Residue type
- Cleaning interval
- Material compatibility
- Operator safety
Common mistakes before buying
- Waiting for defects before planning cleaning
- Ignoring consumable and waste handling
RFQ data to prepare
- Object to clean
- Residue type
- Batch size
- Cleaning frequency
Related AVIZ pages
ESD and quality readinessA line needs controlled handling, trained operators, and objective quality records to protect sensitive assemblies.
When you need this
- Sensitive components
- Factory audit preparation
- New operator training
Main equipment involved
- ESD work area
- Grounding
- Handling controls
- Training records
Technical criteria to confirm
- ESD floor or work area
- Grounding method
- Operator route
- Training and acceptance records
Common mistakes before buying
- Treating ESD as only a wrist strap issue
- Training operators after line acceptance instead of before
RFQ data to prepare
- Product sensitivity
- Factory ESD plan
- Training scope
- Acceptance criteria
RFQ preparation checklistA useful RFQ starts with process facts, not only a machine name.
When you need this
- Before contacting AVIZ
- Before comparing equipment offers
- Before final layout review
Main equipment involved
- All required process groups
- Utilities
- Quality checkpoints
- Training and acceptance scope
Technical criteria to confirm
- PCB data
- Production target
- Factory readiness
- Quality requirements
Common mistakes before buying
- Requesting price without board data
- Omitting factory utilities
- Forgetting acceptance criteria
RFQ data to prepare
- PCB size and photos
- BOM or component range
- Production target
- Factory layout
- Required process route
Related AVIZ pages
RFQ readiness
RFQ readiness checklist
Prepare these inputs before contacting AVIZ so the engineering team can respond with a realistic scope instead of a loose machine list.
Send technical requirement- PCB size, panel format, thickness and process side
- Target production volume, shift pattern and expected line speed
- BOM or component range including fine-pitch, BGA, QFN, tall and odd-form parts
- Required process route: SMT, DIP/THT, coating, cleaning, marking or testing
- Factory layout, available floor space, line direction and operator access
- Available power, compressed air, exhaust, nitrogen and ESD preparation
- Inspection strategy, defect concerns and repair or review workflow
- Installation timing, training scope and acceptance criteria
From guideline to equipment shortlist
Use the guideline result to move from process questions into a practical shortlist of equipment families, product pages, and RFQ inputs.
Compare equipment families
Match product pages to board data, component range, factory utilities, quality strategy, and output target.
Send a scoped RFQ
Carry the selected guide context into the request so AVIZ can respond with a practical engineering scope.
Turnkey SMT line planning
Use when the customer needs a complete route from printing to placement, soldering, inspection, handling, utilities, and acceptance.
- PCB and panel data
- Target capacity
- Factory utilities
- Acceptance and training scope
Printing and paste-process control
Use when solder paste repeatability, fine-pitch deposits, stencil cleaning, or first-process quality control drives the project.
- Stencil frame and PCB size
- Pad pitch
- Cleaning method
- SPI requirement
Placement and thermal-process capacity
Use when the main decision is feeder strategy, component range, output target, reflow profile stability, and line balance.
- BOM package range
- Feeder count
- Board support
- Thermal profile window
Inspection, handling and quality flow
Use when quality feedback, repair routing, AOI/SPI/X-ray strategy, buffers, conveyors, and reject handling must work together.
- Defect priorities
- Inspection stage
- Repair flow
- Buffer and reject logic