LitePlacer.com forums

I don't suppose you could share the list of things that must be purchased to build the table you have? I saw the link to easy-systemprofile.de

You did such a fantastic job with the PnP table shown in the picture, that I'd really love to build one just like that for my Liteplacer.

femtoduino wrote:I don't suppose you could share the list of things that must be purchased to build the table you have? I saw the link to easy-systemprofile.de

You did such a fantastic job with the PnP table shown in the picture, that I'd really love to build one just like that for my Liteplacer.

Thank you for the compliments. I will see if I can dig out the order and post it here.

What type of stainless steel did you use?

How does it perform compared to white MDF?

Thanks,
Mike

Where did you get your stainless steel top?

What alloy, thickness, finish, etc.?

How do the cameras work looking down on the stainless steel?

Thanks!

Material information: Stainless Steel Sheet, 0.8mm thickness, EN 1.4016, sanded (K240), magnetic

I bought the stainless steel from a metal shop in Germany:
http://designbleche.de/

However I am sure, you can get similar material in many places. I had the stainless steel sheet cut to order.

You are correct, most stainless steel sorts are not magnetic - as I am using magnets for fixing feeders, holders etc. I specifically wanted a magnetic material.

I used a polyurethane glue to laminate the sheet to a MDF plate.

I chose the sanded surface to reduce reflections which might interfere with camera.

So far I am happy with the performance. Steel is much sturdier than other table tops. It is easy to clean, ESD safe and when I crash the machine into the table, the nozzles will certainly break before you scratch the table

Most important: I can fix my board holders, strip feeders, individual part trays etc. using small magnets and move them around as needed.

Camera is no problem. Obviously, you cannot detect individual parts on the metal surface - but for detecting parts in feeders, fiducials on PCB and so on the extra reflection has not caused issues for me.

Please be warned that cutting or drilling stainless steel requires special tools. Also, if I planned my table again, I would probably not go for a large table surface again but rather cover only 2/3 of the work surface to make room for feeders, drop areas, camera etc. in sort of a "open frame" construction.

Hope this helps.

mrandt,

Thanks for this good information. I appreciate your reply!

Do you have the detail on the alloy that you purchased?

I just received a sample pack of 4" x 4" stainless steel. https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.c ... &top_cat=1

Unfortunately the T-304 alloy is not magnetic. The T-304 comes in three finishes: "#8 MIRROR FINISH", "2B" and "#4". The "#4" is like on refrigerators: brushed finish. The "2B" is plain--no texture. The "#8 MIRROR FINISH" is too reflective. I really like the "2B" because it is a matte finish (some reflection) but no texture at all--very smooth and absolutely no texture. It looks like a piece of high-quality gray paper.

Do you use any double-sided tape to hold the tapes to the stainless steel? Or just magnets? How do you do that? Are your parts tapes mounted on metal feeders?

I was planning to do exactly what you suggested: use the stainless steel only on a portion of the table.

Thanks!
Mike

mrandt,

I just saw that you included the specs for the stainless steel that you ordered--I missed that on the first read. Thanks,
Mike

For my tabletop I am going to use the HON # HPCT36Q. The table arrived today and I must say it is top-notch. I bought mine from www.OfficeWorld.com for $146.49 (free shipping, arrived to North Carolina from Texas in 2 days).

http://www.officeworld.com/-/honhpct36q

Here is the description:
"Seamless, continuous laminate worksurface mounts to multiple base cabinets for a finished look. Scratch-, spill- & stain-resistant & specially treated to withstand boiling liquids. High-quality core board is 1-1/8" thick for added durability. Attachment hardware included. Countertop & Base Cabinet sold & shipped separately – ORDER BOTH. Color: Light Gray; Overall Width: 36"; Overall Depth: 25"; Overall Height: 4 3/4"."

I did not order the base cabinet since I plan to screw 2x4s into the bottom (so there is room for the up-looking camera) and use it on an existing workbench.

A couple of things that I think will be great for the LitePlacer:

1. The tabletop is gray and very smooth--very little (if any) texture for the cameras to get confused;
2. The tabletop is very heavy (39 lbs) and it is 1 1/8" thick (not just at the edges but the entire surface is 1 1/8" thick); Three of the four edges are finished very nicely;
3. The description and photos show a backsplash--the backsplash is a separate piece and comes with the tabletop along with screws. But without the backsplash installed you have a very heavy, flat (no warping), gray surface that is 36" x 25".

I am in the process of assembling the LitePlacer and I think it will need a little more than the 36" width of this tabletop, but Juha said that if I reverse the mounting brackets on the unit the required width will drop to just under 36".

I will update this post when I get to the point where I am mounting the unit on the tabletop.

Mike