Europlacer announces the launch at Productronica 2023 of a brand-new screen printer developed at the company’s industry-renowned stencil printing research labs in the UK. The ii-P7 printer is the latest addition to Europlacer’s full-line-solution portfolio and is a premium, state-of-the-art platform that elevates the company’s already-successful printer range to a new level.
The new ii-P7 introduces a range of productivity enhancements that include a maintenance-free printhead offering active closed-loop squeegee pressure and zero squeegee calibration. The new platform accommodates stencil sizes from 584mm to 736mm (23 to 29 inches) without an adaptor, reducing setup and changeover times in high-mix assembly environments.
Compared to Europlacer’s current flagship EP710 printer, which the new ii-P7 supersedes, print cycle time performance in standard mode is shortened by 25% and reduced by more than 50% with special motor technology available as an option.
In addition to speed and productivity enhancements, the development program focused on practical usability improvements that streamline the screen printing process and broaden the base of boards and subassemblies that the ii-P7 can handle. Key among these improvements is an underside component clearance of 30mm that leads the market in this surface mount printer class. It is aimed at the increasing number of manufacturers assembling complex double-sided boards with tall underside components.
Other new features dramatically enhance the operator experience, including improved cover support ergonomics and a large 22-inch touchscreen monitor. The ii-P7 runs upgraded Europlacer OS (iiPS) software that delivers intuitive step-and-repeat functions for inspection, dispensing and label placement processes, improved processing of low-contrast fiducials as well as a faster commissioning procedure.
The ii-P7 also introduces significant enhancements to the underscreen cleaning process that’s critical to print quality and process control. Improved paper management and fluid control are supported by an external solvent tank that deploys industry-standard bottles to eliminate time-consuming fluid transfer operations. In addition, an optional single-pass wet-dry-vacuum under screen cleaner is available, delivering a time saving of 33% across the cleaning process. The ii-P7 not only streamlines the cleaning process but also provides the option to replace paper rolls in a matter of seconds via its quick-change cassette system. This further improves productivity by eliminating downtime for consumable replenishment.
The ii-P7 printhead has been fully re-engineered. It can now deploy new EuroGlide contoured premium squeegee blades that provide integrated paste containment and easy blade swap and setup.
Europlacer customers and industry observers will know that factory-wide connectivity is at the heart of all new generations of the company’s full-line solution products and platforms. The ii-P7 is no exception with IPC-CFX and Hermes-compliant protocols built in, along with remote machine status monitoring and predictive consumable replenishment functions fitted as standard.
The all-new platform design eliminates the need for cooling fans, enabling easier maintenance, quieter operation and greater reliability.
As well as the new productivity-enhancing features, the ii-P7 benefits from Europlacer’s industry-leading 5-year warranty on spares and two years on labor subject to signature of the maintenance contract.
About Europlacer
Europlacer is an award-winning global SMT full-line solution provider with over 50 years of engineering heritage in the electronics assembly industry. Servicing the sector with direct offices around the world and manufacturing facilities in the UK and France, Europlacer delivers flexible, reliable and innovative products to the SMT pick and place market, providing elegant solutions to complex manufacturing challenges. Europlacer is pioneering the market with great technology and a network of acknowledged experts to continue to build the long-lasting relationships that the business has thrived on for the past half-century.
