Review: Neoden YY1 PCB Assembly Bundle

Manufacturer: Neoden

Price: $9,497 as tested; $3,999 for YY1 Pick & Place alone

Our makerspace just became a surface-mount technology (SMT) printed circuit board (PCB) factory overnight. We’ve watched 3D printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters become cheaper, smaller, and easier in our magazine’s twenty years, and now this revolution has reached PCBA (printed circuit board assembly). While services such as PCBWay have made PCB prototyping and manufacturing quick and easy, you still have to populate your board – and for under $10K, Neoden will ship you your own mini PCBA factory!

I’m not going to review this like a head-to-head comparison with detailed specs and technical evaluations; I’m going to review this as someone who has seen machines like these during factory tours in Shenzhen but never imagined these capabilities might be within reach, focusing on all that this bundle affords the budding professional maker.

Unboxing

Neoden’s comprehensive PCBA solution arrives on a palette. You’re going to need a significant area in your workshop, makerspace, or garage to unpack and house the three units. For a complex system like this, the setup process is remarkably straightforward. The stencil printer is practically ready to go out of the box, while the Pick & Place (PnP) just requires a few fasteners, connections, and its enclosure finishing – similar to the way many 3d printers ship. The reflow oven simply requires unpacking and the power supply connecting. Detailed full-color instructions and a genuinely helpful support team make the entire process surprisingly simple.

Stencil printing

Once you’re up and running, the first step is to apply solder paste to your board using the manual stencil printer. The FP2636 is a simple yet extremely usable system that allows you to mount your framed stencil and align it perfectly in each dimension, then squeege a thin layer of paste on each board.

PCBA assembly

The next step is the main event: the YY1 PnP. After initial calibration, it’s pretty simple. Load your reels, import your CSV file and configure your components, set your fiducial and pick and place heights, then stand back as the machine speedily mounts your components. There is an initial learning curve and fair amount of configuration, but by my second board, it all felt completely natural and logical.

Reflowing

You now have your SMT components placed, and can manually place any larger components, and then it’s time for the reflow oven. The IN6 uses regular 120V AC, and fits easily on a workbench or optional pedestal. Its built-in filtration system means that you don’t even have to worry about venting for small runs. The default profile worked great for my boards, though the built-in LCD interface allows complete control over the six heating zones. It’s practically as easy as cooking a pizza, except at the end you have a professional-looking SMT PCB, fully populated and ready to run!

Verdict

I was completely blown away by the Neoden bundle. It transformed PCBA from something I witnessed in factory tours in China to something that I could do in my own workshop or makerspace. Having these capabilities onsite transforms your approach to prototyping and assembly, as well as exponentially increasing output for hand-assembly shops. It really is a complete SMT factory in a box!

This article appeared in Make: Vol 93.