Shop bots, 450 mm fabs & redFrog - Pick and Place Palillogy

The Amp Hour · 4 Oct 2011 · 1h 05m · Episode 63

What this episode covers

Dave Jones, founder of EEVblog, and Chris Gammell discuss Jones's transition from a cramped home garage to a 36-square-meter professional lab space, the 'EEVblog Nerd Cave,' to accommodate his growing equipment and separate work from home life. They evaluate the practicality of DIY pick-and-place machines, such as the BuildYourCNC design, concluding they are currently too slow and unreliable compared to commercial assemblers, while also reviewing affordable IR reflow ovens and 3D printers. The conversation shifts to the semiconductor industry, analyzing the prohibitive $7 billion cost to upgrade fabs to 450mm wafers, and touches on robotics funding from Boston Dynamics and the defense sector.

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