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

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2011-10-04
- Length: 1h 05m
- Episode: 63
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-63-pick-and-place-palillogy/

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=15) Introduction: Dave Jones and Chris Gammell
- [2:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=134) Dave Jones's New Lab Space and Office Park
- [10:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=626) Lab Layout Planning and Shop Bots
- [18:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=1083) DIY Pick and Place Machines and BuildYourCNC
- [28:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=1684) IR Reflow Ovens and Soldering Methods
- [31:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=1906) 3D Printers and Laser Cutters for Makers
- [37:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=2223) 450mm Wafer Fabs and Semiconductor Costs
- [48:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=2937) Boston Dynamics Robotics and Military Funding
- [50:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=3033) Shonky Products: Black Body Box and Financial Engineering
- [1:00:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy#t=3606) Day in Nerd History: ENIAC and Jonas Salk

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- EEVblog (company)
- BuildYourCNC (company)
- MakerBot (product)
- Adafruit (company)
- DIY Drones (company)
- SparkFun (company)
- Boston Dynamics (company)
- Intel (company)
- TSMC (company)
- TI (company)
- Monolithic IC3D (company)
- ENIAC (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 173: Concrete Bandsaw](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-06-29-episode-173-concrete-bandsaw) (Making It)
- [160: Chowdered up the Spoilboard](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-07-12-160-chowdered-up-the-spoilboard) (Embedded.fm)
- [069 - Canned Cheese and Onion Rings](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2024-04-17-069-canned-cheese-and-onion-rings) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [460: Everything Is Going To Be OK](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2024-11-01-460-everything-is-going-to-be-ok) (Making It)
- [325: Hasn't Been R2D2'd](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-03-26-325-hasnt-been-r2d2d) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2011-10-04-shop-bots-450-mm-fabs-redfrog-pick-and-place-palillogy. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.