That is a very cool looking machine!  I should look into pricing for my 
company, though our volume is generally no more than two or three of any 
one board.

My SMT methods are entirely by hand.  Most of what I do is usually no 
more than ten or so of a prototype with fewer than 200 or so components.

My board assembly method involves a compressed air hypodermic applicator 
(pedal operated) for the paste solder.  A dot is manually placed on each 
pad, and the components (0402 and up) are placed with tweezers under the 
aid of a lighted magnifier or microscope.  When all the components are 
placed, the board is set on a lab-grade hotplate, temperature controlled 
at about 190c.  The board is marked with a Tempilstik to indicate when 
170c is reached - the liquid point of the paste we use.  The components 
are then carefully watched for proper flow - especially large heat-sink 
areas of power components.  Generally 10 seconds later, the board is 
carefully removed from the hotplate and allowed to cool.   We have a 
Hakko rework machine for BGA placement.

Obviously, this method is only suitable for  a couple boards, but  
results have been perfectly adequate. 

The above might explain why I often enjoy vacuum tubes and vintage 
electronics as part of my hobby interests.

Joe, N6DGY
Pleasant Grove, Utah

Wouter van Ooijen wrote:
> Almost on topic :)
>
> I would love to have a small SMD PNP and soldering setup at home. 
> Browsing the net I find (only) the Maddell PX3000 (and PX3700 etc). ( 
> http://www.ntscope.com/m2-2.html )
>
> Anyone got any first-hand experience with these machines (or similar ones)?
>
>   

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