Wow, this is a very timely thread, as I am also looking for some automated
SMT assembly equipment, to speed up my current manual process and bring some
currently-CEM-assembled boards in house.  I'll document my research so far,
which may be of some help to you folks...

I went out to the SMTA show in Orlando last week, but as with most machine
shows, all the big boys were there with the biggest (and most expensive)
equipment available.  I really don't need, nor can I justify a $250k setup
-- something like $10k to $15k I can justify for the amount of work I expect
to do with this in the next couple years.

But it was educational, and google later got me some more
appropriately-sized equipment sources.  120V operation preferred, conveyor
system not required, and smaller footprints are preferred, so all of this
points to smaller benchtop-type machines.  To shave costs for now, I'm
planning on getting a manual stencil printer, a desktop PnP machine and a
batch-type oven.

To me, the PnP is the critical part -- accuracy is the most important factor
for me.  I'd like to run 100 units at a time = 10 panels of 10 units each. 
With 25 components per unit, that's 2500 components, and a couple hours to
populate these is fine, so 1000 to 2000 cph would be just fine.  BTW, I
really can't see a manual PnP machine saving me much time over my current
process of manually soldering these boards.  BTW, I'll be using 28-SSOPs,
SOT-23's and 0603's -- nothing smaller for a long time.

Currently I'm looking at equipment from Madell, APS and Manncorp.  Madell
seems to have the lowest-priced equipment in my range, with an estimated
total of $18k for everything.  But they have a newer machine coming out in a
month or so that's a bit slower which with 10 feeders will cost about $9k. 
So about $13k for that whole setup.  I'm a bit wary of being the guinea pig
on these things though.

APS will come in at about $30k, and Mann comes in at $35k to $40k, but Mann
can find me a used machine from a customer that wants to upgrade etc, so I
expect I can save a bunch there.  APS and Mann will let me come over to try
the actual machine before purchase.

I've read reviews btw that any ovens under $10k or so will have issues with
uneven heating etc.  Not sure if that's really true.

Dispensers sound like a great idea (so I don't have to get a stencil
printer), but they're very inefficient and I was quoted over $5k for more
companies' dispenser options.

Other alternative is find a used industrial-type machine -- Fuji, Quad,
Juki, etc, but these require higher-voltage power etc, and I hear that some
of these companies charge as much as $15k to re-register the machine under a
different name, before they provide any support.  Can anyone confirm this?

What I'd like to know though is...
- Anyone have any reviews on these companies' machines?  My major criteria
is reliability.
- Couldn't I use a hot air station to flow the solder, rather than a batch
oven.
- Any other companies I should look at?

Cheers,
-Neil

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