Robin Reiter’s open-hardware Pixel Pump, the surface-mount pick-and-place instrument powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, is now delivery to backers — and might be ordered for fast supply for individuals who missed out on its crowdfunding marketing campaign.
Reiter unveiled the Pixel Pump two years in the past, promising an open-hardware machine to hurry guide surface-mount machine (SMD) pick-and-place. Its swish housing holds a vacuum pump below the management of a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller board, with the flexibility to activate and deactivate suction on the pen through a foot pedal. A easy management panel permits for switchable choose and drop set off modes, configurable vacuum energy, and a reverse mode to modify the pump to blow.
In July 2022 Reiter launched a crowdfunding marketing campaign for mass manufacturing of the completed Pixel Pump, now bundled with 5 stainless-steel nozzles in a wide range of sizes and with a professionally-produced case changing the 3D-printed housing of the prototypes. Reiter additionally unveiled a companion product, the SMD Magazines — providing a spring-loaded mechanism for fast retrieval of taped SMD elements.
Now, a yr on, the Pixel Pump is delivery. “The completion of all merchandise together with packaging, certification, software program, manufacturing, and meeting was accomplished nearly completely by us in our workshop and we’re very happy with that,” Reiter writes. “This entire course of has taken a variety of time and power, and I’m very excited to lastly be capable to ship you the merchandise and proceed on with manufacturing the following batch.”
Extra from the primary manufacturing run is accessible to order now with delivery “very quickly,” Reiter guarantees. (📷: Robin Reiter)
Heading to the Crowd Provide warehouse now and to challenge backers quickly, the Pixel Pump and SMD Magazines are heading out to 124 crowdfunding backers — with extra inventory from the primary manufacturing run being provided with fast delivery to those that missed out or who need an extra unit, priced at $499 plus $39 for an eight-pack of SMD Magazines. “It ought to ship very quickly,” Reiter says of newly-ordered items.
Extra info is accessible on the Pixel Pump Crowd Provide marketing campaign web page.
