ADL100 Inspection, Counting and Rework System for SMT Component Control

A 7-inch reel comes off the machine with part of its tape still loaded. Someone counts what is left, writes a number on the label, and puts the reel back in the rack. Three months later a line stops at 03:00 because the count was short by three hundred parts. The ADL100 reads the remaining quantity in about seven seconds at 99.9% accuracy, so the number on the label is measured instead of estimated — and the exception is handled before the reel reaches a feeder.

The cost you haven't named

• Counts drift every time a reel is touched. Partial reels are estimated by eye, by weighing, or by counting tape pockets. Each hand-off adds error, and it surfaces as a machine stoppage.
• Shortages are found at the wrong place. When a feeder runs dry mid-build, the cost is not the missing parts — it is the idle line, the changeover, the partial boards and the expedite fee.
• The store cannot tell a shortage from a miscount. Without a measured number, every discrepancy becomes a stock adjustment, and cycle-count accuracy erodes one reel at a time.
• Mis-loaded reels reach the line. A reel carrying the wrong part or the wrong quantity passes incoming inspection because nobody opens the tape to check what is inside it.
• Rework has no defined path. When a count is wrong, the correction depends on who notices, so the same failure is handled differently every time.
• Nothing is traceable afterwards. A count written in marker on a label is not a record, so a recurring discrepancy on one part number cannot be traced to a supplier or a shift.

The Four-Point Reel Verification Audit

Inspection, counting and rework equipment is specified for a workflow, not for a spec sheet. Walk these four points with your store and your line leads before you compare machines.

1. Decide where a count is measured. Every movement of material is an opportunity for error: goods in, kitting to the line, return from the line, and storage between builds. Pick the two or three points where a measured count replaces an estimate — counting everywhere is a queue, not a control.

2. Match the machine to the package mix. List the reel sizes you run (7, 13 and 15 inch), the tape widths, and how much volume arrives in trays, tubes or cut tape. Include moisture-sensitive parts and their exposure limit, because a count that ignores the drying clock creates a different problem.

3. Define the exception path. A count that disagrees with the label has to go somewhere. Write the branches: shortage triggers a reorder or kitting correction, surplus is resealed and returned, a part-number mismatch is quarantined. Without those branches the machine produces numbers nobody acts on.

4. Record the number where the system can use it. A count is only useful if it lands in your MES or ERP against the part number and reel ID. Confirm the export format, the field it populates, and who owns the correction.

The vehicle: ADL100 Inspection, Counting and Rework System

The ADL100 is an inspection, counting and rework station for EMS, ODM and OEM production. Its sibling X-ray counting models target pure reel-counting throughput in the store; the ADL100 is built around the workflow around the count — verifying what is in the package, deciding what to do when the answer is wrong, and recording it. It is used in THT insertion, wave soldering, board handling and quality inspection environments, and fits the kitting area, the returns desk and the rework cell.

• Decide where a count is measured → roughly seven-second count cycle at 99.9% accuracy. A count that short can run at goods-in and again at line return without becoming a bottleneck at either point.
• Match the machine to the package mix → reel and package handling across the sizes you run. Imaging reads through the tape, so the reel stays sealed and moisture-sensitive parts keep their exposure clock. Confirm the supported package range at quotation.
• Define the exception path → inspection, counting and rework in one station. Verification, discrepancy handling and rework instruction sit in one workflow, so a flagged reel is routed to a decision rather than set aside on a bench.
• Record the number where the system can use it → count data captured against part number and reel ID. Every measured count becomes a record, which is what turns a recurring discrepancy into something traceable to a supplier, a programme or a shift.

Specification note: reel size range, component size range, counting accuracy on your smallest parts, package formats, throughput per hour, X-ray certification for your region, power supply and footprint should be confirmed at quotation, because they depend on your component mix and store layout.

Specifications

| Parameter | Value |

| --- | --- |

| Function | Inspection, component counting and rework support |

| Count cycle time | Approx. 7 seconds per reel |

| Counting accuracy | 99.9% |

| Reel sizes | 7", 13", 15" — confirm supported set at quotation |

| Component range | 01005 upward, including fine-pitch and array packages — confirm at quotation |

| Package formats | Taped reels, trays, tubes — confirm supported set at quotation |

| Throughput | Reels per hour depends on package mix and load method — confirm at quotation |

| Power supply | Voltage and phase per region — confirm at quotation |

| Floor space | Bench or cabinet installation — footprint confirmed at quotation |

| Line integration | Kitting, goods-in, line return and rework cell |

The loop: close the rework loop every week

A counter that only produces numbers does not change anything; the loop is what turns a count into a correction. Build one: every week, list the reels where the measured count disagreed with the label, sort by part number, and look for a pattern — one supplier, one machine, one shift, one package size. Feed the top two causes back into the process, whether that means counting elsewhere, changing how partial reels are returned, or raising a supplier query. Review queue time monthly — a verification step people wait for is one they start skipping.

Our deep-dive video on this workflow, including the ADL100 count cycle, is on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8bZm3wBwtI

Your next step

Send us your reel and package mix, the component sizes you count, your current method and where verification would sit. We will return a control review showing which points to count at, how the exception path should be defined for your layout, and what to confirm at quotation. Reach Jason at jasonwu@smthelp.com or on WhatsApp +86 13602562576.

FAQ

What does the ADL100 count?

Taped reels, and — depending on configuration — trays and tubes. Confirm your package set at quotation, along with reel diameter, tape width and the smallest component you count.

How accurate is the count?

99.9% as the published figure, in about seven seconds per reel. Accuracy on your smallest parts should be verified on samples during evaluation.

What happens when a count disagrees with the label?

That is the point of the workflow. Shortages trigger a reorder or kitting correction, surplus is resealed and returned, and a part-number mismatch is quarantined for re-verification.

Can it be integrated with existing equipment and data systems?

Yes. It can sit anywhere material is verified — goods-in, kitting, the return desk or a rework cell. Send us your line configuration, PCB specifications and production targets, and our team will recommend an integration approach, including how count data is captured against part number and reel ID.

Jason Wu

Founder & CEO, Southern Machinery (Shenzhen Southern Machinery Sales And Service Co., Ltd.)

Email: jasonwu@smthelp.com / info@smthelp.com

WhatsApp: +86 13602562576

Catalog & manuals: file.autoinsertion.com | Machine photos: ph.smthelp.com

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