Tweezers for SMD component placement recommendations

[Scottjd]

I was looking for some feedback on ESD and antimagnetic tweezers to use for placing SMD parts in n the PCB. I have my cheap set, but want to get something nicer and hear that tweezers can make a big difference. I mostly deal with 1206 and 0805 parts currently with the occasional smaller parts like 0603 and rarely some 0402.
I have a tremor in my hands that will shake worse when applying pressure with my muscles from a muscle  disease. So something that has a light touch with the fingers but still has decent pressure for hold and control the part placement.
I am considering this to start with:
 http://www.amazon.com/Wiha-44501-Professional-Dissipative-Allergenic/dp/B0009K3IAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441451265&sr=8-1&keywords=Wiha-44501-Professional-Dissipative-Allergenic

And would also like to get one with a gonzo nose bent down so when my hand is at an angle I can keep the points of the tweezers pointing down.
I would say my budget is middle of the road, somewhere around $20 to $25 for each one. Bit for that cost it would be nice to have something that won't bend easy with a good harness scale rating so they last me a long time. I don't mind spending money on a good tool for the job to make the job easier, as long as they are also quality and last.

And thoughts, ideas, personal experience  and recommendations are welcomed.

[VK5RC]

I use medical splinter forceps/tweezers,  the shaft is quite sturdy,  so it doesn't flex much (and store energy)  to jettison the part to the carpet!  They are not angled but it hasn't worried me. 

Edit; I bought a spare set recently, the ones below. not bad but a little firm to squeeze.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/361244329310?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[krivx]

If you have difficulty squeezing and holding steady I would try some reverse action tweezers. They are closed by default and open under a squeezing motion. They can also be more comfortable if you need to hold a part for longer periods of time.

http://www.wihatools.com/000twez/twreverse%20action.htm

[Gyro]

I have similar problems after brain surgery. I find that the shorter the tweezers the better, they feel more like having my hand with very fine fingers (if you can follow that) and tremor doesn't get magnified by the extra length. The ones I use are:

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/tweezers/2386176/

Because they are small, with fine tips, it means that I am holding them closer to the points than with longer ones, so more of the finger pressure is transferred.

If you prefer the bent tip ones there are:

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/tweezers/2386227/

But personally I prefer the straight ones held at an angle.

Allied Electronics are the US partners of RS but I couldn't see them using the same part numbers. You might be able to track them down from the product photos though.

Edit: the bent tip tweezers are 115mm vs 90mm for the straight ones.
       Ah... Allied do stock them if you search for Venus OC9 (straight) or Venus 7A (bent).

[nanofrog]

For a basic set, I'd go with:

• 5.SA
• 7.SA (this and above as a bare minimum)
• 00.SA (add this if possible)

from a quality manufacturer (Swiss, German, Italian, in this order as a general rule IME). The special shapes certainly have their use, such as the reverse action (these are quite useful), but won't be used as often, and quality brands aren't cheap as you've noticed.

Brands include Ideal-Tek, Dumont, Erem, Regine, Rubis (all Swiss; be careful with Erem as they do have economy lines @ lesser quality that are made elsewhere). There's also VOMM (German), which is the ODM for Wiha. Italian production is usually found from rebranding companies such as Excelta.

[zapta]

I have a tremor in my hands that will shake worse when applying pressure with my muscles from a muscle  disease.

Have you considered vacuum pickup?  It doesn't require applying pressure and with a foot pedal it's even more stable.

I am using this one http://www.artbeads.com/tool-0052.html  with a foot pedal that turns it on when I press. I was able to go down to 0402 with no problem (use finer needle for smaller parts).

As for tweezers, I recommend the stubby ones (sometimes called 'strong') such as the Excelta 00-SA-ET. They are more stable with no lateral play so the parts wouldn't 'fly'.

I also find a cheap ebay stereo microscope to be very useful with smd components. You really see what's going on, during placement, soldering and rework.

[zapta]

Another option is to build or buy a manual pick and place tool like this one



http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:385567

[BFX]

VENUS 7-SA are excellent and here is for a nice price https://www.lashsolutions.co.uk/116-vetus-tweezers-7-sa-type.html 

[nanofrog]

VENUS 7-SA are excellent and here is for a nice price https://www.lashsolutions.co.uk/116-vetus-tweezers-7-sa-type.html 

FWIW, your link is to a counterfeit (Vetus, which is Chinese, not VENUS, which is made by Regine in Switzerland). The genuine article will be north of 20GBP.

[donkey77]

I'm not sure if they are ESD safe enough for you but I have a set of these and have found them nice to use http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/tweezer-sets/3613097/

[nanofrog]

I'm not sure if they are ESD safe enough for you but I have a set of these and have found them nice to use http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/tweezer-sets/3613097/

So long as you're grounded for ESD (wrist strap), they are ESD compliant (or any tool that's ESD compliant for that matter, whether it's bare metal or has a resistive coating/handle). 

As it happens, those Lindstrom tweezers are made by Ideal-Tek, and are ~ half the price of their usual price from what I've seen of UK pricing. 

[KL27x]

Yeah, you'd think ESD-safe wouldn't be such a selling point for EE's.

Even ESD-safe soldering irons, IMO, at a total marketing gimmick. The first time you touch a non-grounded iron to a ground, any charge will be dissipated. If you are going to rework a populated board, all you have to do is touch the tip of the iron to a ground strap, first... and if you're concerned about ESD, you'll have a ground handy, right? (If your board isn't attached to a ground strap, then your grounded, ESD-safe iron is as much an ESD hazard as a non-grounded iron, anyway! Actually it's more of a danger, because the grounded tip is an infinite sink, vs a randomly charged tiny sink/source.)

I prefer an ungrounded iron, because when debugging/repairing, sometimes I am intentionally soldering on something that is still plugged in! (Maybe not to MAINS, but something plugged into a USB port, or the like.)

For tweezers for SMD, the buzz word you should be looking for is "non-magnetic."

[Scottjd]

I want to thank all for the replies and suggestions. I did originally order a set of ESD non-magnetic VETUS I think they were called. Later once receiving them found out they were fakes, in fact I count find the real thing on Amazon or eBay be jade of how many fakes are being made.
The tip alignment wasn't bad, but missing chips in the ESD paint that I was able to complete a circuit with a continuity tester confirmed my suspicion. I did confirm with a microwave magnet and earth magnets from hard drives that they are non-magnetic.

So I Was originally going to return them, that is until I remembered that I installed nice hi temp rubber ESD matts on both benches with the proper 1 Ohm wrist straps. So for $7 I will keep them for the cheaper use and will still get a nice set from one of the recommendations. Thanks to the person who mentioned properly grounded bench matts, even a cheap knock off non-magnetic set will now have a use.

I also forgot about the IC chip vacume that came with my rework station, mostly the vacume is hooked up to the iron for smoke extraction. Thanks to the person who mentioned the pump.

I do have one nice tweezer bought a year ago for doing led positioning on MCPCB, but I don't think they are non-magnetic.

So off I go on a search for 2 more nice tweezers that will cover my needs. I'll use the cheap fake set to get a feel for what style will work for me the best as a starting point.

[Scottjd]

Thank you, I forgot I can use my rework station, it came with a vacume hose attachment and different size suction ends.

I have a tremor in my hands that will shake worse when applying pressure with my muscles from a muscle  disease.

Have you considered vacuum pickup?  It doesn't require applying pressure and with a foot pedal it's even more stable.

I am using this one http://www.artbeads.com/tool-0052.html  with a foot pedal that turns it on when I press. I was able to go down to 0402 with no problem (use finer needle for smaller parts).

As for tweezers, I recommend the stubby ones (sometimes called 'strong') such as the Excelta 00-SA-ET. They are more stable with no lateral play so the parts wouldn't 'fly'.

I also find a cheap ebay stereo microscope to be very useful with smd components. You really see what's going on, during placement, soldering and rework.

[Scottjd]

Nice, this is something I may eventually do since I do own a 3D printer.

I love the cheap $5 microscope 5mp camera he uses in the second video, maybe because I already bought that same one and use on a 22" flat panel monitor. But the idea of the rails and using it with rails is great.
Just need a second hook up or separate rig on rails for applying the solder paste and life would be good.

Another option is to build or buy a manual pick and place tool like this one



http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:385567

[Scottjd]

And yet somehow I over looked this basic fact even after installing 2 very nice rubber high temp resistant ESD matts on both of my benches. 
I thought of this after my post, then you reminded me again with your post.
Thanks 

I'm not sure if they are ESD safe enough for you but I have a set of these and have found them nice to use http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/tweezer-sets/3613097/

So long as you're grounded for ESD (wrist strap), they are ESD compliant (or any tool that's ESD compliant for that matter, whether it's bare metal or has a resistive coating/handle). 

As it happens, those Lindstrom tweezers are made by Ideal-Tek, and are ~ half the price of their usual price from what I've seen of UK pricing.