Shenzhen · SMT + THT Automation since 2011
LED Lighting · Mass Production Playbook

1.2 Million LED Tubes / Month —
A Battle-Tested SMT Solution

A high-efficiency, cost-effective Surface Mount production line designed for LED tube PCBA at scale. From PCB loader to Reflow Oven, every station is engineered for uptime, yield, and ROI — built on Southern Machinery's Shenzhen manufacturing DNA.

0pcs/mo
Target Output
0pcs/h
Line Capacity
0%
First-Pass Yield Goal
0mo
Typical Payback
The Challenge

Why LED Tube PCBA Is Tricky at Scale

LED tubes look simple — a long, narrow aluminum or FR-4 strip populated with SMD LED chips, drivers, and connectors. But at 1.2M units per month, every micro-stop on the line costs thousands of dollars.

01

Long-Board Handling

LED tube PCBs run 600–1500 mm. Standard SMT conveyors don't love that. You need stable rails, dual-side support, and proper transfer at every station.

02

Thermal-Sensitive MCPCB

White solder-mask FR-4 or aluminum MCPCB. Excess heat in Reflow Oven causes LED color shift and delamination. Profile must be tight, repeatable, and lead-free.

03

Component Mix

2835/3030 LED chips (huge volumes), plus resistors, capacitors, IC drivers, and end-cap connectors. High-Speed Pick and Place for chips + multi-function placement for the rest.

The Math

Sizing the Line for 1.2M pcs / Month

No guesswork. We back-calculate from the target output, working hours, and an OEE target of 85%. Here's how the configuration falls into place.

2,400pcs / hour

Required theoretical Pick and Place throughput to hit the 1.2M / month target with 2 shifts × 10 h × 25 days.

Monthly target1,200,000 pcs
Working days / month25
Shifts × hours / day2 × 10 h
OEE assumption85%
CPH required per machine (×2)~30,000 CPH
CPH_required = Target ÷ (Days × Shifts × Hours × OEE)
          = 1,200,000 ÷ (25 × 20 × 0.85)
          ≈ 2,824 pcs/h

Per machine (2× Pick and Place)
          ≈ 2,824 ÷ 0.9 headroom
          ≈ 30,000 CPH total

→ A pair of high-speed chip shooters covers it
   with a healthy 20%+ growth headroom.
The Line

From Loader to AOI — End to End

A complete SMT front-end for LED tube PCBA. Every station picked to balance throughput, footprint, and CapEx. Optional THT / Wave Soldering modules integrate for driver boards and end-cap connectors.

Loader Magazine SM-Loader Stencil Printer SM-P3 / P5 Pick & Place High-Speed ×2 ~30,000 CPH SM-800 Series SPI Solder Paste SM-SPI Reflow Oven 8–10 zones Lead-free profile SM-Reflow 8ZL AOI Inline SM-AOI 2D Unloader NG/OK SM-UL THT Insertion + Wave Soldering (driver PCB) S-3000 / S-70LD + S-WS450 · integrated off-line SMT FRONT-END · LED TUBE LINE Loader → Printer → Pick and Place → SPI → Reflow Oven → AOI → Unloader
Equipment

Selected Modules & Key Specs

Models below are representative — final selection is tailored to your PCB size, component mix, and budget. We can also split between budget / standard / high-end configurations.

High-Speed Pick and Place SM-800

Two units in line — split feed from chip shooter to multi-function for the rest of the BOM.

  • ~30,000 CPH combined (IPC 9850 optimum)
  • Supports 0201 / 0402 / 0603 chips + LED 2835/3030/5050
  • Multi-Feeder banks, electric Feeder for fast changeover
  • Auto Nozzle changer (8–12 Nozzle slots)
  • Vision alignment ±0.04 mm

Stencil Printer SM-P3 / P5

Auto solder paste printing with squeegee pressure control and stencil cleaning.

  • PCB size up to 1200 × 300 mm (LED-tube friendly)
  • ±0.025 mm printing accuracy
  • Auto stencil wipe + wet/dry/vacuum cycle

Reflow Oven SM-Reflow 8ZL

Lead-free, low-thermal-stress profile tailored for white FR-4 and aluminum MCPCB.

  • 8–10 heated zones + cooling
  • Peak 245–250 °C, profile repeatability ±2 °C
  • N₂ option available for high-reliability lines

SPI · AOI · Handling SM-series

Inline inspection to catch defects before they cost you re-work or warranty.

  • SPI: 3D solder paste volume / height / area
  • AOI: post-Reflow defect detection, false-call <0.3%
  • Loaders, Unloaders, conveyors, NG/OK buffer, magazine rack

THT Insertion S-3000 / S-70LD

For the driver PCB and end-cap connectors. Optional, off-line from the LED strip line.

  • Radial + Axial insertion
  • Odd-form / connector insertion with S-70LD
  • Up to 14,000 CPH

Wave Soldering S-WS450

Lead-free Wave Soldering for driver PCBs with through-hole components.

  • Dual-wave + selective nozzle options
  • N₂ atmosphere available
  • Stable 250 °C lead-free process window
Why Southern Machinery

Shenzhen Speed, Global Support

Southern Machinery (Shenzhen, founded 2011) designs, builds, and ships complete SMT + THT + Wave Soldering lines. We are the source factory — no middleman, no inflated Japanese-style markup.

30–50%
CapEx saved vs. Japanese brands
2h
Inquiry response, same-day quote
1-stop
SMT + THT + Wave + Handling
CE
EU-certified, global service

Full-line integration, not just a single machine. From the SMT front-end to THT / Wave Soldering and board handling, you get one accountable supplier and one warranty — plus a complete spare-parts and training package. MES / barcode / traceability integration available.

Next Step

Ready to Validate Your Line Configuration?

Send us your PCB size, component list, and current monthly output. We will return a tailored line layout, cycle-time calculation, and indicative pricing within one business day.

Visit www.SMThelp.com →
Q1 — Current State: What is your existing line's first-pass yield on LED tube PCBA, and how much of your throughput is currently lost to manual insertion or re-work on driver boards?
Q2 — Growth & Pain: At your current run-rate, where is the biggest bottleneck — Pick and Place capacity, Reflow Oven profile stability, or end-of-line labor cost for THT connectors?