Your feeders aren’t wearing out. But are you missing out?
If you haven't updated your Agilis feeders in quite some time, you may be missing some major technology updates.
Mycronic Agilis feeders are designed to last for decades. But while your feeders have kept running, feeder technology has continued to evolve. Find out what's new. Today's SMT manufacturers are focused on reducing changeover downtime, improving feeder reliability, minimizing miss-picks, and supporting higher production quality through smarter material handling.
Most electronics manufacturers replace equipment when it becomes unreliable. Agilis users often face the opposite situation.
Many feeders installed 10, 15, or even 20 years ago are still supporting production every day. Their durability, reliability and maintenance-free design have earned a reputation for helping manufacturers keep production moving year after year.
And while those feeders have continued to run, manufacturing requirements have changed. Board complexity has increased. Quality expectations have tightened. Production teams are under constant pressure to improve throughput, minimize waste, and reduce variation. But feeder technology hasn't stood still.
Built to last and engineered to keep improving
Many production teams focus on optimizing placement speed, reducing setup time, and eliminating feeder-related interruptions. Yet feeders are often overlooked because they continue to perform reliably year after year. Their maintenance-free design, long service life and proven durability mean many customers continue running feeders purchased years ago.
That's a testament to the product and manufacturer. But exceptional longevity can create an unintended consequence. When equipment continues to perform reliably, evaluating upgrades can often move down the priority list. The result is that many manufacturers may not realize how much feeder technology has evolved over the past decade.
So what has changed?
Over the years, Mycronic has continued refining Agilis feeder technology to address some of the most common challenges in SMT production, including setup efficiency, feeder reliability, tape handling consistency, and changeover performance. Recent developments are the Agilis 8mm Revision A feeder and the Agilis Flex Generation 2.
Enhancements include:
- Improved pickup reliability
- Reduced reject rates
- Lower tape friction
- Improved tape handling
- Greater robustness in demanding production environments
- Support for faster, more predictable changeovers
These improvements were not developed in a laboratory to solve theoretical problems. They were developed to address the production challenges manufacturers face every day on real SMT lines.
Seeing customers using the Agilis feeders in their daily work is truly rewarding for me as someone working in R&D. It enables almost any operator to learn to handle it in seconds. The A-feeder and Flex Feeder Gen2 carry over 20 years of accumulated insight, and they're the most robust feeders we've ever made, particularly in combination with the new Flex Bins. The whole concept of cost-effective feeders and bins makes it so easy to do fast changeovers, without ever being limited by the availability of accessories.
The real question is how well your feeders perform today
A feeder purchased 10, 15 or even 20 years ago may still be supporting production every day. For Agilis users, that's not unusual.
But feeder age isn't the metric that matters. Performance is. In today's manufacturing environment, operators, production managers, and business owners are under constant pressure to increase throughput, improve first-pass yield, and reduce variation. Every placement matters. Every reject matters.
That's why the conversation around feeder technology has changed. The question is no longer: Do my feeders still work? The question is:
Are my feeders delivering the best possible performance for my operation today?
Over the years, Mycronic has continued to refine the Agilis platform through engineering improvements focused on pickup reliability, durability and consistent material presentation. The impact can be measurable.
In one documented customer implementation, a European manufacturer reduced reject rates from 1.0% to 0.1% for 0402 packages, from 1.6% to 0.1% for 0603 packages and from 0.24% to 0.01% for 0805 packages after adopting Agilis 8mm Revision A feeders.
These results highlight an important reality.
Even when a feeder continues to operate reliably, years of engineering improvements can create opportunities for meaningful quality and performance gains. For manufacturers focused on increasing yield, improving consistency, and reducing production risk, feeder technology deserves the same level of evaluation as machines, software and inspection systems. Because when a feeder has already proven it can last for decades, the next question becomes:
What could decades of engineering improvements help you achieve today?
Agilis is built for real production. We see feeders running daily for decades with minimal maintenance, which says a lot about their durability. At the same time, we keep refining the design, so customers get the best of both worlds, proven reliability and continuous improvement. With Agilis Flex Generation 2, we've strengthened the solution further, adding upgraded feeders and support for larger reels. The result is a flexible, robust setup that simply runs, day after day.
Summary
The durability of Agilis feeders remains one of their greatest strengths. But durability should not be confused with stagnation.
Many manufacturers continue to rely on Agilis feeders installed years ago because they still perform reliably. That's exactly what they were designed to do. At the same time, Mycronic has continued to invest in engineering improvements that help manufacturers improve quality, consistency, and operational performance.
If your feeders have been supporting production for years, now may be the right time to evaluate what those improvements could mean for your operation.
Running Agilis feeders purchased years ago? Contact Mycronic to learn how current-generation Agilis feeder technology could help improve performance, reduce rejects and support your production goals.
If your Agilis feeders have been supporting production for 10, 15 or even 20 years, now may be the time to see what today's engineering improvements could mean for your operation. Take the next steps to see what's possible: