Editorial Technical Reference

Automated high-speed SMT chip mounter: choosing multi-nozzle rotary or in-line placement heads

High-speed multi-nozzle chip mounters · Rotary versus in-line heads, CPH under optimum conditions, component range per head, accuracy at Cpk ≥ 1.0 and feeder capacity

This page covers automated high-speed chip mounters, the in-line placement machines that pick parts from tape feeders with multi-nozzle heads and place them on PCBs at tens of thousands of components per hour. Ask three things first: which head type the speed figure is for and under what conditions, which component sizes and heights that head can place, and what accuracy, feeder capacity and board size come with that configuration.

High-speed automated SMT placement machines (chip mounters) with multi-nozzle rotary or in-line heads, compared by head type, rated speed, component range and accuracy. Surface-mount placement machines as a whole, including single machines and modular lines of all speeds, are covered on the Surface mount technology (SMT) pick-and-place machine page. Solder paste printers, reflow ovens, inspection machines and used or refurbished machine trading are outside this page.

CNFX editorial research · Sources checked October 12, 2026 · 3 sources

Choose the head for your parts Read speed and accuracy ratings

Illustration of an in-line SMT placement machine with a multi-nozzle placement head above PCBs on a conveyor, three tape-feeder banks at the front and a touchscreen on the left — Illustration: in-line SMT placement machine with a multi-nozzle head and feeder banks

Start with your task

Choose the head for your partsRotary, in-line or odd-shape heads. Read speed and accuracy ratingsOptimum conditions, Cpk and beams.

Choose the placement head for your component mix

On one machine the head sets both speed and the parts it can place. Yamaha's YRM20 specification lists three heads: a super high-speed rotary RM head with 18 nozzles for 0201 mm to W12 × L12 mm parts up to 6.5 mm high; a high-speed general-purpose in-line HM head with 10 nozzles for 0201 mm to W55 × L100 mm up to 15 mm; and an odd-shaped component in-line FM (flexible-multi) head with 5 nozzles for 03015 mm to W55 × L100 mm up to 30 mm. Under optimum conditions in high production mode, it rates them at 115,000, 98,000 and 35,000 CPH on two beams, and 57,500, 49,000 and 17,500 CPH on one beam. [1]

Editorial calculation: per nozzle on one beam, the RM head's 57,500 CPH is about 3,190 placements an hour per nozzle, the HM head's 49,000 is 4,900 and the FM head's 17,500 is 3,500; at 115,000 CPH the machine places one component every 3,600 ÷ 115,000 ≈ 0.031 s. The rotary head's speed comes from nozzle count, while its component range stops at 12 × 12 mm and 6.5 mm height. [1]

Yamaha's earlier YSM20R lists an HM head for 0201 mm to W55 × L100 mm up to 15 mm high and an FM head for 03015 mm to W55 × L100 mm up to 28 mm, with 95,000 CPH from two HM heads on two beams under optimum conditions; Yamaha's page marks the YSM20R as a discontinued product. [2] Editorial calculation: the YRM20's 98,000 CPH with two HM heads is about 3% above the YSM20R's 95,000. [1] [2]

Give the supplier your bill of materials by package (smallest chip, largest IC, tallest part), placements per board, boards per hour, board size and panelisation, and the feeder types you already own.

Read speed and accuracy ratings with their conditions

Speed and accuracy figures are stated for the supplier's own conditions. Yamaha gives YRM20 mounting accuracy in high-accuracy mode of ±0.025 mm (RM head) and ±0.035 mm (HM and FM heads) at Cpk ≥ 1.0 under optimum conditions, and YSM20R accuracy of ±0.035 mm (±0.025 mm) Cpk ≥ 1.0 (3σ) under optimum conditions with standard evaluation materials. [1] [2]

Charmhigh lists its TM08 with 8 heads and a 31-position automatic nozzle changer at 35,000 CPH "best Condition Under Our Company", with CPK detection at (XY) ±0.05 mm and CPK ≥ 1.0, support for 80 Fuji NXT electric feeders, components from 0201 to 36 × 36 mm and up to 12 mm high, one IC camera (36 × 36 mm), eight flying cameras (16 × 16 mm) and two mark cameras. [3] Editorial calculation: 35,000 CPH over 8 heads is about 4,380 placements an hour per head.

Editorial note: both makers state speed under their own optimum conditions, so ask each for a placement-time study on your own board, or for the rate measured by the same method on each machine, before comparing machines on CPH alone.

Yamaha YRM20 head options and Charmhigh TM08 speeds

Compare speed, accuracy and component range for the same head configuration.

Machine and head	Published speed	Range, accuracy and size
Yamaha YRM20, RM head ×2	115,000 CPH (2-beam, optimum conditions). [1]	0201–12 × 12 mm, ≤6.5 mm; ±0.025 mm Cpk ≥ 1.0. [1]
Yamaha YRM20, HM head ×2	98,000 CPH (2-beam). [1]	0201–55 × 100 mm, ≤15 mm; ±0.035 mm. [1]
Yamaha YRM20, FM head ×2	35,000 CPH (2-beam). [1]	03015–55 × 100 mm, ≤30 mm; ±0.035 mm. [1]
Yamaha YSM20R (discontinued), HM ×2	95,000 CPH (2-beam). [2]	0201–55 × 100 mm; ±0.035 (±0.025) mm. [2]
Charmhigh TM08, 8 heads	35,000 CPH (maker's best condition). [3]	0201–36 × 36 mm, ≤12 mm; ±0.05 mm CPK ≥ 1.0. [3]

Placement heads, beams, feeder bank, vision and nozzle changer on a high-speed mounter

Module	Role	Fix in the order
Placement heads	Rotary or in-line multi-nozzle heads set speed and part range. [1]	Head type and count.
Beams (gantries)	One or two beams; rated speed doubles from 1 to 2 beams on the YRM20. [1]	Beam count.
Feeder bank	Max. 128 types (32 feeders × 4) on feeder carriage exchange; 80 NXT feeders on the TM08. [1] [3]	Feeder count and type.
Vision	IC, flying and mark cameras on the TM08. [3]	Camera fields of view.
Nozzle changer	31-position automatic nozzle library on the TM08. [3]	Nozzle set.
Conveyor	Single lane or dual stage; 1- or 2-PCB conveyance. [1]	Lane configuration.

Placement speed, accuracy, feeder slots and board size behind a mounter quotation

Field	What it means and published values	Ask the supplier for
Placement Speed (CPH)	35,000–115,000 CPH under optimum conditions by head and beams. [1] [3]	Rate on your board.
Placement Accuracy (µm)	±25–35 µm Cpk ≥ 1.0 (Yamaha); ±50 µm CPK ≥ 1.0 (Charmhigh). [1] [3]	Accuracy, Cpk and test method.
Number of Feeders (slots)	Max. 128 types; 80 NXT feeders. [1] [3]	Slots in 8 mm equivalents.
PCB Size (Max) (mm)	L810 × W510 mm (YRM20 option); 600 × 350 mm, 1,200 × 350 option (TM08). [1] [3]	Size per lane.
Component Size Range (mm)	0201 mm to W55 × L100 mm by head. [1]	Range per head.
Vision Cameras (units)	1 IC, 8 flying, 2 mark (TM08). [3]	Cameras and fields.
Operating Pressure (MPa)	0.45 MPa or more, clean and dry (Yamaha). [1]	Air pressure and flow.
Power Supply (V AC)	3-phase AC 200–416 V ±10% (Yamaha); AC 220 V single phase (TM08). [1] [3]	Voltage and phase.
Power Consumption (kW)	Electrical load.	kVA rating.
Operating Temperature (°C)	Room conditions.	Range.
Operating Humidity (%RH)	Room conditions.	Range.
Ingress Protection	Enclosure.	Rating.
Machine Weight (kg)	About 2,150–2,250 kg main unit (YRM20); 1,470 kg net (TM08). [1] [3]	Weight and floor load.
Footprint (L×W×H) (mm)	1,374 × 1,948 × 1,445 mm (YRM20); 1,280 × 1,580 × 1,500 mm (TM08). [1] [3]	Size with feeders.

Send the board, parts and throughput requirements together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Boards: [size; panelisation; thickness]
Parts: [smallest chip; largest IC; tallest part]
Volume: [placements per board; boards per hour]
Feeders: [types owned; slots needed]
Accuracy: [requirement; Cpk]
Utilities: [voltage; phase; air]

See manufacturer records Send an enquiry through CNFX

Buyer questions

Why do chip mounter speeds differ for the same machine?

The head changes it: Yamaha rates the YRM20 at 115,000 CPH with 18-nozzle rotary heads, 98,000 with 10-nozzle in-line heads and 35,000 with 5-nozzle odd-shape heads on two beams, under optimum conditions. [1]

How accurate are high-speed chip mounters?

Yamaha lists ±0.025–0.035 mm at Cpk ≥ 1.0 under optimum conditions; Charmhigh lists ±0.05 mm at CPK ≥ 1.0 for its TM08. [1] [3]

What does a rotary head trade for speed?

On the YRM20 the rotary RM head places 0201 mm to 12 × 12 mm parts up to 6.5 mm high, while the in-line HM head reaches 55 × 100 mm and 15 mm. [1]

Sources and what still needs a direct check

Sources checked 2026-10-12. Yamaha and Charmhigh publish their own machine specifications; all speed and accuracy figures are under each maker's stated conditions.

Yamaha Motor — YRM20 surface mounter specifications ↗ Maker specifications Return to text ↑
Yamaha Motor — Z:LEX YSM20R specifications (discontinued product) ↗ Maker specifications Return to text ↑
Charmhigh — TM08 SMT chip mounter placement machine ↗ Maker product page Return to text ↑

Still to check yourself

Confirm which head and beam configuration a speed figure applies to.
Check the component range and height for each head.
Obtain a placement-time study on your board.
Confirm feeder capacity and feeder type.
Verify the legal supplier and factory.