Automotive, industrial, and aerospace assemblies increasingly use connectors, relays, coils, and mechanical hardware that simply cannot be placed using standard SMT placement systems. For many, the current approach relies heavily on manual labor-driven insertion. These parts require a different approach. Here, I’ll highlight why odd-form technology is back in the spotlight and why odd-form placement equipment is becoming increasingly useful in today’s modern production environment.

The Rise in Odd-form Demand
Several market trends are driving the increase in odd-form placement requirements:

• Electrification of vehicles: High-current connectors, bus bars, and heat-dissipating modules are common in EV power distribution and battery management systems
• Industrial applications: Rugged designs for manufacturing floors and outdoor environments require components with strong mechanical integrity and resistance to vibration
• Defense and aerospace electronics: Regulatory and safety standards often mandate through-hole connections for mission-critical reliability

In many cases, these aren’t parts left over from older designs; they’re intentional design choices. The component geometry, insertion force, and solder joint reliability are driven by performance requirements.

The Limitations of Manual and General-purpose Solutions
Without dedicated placement systems, odd-form placement usually falls into one of two categories:

1. Manual insertion: This can work for prototypes or small batches, but scaling to even medium volume introduces problems such as inconsistent quality, increased labor cost, and physical demand from operators who perform high-force and/or repetitive insertions.
2. Adapted SMT machines: Though some SMT placement platforms can handle certain odd-form components, they usually cannot handle the unique feeders and nozzles required by odd-form components for accurate presentation and placement.

What Dedicated Odd-form Equipment Adds
Odd-form placement systems solve these problems by design:

• Custom tooling: Nozzles and feeders are designed to handle and present non-standard components, including asymmetrical connectors, heat sinks, or mechanical parts with delicate housings
• Insertion control: These systems are designed to measure and apply precise force during insertion, ensuring the part seats completely without causing excess stress
• Alignment: High-resolution cameras and laser-based centering systems ensure correct orientation and lead position before placement. In many instances, these systems can identify bent or misaligned leads
• Feeder versatility: The system supports tray, bowl, tube, and other custom feeders, enabling it to present a wide range of components to the machine
• Repeatability: As with most automated equipment, once programmed, the process is identical across shifts and production runs, eliminating variability from human operators
• Inline placement: Many systems are designed to slot directly into production lines, positioned before selective soldering to minimize handling of the assembly
• Space reduction: Systems are compact and can eliminate space-consuming slide lines and manual workstations

The ROI extends beyond labor savings. Reduced rework, improved quality, and the ability to accept more complex customer assemblies all factor into ROI.

When Odd-form Automation Doesn’t Make Sense
While the benefits of dedicated odd-form equipment are substantial, they’re not universal. In certain cases, the return on investment can be harder to justify. Typically, high-mix, low-volume production environments have a harder time justifying odd-form automation.

When dealing with a high array of odd-form components without substantial volume, the cost of custom feeders and nozzles can outweigh the efficiency gain and labor reallocation. Of course, there are exceptions, but if an odd-form component appears only occasionally in a product portfolio, the expense of automating is usually not practical. In these situations, manual or semi-automated solutions may be more cost-effective, even if they lack the throughput and consistency of full automation.

Best Candidates for Automation
As noted above, not every component on a board is worth automating. Ideal candidates include:

• High-volume, repetitive builds: Sustained production volumes make investments in custom tooling easier to justify
• Physically demanding insertions: Parts requiring significant force to seat can cause operator fatigue and potential product damage, making them better suited for automation
• Components with high defect rates: Parts that cause expensive rework or scrap when placed improperly are ideal candidates
• Multi-lead, orientation-critical parts: Components that require tight rotational accuracy or complex lead alignment benefit from vision or laser-assisted placement

By focusing automation efforts on these sweet-spot components, manufacturers can maximize ROI while keeping equipment usage high.

Conclusion: Odd-form Automation as a Strategic Capability
The capital investment required for dedicated odd-form placement technology is substantial, making careful application review essential. When applied to continuous high-volume production or components whose quality directly influences overall product performance, the return on investment can be rapid

In an era where speed and miniaturization dominate marketing, the ability to automate and place large, irregular, and mechanically critical components can become a key differentiator.

This column originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine.