Robbins

Summary

Robbins is an open source company that manufactures precision tools for electronics assembly, specifically vacuum pump tools designed for picking and placing surface mount components. The company provided Sean Hodgins with one of their vacuum pickup tools, which proved valuable for handling the small SMT components required in manual circuit board assembly work. In the episode "GPS Has a Secret Job," the Robbins vacuum pump was demonstrated during a surface mount soldering tutorial session where Sean Hodgins taught Jeff Geerling to assemble his first surface mount circuit board.

Details

The Robbins vacuum pump tool is specifically designed for the precise task of picking and placing surface mount technology (SMT) components during manual electronics assembly. These components are typically very small and difficult to handle with traditional tools, making the vacuum pickup method an effective solution for hobbyists and professionals working on circuit board assembly.

Sean acknowledged during the episode that while the company had given him the tool "a while ago," he hadn't featured it prominently in his previous video content. Despite the lack of previous coverage, he confirmed the tool's practical utility for electronics work. As an open source company, Robbins aligns with the maker and DIY electronics community values that characterize much of Sean's content.

The vacuum pump operates by creating suction that allows the user to pick up tiny electronic components and position them accurately on circuit boards before soldering. This is particularly crucial for surface mount soldering work, where component placement precision directly affects the success of the assembly.

"So this is the vacuum pump. It's an open source. Company's called Robbins. Gave it to me a while ago. I haven't really showed it too much in the video, but it's it's really useful."

History

GPS Has a Secret Job

The Robbins vacuum pump tool was featured during the Surface Mount Soldering Tutorial segment of this episode. Sean Hodgins used the tool as part of demonstrating the proper techniques for assembling surface mount circuit boards to Jeff Geerling, who was soldering his first surface mount board. Sean's mention of the tool served both as a practical demonstration of its utility and an acknowledgment that he had not given the Robbins company sufficient exposure in his previous content despite having received the tool some time earlier.