Odd Form Insertion Machines: Automating 10 Different THT Component Types with Two Machines | Southern Machinery

Southern Machinery's real production demo shows two odd-form insertion machines handling ten different THT component types in one mixed board program. This article explains what odd form insertion is, when it replaces manual insertion, how the workload is split across machines, and what to confirm before quoting a THT automation line.

What Is This Machine Used For?

An odd form insertion machine is a THT automation system that picks non-standard through-hole components and inserts them into a PCB automatically. "Odd form" means parts that do not come in standard axial or radial tape: transformers, relays, connectors, large electrolytic capacitors, inductors, terminal blocks and similar components with irregular bodies or lead forms. Instead of hand-loading these parts, the machine takes them from trays, tubes, bowls or customized feeders, presents each part to the insertion head, and places it into the drilled PCB hole with controlled force.

In the Southern Machinery demonstration video, two odd-form insertion machines work as one cell to insert ten different THT component types in the same board program — the kind of mixed board found in power supplies, appliance control panels, automotive electronics and industrial control units. The video is a product demo for PCB assembly planning: it shows how to reduce manual insertion work and stabilize repeatability for THT and odd-form parts. Watch the demo on YouTube.

Why Mixed THT Boards Are Hard to Automate

A board with ten different through-hole component types is exactly the board that stays on manual insertion the longest. Three things make it difficult:

Component Packaging Diversity

THT parts arrive in many different formats: bulk bags, tubes, trays, radial tape, axial tape, and reel terminals. No single feeder handles all of them, so the machine must be configured with a mix of tube feeders, tray feeders, bowl feeders and custom presentation devices that match the actual component list.

Lead and Body Geometry

Odd-form components vary in body size, lead count, lead pitch and lead span. The insertion head, gripper nozzle and clinching mechanism must be matched to the geometry of each part, and the program must confirm polarity and orientation before placement.

Board Clearance and Clinching

Components under the board, tall bodies above the board, and the need to clinch leads for mechanical strength all affect head travel, clearance and tooling. These are engineering inputs, not accessories — they must be confirmed before the machine is configured.

How Two Machines Split Ten Component Types

The demo video shows a practical line-design answer: instead of forcing one machine to handle every part, the workload is grouped by component family and feeding method, then split across two odd-form insertion machines.

• Machine 1 handles the parts that can be fed from tape, tube or tray with standard presentation.
• Machine 2 handles the remaining odd-form parts that need bowl feeders or customized feeding, plus the parts that benefit from dedicated clinching.

Splitting the workload in this way gives each machine a simpler program, shorter changeover, and a balanced cycle time across the THT section. The same logic applies whether the board mix is high-volume stable or high-mix low-volume: define the component families first, then assign machines by feeding method and insertion difficulty.

Typical Application Scenarios

Southern Machinery's odd-form insertion solutions serve electronics manufacturers in several sectors:

• Power supply and ballast makers — transformers, large electrolytic capacitors, inductors and terminal blocks on switch-mode and LED driver boards.
• Home appliance control boards — relays, connectors and power components on air conditioner, microwave, induction cooker and washing machine PCBs.
• Automotive electronics — connectors, relays and fuse holders that must meet mechanical strength requirements, where clinching matters.
• Industrial control and instrumentation — terminal blocks, fuses, optocouplers and other non-standard parts on mixed boards.
• Medical device PCBA — lower-volume, high-reliability boards where repeatable insertion quality is more important than raw speed.

These match the company's stated industries of electrical appliances, power supply, LED lighting, vehicle electronics and energy-saving lighting.

How Odd Form Insertion Fits into a Complete PCB Assembly Line

Odd form insertion is one process gate in a full SMT/THT line, not a standalone island. A typical line layout from Southern Machinery:

• SMT section — stencil printing, Pick and Place, Reflow Oven, with optional SPI and AOI for the surface-mount side.
• THT section — axial and radial insertion machines for standard components, then odd form insertion machines for transformers, connectors, relays and other non-standard parts.
• Soldering — Wave Soldering for boards with many through-hole joints, or selective soldering for mixed boards where Wave Soldering would damage nearby SMT parts.
• Post-solder process — lead cutting, cleaning and final inspection.
• Material flow — board handling conveyors, loaders and unloaders move PCBs between process gates, and MES-ready interfaces support traceability and production data collection.

Southern Machinery provides SMT, THT, Wave Soldering, board handling and inspection equipment, so the odd form insertion cell can be quoted together with the rest of the line instead of as an isolated purchase.

Key Parameters to Confirm Before Selecting an Odd Form Insertion Machine

Because every odd-form board is different, the configuration is driven by your data. Southern Machinery normally confirms the following before recommending a machine:

• PCB data — board dimensions, panelization, thickness and the clearance available above and below the board.
• Component list — every THT part with its packaging format (tray, tube, tape, bulk, reel), body size, lead pitch, lead span and polarity requirements.
• Feeding requirements — which parts need standard feeders and which need customized bowls, trays or gripper nozzles.
• Insertion and clinching needs — which joints require lead clinching for mechanical strength, and any components that must be avoided during head travel.
• Production targets — target boards per shift or per hour, changeover frequency, and the number of different board programs.
• Utilities and layout — available floor space, air pressure, power supply and any MES or data-collection requirements.

These parameters determine the feeder configuration, tooling set and program structure. Confirming them early is what separates a fast commissioning from a long debugging phase.

ROI, Quality and Capacity: What Automation Actually Changes

The business case for odd form insertion is built on three measurable effects:

• Labor reduction — one insertion machine replaces several manual insertion stations, and it does not fatigue, take breaks or slow down late in a shift.
• Repeatable quality — insertion force, position and clinching are controlled by program, so the defect pattern from hand insertion (missed pins, bent leads, wrong polarity, solder-side damage) is largely eliminated. Fewer defects mean less rework, less scrap and lower inspection cost.
• Stable throughput — cycle time is consistent and predictable, which makes line balance and delivery planning realistic.

The exact payback period depends on your volume, mix and labor cost. Southern Machinery works from your board data and output target to calculate the configuration and the expected labor saving before you commit, so the ROI case is built on your numbers, not on generic claims.

FAQ

What is an odd form insertion machine used for?

An odd form insertion machine automatically inserts non-standard through-hole components — transformers, relays, connectors, large electrolytic capacitors, terminal blocks and similar parts — into a PCB. It replaces manual insertion for components that cannot be handled by standard axial or radial insertion machines.

Can one odd form insertion machine handle 10 different component types?

Yes. In Southern Machinery's demonstration video, two odd-form insertion machines together insert ten different THT component types in one board program. The machine handles component variety through its feeder configuration, gripper nozzles and insertion programs, which is why the component list must be confirmed before configuration.

Do I need a fixture or pallet for odd form insertion?

It depends on the board. Some odd form insertion solutions support fixture-free changeover, and some boards need a carrier or specific support tooling. Board dimensions, thickness and component clearance are the parameters that determine this — they should be confirmed with the supplier during project review.

How does odd form insertion compare with manual insertion for high-mix low-volume boards?

For high-mix, low-volume work, the benefit is consistency and traceability more than raw speed: every board follows the same program, and quality does not depend on operator skill. For higher volumes, the labor saving and stable throughput dominate the ROI calculation.

Can odd form insertion machines integrate into an existing SMT/THT line?

Yes. Odd form insertion cells connect to the rest of the line through standard board handling — loaders, conveyors and unloaders — and can be placed after axial/radial insertion and before Wave Soldering or selective soldering. Southern Machinery supplies the full THT section plus SMT, Wave Soldering, board handling and inspection equipment, so integration can be quoted as one line.

What information does Southern Machinery need for a quotation?

Board dimensions and panelization, the complete THT component list with packaging formats, lead and body geometry, clearance conditions, production volume per shift, changeover frequency, and utility/layout constraints. With these inputs, Southern Machinery can propose a machine configuration, feeder set and expected labor saving.

Contact Southern Machinery for a Configuration Review

Southern Machinery Sales And Service Co., Ltd was founded in March 2011 in Shenzhen, China, and serves 237+ customers worldwide with SMT and THT PCB assembly automation equipment, spare parts and global service support. The engineering team has more than 20 years of electronics manufacturing experience and supports customers across EMS, ODM, automotive, medical and industrial electronics.

• Request a configuration: send your PCB data and component list to jasonwu@smthelp.com or call +86 13602562576.
• Browse product catalogs and PDFs: file.autoinsertion.com
• See machine photos: ph.smthelp.com
• Watch the demo: Two odd form insertion machines solve 10 different THT components

Whether you are replacing manual insertion on one board or planning a complete THT line, start with the component list — that is the data that decides everything else.