Apparatus and method for automatically setting, calibrating and monitoring or measuring pickup head position and force during component pickup operations

A method of calibrating a vertical position of a component pickup assembly in accordance with a predetermined threshold compressive force exerted on a component by a carrier or support surface during a component retrieval process, the method comprising:

• linking a sensor to a controller;
• providing the component pickup assembly comprising a reference structure, a housing, and a spring guide holder coupled to a suction tip and a resilient member residing within the housing and reference structure;
• spacing the spring guide holder and the housing from each other to define a variable first gap thereinbetween;
• forming a gate comprising the reference structure and a sheath located on the housing;
• spacing the reference structure from the housing to define a variable second gap thereinbetween;
• providing a detection structure located within the variable second gap by which the sensor is able to detect portions of the detection structure;
• and
• correlating a detected portion of the detection structure at the variable second gap that is sized to a variable first gap height, wherein the variable first gap height is correlated to the predetermined threshold compressive force exerted on the component by the carrier or support surface during the component retrieval process.