I&#x27;m not 100% certain but I&#x27;m pretty sure you don&#x27;t know what you&#x27;re talking about.<p>There are several types of components that require surface mounting on PCBs.  By far the most common are things like resistors &amp; capacitors that are machine placeable.  But others, like BGAs and through-hole components, often require hand placement because they require hand soldering and can&#x27;t go through a wave solder machine.  Additional possible complications are boards with components placed on both sides, or multi-layer boards with non-standard solder.  Finally, Debug&#x2F;Repair stations are always manual.<p>Source: Masters in operations research and 15 years experience writing factory control software for one of Foxconn&#x27;s direct competitors &amp; largest trading partners.