on-the-fly centering
Laser centering measures the components on the side. It is not affected by variations of component color or width/length so, unlike vision centering, there is no need to edit component data for different component vendors.
Since the laser is mounted on the head, it can be used to monitor the presence of components the entire time from pick to placement. This is difficult to accomplish with vacuum detection only. The placement reliability is also improved because the release of the component is confirmed after placement.