Abstract: A placement force sensor for pick-and-place devices for picking and placing components onto substrates includes a component gripper arranged on a holder. A force sensor is further arranged between the holder and the component gripper), so that the placement force with which the component is placed onto the substrate can be sensed directly by the force sensor. Very small moving masses achieve high measuring accuracy and reliability of the placement force sensor. The provision of a spring in the flux of force between the component gripper and the holder allows the accuracy to be increased even further.