| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080250950 | Method and apparatus for calibrating print head pressure and applying an accurate print pressure during production - A stencil printer includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, a substrate support coupled to the frame to support a substrate in a print position, and a print head, coupled to the frame, to deposit and print viscous material over the stencil. The print head includes a squeegee assembly having at least one squeegee blade and a squeegee blade movement mechanism configured to move the squeegee blade from a raised position in which the squeegee blade is spaced from stencil and a lowered position in which the squeegee blade engages and applies a force on the stencil. The print head further has a device to detect a first reference point associated with a first force of the squeegee blade against the stencil and a second reference point associated with a second force of the squeegee blade against the stencil when moving the squeegee blade to the lowered position in which the squeegee blade engages and applies a force on the stencil. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090205518 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AN ACCURATE PRINT PRESSURE DURING PRODUCTION - A stencil printer includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, a substrate support coupled to the frame to support a substrate in a print position, and a print head, coupled to the frame, to deposit and print viscous material over the stencil. The print head may include a squeegee blade configured to engage the stencil, a squeegee blade mount configured to house the squeegee blade, a squeegee blade movement mechanism configured to move the squeegee blade mount in a z-axis direction from a raised position in which the squeegee blade is spaced from stencil and a lowered position in which the squeegee blade engages and applies a force on the stencil, and a connector configured to pivotally connect the squeegee blade mount to the squeegee blade movement mechanism. The connector may include a load cell configured to measure force of the squeegee blade against the stencil. Other embodiments and related methods are further disclosed. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090255426 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLACING SUBSTRATE SUPPORT COMPONENTS - An apparatus for depositing viscous material on an electronic substrate includes a frame, a dispensing unit coupled to the frame, and a substrate support assembly coupled to the frame. The substrate support assembly includes a plurality of support elements, a table coupled to the frame. The table has a support surface to support at least one support element of the plurality of support elements, and a marking device coupled to the frame. The apparatus further includes an imaging system coupled to the frame. The imaging system is configured to capture images of the support surface of the table. A controller is coupled to at least the marking device and the imaging system, and configured to manipulate the marking device to mark the support surface of the table on predetermined positions and to manipulate the imaging system to verify whether the marks on the support surface of the table are accurate. Embodiments of the apparatus and related methods are further disclosed. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100122633 | VERTICALLY SEPARATED PASS THROUGH CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD IN SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY PROCESS EQUIPMENT - Disclosed herein is an apparatus for depositing viscous material on an electronic substrate. The apparatus comprises a frame, an assembly material applicator coupled to the frame and configured to apply assembly material to the electronic substrate, a substrate support assembly, coupled to the frame, configured to support and secure the electronic substrate in a material application position, and a transport system, coupled to the frame, to shuttle electronic substrates to and from the substrate support assembly, the transport system including an upper track and a lower track disposed below the upper track. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100122634 | VERTICALLY SEPARATED PASS THROUGH CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD IN SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY PROCESS EQUIPMENT - Disclosed herein is an apparatus for depositing viscous material on an electronic substrate. The apparatus comprises a frame, an assembly material applicator coupled to the frame and configured to apply assembly material to the electronic substrate, a substrate support assembly, coupled to the frame, configured to support and secure the electronic substrate in a print position, and a transport system, coupled to the frame, to shuttle electronic substrates to and from the substrate support assembly, the transport system including a first track and a second track, the first track being mounted on a first displacement mechanism and the second track being mounted on a second displacement mechanism configured to laterally move the second track relative to the first track, the second displacement mechanism configured to raise the first track relative to the second track. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100122635 | VERTICALLY SEPARATED PASS THROUGH CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD IN SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY PROCESS EQUIPMENT - Disclosed herein is an apparatus for depositing viscous material on an electronic substrate. The apparatus comprises a frame, an assembly material applicator coupled to the frame and configured to apply assembly material to the electronic substrate, a substrate support assembly, coupled to the frame, configured to support and secure the electronic substrate in a material application position, and a transport system, coupled to the frame, to shuttle electronic substrates to and from the substrate support assembly, the transport system including an upper track and a lower track disposed below the upper track. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100122636 | VERTICALLY SEPARATED PASS THROUGH CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD IN SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY PROCESS EQUIPMENT - Disclosed herein is a modular printing system for printing viscous material on electronic substrates. The modular printing system comprises a first stencil printer including a substrate support assembly including a support configured to support and secure the electronic substrate in a print position, and a first system configured to shuttle electronic substrates to and from the first support of the first substrate support assembly, the first system including an upper track and a lower track disposed below the upper track, and at least one second stencil printer including a second substrate support assembly including a support configured to support and secure the electronic substrate in a print position, and a system configured to shuttle electronic substrates to and from the support of the second substrate support assembly, the system including a at least one upper track and a lower track disposed below the upper track. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100125357 | VERTICALLY SEPARATED PASS THROUGH CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD IN SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY PROCESS EQUIPMENT - Disclosed herein is a modular system for manufacturing printed circuit boards. The system comprises a plurality of pieces of processing equipment including at least one assembly material applicator, and at least one electronic component placement machine, and a transport system configured to transport circuit boards from the at least one stencil printer to the at least one electronic component placement machine, the system including an upper track and a lower track disposed below the upper track. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100125359 | VERTICALLY SEPARATED PASS THROUGH CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND METHOD IN SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY PROCESS EQUIPMENT - Disclosed herein is method of operating a piece of surface mount technology manufacturing equipment. The method comprises providing a piece of surface mount technology manufacturing equipment having a first substrate transport track disposed in a first position and a second substrate transport track disposed in a second position, moving the first substrate transport track from the first position to a third position, and moving the second substrate transport track from the second position to the first position. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20110011288 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING PRINT HEAD PRESSURE AND APPLYING AN ACCURATE PRINT PRESSURE DURING PRODUCTION - A stencil printer includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, a substrate support coupled to the frame to support a substrate in a print position, and a print head, coupled to the frame, to deposit and print viscous material over the stencil. The print head includes a squeegee assembly having at least one squeegee blade and a squeegee blade movement mechanism configured to move the squeegee blade from a raised position in which the squeegee blade is spaced from stencil and a lowered position in which the squeegee blade engages and applies a force on the stencil. The print head further has a device to detect a first reference point associated with a first force of the squeegee blade against the stencil and a second reference point associated with a second force of the squeegee blade against the stencil when moving the squeegee blade to the lowered position in which the squeegee blade engages and applies a force on the stencil. | 01-20-2011 |
