Speedline Technologies, Inc.

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Joseph A Perault

James J Lynch

Randy Leon Peckham

Dennis G Doyle

Gary T Freeman

Frank John Marszalkowski, Jr

Kenneth J King

Mark E Rossmeisl

John George Klauser

William Russell Claiborne

Richard Willshere

Patsy Anthony Mattero

Gerald C Pham-Van-Diep

Jonathan Joel Bloom

Robert Ciocca

Michael E Donelan

Gregory Lefebvre

James E Fox

A stencil printer for printing viscous material on an electronic substrate includes a stencil having apertures formed therein, and a print head positioned over the stencil and configured to deposit viscous material within the apertures of the stencil. The print head includes a housing defining an elongate chamber, a source port defining a passage having an inlet positioned to allow viscous material to flow into the elongate chamber, a pair of blades defining a slot that provides an outlet from which viscous material can flow out of the elongate chamber, an elongate plunger movable in the elongate chamber to reduce a volume of viscous material within the elongate chamber, and at least one sensor to detect pressure of the viscous material within the elongate chamber.

Print head for stencil printer

A material applicator includes a printing device configured to deposit viscous material upon a circuit board, and a controller operatively coupled to the printing device. The controller is configured to control a plurality of system components, including an operating system component configured to operate the printing device, and a remote interface component configured to exchange printer operation data between the operating system component and at least one plug-in application. The plug-in application is configured to extend capabilities of the operating system component.

System and method for operating a stencil printer

A stencil printer includes a stencil having a top surface and a bottom surface, a material applicator to apply material on the top surface of the stencil, and a stencil wiper assembly to clean the bottom surface of the stencil in a y-axis direction. The stencil wiper assembly has a wiper blade assembly configured to engage the bottom surface of the stencil and wipe the bottom surface of the stencil when moving the stencil wiper blade assembly along a stencil wiper gantry. The stencil wiper assembly further includes a spot cleaner assembly movably secured to the stencil wiper assembly. The spot cleaner assembly is configured to move in an x-axis direction and to spot clean the bottom of the stencil. A method for spot cleaning a stencil is further disclosed.

Stencil wiper spot cleaner assembly and related method

A stencil printer for printing viscous material on a substrate includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, and a print head, coupled for the frame, to deposit and print viscous material over the stencil. The stencil printer further includes a substrate support to support a substrate in a print position and a substrate clamping assembly to clamp the substrate in the print position. In a certain embodiment, the substrate clamping assembly includes a pair of rail members coupled to the frame. The rail members are adapted to engage opposite edges of the substrate. The substrate clamping assembly further includes a pair of foils, one for each rail member, with each foil being releasably secured to the rail member in a position so that the foil overlies the substrate. The substrate clamping assembly also includes a pair of clamping members, one for each rail member and foil, to releasably secure the foil in place on the rail member.

Method and apparatus for clamping a substrate

A system for depositing solder paste on a print window of a printed circuit board through a stencil includes a housing providing a printing chamber, a depositor configured to move relative to the housing and to deposit the solder paste, a support device disposed in the printing chamber and configured to receive the circuit board and to selectively hold the circuit board stationary relative to the housing, a loading mechanism configured to receive the circuit board and to transport the circuit board along a second direction to the support device, a controller coupled and configured to control dispensing of the solder paste by the depositor and the transporting of the circuit board by the loading mechanism, and a rotational apparatus coupled to the support device and configured to rotate the support device, where the controller is configured to cause the rotational apparatus to rotate the support device more than about 10&#xb0; and to cause the depositor to deposit solder paste onto the circuit board after the rotational device has rotated the support device more than about 10&#xb0;.

Electronic substrate printing

A stencil printer for printing viscous material on a substrate includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, and a print head, coupled for the frame, to deposit and print viscous material over the stencil. The stencil printer further includes a substrate supporting and clamping assembly to support and clamp a substrate in a print position. The substrate supporting and clamping assembly includes at least one support member to support the substrate in a print position, a pair of rail members, coupled to the frame, adapted to engage opposite edges of the substrate, and a clamping mechanism, coupled to the frame, to move at least one of the rail members against the substrate to clamp the substrate. The clamping mechanism includes at least one piston to move the at least one of the rail members between a first position in which the rail member is spaced away from one of the opposite edges of the substrate and a second position in which the rail member engages one of the opposite edges of the substrate to clamp the substrate between the rail members during a print operation. The clamping mechanism further includes a pressure regulator to control a clamping force applied by the piston to the rail member against the edge of the substrate. A method for supporting and clamping a substrate in a print position is further disclosed.

Method and apparatus for supporting and clamping a substrate

A vacuum plenum module of a stencil wiper assembly for wiping and removing excess material from a stencil of a stencil printer includes a wiper blade to wipe the stencil, a plenum chamber in fluid communication with the wiper blade, and a vacuum generator attached to and in fluid communication with the plenum chamber to create a vacuum within the plenum chamber. The vacuum plenum module further includes a fluid supply to introduce pressurized fluid into the vacuum generator, and an exhaust to exhaust fluid from the vacuum generator. The vacuum generator includes at least one vacuum ejector adapted to create the vacuum. The vacuum plenum module is further configured to move between a first position in which the vacuum plenum is spaced away from the stencil and a second position in which the vacuum plenum engages the stencil. A method of cleaning a stencil is further disclosed.

Self-contained vacuum module for stencil wiper assembly

A quick-change material module of a stencil wiper assembly for wiping a stencil of a stencil printer includes a supply roller to receive a roll of material, a take-up roller to receive used material, and a drive to move the material across the stencil between the supply roller and the take-up roller. The supply roller is designed to move between an operating position in which the module functions to wipe the stencil and a changing position in which the supply roller is accessible to change the roll of material. A pivot mechanism is further disclosed for pivoting the supply roller between the operating and changing positions. A frame supports the supply roller, the take-up roller, and the drive. The pivot mechanism includes at least one pivot arm having one end rotatably attached to the supply roller and an opposite end pivotably attached to the frame. A method for changing a roll of material within a quick-change material module of a stencil wiper assembly designed to wipe a stencil of a stencil printer is further disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for changing web material in a stencil printer

A stencil wiper apparatus for wiping a stencil of a stencil printer includes a material supply assembly having a supply roller to deliver a roll of material, a take-up roller to receive the material, and a drive to move the material across the stencil between the supply roller and the take-up roller. The apparatus further includes a fluid delivery assembly to wet the material. The fluid delivery assembly includes an outer tube, an inner tube and a fluid delivery source. The outer tube is designed to engage the material and to deliver fluid to the material. The inner tube is positioned within the outer tube, and designed to deliver fluid to the outer tube. The fluid delivery source delivers fluid to the inner tube. A method for wiping a stencil of a printing machine is further disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning a stencil

A printer includes a print head for dispensing viscous material, such as solder paste. The print head defines a chamber and includes at least one source port and a dispensing slot. Within the chamber, a flexible membrane segregates the chamber into a dispensing region and an activation region. Viscous material flows from a supply mounted to the source port, into the dispensing region and out the slot. A displacement mechanism is positioned to displace the flexible membrane to reduce the volume of dispensing region and to thereby dispense viscous material through the slot. The print head also includes a removable envelope through which the viscous material flows and contacts as it passes through the envelope.

Pressure control system for printing a viscous material

An apparatus and method for cleaning excess solder paste that is deposited on a stencil in a stencil printer. The apparatus includes a solvent bath containing a pool of solvent in which a bar is disposed in the solvent bath. The bar rotates in the solvent bath and surface tension between the bar and the solvent causes the solvent to uniformly adhere to the bar. The bar is used to apply solvent to a cleaning material that is used to wipe excess solder paste from the stencil.

Growing community of inventors

Natick, MA, United States of America

Joseph A Perault