International Business Machines Corporation

Robert W Kulterman

Darryl Ray Polk

James M Rakes

David P Watson

Terry L Wilmoth

Francis W Bogaczyk

Gilbert B Nebgen

Michael A Rubsam

Joel R Anstrom

Robert H Sweat, Jr

Clifford M Wood

Robert A Amos

The apparatus of the present invention may be utilized for the automated bonding of electronic components to a circuit board. A placement and bonding head is attached to a manipulatable robotic arm and is utilized to select an electronic component having a plurality of conductive leads from a supply of such components and position that component adjacent a plurality of contact pads on a circuit board. While retaining the electronic component within the placement and bonding head, the component is then thermally bonded to the contact pads. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic component may be optically inspected while being retained within the placement and bonding head. In another embodiment, thermal bonding is accomplished utilizing a plurality of thermally activatable blades which each include a thermocouple mounted adjacent thereto. Selective low current control signals are then coupled to the placement and bonding head where transformers are utilized to amplify the current prior to coupling the control signal to individually thermally activatable blades. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the placement and bonding head includes a plenum for supplying inert gas to the bonding site so that the use of flux is not necessary.

System for automated mounting of electronic components to circuit boards

In apparatus which uses a plurality of stepper motors for the actuation of various moving members therein, e.g., impact printer apparatus, an expedient is provided wherein at least one pair of stepper motors which operate during mutually exclusive periods share common driver means which are switchable to be connected to the active stepper motor and disconnected from the dormant one. When thus connected to the active stepper motor, the driver means operate in the conventional manner to couple the windings of the active stepper motor to the particular current supply associated with that active motor in a predetermined sequence so that each winding of the active motor is energized during portions of the sequence and deenergized during other portions. The apparatus further includes switching means for selectively connecting and disconnecting the drive means to the first and second stepper motors in accordance with the requirements of the apparatus driven by said stepper motors.

Apparatus actuated by a pair of stepper motors with shared drive

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Robert W Kulterman