Nordson Corporation

Asymptotic Technologies, Inc.

Ronald N Abernathy

Philip P Maiorca

Horatio Quinones

Thomas L Ratledge

Clifford A Fowler

James C Smith

Alec J Babiarz

Duong T La

Mark S Meier

Robert L Ciardella

Carlos E Bouras

Stanley Cruz Aguilar

Phillip P Maiorca

John L Christofferson

George H Wadley

Methods for applying fluid materials to a substrate, such as circuit board, while continuously moving the fluid dispenser are disclosed. Initially, a dispenser is continuously moved through a constant motion trajectory connecting the plurality of dispense locations on the substrate. The electrical output signals generated by one or more of encoders of the dispenser are monitored as the dispenser is continuously moved through the constant motion trajectory. The dispenser is triggered at each of the plurality of dispense locations and droplets of the fluid material are jetted while continuously moving the dispenser. The spatial coordinates of each droplet of the fluid material on the substrate are measured and compared to expected landing coordinates for each droplet of the fluid material to generate a spatial error for each droplet of the fluid material. At least one dispense location is corrected and an updated constant motion trajectory is generated.

Methods for continuously moving a fluid dispenser while dispensing amounts of a fluid material

Methods for applying fluid materials to a substrate, such as circuit board, while continuously moving the fluid dispenser. Some methods generally involve correcting the dispense location for each of the dispensed amounts of fluid material by executing a statistical comparison of either the predicted and actual landing locations on the substrate, or the predicted and actual positions of the dispenser at each of the dispense locations. Other methods generally involve initiating the dispensing of amounts of the fluid material at dispense locations corrected by a correction factor specified in terms of the servo cycle for the movement of the dispenser or by a correction factor specified in terms of partial servo cycles courtesy of a timer.

A computer controlled method for high speed viscous fluid dispensing includes the steps of providing a dot generator and moving the dot generator along at least X and Y axes. The dot generator is controlled to repeatedly eject jets of viscous fluid that break away from the dot generator as a result of their forward momentum and fly to the surface of an adjacent substrate to create dots. The method may further comprise the step of monitoring the size and location of the dots through a vision system. The method may further comprise the steps of assigning dot sizes to specific components based on user specifications or a component library. The method may further comprise the step of optimizing the dot placement paths by aligning the in-line points of dot formation.

Computer controlled method for dispensing viscous fluid

A computer controlled system for high speed surface mount adhesive placement in circuit board production includes a dot generator supported for motion along the X, Y and Z axes. The dot generator ejects a jet of viscous adhesive that breaks away from the nozzle of the dot generator as a result of its own forward momentum. The system includes an automatic circuit board conveyor with adjustable width and pneumatically operated lift and lock mechanisms. The system runs through a self-diagnostic set-up procedure and dot calibration routine. Dot size and location are monitored through a video camera and vision circuit. A computer interfaces with the vision circuit and with motion, dot generator and conveyor controllers so that the system can operate in a high volume production assembly line. Application programs are executed by the system computer typically utilizing CAD data from a disk or a computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) controller. The system automatically assigns dot sizes to specific components based on user specifications or a component library. Dot placement paths are optimized by aligning the in-line points.

Computer controlled viscous fluid dispensing system

A method is provided for dispensing viscous materials which first requires the step of providing a dispensing device for holding a quantity of a viscous material to be dispensed through a tip thereof. Next, the dispensing device is coupled to a dispensing control so that a metered amount of viscous material will be dispensed in response to a dispensing control signal. Next, the dispensing device is moved along an axis to selectively position the tip a predetermined distance away from the surface of a workpiece positioned adjacent thereto in response to an applied height control signal. The height control signal is generated by processing output signals from a camera which is moved along the axis with the dispensing device to determine when an image of the workpiece surface is maximally in focus. The final step of the method is to cause the dispensing control to apply the dispensing control signal to cause a metered amount of the viscous material to be dispensed from the tip of the dispensing device onto the workpiece surface.

Method for dispensing viscous materials a constant height above a

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Vista, CA, United States of America

Ronald N Abernathy