Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Speedline Technologies, Inc.

Teledyne Limited

Camelot Systems, Inc.

Thomas C Prentice

Scott A Reid

Brian P Prescott

Patsy Anthony Mattero

Hugh R Read

Fernando J Aguiar

William A Losiewicz

Kenneth C Crouch

Thomas Purcell

James J Lynch

Thomas J Karlinski

Jonathan Joel Bloom

Murray D Scott

Dennis G Doyle

Ronald J Forget

Bruce C Seaton

Greg Bouvier

Kevin Brown

Joan N Schopf

Donald J Martin

Stephen S Helm

Gary T Freeman

Robert J Balog

Kenneth J King

David P Prince

Daniel Mariano

Michael E Donelan

Charles J Zaverson

James P Donnelly

Earl Sweet, Jr

Yingfei Ke

Joseph Belmonte

Ronald C Lasky

A vision system is used in a stencil printer configured to print an assembly material on an electronic substrate. The vision system includes a housing, a dual camera assembly supported by the housing and a prism assembly supported by the housing and configured with the dual camera assembly to provide a first optical path that looks vertically up at a bottom of a stencil and a second optical path that looks vertically down on an electronic substrate.

Dual camera prism assembly for stencil printer

A dispensing system includes an optional pre-heat station configured to receive an electronic substrate, a dispense station configured to dispense material on the electronic substrate received from the optional pre-heat station, an optional post-heat station configured to receive the electronic substrate from the dispense station, and a non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate on at least one of the optional pre-heat station, the dispense station, and the optional post-heat station.

IR non-contact temperature sensing in a dispenser

A stencil printer includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, and a support assembly coupled to the frame, with the support assembly including tooling configured to support the electronic substrate in a print position beneath the stencil. The stencil printer further includes a print head assembly coupled to the frame in such a manner that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during print strokes. The print head assembly includes a squeegee blade assembly and at least one paste cartridge to deposit solder paste on the stencil. The stencil printer further includes an end effector configured to pick up and release items from a tooling tray. The stencil printer further includes a movable cart configured to interface with the stencil printer to deliver changeover and/or replacement items within a stencil printer.

Multi-functional print head for a stencil printer

A dispensing system includes a dispensing unit assembly configured to dispense viscous material and a gantry coupled to the frame. The gantry is configured to support the dispensing unit assembly and to move the dispensing unit assembly in x-axis and y-axis directions. The dispensing unit assembly includes a support bracket secured to the gantry and a movable bracket rotatably coupled to the support bracket by a first strain wave gear system configured to enable the rotation of the movable bracket with respect to the support bracket about a first axis. The dispensing unit assembly further includes a dispensing unit rotatably coupled to the movable bracket by a second strain wave gear system configured to enable the rotation of the dispensing unit with respect to the movable bracket about a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis.

Tilt and rotate dispenser having strain wave gear system

A dispensing apparatus includes a frame having a gantry configured to provide movement in the X axis and Y axis directions, and first and second dispensing units coupled to the gantry and configured to dispense material onto a substrate. The second dispensing unit is coupled to the gantry by an automatic adjustment mechanism. The dispensing apparatus further includes a controller configured to control the operation of the gantry, the first dispenser, the second dispenser, and the automatic adjustment mechanism. The automatic adjustment mechanism is configured to move the second dispenser in the X axis and Y axis directions to manipulate a spacing between the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing. Methods of dispensing material on the substrate are further disclosed.

Method and apparatus for automatically adjusting dispensing units of a dispenser

A method is used to identify and compensate for errors created by changes in the relative positions of a deposition unit and a vision system of a dispenser. The method includes calibrating the vision system, dispensing a pattern of features over a working area, moving the vision system over a deposition location to locate a deposition, obtaining an image of the deposition, tagging data associated with the image, calculating a relative distance between the deposition unit and the vision system, storing correction data with spatial location in a file for later use, and using the stored data to make small corrections prior to dispensing additional material.

Method of calibrating a dispenser

A conveyor system for a stencil printer includes a pair of rail members extending through a frame and configured to transport the substrate through the stencil printer. A lift tool assembly is configured to support the substrate at a transport height and a print height. The lift tool assembly includes a lifter portion configured to be engaged by a support of the lift table assembly. A foot of the lifter portion has at least two permanent magnets configured to secure the foot of the lifter portion to the support when engaging the support to the lifter portion, and at least one vacuum pocket formed in a bottom surface of the foot of the lifter portion. The vacuum pocket is configured to selectively secure the lifter portion in place on the support.

Lift tool assembly for stencil printer

A method of dispensing material includes delivering an electronic substrate to a dispense position. The electronic substrate has at least two identical patterns and at least two fiducial marks. The method further includes capturing at least one image of the at least two fiducial marks provided on the electronic substrate, analyzing the at least one image to determine a position of the electronic substrate in X axis, Y axis and theta directions, calculating a rotational angle of the electronic substrate, and rotating a dispensing pump array to match an angle of the electronic substrate. Alternatively, the electronic substrate can be rotated to match an angle of the dispensing pump array.

Rotation of an array of dispensing pumps to enable simultaneous dispensing with multiple dispensing pumps on multiple electronic substrates

A method of controlling a dispensing unit is used to dispense material on a substrate. The method includes connecting a solenoid coil of a pneumatically-driven pump to an amplifier output of a dispensing system, and driving the solenoid coil with the amplifier to a cause the pneumatically-driven pump to dispense material on a substrate. The method further may include commanding an idle current to flow in the solenoid coil during periods of inactivity. The idle current may be sufficient to cause warming of the solenoid coil, yet not sufficient to activate the solenoid to an engaged position. The method further may include commanding a first current level to flow in the solenoid coil to rapidly activate the solenoid, and commanding a second current level to flow in the solenoid coil after the solenoid is activated.

Method of dispensing material on a substrate with a solenoid valve of a pneumatically-driven dispensing unit

Growing community of inventors

Westford, MA, United States of America

Thomas C Prentice