Circuit assembly system

Abstract

A circuit board assembly system is disclosed. One aspect of the system is the robotic end effector for gripping and inserting each component into the circuit board. The end effector includes a compliance mechanism which compensates for variations in body-to-lead configurations to permit components to be precisely placed without damage to the component body or leads. Another aspect of the system is a programmable lead clinching system for clinching leads of each component as the component is inserted into the circuit board. The clinching system includes a clinch element and a drive system for driving the clinch element through a predetermined series of strokes to clinch the component leads. The system further includes a component presentation module, with a plurality of component feeder devices for feeding a number of different component types, and a presentation robot for sequentially selecting each component to be inserted in the board and delivering the component to a part presentation station. The system further includes a component lead straightening and cutting system. This latter system operates in combination with the presentation robot to straighten the leads of each component and cut the leads to a predetermined length. The disclosed system provides a flexible component insertion capability for inserting a wide variety of component types into different types of circuit boards. The system is reconfigurable to a different product without substantial mechanical retooling.