Automatic crimping device and method for RT2 series high-speed backboard connector

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic crimping device and method for an RT2 series high-speed backboard connector, and belongs to the technical field of electronic manufacturing. The device comprises a mold and a flexible press-in machine, and the mold and the flexible press-in machine are used in cooperation. The die comprises a bottom plate which is provided with a crimping cushion block, a positioning assembly and a fixing assembly; wherein the crimping cushion block is provided with a supporting part, and the supporting part is used for supporting the interface end of the 3U board card; the positioning assembly and the fixing assembly are matched and jointly used for positioning and fixing the 3U board card so as to ensure that the 3U board card is horizontal; the device further comprises a pressure applying assembly, the pressure applying assembly is used for being connected with a pressure head of a flexible press-in machine, and the flexible press-in machine drives the pressure applying assembly to press the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector into the plated-through hole of the 3U board card interface end. The invention provides an automatic crimping production technology for an RT2 connector, and solves the problems of low efficiency and unstable connection quality caused by the fact that an existing RT2 connector is crimped to a 3U board card mainly through manual crimping.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of electronic manufacturing, and in particular relates to an automatic crimping device and method for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of electronic devices, PCB connectors play a vital role in the design and manufacture of modern circuit boards. The reliability and efficiency of connectors are crucial to the performance of the entire electronic system. Especially for the RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors, as a typical representative of the VITA46 / 48 standard, it is widely used in high-density, high-speed data transmission scenarios.

[0003] However, the traditional manual connector crimping has problems such as low efficiency when connecting multiple modules at one time and difficult to control the connection quality. Although the current automated crimping technology has been widely used in many types of connectors, especially common standardized connectors, such as: connectors for industrial control systems and data transmission: D-Sub connectors, standard connectors for Ethernet: RJ45 network connectors, various pin headers and sockets for printed circuit boards, standardized PINHeader and Socket, and automotive wiring harness connectors. However, for the RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors, there is currently a lack of automated crimping technology. The reason is that the RT2 series high-speed backplane connector contains multiple complex signal pins and power pins, and has a high density. This structural complexity makes it difficult for existing automated equipment to achieve precise alignment and crimping operations, especially for the precision requirements of high-speed signal pins. Based on the characteristics of the RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors and the existing automated crimping technology, it is difficult for the existing automated crimping technology to be effectively applied to the crimping production of RT2 connectors. At present, the crimping of RT2 connectors to 3U boards is mainly achieved by manual crimping.

[0004] Therefore, it is worthwhile to design an automatic crimping device and automatic crimping method for RT2 connectors to improve the assembly efficiency and connection quality of RT2 connectors. Summary of the invention

[0005] Technical issues to be solved:

[0006] In order to avoid the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an automatic crimping device and method for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors to solve the problems of low efficiency and unstable connection quality in the traditional manual assembly method.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is: an automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors, comprising a mold and a flexible press-in machine, the mold and the flexible press-in machine are used in conjunction; the mold comprises:

[0008] The bottom plate is placed horizontally, and is provided with a crimping pad, a positioning assembly and a fixing assembly; wherein the crimping pad is provided with a supporting portion, and the supporting portion is used to support the interface end of the 3U board; the positioning assembly cooperates with the fixing assembly to jointly position and fix the 3U board to ensure that the 3U board is level;

[0009] It also includes a pressure component, which is used to connect with the pressure head of the flexible press machine. The flexible press machine drives the pressure component to press the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector into the metallized hole at the interface end of the 3U board card.

[0010] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the crimping pad includes a mounting portion, a supporting portion is arranged on one side of the mounting portion, and the end face of the supporting portion is higher than the end face of the mounting portion, and a plurality of notches are arranged on the end face of the supporting portion, and the notches are used to correspond to the metallized holes at the interface end of the 3U board card; the mounting portion is connected to the base plate.

[0011] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the positioning assembly includes: a plurality of positioning columns perpendicular to the base plate, a plurality of positioning column arrays are arranged on the base plate, and the positioning columns are used to cooperate with the mounting holes on the 3U board, and the positioning columns are provided with a limit platform for limiting the installation height of the 3U board.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is that: the fixing assembly is provided with a plurality of fixing assemblies, and is used in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of positioning posts; the fixing assembly comprises:

[0013] The shaft is vertically mounted on the base plate and has an external thread on its top end;

[0014] The non-standard pressure block is coaxially mounted on the shaft and has clearance with the shaft. The outer wall of the non-standard pressure block is provided with a cantilever perpendicular to its main body. The end of the cantilever is provided with a through guide hole for matching and connecting with the upper end of the positioning column passing through the 3U board installation hole;

[0015] The fixing nut is installed on the external thread at the top end of the shaft;

[0016] The spring is mounted on the shaft between the fixing nut and the non-standard pressure block.

[0017] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the mold also includes a limiting column, two limiting columns are installed on the bottom plate, and are used to limit the downward pressing limit position of the pressure-applying component.

[0018] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the pressure-applying assembly includes: a pressure plate and a pressure block; wherein the pressure plate includes a horizontally arranged transverse plate, and two protrusions are symmetrically provided on the lower end surface of the transverse plate, and the protrusions are used to contact and limit with the limit column; a disc is provided on the upper end surface of the transverse plate for cooperating and connecting with the pressure head of the flexible press machine; the pressure block is fixed in the middle part of the lower end surface of the transverse plate, and is used to directly contact and pressure the RT2 connector.

[0019] A further technical solution of the present invention is that: the bottom plate is provided with mounting grooves with steps around it, which are used to pass bolts to horizontally mount the bottom plate on the base of the flexible press machine.

[0020] A method for automatic crimping using the automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors comprises the following steps:

[0021] Step 1. Preparation: Install the mold on the flexible press machine, install the 3U board in place, and align the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector with the metallized hole at the interface end of the 3U board;

[0022] Step 2. Flexible press-in machine programming: When crimping for the first time, use the manual mode of the flexible press-in machine to perform a crimping test and obtain the crimping test data. The crimping test data includes the crimping start position, the position when contacting the RT2 connector, the position when crimping is completed, the pressure peak, and the crimping end pressure. After the crimping test is completed, remove the 3U board and RT2 connector used for the test;

[0023] According to the crimping test data, the process parameters of automatic crimping programming are set, including the crimping starting safety position, crimping speed, crimping program end pressure, holding time and crimping program end position;

[0024] Step 3. Formal crimping:

[0025] Reinstall a set of 3U boards and RT2 connectors of the same specifications and models as in step 1 on the mold;

[0026] Manual pre-pressing: Use the manual mode of the flexible press machine to pre-press the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector into the metallized hole of the 3U board;

[0027] Automatic crimping: After manual pre-pressing is completed, adjust to the automatic crimping program of the flexible press-in machine and perform automatic crimping according to the programming in step 2;

[0028] Step 4. Quality inspection: After the automatic crimping is completed, check whether the bottom of the RT2 connector fits tightly with the 3U board. If the gap is less than or equal to 0.1mm, it fits; if the gap is greater than 0.1mm, re-automatically crimp until the gap is less than or equal to 0.1mm, and the crimping is completed.

[0029] A further technical solution of the present invention is: during the crimping test in step 2, the RT2 connector is manually pressed into the 3U board so that the RT2 connector fits tightly with the 3U board after crimping, the fitting gap is controlled within 0.1 mm, and the crimping test data during the crimping process is recorded.

[0030] A further technical solution of the present invention is: during the automatic crimping in step 3, the flexible press-in machine records and stores the crimping force, crimping time and crimping speed in real time, and transmits them to the host computer for analysis, which is used as a basis for subsequent process adjustments and quality control, and monitors whether the crimping process meets the process requirements.

[0031] Beneficial Effects

[0032] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention provides an automatic crimping device and method for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors, designs a special automatic crimping mold, cooperates with a flexible press-in machine, and fixes the 3U board to be crimped horizontally on the bottom plate so that the metallization of its interface end corresponds to the multiple notches of the crimping pad, and the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector corresponds to the metallized hole of the 3U board. The pressure plate installed on the pressure head of the flexible press-in machine applies pressure to the top of the RT2 connector through the pressure block, so that the RT2 connector can be pressed into the 3U board, thereby improving the crimping efficiency and ensuring the crimping quality. Compared with traditional manual crimping, the beneficial effects of the present invention are mainly reflected in the following three aspects:

[0033] (1) Efficient automatic assembly: The present invention uses the collaborative operation of a flexible press-in machine and a special automatic crimping die. The die clamps the 3U board to facilitate the crimping alignment of the RT2 connector. The flexible press-in machine drives the pressure component to press down, thus achieving one-time molding and assembly of the RT2 connector on the 3U board. This automated assembly process improves assembly efficiency and greatly reduces the time and labor costs required for manual operation.

[0034] (2) Stable connection quality: In the method of the present invention, the crimping test is carried out in manual mode to obtain the crimping test data for programming the flexible press-in machine, and accurate reference data is obtained for the process parameter setting of the automatic crimping programming. The crimping parameters are accurately set by the programming software of the flexible press-in machine equipment to ensure the crimping quality and stability of the RT2 connector. During the automatic crimping process, the real-time monitoring and adjustment functions help to maintain consistent crimping results, reduce the risk of poor connection caused by human operation, and provide a reliable electrical connection for the connector.

[0035] (3) Real-time monitoring and recording function: The present invention provides real-time monitoring, adjustment and recording functions, which can monitor the entire crimping process. This helps to timely discover and correct potential problems, improve the controllability and traceability of the production process, reduce the defective product rate, and further improve manufacturing efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the mold structure of the automatic crimping device of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 An exploded view of a mold of the automatic crimping device of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the pressure plate in the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the bottom plate of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the briquette in the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the crimping pad in the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the positioning column in the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the limiting column in the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing component in the present invention;

[0045] Fig.10 An exploded view of the fixing assembly in the present invention;

[0046] Fig.11 Illustration of the position of the 3U board on the crimping pad Figure 1 and the enlarged view at point C;

[0047] Fig.12 Illustration of the position of the 3U board on the crimping pad Figure 2 and the enlarged view at D;

[0048] Fig.13 This is the structural diagram of the RT2 connector and the 3U board being crimped together;

[0049] Fig.14 It is a pressure curve diagram of the automatic crimping process of the present invention.

[0050] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. bottom plate, 11. recessed portion, 12. mounting groove, 13. limiting column plug-in hole, 2. pressure plate, 21. horizontal plate, 22. protrusion, 23. disc, 3. crimping pad, 31. mounting portion, 32. supporting portion, 33. notch, 4. pressure block, 5. limiting column, 6. positioning column, 61. small diameter section at the lower end, 62. small diameter section at the upper end, 63. large diameter section in the middle, 7. fixing assembly, 71. fixing nut, 72. spring, 73. shaft, 74. non-standard pressure block, 741. cantilever, 742. guide hole, 8. RT2 connector, 9. 3U board, 91. metallized hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0053] Embodiment 1:

[0054] See also Figure 1 , 2 This embodiment provides an automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors, including a special crimping mold and a flexible press-in machine. The mold and the flexible press-in machine are used together to achieve automatic crimping of the RT2 connector 8 and the 3U board 9.

[0055] The mold is installed on the base of the flexible press-in machine, and includes: a base plate 1, a pressure-applying component, a crimping pad 3, a limiting column 5, a positioning component and a fixing component 7.

[0056] See also Figure 3 The bottom plate 1 is a rectangular plate structure, which is horizontally arranged. The bottom plate 1 is provided with a mounting groove 12 with a step around it, which is used to pass bolts to horizontally install the bottom plate 1 on the base of the flexible press-fit machine. A rectangular recessed portion 11 is provided at one end of the bottom plate 1, and the recessed portion 11 is provided with a screw hole for installing the crimping pad 3. The mounting grooves 12 on both sides of the recessed portion 11 of the bottom plate 1 are provided with limit column plug-in holes 13 for installing the limit column 5. A plurality of threaded holes are provided on the end of the bottom plate 1 opposite to the recessed portion 11, which are used to install the positioning component and the fixing component 7.

[0057] The crimping pad 3 is installed in the recessed portion 11 by means of bolts, and the crimping pad 3 supports the interface ends of the RT2 connector 8 and the 3U board 9 to be crimped. Figure 6 As shown, the crimping pad 3 includes a mounting portion 31 and a supporting portion 32, wherein the supporting portion 32 is located on one side of the mounting portion 31 and is higher than the mounting portion 31. The supporting portion 32 is used to support the interface end of the 3U board 9, and the upper end surface of the supporting portion 32 is provided with a plurality of notches 33 corresponding to the metallized holes 91 of the interface end of the 3U board 9. The mounting portion 31 is provided with two through holes corresponding to the two screw holes of the recessed portion 11 of the bottom plate 1, and is fixedly connected by bolts to fix the crimping pad 3 to the recessed portion 11 of the bottom plate 1.

[0058] The positioning assembly includes 8 positioning columns 6, which are used to horizontally support the 3U board 9 on the bottom plate 1. The positioning columns 6 are provided with a limiter for limiting the horizontal support height of the 3U board 9 to ensure that the metallized hole 91 at the interface end of the 3U board 9 is correspondingly placed on the notch 33 of the crimping pad 3. Figure 2 The eight positioning columns 6 are divided into two groups, with a group of four supporting one side of the 3U board 9 , and the two groups of positioning columns 6 symmetrically supporting the two sides of the 3U board 9 .

[0059] For example, Figure 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the positioning column 6 is a stepped shaft with a middle diameter larger than the diameters at both ends, installed perpendicular to the bottom plate 1, and a small diameter section 61 at the lower end thereof is provided with an external thread and is threadedly connected to the bottom plate 1; a small diameter section 62 at the upper end thereof passes through the mounting hole of the 3U board 9 and is connected with a set of fixing components 7. The step formed by the small diameter section 62 and the middle large diameter section 63 serves as a limit platform, and the 3U board 9 is horizontally positioned at the step formed by the small diameter section 62 and the large diameter section 63.

[0060] Illustratively, in another embodiment, the positioning column 6 is provided with a circle of bosses in the radial direction, and the bosses serve as limit platforms to form a horizontal height positioning for the 3U board 9 .

[0061] See also Fig. 9 , 10 , the fixing assembly 7 is provided with 8 groups, which are arranged one by one with the positioning column 6. The fixing assembly 7 elastically presses the 3U board 9 placed on the positioning column 6 to fix the 3U board 9 and prevent the 3U board 9 from shaking during operation. Specifically, the fixing assembly 7 includes a fixing nut 71, a spring 72, a shaft 73 and a non-standard pressure block 74. The shaft 73 is rod-shaped and vertically mounted on the base plate 1, and both ends thereof are provided with external threads. The external thread at the lower end of the shaft is threadedly connected to the base plate 1, and the external thread at the upper end is used to install the fixing nut 71. The main body of the non-standard pressure block 74 is cylindrical, coaxially sleeved on the shaft 73, and has a clearance fit with the shaft 73, and can move along the axis of the shaft 73. The outer wall of the non-standard pressure block 74 is provided with a cantilever 741 perpendicular to its main body, and the end of the cantilever 741 is provided with a through guide hole 742 for penetrating the upper end small diameter section 62 of the positioning column 6. The spring 72 is sleeved on the shaft 73 and is located between the fixing nut 71 and the non-standard pressure block 74. One end of the spring 72 abuts against the non-standard pressure block 74, and the other end abuts against the fixing nut 71. The fixing assembly 7 is located on the outside of the positioning column 6, and the fixing assembly 7 and the positioning column 6 on the same side of the 3U board 9 are arranged in a line with equal spacing. When the fixing assembly 7 fixes the 3U board 9, it is pushed by the spring 72, and the lower end surface of the cantilever 741 of the non-standard pressure block 74 presses the upper surface of the 3U board 9, and the upper end small diameter section 62 of the positioning column 6 penetrates the guide hole 742 to play a guiding and positioning role.

[0062] See also Figure 1 , 8, two limit posts 5 are vertically inserted on the bottom plate 1 and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the crimping pad 3. The limit posts 5 are inserted into the limit post insertion holes 13 of the bottom plate 1 to limit the pressing plate 2 during crimping to avoid damage to the product caused by overpressure.

[0063] See also Figure 1-3 , 5. The pressure component is used to connect with the pressure head of the flexible press-in machine, and the flexible press-in machine drives the pressure component to press the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector 8 into the metallized hole at the interface end of the 3U board 9. The pressure component includes a pressure plate 2 and a pressure block 4, wherein the pressure plate 2 is horizontally fixed to the pressure head of the flexible press-in machine, and the pressure plate 2 is a π-shaped structure, including a horizontally arranged cross plate 21 and two protrusions 22 vertically located on the cross plate 21 and symmetrically located on both sides of the lower end of the cross plate 21. A disc 23 that cooperates with the pressure head of the flexible press-in machine is provided at the center of the upper end surface of the cross plate 21 for installation and positioning. The disc 23 is provided with connecting holes around the circumference for fixing the cross plate 21 to the pressure head of the flexible press-in machine by bolts. The pressure block 4 is a rectangular block with a threaded hole at its upper end, which is fixed to the center of the lower end surface of the cross plate 21 by bolts. The pressure-applying assembly applies pressure to the RT2 connector 8 to be crimped through the pressure block 4. The lower end surface profile of the pressure block 4 matches the supporting portion 32 of the crimping pad 3 to ensure an effective crimping plane.

[0064] When the pressure head of the flexible press machine drives the pressing plate 2 to press down, the lower end surface of the pressing block 4 applies pressure to the RT2 connector 8 to be crimped, and the protrusions 22 on the lower end surfaces of both sides of the pressing plate 2 are used to form a limit when pressing down to the limit position and the upper end surface of the limit column 5. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the pressing block 4 is designed to be a large plane so that it can be in close contact with the top surfaces of three RT2 connectors 8 at the same time.

[0065] See also Fig.11 , 12 When crimping the RT2 connector 8, place the RT2 connector 8 above the interface end of the 3U board 9, so that the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector 8 corresponds to the metallized hole 91 of the interface end of the 3U board 9. At the same time, the metallized hole 91 of the interface end of the 3U board 9 is aligned with the notch 33 of the crimping pad 3 to avoid the fisheye terminal. To implement crimping, the pressure head of the flexible press machine drives the pressing plate 2 to press down, so that the lower end surface of the pressing block 4 contacts the top surface of the RT2 connector 8, until the bottom of the RT2 connector 8 fits the 3U board 9.

[0066] Embodiment 2:

[0067] This embodiment provides a method for automatic crimping using the automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors in Embodiment 1, so as to press three RT2 connectors 8 (including two half modules and one full module) into a 3U board 9 at one time. Using a JP5004 flexible press-in machine in conjunction with the mold in Embodiment 1, the method includes the following steps:

[0068] Step 1. Preparation:

[0069] Check whether the size and position of the metallized hole 91 of the 3U board 9 meet the design requirements. If the metallized hole 91 is too small, the fisheye terminal will be subjected to excessive pressure during the crimping process, and there is a risk of deformation due to pressure; if the metallized hole 91 is too large, the fisheye terminal may not have enough tension after the crimping is completed, and the plug may become loose or even fall off under long-term harsh conditions. The position of the metallized hole 91 on the 3U board 9 is directly related to whether the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector can cooperate with it. Once the position of the hole does not meet the tolerance control, the connector will have problems such as deflection and kneeling during the crimping process, which will cause the connector to be scrapped.

[0070] Inspect the RT2 connector 8 to ensure that each fisheye terminal meets the crimping requirements. The RT2 connector must be visually inspected before use to ensure that the size and shape of each fisheye terminal meet the crimping requirements. In addition, a special tooling must be used to inspect the position of each connector to ensure that the fisheye terminal can be normally embedded in the metallized hole 91.

[0071] Check that the flexible press-in machine is operating normally, install the crimping mold on the flexible press-in machine, and ensure that the installation and positioning are reliable and the mold can work normally. Then install the 3U board 9 in place on the mold, and place the three RT2 connectors 8 on the interface end of the 3U board 9 so that the fisheye terminals of the three RT2 connectors 8 correspond to the metallized holes 91 on the interface end of the 3U board 9.

[0072] Step 2. Flexible Press Machine Programming:

[0073] When crimping for the first time, use the manual mode of the flexible press-in machine to perform a crimping test and obtain the crimping test data. The crimping test data will serve as the key data basis for programming the flexible press-in machine.

[0074] During the manual mode crimping test, the pressure block 4 applies pressure to the three RT2 connectors 8 at the same time, and manually presses the three RT2 connectors 8 into the 3U board 9. The number of repeated crimping must be less than or equal to three times, so that the RT2 connector 8 fits tightly with the 3U board 9 after crimping. The standard of tight fit is that the gap between the two is controlled within 0.1mm after crimping, and the crimping test data during the crimping process is recorded. The crimping test data includes the starting position of crimping, the position when contacting the RT2 connector 8, the position when crimping is completed, the pressure peak, and the pressure at the end of crimping. After the manual mode crimping test is completed, remove the product used for the crimping test.

[0075] The process parameters of automatic crimping programming are determined based on the crimping test data. The process parameters include the crimping start safety position, crimping speed, crimping program end pressure, pressure holding time and crimping program end position. The various parameters of the equipment are set through the flexible crimping machine programming software.

[0076] Step 3. Formal crimping:

[0077] After step 2 is completed, the formal automatic crimping process can begin.

[0078] First, a set of 3U boards 9 and RT2 connectors 8 to be crimped are installed in place, ensuring that the three RT2 connectors 8 are positioned at the target positions.

[0079] Secondly, perform manual pre-pressing. Use the manual mode of the flexible press machine to perform manual pre-pressing. First, align the fisheye terminals of the three RT2 connectors 8 with the metallized holes of the corresponding 3U board cards 9, such as Fig.11 , 12 As shown, apply light pressure manually to ensure initial alignment and stability of the terminal and socket.

[0080] Then, the automatic crimping is performed. The automatic crimping program determined in step 2 of the 3U board 9 is called, and the accuracy of various process parameters is checked again. Once confirmed to be correct, the operator triggers the two-hand control switch to enable the flexible press-in machine to perform the automatic crimping program.

[0081] It should be noted that during the entire automatic crimping process, the flexible press-in machine will automatically record and store detailed information about the crimping process, including key data such as speed, position, and pressure. These data can then be transmitted back to the host computer for analysis to ensure that the entire crimping process meets technical requirements, while providing reliable data for future process adjustments and quality control. The entire automatic crimping process is designed to provide efficient, accurate, and repeatable connections, providing reliable electrical connections for the RT2 connector 2 of the 3U board 9.

[0082] Step 4. Quality Inspection:

[0083] After the automatic crimping is completed, check whether the bottom of the RT2 connector 8 is tightly fitted with the 3U board 9. The inspection standard for tight fit is: the gap between the two is controlled within 0.1mm to be qualified. If the gap is greater than 0.1mm, it should be crimped again until it meets the requirements. This process can be verified using a feeler gauge with a specification of less than 0.1mm, such as Fig.13 As shown, the junction between the bottom of the RT2 connector 8 and the 3U board 9 indicated by the arrow is the feeler gauge detection position.

[0084] The crimping quality of the RT2 connector 8 is affected by multiple factors, including the state of the RT2 connector 8 after pre-pressing, the crimping die, the crimping pressure, and the matching of the terminal and the metallized hole. Pay special attention to whether the RT2 connector and the 3U board 9 are damaged and deformed, and whether the RT2 connector pins have problems such as kneeling and shrinking. When visually inspecting the crimped product, make sure that the connector housing is not deformed or damaged due to excessive pressure, and be careful not to have any looseness after crimping. Check whether the bottom of the connector fits tightly against the printed circuit board, and the gap between the two should be controlled within 0.1mm. Use a feeler gauge with a specification of less than 0.1mm for verification. If the gap between the RT2 connector and the printed circuit board exceeds 0.1mm, re-crimp it, and if necessary, retrieve the crimping curve such as Fig.14 As shown, we can analyze and find out possible problems based on this.

[0085] After testing, after the three RT2 connectors were formed at one time using the method of Example 2, visual inspection showed that the surface of the 3U board 9 and the RT2 connector was not deformed or damaged, and the RT2 connector terminals had no problems such as kneeling or shrinking pins. Feeler gauge detection showed that the RT2 connector and the 3U board 9 were tightly fitted. The test results verified the effectiveness of the process parameters, and the flexible press-in machine was able to complete the established procedures and ensure the crimping quality of the connectors, and it could also effectively protect the 3U board 9 and the RT2 connector from damage caused by excessive pressure.

[0086] like Fig.14 As shown, the most critical part of the RT2 connector 8 crimping process is the crimping process, which is mainly divided into the initial stage, the pressure stage, the pressure holding stage and the pressure release stage. The initial stage is when the pressure head of the crimping machine just contacts the RT2 connector, and the pressure head continues to press down to enter the pressure stage. After the connector terminal is continuously subjected to force, the gap between the RT2 connector 8 and the 3U board 9 is gradually reduced until the two are completely stuck together. Then, the pressure is maintained for a period of time in the pressure holding stage to prevent the crimping quality problems caused by the rebound of the elastic terminal. As the connector terminal is firmly embedded in the metallized hole 91 of the 3U board 9, the pressure will gradually decrease, and finally complete the entire crimping process. However, if pressure continues to be applied to the surface of the RT2 connector 8, the pressure value will continue to increase. Excessive pressure will cause extrusion of the RT2 connector 8 and the 3U board 9, thereby causing deformation of the connector LCP shell and the surface of the 3U board 9. More seriously, it will cause cracks or even damage to the surfaces of both. By analyzing the pressure curve of the automatic crimping process, the entire crimping process meets the characteristics of four stages:

[0087] 1) Initial stage (interval 1): In this stage, the pressure block 4 contacts the RT2 connector 8 and the pressure begins to increase.

[0088] 2) Pressure stage (interval 2): ​​After the RT2 connector is subjected to force, the fisheye terminal is deformed so that it can enter the metalized hole 91. As the RT2 connector 8 is continuously pressed in, when the widest part of the fisheye terminal cross section enters the metalized hole 91, the friction force on both sides of the fisheye terminal reaches the maximum, and the pressure on the RT2 connector 8 also reaches the maximum. Fig.14 The maximum value shown is 3412N.

[0089] 3) Pressure holding stage (interval 3): As the cross-section of the fisheye terminal continues to decrease, the friction on both sides of it also continues to decrease. After the RT2 connector 8 is continuously subjected to force, the gap between the connector and the 3U board 9 gradually decreases until the two reach the best fit state. Then the pressure is maintained for a period of time to prevent the fisheye terminal from rebounding.

[0090] 4) Pressure release stage (interval 4): When all the fisheye terminals on the RT2 connector 8 are embedded in the metallized holes 91 of the 3U board 9, the pressure will gradually decrease. If the pressure on the connector surface continues, the pressure value will increase significantly. When it increases to the pressure at the end of the crimping process or the position at the end of the crimping process, the pressure head of the flexible press will return to the initial position.

[0091] In this embodiment, two half-modules and one full-module RT2 connectors 8 are pressed in at one time. The full module has 112 contacts, and the recommended pressing force for the full module is 1400N; the half module has 56 contacts, and the recommended pressing force for the half module is 500N; the maximum pressure during pressure application is the sum of the recommended pressures of the three RT2 connectors 8.

[0092] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and intent of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors, comprising a die and a flexible press-in machine, the die and the flexible press-in machine being used in conjunction with each other; characterized in that: The mold comprises: The bottom plate is placed horizontally, and is provided with a crimping pad, a positioning assembly and a fixing assembly; wherein the crimping pad is provided with a supporting portion, and the supporting portion is used to support the interface end of the 3U board; the positioning assembly cooperates with the fixing assembly to jointly position and fix the 3U board to ensure that the 3U board is level; It also includes a pressure component, which is used to connect with the pressure head of the flexible press machine. The flexible press machine drives the pressure component to press the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector into the metallized hole at the interface end of the 3U board card.

2. The automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crimping pad includes a mounting portion, a supporting portion is arranged on one side of the mounting portion, and the end face of the supporting portion is higher than the end face of the mounting portion, and the end face of the supporting portion is arranged with a plurality of notches, and the notches are used to correspond to the metallized holes at the interface end of the 3U board card; the mounting portion is connected to the base plate.

3. The automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning assembly includes: a plurality of positioning columns perpendicular to the base plate, a plurality of positioning column arrays are arranged on the base plate, and the positioning columns are used to cooperate with the mounting holes on the 3U board, and the positioning columns are provided with a limit platform for limiting the installation height of the 3U board.

4. The automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fixing components are provided in plurality and are used in cooperation with the plurality of positioning posts in a one-to-one correspondence; the fixing components include: The shaft is vertically mounted on the base plate and has an external thread on its top end; The non-standard pressure block is coaxially mounted on the shaft and has clearance with the shaft. The outer wall of the non-standard pressure block is provided with a cantilever perpendicular to its main body. The end of the cantilever is provided with a through guide hole for matching and connecting with the upper end of the positioning column passing through the 3U board installation hole; The fixing nut is installed on the external thread at the top end of the shaft; The spring is mounted on the shaft between the fixing nut and the non-standard pressure block.

5. The automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mold also includes two limiting columns, and two limiting columns are installed on the bottom plate to limit the downward pressing limit position of the pressure-applying component.

6. The automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pressure-applying assembly includes: a pressure plate and a pressure block; wherein the pressure plate includes a horizontally arranged transverse plate, and two protrusions are symmetrically provided on the lower end surface of the transverse plate, and the protrusions are used to contact and limit with the limit column; a disc is provided on the upper end surface of the transverse plate for cooperating and connecting with the pressure head of the flexible press machine; the pressure block is fixed in the middle of the lower end surface of the transverse plate, and is used to directly contact and pressure the RT2 connector.

7. The automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom plate is provided with mounting grooves with steps around it, which are used for passing bolts to horizontally mount the bottom plate on the base of the flexible press machine.

8. A method for automatic crimping using the automatic crimping device for RT2 series high-speed backplane connectors according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1. Preparation: Install the mold on the flexible press machine, install the 3U board in place, and align the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector with the metallized hole at the interface end of the 3U board; Step 2. Flexible press-in machine programming: When crimping for the first time, use the manual mode of the flexible press-in machine to perform a crimping test and obtain the crimping test data. The crimping test data includes the crimping start position, the position when contacting the RT2 connector, the position when crimping is completed, the pressure peak, and the crimping end pressure. After the crimping test is completed, remove the 3U board and RT2 connector used for the test; According to the crimping test data, the process parameters of automatic crimping programming are set, including the crimping starting safety position, crimping speed, crimping program end pressure, holding time and crimping program end position; Step 3. Formal crimping: Reinstall a set of 3U boards and RT2 connectors of the same specifications and models as in step 1 on the mold; Manual pre-pressing: Use the manual mode of the flexible press machine to pre-press the fisheye terminal of the RT2 connector into the metallized hole of the 3U board; Automatic crimping: After manual pre-pressing is completed, adjust to the automatic crimping program of the flexible press-in machine and perform automatic crimping according to the programming in step 2; Step 4. Quality inspection: After the automatic crimping is completed, check whether the bottom of the RT2 connector fits tightly with the 3U board. If the gap is less than or equal to 0.1mm, it fits; if the gap is greater than 0.1mm, re-automatically crimp until the gap is less than or equal to 0.1mm, and the crimping is completed.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that During the crimping test in step 2, the RT2 connector is manually pressed into the 3U board so that the RT2 connector fits tightly with the 3U board after crimping, and the fitting gap is controlled within 0.1 mm. The crimping test data during the crimping process is recorded.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that During the automatic crimping in step 3, the flexible press-in machine records and stores the crimping force, crimping time and crimping speed in real time, and transmits them to the host computer for analysis, which is used as a basis for subsequent process adjustment and quality control, and monitors whether the crimping process meets the process requirements.

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