Printer

Abstract

To provide a technique for switching an operation of a recovery plate in a printing process according to various situations.SOLUTION: A printer includes: a mask which is arranged above a substrate and is formed with a hole through which solder passes; a squeegee which moves along a surface of the mask between one end and the other end of the mask and prints the solder mounted on the mask through the hole on the substrate; a recovery plate which comes into contact with a surface at the one end of the mask, recovers the solder conveyed by the squeegee, is configured to be movable so as to be separated from the surface; a setting section which sets an operation mode of the recovery plate in a printing process for printing solder on the substrate to one of a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode for bringing the recovery plate into contact with the mask. The second mode is a mode for separating the recovery plate from the mask.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present specification relates to a printing apparatus for printing solder onto a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic solder printer that places solder on a mask and prints the solder on a board by moving a squeegee. The automatic solder printer includes a tray at one end of the mask for placing the solder carried by the squeegee and collecting the solder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-24175 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In an automatic solder printer, the mask is replaced. For example, if the tray is brought into contact with the mask even during the printing process, the solder is always collected by the tray during the printing process, and the mask can be replaced quickly without carrying out a process of placing the solder on the tray and collecting it after the printing process is completed. However, if the solder is frequently placed on the tray and collected during the printing process, the tray will wear out. On the other hand, there are also situations in which quick replacement of the mask should be prioritized, even though it is known that the tray will wear out. This specification provides a technology for switching the operation of the collection plate in the printing process according to various situations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The printing apparatus disclosed in this specification comprises a mask arranged above the substrate and having holes formed therein through which solder passes; a squeegee that moves along the surface of the mask between one end and the other end of the mask and prints the solder placed on the mask onto the substrate through the holes; a recovery plate that contacts the surface at the one end of the mask and recovers the solder carried by the squeegee, the recovery plate being configured to be movable so as to move away from the surface; and a setting unit that sets the operating mode of the recovery plate in the printing process of printing the solder on the substrate to either a first mode or a second mode, wherein the first mode is a mode in which the recovery plate is brought into contact with the mask and the second mode is a mode in which the recovery plate is moved away from the mask.

[0006] According to the above configuration, in the second mode, the recovery plate is separated from the mask during the printing process, and the rate of wear of the recovery plate can be slowed down. On the other hand, in the first mode, the recovery plate is in contact with the mask during the printing process, and quick replacement of the mask can be prioritized over wear of the recovery plate. As a result, the operation of the recovery plate during the printing process can be switched according to various situations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a printing device operating in contact mode. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a printing device operating in a distant mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0009] (Feature 1) The printing device may further include an input unit that receives input of instructions from a user, and the setting unit may set the operating mode to the first mode when an instruction to set the operating mode to the first mode is input to the input unit, and may set the operating mode to the second mode when an instruction to set the operating mode to the second mode is input to the input unit.

[0010] According to this configuration, the user can select either the first mode or the second mode.

[0011] (Feature 2) The mask may be surrounded by a frame, and the setting unit may set the operation mode to the first mode when a distance between a hole closest to the frame among the multiple holes formed in the mask and the frame is less than a predetermined value, and set the operation mode to the second mode when the distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

[0012] When the printing process is completed, the squeegee moves to the end hole of the multiple holes, i.e., the hole closest to the frame. Here, if the distance between the hole closest to the frame and the frame is short, the distance between the squeegee and the frame is short, and it may be difficult to secure a space between the squeegee and the frame for the recovery plate to descend. According to the above configuration, when the distance between the hole closest to the frame and the frame is short, the operation mode is automatically set to the second mode. By setting the operation mode to the second mode, the recovery plate is always in contact with the mask during the printing process. As a result, even if it is difficult to secure a space for the recovery plate to descend during the mask replacement process, the recovery plate can recover the solder. EXAMPLES

[0013] (First Example) (Configuration of Printer 2; Figs. 1 and 2) The printing device 2 prints a circuit on a substrate 100. The printing device 2 includes a substrate conveyor 12, a substrate table 14, a mask 20, a squeegee unit 30, a plate unit 40, a moving robot 50, a control unit 60, and an input unit 70. Each figure includes XYZ coordinates. The XY axes indicate the horizontal direction, and the Z axis indicates the up-down direction. It should be noted that each figure illustrates a simplified structure of the printing device 2.

[0014] The board conveyor 12 transports the board 100 along the Y-axis direction to the board table 14. The board table 14 is disposed between a pair of rails included in the board conveyor 12. A vacuum is provided on the upper surface of the board table 14 to attract the board 100. The board 100 is attracted by the vacuum and fixed onto the board table 14.

[0015] The mask 20 has a plurality of holes 20a formed therein, which represent the pattern of a circuit to be printed on the surface of the substrate 100. The mask 20 is placed above the substrate table 14. The periphery of the mask 20 is surrounded by a frame 22.

[0016] The printing apparatus 2 includes a mask transport device (not shown) that transports the mask 20. The mask transport device transports various masks 20 corresponding to various circuits into the printing apparatus 2. For example, after printing of a circuit is performed using the first mask 20, the mask transport device transports the first mask 20 out, and then transports a new second mask 20 above the substrate table 14. This executes a setup process for replacing the mask 20.

[0017] The squeegee unit 30 is located above the mask 20 and is movable along the horizontal direction (i.e., the XY axis direction). The squeegee unit 30 includes a first squeegee 32 and a second squeegee 34. The first squeegee 32 and the second squeegee 34 are movable along the up-down direction (i.e., the Z axis direction).

[0018] For example, in a state where the first squeegee 32 is separated from the mask 20 and the second squeegee 34 is in contact with the mask 20, the squeegee unit 30 moves in the negative direction of the X-axis. As a result, the second squeegee 34 moves along the surface of the mask 20 from one end of the mask 20 to the other end in the negative direction of the X-axis. At this time, the second squeegee 34 carries the solder 200 arranged on the surface of the mask 20 and prints the solder 200 on the board 100 through the multiple holes 20a of the mask 20. Also, in a state where the second squeegee 34 is separated from the mask 20 and the first squeegee 32 is in contact with the mask 20, the first squeegee 32 moves along the surface of the mask 20 from the other end of the mask 20 to one end in the positive direction of the X-axis. At this time, the first squeegee 32 prints the solder 200 on the board 100 through the mask 20. The first squeegee 32 and the second squeegee 34 repeatedly move back and forth between one end and the other end of the mask 20, so that the solder 200 is printed on the multiple boards 100 one after another.

[0019] The plate unit 40 is located above the mask 20 and is movable along the horizontal direction. The plate unit 40 includes a recovery plate 42. The recovery plate 42 is an L-shaped plate when viewed from the side, and the bottom surface of the L-shape faces the surface of the mask 20. The recovery plate 42 is movable along the up-down direction. Note that the shape of the recovery plate 42 is not limited to an L-shape, and may be, for example, an up-down inverted T-shape.

[0020] For example, when the solder is to be collected by the collection plate 42, the plate unit 40 moves to the end of the mask 20 on the negative side of the X-axis, and the collection plate 42 moves down to the surface of the mask 20 and comes into contact with the surface of the mask 20. At this time, the second squeegee 34 moves in the negative direction of the X-axis, and the solder 200 carried by the second squeegee 34 is placed on the collection plate 42. As a result, when the collection plate 42 collects the solder 200, for example, the collection plate 42 that has collected the solder 200 can be raised to remove the solder 200 from the surface of the mask 20, and the preparation process for the mask 20 can be performed.

[0021] The mobile robot 50 is located above the substrate 100 and is movable along the horizontal direction. The mobile robot 50 is a robot that transports electronic components to be mounted on the substrate 100. In other words, the printing device 2 has a mounting function for mounting electronic components on the substrate 100. The mobile robot 50 is equipped with a camera 52 that can capture images below. Note that in a modified example, the printing device 2 may only have a printing function for the solder 200 and may not have a mounting function. In this modified example, the printing device 2 may not have the mobile robot 50.

[0022] The control unit 60 is a device that controls the operation of each of the units 12, 14, 30, 40, and 50 of the printing device 2 in the printing process and the setup process, and includes, for example, a CPU and a memory. The printing process is a process of printing the solder 200 on the substrate 100. For example, the printing process is a process in which printing is sequentially performed on one or more substrates from the start of printing on the first substrate to the replacement of various components such as the mask 20. When replacing components such as the mask 20, the solder 20 on the mask 20 needs to be removed from the mask 20. The first and second squeegees 32 and 34 place the solder 20 on the collection plate 42 for removal of the solder 20. Furthermore, the control unit 60 sets the operation mode of the collection plate 42 in the printing process to either a contact mode or a separation mode.

[0023] 1 shows the collection plate 42 operating in contact mode. The contact mode is a mode in which the collection plate 42 is brought into contact with the surface of the mask 20 during the printing process, i.e., while the first and second squeegees 32 and 34 are reciprocating over the surface of the mask 20. In the contact mode shown in FIG. 1, the solder 200 is placed on the collection plate 42 every time the second squeegee 34 carries the solder 200 to the end of the mask 20 on the negative X-axis direction side.

[0024] 2 shows the collection plate 42 operating in a separation mode. The separation mode is a mode in which the collection plate 42 is separated from the mask 20 during the printing process. In the separation mode, the collection plate 42 does not have solder 200 on it during the printing process. In the separation mode, the collection plate 42 descends to the surface of the mask 20 at the end of the printing process and collects the solder 200 carried by the second squeegee 34.

[0025] The input unit 70 is a device that receives input of instructions from a user, and is, for example, a keyboard or a touch screen. In this embodiment, the input unit 70 receives input of an instruction to set the operation mode to either the contact mode or the separation mode. When an instruction to set the operation mode to the contact mode is input to the input unit 70, the control unit 60 sets the operation mode of the collection plate 42 to the contact mode. On the other hand, when an instruction to set the operation mode to the separation mode is input to the input unit 70, the control unit 60 sets the operation mode of the collection plate 42 to the separation mode.

[0026] For example, in the contact mode, the recovery plate 42 always recovers the solder 200 during the printing process. Therefore, at the end of the printing process, the mask 20 can be quickly prepared without the need to lower the recovery plate 42 to the surface of the mask 20 to recover the solder 200. However, since the solder 200 is frequently placed on the recovery plate 42 during the printing process, the recovery plate 42 is worn out.

[0027] On the other hand, in the separated mode, the solder 200 is not placed on the collection plate 42 during the printing process. Therefore, the wear of the collection plate 42 in the separated mode is slower than the wear of the collection plate 42 in the contact mode. However, in the separated mode, at the end of the printing process, it is necessary to carry out a process of lowering the collection plate 42 to the surface of the mask 20 to collect the solder 20. Therefore, in the separated mode, the process of setting up the mask 20 takes more time than in the contact mode.

[0028] In this embodiment, the user inputs an instruction to the input unit 70 to select either the contact mode or the separation mode. In the separation mode, the recovery plate 42 is separated from the mask 20 in the printing process, and the rate of wear of the recovery plate 42 can be slowed down. On the other hand, in the contact mode, the recovery plate 42 comes into contact with the mask 20 in the printing process, and quick replacement of the mask 20 can be prioritized over wear of the recovery plate 42. As described above, the operation of the recovery plate 42 in the printing process can be switched according to various situations.

[0029] (Correspondence) The substrate 100 and the solder 200 are examples of a "substrate" and a "solder", respectively. The printing device 2, the mask 20, and the hole 20a are examples of a "printing device", a "mask", and a "hole", respectively. The first and second squeegees 32 and 34 are examples of a "squeegee". The recovery plate 42 is an example of a "recovery plate". The control unit 60 and the input unit 70 are examples of a "setting unit" and a "input unit", respectively. The contact mode and the separation mode are examples of a "first mode" and a "second mode", respectively.

[0030] (Second Example) This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment except that the method of setting the contact mode and the separation mode is different. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 automatically sets the operation mode of the collection plate 42 in the printing process.

[0031] Before starting the printing process, the control unit 60 uses the camera 52 of the mobile robot 50 to capture an image of the end of the mask 20 with which the recovery plate 42 will come into contact. The control unit 60 analyzes the image of the end and calculates the distance between the frame 22 and the hole 20a closest to the frame 22 among the multiple holes 20a in the mask 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "distance from the frame"). If the distance from the frame is less than a predetermined value, the control unit 60 sets the operation mode of the recovery plate 42 in the printing process to the contact mode. On the other hand, if the distance from the frame is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the control unit 60 sets the operation mode of the recovery plate 42 in the printing process to the separation mode.

[0032] When the printing process is completed, the second squeegee 34 moves to the hole 20a closest to the frame 22. Here, if the distance to the frame is short, the distance between the second squeegee 34 and the frame 22 is short, and it may be difficult to secure a space between the second squeegee 34 and the frame 22 for the recovery plate 42 to descend. According to the configuration of this embodiment, when the distance to the frame is short, the operation mode is automatically set to the contact mode. By setting the operation mode to the contact mode, the recovery plate 42 is always in contact with the mask 20 in the printing process. This allows the recovery plate 42 to recover the solder 200 without lowering the recovery plate 42 in the setup process. The frame 22 is an example of a "frame".

[0033] (Modification of the second embodiment) In this modified example, the control unit 60 notifies the user of the setting of the operation mode of the collection plate 42 in the printing process when the distance from the frame is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The user then inputs an instruction to the input unit 70 in accordance with this notification to select either the contact mode or the separation mode. On the other hand, the control unit 60 automatically sets the operation mode of the collection plate 42 in the printing process to the contact mode when the distance from the frame is less than the predetermined value.

[0034] Points to note regarding the printing device described in the embodiment will be described. The number of board conveyors 12 provided in the printing device 2 is not limited to one, and may be two. The technology of this embodiment can be adopted regardless of the number of board conveyors 12 provided in the printing device 2.

[0035] In the second embodiment, the operation mode may be set using the distance between the frame and the hole 20a obtained by a method other than the analysis of the image captured by the camera 52. Here, the different method may be, for example, a method obtained by manual input by a user or from a drawing of the mask 20.

[0036] In addition, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings exert technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technologies exemplified in this specification or drawings achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 2:Printing device 12: Circuit board conveyor 14: Board table 20: Mask 20a: hole 22: Frame 30: Squeegee unit 32: First squeegee 34: Second squeegee 40: Plate unit 42: Recovery plate 50: Mobile robot 52: Camera 60: Control section 70: Input section 100: Substrate 200: Solder

Claims

1. A printing device for printing solder on a substrate, comprising: a mask disposed above the substrate and having holes through which solder passes; a squeegee that moves along a surface of the mask between one end and the other end of the mask and prints the solder placed on the mask onto the substrate through the holes; a collection plate configured to contact the surface at the one end of the mask and collect the solder carried by the squeegee, the collection plate being movable away from the surface; a setting unit that sets an operation mode of the collection plate in a printing process of printing the solder on the board to either a first mode or a second mode; Equipped with the first mode is a mode in which the recovery plate is brought into contact with the mask; The second mode is a mode in which the recovery plate is moved away from the mask. Printing device.

2. The printing device further comprises: An input unit for receiving an instruction from a user, The setting unit is setting the operation mode to the first mode when an instruction to set the operation mode to the first mode is input to the input unit; The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation mode is set to the second mode when an instruction to set the operation mode to the second mode is input to the input unit.

3. The mask is surrounded by a frame, The setting unit is setting the operation mode to the first mode when a distance between a hole closest to the frame and the frame among the plurality of holes formed in the mask is less than a predetermined value; The printing device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation mode is set to the second mode when the distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

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