Screen printing device

Abstract

To properly perform management of residual quantities of coating materials on a screen mask, with an inexpensive structure.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 comprises: a squeegee 16 that moves solder S along a mask 6; a solder sensor 19 that measures a width of the solder S; a printing control part 101 that controls motion of the squeegee 16; and a solder supply control part 102 that executes at least preliminary processing prior to supplying coating materials. The printing control part 101 executes: standard printing processing for performing printing while setting an attack angle of the squeegee 16 to a specified angle; and tentatively printing processing for performing printing at an attack angle that is different from the specified angle. The solder supply control part 102 executes standard preliminary processing for making the sensor 19 measure the width of solder S during an execution period of time of the standard printing processing and performing processing based on the measured result, and executes tentative preliminary processing that is different from the standard preliminary processing, during an execution period of time of the tentative printing processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a screen printing apparatus that prints (applies) a coating material such as cream solder onto a substrate such as a printed circuit board. [Background technology]

[0002] A known screen printing apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a printing apparatus) prints a coating material, such as cream solder, onto a substrate such as a printed circuit board through openings (mask openings) in a screen mask (hereinafter simply referred to as a mask) while moving the coating material with a squeegee over the screen mask superimposed on the substrate. Among these printing apparatuses, there is also one known that includes a mechanism that can change the attack angle of the squeegee depending on the type of coating material, etc. (Patent Document 1). The attack angle is the angle between the squeegee's pressing surface for the coating material and the upper surface of the mask, and is a factor that influences the force (filling force) that presses the coating material toward the substrate through the mask openings. The attack angle is generally set within the acute angle range.

[0003] In printing devices with adjustable attack angles, for example, the attack angle may be temporarily changed when mask cleaning is performed. Specifically, the attack angle is changed to be smaller than the specified angle. This is because, even under the same printing conditions, the amount of coating material applied decreases immediately after cleaning as the coating material adhering to the mask opening edge is wiped away. In other words, after cleaning, the attack angle is temporarily made smaller than the specified angle to increase the filling force, thereby maintaining consistent printing quality on the substrate before and after cleaning. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-284874 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In this type of printing device, a sensor detects the amount of coating material on the mask after each set number of prints and replenishes the coating material as needed. In this case, the sensor scans the top surface of the mask in the direction of squeegee movement to measure the width of the coating material, and the remaining amount of coating material is estimated based on this measurement.

[0006] Therefore, printing devices with adjustable attack angles have the following drawbacks: When the attack angle is smaller than the specified angle, the measured width of the coating material becomes larger than when the angle is set to the specified angle. Conversely, when the attack angle is larger than the specified angle, the measured width becomes smaller than when the angle is set to the specified angle. Because the remaining amount of coating material is typically estimated based on the measured width when the attack angle is set to the specified angle, if the width of the coating material is measured while the attack angle is being changed, the estimated amount of coating material may deviate significantly from the actual amount. In such cases, the coating material may not be replenished at the appropriate time, which, in the worst case scenario, could result in a deterioration in print quality.

[0007] To address this issue, it is conceivable to use a sensor that can measure the shape of the coating material in three dimensions to accurately determine the remaining amount of coating material without being affected by the attack angle. However, such sensors are expensive and require precise adjustment and management, making them difficult to implement in practice.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a screen printing device that can more appropriately manage the remaining amount of coating material on a screen mask using an inexpensive configuration that measures only the width of the coating material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a screen printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a squeegee having a pressing surface for a coating material and printing the coating material on a substrate by moving the coating material in a first direction along a screen mask via the pressing surface, a measuring unit that measures the width of the coating material on the screen mask in the first direction, a printing control unit that controls the operation of the squeegee, and a coating material supply control unit that controls the measuring unit and performs at least a pre-processing step that precedes the supply of the coating material. The squeegee is configured to be able to change the attack angle, which is the angle between the pressing surface and the upper surface of the screen mask, and the printing control unit executes a standard printing process in which printing is performed by setting the attack angle to a specified angle, and a provisional printing process in which printing is performed by temporarily changing the attack angle to an angle different from the specified angle during the standard printing process, and the coating material supply control unit executes, as the pre-processing, a standard pre-processing in which, during the execution of the standard printing process, the measuring unit measures the width of the coating material at a predetermined timing and performs processing based on the measurement results, while during the execution of the provisional printing process, it executes a provisional pre-processing different from the standard pre-processing.

[0010] In this screen printing device, during the execution of a standard printing process in which the attack angle is a specified angle, a standard pre-processing is performed as a pre-processing step prior to the supply of coating material. This pre-processing step involves measuring the width of the coating material using a measurement unit at a specified timing and performing processing based on the measurement results. Meanwhile, during the execution of a provisional printing process in which the attack angle is temporarily changed to an angle different from the specified angle, a provisional pre-processing step, which is a process different from the standard pre-processing step, is performed. This avoids the same pre-processing step prior to the supply of coating material being performed during the execution of the provisional printing process as during the execution of the standard printing process. This allows for more appropriate subsequent supply (replenishment) of coating material, i.e., more appropriate management of the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask.

[0011] More specifically, the standard pre-processing is a process for determining whether or not the supply of coating material is necessary based on the measurement results, and the provisional pre-processing is a process for measuring the width of the coating material using the measuring unit at a predetermined timing, converting the measurement result into the value of the specified angle, and determining whether or not the supply of coating material is necessary based on the converted value.

[0012] In this configuration, whether or not to supply coating material is determined based on the measurement results from the measurement unit in both standard pre-processing and interim pre-processing. However, in interim pre-processing, the determination of whether or not to supply coating material is based on the measurement results converted to a specified angle value. Therefore, the reliability of the determination result in interim pre-processing is higher than when the determination of whether or not to supply coating material is made using the measurement results directly. Therefore, with an inexpensive configuration that only measures the width of the coating material, it is possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask.

[0013] As another specific configuration, the standard pre-processing may be a process for determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied based on the measurement results, and the tentative pre-processing may be a process for simply measuring the width of the coating material by the measuring unit at a predetermined timing without determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied.Also, the standard pre-processing may be a process for determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied based on the measurement results, and the tentative pre-processing may be a process for not measuring the coating material by the measuring unit and not determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied.

[0014] These configurations also prevent the determination of whether or not to supply coating material during the provisional printing process from being made uniformly based on the measurement results of the measuring unit during the standard printing process, which is useful for more appropriately managing the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask.

[0015] The above-mentioned screen printing apparatus may further include a supply unit that supplies a coating material onto the screen mask, and the coating material supply control unit may be configured to control the supply unit to execute a coating material supply process that supplies the coating material onto the screen mask when it determines that supply is necessary based on the determination of whether or not supply of coating material is necessary.

[0016] In this configuration, when it is determined that supply of the coating material is necessary in the determination of whether supply of the coating material is necessary, the coating material supply control unit controls the supply unit to supply (replenish) the coating material onto the screen mask, thereby making it possible to maintain a good amount of coating material on the screen mask.

[0017] Furthermore, the above-described screen printing apparatus may further include a supply unit that supplies coating material onto the screen mask, and the coating material supply control unit may be configured to further control the supply unit, and, if it is determined that supply is necessary in the determination of whether supply is necessary in the standard pre-processing, control the supply unit to supply coating material equivalent to the difference between the measurement result and a predetermined target value, and, if it is determined that supply is necessary in the determination of whether supply is necessary in the interim pre-processing, control the supply unit to supply coating material equivalent to the difference between the conversion value and the target value.

[0018] With this configuration, during the period when the standard printing process is being performed, the supply amount of coating material is controlled based on the difference between the measurement result by the measurement unit and a predetermined target value, and during the period when the provisional printing process is being performed, the supply amount of coating material is controlled based on the difference between the converted value and the target value. Therefore, it is possible to successfully supply (replenish) an appropriate amount of coating material during the period when either the standard printing process or the provisional printing process is being performed.

[0019] The above-described screen printing apparatus may further include a display unit that displays information relating to the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing, and a display control unit that controls the display unit.

[0020] With this configuration, the operator can recognize the status of the coating material on the screen mask through information regarding standard pre-processing and temporary pre-processing displayed on the display unit, and can supply the coating material based on this information.

[0021] In this case, the display control unit may be configured to cause the display unit to display information indicating a change in the measurement results as information relating to the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing.

[0022] According to this configuration, it is possible to recognize the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask based on information indicating changes in the measurement results.

[0023] In this case, the display control unit may be further configured to cause the display unit to display information indicating the converted value together with information indicating a change in the measurement result.

[0024] With this configuration, when a measurement is performed by the measurement unit during the provisional printing process, it is possible to easily recognize that the measurement result was obtained during the provisional printing process. In addition, by displaying the measurement result and the converted value together, it is possible to grasp the discrepancy between them.

[0025] In addition, in the above-mentioned screen printing device in which the provisional pre-processing is simply measuring the width of the coating material by the measuring unit at a predetermined timing, the device may further include a display unit that displays information regarding the standard pre-processing and the provisional pre-processing, and a display control unit that controls the display unit, and the display control unit may be configured to display, on the display unit, information indicating changes in the measurement results and information indicating that the provisional printing process has been executed as information regarding the standard pre-processing and the provisional pre-processing.

[0026] In this configuration as well, when a measurement is made by the measurement unit during the provisional printing process, it is possible to easily recognize that the measurement result was obtained during the provisional printing process.

[0027] In the above screen printing apparatus including the display unit and the display control unit, the information indicating the change in the measurement result may be a measured width transition graph indicating the change in the width of the coating material.

[0028] According to this configuration, it is possible to intuitively recognize changes in the measurement results from the measurement width transition graph, making it easier to grasp the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask.

[0029] The above-mentioned screen printing apparatus may further include a display unit that displays information regarding the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing, and a display control unit that controls the display unit, wherein the standard pre-processing is a process of determining a deviation between the measurement result and a predetermined target value and evaluating the remaining amount of coating material based on the deviation, and the tentative pre-processing is a process of measuring the width of the coating material using the measurement unit at a predetermined timing, converting the measurement result into a value of the specified angle to determine the deviation between the converted value and the target value, and evaluating the remaining amount of coating material based on the deviation, and the display control unit may be configured to cause the display unit to display information indicating the evaluation results of the remaining amount of coating material in the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing.

[0030] This configuration makes it possible to recognize the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask based on the information indicating the evaluation result displayed on the display unit, which is useful in determining the timing for supplying (replenishing) the coating material.

[0031] Furthermore, in the above-described screen printing apparatus, the coating material supply control unit may be configured to determine the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask based on the measurement result and the specified angle, and to perform the standard pre-processing based on the remaining amount, while determining the remaining amount of coating material based on the conversion value and the specified angle, and to perform the provisional pre-processing based on the remaining amount.

[0032] In this way, a configuration that determines the remaining amount of coating material and performs standard pre-processing or provisional pre-processing based on that remaining amount improves the effectiveness of managing the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask compared to a configuration that performs standard pre-processing or provisional pre-processing based only on the width of the coating material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0033] According to the screen printing apparatus of the present invention as described above, it is possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask with an inexpensive configuration that measures only the width of the coating material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram (side view) of a screen printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view illustrating the movement of a squeegee. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the screen printing apparatus. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the screen printing apparatus. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the relationship between the attack angle and the amount of remaining solder. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed on a display unit. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the screen printing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the screen printing apparatus according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed on a display unit. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the screen printing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0036] [First embodiment] [Overall configuration of screen printing equipment] 1 is a schematic diagram (side view) of a screen printing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, XYZ rectangular coordinates are shown to clarify directional relationships. The X direction is the horizontal direction, the Z direction is the vertical direction, and the Y direction is the direction perpendicular to both the X and Z directions.

[0037] The screen printing apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as the printing apparatus 1) includes a printing work section 2A that performs printing processing on a substrate P such as a printed circuit board, and a mask storage section 2B that is disposed adjacent to the printing work section 2A on the X1 side (one side in the X direction / the right side in FIG. 1). The mask storage section 2B stores replacement screen masks.

[0038] The printing work section 2A is provided with a mask holding unit 3, a substrate holding unit 4, a printing unit 5, and a cleaning unit 8.

[0039] The substrate holding unit 4 includes an upper unit 4A and a lower unit 4B. The upper unit 4A holds the substrate P during printing and is equipped with a conveyor 20 for transporting the substrate P, a substrate support mechanism 22 that lifts the substrate P from the conveyor 20 and supports it, and a substrate clamp mechanism 24 that clamps the substrate P lifted from the conveyor 20. The conveyor 20, the substrate support mechanism 22, and the clamp mechanism 24 are operated by actuators such as motors and air cylinders. The substrate P is carried onto the conveyor 20 from the upstream side in the Y direction (the back side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) and is held in a positioned state by the substrate support mechanism 22 and the substrate clamp mechanism 24 in the upper unit 4A. After the printing process, the substrate P is released from its positioned state and carried out by the conveyor 20 downstream in the Y direction (the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1).

[0040] The lower unit 4B moves the substrate P positioned (held) by the upper unit 4A together with the upper unit 4A. Although a detailed diagram is omitted, the lower unit 4B is composed of a table and a table drive mechanism operated by the actuator that displaces the table in the X, Y, Z, and R directions. The R direction is the direction of rotation around the Z axis.

[0041] The upper unit 4A is fixed onto the table of the lower unit 4B. With this configuration, the substrate holding unit 4 is configured to be able to move the substrate P in each of the X, Y, Z and R directions.

[0042] The mask holding unit 3 is disposed above the substrate holding unit 4. The mask holding unit 3 holds a screen mask 6 (hereinafter abbreviated as mask 6). The mask 6 is rectangular (rectangular or square) in plan view, and is composed of a mask body 60 made of a thin metal plate in which printing openings (mask openings) are formed, and a metal (e.g., aluminum) frame 62 that holds the peripheral edge of the mask body 60.

[0043] The mask holding unit 3 includes a pair of guide members 30 extending parallel to each other in the X direction with a gap in the Y direction, a mask clamping device (not shown) that clamps the mask 6 to the pair of guide members 30, and a gap varying mechanism (not shown) that changes the gap between the pair of guide members 30. The mask clamping device and the gap varying mechanism are operated by the actuator.

[0044] Each guide member 30 is an L-shaped cross-section member that includes a support portion 30a that supports the mask 6 and a guide portion 30b that restrains the mask 6 from the outside in the Y direction, and is made of a metal material such as stainless steel.

[0045] The mask clamp device is provided on each guide member 30 and is composed of a clamp plate and the actuator that drives it back and forth in the Z direction. The mask clamp device fixes the mask 6 to the guide member 30 by sandwiching the frame body 62 of the mask 6 between the support part 30a of the guide member 30 and the clamp plate. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the term "mask 6" refers to the mask body 60.

[0046] The gap varying mechanism is made up of a screw feed mechanism, and changes the gap between the pair of guide members 30 by moving one of the pair of guide members 30 relative to the other in the Y direction using the actuator.

[0047] The printing unit 5 is movably provided in the space above the mask holding unit 3. The printing unit 5 is a unit member that mainly moves the solder paste along the upper surface of the mask 6. The solder paste is an example of the coating material of the present invention, i.e., a semi-fluid material that is conductive and viscous.

[0048] The printing unit 5 is provided so as to be movable in the X direction by a unit drive mechanism 10. The unit drive mechanism 10 is a screw feed mechanism comprising a rail 12 that extends in the X direction and movably supports the printing unit 5, a screw shaft 14 that is provided parallel to the rail 12 and threadedly inserted into a nut member (not shown) of the printing unit 5, and a servo motor 15 that drives the screw shaft 14. In other words, the screw shaft 14 is rotationally driven by the servo motor 15, so that the printing unit 5 moves in the X direction along the rail 12.

[0049] 1, the rail 12 and the screw shaft 14 extend from the end portion on the X2 side (the other side in the X direction / the left side in FIG. 1) of the printing work section 2A to the middle portion of the mask storage section 2B. This allows the printing unit 5 to move in the X direction from the end portion on the X2 side of the printing work section 2A to the middle portion of the mask storage section 2B.

[0050] The printing unit 5 is equipped with a squeegee 16, a squeegee drive mechanism 17, a mask slider 18, a solder sensor 19, and a solder supply unit 7.

[0051] The squeegee 16 is a rectangular plate member elongated in the Y direction and having a flat pressing surface 16a that presses the solder paste (hereinafter referred to as solder). The pressing surface 16a is made of a metal material or a polymer material such as urethane rubber, polyacetal, polyethylene, or polyester. The squeegee 16 moves back and forth in the X direction together with the printing unit 5. The solder S (see FIG. 2) moves in the X direction along the top surface of the mask 6 by being pressed by the squeegee 16 via the pressing surface 16a.

[0052] The squeegee drive mechanism 17 is operated by the actuator to rotate the squeegee 16 about an axis extending in the Y direction and to raise and lower (move in the Z direction) the squeegee 16 relative to the frame of the printing unit 5. Operation of this squeegee drive mechanism 17 causes the squeegee 16 to move between a position where it can slide over the mask 6 (the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) and a position where it retracts above the mask 6 (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1). Operation of the squeegee drive mechanism 17 also changes the posture of the squeegee 16 during forward and backward movements, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the pressing surface 16a faces forward in the direction of travel, and also changes the angle of the squeegee 16 relative to the mask 6.

[0053] The angle θ formed between the pressing surface 16a of the squeegee 16 and the upper surface of the mask body 60 is called the attack angle. The attack angle is set within the acute angle range (0°<θ<90°) to an angle suitable for the printing process based on various conditions such as the type (properties) of solder, the environment during the printing process (temperature, humidity), the opening area of the mask 6, and the movement speed of the squeegee 16 during the printing process. In this embodiment, the attack angle set in this manner is called the "specified angle."

[0054] The mask slider 18 is a mask engagement device used to move the mask 6 between the printing work unit 2A and the mask storage unit 2B. The mask slider 18 includes a pin 18a extending in the Z direction and a pin driver 18b, such as an air cylinder, that drives the pin 18a forward and backward in the Z direction. The pin driver 18b operates to move the pin 18a between a predetermined protruding position (lower position) where its tip (lower end) is lower than the upper surface of the frame 62 of the mask 6 supported by the guide member 30 and higher than the upper surface of the mask body 60, and a retracted position (upper position) where the pin 18a is retracted above the mask 6. In other words, the mask slider 18 hooks the pin 18a onto the frame 62, thereby moving the mask 6 in the X direction as the printing unit 5 moves. FIG. 1 shows the mask slider 18 with the pin 18a displaced to the retracted position.

[0055] The mask storage section 2B is provided with a mask stocker 40 that stores multiple masks 6 in a removable manner, and an elevator mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers (moves in the Z direction) the mask stocker 40. The mask stocker 40 has upper and lower storage sections 42a and 42b, and two types of masks 6 (6A and 6B) with different mask aperture patterns are stored in these storage sections 42a and 42b.

[0056] The lifting mechanism 44 is operated by the actuator and selectively positions either the first storage section 42a or the second storage section 42b at a predetermined mask replacement height position facing the guide member 30 in the X direction. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the lower storage section 42b is positioned at the mask replacement height position, and the mask 6B that was stored in storage section 42b is positioned in the printing work section 2A (guide member 30).

[0057] The solder sensor 19 is, for example, a reflective optical sensor, and together with a calculation unit (not shown) included in the control device 100 (described later), constitutes the "measurement unit" of the present invention. The solder sensor 19 is used to measure the width of the solder S on the mask 6, specifically the width of the solder S in the X direction. The solder sensor 19 includes a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. The light-emitting unit irradiates the upper surface of the mask body 60 with light, scanning the upper surface of the mask 6 as the printing unit 5 moves. That is, in locations where solder S is not present, the irradiated light is reflected by the mask 6 and enters the light-receiving unit, while in locations where solder S is present, the irradiated light is scattered and does not enter the light-receiving unit. The calculation unit calculates the width of the solder S based on the time during which the solder sensor 19 detects the solder S and the moving speed of the printing unit 5. This allows the width of the solder S to be measured. For ease of explanation, the width of the solder S will be measured using the solder sensor 19 below.

[0058] The solder supply unit 7 (corresponding to the "supply section" of the present invention) is a device that supplies solder onto the mask 6. Although not shown in detail, the solder supply unit 7 includes a solder supply head and a movement mechanism that moves the solder supply head. The movement mechanism raises and lowers the solder supply head relative to the frame of the printing unit 5 and moves it in the Y direction by operating the actuator. The solder supply unit 7 lowers the solder supply head from a predetermined retracted position to a supply position (lowered position) close to the mask 6 and moves the solder supply head in the Y direction at this supply position. During this movement in the Y direction, solder is supplied from the solder supply head onto the mask 6. Solder is supplied by air pressure applied to a solder container provided on the solder supply head or by a driving force such as a motor that pushes solder from the solder container into a supply port. The amount of solder supplied is controlled according to the driving time and driving distance of these driving forces.

[0059] The cleaning unit 8 is a unit that cleans the mask 6. The cleaning unit 8 is disposed directly below the mask 6. The cleaning unit 8 moves in the X direction along the underside of the mask 6 by a movement mechanism (not shown) that is operated by the actuator, and cleans the mask 6 by pressing a wiping member, such as gauze impregnated with a solvent, against the underside of the mask 6 during this movement.

[0060] [Control system configuration] 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the printing device 1. The printing device 1 is equipped with a control device 100 that performs overall control of the operation of the printing device 1.

[0061] The control device 100 is connected to a display unit 110 configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display, and an operation unit 120 configured by a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel provided on the display unit 110, or the like.

[0062] The control device 100 is configured from a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and peripheral devices, and includes a print control unit 101, a solder supply control unit 102, a display control unit 103, and a storage unit 104 as its functional components.

[0063] The printing control unit 101 controls the operation of each part of the screen printing apparatus 1, such as the mask holding unit 3, substrate holding unit 4, unit drive mechanism 10, squeegee drive mechanism 17, mask slider 18, and cleaning unit 8, in accordance with programs, production plan information, and production substrate data stored in the memory unit 104 to execute the printing process for the substrate P and the cleaning process for the mask 6, and also performs various judgments and calculations required for the printing process. The program includes printing process conditions (printing conditions). These printing conditions include, for example, the attack angle and printing speed described above. The printing speed is the movement speed of the squeegee 16 during the printing process.

[0064] The printing process executed by the print control unit 101 includes a standard printing process and a provisional printing process.

[0065] Standard printing is printing performed by setting the attack angle of the squeegee 16 to a specified angle. For example, for multiple substrates P of the same type included in one production lot, the printing control unit 101 controls the squeegee drive mechanism 17 in principle to perform printing at the specified angle, i.e., to perform standard printing.

[0066] The provisional printing process is a printing process that is executed during the execution of the standard printing process by temporarily changing the attack angle to an angle (sometimes referred to as a provisional angle) that is different from the specified angle. The print control unit 101 executes the provisional printing process when the execution conditions for the provisional printing process are met during the standard printing process. In this example, the execution condition for the provisional printing process is that the mask 6 has been cleaned. This point will be explained later.

[0067] The solder supply control unit 102 (corresponding to the "coating material supply control unit" of the present invention) controls the operation of the solder supply unit 7, solder sensor 19, and unit drive mechanism 10 in accordance with programs stored in the memory unit 104 to execute the process of supplying solder onto the mask 6 and the pre-processing that precedes this solder supply process, and also executes various judgments and calculations in the solder supply process and pre-processing. The solder supply process (coating material supply process) is a process in which the solder supply unit 7 supplies solder onto the mask 6. The pre-processing is a process that, prior to the solder supply process, mainly determines whether solder supply is necessary. More specifically, it is a process in which the width of the solder S on the mask 6 is measured at a predetermined timing and, based on the measurement results, determines whether solder supply, i.e., replenishment, is necessary.

[0068] The display control unit 103 controls the display of the display unit 110 to display various information and images according to the status of the printing process in the screen printing apparatus 1. In particular, when the above-described pre-processing has been executed, the display control unit 103 controls the display unit 110 to display the acquired measurement results in a predetermined format.

[0069] [Operation control of printing device 1] 4 is a flowchart showing the operational control of the printing device 1. When this flowchart starts, the print control unit 101 first determines whether it is time to clean the mask 6 (step S1). If the determination here is Yes, the print control unit 101 executes a cleaning process by operating the cleaning unit 8 (step S2). The cleaning process is executed, for example, at every predetermined cleaning cycle defined by the number of times the printing process is executed.

[0070] If the result of the process in step S1 is No, that is, if it is determined that it is not time for cleaning, the print control unit 101 skips the process in step S2 and executes the print process (steps S3 and S4).

[0071] Specifically, the print control unit 101 controls the substrate holding unit 4, and first loads the substrate P into the machine and has it held by the upper unit 4A, and then has the lower unit 4B overlap the substrate P on the underside of the mask 6. Next, the print control unit 101 controls the unit drive mechanism 10 and the squeegee drive mechanism 17 to position the squeegee 16 at a predetermined movement start position on the mask 6. At this time, when performing standard printing processing, the print control unit 101 sets the attack angle to a specified angle and brings the squeegee 16 into contact with the mask 6, whereas when performing provisional printing processing, the print control unit 101 sets the attack angle to a provisional angle and brings the squeegee 16 into contact with the mask 6.

[0072] Next, the print control unit 101 moves the squeegee 16 along the mask 6. With this operation, the solder S supplied to the upper surface of the mask 6 is moved by the squeegee 16, and the solder is applied (printed) onto the substrate P through the mask opening. When the squeegee 16 reaches the movement end position, the print control unit 101 controls the substrate holding unit 4 to move the substrate P downward away from the mask 6, and then transports the printed substrate P out of the machine. This completes the series of printing processes.

[0073] The printing control unit 101 then determines whether production has ended, i.e., whether printing processing of a set number of substrates P, such as one production lot, has been completed (step S5), and if the determination here is Yes, ends this flowchart.

[0074] On the other hand, if the determination in step S5 is No, the solder supply control unit 102 executes the above-described preliminary processing.

[0075] Specifically, the solder supply control unit 102 controls the unit drive mechanism 10 and the solder sensor 19 to move the printing unit 5 in the X direction at a predetermined speed, thereby causing the solder sensor 19 to scan the upper surface of the mask 6 and measure the width of the solder S. In other words, the solder supply control unit 102 obtains the measurement value Lw' of the width of the solder S.

[0076] The solder supply control unit 102 further determines whether the attack angle has been changed from the specified angle to the provisional angle, in other words, whether the measurement process of step S6 was performed while the provisional printing process was being executed (step S7). If the determination is No, the solder supply control unit 102 sets the measurement value Lw' acquired in the process of step S6 as the width Lw of the solder S and determines whether solder supply is necessary based on the solder width Lw (steps S11 and S9).

[0077] On the other hand, if the processing in step S7 judges Yes, the solder supply control unit 102 converts the measured value Lw' acquired in step S6 to a value when the attack angle is a specified angle, sets this converted value as the solder width Lw, and judges whether solder supply is necessary based on the solder width Lw (steps S8, S9).

[0078] As described above, the printing device 1 executes a normal printing process and a provisional printing process. The normal printing process is executed with the attack angle set to a specified angle, while the provisional printing process is executed with the attack angle set to a provisional angle. In this example, the execution condition for the provisional printing process is that the mask 6 has been cleaned. Once cleaning is performed, the printing control unit 101 temporarily executes the provisional printing process (a set number of times in succession). The reason for executing the provisional printing process after cleaning is to maintain consistent print quality before and after cleaning. Immediately after cleaning, solder adhering to the mask opening edge is wiped away. Therefore, if the attack angle is the same before and after cleaning, the amount of solder printed on the substrate P after cleaning will decrease. Therefore, after cleaning, the attack angle is temporarily changed. Specifically, the attack angle is changed to an angle (provisional angle) smaller than the specified angle to increase the filling force, thereby maintaining consistent print quality on the substrate P before and after cleaning.

[0079] Therefore, if the solder width is measured during the execution of this provisional printing process, the solder supply control unit 102 determines Yes in the process of step S7 and further converts the measurement value Lw' obtained in step S6 to the value for the specified angle. The reason for converting the measurement value Lw' is that in the process of step S9, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether solder supply is necessary based on the width of the solder S in the standard printing process, that is, the width of the solder S when the attack angle is the specified angle.

[0080] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross section of the solder S on the mask 6, with the left diagram showing the cross section of the solder S at the specified angle θ0 and the right diagram showing the cross section of the solder S at the provisional angle θ'. The cross section of the solder S can be considered to be a sector. Here, if the solder width at the specified angle θ0 is Lw0, the cross section of the solder at the specified angle θ0 is Aθ0, the measurement value at the provisional angle θ' is Lw', and the cross section of the solder S at the provisional angle θ' is Aθ', then: Aθ0=π(Lw0) 2 (θ / 360) Sθ´=π(Lw´)2 (θ´ / 360) Therefore, assuming that Sθ0=Sθ', the desired converted value, i.e., Lw0, is given by the following formula.

[0081] Lw0=Lw´√(θ´ / θ) As described above, the provisional angle is smaller than the specified angle (see FIG. 5), and the width of the solder S measured during the provisional printing process is larger than when the specified angle is used. Therefore, the converted value of the measured value Lw' is smaller than the measured value Lw'.

[0082] In step S9, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether solder supply is necessary based on the solder width Lw determined in steps S8 and S11. Specifically, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the solder width Lw from the target solder width Lwt is greater than a predetermined supply determination value (threshold value) Lws. The target solder width Lwt is a predicted value of the solder width Lw at the current time (at the time of processing in step S9), and is a known value calculated, for example, from the amount of solder supplied onto the mask 6 at the start of the printing process (initial solder amount), the average consumption amount which is the average amount of solder consumed in one printing process, and the total number of times the printing process has been performed from the first time to the current time.

[0083] If the determination in step S9 is Yes, solder supply control unit 102 controls solder supply unit 7 and unit drive mechanism 10 to execute a solder supply process in which solder is supplied onto mask 6 (step S10), and then returns the process to step S1. In this solder supply process, solder supply control unit 102 calculates a target solder amount corresponding to the difference between target solder width Lwt and solder width Lw, and controls solder supply unit 7 so that the target solder amount is supplied. That is, if solder width Lw is the measured value Lw' (if the process of step S11 has been performed), the amount of solder supplied by solder supply unit 7 is controlled so that the amount of solder supplied corresponds to the difference between measured value Lw' and target solder width Lwt, and if solder width Lw is the converted value of measured value Lw' (if the process of step S8 has been performed), the amount of solder supplied by solder supply unit 7 is controlled so that the amount of solder supplied corresponds to the difference between the converted value and target solder width Lwt.

[0084] On the other hand, if the result of the process in step S9 is No, the solder supply control unit 102 skips the process in step S10 and returns the process to step S1.

[0085] When the width of the solder S is measured in step S6 of FIG. 4, the display control unit 103 controls the display unit 110 to display information and an image indicating changes in the measured value Lw' of the solder width on the display unit 110. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the display unit 110 displays a measured width transition graph G1 indicating the transition of the measured value Lw' of the solder width and a converted value transition graph G2 in which the corresponding measured value Lw' is replaced with a converted value. In this case, the display control unit 103 displays the converted value transition graph G2 and the measured width transition graph G1 in different formats. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the display control unit 103 displays the measured width transition graph G1 as a solid line and the converted value transition graph G2 as a dashed line. The display format of the transition graphs G1 and G2 is not limited to this example. For example, the transition graphs G1 and G2 may be displayed in different colors. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the measured value Lw' when the width of the solder S is measured during the execution of the provisional printing process and its converted value are plotted to show the respective transition graphs G1 and G2.

[0086] The above describes the operational control of the printing device 1. In this example, of the pre-processing shown in Figure 4 (processing within the area surrounded by dashed lines), the processing performed while the standard printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S6 to S9, corresponds to the "standard pre-processing" of the present invention, and the processing performed while the provisional printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S6 to S11 excluding step S9, corresponds to the "provisional pre-processing" of the present invention.

[0087] [Action and effect] As explained above, in the printing device 1, the width of the solder S on the mask 6 is measured by the solder sensor 19 at a predetermined timing (step S6), and the need for solder supply is determined based on the measurement result (step S9). At this time, if the width of the solder S is measured during the execution of a standard printing process in which the attack angle is a specified angle, the need for solder supply is determined based on the measurement value Lw' (steps S11, S9), while if the width of the solder S is measured during the execution of a provisional printing process in which the attack angle is a provisional angle, the measurement value Lw' is converted to the width of the solder S for the specified angle, and the need for solder supply is determined based on the converted value (steps S8, S9).

[0088] Therefore, when the width of the solder S is measured during the execution of the provisional printing process, the reliability of the judgment is higher than when the measurement value Lw' is used directly to judge whether solder is needed. Therefore, according to the above-mentioned printing device 1, like conventional printing devices of this type, it is possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6, even though it has an inexpensive configuration that simply measures the width of the solder S with the solder sensor 19. Specifically, it is possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of solder S after the cleaning process has been performed.

[0089] Furthermore, when the solder supply process is performed by the solder supply unit 7, the printer 1 controls the solder supply unit 7 so that an amount of solder corresponding to the difference between the measured value Lw' and the target solder width Lwt is supplied during the standard printing process, and controls the solder supply unit 7 so that an amount of solder corresponding to the difference between the converted value of the measured value Lw' and the target solder width Lwt is supplied during the provisional printing process. This makes it possible to supply a more appropriate amount of solder onto the mask 6 compared to a case where the amount of solder supplied is uniformly controlled based on the difference between the measured value Lw' and the target solder width Lwt regardless of whether the standard printing process or the provisional printing process is performed. Therefore, the printer 1 also makes it possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6 in this respect.

[0090] Furthermore, in the printing device 1, when the width of the solder S is measured by the solder sensor 19, the measurement result, i.e., a measurement width transition graph G1 showing changes in the measurement value Lw', is displayed on the display unit 110. This has the advantage that the operator can intuitively recognize the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6, making it easy to recognize the condition of the solder S on the mask. In particular, in the printing device 1, along with the measurement width transition graph G1 showing changes in the measurement value Lw', a conversion value transition graph G2 in which the corresponding measurement value Lw' is converted into a converted value is displayed on the display unit 110. Therefore, when the width of the solder S is measured during the provisional printing process, the operator can easily recognize that the measurement result was obtained during the provisional printing process, and since the measurement result and the converted value are displayed together, it becomes possible to grasp the discrepancy between them. [Second embodiment] Next, we will explain the printing device 1 of the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the printing device 1 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the printing device 1 of the first embodiment, but the printing device 1 of the second embodiment differs from the printing device 1 of the first embodiment mainly in the content of the operation control.

[0091] 7 is a flowchart showing the operational control of the printing device 1 in the second embodiment. The processing from steps S21 to S25 in this flowchart is the same as the processing from steps S1 to S5 in the first embodiment (FIG. 4). Therefore, a description of steps S21 to S25 will be omitted here.

[0092] If the determination in step S25 as to whether production has ended is No, the solder supply control unit 102 executes pre-processing.

[0093] Specifically, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether the attack angle has been changed from the specified angle to a provisional angle, in other words, whether the provisional printing process is currently being executed (step S26). If the determination is Yes, the solder supply control unit 102 proceeds to step S21.

[0094] On the other hand, if the determination is No, that is, if it is determined that the standard mark printing process is currently being executed, the solder supply control unit 102 controls the unit drive mechanism 10 and the solder sensor 19 to move the printing unit 5 in the X direction at a predetermined speed, thereby causing the solder sensor 19 to scan the upper surface of the mask 6 and measure the width of the solder S. In other words, the solder supply control unit 102 obtains the measurement value Lw' of the width of the solder S.

[0095] Next, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether solder supply is necessary based on the measurement value Lw' acquired in step S27 (step S28). Specifically, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the measurement value Lw' from the target solder width Lwt is greater than a preset supply determination value (threshold value) Lws.

[0096] If the determination in step S28 is Yes, the solder supply control unit 102 controls the solder supply unit 7 and unit drive mechanism 10 to supply solder onto the mask 6 (step S29), and then returns the process to step S21. In this case, the solder supply control unit 102 calculates the amount of solder corresponding to the difference between the target solder width Lwt and the measured value Lw', and controls the solder supply unit 7 so that this amount of solder is supplied.

[0097] On the other hand, if the result of the process in step S28 is No, the solder supply control unit 102 skips the process in step S29 and returns the process to step S21.

[0098] In the printing device 1 of the second embodiment described above, the width of the solder S is measured only during the execution of the standard printing process, and the necessity of solder supply is determined based on the measurement value Lw'. In other words, during the execution of the provisional printing process, the width of the solder S is not measured, and therefore the necessity of solder supply is not determined.

[0099] In this way, in the printer 1 of the second embodiment, during the execution of the provisional printing process in which the attack angle is changed from the specified angle to the provisional angle, the solder width is not measured and the necessity of solder supply is not determined based on the measurement result. Therefore, there is no risk that the necessity of solder supply is determined based on the measurement value Lw' during the execution of the provisional printing process, that is, the measurement value Lw' when the attack angle is not the specified angle. In this respect, it can be said that it is possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of solder S.

[0100] Furthermore, with the printing device 1 of the second embodiment, solder width measurement and the like are not performed during the execution of the provisional printing process, which makes it possible to efficiently produce the board P. In other words, there is also the advantage that the productivity of the board P can be improved while eliminating the above-mentioned risks.

[0101] In this example, of the pre-processing shown in Figure 7 (processing within the area surrounded by dashed lines), the processing performed while the standard printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S26 to S28, corresponds to the "standard pre-processing" of the present invention, and the processing performed while the provisional printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of step S26 and the processing of skipping steps S27 and S28, corresponds to the "provisional pre-processing" of the present invention. [Third embodiment] Next, a description will be given of a printing device 1 according to a third embodiment. The printing device 1 according to the third embodiment has the same basic configuration as the printing device 1 according to the second embodiment, except that the operational control content is partially different.

[0102] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operational control of the printing device 1 in the third embodiment. The processing of steps S31 to S39 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is the same as the processing of steps S21 to S29 in the flowchart of the second embodiment, except that the processing content of steps S36 and S37 is reversed from the processing content of steps S26 and S27 in the second embodiment (Fig. 7). Therefore, a description of the processing other than steps S36 and S37 will be omitted here.

[0103] In the third embodiment, if the determination in step S35 as to whether production has ended is No, the solder supply control unit 102 controls the unit drive mechanism 10 and the solder sensor 19 to move the printing unit 5 in the X direction at a predetermined speed, thereby causing the solder sensor 19 to scan the upper surface of the mask 6 and measure the width of the solder S. That is, the solder supply control unit 102 obtains the measurement value Lw' of the width of the solder S.

[0104] Thereafter, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether the attack angle has been changed from the specified angle to the provisional angle, that is, whether the solder width measurement process of step S36 was performed during the execution of the provisional printing process (step S37). If the determination is Yes, the solder supply control unit 102 proceeds to step S31. On the other hand, if the determination is No, that is, if it is determined that the measurement process was performed during the execution of the standard print process, the solder supply control unit 102 proceeds to step S38 and determines whether solder supply is necessary based on the measurement value Lw' acquired in the process of step S36.

[0105] Similarly to the first embodiment, in the printing device 1 of the third embodiment, when the width of the solder S is measured in the processing of step S36, the display control unit 103 controls the display unit 110 to display information and an image indicating the change in the measurement value Lw' on the display unit 110. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the display unit 110 displays information indicating that the provisional printing process has been executed, more specifically, a period display G3 indicating the execution period of the provisional printing process, along with a measurement width transition graph G1 indicating the transition of the measurement value Lw'.

[0106] In the printing device 1 of the third embodiment described above, the solder sensor 19 can measure the width of the solder S during both the standard printing process and the provisional printing process. However, the determination of whether solder supply is necessary based on the measurement value Lw' is made only when the width of the solder S is measured during the standard printing process; if the width of the solder S is measured during the provisional printing process, the determination of whether solder supply is necessary based on the measurement value Lw' is not made. In other words, as in the second embodiment, the determination of whether solder supply is necessary is not made during the provisional printing process.

[0107] Therefore, like the printing device 1 of the second embodiment, the printing device 1 of the third embodiment does not have the risk of determining whether or not solder supply is necessary based on the measurement value Lw' obtained during execution of a provisional printing process in which the attack angle is not the specified angle, and in this respect, it can be said that it is possible to more appropriately manage the remaining amount of solder S.

[0108] Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, a measurement width transition graph G1 showing changes in the measurement value Lw' is displayed on the display unit 110, allowing the operator to intuitively recognize the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6. In this case, a period display G3 is displayed together with the measurement width transition graph G1, allowing the operator to easily distinguish the measurement values Lw' obtained during the execution period of the provisional printing process from among the measurement values Lw' on the measurement width transition graph G1.

[0109] In this example, of the pre-processing shown in Figure 8 (processing within the area surrounded by dashed lines), the processing performed while the standard printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S36 to S38, corresponds to the "standard pre-processing" of the present invention, and the processing performed while the provisional printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S36 and S37, and the processing of skipping step S38, corresponds to the "provisional pre-processing" of the present invention.

[0110] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a description will be given of a printing device 1 according to a fourth embodiment. The basic configuration of the printing device 1 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the printing device 1 according to the first embodiment, but the printing device 1 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the printing device 1 according to the first embodiment mainly in the content of the operation control.

[0111] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation control of the printing device 1 in the fourth embodiment. The processing in steps S41 to S48 and S51 in this flowchart is the same as the processing in steps S1 to S8 and S11 in the first embodiment (FIG. 4). Therefore, a description of steps S41 to S48 and S51 will be omitted here.

[0112] The solder supply control unit 102 sets the measured value Lw' acquired in step S46 as the solder width Lw (step S48), or sets the converted value of the measured value Lw' acquired in step S46 as the solder width Lw (step S51), and then performs a process of evaluating the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6 based on the solder width Lw.

[0113] Specifically, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the solder width Lw from the target solder width Lwt is greater than a preset error determination value (threshold value) Lwe (step S49). The error determination value Lwe is set to a solder width value corresponding to a level of remaining solder S that would interfere with the printing process. If the determination is Yes, the display control unit 103 controls the display unit 110 to display a predetermined error message on the display unit 110 (step S50), and the present flowchart ends.

[0114] On the other hand, if the determination in step S49 is No, the solder supply control unit 102 further determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the solder width Lw from the target solder width Lwt is greater than a preset warning determination value (threshold value) Lww (>error determination value Lwe) (step S52). The warning value Lww is set to a solder width value corresponding to a remaining amount of solder S at a level at which the printing process can be continued but early replenishment is desirable. Here, if the determination is No, the solder supply control unit 102 returns the process to step S41. On the other hand, if the determination is Yes, the display control unit 103 controls the display unit 110 to display a predetermined warning message on the display unit 110 (step S53), and then returns the process to step S41.

[0115] Although not shown in the drawings, in the printing device 1 of the fourth embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when the solder width is measured in the processing of step S46, the display control unit 103 controls the display unit 110 to display information and an image showing the change in the measurement value Lw' on the display unit 110. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a measurement width transition graph G1 showing the transition of the measurement value Lw' and a conversion value transition graph G2 showing the transition of the conversion value are displayed on the display unit 110.

[0116] As described above, according to the printing device 1 of the fourth embodiment, the operator can recognize the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6 based on the evaluation results, i.e., error messages and warning messages, displayed on the display unit 110. Therefore, solder can be supplied based on these messages, and as a result, the remaining amount of solder S can be managed appropriately.

[0117] Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the measurement width transition graph G1 and the conversion value transition graph G2 are displayed on the display unit 110, allowing the operator to intuitively recognize the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6, and since the measurement results and the conversion values are displayed together, it becomes possible to grasp the discrepancy between them.

[0118] In this example, of the pre-processing shown in Figure 10 (processing within the area surrounded by dashed lines), the processing performed while the standard printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S46 to S52 excluding step S48, corresponds to the "standard pre-processing" of the present invention, and the processing performed while the provisional printing processing is being executed, i.e., the processing of steps S46 to S52 excluding step S51, corresponds to the "provisional pre-processing" of the present invention.

[0119] [Variations] The printing device 1 according to the first to fourth embodiments described above is an example of a preferred embodiment of the screen printing device according to the present invention, and its specific configuration can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0120] For example, in the printing device 1 of the first embodiment, the solder supply control unit 102 determines whether solder supply is necessary using the measurement result of the solder sensor 19, i.e., the measured value Lw' of the width of the solder S on the mask 6, and during the execution of the provisional printing process, the supply control unit 102 determines whether solder supply is necessary using a converted value of the measured value Lw' (steps S6 to S10 in FIG. 4). However, the solder supply control unit 102 may also calculate the remaining amount of solder S on the mask 6 based on the measured value Lw' of the width of the solder S and the attack angle, or based on the converted value of the measured value Lw' and the attack angle, and use the calculation results to determine whether solder supply is necessary. The same applies to the second and third embodiments. The printing device 1 of the fourth embodiment may also be configured to evaluate the remaining amount of solder S using the calculation results. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1 Screen printing equipment 5 Printing Unit 6 Screen Mask 7 Solder supply unit (supply section) 8 Cleaning Unit 10 Unit drive mechanism 16 Squeegee 16a Pressing surface 17 Squeegee drive mechanism 19 Solder sensor (measurement part) 100 control device 101 Printing control unit 102 Solder supply control unit (coating material supply control unit) 103 Display control unit 104 Storage section 110 Display section 120 Operation section

Claims

1. a squeegee having a pressing surface for a coating material, which prints the coating material on a substrate by moving the coating material along the screen mask in a first direction via the pressing surface; a measuring unit that measures a width of the coating material on the screen mask in the first direction; a print control unit that controls the operation of the squeegee; A coating material supply control unit that controls the measurement unit and performs at least a pre-treatment that is a treatment prior to the supply of the coating material, the squeegee is configured to be able to change an attack angle, which is an angle formed between the pressing surface and an upper surface of the screen mask; the print control unit executes a standard print process in which printing is performed by setting the attack angle to a specified angle, and a provisional print process in which printing is performed by temporarily changing the attack angle to an angle different from the specified angle during the standard print process, The screen printing device is characterized in that, as the pre-processing, the coating material supply control unit performs a standard pre-processing in which, during the execution period of the standard printing process, the measuring unit measures the width of the coating material at a predetermined timing and performs processing based on the measurement results, while during the execution period of the provisional printing process, the coating material supply control unit performs a provisional pre-processing that is different from the standard pre-processing.

2. 2. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, The standard pre-processing is a process for determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied based on the measurement results, The screen printing device is characterized in that the provisional pre-processing is a process in which the measuring unit measures the width of the coating material at a predetermined timing, converts the measurement result into the value of the specified angle, and determines whether or not the coating material needs to be supplied based on the converted value.

3. 2. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, The standard pre-processing is a process for determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied based on the measurement results, The screen printing device is characterized in that the provisional pre-processing is a process in which the measuring unit simply measures the width of the coating material at a predetermined timing, and does not determine whether or not the coating material needs to be supplied.

4. 2. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, The standard pre-processing is a process for determining whether or not a coating material needs to be supplied based on the measurement results, The screen printing apparatus is characterized in that the provisional pre-processing is a process in which the measurement unit does not measure the coating material and does not determine whether or not the coating material needs to be supplied.

5. The screen printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, Further, a supply unit is provided for supplying a coating material onto the screen mask, The screen printing device is characterized in that, when it is determined that supply of coating material is necessary based on a determination of whether supply of coating material is necessary, the coating material supply control unit controls the supply unit to execute a coating material supply process that supplies coating material onto the screen mask.

6. 3. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2, Further, a supply unit is provided for supplying a coating material onto the screen mask, The coating material supply control unit further controls the supply unit, and when it is determined that supply is necessary in the determination of whether supply is necessary in the standard pre-processing, controls the supply unit to supply coating material equivalent to the difference between the measurement result and a predetermined target value, and when it is determined that supply is necessary in the determination of whether supply is necessary in the tentative pre-processing, controls the supply unit to supply coating material equivalent to the difference between the converted value and the target value.

7. 3. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2, a display unit that displays information about the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing; A screen printing apparatus further comprising a display control unit that controls the display unit.

8. 8. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 7, The screen printing apparatus is characterized in that the display control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating changes in the measurement results as information regarding the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing.

9. 9. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 8, The screen printing apparatus, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating the conversion value together with information indicating a change in the measurement result.

10. 4. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 3, a display unit that displays information about the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing; a display control unit that controls the display unit, The screen printing device is characterized in that the display control unit displays, on the display unit, information indicating a change in the measurement results and information indicating that the provisional printing process has been executed as information regarding the standard pre-processing and the provisional pre-processing.

11. 11. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 9, The screen printing device according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the change in the measurement result is a measured width transition graph indicating the change in the width of the coating material.

12. 2. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, a display unit that displays information about the standard pre-processing and the tentative pre-processing; a display control unit that controls the display unit, The standard pre-processing is a process of calculating a deviation between the measurement result and a predetermined target value and evaluating the remaining amount of the coating material based on the deviation, The provisional pre-processing is a process of measuring the width of the application material by the measurement unit at a predetermined timing, converting the measurement result into the value of the specified angle to obtain a deviation between the converted value and the target value, and evaluating the remaining amount of the application material based on the deviation, The screen printing apparatus is characterized in that the display control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating evaluation results of the remaining amount of the coating material in the standard pre-processing and the temporary pre-processing.

13. 3. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 2, the coating material supply control unit determines the remaining amount of coating material on the screen mask based on the measurement result and the specified angle, and performs the standard pre-processing based on the remaining amount, while determining the remaining amount of coating material based on the conversion value and the specified angle, and performs the temporary pre-processing based on the remaining amount.

Images