Lamination system

Abstract

This prevents poor bonding between the insulating substrate and the metal foil. [Solution] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a lamination system is provided for laminating a plurality of sheet-like materials, including a first and a second material. The lamination system comprises a plurality of benches, including a first and a second bench, on which the plurality of materials are placed, each bench comprising a stand and a stage detachably attached to the stand, wherein a suction surface capable of adsorbing materials is formed on one surface of the stage, and the stage is configured to be attached to the stand with the suction surface facing upward, and the lamination system comprises a robotic arm capable of moving the stage, and the robotic arm is configured to detach the stage on which the first material is placed from the first bench, invert the stage, and place the first material on top of the second material placed on the second bench.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lamination system.

Background Art

[0002] A copper-clad laminate, which is a material for printed wiring boards, is made by laminating copper foils on both sides of a prepreg and bonding them together.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a lamination apparatus for manufacturing copper-clad laminates. The lamination apparatus of Patent Document 1 stacks prepregs and copper foils to form a laminate. By heating and pressing this laminate, a copper-clad laminate is formed.

[0004] The lamination apparatus described in Patent Document 1 places an upper copper foil placed on an upper copper foil setting table on a sheet material (a stack of a predetermined number of prepregs) set on a loading table by a hoist, and forms a laminate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the lamination apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the lower surface of the upper copper foil (the surface in contact with the upper copper foil setting table), which may be contaminated with dust and dirt on the upper copper foil setting table, is overlapped with the prepreg, dust and dirt adhering to the lower surface of the upper copper foil may cause problems such as poor bonding and poor conductivity between the insulating substrate and the upper copper foil in the copper-clad laminate.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent poor bonding between an insulating substrate and a metal foil. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a lamination system is provided that can laminate a plurality of sheet-like materials, including first and second materials, without human contact. This lamination system comprises a plurality of benches, including first and second benches, on which the plurality of materials are placed, each bench comprising a stand and a stage detachably attached to the stand, wherein one surface of the stage has a suction surface capable of adsorbing materials, and the stage is configured to be attached to the stand with the suction surface facing upward, and the lamination system comprises a robotic arm capable of moving the stage, and the robotic arm is configured to detach the stage on which the first material is placed from the first bench, invert the stage, and place the first material on top of the second material placed on the second bench. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the lamination system of one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent poor bonding and poor conductivity between the insulating substrate and the metal foil. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of a stacking system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a stacking system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a side view of a stacking system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the first tip tool 4. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the first tip tool 4. [Figure 6] This is a side view of the first station holding the first tip tool 4. [Figure 7] This is a bottom view of the second tip tool 5. [Figure 8] This is a front view of the second tip tool 5. [Figure 9]Front view of bench 8. [Figure 10] Side view of bench 8. [Figure 11] Plan view of stage 6. [Figure 12] Front view of stage 6. [Figure 13] Plan view of stand 7. **[Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention]**

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Also, in each figure, when a plurality of matters with common reference numerals are shown, the reference numerals are not necessarily given to all of the plurality of displays, and the assignment of reference numerals is appropriately omitted for a part of the plurality of displays.

[0012] FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 are a plan view, a front view, and a right side view, respectively, of a lamination system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In each figure, for convenience of explanation, some illustrations of the configuration are omitted.

[0013] The lamination system 1 of the present embodiment is an apparatus system capable of laminating sheet-like materials constituting a copper-clad laminate CCL to form a laminate. By heating and pressing the laminate formed by the lamination system 1, a copper-clad laminate CCL is formed. The lamination system 1 is installed, for example, in the same clean room as a hot press apparatus.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention described below is an example in which the present invention is applied to the lamination of materials for a copper-clad laminate CCL. The present invention can also be applied to the lamination of materials for a multilayer printed circuit board (for example, an inner layer substrate, a prepreg, a copper foil, etc. formed from a copper-clad laminate CCL).

[0015] The copper-clad laminate CCL manufactured using the lamination system 1 of the present embodiment is obtained by laminating a base material B, a prepreg sheet P, and a copper foil C and integrating them by hot pressing. The base material B is a reinforcing member and is, for example, a sheet-like member formed from a metal (e.g., steel, aluminum, copper, etc.) or a non-thermoplastic resin (including fiber-reinforced plastic). The prepreg sheet P is formed by forming a prepreg into a sheet shape and forms an insulating layer that intervenes between the base material B and the copper foil C and electrically insulates them. The copper foil C is etched in the manufacturing process of a printed circuit board and constitutes a wiring pattern. Note that a copper foil may be used for the base material B.

[0016] The base material B and the copper foil C (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning target materials") are cleaned by a cleaner 12 described later before lamination, and the surfaces that come into contact with the prepreg sheet P are cleaned.

[0017] The lamination system 1 includes a robot arm 2, a first tip tool 4, a second tip tool 5, a plurality (e.g., three) of third tip tools 6 (hereinafter referred to as "stages 『6』"), a plurality (e.g., three) of stands 7, a stand 70, a plurality (e.g., three) of material tables 11, a cleaner 12, a pneumatic / vacuum supply device 15, and a control device 1c. The control device 1c is communicably connected to each part constituting the lamination system 1 such as the robot arm 2, the stand 7, an imaging device 79B, the stand 70, an imaging device 79L, the cleaner 12, and the pneumatic / vacuum supply device 15, and integrally controls the operation of the entire lamination system 1.

[0018] The stand 7 is also used as a station for storing the unused stages 6. The lamination system 1 includes, for example, the same number of stages 6 as the stands 7, and each stage 6 is stored in the corresponding stand 7. Further, the lamination system 1 includes, for example, the same number of material tables 11, stages 6, and stands 7 as the type (or number of laminations) of the materials to be laminated.

[0019] The pneumatic / vacuum supply device 15, equipped with a compressor and a vacuum pump (not shown), supplies compressed air and vacuum to each of the end tools 4, 5, 6 and the stand 7, and also releases them to the atmosphere. The compressed air and vacuum are supplied to each of the end tools 4, 5, 6 or the stand 7 via the tool changer 3, which will be described later.

[0020] Robot arm 2 is a vertical articulated robot that moves and stacks each material constituting the copper-clad laminate CCL. Other types of robots, such as a horizontal articulated robot or a parallel link robot, may be used instead of robot arm 2.

[0021] Furthermore, since the robot arm 2 of this embodiment is a collaborative robot equipped with safety functions, an operator can also perform tasks simultaneously within the robot arm 2's work area. The robot arm 2 is equipped with, for example, a laser scanner to detect the approach of an operator, a force sensor or capacitive proximity sensor to detect contact with or proximity to an operator, and is configured to stop its operation or take actions to avoid contact with the operator when these sensors detect the approach of an operator or the like. By using a collaborative robot for the robot arm 2 and enabling collaborative work between the robot arm 2 and an operator, it is possible to reduce the installation space of the stacking system 1 and improve work efficiency.

[0022] A general-purpose industrial robot may be used for the robot arm 2. In that case, for example, the working area of ​​the robot arm 2 and the working area of ​​the worker may be separated by a safety fence or the like, and an interlock may be provided to stop the robot arm 2 when the worker enters the working area of ​​the robot arm 2.

[0023] The robot arm 2 is positioned in the center of the stacking system 1, and multiple material tables 11, a cleaner 12, and multiple stands 7 and stands 70 are arranged around the robot arm 2.

[0024] The first end tool 4, the second end tool 5, and the third end tool 6 are robot hands that are detachably attached to the end of the robot arm 2. Depending on the task to be performed by the robot arm 2, one of the first end tool 4, the second end tool 5, and the third end tool 6 is selected and attached to the end of the robot arm 2.

[0025] The robot arm 2 and each of the end tools 4-6 are detachably connected via a tool changer 3. The tool changer 3 comprises a robot-side unit 31 (first unit) attached to the tip of the robot arm 2 and a tool-side unit 32 (second unit) attached to each of the end tools 4, 5, and 6, enabling the attachment and detachment of each of the end tools 4-6 to the robot arm 2. The tool changer 3 is provided with multiple (e.g., two) conduits for carrying pneumatic or vacuum. The conduits of the robot-side unit 31 are connected to the pneumatic / vacuum supply device 15. The tool changer 3 is also provided with multiple wiring systems for carrying power or electrical signals. The wiring of the robot-side unit 31 is connected to the control device 1c. By connecting the robot-side unit 31 and the tool-side unit 32, the robot-side unit 31 and the tool-side unit 32 are mechanically integrated, and the conduits of the robot-side unit 31 and the conduits of the tool-side unit 32 are connected, enabling the supply of pneumatic or vacuum to each of the end tools 4, 5, and 6. Furthermore, by connecting the robot-side unit 31 and the tool-side unit 32, the wiring between them is connected, enabling the supply of power or electrical signals to each of the end tools 4, 5, and 6.

[0026] The first tip tool 4 is used to transport the materials to be cleaned (substrate B, copper foil C) before cleaning. The second tip tool 5 is used to transport the prepreg sheet P and the materials to be cleaned after cleaning. The second tip tool 5 also has the function of peeling the film off the prepreg. The third tip tool 6 (stage 6) is used for laminating each material. Details of each tip tool 4, 5, and 6 will be described later.

[0027] The base 20 of the robot arm 2 is equipped with two stations 21 (first station 21A and second station 21B) for storing unused first end-effector tools 4 and second end-effector tools 5, respectively. Details of the stations 21 will be described later.

[0028] Three material trays 11 (first material tray 11A, second material tray 11B, and third material tray 11C) are each loaded with materials for copper-clad laminate CCL. The first material tray 11A is loaded with base material B, the second material tray 11B is loaded with copper foil C, and the third material tray 11C is loaded with prepreg sheet P.

[0029] The cleaner 12 (cleaning means) is a device that performs a cleaning process to remove foreign matter adhering to the surface of the material to be cleaned using friction members such as a built-in rotating brush. The cleaner 12 includes a table 121 (input table) on which the material to be cleaned is placed before cleaning, and a table 122 (output table) on which the material to be cleaned is placed after cleaning.

[0030] The three stands 7 (first stand 7A, second stand 7B, and third stand 7C) each have a stage 6 detachably attached to their top surface, and together with the stage 6 they form a bench 8 (first bench 8A, second bench 8B, and third bench 8C). The stage 6 becomes the top plate of the bench 8, and various materials or laminates of copper-clad laminate CCL are placed on it. Stand 70 has a different configuration from stands 7 (first stand 7A, second stand 7B, and third stand 7C) and is not configured to have a stage 6 attached to it. Stand 70 is placed, for example, next to the second stand 7B.

[0031] A prepreg sheet P with the film side facing upwards is placed on the first bench 8A, a base material B is placed on the second bench 8B, and copper foil C is placed on the third bench 8C. On the second bench 8B, the materials of the copper-clad laminate CCL are stacked to form a laminate. Details of bench 8 (stage 6 and stand 7) and stand 70 will be described later.

[0032] Figures 4 and 5 are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the first tip tool 4. The first tip tool 4 comprises a frame 41 made of aluminum frames 411 assembled in a grid pattern, four air cylinders 42 with rods 421 facing downwards attached to the sides near the four corners of the frame 41, four vacuum pads 43 attached to the tips of the rods 421 of each air cylinder 42, and a tool-side unit 32 and a pressure sensor 46 attached to the top surface of the frame 41.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the tool-side unit 32 is equipped with two pipe fittings 321 (321A, 321B). The two pipe fittings 321A and 321B are connected to two separate pipelines of the tool-side unit 32. Four air cylinders 42 are connected to pipe fitting 321A via a branch pipe (not shown), and four vacuum pads 43 are connected to pipe fitting 321B via a branch pipe (not shown). Control valves (not shown) are provided in the pipelines connecting the branch pipes to each air cylinder 42, allowing for individual control of the operation of each air cylinder 42.

[0034] A pressure sensor 46 is attached to the first end tool 4. The pressure sensor 46 detects the internal pressure of the conduit to which pneumatic (or vacuum) is supplied to the first end tool 4. The pressure sensor 46 is connected to the control device 1c via the wiring of the tool changer 3. When the first end tool 4 is mounted on the robot arm 2 and pneumatic (or vacuum) is supplied to the conduit of the first end tool 4, the pressure sensor 46 detects the internal pressure of the conduit. Based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 46, it is determined whether or not the first end tool 4 is properly mounted on the robot arm 2. If it is determined that it is not properly mounted, an alarm (e.g., a warning sound such as a buzzer, illumination or flashing of a warning light, etc.) is issued. The detection result of the pressure sensor 46 is also used to determine whether the first end tool 4 is loaded (i.e., whether or not material is adsorbed and held by the first end tool 4).

[0035] When the first tip tool 4 is used to remove the copper-clad laminate CCL material from the material tray 11, the robot arm 2 is operated with the rod 421 of the air cylinder 42 and the vacuum pad 43 protruding downwards, bringing the first tip tool 4, which is parallel to the material tray 11 on which the material is placed, closer to the material tray 11 from directly above, and making the vacuum pad 43 adhere to the material. Then, vacuum is supplied to the vacuum pad 43 to attract the material. Next, some of the four air cylinders 42 (for example, one or two) are driven to lift only some of the vacuum pads 43 (leaving the remaining one or more vacuum pads 43 in their original positions without being lifted), thereby separating the material (i.e., separating the uppermost layer of material to be transported from the lower layer of material attached to it). Then, the robot arm 2 is operated to move the material upward, away from the material tray 11, and then move the material to the transport destination. Furthermore, before, during, or after the material is moved, the air cylinder 42 is activated to ensure that all vacuum pads 43 are extended downwards.

[0036] When the copper-clad laminate CCL material is being transported to the cleaner table 121 using the first tip tool 4, the robot arm 2 is activated to move the first tip tool 4, which is oriented parallel to the table 121, directly above the table 121 and then lower it vertically onto the table 121. Once the material is placed on the destination table 121, the vacuum supply to the vacuum pad 43 is stopped to release the suction of the material, and then the robot arm 2 is activated to release the first tip tool 4 from the material placed on the table 121.

[0037] The procedure for loading and unloading copper-clad laminate (CCL) materials using the first advanced tool 4 described above is merely an example and is not limited to this procedure.

[0038] Figure 6 is a side view of the first end-tool 4 held in the first station 21A. The first station 21A comprises a frame 211, which is, for example, a Z-shaped bracket fixed to a base 20, and a gripping unit 33 attached to the top of the frame 211. The gripping unit 33 releasably engages with the tool-side unit 32 of the tool changer 3 to support the first end-tool 4. When changing the robot hand attached to the robot arm 2 from the first end-tool 4 to another end-tool, the first end-tool 4 is held in the first station 21A and detached from the robot arm 2. Conversely, when changing from another end-tool to the first end-tool 4, the robot arm 2 is connected to the first end-tool 4 held in the first station 21A, and the first end-tool 4 is removed from the first station 21A.

[0039] The first tip tool 4 in this embodiment is a vacuum gripper equipped with four vacuum pads 43, but the configuration of the present invention is not limited thereto. A vacuum gripper equipped with multiple (e.g., 16 or more) vacuum pads 43 arranged in a grid pattern on its lower surface may be used as the first tip tool 4. Alternatively, a suction panel such as the second tip tool 5 described later may be used as the first tip tool 4.

[0040] Figures 7 and 8 are the bottom and rear views, respectively, of the second tip tool 5. The second tip tool 5 is a roughly flat suction panel with a perforated plate on its lower surface. The second tip tool 5 comprises a frame 51, a front plate 52 attached to the upper surface of the frame 51, a back plate 53 attached to the lower surface of the frame 51, a honeycomb core 54 housed in the hollow part of the frame 51, and a tool-side unit 32 and a pressure sensor 56 attached to the upper surface of the front plate 52. The back plate 53 is a perforated plate with numerous fine through holes (suction holes 531) evenly formed therein. The frame 51, front plate 52, back plate 53, and honeycomb core 54 are integrally connected to form the suction panel body.

[0041] The frame 51, front plate 52, back plate 53, and honeycomb core 54 that constitute the suction panel body are formed from lightweight metals such as aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. The material of the suction panel body is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment, and for example, steel materials such as stainless steel or composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic may be used in whole or in part.

[0042] The hollow portion of the suction panel body is connected to the conduit of the tool-side unit 32, which supplies vacuum, allowing for vacuum evacuation. When the hollow portion of the suction panel body is vacuumed, an airflow is generated through the suction holes 531, moving from the outside to the inside of the backing plate 53, causing objects near the backing plate 53 to be attracted to the backing plate 53.

[0043] A pressure sensor 56 is attached to the upper surface of the second end tool 5. The pressure sensor 56 detects the internal pressure of the hollow part of the second end tool 5 to which pneumatic (or vacuum) air is supplied. The pressure sensor 56 is connected to the control device 1c via the wiring of the tool changer 3. When the second end tool 5 is mounted on the robot arm 2 and pneumatic (or vacuum) air is supplied to the hollow part of the second end tool 5, the pressure sensor 56 detects the internal pressure of the hollow part. Based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 56, it is determined whether or not the second end tool 5 is properly mounted on the robot arm 2. If it is determined that it is not properly mounted, an alarm (e.g., a warning sound such as a buzzer, illumination or flashing of a warning light, etc.) is issued. The detection result of the pressure sensor 56 is also used to determine whether the second end tool 5 is loaded (i.e., whether or not material is adsorbed and held by the second end tool 5).

[0044] The second tip tool 5 has notches 55 formed at both ends in the width direction (left and right in Figure 7) to avoid interference with the bench 8 (specifically, the clamps 76 of the stand 7) when transferring the copper-clad laminate CCL material onto the bench 8. The second tip tool 5 also has a peeling roller for peeling off the film attached to the prepreg sheet.

[0045] Figures 9 and 10 are a front view and a side view of bench 8, respectively. Bench 8 comprises a stand 7 fixed to the floor F and a stage 6 that is detachably attached to the top surface of stand 7.

[0046] Figures 11 and 12 are the plan view and front view of Stage 6, respectively. Figure 13 is the plan view of Stand 7.

[0047] Stage 6 (third tip tool) is an aluminum honeycomb panel type suction panel, similar to the second tip tool 5. In Stage 6, a perforated plate with numerous suction holes 621 is used for the front plate 62 of the frame 61 (the flat plate that faces upward when mounted on the stand 7), while a solid plate material without suction holes is used for the back plate 63.

[0048] The tool-side unit 32 is attached to the center of the back surface (back plate 63) of stage 6. Positioning plates 64 are also attached to both ends of the back surface of stage 6 in the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 11). The positioning plates 64 have holes formed in them that engage with positioning pins 74, which will be described later and are attached to the top surface of stand 7. The engagement of the positioning plates 64 and the positioning pins 74 ensures that stage 6 is accurately positioned relative to stand 7 in the horizontal direction.

[0049] Light-transmitting sections 67 are provided at two diagonal locations on the stage 6. Specifically, notches 671 are provided at two diagonal locations on the stage 6 (the upper left corner and the lower right corner in Figure 11), and a transparent member 672, such as a polycarbonate sheet, is fitted into these notches 671. Both the front and back surfaces of the transparent member 672 are formed flush with the front plate 62 and back plate 63, respectively. Light emitted from a lighting device 78, described later, attached to the upper surfaces of the stands 7 and 70, passes through the light-transmitting sections 67 and illuminates the corners of the material placed on the stage 6. An imaging device 79 (79B, 79L), such as a CCD camera, is positioned directly above the second stand 7B and stand 70, and the imaging device 79 captures a transmitted image of the corners of the material on the stage 6 placed on the second stand 7B or stand 70. The position of the material on the stage 6 (or the amount of displacement of the material relative to the stage 6) is measured by image analysis based on the image information obtained from this imaging.

[0050] A pressure sensor 66 is mounted on the back of stage 6. The pressure sensor 66 detects the internal pressure of the hollow section of stage 6 to which pneumatic (or vacuum) air is supplied. The pressure sensor 66 is connected to the control device 1c via the wiring of the tool changer 3. When stage 6 is mounted on stand 7 (or robot arm 2) and pneumatic (or vacuum) air is supplied to the hollow section of stage 6, the pressure sensor 66 detects the internal pressure of the hollow section. Based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 66, it is determined whether or not stage 6 is properly mounted on stand 7 (or robot arm 2). If it is determined that it is not properly mounted, an alarm (e.g., a warning sound such as a buzzer, illumination or flashing of a warning light, etc.) is issued. The detection result of the pressure sensor 66 is also used to determine whether or not stage 6 is loaded (i.e., whether or not material is adsorbed and held in stage 6).

[0051] Furthermore, the stacking system 1 also includes means for detecting the continuity between the wiring of the robot-side unit 31 and the wiring of the tool-side unit 32 of the tool changer 3, and determining whether the connection between the robot arm 2 and the first end-effector tool 4 (or the second end-effector tool 5 or the stage 6) is good or bad based on the detection result.

[0052] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the stand 7 comprises an upper part 72 to which the stage 6 is attached, and legs 71 that support the upper part 72. The upper part 72 includes a top plate 721. A notch 721a is formed in the center of the top plate 721, opening to the front (lower side in Figure 13) to avoid interference with the tool-side unit 32 of the stage 6.

[0053] The upper part 72 includes a pair of positioning pins 74 that engage with a pair of positioning plates 64 of the stage 6, and a pair of air cylinders 741 that raise and lower each positioning pin 74. When the positioning pins 74 are raised by the air cylinders 741, they engage with the positioning plates 64. The positioning pins 74 are expandable positioning pins that expand in diameter when pushed into the positioning plates 64, and are configured to enable high-precision positioning (for example, repeatable positioning accuracy of 5 μm) through engagement with the positioning plates 64. When the positioning pins 74 are lowered by the air cylinders 741, the engagement between the positioning pins 74 and the positioning plates 64 is released.

[0054] A pair of lighting devices 78 (for example, LED lamps) are mounted on the upper surface of the top plate 721, in a position opposite to the pair of translucent sections 67 of the stage 6.

[0055] Furthermore, the upper part 72 of the stand 7 is equipped with a gripping unit 33 located beneath the top plate 721. When the stage 6 is mounted on the stand 7, the tool-side unit 32 of the stage 6 is gripped by the gripping unit 33 of the stand 7, thereby holding the stage 6 on the stand 7.

[0056] Furthermore, the upper part 72 of the stand 7 is equipped with a pair of locking mechanisms 75 (Figure 13) for gripping the material. The locking mechanism 75 includes a clamp 76 for gripping and fixing the material, and an air cylinder 751 for driving the clamp 76 in the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 13). The clamp 76 includes a fixed claw 762 fixed to the movable part of the air cylinder 751, a movable claw 761 positioned above the fixed claw 762 for gripping the material by sandwiching it between the fixed claw 762 and the clamp 761, and an air cylinder 763 (Figure 9) for driving the movable claw 761 up and down (i.e., in the direction towards / away from the fixed claw 762). The air cylinder 763 is attached to the fixed claw 762.

[0057] With the movable claw 761 separated from the fixed claw 762, the air cylinder 751 of the pair of locking mechanisms 75 is driven to move the clamp 76 to the center in the width direction, so that the edge of the material is inserted between the fixed claw 762 and the movable claw 761. Also, by driving the air cylinder 753 of the pair of locking mechanisms 75 to move the movable claw 761 of the clamp 76 downward, the material is gripped by each clamp 76 and fixed to the stand 7.

[0058] Furthermore, the upper part 72 of the stand 7 is equipped with a robot-side unit 31 (Figure 10) that supplies vacuum or pneumatic pressure to the stage 6 when the robot arm 2 detaches from the stage 6, and a moving device 77 that moves the robot-side unit 31 in the depth direction (left-right direction in Figure 10) between the operating position Pa and the standby position Ps. The operating position Pa is directly below the tool-side unit 32 of the stage 6 mounted on the stand 7, and when the moving device 77 moves the robot-side unit 31 to the operating position Pa, the tool-side unit 32 of the stage 6 and the robot-side unit 31 are connected. The standby position Ps is set to a position that does not interfere with the robot arm 2. When the moving device 77 moves the robot-side unit 31 from the operating position Pa to the standby position Ps, the connection between the tool-side unit 32 of the stage 6 and the robot-side unit 31 is automatically released, and the robot-side unit 31 of the robot arm 2 becomes ready to connect to the tool-side unit 32 of the stage 6.

[0059] Stand 70 is obtained by removing the gripping unit 33, positioning pin 74, air cylinder 741, locking mechanism 75, and moving device 77 from Stand 7. In other words, Stand 70 consists of an illumination device 78 and an imaging device 79L used for imaging, and a frame that supports them. Consequently, the stage 6 cannot be fixed to Stand 70, and when imaging is performed on Stand 70, the stage 6 is supported by the robot arm 2.

[0060] Next, the procedure for laminating the materials for the copper-clad laminate CCL using the lamination system 1 will be explained.

[0061] First, the robot arm 2 transfers the substrate B from the first material table 11A to the cleaner table 121. At this time, the first end tool 4, held in the first station 21A, is attached to the robot arm 2, and the one placed on top of the multiple substrates B stacked on the first material table 11A is picked up by the first end tool 4 and transferred.

[0062] Next, the base material B is cleaned by the cleaner 12, and the cleaned base material B is placed on the table 122.

[0063] While the substrate B is being cleaned, the copper foil C is transferred from the second material table 11B to the cleaner table 121 by the robot arm 2 equipped with the first tip tool 4.

[0064] Next, the copper foil C is cleaned with the cleaner 12.

[0065] While the copper foil C is being cleaned, the first end-effector tool 4 is removed from the robot arm 2 and placed in the first station 21A. Then, the second end-effector tool 5, which is held in the second station 21B, is attached to the robot arm 2. A porous film with numerous fine holes uniformly formed to allow gas to pass through is removably attached to the back surface (back plate 53) of the second end-effector tool 5. Therefore, even when material is transported with the second end-effector tool 5, the surface of the material does not become contaminated. The porous film is replaced periodically by an operator (for example, after each set of copper-clad laminate CCL material has been transported) or whenever contamination is detected.

[0066] Next, the robot arm 2, equipped with the second end tool 5, transfers the cleaned substrate B from the table 122 to the stage 6 of the second bench 8B, and both ends of the substrate B in the width direction are gripped by a pair of locking mechanisms 75. Then, the substrate B placed on the second bench 8B is imaged by the imaging device 79B of the stand 7. The control device 1c (or another information processing device) performs image analysis based on the captured image information, and the amount of deviation of the substrate B from its reference position (first deviation amount) is calculated from the image analysis.

[0067] When substrate B (or other copper-clad laminate CCL material) is placed on stage 6, a vacuum is supplied to stage 6, and substrate B or other material is adsorbed onto the surface of stage 6.

[0068] Next, the robot arm 2, equipped with the second tip tool 5, transfers the cleaned copper foil C from the table 122 to the third bench 8C, and both ends of the copper foil C in the width direction, which is placed on the stage 6, are gripped by a pair of locking mechanisms 75.

[0069] Next, the robot arm 2, equipped with the second end tool 5, transfers the prepreg sheet P from the third material table 11C to the first bench 8A, and both ends of the prepreg sheet P in the width direction, which is placed on the stage 6, are gripped by a pair of locking mechanisms 75. Furthermore, the prepreg sheet P is vacuum-adsorbed to the stage 6 via a porous film attached to the surface of the stage 6. Then, the film attached to the prepreg sheet P is peeled off using the peeling rollers of the second end tool 5.

[0070] Furthermore, a porous film with numerous uniformly formed fine pores that allow gas to pass through is removably attached to the surface (front plate 62) of Stage 6. Therefore, even when materials are transported or laminated using Stage 6, the surface of the materials will not become contaminated. The porous film is replaced periodically by the operator (for example, after each lamination of a set of materials for copper-clad laminate CCL) or whenever contamination is detected.

[0071] Next, the second end tool 5 is removed from the robot arm 2 and placed in the second station 21B. Then, the stage 6, which is held in the first stand 7A, is attached to the robot arm 2.

[0072] Next, the robot arm 2 detaches the stage 6 on which the prepreg sheet P is placed from the first stand 7A, transports it to stand 70, and holds the stage 6 on stand 70.

[0073] Next, the prepreg sheet P, placed on the stage 6 (held on the stand 70), is imaged by the imaging device 79L, which is installed directly above the stand 70. The control device 1c (or another information processing device) performs image analysis based on the captured image information, and the amount of displacement of the prepreg sheet P from its reference position (second displacement) is calculated through the image analysis.

[0074] Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to move the stage 6 on which the prepreg sheet P is placed from the stand 70 to above the second bench 8B. At this time, based on the first displacement amount (the displacement of the base material B on the second bench 8B) and the second displacement amount (the displacement of the prepreg sheet P on the stand 70) described above, the amount of movement of the robot arm 2 is corrected so that these displacement amounts are eliminated (i.e., so that the prepreg sheet P is stacked on the base material B without displacement).

[0075] Next, stage 6 is rotated (inverted) 180° around the center line CL (Figure 11) extending in the width direction, so that the top surface of stage 6 faces downwards. The surface of stage 6 on which the base material B of the second bench 8B is placed and the surface of stage 6 attached to the robot arm 2 and which has picked up the prepreg sheet P are positioned parallel to each other, facing one above the other.

[0076] Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to lower the stage 6 attached to the robot arm 2. When the prepreg sheet P held by the stage 6 attached to the robot arm 2 comes into contact with the base material B on the second bench 8B (or just before contact), both ends in the width direction of the base material B and the prepreg sheet P are gripped by a pair of locking mechanisms 75, and the base material B and the prepreg sheet P are fixed to the second bench 8B. Then, the vacuum supply to the stage 6 attached to the robot arm 2 is stopped, and then pneumatic pressure is supplied to release the suction holding of the prepreg sheet P. As a result, the prepreg sheet P is placed on top of the base material B on the second bench 8B. Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to transfer the stage 6 attached to the robot arm 2 to the first stand 7A, detach it from the robot arm 2, and mount it on the first stand 7A. Furthermore, while transferring Stage 6 to the first stand 7A, Stage 6 is rotated 180° again around the center line CL, and then attached to the first stand 7A with the top surface of Stage 6 facing upwards.

[0077] Next, the stage 6, held on the third stand 7C, is attached to the robot arm 2. The robot arm 2 transports the stage 6, on which the copper foil C is placed, to the stand 70 and holds the stage 6 on the stand 70.

[0078] Next, the copper foil C placed on the stage 6 (held on the stand 70) is imaged by the imaging device 79 installed directly above the stand 70. The control device 1c (or another information processing device) performs image analysis based on the captured image information, and the amount of deviation of the copper foil C from its reference position (third deviation amount) is calculated by the image analysis.

[0079] Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to move the stage 6 on which the copper foil C is placed from the stand 70 to above the second bench 8B. At this time, based on the first displacement amount (the displacement of the base material B on the second bench 8B) and the third displacement amount (the displacement of the copper foil C on the stand 70) described above, the amount of movement of the robot arm 2 is corrected so that these displacement amounts are eliminated (i.e., so that the copper foil C is stacked on the base material B and prepreg sheet P without any displacement).

[0080] Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to move the stage 6 on which the copper foil C is placed from the stand 70 to above the second stand 7B. Then, the stage 6 is rotated (inverted) 180° around the center line CL so that the top surface of the stage 6 faces downwards. The surface of the stage 6 on which the substrate B of the second bench 8B and the prepreg sheet P are placed, and the surface of the stage 6 attached to the robot arm 2 and holding the copper foil C, are positioned parallel to each other, facing one above the other.

[0081] Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to lower the stage 6 mounted on the robot arm 2. When the copper foil C held by the stage 6 mounted on the robot arm 2 comes into contact with the prepreg sheet P on the second bench 8B (or just before contact), both ends in the width direction of the substrate B, prepreg sheet P, and copper foil C laminated on the stage 6 are gripped by a pair of locking mechanisms 75 and fixed to the second stand 7B. Then, the vacuum supply to the stage 6 mounted on the robot arm 2 is stopped, and then air pressure is supplied to release the suction holding of the copper foil C. As a result, the copper foil C is placed on top of the substrate B and prepreg sheet P on the second bench 8B, forming a laminate of materials for the copper-clad laminate CCL. Next, the robot arm 2 is activated to transfer the stage 6 mounted on the robot arm 2 to the third stand 7C, detach it from the robot arm 2, and mount it on the first stand 7A.

[0082] The laminate formed on the second bench 8B is removed from the second bench 8B, for example, by a worker.

[0083] In the above embodiment of the present invention, materials can be laminated without placing (contacting) the surfaces of the base material B and copper foil C that come into contact with (adhere to) the prepreg sheet P onto the stage 6. In particular, by inverting the stage 6 when layering the copper foil C onto the prepreg sheet P, it becomes possible to laminate materials without bringing the surface of the copper foil C that comes into contact with (adheres to) the prepreg sheet P into contact with the stage 6.

[0084] Furthermore, by detachably attaching the porous film to the back surface (back plate 53) of the second tip tool 5, contamination of the material by contact with the second tip tool 5 during material transport by the second tip tool 5 can be prevented.

[0085] Furthermore, by removably attaching the porous film to the surface (front plate 62) of the stage 6, contamination of the materials by contact with the stage 6 during the lamination of materials by the stage 6 can be prevented.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, by using an adsorption panel, it becomes possible to accurately laminate soft and easily chipped prepregs, thereby preventing chipping of the prepregs and insulation failures due to localized pressure.

[0087] The above is a description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. For example, embodiments of the present invention also include combinations of embodiments explicitly shown in the specification or obvious embodiments as appropriate.

[0088] The present invention is not limited to the manufacture of copper-clad laminates and printed circuit boards, but can also be applied to other types of products having a layered structure (for example, multilayer ceramic capacitors, multilayer secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, liquid crystal panels, fiber-reinforced plastics, etc.). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 1. Stacking System 2 Robot Arms 3 Tool Changer 4. First Advanced Tools 5. Second Advanced Tool 6 stages 7 Stands 8 benches 11 Material table 12 Contact Cleaners CCL copper-clad laminate B Base material C copper foil P Prepreg Sheet L laminate

Claims

1. A lamination system for stacking multiple sheet-like materials, each containing a first and a second material, The system comprises a plurality of benches, including first and second benches, on which the plurality of materials are placed, The aforementioned bench, Stand and, The stand comprises a stage that can be detachably attached to the aforementioned stand, An adsorption surface capable of adsorbing the material is formed on one surface of the stage. The stage is configured to be attached to the stand with the suction surface facing upwards, The stacking system includes a robotic arm that can move the stage, The robot arm is configured to detach the stage on which the first material is placed from the first bench, invert the stage, and place the first material on top of the second material placed on the second bench. Lamination system.

2. The aforementioned stage, A ring-shaped frame, A front panel attached to one side of the aforementioned frame, The frame comprises a backing plate attached to the other side of the frame, The aforementioned surface plate is a porous plate with multiple through holes formed therein. The lamination system according to claim 1.

3. The robot arm is equipped with a tool changer for attaching tools to it in a detachable manner, The aforementioned tool changer, A robot-side unit attached to the tip of the robot arm, The robot-side unit comprises a tool-side unit that is detachable from the robot-side unit, The tool-side unit is attached to the back plate of the stage, The lamination system according to claim 2.

4. The second material is a metallic material, The aforementioned stacking system A cleaner for cleaning the aforementioned metal material, A first tip tool used for transferring the metal material before cleaning with the cleaner, A second tip tool used for transferring the metal material after cleaning with the cleaner, Equipped with, The lamination system according to claim 1.

5. The robot arm is equipped with a tool changer for attaching tools to it in a detachable manner, The aforementioned tool changer, A robot-side unit attached to the tip of the robot arm, The robot-side unit comprises a tool-side unit that is detachable from the robot-side unit, The tool-side unit is attached to the back plate of the stage, The lamination system according to claim 4.

6. The cleaner is equipped with a discharge table on which the metal material is placed after cleaning, The robot-side unit is attached to the upper surface of the second tip tool. A vacuum pad is attached to the underside of the second tip tool. The system is configured to transfer the metal material placed on the discharge table to the bench while using the vacuum pad to pick it up, The lamination system according to claim 5.

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