Coating method, coating apparatus, method for manufacturing articles, coating process program

Abstract

This invention provides an adhesive application method that allows for quick readjustment of application conditions if the adhesive application result fails inspection. [Solution] A coating method for applying an adhesive to a surface to be coated, comprising: a condition setting step for obtaining a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the coating conditions; a coating step which is started after the condition setting step and for applying the adhesive; an inspection step which measures the profile of the adhesive obtained by the coating and checks whether the obtained profile is within a specified range; and, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, a recondition setting step which derives the coating conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship and sets the coating conditions to be applied to the coating step.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating method, a coating apparatus, a method for manufacturing articles, and a coating process program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an application method in which the application conditions of an object to be bonded are changed based on the results of inspecting the adhesive applied to the object to be bonded. Patent Document 2 discloses an application method having an application state determination step in which the application state is determined to be poor if the height of the adhesive material is outside a predetermined height range. Patent Document 3 discloses an application method having a step of determining whether the application state is good or bad, and a step of outputting an alarm to indicate an application abnormality or stopping the manufacturing apparatus if a defect is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-196570 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-109155 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-042521 [Overview of the initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] However, while conventional application methods include a flow chart for resetting application conditions if the adhesive application results fail inspection, it does not specify how to reset them, resulting in the problem of time-consuming resetting process. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an adhesive application method that allows for quick readjustment of application conditions if the application result of the adhesive fails inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a coating method for applying an adhesive to a surface to be coated, comprising: a condition setting step for obtaining a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the coating conditions; a coating step which is started after the condition setting step and applies the adhesive; an inspection step which measures the profile of the adhesive obtained by the coating and checks whether the obtained profile is within a specified range; and, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, a recondition setting step which derives the coating conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship and sets the coating conditions to be applied to the coating step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an application method that allows for quick readjustment of application conditions if the application result of the adhesive fails inspection. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows the application method of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows the state in which adhesive is applied using the coating apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows the state in which adhesive is applied using the coating apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows the state in which adhesive is applied using the coating apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows the measurement results of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows the state in which adhesive is applied using the coating apparatus of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows the coating method of the third embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows the state in which adhesive is applied using the coating apparatus of the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows the coating method of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a state in which an adhesive is applied by the coating device of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing a conceptual diagram of the measurement result of the adhesive width with respect to the elapsed time of the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> In the manufacturing process of industrial equipment, an adhesive bonding process is used to bond parts together. When using an adhesive as a bonding method, due to the characteristics of the adhesive, by spreading the adhesive, in addition to the original purpose of bonding, it is possible to also have the effect of sealing fluids.

[0009] Also, in bolt fastening, a strong force is applied to the parts due to the bolt axial force, but the adhesive can bond the parts without applying a strong force to the parts. Furthermore, in bolt fastening, space is required to arrange bolts on the parts, but the adhesive can adjust the adhesive width when applying, and there is an advantage that it can be bonded even in a narrow space.

[0010] From the above, when a sealing function is required to flow fluid between parts, when the parts are brittle and break when a strong force is applied, when the parts are small and there is no space to arrange bolts, etc., an adhesive bonding process using an adhesive is used as a method to bond parts together.

[0011] The disadvantage of using an adhesive is that since the adhesive is a liquid, depending on the coating conditions of the adhesive coating process, the width (profile) of the adhesive after applying the adhesive (hereinafter referred to as "adhesive width") changes. Coating conditions include the inner diameter dimension of the nozzle that discharges the adhesive, the moving speed of the nozzle with respect to the coating surface, the discharge pressure, temperature, humidity, elapsed time, etc. Therefore, in order to make the adhesive width after coating the required width, it is necessary to obtain the relationship between the coating conditions and the adhesive width (condition setting).

[0012] In the process of applying an adhesive in the manufacturing process of industrial equipment, usually, an application device for applying the adhesive is used. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an application device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The application device 10 includes a discharge part that discharges an adhesive 5 onto the coated surface of an adhesion target object 6 (first member), and a drive part that supports the discharge part and moves with respect to the coated surface. The discharge part includes a syringe 1 filled with an adhesive, and a dispenser 2 that applies compressed air to the syringe 1 to discharge the adhesive 5 in the syringe 1. The drive part is configured with a robot 3 that moves the syringe 1 to apply the adhesive at a predetermined position of the adhesion target object 6.

[0013] In FIG. 2, in a plane parallel to the coated surface for applying the adhesive of the adhesion target object 6, the directions perpendicular to each other are defined as the X direction and the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction. Also, in the following description, the Z direction will be described as the vertical direction. A nozzle 4 is attached to the syringe 1, and the adhesive 5 filled in the syringe 1 is discharged through the nozzle 4 and adheres to the adhesion target object 6. Further, the application device 10 has a control part 7 that controls the overall driving of the application device 10, and the application method of the embodiment described later is controlled by the control part 7. The control part 7 may be configured in the application device 10, or may be configured as an external device that can communicate with the application device 10.

[0014] Therefore, by continuously extruding the adhesive 5 from the syringe 1 while moving the syringe 1 in the X direction in FIG. 2 with the robot 3, the adhesive 5 is applied linearly to the adhesion target object 6 in the longitudinal direction in the X direction. In the present invention, the description is based on the premise that the adhesive 5 is applied linearly to the adhesion target object 6. However, it should be noted that the present invention can be effectively applied to an application process in which the adhesive 5 is applied not linearly but in a dot shape.

[0015] Since the adhesive 5 filled in the syringe 1 is discharged through the nozzle 4, the inner diameter dimension of the nozzle 4 becomes the cross-sectional dimension of the discharged adhesive 5. Therefore, the larger the inner diameter dimension of the nozzle 4, the larger the cross-sectional dimension of the adhesive 5, and the wider the width of the adhesive applied linearly to the adhesion target object 6.

[0016] Furthermore, when the discharge pressure of compressed air applied to syringe 1 is constant and the discharge flow rate of adhesive 5 is constant, if the movement speed of syringe 1 by robot 3 is fast, the amount of adhesive per unit length in the direction of movement (X direction) will decrease, and the adhesive width will decrease. Also, if the discharge pressure is high, the discharge flow rate of adhesive 5 will increase, and since more adhesive 5 is discharged from syringe 1 per unit time, the adhesive width will increase.

[0017] Furthermore, the viscosity of adhesive 5 decreases at higher temperatures and increases at lower temperatures. When the temperature is high and the viscosity of adhesive 5 is low, it spreads more easily after application, so the adhesive width increases at higher temperatures.

[0018] Furthermore, since adhesive 5 is a chemical substance, its viscosity changes and hardening progresses over time. If adhesive 5's viscosity decreases over time, it will spread more easily as time passes, thus increasing the width of the adhesive.

[0019] When adhesive 5 is used to join parts together, the adhesive strength between the parts is generally proportional to the bonding area of ​​the adhesive 5. The bonding area is determined by the volume of adhesive applied and the distance between the bonding parts. The application volume is determined by the adhesive width and bonding height. The ratio of adhesive width to bonding height is determined by the viscosity of the adhesive 5 and the surface condition of the objects to be bonded 6. Therefore, once the adhesive width is determined, the bonding height is automatically determined, the bonding area is determined, and the adhesive strength is determined. From the above, if the required adhesive strength is determined by the weight of the parts, the adhesive width required to achieve that adhesive strength is determined, so a lower limit of the adhesive width must be specified.

[0020] If we consider only adhesive strength, the larger the bonding area, the better, and therefore the wider the adhesive width, the better. However, if the dimensions of the parts are small and the area where adhesive 5 can be applied is small and limited, or if adhesive 5 is expensive, then an upper limit on the adhesive width must be specified.

[0021] Furthermore, if a fluid is to flow between the parts to be bonded and the adhesive 5 also needs to have a sealing function, the adhesive 5 must be applied in a continuous, linear fashion without interruption, surrounding the area where the liquid flows. If the width of the adhesive is too small, it may break down midway, potentially losing its sealing function. Therefore, if a sealing function is required, the width of the adhesive must have a minimum limit. As described above, the adhesive width in the bonding process has upper and lower limits, and the specified range of adhesive width is determined by factors such as adhesive strength, part dimensions, and sealing function.

[0022] As described above, the adhesive width changes depending on the inner diameter of the nozzle 4, the nozzle movement speed, the discharge pressure, the temperature, the humidity, and the elapsed time. Therefore, in the coating process, in order to bring the adhesive width within the specified range, the coating conditions are first determined by adjusting the inner diameter of the nozzle 4, the nozzle movement speed, the discharge pressure, the temperature, and the humidity. Note that the same type of nozzle 4 is often used repeatedly. Also, it is difficult to control the humidity to an arbitrary level. Therefore, normally, the conditions are determined (coating condition setting) by adjusting the three conditions: the nozzle movement speed, the discharge pressure, and the temperature.

[0023] The temperature of the adhesive 5 will vary depending on the ambient temperature during the bonding process (for example, the temperature inside the chamber where the bonding device is placed). Therefore, when adjusting the temperature, you can either adjust the temperature of the adhesive 5 itself, or you can adjust the air conditioning temperature inside the chamber where the bonding device is placed.

[0024] Even if the adhesive 5 is of the same type, its viscosity may vary due to differences between batches. Furthermore, the temperature and humidity of the work area during the bonding process change with the seasons and from day to day. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the application conditions daily, when replacing the adhesive, or when refilling the adhesive.

[0025] Figure 1 is a diagram of the coating method according to the first embodiment. The coating method of this embodiment includes a condition setting step (S11), a coating step (S12), an inspection step (S13), and a recondition setting step (S14), as shown in Figure 1. First, in the condition setting process (S11), three conditions—nozzle movement speed, discharge pressure, and temperature—are adjusted to bring the adhesive width within the specified range. Typically, general coating equipment has functions to adjust the nozzle movement speed and discharge pressure, so among the three conditions, the temperature is often kept constant, and only the nozzle movement speed and discharge pressure are adjusted. In the condition setting process (S11), the coating equipment used in the coating process (S12) may be used, or a coating equipment specifically for condition setting may be used.

[0026] Furthermore, the object 6 to which the adhesive 5 is applied may be an actual part (product) that is the object to be bonded 6, or a tool used for determining the conditions may be used. However, since the adhesive width is affected by the material and surface condition of the object 6 to be bonded, if a tool for determining the conditions is used, it is desirable that the material and surface condition match those of the actual part (product) that is the object to be bonded 6. Since adhesive 5 may have lot-to-lot variations, it is desirable to use the adhesive 5 that will actually be used in the next coating step (S12).

[0027] Once the nozzle movement speed and discharge pressure required to keep the adhesive width within the specified range are determined, the discharge pressure is kept constant, and the nozzle movement speed is varied from a small speed to a large speed. The adhesive 5 is applied multiple times at each speed, and the adhesive width is measured for each nozzle movement speed. The measuring instrument for the adhesive width can be either an optical microscope or a white light interferometer. An optical microscope is superior because, by adjusting the focus to the adhesive 5, everything else is defocused, resulting in high accuracy in measuring the adhesive width. A white light interferometer is superior because it can measure not only the adhesive width but also the adhesive height simultaneously. Based on the measured adhesive width for each nozzle movement speed, the proportionality constant K1 in equation (4) of the "Calculation Formula for Setting Conditions" described later is calculated.

[0028] The coating process (S12) is the process of actually applying the adhesive 5 to the part 6, which is the object to be bonded, using the bonding device, according to the coating conditions determined in the condition setting process (S11). The inspection step (S13) is a step in which the width of the adhesive, as a result of applying the adhesive 5 to the object to be bonded 6 in the coating step (S12), is checked to see if it is within the specified range. All parts may be inspected, or if the process is stable, lot-by-lot inspection or sampling inspection may be performed. The inspection device can be, for example, an optical microscope or a white light interferometer as described in the condition setting step (S11). The inspection device may be used as part of the function of the coating device 10 used in the coating step (S12), and the inspection may be performed immediately after the coating step (S12), or an independent inspection device separate from the coating device 10 may be used.

[0029] The reconditioning process (S14) is a process in which, if the inspection result in the inspection process (S13) is unsatisfactory, the coating conditions necessary to pass the inspection are calculated from formula (4) of the "conditioning calculation formula" obtained in advance in the conditioning process (S11). Details of the "conditioning calculation formula" will be described later.

[0030] The coating process flow is as shown in Figure 1, starting with the condition setting process (S11), followed by the coating process (S12) and the inspection process (S13).

[0031] If the inspection result in the inspection process (S13) is satisfactory, and if bonding of the next part is necessary, the process returns to the coating process (S12) and continues bonding the next part. Once the coating is complete for all parts, the coating process is finished. Although not shown in this flowchart, after the bonding process is complete, there is a process of bonding the mating part to the object to be bonded 6. Typically, a mounter is used to position the mating part relative to the object to be bonded 6, and the mating part is placed on the object to be bonded 6 while pressing down on the applied adhesive 5. Next, if a thermosetting adhesive 5 is used, a curing process is performed using a heating device.

[0032] If the inspection result in the inspection process (S13) is unsatisfactory, the reconditioning process (S14) is performed. In the reconditioning process (S14), the coating conditions are calculated based on formula (4) of the "condition calculation formula" that was confirmed in advance in the condition setting process (S11), and the process returns to the coating process (S12) to continue the bonding process. In the reconditioning process (S14), the operator may calculate the "condition calculation formula," or the calculation may be performed automatically by a dedicated calculation device equipped with data transmission and reception functions. When the calculation is performed automatically by the calculation device, the measurement results from the inspection process (S13) are sent to the calculation device for calculation, and the calculation results are sent to the robot 3 of the bonding device to reset the coating conditions such as the nozzle movement speed.

[0033] The method where an operator performs the calculations is advantageous because it can be done using a standard personal computer, eliminating the need for specialized hardware or software for calculation devices. The method where an automated calculation is performed using a specialized calculation device is advantageous because it eliminates the need for an operator, allowing for unmanned application processes. Parts coated with adhesive 5 that fail inspection may be reused after removing adhesive 5, or they may be discarded if the parts are inexpensive and the handling costs of removing the adhesive are higher.

[0034] Next, we will explain the "condition calculation formula" obtained in the condition setting process (S11). Figure 2 shows the state in which adhesive 5 is applied to the surface to be bonded using the application device 10. As shown in Figure 2, when adhesive 5 is applied while moving syringe 1 to the right in the figure, the adhesive 5 is applied linearly to the object to be bonded 6 in the left-right direction. Since the cross-sectional shape of the adhesive discharge port of the nozzle 4 attached to syringe 1 is circular, the shape of the adhesive 5 discharged through nozzle 4 is circular in cross-section AA in Figure 2. Furthermore, assuming that the shape of the adhesive 5 after application to the object to be bonded (surface to be bonded) 6 is also circular in cross-section BB in Figure 2, as shown in Figure 3, its diameter is denoted as D. Since adhesive 5 is an incompressible fluid, the continuity equation holds as follows. Flow rate Q = Cross-sectional area A × Nozzle movement speed V ... (1) Furthermore, if the cross-section of adhesive 5 is circular and its cross-sectional diameter is D, Cross-sectional area A={(D / 2) 2} × 3.14 Therefore, the cross-sectional diameter D is Cross-sectional diameter D={(A / 3.14) 0.5}×2 ···(2) It is required as such. From equations (1) and (2), the cross-sectional diameter D is D = [{(Q / V) / 3.14} 0.5 ]×2 ···(3) It is required as such.

[0035] From equation (3), if the flow rate Q is constant, the cross-sectional diameter D of the adhesive is equal to the velocity V. 0.5 It can be seen that it is inversely proportional. Since we assume that the cross-section of the adhesive 5 after it has been applied to the object to be bonded 6 is also circular, the cross-sectional diameter D of the adhesive becomes the width of the adhesive. However, in reality, the adhesive 5 is a liquid and spreads out after being applied to the object to be bonded 6, so the cross-section is no longer circular. Therefore, equation (3), which assumes a circular cross-section, cannot be used as is. Therefore, given the condition that the cross-sectional diameter D of adhesive 5 is inversely proportional to the square root of velocity V, we can simplify equation (3): D=K1 / V 0.5 ...(4) This can be derived. Here, K1 is the proportionality constant (the proportionality constant between the reciprocal of the square root of the velocity V and the cross-sectional diameter D: the first proportionality constant). Let this equation (4) be the "condition calculation formula". Equation (4) is an approximate formula that shows the relationship between the nozzle movement speed and the adhesive width, assuming that other coating conditions are constant.

[0036] Next, Figure 4 shows a top view of the adhesive applied to the surface from the Z direction in Figure 2, and shows the adhesive width in the direction perpendicular to the nozzle movement direction (X direction) (Y direction) in the XY plane for three patterns of nozzle movement speed: low speed, medium speed, and high speed. The adhesive width increases as the nozzle movement speed decreases, and the adhesive width decreases as the nozzle movement speed increases.

[0037] In the condition setting process (S11), the specific method for calculating K1 in equation (4) of the "condition setting calculation formula" is to measure the adhesive width for each nozzle movement speed by changing the nozzle movement speed from a small speed to a large speed, as shown in Figure 4. Next, the proportionality constant K1 is calculated by curve fitting the approximation curve of equation (4) to the measured results. Here, we demonstrate that equation (4) can be curve-fitted to the measured results. However, if the range in which the nozzle movement speed can be varied is narrow, and within that range the relationship between the nozzle movement speed and the adhesive width can be considered linear, then fitting using a linear approximation is also acceptable.

[0038] If the inspection in the inspection process (S13) results in a failure, the process proceeds to the reconditioning process (S14). In the reconditioning process (S14), the measured value of the adhesive width is defined as Dr, and the median value of the specified range of adhesive width is defined as D0. The amount of change in nozzle movement speed ΔV is calculated to bring the measured value of the adhesive width Dr to the median value D0 in order to pass the inspection. From equation (4), the amount of change in speed ΔV is: ΔV = {K1 / (ΔD)} 2 ={K1 / (Dr-D0)} 2 ...(5) A quantitative relationship can be determined. The rate change ΔV is calculated by substituting the measured value Dr of the adhesive width and the median value D0 of the specified range of adhesive width into equation (5). By adding the speed change amount ΔV to the nozzle movement speed V0 before the inspection process (S13), the nozzle movement speed V1 required to bring the adhesive width within the specified median value D0 of the adhesive width range can be determined.

[0039] Patent Document 1 describes an application method in which the application conditions for the object to be bonded 6 are changed based on the results of inspecting the adhesive 5 applied to the object to be bonded 6. However, it does not show a specific method for changing the application conditions. Similarly, Patent Document 2 describes an application condition determination step in which the application condition is determined to be poor, but it does not show a specific method for changing the application conditions.

[0040] In processes involving the bonding of large quantities of parts, such as those used in industrial equipment bonding, the application process needs to be either lengthy or run continuously. Longer application times increase the impact of temperature changes and changes in adhesive properties, leading to greater variations in adhesive width. Furthermore, smaller parts require smaller specified adhesive width ranges, demanding stricter control. Therefore, longer application times increase the frequency of failures during inspection due to adhesive width exceeding specifications. Consequently, the frequency of reconditioning to pass inspection also increases.

[0041] However, if no specific method for changing the coating conditions is provided and such a method has not been established, then when an inspection fails, the coating process operator will have to go through trial and error to find the correct coating conditions to pass the inspection. Because it involves trial and error, finding the correct conditions takes time. Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the bonding process of industrial equipment, it is necessary to find the correct conditions frequently, which leads to the problem of a longer lead time for the entire bonding process. Moreover, when operators go through trial and error, the time it takes to complete the correct conditions and the overall lead time for the bonding process will vary depending on the operator's experience and skill, making it difficult to create a production plan. In addition, because the process relies on operator trial and error, it is not possible to automate the coating process.

[0042] By adopting the coating process of the present invention, the reconditioning process only requires substituting the inspection data into equation (5), and when an inspection fails, the coating conditions necessary to pass the inspection from the next coating onwards can be determined in a single calculation without trial and error. As a result, the time required for reconditioning is reduced, and the lead time for the entire coating process can be shortened.

[0043] Furthermore, the time required to complete the reconditioning process is consistent and does not vary depending on the operator. In addition, the series of operations involved in substituting inspection data into equation (5) to determine the nozzle movement speed required to pass the inspection, and then setting that calculation result to the speed of robot 3, can be automated using the dedicated computing device mentioned above. Therefore, no operator is required for reconditioning, and the coating process can be made unmanned.

[0044] Furthermore, the application of the present invention is not limited to the application process of adhesive 5. It is effective for all application processes of liquid materials, including adhesive 5. For example, it can be used in the application process of semiconductor encapsulants, or in the application process of creams and sauces for food products. In addition, even in application processes where a specified range is set for the application height of adhesive 5 rather than the adhesive width, the present invention can be applied by replacing the adhesive width D in formula (4) with the adhesive height (profile).

[0045] As an example of applying the adhesive application method of the first embodiment, the effects of the present invention will be explained by showing specific application conditions. As an example, the condition determination process (S11) was performed using an application apparatus 10 used in the application process of industrial equipment. Adhesive 5 was a thermosetting epoxy resin adhesive 5. This adhesive 5 was frozen for storage and thawed before use. The inner diameter of the nozzle 4 of syringe 1 was set to 0.72 [mm], the discharge pressure to 432 [kPa], and the specified range of adhesive width to 1 ± 0.1 [mm].

[0046] The adhesive width was measured for eight different nozzle movement speeds, ranging from low to high. Then, K1 was calculated by curve fitting equation (4) to the obtained measurement results. The measurement results are shown in Figure 5. The solid line and circular plots represent measured values, while the dashed line and triangular plots represent calculated values ​​obtained using equation (4). After curve fitting, K1 was found to be 2.2. From Figure 5, it can be seen that increasing the nozzle movement speed tends to decrease the adhesive width. Also, the measured values ​​and calculated values ​​agree well. Based on the measured values, to set the adhesive width within the specified range of 1 ± 0.1 [mm], the nozzle movement speed needs to be set to 6 [mm / sec].

[0047] Assuming that the measured values ​​for nozzle movement speed V0 = 1 [mm / sec] and adhesive width D = 2.04 [mm] were the values ​​inspected in the inspection process (S13), and the inspection result was a failure, we move to the reconditioning process (S14). If we set the values ​​for nozzle movement speed V0 = 1 [mm / sec] and adhesive width D = 2.04 [mm] to K1 = 2.2, then from equation (5), the speed change amount ΔV is: ΔV = {2.2 / (D-D0)} 2 = 4.52 [mm / sec] This is how it is calculated. Therefore, the nozzle movement speed required to pass the inspection is: V1 = V0 + ΔV =1+4.52 = 5.52 [mm / sec] This is how it is calculated. The measured adhesive width at the corrected nozzle travel speed V1 = 5.52 [mm / sec] is 1.05 [mm], which falls within the specified range of 1 ± 0.1 [mm], thus passing the adhesive width inspection.

[0048] Therefore, if the inspection result is unsatisfactory, the nozzle movement speed required to pass the inspection can be calculated in a single calculation based on the adhesive width obtained from the inspection result using formula (5). As a result, the application conditions to bring the adhesive width within the standard range can be set without trial and error, and the process can proceed to the application step (S12) of the next part.

[0049] In the condition setting step (S11), a coefficient K1 was obtained that correlated the difference in adhesive width (ΔD) and the change in nozzle movement speed (ΔV) in a one-to-one relationship, as shown in equation (5), thereby facilitating reconditioning in the recondition setting step (S14). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a coefficient K1 that quantitatively correlates the difference in adhesive width (ΔD) and the change in nozzle movement speed (ΔV) in a one-to-one relationship may be obtained instead. For example, a similar effect can be achieved by obtaining a table that correlates the difference in adhesive width (ΔD) and the change in nozzle movement speed (ΔV) in a one-to-one relationship in the condition setting step (S11) instead of the coefficient K1.

[0050] In other words, even if the adhesive width after application changes due to the influence of conditions that change over time, the amount of change in nozzle movement speed can be calculated as the amount of change in the required application conditions for the required change in adhesive width, based on the "condition calculation formula" acquired initially. This makes it possible to obtain the desired adhesive width by deriving the required change in nozzle movement speed as the operating end for changing the adhesive width, based on the difference between the measured adhesive width and the target adhesive width, without having to identify which conditions have changed. Even if the adhesive width falls outside the standard range and reconditioning is necessary, the corrected application conditions (nozzle movement speed) can be reset in a short time with a simple calculation, providing an application method and application apparatus 10 that is advantageous in terms of productivity.

[0051] <Second Embodiment> Next, the application method of the adhesive 5 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. The application apparatus of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 2.

[0052] Similar to the first embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the adhesive 5 in the XY plane immediately after being discharged from the nozzle 4 of the coating apparatus 10 of the second embodiment is circular, and the cross-sectional diameter D is determined by equation (3). From Equation (3), when the nozzle movement speed V in the X direction is constant, the cross-sectional diameter D of the adhesive 5 is proportional to the square root of the flow rate Q. Also, from Bernoulli's theorem, the flow rate Q is proportional to the square root of the discharge pressure P. Therefore, the cross-sectional diameter D is proportional to the fourth root of the discharge pressure P. Similar to the first embodiment, when Equation (3) is simplified, D = K2 × P 0.25 ···(6) can be derived. Here, K2 is a proportionality coefficient (the second proportionality coefficient: the proportionality coefficient between the fourth root of the discharge pressure P and the cross-sectional diameter D).

[0053] This Equation (6) is the "condition calculation formula" in the second embodiment. That is, Equation (6) is an approximate formula showing the relationship between the discharge pressure and the adhesive width when other coating conditions are assumed to be constant. Fig. 6 shows the adhesive width in the top view seen from the Z direction of Fig. 2 in three patterns when the discharge pressure is low, medium, and high. As shown in Fig. 6, the larger the discharge pressure, the larger the adhesive width, and the smaller the discharge pressure, the smaller the adhesive width.

[0054] The flow of the coating method is the same as that of Fig. 1 of the coating method in the first embodiment. In the condition setting step (S11) of the second embodiment, the specific method of calculating K2 using Equation (6) of the "condition calculation formula" is to change the discharge pressure from a small pressure to a large pressure as shown in Fig. 6 and measure the adhesive width for each discharge pressure. Next, the proportionality coefficient K2 is calculated by curve fitting the approximate curve of Equation (6) to the measurement results. Although Equation (6) may be curve-fitted to the measurement results, if the range of change in the discharge pressure is narrow and the relationship between the discharge pressure and the adhesive width can be regarded as linear within that range, linear approximation may be used for fitting.

[0055] If the inspection in the inspection process (S13) results in a failure, the process proceeds to the reconditioning process (S14). In the reconditioning process (S14), the measured value of the adhesive width is D, and the median value of the specified range of adhesive width is D0. The change in discharge pressure ΔP required to set D to D0 and pass the inspection is then calculated. From equation (6), ΔP is: ΔP = {(ΔD) / K²} 4 ={(D-D0) / K2} 4 ...(7) A quantitative relationship can be determined. By substituting the measured value Dr of the adhesive width and the median value D0 of the specified range of adhesive width into equation (7), the change in discharge pressure ΔP can be calculated. Based on this calculation result, by adding ΔP to the discharge pressure P0 before the inspection process (S13), the discharge pressure P1 is determined so that the adhesive width becomes the median value D0 of the adhesive width. P1 = P0 + ΔP It is possible to find this.

[0056] In the condition setting step (S11) of this embodiment, a coefficient K2 was obtained that corresponds one-to-one with the difference in adhesive width (ΔD) and the change in discharge pressure (ΔP), as shown in equation (7), thereby facilitating reconditioning in the recondition setting step (S14). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a method may be used to obtain something that quantitatively corresponds one-to-one with the difference in adhesive width (ΔD) and the change in discharge pressure (ΔP) instead of the coefficient K2. For example, a similar effect can be achieved by obtaining a table that corresponds one-to-one with the difference in adhesive width (ΔD) and the change in discharge pressure (ΔP) in the condition setting step (S11) instead of the coefficient K2.

[0057] In other words, even if the adhesive width after application changes due to the influence of conditions that change over time, the amount of change in discharge pressure can be calculated as the amount of change in the required application conditions for the required change in adhesive width, based on the "condition calculation formula" acquired initially. This makes it possible to obtain the desired adhesive width by deriving the required change in discharge pressure as the operating end for changing the adhesive width, based on the difference between the measured adhesive width and the target adhesive width, without having to identify which application conditions have changed. Even if the adhesive width falls outside the standard range and reconditioning is necessary, the corrected application conditions (discharge pressure) can be reset in a short time with a simple calculation, providing an application method and application apparatus 10 that is advantageous in terms of productivity.

[0058] <Third Embodiment> Next, the application method of the third embodiment will be described based on Figure 7. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the coating method according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the coating method of this embodiment consists of a condition setting step (S11), a coating step (S12), an inspection step (S13), a recondition setting step (S14), a temperature measurement step (S31), and a temperature determination step (S32).

[0059] The difference from the coating method described in the flowchart of Figure 1 of the first embodiment is that there is a temperature measurement step (S31) and a temperature determination step (S32) before the coating step (S12). In the condition setting process (S11), the proportionality constant K3 of equation (8) of the "condition setting calculation formula" in the third embodiment is calculated.

[0060] The "condition calculation formula" for the third embodiment will now be explained. In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the adhesive 5 is applied while moving the syringe 1 in the X direction, the adhesive 5 is applied to the object to be bonded 6 in a linear manner with a longitudinal direction in the X direction. As shown in Figure 8, which is a top view from the Z direction of Figure 2, the higher the temperature of the adhesive 5, the lower the viscosity of the adhesive 5 and the wider the adhesive width, and the lower the temperature, the higher the viscosity of the adhesive 5 and the narrower the adhesive width.

[0061] Although viscosity has a nonlinear relationship with temperature, in actual coating processes, temperature is usually well controlled and temperature changes are small, so viscosity can be considered to be linearly proportional to temperature. Also, adhesive width can be considered to be linearly proportional to viscosity. Therefore, since adhesive width D can be considered to be linearly proportional to temperature T, the cross-sectional diameter D is D = K³ × T ... (8) A quantitative relationship can be determined as follows. Here, K3 is the proportionality constant (the third proportionality constant).

[0062] Equation (8) is the "condition determination calculation formula" in the third embodiment, and is an approximate formula showing the relationship between temperature and adhesive width. If you want to calculate viscosity from temperature and then calculate adhesive width more accurately, you can use Andrade's formula or other formulas that express the relationship between the viscosity of a liquid and temperature.

[0063] In the condition determination process (S11), the temperature is varied from low to high, the adhesive width is measured for each condition where the temperature is constant, and the proportionality constant K3 of equation (8) in the "condition determination calculation formula" is derived by fitting the approximation line of equation (8) to the measurement results. Furthermore, in the condition determination process (S11), the proportionality constant K1 of equation (4) in the first embodiment, the proportionality constant K2 of equation (6) in the second embodiment, or both may be considered when deriving the formula.

[0064] In the temperature measurement step (S31), the temperature of the adhesive 5 is measured. The temperature may be measured directly, or the temperature of the syringe 1 filled with the adhesive 5 may be measured. Alternatively, the temperature of the air in the chamber where the coating device 10 is placed may be measured, and the temperature of the adhesive 5 may be calculated based on the air temperature. A higher temperature results in lower viscosity of the adhesive 5 and a wider adhesive width, while a lower temperature results in higher viscosity of the adhesive 5 and a narrower adhesive width.

[0065] In the temperature determination process (S32) (determination process), the temperature of the adhesive 5 is measured using equation (8) of the "condition setting calculation formula," allowing the adhesive width to be calculated and predicted before actually applying the adhesive 5. If the calculated adhesive width is within the specified range, the process proceeds to the next application process (S12). If the calculated adhesive width is outside the specified range, the process proceeds to the recondition setting process (S14) to perform recondition setting. This prevents the occurrence of defective products with adhesive widths outside the specified range.

[0066] In the reconditioning step (S14), the coating conditions (temperature of adhesive 5) required to pass the inspection are calculated from equation (8) of the "condition calculation formula" confirmed in advance. Alternatively, the coating conditions required to pass the inspection may be calculated based on either equation (4) (nozzle movement speed) of the first embodiment, or equation (6) (discharge pressure) of the second embodiment, or both. The coating conditions (at least one of the temperature of adhesive 5, nozzle movement speed, and discharge pressure) derived in the reconditioning step are set, and the process proceeds to the coating step (S12).

[0067] Steps S13 and S15, which follow the coating process (S12), are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0068] In the condition setting step (S11) of this embodiment, a coefficient K3 that creates a one-to-one correspondence between adhesive width (D) and temperature (T), as shown in equation (8), was obtained, thereby facilitating the recondition setting step (S14). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a method that quantitatively creates a one-to-one correspondence between adhesive width (D) and temperature (T) may be obtained instead of the coefficient K3. For example, a similar effect can be achieved by obtaining a table that creates a one-to-one correspondence between adhesive width (D) and temperature (T) in the condition setting step (S11) instead of the coefficient K3.

[0069] According to the coating method of this embodiment, the adhesive width falling outside the standard tolerance range due to the influence of temperature changes over time can be prevented based on the "condition calculation formula" obtained in the condition setting process, and the coating of adhesive 5 can be started after adjusting the coating conditions. Even if the adhesive width falls outside the standard range and re-setting the conditions is necessary, the corrected coating conditions (temperature) can be reset in a short time with a simple calculation, providing a coating method and coating apparatus 10 that are advantageous in terms of productivity.

[0070] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, the application method of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. Figure 9 shows a flowchart of the coating method of the fourth embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the coating method of this embodiment consists of a condition setting step (S11), a coating step (S12), an inspection step (S13), a recondition setting step (S14), a time-dependent change confirmation step (S41), and an elapsed time confirmation step (S42).

[0071] The difference from the flowchart coating method in Figure 1 of the first embodiment is that there is a time-dependent change confirmation step (S41) before the condition setting step (S11), and an elapsed time confirmation step (S42) before the coating step (S12). The viscosity of adhesive 5 changes over time, even at a constant room temperature. Some adhesives 5 decrease in viscosity over time, while others increase in viscosity over time as they harden. As viscosity decreases over time, the wetting spread increases and the adhesive width widens; conversely, as viscosity increases over time, the wetting spread decreases and the adhesive width narrows.

[0072] The process for confirming changes over time (S41) will now be explained. When adhesive 5 is applied while moving syringe 1 in the X direction, adhesive 5 is applied to the object to be bonded 6 in a linear manner with a longitudinal direction in the X direction. If adhesive 5 is one whose viscosity decreases over time, as shown in the top view from the Z direction in Figure 10, the width of the adhesive in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction will increase over time. In this process, in order to measure the width of the adhesive 5 due to the change in viscosity, the change in the width of the adhesive due to the change in viscosity over time from the start of adhesive use is measured in an environment where temperature and humidity that affect the change in viscosity are constant. Here, the time from the start of adhesive use may be, for example, when the adhesive 5 has been stored at a low temperature and has been placed in the environment of the application conditions (e.g., a room temperature environment) and the adhesive temperature has reached a predetermined temperature.

[0073] Figure 11 is a conceptual diagram of the measurement results of adhesive width over time. At the start of the measurement, conditions are set so that the adhesive width is the median value of the specified range. Then, adhesive 5 is applied at regular intervals and the adhesive width is measured. The measurement is repeated until the adhesive width falls outside the specified range, and the time at which it falls outside the specified range (threshold time) is determined. Furthermore, instead of stopping the measurement when the adhesive width falls outside the specified range, the measurement may be repeated until the end of the usable period (lifespan) of adhesive 5. Alternatively, an approximate formula for the relationship between elapsed time and adhesive width may be calculated from the measurement results of the adhesive width over time.

[0074] By measuring the adhesive 5 until the end of its usable period, or by calculating an approximate formula, it becomes possible to determine the time it will fall outside the new specified range without having to repeat the measurement if the specified range is changed. Alternatively, viscosity can be measured instead of adhesive width. In that case, the relationship between viscosity and adhesive width should be investigated beforehand, and the viscosity should be converted to adhesive width.

[0075] Furthermore, the time-dependent change confirmation step (S41) measures the adhesive width over time, so the measurement takes a long time. Therefore, the time-dependent change confirmation step (S41) may be performed on a day prior to the application step (S12) when there is sufficient time in the process. Also, since the physical properties of adhesive 5 depend on the type of adhesive 5, the time-dependent change confirmation step (S42) may be performed with only one measurement for each type of adhesive 5. In the condition setting step (S11), at least one of the proportionality constants K1 of equation (4) of the first embodiment, K2 of equation (6) of the second embodiment, and K3 of equation (8) of the third embodiment is calculated.

[0076] In the elapsed time confirmation step (S42), the elapsed time since the start of use of the adhesive 5 is confirmed. The starting point (zero point) of the elapsed time may be, for example, the time when the adhesive 5 is placed in the environment of the application conditions (e.g., a room temperature environment) after being stored at a low temperature, and the adhesive temperature reaches a predetermined temperature. If this elapsed time is within the time when the adhesive width measured in the time change confirmation step (S41) falls outside the specified range, the process proceeds to the next application step (S12). If the time when the adhesive width falls outside the specified range is exceeded, it can be predicted that the adhesive width will fall outside the specified range, so the process does not proceed immediately to the application step (S12), but proceeds to the reconditioning step (S14) and reconditioning is performed. This makes it possible to avoid the occurrence of defective products in which the adhesive width falls outside the specified range. In the reconditioning step (S14), the coating conditions necessary to pass the inspection are calculated based on at least one of the following: equation (4) of the first embodiment, equation (6) of the second embodiment, and equation (8) of the third embodiment. The coating conditions derived in the reconditioning step (at least one of nozzle movement speed, discharge pressure, and temperature of adhesive 5) are set, and the process proceeds to the coating step (S12).

[0077] Steps S13 and S15, which follow the coating process (S12), are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0078] According to the coating method of this embodiment, based on the relationship between elapsed time and adhesive width obtained in the time-dependent change confirmation step (S41), it is possible to prevent the adhesive width after coating from falling outside the standard tolerance range due to the influence of viscosity that changes over time, and to adjust the coating conditions before starting to coat the adhesive 5. Even if the adhesive width falls outside the standard range and it becomes necessary to readjust the conditions, the corrected coating conditions (nozzle movement speed, discharge pressure, temperature of adhesive 5) can be reset in a short time with simple calculations, providing a coating method and coating apparatus 10 that are advantageous in terms of productivity.

[0079] (program) Furthermore, although the coating method and coating apparatus according to this embodiment have been described above, a coating process program for causing a computer to execute the coating method described above is also included in the scope of this embodiment. In addition, a computer-readable recording medium on which the coating process program is recorded is also included in the scope of this embodiment.

[0080] (Method of manufacturing articles) A method for manufacturing a device as an article (a device for manufacturing parts for printing equipment and display manufacturing equipment) includes the step of applying adhesive to the chip bonding surface of a tile (first member) that holds the chip unit (second member) of an inkjet print head using the coating method described above, and then bringing the chip unit into contact with the chip bonding surface to bond it. The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous compared to conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0081] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its essence.

[0082] This embodiment includes the following methods, configurations, and programs. (Method 1) A coating method for applying an adhesive to a surface to be coated, A condition determination process to obtain a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the application conditions, A coating step is initiated after the condition setting step, in which the adhesive is applied, An inspection step is to measure the profile of the adhesive obtained by the above coating and to check whether the obtained profile is within a specified range. A coating method characterized by comprising, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, a reconditioning step of deriving coating conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship, and setting said coating conditions to be applied to the coating process. (Method 2) In the condition determination step, a third proportionality constant between the temperature of the adhesive and the profile is derived. The coating method according to Method 1, characterized in that it includes a determination step in which the temperature of the adhesive is measured before the coating step, the profile is derived based on the third proportionality constant and the measured temperature, and if the derived profile is within the specified range, the process proceeds to the coating step, and if it is outside the specified range, the process proceeds to the reconditioning step. (Method 3) Prior to the condition setting step, a time-series change confirmation step is performed in which the profile with respect to elapsed time is obtained, and the elapsed time at which the profile falls outside the specified range is obtained as the threshold time. The coating method according to method 1 or 2, characterized in that, before the coating step, the process proceeds to the coating step if the elapsed time since the start of use of the adhesive does not exceed the threshold time, and proceeds to the reconditioning step if the threshold time has been exceeded. (Method 4) The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The coating method according to any one of methods 1 to 3, characterized in that the coating condition is the speed at which the discharge unit moves relative to the surface to be coated. (Method 5) The coating method according to any one of methods 1 to 3, characterized in that the coating condition is the discharge pressure of the adhesive used to discharge the adhesive onto the surface to be coated. (Method 6) The coating method according to any one of methods 1 to 3, characterized in that the coating condition is the temperature of the adhesive. (Method 7) The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The coating method according to any one of methods 1 to 6, characterized in that the profile has a width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. (Method 8) The coating method according to any one of methods 1 to 7, characterized in that the profile is the height relative to the surface to be coated. (Method 9) The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the speed of movement and the width of the adhesive in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. In the condition setting step, a first proportionality constant is derived between the reciprocal of the square root of the speed of movement and the width. The coating method according to Method 1, characterized in that, in the reconditioning step, the amount of change in the speed required to bring the width obtained in the measurement into the specified range is derived based on the amount of change required to bring the width into the specified range and the first proportionality constant. (Method 10) The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the discharge pressure of the adhesive and the width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. In the condition setting step, a second proportionality constant is derived between the fourth root of the discharge pressure and the width. The coating method according to Method 1, characterized in that, in the reconditioning step, the amount of change in the discharge pressure required to bring the width obtained in the measurement into the specified range is derived based on the amount of change required to bring the width into the specified range and the second proportionality coefficient. (Composition 1) A coating apparatus for applying adhesive to a surface to be coated, A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, A coating apparatus comprising: a condition setting step for obtaining a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the application conditions; an application step which is started after the condition setting step and applies the adhesive; an inspection step which checks whether the profile obtained by measuring the adhesive obtained by the application is within a specified range; and a recondition setting step which, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, derives the application conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship and sets the application conditions to be applied to the application step. (Configuration 2) The control unit, In the condition determination step, a third proportionality constant between the temperature of the adhesive and the profile is derived. The temperature of the adhesive is measured before the coating step, the profile is derived based on the third proportionality coefficient and the measured temperature, and a determination step is further performed in which the process proceeds to the coating step if the derived profile is within the specified range, and to the reconditioning step if it is outside the specified range. The coating apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the above. (Composition 3) The control unit, Prior to the condition setting step, a time-series change confirmation step is performed in which the profile with respect to elapsed time is obtained, and the elapsed time at which the profile falls outside the specified range is obtained as the threshold time. Prior to the aforementioned coating step, there is an elapsed time confirmation step in which, if the elapsed time since the start of use of the adhesive does not exceed the threshold time, the process proceeds to the coating step, and if the threshold time is exceeded, the process proceeds to the reconditioning step. The coating apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, further characterized by performing the following steps. (Composition 4) A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The discharge unit has a drive unit that moves the discharge unit parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves parallel to the surface to be coated while applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The coating apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the coating condition is the moving speed of the discharge unit relative to the surface to be coated. (Composition 5) The coating surface has a dispensing section for dispensing the adhesive, The coating apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the coating condition is the discharge pressure of the adhesive. (Composition 6) The coating apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the coating condition is the temperature of the adhesive. (Composition 7) A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The dispensing unit has a drive unit that moves it parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves parallel to the surface to be coated and applies the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The coating apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that the profile has a width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. (Composition 8) The coating apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that the profile is the height relative to the surface to be coated. (Composition 9) A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The dispensing unit has a drive unit that moves it parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated while applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the speed of movement and the width of the adhesive in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The control unit, In the condition setting step, a first proportionality constant is derived between the reciprocal of the square root of the speed of movement and the width. The coating apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized in that the reconditioning step involves deriving the amount of change in speed necessary to bring the width obtained in the measurement within the specified range, based on the amount of change and the first proportionality constant. (Composition 10) A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The dispensing unit has a drive unit that moves it parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated while applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the discharge pressure of the adhesive from the discharge unit and the width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The control unit, In the condition setting step, a second proportionality constant is derived between the fourth root of the discharge pressure and the width. The coating apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized in that the reconditioning step involves deriving the amount of change in the discharge pressure required to bring the width obtained in the measurement into the specified range, based on the amount of change required and the second proportionality coefficient. (Method 11) A step of applying adhesive to the surface of the first member to be coated using the coating method described in any one of Methods 1 to 10, A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by including the step of bringing a second member into contact with the surface of the first member to be coated with the adhesive, thereby bonding the first member and the second member together. (program) When executed by a computer, the computer will A coating process program characterized by performing: a condition setting step to obtain a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the application conditions; a coating step to be started after the condition setting step and to apply the adhesive; an inspection step to measure the profile of the adhesive obtained by the coating and to check whether the profile obtained by the measurement is within a specified range; and, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, a recondition setting step to derive the application conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship and to set the application conditions to be applied to the coating step. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] S11 Condition setting process S12 Coating process S13 Inspection Process S14 Reconditioning Process

Claims

1. A coating method for applying an adhesive to a surface to be coated, A condition determination process to obtain a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the application conditions, A coating step is initiated after the condition setting step, in which the adhesive is applied, An inspection step is to measure the profile of the adhesive obtained by the above coating and to check whether the obtained profile is within a specified range. A coating method characterized by comprising, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, a reconditioning step of deriving coating conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship, and setting said coating conditions to be applied to the coating process.

2. In the condition determination step, a third proportionality constant between the temperature of the adhesive and the profile is derived. The coating method according to claim 1, further comprising a determination step of measuring the temperature of the adhesive before the coating step, deriving the profile based on the third proportionality constant and the measured temperature, proceeding to the coating step if the derived profile is within the specified range, and proceeding to the reconditioning step if it is outside the specified range.

3. Prior to the condition setting step, a time-series change confirmation step is performed in which the profile with respect to elapsed time is obtained, and the elapsed time at which the profile falls outside the specified range is obtained as the threshold time. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that, before the coating step, the process proceeds to the coating step if the elapsed time since the start of use of the adhesive does not exceed the threshold time, and proceeds to the reconditioning step if the threshold time has been exceeded.

4. The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating condition is the speed at which the discharge unit moves relative to the surface to be coated.

5. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating condition is the discharge pressure of the adhesive used to discharge the adhesive onto the surface to be coated.

6. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating condition is the temperature of the adhesive.

7. The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the profile has a width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated.

8. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the profile is the height relative to the surface to be coated.

9. The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the speed of movement and the width of the adhesive in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. In the condition determination step, a first proportionality constant is derived between the reciprocal of the square root of the speed of movement and the width. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reconditioning step involves deriving the amount of change in speed necessary to bring the width obtained in the measurement within the specified range, based on the amount of change necessary to bring the width within the specified range and the first proportionality constant.

10. The coating process involves applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated while a dispensing unit moves within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the discharge pressure of the adhesive and the width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. In the condition setting step, a second proportionality constant is derived between the fourth root of the discharge pressure and the width. The coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reconditioning step involves deriving the amount of change in the discharge pressure required to bring the width obtained in the measurement into the specified range, based on the amount of change required and the second proportionality constant.

11. A coating apparatus for applying adhesive to a surface to be coated, A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, A coating apparatus comprising: a condition setting step for obtaining a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the application conditions; an application step which is started after the condition setting step and applies the adhesive; an inspection step which checks whether the profile obtained by measuring the adhesive obtained by the application is within a specified range; and a recondition setting step which, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, derives the application conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship and sets the application conditions to be applied to the application step.

12. The control unit, In the condition determination step, a third proportionality constant is derived between the temperature of the adhesive and the profile. The temperature of the adhesive is measured before the coating step, and the profile is derived based on the third proportionality coefficient and the measured temperature. A determination step is further performed in which the process proceeds to the coating step if the derived profile is within the specified range, and to the reconditioning step if it is outside the specified range. The coating apparatus according to feature 11.

13. The control unit, Prior to the condition setting step, a time-series change confirmation step is performed in which the profile with respect to elapsed time is obtained, and the elapsed time at which the profile falls outside the specified range is obtained as the threshold time. Prior to the aforementioned coating step, there is an elapsed time confirmation step in which, if the elapsed time since the start of use of the adhesive does not exceed the threshold time, the process proceeds to the coating step, and if the threshold time is exceeded, the process proceeds to the reconditioning step. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, further characterized by performing the following steps.

14. A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The discharge unit has a drive unit that moves the discharge unit parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves parallel to the surface to be coated while applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the coating condition is the speed at which the discharge unit moves relative to the surface to be coated.

15. The coating surface has a dispensing section for dispensing the adhesive, The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the coating condition is the discharge pressure of the adhesive.

16. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the coating condition is the temperature of the adhesive.

17. A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The dispensing unit has a drive unit that moves it parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves parallel to the surface to be coated and applies the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the profile has a width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated.

18. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the profile is the height relative to the surface to be coated.

19. A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The dispensing unit has a drive unit that moves it parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated while applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the speed of movement and the width of the adhesive in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The control unit, In the condition determination step, a first proportionality constant is derived between the reciprocal of the square root of the speed of movement and the width. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the reconditioning step derives the amount of change in speed required to bring the width obtained in the measurement within the specified range, based on the amount of change required to bring the width within the specified range and the first proportionality constant.

20. A dispensing unit for dispensing the adhesive onto the surface to be coated, The dispensing unit has a drive unit that moves it parallel to the surface to be coated, The control unit controls the discharge unit and the drive unit so that, in the coating process, the discharge unit moves in a plane parallel to the surface to be coated while applying the adhesive to the surface to be coated. The aforementioned quantitative relationship is the relationship between the discharge pressure of the adhesive from the discharge unit and the width in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement within a plane parallel to the surface to be coated. The control unit, In the condition setting step, a second proportionality constant is derived between the fourth root of the discharge pressure and the width. The coating apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the reconditioning step derives the amount of change in the discharge pressure required to bring the width obtained in the measurement into the specified range, based on the amount of change required to bring the width into the specified range and the second proportionality coefficient.

21. A step of applying an adhesive to the surface of a first member to be coated using the coating method described in any one of claims 1 to 10, A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by including the step of bringing a second member into contact with the surface of the first member to be coated with the adhesive, thereby bonding the first member and the second member together.

22. When executed by a computer, the computer will A coating process program characterized by performing: a condition setting step to obtain a quantitative relationship between the profile of the applied adhesive and the application conditions; a coating step to be started after the condition setting step and to apply the adhesive; an inspection step to measure the profile of the adhesive obtained by the coating and to check whether the profile obtained by the measurement is within a specified range; and, if the result of the inspection is unsatisfactory, a recondition setting step to derive the application conditions to bring the profile within the specified range based on the quantitative relationship and to set the application conditions to be applied to the coating step.

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