Printing device and transport jig

Abstract

To automatically replace a substrate support member.SOLUTION: A printing device 20 comprises a carrying rod 25a that carries out and carries in a screen mask M and a substrate support member 70, and a control part 21. The control part controls the carrying rod 25a so that a mask replacement process including a mask carry-out process for carrying out the screen mask M to be carried out and a mask carry-in process for carrying in the screen mask M to be carried in can be executed. The control part controls the carrying rod 25a so that a support member replacement process including a support member carry-out process for carrying out the substrate support member 70 to be carried out and a substrate support member carry-in process for carrying in the substrate support member 70 to be carried in can be executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a substrate-related operation apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, among printing devices that perform a printing process of a viscous fluid on a substrate using a screen mask, there are known devices that automatically replace the screen mask. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a printing device that includes a rod that protrudes downward and a slider that slides the screen mask in and out of a main frame by moving the rod. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-107146 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, substrate processing devices that perform operations on substrates, such as printing, may use substrate support members to support the substrate during the operation. To use a support member suited to the type of substrate being processed, the substrate support member must be replaced. However, the printing device of Patent Document 1 did not take into consideration the need to replace the substrate support member.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a main object of the present invention is to perform automatic replacement of a substrate support member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main object, the present invention employs the following means.

[0007] The printing device of the present invention comprises: A printing apparatus that performs a printing process of a viscous fluid using a screen mask on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member, a support member transport unit that transports the screen mask and the substrate support member in and out; an exchange control unit capable of executing a mask exchange process including a mask carry-out process for carrying out a screen mask to be carried out by controlling the support member transport unit and a mask carry-in process for carrying in the screen mask to be carried in, and capable of executing a support member exchange process including a support member carry-out process for carrying out the substrate support member to be carried out by controlling the support member transport unit and a support member carry-in process for carrying in the substrate support member to be carried in; It is equipped with the following.

[0008] This printing apparatus includes a support member transport unit that transports in and out a screen mask and a substrate support member. This printing apparatus can use this support member transport unit to perform a support member replacement process, including transporting in and out of the substrate support member. Therefore, this printing apparatus can automatically replace the substrate support member. This printing apparatus can also use this support member transport unit to perform a mask replacement process, which involves transporting in and out of the screen mask. In other words, the same support member transport unit can be used to automatically replace both the substrate support member and the screen mask. Therefore, the apparatus configuration can be made more compact than, for example, a printing apparatus that includes separate transport units for screen mask replacement and substrate support member replacement.

[0009] The substrate-related operating device of the present invention comprises: A substrate-related operation apparatus that performs a substrate-related operation on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member, a support member transport unit that transports the substrate support member in and out; a substrate fixing section on which the substrate support member can be placed and which fixes the substrate with the placed substrate support member when performing the substrate-related operation; a positioning unit that moves the substrate support member disposed on the substrate fixing unit to position the substrate support member in a horizontal direction; an exchange control unit that performs a support member exchange process including a support member carry-out process that controls the support member transport unit to carry out the substrate support member to be carried out, and a support member carry-in process that controls the support member transport unit to transport the substrate support member to be carried in to the substrate fixing unit and controls the positioning unit to position the carried substrate support member; It is equipped with the following.

[0010] This substrate-related processing apparatus can perform a support member replacement process, including the loading and unloading of a substrate support member, using a support member transport unit that loads and unloads the substrate support member. Therefore, this substrate-related processing apparatus can automatically replace the substrate support member. Furthermore, this substrate-related processing apparatus positions the transported substrate support member using a positioning unit during the support member loading process. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the substrate support member loaded during the support member loading process from shifting position within the substrate fixing unit. Note that the substrate-related processing apparatus may employ various aspects of the printing apparatus of the present invention, or may include various components that are included in the printing apparatus of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a mounting system 10. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration for executing printing processing etc. of the printing device 20. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a configuration for executing printing processing and the like of the printing device 20. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical connections of the printing device 20. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a substrate support member 70 and a transport jig 80. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print processing routine. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the state of the replacement process of the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the state of the replacement process of the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. [Figure 9]10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the state of the replacement process of the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. [Figure 10] 3 is an explanatory diagram of the transport, suction, and printing process of the substrate S. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a support member carry-in process and a support member carry-out process are performed in parallel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a mounting system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the mask working unit 26, first substrate fixing unit 30, second substrate fixing unit 40, processing unit 50, and storage unit 60, which are components that perform the printing process, mask replacement process, and support member replacement process of the printing device 20. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mask working unit 26, first substrate fixing unit 30, second substrate fixing unit 40, and processing unit 50, which are components that perform the printing process, etc. of the printing device 20. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical connections of the printing device 20. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a substrate support member 70 and a transport jig 80. The mounting system 10 includes a printing device 20 that prints solder paste as a viscous fluid onto a substrate S, multiple mounting devices (not shown) that mount electronic components on the substrate S, and a management computer (PC) 90 that manages information related to the processes performed by the printing device 20 and the mounting devices. Examples of viscous fluids include solder paste, conductive paste, adhesive, etc. The printing apparatus 20 is configured as a dual-lane printing apparatus having two substrate fixing units for fixing the transported substrate S. Furthermore, the printing apparatus 20 is configured as an apparatus that can automatically replace the screen mask M used in the printing process when changing the printing target to a different type of substrate S, and can automatically replace the substrate support member 70 that supports and fixes the substrate S using a transport jig 80. In this embodiment, the left-right direction (X-axis), front-back direction (Y-axis), and up-down direction (Z-axis) are as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0013] 1 to 4, the printing device 20 is an apparatus that applies (prints) solder paste onto the substrate S below through the pattern holes by using a squeegee 25 to push solder on a screen mask M into pattern holes 11, 12 formed in the screen mask M. The printing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a print processing unit 22, a mask working unit 26, a first substrate fixing unit 30, a second substrate fixing unit 40, a processing unit 50, and a storage unit 60. The printing device 20 also includes an operation panel that displays a display screen and allows an operator to perform various input operations, and a communication unit that communicates with devices connected to a LAN.

[0014] The control unit 21 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and includes a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM used as a working area, and an HDD for storing various data.

[0015] The print processing unit 22 is disposed on the upper stage of the printing device 20 and is a unit that prints a viscous fluid onto a substrate S using a screen mask M. As shown in FIG. 4, the print processing unit 22 includes a print head 23, a head moving unit 24, a squeegee 25, and a transport rod 25a. The printing device 20 includes the print head 23 that pressurizes and supplies solder paste onto the screen mask M. The head moving unit 24 moves the print head 23 in a predetermined printing direction (front-to-back direction) and includes a guide formed in the front-to-back direction, a slider that moves along the guide, and a motor that drives the slider. The head moving unit 24 also includes a mechanism for moving the print head 23 up and down. The squeegee 25 is disposed on the print head 23 so as to be able to move up and down. The squeegee 25 is a plate-shaped member that is elongated in a predetermined direction (the X direction in FIG. 1) and is formed to be longer than the pattern holes 11 and 12. The transport rod 25a is disposed on the print head 23 so as to be able to move up and down by a motor (not shown). The transport rod 25a is moved back and forth by the head moving unit 24 while projecting downward from the squeegee 25, thereby pushing and transporting the screen mask M and the transport jig 80 back and forth.

[0016] The mask working unit 26 is disposed between the printing processing unit 22 and the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40, and is a unit that fixes and holds the screen mask M. The screen mask M is, for example, a thin metal plate on which a desired wiring pattern is formed, and is fixed to a frame (mask fixing unit 27) with a predetermined tension. The screen mask M has pattern holes 11 and 12 formed therein, which form wiring patterns on the substrates S of the first and second lanes (first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40) of the printing process, respectively. An identification unit (e.g., a mark) for position recognition is formed on the underside of the screen mask M. The mask working unit 26 includes a mask fixing unit 27, a position adjustment unit 28 (see FIG. 4), and a transport rail 29 (see FIG. 4). The mask fixing unit 27 positions the screen mask M fitted into the frame and supports and fixes it in a horizontal position. The position adjustment unit 28 adjusts the position of the mask fixing unit 27 in the X and Y directions so that the pattern holes 11, 12 are positioned appropriately with respect to the substrate S fixed to the first substrate fixing unit 30 or the second substrate fixing unit 40. The transport rails 29 are a pair of left and right rails extending in the front-to-rear direction, and guide the screen mask M and transport jig 80 pushed by the transport rod 25a so that they move along the front-to-rear direction.

[0017] The first substrate fixing unit 30 is disposed below the mask working unit 26 and is a unit that loads the substrate S, positions and supports the loaded substrate S, and brings the substrate S into contact with and away from the screen mask M on which a predetermined wiring pattern is formed. The first substrate fixing unit 30 constitutes the first lane of the printing process. The first substrate fixing unit 30 includes a substrate transport conveyor 31, a substrate guide 32, a substrate guide moving unit 33 (see FIG. 4), a support table lifting unit 35, a fixing unit lifting unit 36, a support table 37, a Y-axis pressing unit 38, and a Z-axis clamping unit 39. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate transport conveyor 31 includes a conveyor belt provided on each of a pair of side frames 30b and a belt rotation device that drives the conveyor belt to rotate. Although not shown, the printing device 20 also has an inlet conveyor and an outlet conveyor installed upstream and downstream (left and right sides in FIG. 1 ) of the board transport path of the board transport conveyor 31. The board guide 32 is a plate-shaped member provided on the upper surface of each of the pair of side frames 30b. The board guide moving unit 33 is a mechanism that moves the pair of side frames 30b in the front-rear direction to move them closer to or farther away from each other. This also moves the board guide 32 in the front-rear direction, sandwiching and fixing the board S so that the upper surface of the board S is flush with the upper surface of the board guide 32. The support table lifting unit 35 is a mechanism that lifts and lowers the support table 37 relative to the main body 30a of the first substrate fixing unit 30, and includes a support column that guides and supports the support table 37 in the vertical direction, and a drive motor that moves the support column up and down. The support table 37 is a member on which a board support member 70 can be placed. The board support member 70 is replaced depending on the board S.

[0018] The substrate support member 70 is disposed on the support stand 37, connected to a pressure reducing device (not shown) via piping, and uses negative pressure to support and fix the substrate S from below. As shown in Fig. 5, the substrate support member 70 includes a main body 70a, a pair of cylindrical protrusions 71, 71 protruding from the left and right sides of the main body 70a, a pair of protrusions 72, 72 disposed forward of the protrusions 71, a plurality of suction ports 73 opening on the top surface of the main body 70a, and a clamped portion 74 having a slanted top surface and protruding rearward of the main body 70a. Furthermore, an identification portion 75 (e.g., a mark) for position identification and a barcode 76 for identifying the type of the substrate support member 70 are formed on the top surface of the main body 70a.

[0019] The fixture lifting unit 36 ​​is a mechanism for raising and lowering the entire first substrate fixture 30 relative to the device body. It includes a support column that guides and supports the main body of the first substrate fixture 30 in the vertical direction, and a drive motor that moves the support column up and down. The Y-axis pressing unit 38 (see FIG. 2) is a mechanism used to position the substrate support member 70 and is disposed on the support base 37. The Y-axis pressing unit 38 includes a block-shaped main body that is movable in the front-rear direction and presses the substrate support member 70 backward to move it, and a drive mechanism such as a cylinder (not shown) that moves the main body forward and backward. The Y-axis pressing unit 38 also serves as a mechanism for supplying negative pressure to the substrate support member 70. A suction port connected to a pressure reducing device (not shown) by a pipe is disposed at the rear of the main body. When the main body of the Y-axis pressing unit 38 is pressed against the substrate support member 70, a path from the pressure reducing device to the suction port 73 is connected, and negative pressure is supplied to the suction port 73. The Z-axis clamp unit 39 is a mechanism used to secure the substrate support member 70 and is disposed on the rear side frame 30b. The Z-axis clamp unit 39 includes a block-shaped main body that can move up and down and a drive mechanism such as a cylinder that moves the main body up and down. When the main body of the Z-axis clamp unit 39 moves downward, it clamps the clamped portion 74 of the substrate support member 70 together with the support base 37, thereby securing the substrate support member 70. In addition, a support plate 39a is disposed in front of the Z-axis clamp unit 39, extending in the up-down and left-right directions. When the side frame 30b moves forward and backward by the board guide movement unit 33, the Z-axis clamp unit 39 and the support plate 39a also move forward and backward, thereby changing the fixed position of the substrate support member 70 in the forward and backward directions.

[0020] The second substrate fixing unit 40 is provided adjacent to the first substrate fixing unit 30 and is a unit that transports and fixes the substrate S in the same manner as the first substrate fixing unit 30. The second substrate fixing unit 40 constitutes the second lane of the printing process. The second substrate fixing unit 40 has a main body 40a and a side frame 40b, and is equipped with a substrate transport conveyor 41, a substrate guide 42, a substrate guide moving unit 43, a support table lifting unit 45, a fixing unit lifting unit 46, a support table 47, a Y-axis pressing unit 48, and a Z-axis clamping unit 49. A substrate support member 70 can be placed on the support table 47. The second substrate fixing unit 40 has the same basic configuration as the first substrate fixing unit 30, so a description thereof will be omitted. The printing apparatus 20 is configured with two substrate transport devices, the first substrate fixing unit 30 and the second substrate fixing unit 40, and one mask working unit 26.

[0021] The processing unit 50 is a unit that performs imaging processing to capture images of identification features (e.g., marks, notches, irregularities, characters, etc.) formed on the substrate S for position recognition. The processing unit 50 includes a carriage 51, a processing unit movement unit 52, and a position information acquisition unit 55. The processing unit 50 also includes a substrate stopper 56 for stopping the substrate S transported rightward by the substrate transport conveyors 31, 41 at a predetermined position in the left-right direction. The carriage 51 is provided with the position information acquisition unit 55 and the substrate stopper 56, and is moved in the X and Y directions by the processing unit movement unit 52. The processing unit movement unit 52 includes an X-axis slider 53 and a Y-axis slider 54. The Y-axis slider 54 is a plate-shaped member whose longitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction, and is moved by a movement motor along a support rail 58 formed in the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction) of the device. The X-axis slider 53 is provided with the carriage 51, and is moved by a movement motor along a guide formed on the Y-axis slider 54 in the X-axis direction. The processing unit 50 moves to any of the following areas: the area of ​​the first substrate fixing unit 30 (also referred to as the first area), which is the first lane; the area of ​​the second substrate fixing unit 40 (also referred to as the second area), which is the second lane; and a retreat area (see FIGS. 1 to 3) outside of these. The position information acquisition unit 55 is a unit capable of capturing images of the identification features formed on the substrate S, the identification features formed on the underside of the screen mask M, and the identification features 75 of the substrate support member 70, and acquires position information of these through the images. The position information acquisition unit 55 has its underside and upper side as imaging areas. The substrate stopper 56 is, for example, a rod-shaped member and is disposed on the carriage 51 so as to be movable up and down by a motor (not shown). The substrate stopper 56 protrudes downward from the support rails 58 above the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40, thereby coming into contact with the substrate S transported above the substrate support member 70 by the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41, thereby stopping the substrate S.

[0022] The storage unit 60 is disposed behind the main body of the printing apparatus 20 and is a mechanism for storing materials to be replaced (materials to be carried in and out) during automatic replacement of the screen mask M or the substrate support member 70. The storage unit 60 includes a storage box with an open front and a conveyor lifting unit 62 for raising and lowering the storage box. A pair of transport conveyors 61 for transporting placed objects in the front-to-rear direction are arranged vertically in multiple stages (four stages in this embodiment). An operator has previously stored in three of the four stages of the transport conveyors 61: the screen mask M to be carried into the mask working unit 26; a transport jig 80 to which the substrate support member 70 to be carried into the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40 is attached; and a transport jig 80 for attaching the substrate support member 70 to be carried out from the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40. The remaining one stage of the transport conveyor 61 is left empty so that it can store the screen mask M to be carried out from the mask work section 26. In this storage section 60, the conveyor lifting section 62 is used to bring the upper surface of one of the transport conveyors 61 to the same height as the upper surface of the transport rail 29, and by operating the transport conveyor 61 in this state, the member placed on the transport conveyor 61 can be carried into or out of the mask work section 26.

[0023] The transport jig 80 is a member that enables the substrate support member 70 to be transported using the transport conveyor 61 or the transport rod 25a. As shown in FIG. 5, the transport jig 80 has first to fourth protrusion holders 81 to 84 arranged in this order from rear to front inside a frame 85. The first to fourth protrusion holders 81 to 84 are arranged in pairs in the left and right directions, and are disposed at the ends of arms that extend downward from the frame 85. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport jig 80 can attach one substrate support member 70 using the first and second protrusion holders 81 and 82, and can attach one substrate support member 70 using the third and fourth protrusion holders 83 and 84. Recesses slightly larger than the outer diameters of the protrusions 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70 are formed on the upper surfaces of the first to fourth protrusion holders 81 to 84. By placing the protrusions 71, 72 in these recesses, the transport jig 80 can transport the substrate support member 70 while fixing its position in the front-to-rear direction. There are multiple types of substrate support members 70 depending on the type of substrate S to be supported, but the outer diameters of the protrusions 71, 72 are the same for all of them. The positions of the second protrusion holding portion 82 and the fourth protrusion holding portion 84 can be adjusted in the front-to-rear direction, allowing multiple types of substrate support members 70 with different sizes (distance between the protrusions 71, 72) to be attached. The transport jig 80 has approximately the same width in the left-to-right direction as the mask fixing portion 27 of the screen mask M. This allows the transport jig 80 to be transported along the same transport rail 29 as the screen mask M. Since the same storage section 60 can be used for the transport jig 80 and the screen mask M, it is preferable that the lengths of the transport jig 80 and the screen mask M in the front-to-rear direction are similar. In addition, there may be multiple types of transport jig 80 with different frame bodies 85 and protruding holding portion sizes, and a barcode 86 for identifying the type of transport jig 80 is attached to the top surface of the frame body 85.

[0024] Next, a process will be described in which the printing device 20 performs a printing process on the substrate S while automatically replacing the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a printing process routine executed by the CPU of the control unit 21. Figs. 7 to 9 are explanatory diagrams showing the process of replacing the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the transport, suction, and printing process of the substrate S.

[0025] The printing process routine is stored in the HDD of the control unit 21 and is executed after an operator instructs the printing device 20 to perform a printing process. When the printing process routine is executed, the CPU of the control unit 21 first determines whether replacement processing of the screen mask M present in the mask work unit 26 or the substrate support members 70 present in the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, i.e., whether a changeover is necessary (step S100). The control unit 21 determines whether a changeover is necessary based on information about the printing process obtained from, for example, the management PC 90, depending on whether the screen mask M and substrate support members 70 required for the printing process are different from those used previously. Note that when a changeover is necessary, it is assumed that the operator has previously stored in the storage unit 60, as shown in FIG. 2, the screen mask M to be carried in, the transport jig 80 to which the substrate support member 70 to be carried in is attached, and the transport jig 80 for attaching the substrate support member 70 to be removed. If necessary, the worker reads the barcode 76 or the barcode 86 with a barcode reader to verify that the correct member is stored in the storage section 60. The worker also adjusts the front-to-rear positions of the second protrusion holding portion 82 and the fourth protrusion holding portion 84 in advance for the transport jig 80 used to attach the substrate support member 70 to be removed.

[0026] If a changeover is required in step S100, the control unit 21 performs a mask carry-out process to carry out the screen mask M to be carried out from the mask work unit 26 (step S110). The control unit 21 moves the transport rod 25a to transport the screen mask M to be carried out that is present in the mask work unit 26 backward while sliding it on the transport rails 29, as shown in FIG. 7(a). The control unit 21 also controls the conveyor lifting unit 62 and the transport conveyor 61 to place the screen mask M to be carried out on an empty transport conveyor 61. Note that, because the screen mask M needs to be carried out once from the mask work unit 26 in order to perform the replacement process of the substrate support member 70, the control unit 21 performs the carry-out process of the screen mask M even if the screen mask M is not to be replaced.

[0027] Next, the control unit 21 performs a support member carry-out process to carry out the substrate support member 70 to be carried out from the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 (step S120). The control unit 21 first controls the conveyor lift unit 62 and the transport conveyor 61 to carry the empty transport jig 80 onto the transport rail 29, and then moves the transport rod 25a forward to transport the transport jig 80 to above the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 (FIG. 7(b)). At this time, the control unit 21 positions the first to fourth protrusion holding units 81 to 84 so as to be shifted in the front-to-rear direction (for example, rearward) from directly above the protrusions 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70. Next, the control unit 21 releases the substrate support member 70 from its position on the support bases 37 and 47. Specifically, the control unit 21 moves the Y-axis pressing units 38, 48 forward, moves the Z-axis clamp units 39, 49 upward, and separates the pair of side frames 30b, 40b front to back using the board guide moving units 33, 43 (FIG. 7(c)). Next, the control unit 21 raises the board support member 70 on the support units 37, 47 using the support table lifting units 35, 45 and the fixed unit lifting units 36, 46, respectively (FIG. 8(a)). As a result, the protrusions 71, 72 of the board support member 70 rise above the first to fourth protrusion holding units 81-84. Next, the control unit 21 causes the transport rod 25a to move the transport jig 80 forward so that the first and second protrusion holding portions 81 and 82 are positioned directly below the protrusions 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70 on the support base 37, and the third and fourth protrusion holding portions 83 and 84 are positioned directly below the protrusions 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70 on the support base 47 (FIG. 8(b)). Then, the control unit 21 lowers the support bases 37 and 47. As a result, the two substrate support members 70 are attached to the transport jig 80 with the protrusions 71 and 72 held on the first to fourth protrusion holding portions 81 to 84 (FIG. 8(c)). Thereafter, the control unit 21 causes the fixing unit lifting units 36, 46 to lower the entire first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, and causes the transport jig 80, to which the two substrate support members 70 to be carried out are attached, to move backward by the transport rod 25a (FIG. 9).The control unit 21 then places the transport jig 80, to which the substrate support members 70 are attached, onto an empty transport conveyor 61.As described above, the control unit 21 performs the support member carry-out process of the substrate support member 70 by combining the forward and backward transport of the transport jig 80 with the lifting and lowering of the support stages 37, 47.

[0028] After the support member carry-out process of step S120, the control unit 21 performs a support member carry-in process to carry the substrate support members 70 to be carried in to the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 (step S130). This process can be performed in the reverse order of the support member carry-out process described above. That is, the control unit 21 first carries the transport jig 80, to which the two substrate support members 70 to be carried in are attached, forward (FIG. 9), transports the substrate support members 70 to above the support stands 37 and 47 (FIG. 8(c)), and then raises the support stands 37 and 47 to lift the protrusions 71 and 72 off the first to fourth protrusion holders 81 to 84 (FIG. 8(b)). Next, the control unit 21 moves the transport jig 80 backward (FIG. 8(a)), and then lowers the support stands 37 and 47 (FIG. 7(c)). Next, the control unit 21 moves the transport jig 80 backward to remove it, and positions and fixes the substrate support member 70 on the support bases 37, 47 (FIG. 7(b)). Specifically, first, the control unit 21 moves the pair of side frames 30b, 40b closer to each other in the front-to-rear direction using the substrate guide moving units 33, 43, thereby moving the support plates 39a, 49a to a predetermined position. The front-to-rear positions to which the support plates 39a, 49a are moved are determined in advance depending on the type of substrate S to be printed and the type of substrate support member 70, and are obtained, for example, from the management PC 90. Next, the control unit 21 moves the Y-axis pressing units 38, 48 backward to move the substrate support member 70 on the support bases 37, 47 backward until it abuts against the support plates 39a, 49a, respectively. In this way, by moving the support plates 39a, 49a and the Y-axis pressing units 38, 48 back and forth, the substrate support member 70 can be positioned appropriately even if the position of the substrate support member 70 removed from the transport jig 80 is shifted forward or backward. When the substrate support member 70 is brought into contact with the support plates 39a, 49a, respectively, the control unit 21 moves the Z-axis clamp units 39, 49 downward to press the clamped portion 74, thereby fixing the position of the substrate support member 70 on the support bases 37, 47. As described above, the control unit 21 performs the support member loading process for the substrate support member 70 by combining the forward and backward transport of the transport jig 80 with the elevation and lowering of the support bases 37, 47. The control unit 21 also positions the substrate support member 70 in the forward and backward directions.

[0029] After the support member carry-out process in step S130, the control unit 21 performs a mask carry-in process to carry the screen mask M to be carried in to the mask working unit 26 (step S140). The control unit 21 performs this process in the reverse order of the mask carry-out process. That is, the control unit 21 first controls the conveyor lift unit 62 and the transport conveyor 61 to transport the screen mask M to be carried in onto the transport rails 29, and then moves the screen mask M forward using the transport rod 25a to carry it into the mask working unit 26. Note that if the screen mask M is not to be replaced, the screen mask M carried out in the mask carry-out process is carried in.

[0030] After the replacement process of the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70 is completed through the processing of steps S110 to S140, the control unit 21 acquires left-right position information of the loaded substrate support member 70 (step S150) and determines a correction value for the stop position of the substrate S based on the acquired position information (step S160). The control unit 21 moves the carriage 51 above the support base 37 as shown in FIG. 10(a) and causes the position information acquisition unit 55 to capture an image of the identifier 75 on the top surface of the substrate support member 70. The control unit 21 then determines the positional deviation of the substrate support member 70 in the left-right direction (the transport direction of the substrate S) on the support base 37 based on the position of the identifier 75 in the image acquired from the position information acquisition unit 55, derives a correction value for the stop position of the substrate S during transport, and stores the calculated value in RAM or the like. If the substrate support member 70 is misaligned in the transport direction of the substrate S on the support base 37, problems may occur in the suction and fixation of the substrate S depending on the stop position of the substrate S. If the position of the substrate support member 70 is shifted in the left-right direction, the control unit 21 also corrects the stop position of the substrate S by that amount so as not to change the positional relationship between the substrate support member 70 and the substrate S. The control unit 21 similarly acquires position information and derives a correction value for the substrate support member 70 on the support stand 47.

[0031] After step S160, or if no changeover is required in step S100, the control unit 21 drives the substrate transport conveyor 31 to transport the substrate S to the first substrate fixing unit 30 (first lane), and adsorbs the substrate S to the substrate support member 70 (step S170). When transporting the substrate S to the first substrate fixing unit 30, the control unit 21 moves the carriage 51 back and forth and left and right, and lowers the substrate stopper 56, so that the substrate S transported to the right is stopped at a predetermined stopping position on the substrate support member 70 (FIG. 10(b)). At this time, if there is a correction value derived in step S160, the control unit 21 moves the substrate stopper 56 to a position taking the correction value into consideration. In addition, the control unit 21 raises the support base 37 to bring the upper surface of the substrate support member 70 into contact with the lower surface of the stopped substrate S, and adsorbs and fixes the substrate S by negative pressure from the pressure reducing device.

[0032] Next, the control unit 21 performs an image capture process on the identification portions of the substrate S and the screen mask M using the position information acquisition unit 55 (step S180), and adjusts the positions of the substrate S and the pattern holes 11 of the screen mask M based on the obtained image so that they are properly positioned (step S190). Then, the control unit 21 starts printing with the first substrate fixing unit 30 (step S200, FIG. 10(c)). The control unit 21 raises the first substrate fixing unit 30 to bring it into contact with the upper surface of the substrate S and the lower surface of the screen mask M. Then, the control unit 21 moves the print head 23 over the screen mask M on the first lane side, pressurizes and discharges solder paste from the print head 23, and moves the squeegee 25 back and forth to print the solder paste onto the substrate S.

[0033] After the printing process at the first substrate fixing unit 30, the control unit 21 determines whether the production process is complete based on whether there is a substrate S to be printed next (step S210). If the production process is not complete, the second substrate fixing unit 40 is used to transport the substrate S, adjust the position of the screen mask M, and perform the printing process (steps S220 to S250). This process is similar to the process at the first substrate fixing unit 30 described above (steps S170 to S200), so a detailed description will be omitted. After step S250, the control unit 21 determines whether the production is complete (step S260). If the production is not complete, the control unit 21 executes the process from step S100 onward. That is, the control unit 21 sequentially executes the printing process on the substrates S fixed to the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40 while changing the setup as necessary. If the production process is complete at step S210 or S260, the control unit 21 ends this routine.

[0034] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. In this embodiment, the transport rod 25a corresponds to the support member transport unit of the present invention, and the control unit 21 corresponds to the replacement control unit. Furthermore, the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 correspond to the substrate fixing unit, the Y-axis pressing units 38 and 48, the substrate guide moving units 33 and 43, and the support plates 39a and 49a correspond to the positioning unit, the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41 correspond to the substrate transport unit, the position information acquiring unit 55 corresponds to the position information acquiring unit, the control unit 21 and the substrate stopper 56 correspond to the correction unit, the support bases 37 and 47 correspond to the support base, the support base lifting units 35 and 45 and the fixation unit lifting units 36 and 46 correspond to the support member lifting unit, and the transport jig 80 corresponds to the transport jig.

[0035] The printing apparatus 20 of the embodiment described above includes a support member transport unit (transport rod 25a) that transports the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70 in and out. The printing apparatus 20 can use the transport rod 25a to execute a support member replacement process (steps S120 and S130) that includes transporting the substrate support member 70 in and out, thereby enabling automatic replacement of the substrate support member 70. The printing apparatus 20 can also use the transport rod 25a to execute a mask replacement process (steps S110 and S140) that transports the screen mask M in and out. That is, the same transport rod 25a can be used to perform both automatic replacement of the substrate support member 70 and automatic replacement of the screen mask M. Therefore, the apparatus configuration can be made more compact than, for example, when the printing apparatus 20 includes separate transport units for screen mask replacement and substrate support member replacement.

[0036] The printing device 20 is also equipped with first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40 that can arrange a substrate support member 70 and that fix the substrate S using the arranged substrate support member 70 during printing processing, and positioning units (Y-axis pressing units 38, 48, substrate guide moving units 33, 43, and support plates 39a, 49a) that move the substrate support member 70 arranged on the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40 to position the substrate support member in the horizontal direction. In the support member carrying-in process, the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a to transport the substrate support member 70 to be carried in to the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, and controls the Y-axis pressing units 38, 48, board guide moving units 33, 43, and support plates 39a, 49a to position the transported substrate support member 70 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress positional deviation in the front-rear direction within the first and second substrate fixing portions 30, 40 of the substrate support member 70 that has been carried in during the support member carrying-in process.

[0037] The printing device 20 further includes first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40, substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41 that transport the substrate S in a predetermined substrate transport direction (left and right direction), and a position information acquisition unit 55 that acquires position information regarding the position of the substrate support member 70 disposed on the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 in the substrate transport direction. The printing device 20 also includes a correction unit (control unit 21 and substrate stopper 56) that corrects the stopping position on the substrate support member 70 when the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41 transport the substrate S based on the acquired position information. This allows the stopping position of the substrate S to be corrected based on the position information even if the position of the substrate support member 70 loaded into the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 during the support member loading process is misaligned in the substrate transport direction. This prevents problems from occurring when the substrate S is fixed by the substrate support member 70.

[0038] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 20 has support bases 37, 47 on which a substrate support member 70 can be placed, first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40 that fix the substrate S with the placed substrate support member 70 during printing processing, and support base lifting units 35, 45 and fixation unit lifting units 36, 46 that raise and lower the support bases 37, 47 to raise and lower the substrate support member 70 placed on the support bases 37, 47. The transport rod 25a carries in and out a transport jig 80 to which the substrate support member 70 can be attached, and the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a, the support base lifting units 35, 45, and the fixation unit lifting units 36, 46 in a support member carrying-out process to transport the transport jig 80 above the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, lift the substrate support member 70 to be carried out that is placed on the support bases 37, 38, and attach it to the transport jig 80, and then carry out the transport jig 80 after attachment. Furthermore, in the support member carry-in process, control unit 21 controls transport rod 25a, support table lifting units 35, 45, and fixing unit lifting units 36, 46 to carry transport jig 80, to which substrate support member 70 to be carried in is attached, to above first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, raises support tables 37, 47, removes substrate support member 70 to be carried in from transport jig 80, places it on support tables 37, 47, and carries out the removed transport jig 80. In this way, even if the shape or size of substrate support member 70 is not suitable for transport by transport rod 25a, for example, the support member replacement process can be performed by transporting substrate support member 70 using transport jig 80. In the printing device 20 of this embodiment, the transport rod 25a transports both the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70, but because the width of the substrate support member 70 in the left-right direction is smaller than that of the screen mask M, the substrate support member 70 cannot be transported directly by the transport rod 25a by sliding it on the transport rails 29. In this way, when the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70 have different shapes and sizes, it is very important to use the transport jig 80.

[0039] The printing apparatus 20 also has a first substrate fixing unit 30 and a second substrate fixing unit 40 as substrate fixing units, and a first support member lifting unit (support member lifting unit 35 and fixture unit lifting unit 36) that lifts and lowers the support base 37 and a second support member lifting unit (support member lifting unit 45 and fixture unit lifting unit 46) that lifts and lowers the support base 47 as support member lifting units. The transport rod 25a also carries in and out a transport jig 80 to which multiple substrate support members 70 can be attached. In a support member unloading process, the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a, the support base lifting units 35, 45, and the fixture unit lifting units 36, 46 to load the transport jig 80, lift each of the substrate support members 70 to be unloaded that are arranged on the support bases 37, 47, and attach them to the transport jig 80, and then unloads the transport jig 80 after attachment. Furthermore, in the support member carry-in process, the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a, the support table lifting units 35, 45, and the fixing unit lifting units 36, 46 to carry in the transport jig 80 to which the substrate support members 70 to be carried in and placed on the support tables 37, 47 are attached, raises the support tables 37, 47, removes the substrate support members 70 to be carried in from the transport jig 80, and places them on the support tables 37, 47, respectively, and carries out the removed transport jig 80. In this way, the control unit 21 performs the replacement of the substrate support members 70 to be placed on the support table 37 and the replacement of the substrate support members 70 to be placed on the support table 47 in parallel. In this way, the substrate support member 70 to be removed and placed on the support base 37, 47 can be removed together with the transport jig 80 being moved in and out once, and the substrate support member 70 to be placed on the support base 37, 47 can be brought in together with the transport jig 80 being moved in and out once, thereby reducing the time required for the support member replacement process.

[0040] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0041] For example, in the embodiment described above, the control unit 21 uses the transport jig 80 capable of mounting two substrate support members 70 to concurrently replace the substrate support member 70 placed on the support table 37 and the substrate support member 70 placed on the support table 47. However, this is not limited to this. For example, only one of the substrate support members 70 on the support tables 37 and 47 may be replaced. In this case, the control unit 21 may also perform the support member carry-in process and the support member carry-out process in parallel. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing how the support member carry-in process and the support member carry-out process are performed in parallel. Here, a case where the substrate support member 70 of the second substrate fixing unit 40 is replaced will be described. The control unit 21 first transports the transport jig 80, to which the substrate support member 70 to be carried in is attached, to above the second substrate fixing unit 40 (FIG. 11(a)). Next, the control unit 21 raises the substrate support member 70 to be removed, which is placed on the support table 47, and attaches it to the transport jig 80 (Figure 11(b)). Next, the control unit 21 transports the attached transport jig 80 further forward to transport the substrate support member 70 to be carried in above the support table 47, and then raises the support table 47 to remove the substrate support member 70 to be carried in from the transport jig 80 and place it on the support table 47 (Figure 11(c)). The control unit 21 then carries the removed transport jig 80 (the transport jig 80 to which the substrate support member 70 to be removed is attached) backward. In this way, the substrate support member 70 can be carried in and out by carrying in and out the transport jig 80 once. Therefore, the time required for the support member replacement process can be shortened.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the printing device 20 can transport both the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70 using the transport rod 25a, but this is not limited to this. As long as the printing device 20 is equipped with a support member transport unit that transports the substrate support member 70, it can at least perform a substrate support member replacement process. Even in this case, by moving the substrate support member 70 arranged in the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 and positioning the substrate support member in the horizontal direction, it is possible to suppress misalignment of the substrate support member 70 in the front-to-rear direction within the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40. While the above-described embodiment describes the printing device 20 as replacing the substrate support member 70, the present invention is not limited to a printing device as long as it performs a substrate support member replacement process. The present invention can be applied to a substrate-related operation device that performs a substrate-related operation on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member. Examples of substrate-related operation devices other than printing devices include, for example, a mounting device that mounts components on a substrate. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the printing device 20 includes the transport rod 25a as a support member transport unit, but the printing device 20 may include any support member transport unit as long as it can transport the substrate support members 70 in and out. For example, the support member transport unit may be a support member transport conveyor including a conveyor belt and a belt rotation device that drives the conveyor belt to rotate.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the substrate support member 70 is transported using the transport jig 80, but if the substrate support member 70 can be transported using, for example, the transport rail 29 and the transport rod 25a, the transport jig 80 does not have to be used.

[0044] In the embodiment described above, the Y-axis pressing unit 38, the board guide moving unit 33, and the support plate 39a are used to position the board support member 70 in the front-rear direction, but this is not limited to this as long as it positions the board support member 70 in the horizontal direction. For example, in addition to or instead of positioning in the front-rear direction, positioning in the left-right direction may also be performed.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the protrusions 71, 72 of the substrate support member 70 are cylindrical, but this is not limiting as long as they can be attached to and detached from the transport jig 80. For example, the protrusions may be rectangular prism-shaped, plate-shaped, or may be two adjacent cylinders forming a single member. Furthermore, although the number of protrusions is two on each side, this is not limiting and there may be one, three or more protrusions on each side.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the first to fourth protrusion holders 81 to 84 hold the protrusions 71, 72 by recesses. However, this is not limiting as long as they can be attached to and detached from the transport jig 80. For example, the transport jig 80 may include a pair of plate-like members that protrude inward from the frame 85, and the substrate support member 70 may be attached to the transport jig 80 by placing the protrusions 71, 72 on the upper surfaces of these plate-like members. Furthermore, when removing the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80, the lifting of the substrate support member 70 and the transport of the transport jig 80 are combined, but this is not limiting. For example, the transport jig 80 may include a plate-like member moving mechanism that includes a button that can be pressed downward, a lever that rotates around an axis in accordance with the up and down movement of the button and converts vertical movement into horizontal movement, and a plate-like member that moves horizontally in accordance with the rotation of the lever. In this case, the substrate support member 70 may be placed on the plate-like members of a pair of front and rear plate-like member moving mechanisms and transported, and the buttons of the pair of plate-like member moving mechanisms may be pressed, for example, with the transport rod 25a or the like, to separate the pair of plate-like members to the left and right, thereby removing the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80. If such a mechanism is employed, there is no need to transport the transport jig 80 back and forth when removing the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the printing device 20 is provided with the storage unit 60, but the printing device 20 does not have to be provided with the storage unit 60. Also, the printing device 20 is a dual-lane printing device having first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, but is not limited to this. For example, the printing device 20 may be a single-lane printing device having one substrate fixing unit.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, the substrate support member 70 is a member that supports and fixes the substrate S from the lower surface side by using negative pressure, but any member that fixes the substrate may be used. For example, the substrate support member may have a plurality of protrusions (backup pins) erected on the upper surface, and the substrate support member may support and fix the substrate S from below using these protrusions. [Industrial Applicability]

[0049] The present invention can be used in a substrate-related operation apparatus that performs operations on a substrate, such as a mounting apparatus that mounts components on a substrate or a printing apparatus related to the mounting apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 Mounting system, 11, 12 Pattern hole, 20 Printing device, 21 Control unit, 22 Print processing unit, 23 Print head, 24 Head moving unit, 25 Squeegee, 25a Transport rod, 26 Mask working unit, 27 Mask fixing unit, 28 Position adjustment unit, 29 Transport rail, 30 First substrate fixing unit, 30a Main body, 30b Side frame, 31 Substrate transport conveyor, 32 Substrate guide, 33 Substrate guide moving unit, 35 Support table lifting unit, 36 Fixing unit lifting unit, 37 Support table, 38 Y-axis pressing unit, 39 Z-axis clamp unit, 39a Support plate, 40 Second substrate fixing unit, 40a Main body, 40b Side frame, 41 Substrate transport conveyor, 42 Substrate guide, 43 Substrate guide moving unit, 45 Support table lifting unit, 46 Fixing unit lifting unit, 47 Support table, 48 Y-axis pressing portion, 49 Z-axis clamping portion, 49a support plate, 50 processing portion, 51 carriage, 52 processing portion moving portion, 53 X-axis slider, 54 Y-axis slider, 55 position information acquisition portion, 56 board stopper, 58 support rail, 60 storage portion, 61 transport conveyor, 62 conveyor lifting portion, 70 board support member, 70a main body portion, 71, 72 protrusion portion, 73 suction hole, 74 clamped portion, 75 identification portion, 76 barcode, 80 transport jig, 81 to 84 first to fourth protrusion holding portions, 85 frame body, 86 barcode, 90 management PC, M, M2 screen mask, S board.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus that prints a viscous fluid onto a substrate supported on a substrate support member through a screen mask fixed to a frame, comprising: a pair of conveying rails that guide movement of the frame body and movement of a conveying jig to which the substrate support member can be attached; the conveying jig has a width in a direction in which the pair of conveying rails face each other, which is substantially the same as that of the frame body; Printing device.

2. A transfer jig capable of mounting a substrate support member for supporting a substrate in a printing device that prints a viscous fluid on a substrate through a screen mask fixed to a frame, comprising: In the printing device, the transport jig is guided in movement by a pair of transport rails that guide the movement of the frame body, and the width of the transport jig in the direction in which the pair of transport rails face each other is approximately the same as that of the frame body.

Images