Application device and gap adjustment method

Abstract

An application device for performing application processing by discharging a liquid material to an object, comprises: a discharge unit for discharging the liquid material; an adjustment unit for adjusting a gap between a discharge port of the discharge unit and the object; and a control unit for acquiring a related value related to the application amount of the liquid material in the application processing, and controlling the adjustment unit so that the gap becomes larger as the acquired related value becomes larger.

Description

Coating device and gap adjustment method

[0001] The present specification discloses a coating apparatus and a gap adjustment method.

[0002] Conventionally, coating devices have been proposed that apply a liquid material by discharging it from a nozzle onto an object. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coating device that can set the coating height of the nozzle, i.e., the gap between the nozzle outlet and the object, based on at least one of the following items: the type and condition of the object, the amount of coating, and the coating form.

[0003] JP 2009-175681 A

[0004] However, the above-mentioned coating device does not specifically describe how to set and adjust the gap, which is the coating height, based on each item. Since gap adjustment is an important factor related to the coating accuracy and coating amount of the liquid, it is required to be performed appropriately.

[0005] A main object of the present disclosure is to properly adjust the gap between the liquid material discharge port and the target object, thereby more appropriately performing the coating process.

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The coating device of the present disclosure is a coating device that performs a coating process by discharging a liquid material onto an object, and is equipped with: a discharge unit that discharges the liquid material; an adjustment unit that adjusts the gap between the discharge port of the discharge unit and the object; and a control unit that acquires a related value related to the amount of liquid material to be applied in the coating process, and controls the adjustment unit so that the larger the acquired related value, the larger the gap tends to be.

[0008] The coating device of the present disclosure acquires a related value related to the amount of liquid to be applied in the coating process, and controls the adjustment unit so that the larger the acquired related value, the larger the gap between the discharge port of the discharge unit and the target object tends to be. This allows the gap to be adjusted appropriately, making it possible to more appropriately perform the coating process.

[0009] 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a production system 1 including a molding apparatus 10. A block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the molding apparatus 10. A configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a second dispense head 42. A flowchart showing an example of an underfill coating process routine. A flowchart showing an example of a coating process. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a coating process with a constant gap G. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between coating time te and gap G. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a coating height He. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a setting map for a speed Vg that changes the gap G.

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a production system 1 including a molding apparatus 10. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the molding apparatus 10. In this embodiment, the left-right direction (X-axis), the front-back direction (Y-axis), and the up-down direction (Z-axis) are as shown in Fig. 1.

[0011] The production system 1 includes a three-dimensional modeling device (hereinafter, modeling device) 10 that models a shaped object, such as a base layer and a circuit (wiring), on a rectangular plate-shaped pallet P, and a mounting device 80 that mounts components on the circuit (wiring) modeled on the base layer on the pallet P. The production system 1 may include two or more mounting devices 80, or may include only the modeling device 10 without the mounting device 80. The modeling device 10 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 24, an operation panel 26, a first discharge unit 30, a flattening unit 35, a second discharge unit 40, a height sensor 45, a UV irradiation unit 47, an upper surface heating unit 48, a press heating unit 49, a transport unit 50, a stage unit 60, and first and second transfer units 70 and 75. All components except the operation panel 26 are housed in a housing 12 of the modeling device 10.

[0012] The control unit 20 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU 20a and includes a ROM 20b for storing processing programs, a RAM 20c used as a work area, and a timer 20d for executing timing processing, and controls the entire modeling apparatus 10. The memory unit 22 is configured, for example, with an HDD or SSD, and stores modeling jobs including modeling information such as the shape and size of the model (three-dimensional object) and circuit information (wiring information) such as the circuit (wiring) pattern. The communication unit 24 is an interface used to communicate with each device in the production system 1, such as the mounting device 80 and a management device (not shown). The control unit 20 exchanges information with each device in the production system 1 via the communication unit 24. The operation panel 26 is a touch-panel display disposed at the top of the front of the housing 12, and displays various information to the operator and accepts various operations from the operator.

[0013] The first ejection unit 30 includes a first inkjet head 31 and a second inkjet head 32 that eject liquid materials using an inkjet system, and an X-axis moving unit 33. The first inkjet head 31 ejects a resin ink for forming the base layer. The resin ink is a liquid material such as a liquid curable resin (e.g., UV-curable resin, thermosetting resin, two-component curable resin, etc.), a thermoplastic resin, or a slurry in which a solvent is mixed with a solid material such as an inorganic substance. The second inkjet head 32 ejects a conductive metal ink, such as silver ink, in which metal particles are dispersed in a solvent, for forming circuits (wiring). The X-axis moving unit 33 includes a guide rail provided in the X-axis direction on the front surface of a gate-shaped frame and two sliders on which each inkjet head 31, 32 is mounted. The X-axis moving unit 33 moves each slider along the guide rail to move (scan) each inkjet head 31, 32 in the X-axis direction.

[0014] The flattening unit 35 includes a roller 36 (flattening member) for flattening the liquid material on the pallet P, and a roller lifting unit 37, and is disposed on the rear surface of the frame of the X-axis moving unit 33. The roller lifting unit 37 is configured to be able to raise and lower the roller 36 using, for example, a cylinder, and raises and lowers the roller 36 in the Z-axis direction between an upper standby position and a lower flattening position (working position). The flattening unit 35 flattens the surface of the resin ink ejected onto the pallet P, for example, by using the roller 36 to smooth it while moving the pallet P relative to the pallet P in the Y-axis direction. The flattening member is the cylindrical roller 36, but may also be a flat blade or the like.

[0015] The second dispensing unit 40 includes a first dispense head 41 and a second dispense head 42 that dispense liquid materials using a dispenser method, and an X-axis moving unit 43. The first dispense head 41 dispenses and applies a conductive paste, such as silver paste, for electrode formation. The conductive paste is, for example, a liquid resin in which a conductive material is dispersed. For example, a conductive paste made of a resin that hardens when heated and has metal particles dispersed therein is used. The second dispense head 42 dispenses and applies a resin paste, such as a thermosetting resin, as an underfill resin for component encapsulation. The thermosetting resin is, for example, a liquid resin with insulating properties. Note that the second dispensing unit 40 may include more dispense heads so that it can dispense a greater variety of liquid materials. The X-axis moving unit 43 includes a guide rail provided in the X-axis direction on the front surface of a gate-shaped frame and a slider on which the heads 41 and 42 are arranged. The X-axis moving unit 43 moves the sliders to move (scan) the heads 41 and 42 in the X-axis direction.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3 , the second dispense head 42 includes a cylindrical syringe 42a containing the underfill resin UF and a needle 42b that is provided, for example, at the lower end of the syringe 42a and extends coaxially therefrom, and dispenses the underfill resin UF from a discharge port 42c. The second dispense head 42 can raise and lower the syringe 42a (needle 42b) using an elevator (not shown), and raises and lowers the syringe 42a between an upper standby position and a lower discharge position (application processing position). Although not shown, the first dispense head 41 is similarly configured. When pressure is applied to the syringe 42a from a pressure applying unit (not shown), the second dispense head 42 dispenses the underfill resin UF from the discharge port 42c of the needle 42b toward the application location on the target object. The target object is, for example, a base material layer B molded on a pallet P. The position (XY coordinates) and application amount of each application location are stored in the modeling job. In this embodiment, the gap G is the vertical distance between the discharge port 42c and the base material layer B (upper surface).

[0017] The height sensor 45 measures the height position of an object such as the upper surface of the stage 61 of the stage unit 60, the upper surface of the pallet P placed on the stage 61, or the surface of a model on the pallet P. The height sensor 45 is configured, for example, as a contact-type sensor that can be raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction, and is attached to a slider of the X-axis moving unit 43 so that it can move in the X-axis direction. Note that the height sensor 45 is not limited to a contact-type sensor, and may also be a reflective sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, such as a laser sensor.

[0018] The UV irradiation unit 47 includes a UV lamp such as a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, or a UV-LED, and irradiates the UV-curable resin ejected from the first inkjet head 31 with UV light to cure it. The upper surface heating unit 48 includes an infrared heater such as a halogen heater, a ceramic heater, or a carbon heater, and heats and cures the metal ink ejected from the second inkjet head 32. The resin layer and the circuit (wiring) are formed repeatedly multiple times to form an object on the pallet P. The press heating unit 49 includes a metal plate, a heater for heating the plate, and an elevator that can raise and lower the pallet P and apply pressure to press it against the plate from below. The press heating unit 49 cures the conductive paste or underfill resin UF by heating the plate while applying pressure to press the pallet P, which carries the object before or after component mounting, against the plate.

[0019] The transport unit 50 includes a belt conveyor 52 that transports the pallet P along the X-axis direction. The transport unit 50 transports the pallet P to be carried into the mounting device 80 and the pallet P carried out from the mounting device 80 in the X-axis direction by driving the belt conveyor 52.

[0020] The stage unit 60 includes a stage 61 having a rectangular shape in top view, a stage lifting / lowering unit 62, and a Y-axis moving unit 64. The stage lifting / lowering unit 62 holds the pallet P placed on the stage 61 and moves the pallet P in the Y-axis direction and raises and lowers the pallet P in the Z-axis direction. The stage lifting / lowering unit 62 holds the pallet P and raises and lowers the pallet P by moving the stage 61, which can abut against the underside of the pallet P, in the Z-axis direction. The stage lifting / lowering unit 62 is configured to raise and lower the stage 61 (pallet P) using, for example, a servo motor. Fine adjustment of the height position of the stage 61, for example, in micrometer units, enables adjustment of the gap G described above. The Y-axis moving unit 64 includes a slider located in the center of the lower part of the molding apparatus 10 and movable along a guide rail 11 extending from the front to the rear in the Y-axis direction. The stage lifting / lowering unit 62 is disposed on the slider. The Y-axis moving unit 64 moves the stage lifting / lowering unit 62 in the Y-axis direction by moving the slider. The gate-shaped frames of the X-axis moving parts 33, 43 in the first discharge unit 30 and the second discharge unit 40 are disposed so as to straddle the guide rails 11. The stage lifting part 62 moves in the Y-axis direction by a slider of the Y-axis moving part 64 to move to processing positions below the first discharge unit 30, the flattening unit 35, the second discharge unit 40, the UV irradiation unit 47, and the upper surface heating unit 48. The stage unit 60 also moves to a position where the pallet P is transferred between the transport unit 50, a position where the pallet P is transferred between the press heating unit 49, a position where the pallet P is attached and detached by an operator, etc.

[0021] The first loading / unloading unit 70 transfers the pallet P in the X-axis direction to be transferred between the transport unit 50 and the stage unit 60, and includes a pusher lifting / lowering unit 71 and an X-axis moving unit 72. The pusher lifting / lowering unit 71 raises and lowers a pusher (not shown) in the Z-axis direction using, for example, a cylinder between an upper position where it does not interfere with the pallet P and a lower position where it can abut against the side of the pallet P. The X-axis moving unit 72 includes a guide rail provided along the X-axis direction on a gate-shaped frame that straddles the guide rail 11, and a slider on which the pusher lifting / lowering unit 71 is disposed and that is movable along the guide rail, and moves the pusher lifting / lowering unit 71 in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the frame and guide rail of the X-axis moving unit 72 are shared with the frame and guide rail of the X-axis moving unit 43 described above, and the slider of the X-axis moving unit 72 is provided separately from the slider of the X-axis moving unit 43. The second transfer unit 75 transfers the pallet P in the X-axis direction, which is transferred between the press heating unit 49 and the stage unit 60. Similar to the first transfer unit 70, the second transfer unit 75 includes a pusher lifting unit 76 that raises and lowers the pusher in the Z-axis direction, and an X-axis moving unit 77 that moves the pusher lifting unit 76 in the X-axis direction, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting device 80 includes a transport unit 81 , a component supply unit 82 , a mounting head 83 , an XY axis moving unit 85 , a parts camera 86 , a nozzle stocker 87 , and an operation panel 88 .

[0023] The transport unit 81 includes a belt conveyor that transports the pallet P along the X-axis direction and transports the pallet P to be loaded into the modeling apparatus 10 and the pallet P that is unloaded from the modeling apparatus 10. The component supply unit 82 is, for example, a tape feeder equipped with a reel that stores components on tape at predetermined intervals. Multiple tape feeders are detachably attached to the front side of the mounting apparatus 80. The mounting head 83 includes one or more nozzles that pick up components and a nozzle lifting unit that raises and lowers the nozzles in the Z-axis direction. The mounting head 83 mounts the components picked up by the nozzles at predetermined positions on the pallet P. The XY-axis moving unit 85 includes a Y-axis slider that moves along the Y-axis guide rails and the Y-axis guide rails, and an X-axis slider that moves along the X-axis guide rails and the X-axis guide rails provided on the Y-axis slider and on which the mounting head 83 is disposed. The XY-axis moving unit 85 moves the Y-axis slider and the X-axis slider to move the mounting head 83 in the X and Y directions. The imaging range of the part camera 86 is above, and the captured image is generated by capturing an image of the component picked up by the nozzle of the mounting head 83 from below. The nozzle stocker 87 is configured to be able to accommodate a variety of nozzles of different sizes and shapes. The nozzles accommodated in the nozzle stocker 87 can be automatically attached to and detached from the mounting head 83. The operation panel 88 is configured as a touch panel display, and displays various information to the worker and accepts various operations from the worker.

[0024] Next, the operation of the modeling process of the modeling apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described. The modeling process of the modeling apparatus 10 includes a process of printing the base material layer B, a process of printing the circuit (wiring), a process of applying conductive paste, a process of applying underfill resin UF, various curing processes, and a process of mounting components. The process of applying underfill resin UF will be described below. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an underfill application process routine.

[0025] In the underfill application process routine of FIG. 4 , the control unit 20 first measures the top surface height of the measurement points on the base material layer B and sets the reference height (S100). In S100, for example, the control unit 20 may measure the top surface height of each application point individually using the height sensor 45 and set the reference height; or, alternatively, the control unit 20 may measure the top surface height of each measurement point using the height sensor 45, using predetermined positions at the four corners of the base material layer B, which is rectangular in top view, as measurement points, calculate a virtual plane of the top surface heights of the measurement points, and calculate the height at each location; or, alternatively, set the reference height to the average of the top surface heights at the four corners. Note that, in the printing process for the base material layer B, marks may be formed on the pallet P outside the printing area of ​​the base material layer B near the four corners of the base material layer B, with the same thickness as the base material layer B. The control unit 20 may then measure the top surface height of the marks and set the reference height.

[0026] Next, the control unit 20 acquires the position of the application target area and the application amount Qe from the modeling job (S110) and calculates the application time te and the application height He from the application amount Qe (S120). The application amount Qe, application time te, and application height He are related values ​​related to the application amount of the underfill resin UF. In this embodiment, the time from the start of the application process in S140 (described later) is defined as the elapsed time t, and the total time from the start to the end of the application process is defined as the application time te. The application amount from the start of the application process is defined as the application amount Q, the application height during the application process is defined as the application height H, the total application amount from the start to the end of the application process is defined as the application amount Qe, and the application height at the end of the application process is defined as the application height He. The application height H (He) is the distance between the needle 42b (discharge outlet 42c) and the target object (substrate layer B). The application time te and application height He for each application target area may be included in the modeling job, and the control unit 20 may acquire them from the modeling job.

[0027] Here, the second dispense head 42 is controlled so that the application height H, which is the distance between the needle 42b (discharge port 42c) and the target object (base material layer B), basically coincides with the height of the upper surface of the underfill resin UF (see FIG. 8 ). Before dispensing, the second dispense head 42 adjusts the pressure from the discharge port 42c to achieve a substantially constant discharge flow rate Fv, and then dispenses the underfill resin UF. Because the application amount Q (Qe) is proportional to the elapsed time t (application time te), in S120, the application time te is calculated as te = Qe / Vf. Furthermore, the advancing contact angle of the underfill resin UF on the target object (base material layer B) is a constant value and always assumes a similar shape regardless of the application amount. Therefore, a scaling law proportional to the cube root of the value (Vf t) holds between the upper surface height of the underfill resin UF and the application amount Q (see Equation (1)). Therefore, by controlling the coating height H (He) in proportion to the cube root of the coating amount Q (Qe), it is possible to make the height of the upper surface of the droplet coincide with the tip of the needle 42b (discharge port 42c). Furthermore, from equation (1), the time derivative (dH / dt) of the coating height H is controlled to have the proportional relationship of equation (2).

[0028] H ∝ (Vf t) 1 / 3 ∝t 1 / 3 ... (1) dH / dt ∝ t -2 / 3 ...(2)

[0029] Next, the control unit 20 controls the X-axis movement unit 43 and the Y-axis movement unit 64 so that the second dispense head 42 moves above the application location whose position was acquired in S110 (S130), and executes the application process on the application location (S140). After executing the application process on the application location, the control unit 20 determines whether there are other application locations (S150), and if it determines that there are other application locations, it returns to S110. On the other hand, if the control unit 20 determines that there are no other application locations, it ends this routine.

[0030] The coating process of S140 will be described below. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the coating process. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the coating process with a constant gap G. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between the coating time te and the gap G. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the coating height He.

[0031] 6 , if the coating process is performed with a small gap G when the coating amount Qe is relatively large, the discharge flow rate Fv is limited by the gap between the discharge port 42c and the base material layer B (shown by the dotted circle in the figure). This can hinder the discharge of the underfill resin UF, resulting in an insufficient coating amount Qe, i.e., a decrease in coating amount accuracy. On the other hand, considering the accuracy of the position where the underfill resin UF discharged from the discharge port 42c is applied (coating position accuracy), it is desirable to make the gap G as small as possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the coating process is performed with the gap G set as follows:

[0032] 5 (S140), the control unit 20 first adjusts the initial gap G0, which is the gap G between the discharge port 42c and the upper surface (reference height) of the base material layer B at the start of the coating process, to the lower limit gap GL (S200). That is, the control unit 20 sets the syringe 42a (needle 42b) to the lower discharge position, and then controls the stage lifting unit 62 so that the initial gap G0 becomes the lower limit gap GL. In this embodiment, the initial gap G0 is set to the lower limit gap GL (a constant value) regardless of the coating amount Qe.

[0033] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the coating time te calculated in S120 is equal to or shorter than a first time t1 (first predetermined value) (S210) and whether it exceeds the first time t1 and is equal to or shorter than a second time t2 (second predetermined value) (S220). As shown in FIG. 7 , the range of the coating time te equal to or shorter than the first time t1 is defined as a first range (1), the range of the coating time te between the first time t1 and the second time t2 is defined as a second range (2), and the range of the coating time te exceeding the second time t2 is defined as a third range (3). That is, the first time t1 is set as the upper limit of the first range (1), in which the coating amount Qe is relatively small, and is set to a time slightly shorter than, for example, 100 ms. The coating height He at the first time t1 corresponds to the first height H1 (see FIG. 8). The second time t2 is set as the lower limit of the third range (3), in which the coating amount Qe is relatively large, and is set to a time slightly longer than, for example, 10,000 ms. The application height He at the second time t2 corresponds to the second height H2 (see FIG. 8). In S210 and S220, the control unit 20 is not limited to making the determination based on the application time te, but may make the determination based on related values ​​such as the application amount Qe and the application height He.

[0034] If the control unit 20 determines in S210 that the application time te is within the first range (1) that is equal to or less than the first time t1, it controls the second dispense head 42 and the stage lifting unit 62 to apply the underfill resin UF using constant gap control that maintains the lower limit gap GL (S230).The control unit 20 then waits until the elapsed time t since the start of application becomes equal to or greater than the application time te (S280), and when the elapsed time t becomes equal to or greater than the application time te, it ends the application of the underfill resin UF (S290), thereby terminating this process.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, the gap G is set so that it generally increases as the coating time te (coating amount Qe, coating height He) increases. However, in the first range (1), the initial gap G0 is not set to be smaller than the lower limit gap GL. Even in the first range (1), if the gap G is set according to the above-described trend, the initial gap G0 may become significantly smaller, causing the discharge port 42c of the needle 42b and the substrate layer B to become too close (see the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 7 (1)). In this case, there is a risk of the needle 42b or the substrate layer B colliding with each other due to an error in the elevation position of the stage elevation unit 62 or an error in the build height of the substrate layer B, resulting in damage to the needle 42b or the substrate layer B. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lower limit gap GL is set so that the discharge port 42c and the substrate layer B do not become too close, and a gap G (initial gap G0) smaller than the lower limit gap GL is not set. In this embodiment, the lower limit gap GL is set to a value slightly smaller than 100 μm, such as 85 μm. The lower limit gap GL is not limited to 85 μm, but may be set appropriately between about 10 and 100 μm, for example.

[0036] Furthermore, in the first range (1), even if the coating height H increases during the coating process, the discharge port 42c will not be completely covered with the underfill resin UF (FIG. 8(1)), and the above-mentioned problem of coating amount accuracy will not occur. In other words, even if the lower limit gap GL (initial gap G0) is maintained, the underfill resin UF can be appropriately coated until the end of coating. Furthermore, to improve coating position accuracy, it is preferable to have as small a gap G as possible. Therefore, in the first range (1), the control unit 20 executes constant gap control to maintain the lower limit gap GL until the end of coating.

[0037] 5, if the control unit 20 determines that the application time te is within the second range (2), which is greater than the first time t1 and less than or equal to the second time t2, the control unit 20 controls the second dispense head 42 and the stage lifting unit 62 to apply the underfill resin UF using gap change control that changes the gap G in accordance with the elapsed time t (S240). That is, the underfill resin UF is applied while changing the gap G to a value larger than the initial gap G0 during the application process (upward arrow in FIG. 7(2)). Then, if the elapsed time t becomes equal to or greater than the application time te in S280, the control unit 20 ends application in S290, thereby terminating the application process.

[0038] In the gap change control, the control unit 20 lowers the stage lifting unit 62 so as to gradually increase the gap G in accordance with the elapsed time t. Maintaining the lower limit gap GL until the end of application in the second range (2), where the application amount Qe is larger than in the first range (1), can result in problems with application amount accuracy. On the other hand, if the gap G is adjusted to match the application height He from the start of application, the gap G at the start of application will be too large, which can result in problems with application position accuracy. Therefore, in the second range (2), the control unit 20 sets the initial gap G0 as the lower limit gap GL and gradually increases the gap G in accordance with the elapsed time t, thereby achieving both application amount accuracy and application position accuracy.

[0039] 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a setting map for the speed Vg for changing the gap G. As described above, since the time derivative of the coating height H has the proportional relationship of equation (2), the upper surface of the coating height H also has a value t -2 / 3 In the setting map of FIG. 9, the speed Vg (change speed, expansion speed) when changing (expanding) the gap G is increased at a speed proportional to the value t -2 / 3 The gap G is determined to be proportional to the velocity Vg. In the gap change control, the control unit 20 sets the velocity Vg based on the elapsed time t and the setting map of FIG. 9, and changes the gap G by lowering the stage lifting unit 62 at the velocity Vg. This makes it possible to increase the gap G at the velocity Vg that matches the rate of rise of the upper surface of the coating height H. In other words, by gradually increasing the gap G so as to follow the rise of the upper surface of the coating height H, it is possible to achieve both coating amount accuracy and coating position accuracy.

[0040] On the other hand, if the control unit 20 determines in S210 and S220 of FIG. 5 that the dispensing time te is within the third range (3) exceeding the second time t2, it controls the second dispense head 42 and the stage lifting unit 62 to dispense the underfill resin UF using gap change control (S250, upward arrow in FIG. 7(3)). In S250, the control unit 20, similar to S240, sets the velocity Vg based on the elapsed time t and the setting map of FIG. 9 to change the gap G. Therefore, in the third range (3), similar to the second range (2), it is possible to achieve both accuracy in the dispense amount and accuracy in the dispense position. Strictly speaking, each dispense head's actual discharge response to the discharge signal varies depending on the control system and the length of the air piping. Therefore, the delay time (e.g., approximately 0 to 300 ms) may be adjusted for each head. Furthermore, the elapsed time t, the dispense height H, and the velocity Vg may also be controlled to follow the delay time.

[0041] Furthermore, during gap change control when application is started in S250, the control unit 20 waits for the gap G to reach the upper limit gap GH (S260). For example, the control unit 20 may determine whether the upper limit gap GH has been reached based on the amount of elevation of the stage elevation unit 62 (the amount of drive of the servo motor). Alternatively, the control unit 20 may calculate the amount of change (expansion) of the gap G based on the set speed Vg and the elapsed time t, and determine whether the amount of change is equal to or greater than the difference between the initial gap G0 and the upper limit gap GH.

[0042] When the control unit 20 determines in S260 that the upper gap limit GH has been reached, it controls the second dispensing head 42 and the stage lifting unit 62 to apply the coating under constant gap control that maintains the upper gap limit GH (S270). That is, when the gap G reaches the upper gap limit GH, the control unit 20 changes from variable gap control to constant gap control to maintain the upper gap limit GH. Then, when the elapsed time t becomes equal to or greater than the application time te in S280, the control unit 20 ends application in S290, thereby terminating the coating process.

[0043] Here, the third range (3) is a range in which the application time te is longer. If gap change control is executed until application is completed, the gap G may become too large (see the dashed line in FIG. 7(3)), resulting in a large separation between the upper surface of the underfill resin UF and the discharge port 42c. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the liquid material (underfill resin UF) is discharged from the needle 42b, if the gap G is approximately twice the needle diameter (inner diameter) or more, the fluid resistance at the needle tip becomes sufficiently smaller than the fluid resistance inside the needle. Therefore, further widening of the gap G does not affect the flow rate accuracy, and therefore there is no need to widen the gap G. Therefore, in this embodiment, the upper limit gap GH is set to approximately twice the needle diameter, and the gap G is prevented from exceeding the upper limit gap GH. For example, if the inner diameter of the needle 42b is φ300 μm, the upper limit gap GH may be set to approximately 600 μm. The upper limit gap GH is not limited to 600 μm, but may be set appropriately between about 500 and 1000 μm, for example.

[0044] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. The second dispense head 42 of this embodiment corresponds to the discharge unit of the present disclosure, the stage lifting unit 62 corresponds to the adjustment unit, and the control unit 20 that executes the underfill application process routine (application process) corresponds to the control unit. Note that this embodiment also clarifies an example of a gap adjustment method of the present disclosure by explaining the operation of the modeling apparatus 10.

[0045] The second discharge unit 40 (applicator) in the modeling apparatus 10 of this embodiment described above obtains the application time te (related value) from the application amount Qe of the underfill resin UF (liquid material), and controls the stage lifting unit 62 so that the longer the application time te, the larger the gap G between the discharge port 42c of the needle 42b and the base material layer B tends to become. This allows the gap G to be appropriately adjusted, making it possible to more appropriately perform the application process.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 20 can execute gap change control to change the gap G to a larger gap G than the initial gap G0 during the dispensing process. This prevents a decrease in the accuracy of the dispensing position due to the initial gap G0 being too large at the start of the dispensing process, and prevents a decrease in the accuracy of the dispensing amount due to the upper surface (dispensing height H) of the dispensed underfill resin UF being too close to the discharge port 42c during the dispensing process.

[0047] Furthermore, in the gap change control, the control unit 20 gradually changes the gap G to a larger value in accordance with the rise of the upper surface of the underfill resin UF, thereby maintaining a substantially constant distance between the upper surface of the underfill resin UF and the discharge outlet 42c, thereby enabling the coating process to be carried out more appropriately.

[0048] In the gap change control, the control unit 20 calculates the differential of the cube root of the elapsed time t (value t -2 / 3 Since the stage lifting unit 62 is controlled at a speed Vg proportional to the rotational speed Vr, an appropriate gap G can be easily maintained.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 20 sets the lower limit gap GL to an initial gap G0, and executes constant gap control to maintain the lower limit gap GL during the coating process when the coating time te is equal to or shorter than the first time t1. Therefore, when the coating amount Qe is small, it is possible to prevent the discharge port 42c and the base material layer B from getting too close to each other at the start of the coating process, and to prevent the gap G from becoming too large during the coating process.

[0050] Furthermore, when the application time te exceeds the second time t2, the control unit 20 executes constant gap control to maintain the upper limit gap GH without executing gap change control after the gap G reaches the upper limit gap GH. Therefore, when the application amount Qe is large, it is possible to prevent the gap G from becoming too large and reducing the application position accuracy.

[0051] It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] In the embodiment, the control unit 20 executes constant gap control after the gap G reaches the upper limit gap GH when the application time te exceeds the second time t2. However, this is not limited to this, and the control unit 20 may execute variable gap control until application is completed. That is, steps S220 and S250 to S270 of the application process may be omitted, and the third range (3) may be processed in the same way as the second range (2). However, in order to prevent the gap G from becoming too large, the embodiment is preferable.

[0053] In the embodiment, the control unit 20 executes constant gap control to maintain the lower limit gap GL (initial gap G0) when the application time te is equal to or shorter than the first time t1, but this is not limited to this and gap change control may also be executed. That is, the application processing steps S210 and S230 may be omitted, and the first range (1) may be processed in the same way as the second range (2). However, if the initial gap G0 is made too small in order to execute gap change control, there is a risk of collision between the discharge port 42c and the base material layer B, so the embodiment is preferable.

[0054] In the embodiment, the control unit 20 sets the initial gap G0 to a constant lower limit gap GL. However, this is not limited thereto. The initial gap G0 may be set so that it increases as the application time te increases. For example, the initial gap G0 may be set in multiple different stages. This allows the gap G at the start of the application process to be appropriately adjusted. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may set the initial gap G0 in multiple different stages based on the above-described tendency, for example, in a range where the application amount Qe is relatively small, and may perform constant gap control by maintaining the initial gap G0 until the end of application. This allows the application process to be appropriately performed with simple control that appropriately sets the initial gap G0 and keeps the gap G constant during the application process.

[0055] In the embodiment, the control unit 20 changes the gap G at a speed Vg proportional to the derivative of the cube root of the elapsed time t during the gap change control. However, this is not limited to this, and the gap G may be changed at a speed Vg proportional to the derivative of the cube root of the application amount Q. Alternatively, any speed Vg that gradually increases the gap G may be used. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may measure the elevated position of the upper surface (application height H) of the underfill resin UF using a sensor and control the stage lifting unit 62 to gradually increase the gap G in accordance with the measured value. In this way, the gap G can be appropriately changed even if the discharge flow rate Fv is not constant. Furthermore, the gap change control is not limited to gradually increasing the gap G, and the gap G may be increased in stages. However, a gradual increase is preferable in order to maintain a substantially constant distance between the upper surface of the underfill resin UF and the discharge port 42c. While the gap G was adjusted by lowering the stage 61 (substrate layer B) using the stage lifting unit 62, it may also be adjusted by lifting the needle 42b.

[0056] In the embodiment, the present disclosure is applied to the second dispense head 42 of the second dispensing unit 40, but is not limited thereto and may be applied to a dispense head that dispenses other liquid materials, such as the first dispense head 41. Furthermore, the present disclosure is applied to the second dispensing unit 40 as a coating device within the molding apparatus 10, but the present disclosure may be applied to a coating device including a discharge unit (second dispensing unit 40) composed of at least one dispense head. Furthermore, although the present disclosure is in the form of a coating device, it may also be in the form of a gap adjustment method.

[0057] The gap adjustment method disclosed herein is a gap adjustment method for a coating device that includes a discharge unit that discharges a liquid material and an adjustment unit that adjusts the gap between the discharge port of the discharge unit and an object, and that performs a coating process by discharging the liquid material onto the object, and includes a step of acquiring a related value related to the amount of liquid material applied in the coating process, and controlling the adjustment unit so that the larger the acquired related value, the larger the gap tends to be.

[0058] In the gap adjustment method of the present disclosure, similar to the coating apparatus of the present disclosure described above, the gap can be appropriately adjusted to more appropriately perform the coating process. In this gap adjustment method, various aspects of the coating apparatus of the present disclosure may be adopted, or steps may be added to realize the functions of the coating apparatus of the present disclosure.

[0059] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing the "coating device according to claim 2" in claim 4 at the time of filing to "the coating device according to claim 2 or 3," the technical idea of ​​changing the "coating device according to claim 2 or 3" in claim 5 at the time of filing to "the coating device according to any one of claims 2 to 4," the technical idea of ​​changing the "coating device according to claim 2 or 3" in claim 6 at the time of filing to "the coating device according to any one of claims 2 to 5," and the technical idea of ​​changing the "coating device according to claim 1" in claim 7 at the time of filing to "the coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6."

[0060] The present disclosure can be used in technical fields in which a liquid material is discharged onto an object to perform a coating process.

[0061] 1 Production system, 10 Three-dimensional modeling device, 11 Y-axis rail, 12 Housing, 20 Control unit, 20a CPU, 20b ROM, 20c RAM, 20d Timer, 22 Memory unit, 24 Communication unit, 26, 88 Operation panel, 30 First ejection unit, 31 First inkjet head, 32 Second inkjet head, 33, 43 X-axis movement unit, 35 Flattening unit, 36 Roller, 37 Roller lifting unit, 40 Second ejection unit, 41 First dispense head, 42 Second dispense head, 42a Syringe, 42b Needle, 42c Discharge port, 45 Height sensor, 47 UV irradiation unit, 48 Upper surface heating unit, 49 Press heating unit, 50 Transport unit, 52 Belt conveyor, 60 Stage unit, 61 Stage, 62 Stage lifting unit, 64 Y-axis moving section, 70 first transfer unit, 71, 76 pusher lifting section, 72, 77 X-axis moving section, 75 second transfer unit, 80 mounting device, 81 transport unit, 82 component supply unit, 83 mounting head, 85 XY-axis moving section, 86 parts camera, 87 nozzle stocker, B base material layer, G gap, P pallet, UF underfill resin.

Claims

1. A coating device that performs a coating process by discharging a liquid material onto an object, comprising: a discharge unit that discharges the liquid material; an adjustment unit that adjusts a gap between the discharge port of the discharge unit and the object; and a control unit that acquires a related value related to the amount of liquid material to be applied in the coating process, and controls the adjustment unit so that the larger the acquired related value, the larger the gap.

2. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is capable of executing gap change control to control the adjustment unit during the coating process to change the gap to a larger gap than the gap at the start of the coating process.

3. The coating device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the adjustment unit in the gap change control so as to gradually increase the gap in accordance with the coating height of the liquid material that rises during the coating process.

4. The coating device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit, in the gap change control during the coating process in which the discharge flow rate from the discharge port is kept substantially constant, acquires the elapsed time or coating amount since the start of the coating process and controls the adjustment unit so that the gap increases at a speed proportional to the derivative of the cube root of the acquired value.

5. The coating device described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the control unit controls the adjustment unit so that a predetermined lower limit gap is set as the gap at the start of the coating process, and when the related value is equal to or less than a first predetermined value indicating that the coating amount is small, controls the adjustment unit so that the lower limit gap is maintained without performing the gap change control during the coating process.

6. The coating device described in claim 2 or 3, wherein when the related value exceeds a second predetermined value indicating that the coating amount is large, the control unit controls the adjustment unit to maintain the upper limit gap without performing the gap change control after the gap reaches a predetermined upper limit gap.

7. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the adjustment unit so that the larger the related value, the larger the gap at the start of the coating process tends to be, and is capable of performing constant gap control that controls the adjustment unit so that the gap remains constant at the start of the coating process during the coating process.

8. A gap adjustment method for a coating device that comprises a discharge unit that discharges a liquid material and an adjustment unit that adjusts the gap between the discharge port of the discharge unit and an object, and that performs a coating process by discharging the liquid material onto the object, the gap adjustment method including a step of acquiring a related value related to the amount of liquid material to be applied in the coating process, and controlling the adjustment unit so that the larger the acquired related value, the larger the gap becomes.

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