Cammed Workpiece Aligner for Small-Pitch Precision Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for aligning singulated workpieces in industrial screen-printing are complex, time-consuming, and require a minimum pitch between towers, limiting the ability to align workpieces at a very small pitch, such as 31.6 mm, and are not modular.
Innovation Solution
A workpiece aligner system using rotary actuators to drive cammed rotors, allowing for translation, rotation, or a combination of both, with a modular mounting system that includes electrical contacts and vacuum ports for secure alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If individually actuable towers are used for aligning singulated workpieces, then alignment accuracy and speed are improved, but device complexity increases and minimum pitch between towers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the alignment function into separate modules: a reference tower that provides positional reference and individual workpiece aligners that perform local alignment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high alignment accuracy through coordinated operation of the modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
A reference webbing is introduced as an intermediary element that spans across multiple towers. This reference webbing provides a common reference framework that synchronizes the alignment operations of individual towers, eliminating the need for complex inter-tower coordination mechanisms while ensuring consistent alignment accuracy across all workpieces.
2Manufacturing precision
If individually actuable towers are used for aligning singulated workpieces, then alignment accuracy is improved, but the minimum pitch between towers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a planar arrangement where towers must be spaced apart to avoid collision, to a three-dimensional configuration where towers can be positioned closer together. The reference webbing extends in the vertical dimension, allowing towers to operate in different spatial planes simultaneously, thereby reducing the minimum horizontal pitch requirement while maintaining alignment accuracy.
3Productivity
If reference webbing is used for simultaneous alignment, then alignment speed is improved, but the system becomes unsuitable for workpieces positioned too far from correct position
Solution Approach 1:
The individual workpiece aligners are equipped with adjustable positioning mechanisms that can dynamically adapt to the actual position of each workpiece. This dynamic capability allows the system to handle workpieces that are significantly misplaced while maintaining fast alignment speeds, as each aligner independently adjusts to the workpiece's actual location rather than relying on fixed pre-positioned references.
4Ease of manufacture
If modular mounting system is implemented, then ease of installation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular mounting system employs universal interface standards that allow the same mounting mechanism to accommodate different tower configurations and workpiece sizes. This universality simplifies installation procedures as the same modular components can be reused across different setups, while the standardized interfaces are designed to be intuitively understood and assembled without requiring complex customization or specialized expertise.
Data Source
AI summary
A workpiece aligner, comprising: a base, an actuation assembly for moving a workpiece support, and wherein the actuation assembly comprises first, second and third rotary actuators, each rotary actuator driving a respective cammed rotor which, when rotated, causes the support to move relative to the base, such that the actuation assembly is selectively operative to move the support to cause a translation of the support parallel to a plane, a rotation of the support about an axis orthogonal to that plane, or a combination of said translation and said rotation.