Chuck Table with Elastic Annular Seal for Warped Workpiece Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chuck tables fail to properly hold workpieces with warps due to insufficient suction force, as the peripheral portion floats over the suction holding member, leading to reduced air-tightness and potential damage during laser processing.
Innovation Solution
A chuck table with an annular seal member surrounding the suction holding member, formed from an elastic material with a specific sponge hardness, is used to support the peripheral portion of the workpiece, ensuring air-tightness and flattening the workpiece surface under vacuum, preventing damage and improving processability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the workpiece with warp is placed on the suction holding member, then the workpiece can be held by suction, but the peripheral portion floats over the suction holding member causing insufficient suction holding force
Solution Approach 1:
The annular seal member is made of elastic material that can deform to conform to the warped workpiece surface, creating a flexible sealing interface that maintains contact with the peripheral portion of the workpiece even when it is not perfectly flat
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic modulus and hardness of the annular seal member are specifically controlled to allow it to deform under vacuum pressure, changing its shape to match the workpiece contour and maintain effective sealing contact
2Stability of the object's composition
If the peripheral portion of the workpiece is higher in level than the central portion, then the workpiece maintains its natural warped shape, but the degree of tight contact between the workpiece and suction holding member becomes low
Solution Approach 1:
The annular seal member acts as an intermediary element between the suction holding member and the workpiece, compensating for the warp by deforming to maintain contact and sealing without forcing the workpiece into an unnatural shape
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic annular seal member is pre-configured to accommodate potential warping by providing a compliant sealing interface that can deform in advance to meet the workpiece contour, preventing air leakage before it occurs
3Reliability
If the annular seal member is made from elastic material, then it can seal gaps due to warp, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Only the annular seal member at the peripheral sealing location is made of elastic material, while the rest of the chuck table structure remains rigid, applying elasticity only where needed for sealing without making the entire device complex
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The elastic annular seal member effectively seals gaps due to warping, maintaining suction and reducing stress on the workpiece, thereby ensuring secure holding and improved processability without causing damage.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum source connected to the suction holding member for producing a vacuum and applying the vacuum to the suction holding surface
Implementation Method 2
the annular seal member is elastically deformed by the vacuum applied to the peripheral portion of the workpiece and the upper surface of the workpiece is therefore flattened
Implementation Method 3
the peripheral portion of the workpiece comes into contact with the upper surface of the annular seal member to thereby seal off the vacuum leaking from the gap between the workpiece and the suction holding surface
Data Source
AI summary
A chuck table holds a workpiece having a warp. The chuck table includes a suction holding member having a suction holding surface for holding the workpiece under suction, and an annular seal member provided around the outer circumference of the suction holding member for supporting a peripheral portion of the workpiece. The annular seal member is formed from an elastic member. The upper surface of the annular seal member is set higher in level than the suction holding surface according to the warp of the workpiece. In holding the workpiece on the chuck table under suction, vacuum leaking from the gap between the workpiece and the suction holding surface due to the warp of the workpiece is applied to the space defined by the workpiece and the annular seal member, thereby elastically deforming the annular seal member to flatten the upper surface of the workpiece.