Dual Tray Carrier Unit for Continuous IC Taping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing integrated circuit taping process is hindered by significant overhead time in tray carrier unit operations, where the pick and place device waits for tray carrier units to bring new trays, resulting in wasted time ranging from 10 to 50% of the total operation time.
Innovation Solution
A tray carrier system with two independent units, each having four parallel rails and swing arms with retaining pieces, allowing one unit to pass underneath the other when in open position, enabling continuous operation and reduced overhead by allowing simultaneous tray loading, unloading, and positioning for the pick and place process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single tray carrier unit is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity decreases due to overhead waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the tray carrier function into two independent units, each capable of autonomous operation. Unit 202 handles tray loading while unit 204 handles tray unloading, eliminating the sequential overhead of a single unit. Each unit operates independently on its own rails, allowing parallel execution of tray handling tasks and eliminating idle waiting time for the pick-and-place device.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual unit configuration enables continuous operation where one unit is always available to supply trays to the pick-and-place device. While unit 202 is loading a tray, unit 204 is unloading an empty tray, ensuring that the pick-and-place device never experiences idle waiting time. This continuous workflow eliminates the overhead delays inherent in single-unit systems.
2Productivity
If tray carrier units operate sequentially, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity is limited by overhead time
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the tray carrier functionality into two independent units with separate rail systems, allowing simultaneous operation. Each unit has its own carriage, swing arms, and retaining pieces, enabling parallel tray loading and unloading operations that double the effective throughput while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines two independent tray carrier units into a coordinated system that shares the pick-and-place device resource. Both units operate simultaneously but independently, merging their capabilities to provide continuous tray supply without requiring complex inter-unit coordination, thus achieving high productivity with moderate complexity.
3Loss of time
If the pick and place waits for tray carrier unit, then the manufacturing precision is maintained, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Unit 202 preliminarily prepares and loads a new tray onto the carrier platform before the pick-and-place device finishes processing the current tray. This advance preparation ensures that a replacement tray is already in position and ready for immediate transfer, eliminating any waiting time for the pick-and-place device and maintaining continuous high-speed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual unit system maintains continuous useful action by ensuring that while one unit is being accessed by the pick-and-place device, the other unit is preparing or transferring trays. This continuous workflow eliminates idle waiting periods, maximizing operation efficiency without compromising the precision of the pick-and-place operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A tray carrier system having a tray loading position, a tray off-loading position, and four parallel rails extending from the tray loading position to the tray off-loading position. A tray carrier platform is disposed on each rail, where each tray carrier platform is configured to move along the rail on which it is disposed between the tray loading position and the tray off-loading position. Each tray carrier platform includes a carriage for engaging the rail, swing arms attached to the carriage, retaining pieces attached to the swing arms for selectively retaining and releasing a tray, and means for moving the swing arms between an open position and a closed position. The retaining pieces retain the tray at a tray level when the swing arms are in the closed position, and release the tray and are disposed entirely below the tray level when the swing arms are in the open position. Two of the tray carrier platforms form a first tray carrier unit, and the other two tray carrier platforms form a second tray carrier unit. The first tray carrier unit is capable of passing underneath a tray carried by the second tray carrier unit in the closed position when the first tray carrier unit is in the open position.