Exposure Machine Conveying Structure for Tact Time Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exposure machines experience tact time loss due to the exchange of upper and lower arms for substrate pickup and transmission, which hampers efficiency in the high-precision exposure process.
Innovation Solution
An exposure machine with a conveying structure featuring a movable tray guide, rollers, and a hook mechanism that allows direct transfer of substrates from the base portion to the port portion, reducing arm exchange-related tact time losses by using a hook to pull trays and enabling continuous substrate handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If upper and lower arms are exchanged to pick up the substrate for transmission, then the substrate can be transferred between port portion and stage portion, but tact time is lost due to arm exchange operations
Solution Approach 1:
The tray guide is pre-positioned between the port portion and stage portion, and the upper arm is already in place to receive the substrate from the port. When the tray arrives, the upper arm can immediately grab the substrate without waiting for arm exchange, as all components are ready in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate transfer process becomes continuous as the upper arm receives substrates from incoming trays without interruption. Meanwhile, lower arms continuously deliver new trays to the port portion, ensuring the upper arm always has a substrate to process and eliminating idle time from arm exchanges.
2Ease of operation
If two upper arms and two lower arms are designed for substrate transmission, then substrate can be moved between port portion and stage portion, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate transmission function is divided into two independent segments: upper arms dedicated to receiving substrates from trays, and lower arms dedicated to delivering trays to the port. This segmentation allows each arm type to perform its specific function efficiently without needing to exchange roles, simplifying the control logic and operational sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
Both upper arms and lower arms are designed with universal gripping capabilities that allow them to handle both trays and substrates. This multi-functionality means the same arm structure can perform different tasks depending on the operation phase, reducing the need for specialized components for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
An exposure machine includes a base portion, a port portion, and a conveying structure. The base portion includes a work table and a bearing frame. The bearing frame is disposed on the work table and is configured to carry a tray. The port portion is configured to serve as a feed port and a discharge port of the exposure machine. The conveying structure includes at least one upper arm, at least one lower arm, and a movable tray guide. The movable tray guide is connected to the base portion and the port portion. The at least one lower arm is provided with a hook configured to hook the tray and move the tray to the port portion.