Gantry Dispenser with Automatic Adjustment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing systems for viscous materials on substrates, such as printed circuit boards, face limitations in throughput due to the need for multiple machines and complex alignment requirements, leading to increased costs and space usage.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing apparatus with a gantry system that includes multiple dispensing units with an automatic adjustment mechanism, allowing for precise positioning and simultaneous operation of multiple dispensing units on a single gantry, utilizing an imaging system for alignment and calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple dispensing systems are used to increase throughput, then production rate is improved, but device complexity and space usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple dispensing units onto a single gantry system, allowing simultaneous dispensing operations while sharing common support infrastructure. This merging approach increases throughput by enabling parallel dispensing on multiple substrates without requiring multiple independent dispensing systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity and space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The gantry system is designed to support multiple dispensing units that can operate simultaneously on different substrates or different locations on the same substrate. This multi-functional capability allows a single system to perform what would traditionally require multiple separate dispensing systems, improving productivity while maintaining manageable complexity.
2Productivity
If multiple dispensing systems are used to increase throughput, then production rate is improved, but space usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple dispensing units onto a single gantry structure, the system achieves parallel processing capability within a compact footprint. The shared gantry support system eliminates the need for multiple independent dispensing system footprints, thereby increasing throughput without proportionally increasing space usage.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment is used for multiple substrates, then positioning accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment with an automated vision system that uses imaging and computer processing to detect substrate positions and calculate alignment corrections. This substitution eliminates time-consuming manual alignment operations while maintaining or improving positioning accuracy through precise optical measurement and automated adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system performs preliminary alignment detection and calculation before the actual dispensing operation begins. By pre-calculating the positions of multiple substrates and determining the optimal gantry adjustments in advance, the system eliminates time-consuming alignment operations during the dispensing process itself.
4Speed
If automated vision alignment is used, then alignment speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated vision system that uses imaging sensors and computer algorithms to detect substrate positions and calculate alignment corrections. This automated approach dramatically increases alignment speed compared to manual methods, while the added complexity is concentrated in the control system rather than requiring multiple complex mechanical subsystems.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing apparatus includes a frame having a gantry configured to provide movement in the X axis and Y axis directions, and first and second dispensing units coupled to the gantry and configured to dispense material onto a substrate. The second dispensing unit is coupled to the gantry by an automatic adjustment mechanism. The dispensing apparatus further includes a controller configured to control the operation of the gantry, the first dispenser, the second dispenser, and the automatic adjustment mechanism. The automatic adjustment mechanism is configured to move the second dispenser in the X axis and Y axis directions to manipulate a spacing between the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing. Methods of dispensing material on the substrate are further disclosed.