Head Chip Grinding Inspection via Recessed Reference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing head chips with liquid jet heads do not provide a reliable way to inspect the grinding amount of the actuator substrate, leading to variations in the depth of ejection grooves, which affects print quality and increases manufacturing time.
Innovation Solution
A method that includes forming inspection recessed portions on the actuator substrate, which change their state based on the grinding amount, allowing for easy determination of the grinding amount without measuring the thickness or depth of the substrate, thereby reducing variations in ejection groove depth and improving liquid ejection performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the thickness of the actuator substrate and the depth of each ejection groove are measured to inspect the grinding amount, then the inspection accuracy is improved, but the manufacturing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts a specific inspection recessed portion from the actuator substrate that serves as a reference for grinding amount inspection. By measuring only this specific recessed portion rather than the entire substrate or all grooves, the inspection time is significantly reduced while maintaining accuracy. The recessed portion is specifically designed to be accessible and representative of the overall grinding quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy or representation of the grinding quality through the inspection recessed portion. This recessed portion acts as a model that reflects the grinding state of the entire substrate without requiring measurement of the whole. By inspecting this representative feature, the system achieves accurate assessment with minimal time investment.
2Productivity
If the grinding amount is not inspected, then the manufacturing time is reduced, but the variation in ejection groove depth increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by forming the inspection recessed portion during the groove forming step, before the substrate grinding step. This recessed portion is pre-prepared as a reference feature that will indicate the grinding amount. By having this reference feature ready in advance, the system can quickly verify grinding quality immediately after grinding without requiring complex post-processing measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by designing the inspection recessed portion to automatically reflect the grinding amount through its geometric state. The recessed portion's dimensions or visibility changes based on the grinding depth, allowing the system to self-assess its own grinding quality without external measurement equipment. This eliminates the need for separate inspection processes while maintaining precision.
3Reliability
If inspection of all products is performed by measuring thickness and groove depth, then the quality control is improved, but the man-hour for manufacturing increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inspection task by focusing only on a specific recessed portion rather than inspecting the entire substrate or all grooves. This segmentation allows for rapid inspection of a representative feature that indicates overall grinding quality. By dividing the inspection focus to a manageable, specific element, the system maintains quality control while dramatically reducing the time required per product.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by inspecting only the essential feature (the recessed portion) that is sufficient to determine grinding quality, rather than performing complete measurements of all parameters. This partial inspection approach provides adequate quality control for manufacturing purposes without the excessive time investment of comprehensive measurement, achieving the right balance between reliability and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a head chip includes a groove forming step for forming grooves which are the bases of ejection grooves on a first surface of the actuator substrate, a substrate grinding step for grinding a second surface of the actuator substrate so that each of the grooves has a predetermined depth, a recessed portion forming step for forming an inspection recessed portion which changes its state in the second surface of the actuator substrate according to the grinding amount of the actuator substrate in the substrate grinding step, and a grinding amount determination step for determining the grinding amount of the actuator substrate on the basis of a state of the inspection recessed portion after the substrate grinding step.