Concurrent Cleaning and Conveyance in LCD Substrate Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyance and cleaning apparatuses for liquid crystal display manufacturing require separate processes for substrate conveyance and cleaning, leading to increased operation time as all substrates are conveyed simultaneously, preventing simultaneous cleaning and conveyance.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance apparatus with a stage section and conveyance section that includes feeding and discharging arms, and a cleaning section with a cleaning head, allowing for simultaneous cleaning and conveyance by moving the cleaning head and arms in alignment with the stages to perform cleaning processes on one stage while conveying substrates to another.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If all substrates are conveyed at the same time in the substrate conveyance process, then the conveyance process is simple and coordinated, but the substrate cleaning processes cannot be performed during conveyance, causing increased operation time
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance system is divided into multiple independent conveyance units (first conveyance unit, second conveyance unit, third conveyance unit) that can operate independently. Each unit handles specific substrate transfer tasks between different stages, allowing simultaneous conveyance and cleaning operations without coordination conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces movable stages (first movable stage, second movable stage) that can dynamically adjust positions and timing. The cleaning stage can move into position to clean substrates during conveyance, and the conveyance units can pause or continue based on whether cleaning is being performed, enabling flexible overlapping of operations.
2Productivity
If separate processes are used for substrate conveyance and cleaning, then each process can be optimized independently, but the total manufacturing time increases due to sequential execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the conveyance function and cleaning function into a single integrated system. The cleaning stage is positioned within the conveyance path, allowing substrates to be cleaned while being conveyed between processing stages. This eliminates the need for separate sequential conveyance and cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous substrate flow through the manufacturing process. While substrates are being conveyed, the cleaning stage performs cleaning operations on substrates in transit or at intermediate positions. This ensures that no time is lost waiting for conveyance to complete before cleaning can begin, and vice versa.
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyance apparatus includes: a stage section having: a feeding stage on which a work to be fed is placed; a first working stage on which the work is subjected to a working process; a second working stage on which the work is subjected to the same working process as that of the first working stage; and a discharging stage on which the work to be discharged is placed; and a conveyance section having: a feeding arm feeding the work from the feeding stage to the working stages; a discharging arm which is provided on a discharging stage side of the feeding arm and discharges the work from the working stages to the discharging stage; a first drive unit moving the two arms in an alignment direction of the four stages; and a second drive unit changing distance between the two arms in the alignment direction.