Automated Material Removal for Component Carrier Quality Testing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for testing component carrier structures, such as printed circuit boards, are inefficient and lack precision due to manual processing, resulting in high effort and limited quality testing throughput, especially on an industrial scale.

Innovation Solution

An automated apparatus and method for processing component carrier structures that includes a material removal unit, a progress measuring unit, and a control unit to iteratively remove material, measure progress, and analyze if the predefined material removal objectives are met, allowing for precise exposure of test targets and quality assessment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual processing is used for quality testing, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity and measurement precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality testing throughputVSAvoidprocessing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-measurement and self-control through the measuring unit that automatically monitors material removal progress and the control unit that adjusts parameters in real-time, eliminating the need for manual intervention and significantly improving productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical processing is replaced with an automated system combining material removal unit, measuring unit, and control unit that uses sensors and feedback loops to achieve precise control, thereby increasing both productivity and measurement precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If manual processing is used for material removal, then device complexity is low, but manufacturing precision and measurement precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial removal precisionVSAvoidprocessing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The measuring unit continuously monitors material removal progress and feeds this information back to the control unit, which automatically adjusts removal parameters to maintain precise control over the material removal process, achieving high manufacturing precision through closed-loop control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical processing is replaced with an automated system that uses sensors, measurement devices, and control algorithms to achieve precise material removal, trading increased device complexity for significantly improved manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If automated processing is implemented, then productivity and measurement precision improve, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial removal progress measurement precisionVSAvoidprocessing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The measuring unit provides real-time feedback on material removal progress to the control unit, enabling precise measurement and automatic adjustment of parameters, which maintains high measurement precision while managing system complexity through intelligent control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit serves multiple functions including coordinating material removal, processing measurement data, and adjusting parameters in real-time, thereby reducing the need for separate dedicated components and managing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3982133B1Progress control of material removal from component carrier structure during quality test
Publication Date: 2024.09.18 AT & S AUSTRIA TECHNOLOGIE & SYSTEMTECHNIK AG
  • EP3982133B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3982133B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3982133B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Apparatus (100) for processing a component carrier structure (102) for a quality test, wherein the apparatus (100) comprises a material removal unit (112) configured for removing material of the component carrier structure (102) for exposing at least one test target (116) in an interior of the component carrier structure (102) to be subjected to the quality test, a progress measuring unit (250) configured for measuring a progress of the removal of material of the component carrier structure (102), an analysis unit (252) configured for analyzing whether the measured progress meets requirements of a predefined material removal objective, and a control unit (254) configured for controlling, based on a result of the analysis, whether or not the sequence of removing material, measuring a progress thereof, and analyzing whether the measured progress meets the requirements of the predefined material removal objective has to be repeated.