Multi-Head Jetting System for Viscous Medium on Moving Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional jetting systems for depositing viscous media on workpieces, such as solder paste, are limited in production speed due to their inability to efficiently handle the application of viscous media on moving substrates and require stopping at each location for deposition, which slows down the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple jetting head assemblies that can move concurrently and simultaneously in three-dimensional space, allowing for the deposition of different droplet sizes and types of viscous media on moving substrates without the need to stop at each location, utilizing a bi-axial or uni-axial gantry system and a linescan jetting method to increase production speed and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional single jetting system is used to deposit viscous medium on workpieces, then the deposition can be performed with a simple device structure, but the production speed is limited due to the need to stop at each location for deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the deposition task into multiple parallel operations by using multiple jetting head assemblies (first jetting head assembly and second jetting head assembly), each capable of independent operation. This segmentation allows simultaneous deposition at different locations, resolving the contradiction by enabling higher productivity through parallel processing while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces three-dimensional movement capability to the jetting heads, allowing them to move not only in the horizontal plane but also in the vertical dimension. This dimensional expansion enables the heads to access multiple deposition locations simultaneously and to move over the moving substrate without stopping, thereby significantly increasing production speed while the gantry system maintains structural organization
2Productivity
If the jetting system moves the workpiece continuously without stopping, then the production speed increases, but the precision of deposition at each location may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic coordination between the moving substrate and the jetting heads, where the heads move concurrently with the substrate while maintaining precise relative positioning. The independent movement control of each jetting head assembly allows real-time adjustment to maintain deposition precision despite continuous motion, resolving the contradiction between speed and precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses camera-based fiducial marker detection to continuously monitor the position of the workpiece and provides feedback control to the jetting heads. This feedback mechanism enables real-time correction of positioning errors, ensuring high deposition precision even while the system operates at high production speeds with continuous motion
3Productivity
If multiple jetting head assemblies are used to deposit viscous medium simultaneously, then the production speed and efficiency are significantly enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Both jetting head assemblies are designed with identical multi-functional capabilities, each able to jet different types of viscous media (solder paste, glue, etc.) and adjust droplet sizes independently. This universality allows the system to handle diverse deposition tasks with a standardized modular design, increasing productivity while controlling device complexity through design standardization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple jetting head assemblies onto a single gantry system that shares common movement infrastructure (beams, rails, drive mechanisms). This merging approach allows simultaneous multi-location deposition while avoiding the full complexity of completely independent systems, as the heads share structural support and control architecture
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for depositing and/or jetting viscous medium on a surface of a workpiece includes at least two depositing head assemblies. The at least two depositing head assemblies are configured to move in three dimensional space. The at least two depositing head assemblies are also configured to at least one of concurrently and simultaneously deposit the viscous medium on the workpiece.