Optical Alignment for Flexible Circuit Board Pinless Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rigid-flex pin layup processes for manufacturing flexible laminated circuit boards are laborious, prone to alignment errors, and inefficient, requiring custom lamination fixtures, manual pin placement, and high quality control losses, which limits automation and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An optical alignment system with pinless bonding technology that uses multi-axis orientation, imagery cameras, vacuum grippers, and motion sensors for precise alignment and bonding of flexible circuit boards, eliminating the need for pins and custom fixtures, and enabling both manual and automated processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional pin-type registration systems are used for bonding flexible circuit boards, then alignment can be achieved, but alignment errors and manufacturing inefficiency occur due to manual pin placement and custom fixtures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pin-type registration system with an optical alignment system using imagery cameras and computer vision technology. The system captures images of alignment marks on the flexible circuit board, processes the images to determine precise positions, and automatically adjusts the bonding head positioning accordingly. This substitution eliminates manual pin placement and custom fixtures, thereby improving both alignment accuracy and manufacturing efficiency.
2Reliability
If manual pin placement and custom lamination fixtures are used, then bonding can be performed, but device complexity and quality control losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-aligning bonding system where the optical alignment system automatically detects alignment marks on the flexible circuit board and calculates the precise positioning of the bonding head. The system uses computer vision to identify mark positions, determines the bonding head's required position through image processing, and automatically adjusts positioning without requiring manual intervention or complex custom fixtures. This self-service approach reduces device complexity while improving quality control through automated precision positioning.
3Ease of manufacture
If pin-type layup procedures are used for integration, then flexible circuit boards can be joined to rigid substrates, but alignment errors and material waste occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining alignment marks on the flexible circuit board before the bonding process. These alignment marks serve as reference points that the optical system detects in advance to calculate the precise positioning of the bonding head. By establishing the alignment reference beforehand, the system eliminates the need for trial-and-error pin placement, reduces alignment errors, and prevents material waste from misaligned bonding operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces alignment errors, minimizes material waste, and enhances manufacturing efficiency by allowing for rapid and accurate bonding of flexible circuit boards without the need for pins, thereby improving quality control and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum gripper assembly for holding the flexible circuit board
Implementation Method 2
a ferromagnetic core having an alternating current winding is positioned proximate the endothermic heating pile and induces an inductive field within the copper laminae to warm the heating pile
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an improved system and method for manufacturing flexible circuit boards (FSBs) using optical alignment and various bonding systems. The invention provides an improved process to connect together the layers of rigid-flex, flexible, and printed circuit boards while maintaining alignment of the layers prior to and possibly after a lamination step. An optical alignment system is provided, a preferred arrangement is enabled as an automated pinless bonding system (PBS), for securely gripping, aligning, transferring, and clamping, bonding and moving a bonded FSB employing a multi-axis orientation. An alternative manual optical alignment and bonding system is provided.