Oscillating Stencil Shuttle for SMT Printer Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stencil printing processes for surface-mount printed circuit boards face challenges in reducing cycle time while maintaining quality, particularly in aligning and cleaning stencils efficiently, and ensuring precise deposition of viscous materials like solder paste.
Innovation Solution
A stencil printer with a stencil shuttle assembly that moves the stencil in an oscillating manner in the y-axis direction, utilizing multiple actuators for precise alignment and a dual-action wiping motion to enhance cleaning, allowing simultaneous vision inspection and stencil cleaning during the printing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stencil is cleaned and the circuit board is inspected separately, then the quality inspection is thorough, but the cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stencil shuttle assembly performs oscillating motion in the y-axis direction, creating periodic dual-action wiping movements that enable thorough cleaning while maintaining efficient cycle time through rhythmic, coordinated operations
Solution Approach 2:
The stencil cleaning and circuit board inspection operations are performed simultaneously and continuously during the stencil translation phase, eliminating idle time and ensuring both quality assurance and production efficiency occur without interruption
2Ease of manufacture
If a single-axis wiping motion is used, then the wiping mechanism is simple, but the cleaning effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The stencil shuttle assembly converts single-axis linear motion into dual-axis oscillating motion through coordinated actuator operation, creating a dynamic wiping action that enhances cleaning effectiveness while maintaining mechanical simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The wiping motion is extended from a single linear dimension to two dimensions through y-axis oscillation, allowing the wiper to engage the stencil surface at multiple positions and angles for more effective material removal
3Stability of the object's composition
If the stencil remains stationary during printing, then the printing process is stable, but the cleaning and inspection operations cannot be performed in parallel
Solution Approach 1:
The printing process is segmented into distinct phases: a stable printing phase where the stencil is stationary, and a translation phase where the stencil moves for cleaning and inspection, allowing both stability and parallel operations to be achieved in different temporal contexts
Solution Approach 2:
The stencil shuttle assembly alternates between stationary positioning during printing and oscillating motion during cleaning/inspection, creating periodic cycles that maintain printing stability while enabling parallel productivity-enhancing operations
Data Source
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AI summary
A stencil printer (10) includes a stencil shuttle assembly (18) coupled to a frame (12). The stencil shuttle assembly is configured to move the stencil (16) in an x-axis direction between a first position in which the stencil is positioned toward a front of the stencil printer and a second position in which the stencil is positioned toward a back of the stencil printer. The stencil shuttle assembly (18) further is configured to move the stencil (16) in a y-axis direction to align the stencil. The stencil printer further includes a wiper (164) to remove material from the stencil as the stencil is translated away from the substrate (24) by the stencil shuttle assembly. The stencil shuttle assembly, when the stencil is translated away from the substrate, is configured to move the stencil (16) in the y-axis direction in an oscillating manner. Methods of cleaning a stencil are further disclosed.