PCB Testing System with Segmented Transmission Guideway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current PCB testing systems are inefficient as they can only test one PCB at a time, requiring individual placement and handling, which is inconvenient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A PCB testing system with a transmission guideway, feed belts, and a control unit that automatically conveys, positions, and tests multiple PCBs, utilizing adjustable guides and sensors to manage PCB size variations and direct testing apparatus operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If only one PCB is tested at a time with individual placement, then testing accuracy is maintained, but productivity is low and time consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the testing process into distinct zones: a PCB storage tray divided into multiple compartments for holding multiple PCBs, a transmission guideway with segmented positioning features, and a testing apparatus that processes PCBs sequentially from the tray. This segmentation enables multiple PCBs to be prepared simultaneously while maintaining individual testing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple PCBs are pre-positioned in the storage tray compartments before testing begins. The transmission guideway pre-aligns PCB positions using positioning features, and the system pre-loads the testing sequence. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for individual placement during testing, significantly reducing time loss while maintaining testing accuracy.
2Productivity
If multiple PCBs are processed simultaneously, then productivity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage tray with divided compartments automatically holds and organizes multiple PCBs without external intervention. The transmission guideway uses fixed positioning features that automatically align PCBs as they are conveyed. The testing apparatus automatically retrieves and processes PCBs in sequence. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex control systems and manual operations, achieving batch processing with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the storage function (tray with compartments), transmission function (guideway with positioning features), and testing function (testing apparatus) into an integrated automated workflow. Multiple PCBs are handled through a unified transmission path and positioning mechanism, consolidating what could be separate complex systems into a coordinated whole that achieves batch processing efficiency.
3Productivity
If manual handling is used for PCB placement, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity decreases and manual labor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical placement operation is replaced by an automated transmission system. The guideway with positioning features mechanically conveys PCBs from the storage tray to the testing apparatus without human intervention. The testing apparatus automatically retrieves and positions PCBs for testing. This mechanical substitution eliminates manual labor while maintaining operational simplicity through automated sequencing and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission guideway acts as an intermediary between the storage tray and the testing apparatus. It automatically transfers PCBs from the manual-loading tray to the testing station, eliminating the need for operators to manually place each PCB. The positioning features in the guideway ensure accurate alignment during this intermediary transfer, maintaining ease of operation while dramatically improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A printed circuit board (PCB) testing system includes two gear groups, a pair of transmission belts and a driver. The pair of transmission belts geared onto and driven by the two gear groups is parallel and respectively perpendicular to the PCB transmission guideway so as to define a PCB accommodation space therebetween. Each transmission belt includes a plurality of projections. The two gear groups are rotated synchronously and inversely. During operation, the projections on the pair of transmission belts, facing the PCB accommodation space, move down, the projections move away from each other and to the bottom of the corresponding transmission belts, and a PCB supported by the pair of projections drops onto the PCB transmission guideway.