Pick-and-Place Filter Assembly With Bypass Lines for Dust Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In existing pick-and-place apparatuses, the intake and exhaust of air pressure through a single pipe leads to dust from the air filter contaminating the process equipment and the surface of products like semiconductor packages.
Innovation Solution
A filter assembly is integrated into the pick-and-place apparatus, featuring separate pneumatic lines with a filter and shut-off valves to prevent contamination by allowing gas to bypass the filter during specific operations, ensuring dust is contained and does not leak into the equipment or product surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single pipe is used for both intake and exhaust of air pressure, then the device complexity is reduced, but dust from the air filter is discharged together with air pressure, contaminating the process equipment and product surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The single pneumatic line is divided into separate intake and exhaust lines. The intake line supplies air pressure to the adsorption pad through the filter, while the exhaust line separately discharges air pressure from the adsorption pad. This segmentation prevents dust collected in the filter from being discharged into the process environment, resolving the contamination issue while maintaining reasonable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful function of the filter (discharging dust) is extracted and separated from the main pneumatic system. By creating a dedicated exhaust line that bypasses the filter, the system extracts the dust discharge path from the filtered air supply path, ensuring that dust remains contained in the filter while clean air is supplied to the process equipment
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a filter is installed in the pneumatic line, then dust is filtered from the air pressure, but dust inside the filter may be discharged when air pressure is provided, contaminating the process equipment and product surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
A three-way valve is introduced as an intermediary component to control the flow paths. The valve mediates between the filter, the adsorption pad, and the exhaust, enabling selective connection of either the intake line or exhaust line to the adsorption pad. This intermediary component ensures that when air pressure is supplied, dust is prevented from being discharged by controlling which line is active
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static single-line configuration to a dynamic multi-line configuration with controllable flow paths. The three-way valve enables dynamic switching between intake and exhaust modes, allowing the system to adapt its pneumatic pathways based on operational requirements and prevent dust discharge during pressure supply
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
The solution effectively prevents or reduces contamination within the facility and on product surfaces by filtering and controlling the flow of gas, maintaining cleanliness in the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a filter in the first pneumatic line and configured to filter gas flowing from the second port to the first port
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum ejector configured to selectively supply any one of the vacuum pressure and the air pressure to the at least one picker nozzle
Implementation Method 3
a first shut-off valve in the first pneumatic line and configured to block flow of gas from the first port to the second port, and a second shut-off valve in the second pneumatic line and configured to block flow of gas from the second port to the first port
Data Source
AI summary
A pick-and-place apparatus includes a filter assembly configured to supply vacuum pressure and air pressure from a vacuum ejector to at least one picker nozzle. The filter assembly includes a first pneumatic line connecting a first port connected to the vacuum ejector and a second port connected to the at least one picker nozzle, a filter in the first pneumatic line and filtering gas flowing from the second port to the first port, a second pneumatic line branched from the first pneumatic line in a front-end portion and in a rear-end portion of the filter to allow gas to bypass the filter, a first shut-off valve in the first pneumatic line to block flow of gas from the first port to the second port, and a second shut-off valve in the second pneumatic line to block flow of gas from the second port to the first port.