Pickup Head Rack Gear Drive for PCB Component Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pick and place mechanisms face challenges in accurately monitoring spindle position and are bulky, especially when handling small components, due to their pneumatic operation, which limits precise placement on printed circuit boards.
Innovation Solution
A pick-and-place machine that uses a pickup head with a vacuum nozzle and a rack gear to drive a feeder gear, allowing for precise component placement without onboard power, and incorporates a camera system for linear and angular corrections, enabling accurate placement of components on a printed circuit board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pneumatic cylinders are used to drive the spindle for pick and place operations, then the mechanism can achieve component pickup and placement, but the device becomes bulky and monitoring of spindle position becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic cylinder system with a direct drive mechanism where the pickup head is mounted on a movable platform that can be precisely positioned along the Z-axis. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for bulky pneumatic components while enabling accurate spindle position control through direct mechanical positioning rather than pneumatic actuation.
2Ease of operation
If pneumatic cylinders are used to drive the spindle, then component placement can be achieved, but spindle position monitoring becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms through the use of a movable platform with precise positioning capabilities. The platform's position can be accurately measured and fed back to the control system, enabling real-time monitoring of the spindle position. This feedback loop allows for precise control and verification of component placement operations without the monitoring difficulties associated with pneumatic systems.
3Ease of operation
If traditional pick and place mechanisms are used, then component placement can be performed, but the device is excessive in size especially for small components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pick and place system into modular components: a pickup head with vacuum nozzles, a movable platform for positioning, and a control system. This segmentation allows the critical functions to be concentrated in a compact pickup head assembly while eliminating unnecessary bulk from the traditional pneumatic cylinder system, resulting in a more space-efficient device suitable for handling small components.
4Loss of time
If modular feeder cartridges are used, then setup time and costs are reduced, but the system requires precise alignment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-alignment features in the modular feeder cartridge system, where the cartridges are designed with built-in alignment mechanisms that automatically position them correctly when installed. This self-service approach reduces the need for complex manual alignment procedures and minimizes setup time, as the cartridges self-correct their positioning rather than requiring elaborate external alignment equipment.
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 enables precise and efficient placement of small components on printed circuit boards, reducing setup time and improving accuracy by eliminating the need for onboard power and using a modular feeder system for quick job changes.
Implementation Method 1
A pickup head includes a pickup device (e.g., a vacuum nozzle) to pick up components from the tape
Implementation Method 2
a shadow image of the held component is projected onto the diffuser screen
Data Source
AI summary
A pick-and-place machine and method includes use of a passive component feeder cartridge including a feeder gear. Rotation of the feeder gear causes a component-bearing tape to be fed through the feeder cartridge. A pickup head includes a vacuum nozzle to pick up the components from the tape and a rack gear to engage and drive the feeder gear of the feeder cartridge via translational motion of the pickup head when operatively disposed with respect to a selected feeder cartridge.