Robotic Solder Wave Positioning for Warped Bus Bars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional selective wave soldering systems face challenges in precisely controlling the vertical position of solder joints on complex workpieces like formed bus bars, leading to inconsistent solder joints due to height deviations and warpage in the foundation structure.
Innovation Solution
A robotic processing system with a microprocessor-controlled mobile processing element that moves in three dimensions, using a feedback control mechanism to detect contact and adjust vertically, ensuring precise positioning of the solder wave, thereby compensating for variations in the workpiece's foundation structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional selective wave soldering is used on formed bus bars with height deviations, then the soldering process can be performed, but solder joint location control becomes imprecise and solder joint quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the vertical position of the solder wave in real-time based on feedback from contact sensors. The mobile processing element continuously moves and detects contact points, allowing the solder wave height to be adaptively controlled for each solder joint location, resolving the contradiction between precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback control through contact signals detected by the mobile processing element. When the element contacts the workpiece or solder joint location, a contact signal is generated and communicated to the controller, which then adjusts the solder wave position accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise solder joint location control while accommodating height deviations in the foundation structure.
2Productivity
If the mobile processing element moves quickly to complete soldering operations, then productivity increases, but positioning precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic contact detection during the movement of the mobile processing element. Rather than continuous measurement, the system detects contact at specific moments during the approach, allowing for rapid positioning while maintaining precision through these periodic feedback checks that guide the solder wave placement.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic processing system includes a microprocessor-controlled workpiece processor having a mobile processing element to be positioned independently in three orthogonal dimensions with respect to each of a plurality of target locations on a workpiece, with each particular target location of the plurality of target locations including an element to be processed, the mobile processing element processing the element at each particular target location by first moving to an initial location that is offset from the particular target location in a single dimension and then second moving along the single dimension towards the element at the particular target location until a contact signal is detected; and a control, coupled to the workpiece and to the mobile processing element, communicating the contact signal to the workpiece processor when the processing element makes physical contact with the element at the particular target location.