Workpiece Transfer Mechanism with Dynamic Clamp for Reduced Pitch Boat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional workpiece transfer mechanisms face challenges in transferring wafers to ring-type wafer boats with reduced pitch, leading to interference between the pressing portion of the clamp means and the workpiece boat, which hinders rapid and efficient transfer operations.
Innovation Solution
The workpiece transfer mechanism incorporates a fork main body with a stopper member and clamp means, where the pressing portion is controlled not to insert into the gap between the ring-like tables of the workpiece boat, allowing for rapid transfer without interference, utilizing fork elevating means for precise positioning and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pitch between tables of the workpiece boat is reduced to increase throughput, then the quantity of workpieces that can be processed increases, but the pressing portion of the clamp means interferes with the workpiece boat, preventing rapid transfer operations
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing portion is designed to be movable relative to the fork main body, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. During transfer operations, the pressing portion can be retracted to avoid interfering with the workpiece boat tables, while maintaining clamping capability when needed. This dynamic adjustment resolves the conflict between reduced pitch operation and rapid transfer capability.
2Reliability
If the pressing portion is designed to clamp workpieces firmly, then clamping functionality is improved, but the pressing portion cannot be quickly retracted to avoid interference with reduced-pitch tables
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp means incorporates a movable pressing portion that can rapidly transition between clamped and retracted positions. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to maintain reliable clamping during workpiece handling while enabling quick retraction to prevent interference with closely-spaced tables, thus preserving both clamping reliability and transfer speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing portion is retracted in advance before the fork main body approaches the workpiece boat tables. This preliminary action prevents potential interference before it occurs, allowing the transfer operation to proceed rapidly without collision or obstruction, while the clamping function remains ready to engage when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the fork main body is designed to access gaps between tables for transfer operations, then transfer capability is improved, but the pressing portion collides with the tables when pitch is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing portion's ability to move relative to the fork main body allows it to dynamically clear the path when the fork main body needs to access gaps between tables. This dynamic retraction eliminates collision with reduced-pitch tables while maintaining the fork's capability to perform transfer operations in the narrow spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing portion is retracted in advance before the fork main body enters the gap between tables. This preliminary anti-action prevents the harmful collision that would occur with reduced pitch configurations, allowing safe and effective transfer operations through the narrow spaces between closely-spaced tables.
Data Source
AI summary
A workpiece transfer mechanism 76 transfers workpieces W to a workpiece boat 40 having ringlike tables 86. The transfer mechanism 76 includes a fork main body 78 being movable forward and rearward with the workpiece W placed thereon; stopper members 94 provided at the end portion of the fork main body 78; clamp means 96 provided on the proximal end side of the fork main body 78 and having a pressing portion 102 coming into contact with the circumferential edge of the workpiece W and pressing the workpiece W toward the stopper member 94 for clamping; and fork elevating means 80 for lifting and lowering the fork main body 78. When the workpieces W are transferred to a workpiece boat 40, the pressing portion 102 of the clamp means 96 is controlled so as not to be inserted into a gap between tables 86. Thus, although the pitch between the tables 86 is small, the pressing portion 102 of the clamp means 96 does not interfere with the workpiece boat 40.