Bus-Connected Wear Part Positioning for Handler Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current maintenance processes for handlers in semiconductor testing are inefficient, as they lack effective monitoring and documentation of wear parts, leading to manual intervention and potential errors in tracking the usage and position of exchangeable components.

Innovation Solution

A positioning device with an electronic component and an electrical addressing device connected via a bus, allowing the wear part to determine its own position within the handler, enabling automatic documentation and tracking of usage without operator intervention, using unique electrical addressing devices and digital address signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual monitoring and documentation of wear parts is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to manual intervention and potential errors in tracking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance efficiencyVSAvoidpositioning device complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wear part equipped with an electronic component and electrical addressing device automatically determines and communicates its own position within the handler system, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and documentation by operators

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical tracking methods are replaced with an electronic positioning system that uses digital address signals and bus communication to automatically identify and track wear part locations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If an electronic component with bus interface is added to the wear part, then measurement precision of wear part position is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition determination accuracyVSAvoidpositioning device complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning function is divided into separate modular components: an electronic component on the wear part for self-identification and a separate evaluation device for processing position data, allowing independent optimization of each segment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The electronic component with electrical addressing device serves multiple functions: identifying the wear part, determining its position, and communicating with the handler control system through a standardized bus interface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3217183B1A positioning device and a system for determining a site of a wear part of a handler

Publication Date: 2019.05.01 MULTITEST ELEKTRONISCHE SYST

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AI summary

A positioning device (380) for determining a site of an exchangeable wear part (101, 102, 201a-d, 141, 142) of a handler (180) comprises: an electronic component (300, 600) arranged on or at the wear part (101, 102, 201a-d, 141, 142), and an electrical addressing device (360) being readable for the electronic component (300, 600) wherein the electronic component (300, 600) is electrically connected to the electrical addressing device (360) and wherein the electronic component (300, 600) fulfils specifications of a bus. A positioning system comprises (390) a plurality of the positioning devices (380) comprises a microcontroller master (320) fulfilling the specifications of the bus and being coupled to the electronic component (300, 600) via the bus.