Manufacturing solder-preform holders for a pick-and-place machine
First Claim
1. Method of assembling circuit boards, comprising the steps:
- providing multiple holders for planar bodies with inwardly tapered cavities;
inserting bodies in about horizontal positions in the cavities so that edges of the bodies are supported by tapered sides of the cavities;
introducing a no-clean flux liquid into the cavities;
drying the bodies to provide a delicate coating of no-clean flux on at least one major surface of the respective bodies;
stacking the holders;
transporting the stack of holders;
providing a circuit-board substrate;
vacuum picking the bodies up from one of the holders and placing the bodies on component sites on circuit board substrates;
heating the circuit boards, and bodies sufficient for reflow soldered connection of the bodies to the circuit boards; and
cooling the circuit boards.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Rectangular preforms are vacuum picked and placed in each cavity of a first holder, and a measured amount of no-clean flux liquid is dispensed onto each preform, then a second holder is placed in an inverted position on top of the first holder and the holders are flipped so that the dry side of the preform is exposed and then a measured amount of no-clean solder is dispensed on the dry side of the preform. A robot arm with a rubber tipped vacuum probe picks up the preforms without damage or contamination and places them on a circuit board, grippers of the robot arm pick up and position a component on an induction coil to heat it up sufficient for reflow soldering, and then move the component onto the preform on the circuit board for reflow soldering. The circuit board can be used without cleaning with solvents or CFC'"'"'s, thus reducing process steps and reducing environmental hazards.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. Method of assembling circuit boards, comprising the steps:
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providing multiple holders for planar bodies with inwardly tapered cavities; inserting bodies in about horizontal positions in the cavities so that edges of the bodies are supported by tapered sides of the cavities; introducing a no-clean flux liquid into the cavities; drying the bodies to provide a delicate coating of no-clean flux on at least one major surface of the respective bodies; stacking the holders; transporting the stack of holders; providing a circuit-board substrate; vacuum picking the bodies up from one of the holders and placing the bodies on component sites on circuit board substrates; heating the circuit boards, and bodies sufficient for reflow soldered connection of the bodies to the circuit boards; and cooling the circuit boards. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. Method of manufacturing circuit boards, comprising the steps:
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providing multiple body holders with inwardly tapered cavities with holes at the bottom of the cavities to drain liquid from the cavity and allow air to circulate through the bottom of the cavity; inserting planar bodies in about horizontal positions in the cavities so that edges of the bodies are supported by the tapered sides of the cavities; introducing a no-clean flux liquid into the cavities onto the bodies; drying the bodies to provide a delicate coating of no-clean flux on at least one major surface of the bodies; stacking the holders; transporting the stack of holders; providing a circuit board substrate with component sites; vacuum picking bodies up from one of the holders and placing the bodies on a circuit board at the component sites; placing components over the bodies at the component sites; heating the circuit boards, bodies and components sufficient for reflow soldered connection of the components to the circuit boards; and cooling the circuit boards.
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Specification