Method for controlling screen printer

• US 6,748,289 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Hiroyoshi, Wachi, Akihiko, Nishikawa, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Douglas S.
• Application Number:
  US09/765,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 700/121, 700/123, 700/124, 700/125, 101/481, 101/484, 101/485, 101/492, 101/126, 101/129, 382/145, 382/147, 382/151, 414/277, 297/01
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 15/0813 with flat screens
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 35/005 for flat screens
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0269 for visual or optical inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/163 Monitoring a manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1233 Methods or means for supplying the conductive material and for forcing it through the screen or stencil
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/26 Cleaning or polishing of the conductive pattern
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53004 with means to regulate operation by use of templet, tape, card or other replaceable information supply

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control method for improving the productivity of a screen printer for an electronics-mounting machine. Thus, a screen printer according to this invention uses a recognition camera to inspect the results of printing of a circuit board concurrently with a cleaning operation of the rear surface of a screen, thereby enabling the effective use of time. This screen printer also enables cream solder to be automatically supplied to reduce the operation time by determining whether the next screen to be used is unused. During automatic screen replacement, this screen printer enables a desired screen stored in the corresponding stocker to be automatically specified in order to replace the current screen in response to a selected NC program.

Claims

1. A screen printing method for continuously producing a plurality of devices by a screen printer having an automatic screen replacing apparatus, the method comprising:

storing in a printer a plurality of NC programs for use in producing a plurality of devices;

the NC programs including a screen data section for storing therein screen information including at least one of numbers allocated within a stocker storing a plurality of screens and sizes of screens to be used for each NC program, an NC data section for indicating an XY-coordinate position of each screen, and a program offset section for registering therein a result of printing of a circuit board inspected by a recognition camera;

selecting an NC program corresponding to a device to be produced and producing a plurality of devices corresponding to the selected program; and

automatically specifying and replacing the screen stored in the stocker, according to the screen information stored in the screen data section and in response to the selected NC program.

2. The screen printing method of claim 1, wherein the screen printer includes a cream solder supply apparatus, the screen information includes information on a state of use of each screen, and the method additionally comprises a cream solder supply operation performed according to that information.

3. A screen printing method for continuously producing a plurality of devices by a screen printer having an automatic screen replacing apparatus and a cream solder supply apparatus, the method comprising:

storing in a printer a plurality of NC programs for use in producing the plurality of devices;

storing in a screen data section, based on the NC programs, screen information including at least one of numbers allocated within a stocker storing a plurality of screens and sizes of screens to be used for each NC program;

selecting an NC program corresponding to a device to be produced and producing a plurality of devices corresponding to the selected program;

automatically specifying and replacing the screen stored in the stocker, according to the screen information stored in the screen data section and in response to the selected NC program; and

supplying cream solder according to information on a state of use of each screen.