Dale Adams

US Patent:

57070520, Jan 13, 1998

Filed:

Aug 26, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/703123

Inventors:

Dale R. Adams - Margate FL
Anthony J. Suppelsa - Coral Springs FL
Michael Valdez - Plantation FL

Assignee:

Motorola, Inc. - Schaumburg IL

International Classification:

B25B 1100

US Classification:

269 22

Abstract:

system of helically coiled air hoses (18) supports a printed circuit board (14) in an assembly station, and allows the conveyor rails (15, 16) to adjust in and out, accommodating various widths of printed circuit boards (PCB). One of the conveyor rails is fixed and the other is movable. Air hoses are each formed in a helix and placed below the PCB and above the upper work surface of the assembly station, and arranged so that when the air hoses are pressurized the helix expands in diameter to become wedged between the work surface and the PCB to support it from below. One end of each of the air hoses is connected to the fixed rail and the other end is connected to the movable rail. The hoses are sufficiently flexible so as to be free to move about in a lateral direction, but they are diametrically rigid to prevent the diameter of each hose from changing substantially when the hoses are pressurized. The individual coils of the helix can be easily deflected by any protruding components on the bottom side of a printed circuit assembly as it shuttles into the assembly station. When the hoses are pressurized, the coils stiffen to support the PCB from the bottom, substantially preventing deformation of the PCB when a force is exerted upon it from above.

US Patent:

57099057, Jan 20, 1998

Filed:

Jan 28, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/789252

Inventors:

Michael F. Shaw - Sunrise FL
Anthony J. Suppelsa - Coral Springs FL
Dale R. Adams - Margate FL

Assignee:

Motorola, Inc. - Schaumburg IL

International Classification:

B05D 132
B05C 1102
B05C 320

US Classification:

427 8

Abstract:

A stencil printing apparatus (100) is provided for printing a solder paste (108), through apertures (104) in a stencil (102), onto metallized portions of a printed circuit substrate (106). The printing apparatus contains a laser surface profiling device (114) which is used to produce 2- and 3-dimensional profiles of a portion of the surface of solder paste adjacent to a squeegee (110). Data is processed and sent to a controller (118) which is coupled to a solder paste dispenser (112). The controller automatically signals the dispenser (112) to dispense additional solder paste at deficient locations as needed.