Matthew A Souza

US Patent:

20210051805, Feb 18, 2021

Filed:

Aug 15, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/541789

Inventors:

- Waltham MA, US
James E. Benedict - Lowell MA, US
Andrew R. Southworth - Lowell MA, US
Thomas V. Sikina - Acton MA, US
Kevin Wilder - Derry NH, US
Matthew Souza - North Easton MA, US
Aaron Michael Torberg - East Waterboro ME, US

International Classification:

H05K 3/10
B21F 11/00

Abstract:

An apparatus for automating the fabrication of a copper vertical launch (CVL) within a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a feed mechanism to feed and extrude copper wire from a spool of copper wire and a wire cutting and gripping mechanism to receive copper wire from the feed mechanism, cut and secure a segment of copper wire, insert the segment of copper wire into a hole formed within the PCB, solder an end of the segment of copper wire to a signal trace of the PCB, and flush cut an opposite end of the segment of the copper wire to a surface of the PCB. The wire cutting and gripping mechanism includes a wire cutter to flush cut the segment of copper wire and an integrated heated gripper device to receive the copper wire from the spool of copper wire and cut and grab a segment from copper wire.