JP4858522B2 - Screen printing machine and screen printing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a screen printing machine and a screen printing method for printing paste such as solder paste on a substrate through a mask plate in which pattern holes are formed.

The screen printing machine prints the paste on the substrate by bringing the mask plate with pattern holes into contact with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, supplying the paste on the mask plate, and sliding the squeegee. . The mask plate is inserted into the support rail from one end side of a pair of support rails provided horizontally extending in the moving direction of the squeegee, and is used by being positioned at a mask installation position set on the support rail. Here, the positioning of the mask plate to the mask installation position is as follows: (1) A position where the mask plate placed on the support rail slides beyond the mask installation position with a locking member provided on the squeegee head holding the squeegee In advance. (2) The mask plate is put into the support rail, the mask plate is slid beyond the mask installation position and pushed into the other end side of the support rail, and the mask plate is brought into contact with the locking member for temporary positioning. (3) The squeegee head is moved to the mask installation position, and the temporarily positioned mask plate is slid to the mask installation position (Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-42334 A

  However, when temporarily positioning the mask plate, the force applied when the mask plate is pushed into the other end of the support rail differs depending on the operator, and the locking member may be damaged when the pushing force is excessive. Therefore, the operator has to carefully push in the mask plate, and it takes time to install the mask plate, resulting in a problem that the work efficiency of the entire screen printing operation is lowered.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a screen printing machine and a screen printing method that can quickly install a mask plate and improve the work efficiency of the entire screen printing work.

  The screen printing machine according to claim 1 is provided with a support rail, a mask plate slidably supported on the support rail, and fixed to the support rail, beyond a mask installation position set on the support rail. The mask plate masks the stopper that temporarily positions the mask plate in contact with the slid mask plate, the locking member that is locked to the mask plate that is in contact with the stopper, and the locking member that is locked to the mask plate. The locking member moving means for positioning the mask plate at the mask installation position by moving until reaching the installation position and the substrate is moved relative to the mask plate positioned at the mask installation position to bring the substrate into contact with the mask plate. Substrate moving means, paste supply means for supplying paste to a mask plate in contact with the substrate, and paste It is slid to the supplied mask plate and and a squeegee to print the paste on a substrate through a pattern formed holes in the mask plate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a screen printing method in which a mask plate that is slidably supported on a support rail is slid beyond a mask installation position set on the support rail, and fixed to the support rail. A step of abutting and temporarily positioning the mask plate;
The step of locking the locking member to the mask plate brought into contact with the stopper, and the locking member locked to the mask plate are moved until the mask plate reaches the mask setting position to move the mask plate to the mask setting position. A step of positioning, a step of moving the substrate relative to the mask plate positioned at the mask installation position to bring the substrate into contact with the mask plate, a step of supplying a paste to the mask plate in contact with the substrate, and a paste being supplied And a step of sliding the squeegee with respect to the mask plate and printing the paste on the substrate through the pattern holes formed in the mask plate.

  In the present invention, the mask plate that has been slid beyond the mask installation position is temporarily positioned by contacting a stopper fixed on the support rail, and then the locking member is engaged with the temporarily positioned mask plate. The mask plate is positioned at the mask installation position by stopping and moving the locking member. For this reason, the pushing force when the operator pushes the mask plate is received by the support rail via the stopper, and the pushing force of the operator does not act on the locking member, so there is no possibility of damaging the locking member. For this reason, the operator can quickly perform the installation work of the mask plate, and can improve the work efficiency of the entire screen printing work.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a screen printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C are mask plates executed in the screen printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the screen printing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a screen printing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is provided on a base 2 and a base 2, and is horizontal (X-axis direction by a substrate transport means (not shown). The substrate moving unit 3 that holds the substrate PB transported in the direction) and moves the held substrate PB in the horizontal plane direction and the vertical direction (referred to as the Z-axis direction), and the upper side of the substrate moving unit 3 in the X-axis direction. A pair of support rails 4 extending in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the mask, a mask plate 5 slidably supported by the support rails 4 in the Y-axis direction, and an upper portion of the mask plate 5 above the Y-axis A squeegee head 6 and a paste supply syringe 7 that are movably provided in a direction, and a camera that is movably provided in a horizontal plane in a region between the substrate moving unit 3 and the mask plate 5. It is configured to include a pneumatic cylinder 9 a plate locking means provided on the knit 8 and the squeegee head 6.

  In FIG. 1, the substrate moving unit 3 includes an XY table 11 provided so as to be movable in a horizontal plane direction with respect to the upper surface of the base 2, and a Z provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the XY table 11. A table holding unit 13 is provided on the upper surface of the table 12 and the Z table 12 and holds the substrate PB transferred by the substrate transfer means.

  The movement of the XY table 11 in the horizontal plane direction with respect to the base 2 is performed by the control device 20 provided in the screen printing machine 1 controlling the operation of an XY table operating mechanism 21 including an actuator (not shown). The table 12 is moved up and down with respect to the XY table 11 by the operation control of the Z table operating mechanism 22 including an actuator or the like (not shown) by the control device 20. In addition, the holding operation of the substrate PB by the substrate holding unit 13 is performed by the operation control of the substrate holding unit operating mechanism 23 including an actuator (not shown) by the control device 20.

1 and 2, the mask plate 5 is a frame member 5 having a rectangular shape in plan view.
A number of patterns corresponding to the shape and position of electrodes (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the substrate PB, which is the object to be printed, are supported in the inner region surrounded by the frame member 5a. A hole (not shown) is provided.

  1 and 2, each support rail 4 is, for example, a member having an L-shaped cross section. On one or both of the support rails 4, a mask plate 5 put into the support rail 4 by an operator is provided on the support rails. 4 is provided with a stopper 4a that comes into contact with the frame member 5a of the mask plate 5 when it slides beyond the mask installation position (position of the mask plate 5 shown in FIG. 1).

  A mask plate contact detector that outputs a detection signal to the control device 20 when it is detected that the mask plate 5 that has slid on the support rail 4 is in contact with the stopper 4a at a position near the stopper 4a. 4b is provided. The mask plate contact detector 4b is a contact such as a limit switch that outputs a detection signal when the lever portion is pressed by a part of the mask plate 5 (frame member 5a) when the mask plate 5 contacts the stopper 4a. It may be a detector of a type, or a non-contact type detection such as an optical sensor that outputs a detection signal when inspection light is blocked by the mask plate 5 when the mask plate 5 contacts the stopper 4a. It may be a container.

  In FIG. 1, the squeegee head 6 has a configuration in which two squeegees 6 a facing in the Y-axis direction are attached to a moving plate 6 p provided to be movable in the Y-axis direction with respect to the substrate moving unit 3. Each squeegee 6a is a “spar” -like member extending in the X-axis direction, and can be moved up and down with respect to the moving plate 6p by operating a squeegee lifting cylinder 6b fixed to the moving plate 6p.

  In FIG. 1, the movement operation of the squeegee head 6 in the Y-axis direction (of the moving plate 6p) is performed by controlling the operation of a squeegee head moving mechanism 24 including an actuator or the like (not shown). The ascending / descending operation is performed when the control device 20 controls the operation of the squeegee lifting cylinder operating mechanism 25 including a valve (not shown) that operates the squeegee lifting cylinder 6b.

  The paste supply syringe 7 supplies paste such as solder paste onto the upper surface of the mask plate 5 installed at the mask installation position. In FIG. 1, the movement of the paste supply syringe 7 in the Y-axis direction is performed when the control device 20 controls the operation of a syringe moving mechanism 26 including an actuator (not shown), and a paste mask plate by the paste supply syringe 7. 5 is performed when the control device 20 controls the operation of the syringe operating mechanism 27 including an actuator (not shown).

  In FIG. 1, the camera unit 8 includes a first camera 8a with the imaging surface facing downward and a second camera 8b with the imaging surface facing upward. The imaging operation control of the first camera 8a and the second camera 8b is performed by the control device 20, and the image data obtained by the imaging of the first camera 8a and the second camera 8b is input to the control device 20. The movement operation of the camera unit 8 in the horizontal plane direction is performed when the control device 20 controls the operation of the camera unit moving mechanism 28 including an actuator (not shown).

  The pneumatic cylinder 9 is attached to the moving plate 6p constituting the squeegee head 6 in a vertically extending posture, and the piston rod 9a can protrude and retract downward. The downward movement of the piston rod 9a is performed when the control device 20 controls the operation of a pneumatic cylinder operating mechanism 29 including a valve (not shown) that operates the pneumatic cylinder 9.

  Next, a screen printing execution procedure by the screen printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the screen printing by the screen printing machine 1, the operator first installs the mask plate 5. The operator prepares a mask plate 5 corresponding to the type of the substrate PB to be screen-printed, inserts the mask plate 5 from one end side of the pair of support rails 4, and faces the other end side of the support rail 4. (Fig. 2 (a). Arrow A shown in the figure). When the operator presses the mask plate 5, the mask plate 5 slides on the support rail 4, and is temporarily positioned when the leading portion of the frame member 5 a comes into contact with the stopper 4 a provided on the support rail 4 (FIG. 2 (b) Temporary positioning step).

  When the mask plate contact detector 4b detects that the mask plate 5 is in contact with the stopper 4a and the detection signal is input to the control device 20, the control device 20 controls the operation of the squeegee head moving mechanism 24. The squeegee head 6 is moved so that the pneumatic cylinder 9 attached to the squeegee head 6 is positioned at a predetermined position facing the leading portion of the mask plate 5 in contact with the stopper 4a. Then, the control device 20 controls the operation of the pneumatic cylinder operating mechanism 29 so that the piston rod 9a of the pneumatic cylinder 9 protrudes downward, and the lower end portion of the piston rod 9a is in contact with the stopper 4a. The frame member 5a is positioned below the upper edge (FIG. 2B).

  When the control device 20 projects the piston rod 9a of the pneumatic cylinder 9 downward, the control device 20 controls the operation of the squeegee head moving mechanism 24, and the squeegee head 6 is shown on the mask installation position side (shown in FIG. 2B). The piston rod 9a of the pneumatic cylinder 9 is locked (pressed) to the frame member 5a of the mask plate 5 in contact with the stopper 4a (locking process).

  When the control device 20 locks the piston rod 9a of the pneumatic cylinder 9 to the frame member 5a of the mask plate 5, the pneumatic cylinder 9 (that is, the squeegee head 6) is directly moved to the mask installation position side and the mask plate 5 Is moved until it reaches the mask installation position, and the mask plate 5 is positioned at the mask installation position (FIG. 2C). After positioning the mask plate 5 at the mask installation position, the control device 20 controls the operation of the pneumatic cylinder operating mechanism 29 to move the piston rod 9a of the pneumatic cylinder 9 upward and store it (FIG. 1 or FIG. 3). (A)).

  After positioning the mask plate 5 at the mask installation position as described above, the control device 20 carries the substrate PB into the substrate holder 13 by a substrate transfer means (not shown) and controls the operation of the substrate holder operation mechanism 23. The substrate PB is held by the substrate holding unit 13 (substrate holding step).

  When the substrate holding unit 13 holds the substrate PB, the control device 20 controls the operation of the camera unit moving mechanism 28 to move the camera unit 8 above the substrate holding unit 13 and the substrate position provided on the substrate PB. A detection mark (not shown) is imaged by the first camera 8a, and a mask position detection mark (not shown) provided on the mask plate 5 is imaged by the second camera 8b. The control device 20 grasps the position of the substrate PB from the image data of the substrate position detection mark obtained by the imaging operation of the first camera 8a, and the image data of the mask position detection mark obtained by the imaging operation of the second camera 8b. From this, the position of the mask plate 5 is grasped.

After grasping the position of the substrate PB and the position of the mask plate 5, the control device 20 aligns the substrate PB with respect to the mask plate 5 based on the relationship between these positions. For the alignment of the substrate PB, the control device 20 controls the operation of the XY table operating mechanism 21, and XY
This is done by moving the table 11 in the horizontal direction and positioning the substrate PB directly below the mask plate 5.

  When the alignment of the substrate PB is completed, the control device 20 performs the operation control of the Z table operating mechanism 22 to raise the Z table 12 (arrow C shown in FIG. 3A), and the printing surface of the substrate PB ( The upper surface is brought into contact with the lower surface of the mask plate 5 from below (contact process; FIG. 3A).

  After the substrate PB is brought into contact with the mask plate 5, the control device 20 performs the operation control of the syringe moving mechanism 26, moves the paste supply syringe 7 above the mask plate 5, and then controls the operation of the syringe operating mechanism 27. Then, the paste PT is supplied from the paste supply syringe 7 to the upper surface of the mask plate 5 (FIG. 3A, paste supply step).

  When supplying the paste PT to the upper surface of the mask plate 5, the control device 20 controls the operation of the squeegee lifting cylinder operating mechanism 25 to lower one squeegee 6 a and lower the lower edge of the squeegee 6 a to the upper surface of the mask plate 5. Make contact. Then, the squeegee head 6 is moved in the Y-axis direction, the paste PT is scraped by the squeegee 6a, and the paste PT is filled into the pattern holes of the mask plate 5 (FIG. 3B).

  Here, FIG. 3B shows a state in which the paste PT is scraped in the direction of the arrow D by moving the left squeegee 6a in the direction of the arrow D in the drawing. When the paste PT is scraped in the direction opposite to the arrow D, the right squeegee 6a in the drawing is brought into contact with the upper surface of the mask plate 5 and the squeegee head 6 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow D.

  After filling the pattern PT of the mask plate 5 with the paste PT, the control device 20 lowers the Z table 12 and separates the mask plate 5 from the substrate PB. Thereby, so-called plate separation is performed, and the paste PT filled in the pattern holes of the mask plate 5 is printed (transferred) onto the substrate PB (printing process).

  As described above, the screen printing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is provided on the support rail 4, the mask plate 5 slidably supported by the support rail 4, and the support rail 4. A stopper 4a for temporarily positioning the mask plate 5 in contact with the mask plate 5 slid beyond the mask installation position, and a pneumatic cylinder 9 as a locking member locked to the mask plate 5 in contact with the stopper 4a The squeegee head moving mechanism 24 as a locking member moving means for moving the pneumatic cylinder 9 locked to the mask plate 5 until the mask plate 5 reaches the mask setting position to position the mask plate 5 at the mask setting position. Then, the substrate PB is moved relative to the mask plate 5 positioned at the mask installation position, and the substrate PB is masked. A substrate moving unit 3 as a substrate moving means to be brought into contact with the gate 5, a paste supply syringe 7 as a paste supply means for supplying the paste PT to the mask plate 5 in contact with the substrate PB, and a mask plate 5 to which the paste PT is supplied. The squeegee 6a is printed on the substrate PB through the pattern holes formed on the mask plate 5 so that the paste PT is printed.

In the screen printing method according to the present embodiment, the mask plate 5 slidably supported on the support rail 4 is slid beyond the mask installation position set on the support rail 4 and fixed to the support rail 4. A process of temporarily positioning the mask plate 5 by bringing the mask plate 5 into contact with the provided stopper 4a (temporary positioning process), and a pneumatic cylinder 9 as a locking member engaged with the mask plate 5 brought into contact with the stopper 4a. A step of stopping (locking step), a step of positioning the mask plate 5 at the mask installation position by moving the pneumatic cylinder 9 locked to the mask plate 5 until the mask plate 5 reaches the mask installation position (positioning step) ), By moving the substrate PB relative to the mask plate 5 positioned at the mask installation position, the substrate PB is moved to the mask plate 5 A step of contacting (contacting step), a step of supplying the paste PT to the mask plate 5 in contact with the substrate PB (paste supplying step), and a squeegee 6a sliding on the mask plate 5 to which the paste PT has been supplied. 5 includes a step (printing step) of printing the paste PT on the substrate PB through the pattern holes formed in the pattern 5.

  In the screen printing machine 1 (screen printing method) in the present embodiment, the mask plate 5 that has slid beyond the mask installation position is temporarily positioned by abutting against a stopper 4a that is fixedly provided on the support rail 4. Thereafter, the pneumatic cylinder 9 is locked to the temporarily positioned mask plate 5, and the pneumatic cylinder 9 is moved so that the mask plate 5 is positioned at the mask installation position. For this reason, the pushing force when the operator pushes the mask plate 5 is received by the support rail 4 via the stopper 4a, and the pushing force of the operator does not act on the pneumatic cylinder 9, so that the pneumatic cylinder 9 is damaged. There is no fear. For this reason, the operator can perform the installation work of the mask plate 5 quickly, and can improve the work efficiency of the whole screen printing work.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, the present invention is not limited to those shown in the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pneumatic cylinder 9 as the locking means is in contact with the stopper 4a after the mask plate contact detector 4b detects that the mask plate 5 is in contact with the stopper 4a. However, before the mask plate 5 is brought into contact with the stopper 4a (before the mask plate 5 is thrown into the support rail 4). You may come to be located in the said predetermined position.

  Further, when the locking member that is locked to the mask plate 5 that is in contact with the stopper 4a is moved to the mask setting position while being locked to the mask plate, the mask plate 5 is moved to the mask setting position. Any pneumatic cylinder 9 may be used as long as it can be moved.

  Provided are a screen printing machine and a screen printing method capable of quickly setting a mask plate and improving the work efficiency of the entire screen printing work.

Structure explanatory drawing of the screen printer in one embodiment of the present invention (A) (b) (c) Explanatory drawing of the positioning procedure of the mask plate performed in the screen printing machine in one embodiment of this invention (A) (b) Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the screen printer in one embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

1 Screen printer 3 Substrate moving unit (substrate moving means)
4 Support rail 4a Stopper 5 Mask plate 6a Squeegee 7 Paste supply syringe (paste supply means)
9 Pneumatic cylinder (locking member)
24 Squeegee head moving mechanism (locking member moving means)
PB substrate PT paste

Claims (2)

A support rail;
A mask plate slidably supported on a support rail;
A stopper that is fixed to the support rail and that temporarily contacts the mask plate that has been slid beyond the mask installation position set on the support rail;
A locking member that is locked to the mask plate in contact with the stopper;
Locking member moving means for moving the locking member locked to the mask plate until the mask plate reaches the mask setting position and positioning the mask plate at the mask setting position;
A substrate moving means for moving the substrate relative to the mask plate positioned at the mask installation position to bring the substrate into contact with the mask plate;
Paste supply means for supplying paste to the mask plate in contact with the substrate;
A squeegee that slides against the mask plate supplied with the paste and prints the paste on the substrate through the pattern holes formed in the mask plate;
A screen printing machine comprising: The mask plate that is slidably supported by the support rail is slid beyond the mask installation position set on the support rail, and the mask plate is temporarily positioned by contacting a stopper provided fixed to the support rail. When,
Locking the locking member to the mask plate abutted against the stopper;
Moving the locking member locked to the mask plate until the mask plate reaches the mask installation position to position the mask plate at the mask installation position;
A step of moving the substrate relative to the mask plate positioned at the mask installation position to bring the substrate into contact with the mask plate;
Supplying paste to the mask plate in contact with the substrate;
Sliding the squeegee against the mask plate supplied with the paste, and printing the paste on the substrate through the pattern holes formed in the mask plate;
A screen printing method comprising:

Images