JPH0221691A - Method and apparatus for automatically taking out printed circuit board in printing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the period of time required for a printing process, to prevent breakage of an object to be printed and to improve workability by using a catching arm having an sucking or clamping end in combination with a printing table having a step for automatically taking the object to be printed out of the printing table. CONSTITUTION:In a printing process, a catching arm 6 enters into the under part of a step 5. An air cylinder 11 moves upwards and, when a roller 12 is applied against a support plate 13, the catching arm 6 is swung upwards around the fulcrum 16 in a holding cylinder 9 to take an oblique position. Thereby, the sucking or clamping end 7 of the arm is brought into contact with an edge of an object to be printed and catches the edge securely. After the printing process is finished according to predetermined procedures, the catching arm 6 is lowered slowly as the support plate 13 is supported by the roller 12, while simultaneously the holding cylinder 9 is slid in the direction along which the printed object is to be taken out. The printed object 3 taken out of a printing table 2 is released from suction or clamping and let to fall slowly onto a belt conveyor 14 by which it is transported to the next process station, or an ink curing and drying apparatus 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for automatically taking out printed matter, particularly flexible wiring boards, from a screen printing machine, and an apparatus therefor.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in commercially available screen printing machines, those with an automatic ejecting mechanism for printed matter made of flexible thin plate materials such as flexible wiring boards have a printing screen that rises after printing is completed, and then is clamped. Mechanisms for taking out printed matter have been known, but they are insufficient for processing thin boards with poor self-retention properties such as flexible wiring boards, and they are usually fed one by one onto a printing table by hand and then set. However, the standard specification was to manually load and unload the paper, print it, and then discharge it.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventionally, in screen printing of printing materials such as flexible wiring boards, after printing with a screen printing machine, the sheets were manually taken out one by one, and then the ink was cured. Since the ink was placed in the drying device, there was a loss of time required to take out the printed matter and to put it into the ink curing and drying device, resulting in low productivity.

Furthermore, manual handling tends to cause wrinkles, folds, etc. in the printed material, which poses a quality problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for automatically taking out printed matter using a taking-out arm with an end for suction or clamping in combination with a printing table provided with steps, and a screen printing machine with the automatic taking-out mechanism. It is something.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The present inventors have discovered that the above object can be achieved by the following means.

That is, in the present invention, when screen printing a printing material using a screen printing machine, a step is provided on the printing table's discharge side of the printing material, and the suction or clamping end of the retractable take-out arm is attached to the step. On the other hand, the printing material is set and fixed on the printing table, and the protruding edge of the printing material from the step is captured (held) by the suction or clamping end, and after printing, printing is performed. The present invention relates to a method for automatically taking out printed matter, which is characterized by taking out printed matter from a table.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a screen printing machine that sets and fixes a printed material brought in by an appropriate means on a printing table and prints with a screen having a predetermined pattern, in which a step is provided on the discharge side of the printed material. a printing table; a take-out arm that can move forward and backward into the step and move up and down; an end for suction or clamping that is provided at the end of the arm and that captures (holds) the printed matter; This invention relates to a screen printing machine with an automatic take-out mechanism for printed matter, characterized in that it is comprised of a sliding device for advancing and retracting the take-out arm, and a lifting device for moving the take-out arm up and down.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, 1 is a screen printing machine main body, and a commercially available screen printing machine may be used as is.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a printing table placed on a screen printing machine, and a printing material 4 is screen-printed using a screen (plate) 3 provided above.

The end of the printing table 2 on the ejection side of the printing material 4 has a step 5, and the step 5 is such that a take-out arm, which will be described later, advances and retreats to capture the edge of the printing material protruding into the step.
The device must be long enough to hold the device in place (holding) and high enough to hold in place and make the necessary up and down movements to capture it. For example, the length of the step needs to be at least 5 to 10 m, and the printing table 2 can be movable back and forth in order to automate the supply of the printing material 4 without manual labor.

In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, when printing is completed, the take-out arm 6 becomes in operation, and at the same time, the print table 2 retreats and, for example, the stocker (
The printing materials 4 stacked on the paper (not shown) are automatically transferred onto the printing table 2 by means of automatic conveyance means known per se (for example, held conveyor, suction conveyor, etc.). 32, and at that time, positioning means such as a stopper is adjusted in advance so that the edge of the printing material 4 protrudes a predetermined length from the step of the printing table), and then the printing table 2 is moved back to the printing position. move.

As described above, in combination with the automation of take-out described later, it becomes possible to automate the entire printing process.

Furthermore, in order to ensure the setting and fixation of the printing material, the printing table 2 may be provided with suction holes using vacuum or the like, as well as being captured (held) by a take-out arm, which will be described later.

Although the printing table 2 can be configured to move up and down on the printing press body, the above-mentioned method of moving it back and forth is preferable from the point of view of automating the supply of printing materials.

Reference numeral 6 designates a take-out arm, and a vacuum suction cup or clamp 7 is provided at the tip of the arm as shown in FIG. is configured to do so.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a sliding device such as a slide unit that moves the take-out arm 6 back and forth, and is mainly composed of a holding cylinder 9 that fits to the extent that the other end of the take-out arm 6 can be moved up and down, and a rail part 10 that slides it. The take-out arm 6 is reciprocated between the printing table side and the ink curing and drying device side of the next process.

11 is a lifting device such as an air cylinder for vertical movement;
The take-out arm 6 is brought into contact with and removed from the printed matter. This lifting device may be integrated into the printing press or may be provided separately from it.

Next, the operation of capturing (holding) and taking out the printed matter on the printing table 2 by the take-out arm 6 will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 3, the take-out arm 6 enters the step 5 of the printing table 2. When the air cylinder 11 moves upward and the roller 12 at the tip of the air cylinder 11 comes into contact with the support plate 13 attached to the lower side of the take-out arm 6, the upward movement of the air cylinder 11 causes a fulcrum in the holding cylinder 9. 16, the take-out arm 6 moves obliquely upward, and the suction or clamp end 7 of the arm comes into contact with the edge of the printing medium. At this time, the edge is reliably captured (held) by suction or clamping action.

After the adsorption or clamp edge part 7 has finished capturing (holding) the edge of the printing material, and then printing is completed according to a predetermined operation, the supporting plate 13 is held on the roller 12 at the tip of the air cylinder 11, and the edge is supported. Using the slope formed by the plate 13, the take-out arm 6 is slowly lowered around the fulcrum 16.

Furthermore, the air cylinder 11 is then lowered to ensure that there is no problem in taking out the printed matter 4. In this case, the support plate 13 helps to smoothly take out the printed matter 4 by the take-out arm 6 and to smoothly drop and place it on a belt conveyor 14, which will be described below.

14 is a conveying device such as a belt conveyor, and as shown in FIG. 2, it is arranged below the take-out arm 6 and the slide unit 8. Then, the printed matter 4 captured by the take-out arm 6 and taken out from the printing table 2 is slowly dropped onto the conveyor 14 by stopping the suction or clamping means, and is conveyed to the ink curing and drying device 15, which is the next step. Ru.

Note that the entire process of screen printing described above can be automated by employing a control mechanism.

(Function) (1) In the present invention, in order to prevent the take-out arm from interfering with screen printing, a step is provided on the printing table so that it is positioned below the printing surface, so that the take-out arm picks up the substrate during printing. It can be ready for immediate removal,
It is possible to considerably shorten printing time.

(2) As for the printing machine itself, a commercially available printing machine can be used as is, simply by adding a step to the printing table.

(3) The take-out arm is configured to rise during printing so that the printing table surface and the top surface of the take-out arm are on the same level. (a) This helps prevent screen (plate) breakage, and ( +1) It supports curled edges of the printing material and does not interfere with screen printing.

(4) Since the support plate 13 is provided along the lower side of the take-out arm 6, the printed matter 4 is taken out by the take-out arm 6 and falls onto the conveyor 14. The installation can be carried out smoothly.

The invention will be illustrated by the following examples, but is not limited thereto.

(Example) With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the entire process of screen printing will be explained using a flexible wiring board as a printing medium.

In FIG. 1, a printing material 4 is placed on a printing table 2.

The take-out arm 6 is in a standby state, and the suction or clamping end 7 of the take-out arm 6 is operating to capture (hold) the printing material 4.

In this state, the screen (plate) 3 is lowered onto the printing material 4, and screen printing is performed according to a predetermined pattern.

Figure 2 shows the take-out arm 6 after screen printing is completed.
is in operation, and after printing is completed, the slide unit 8 is operated to slowly move the take-out arm 6 while still being supported +N13 by the roller 12 at the tip of the air cylinder 11. Further, after lowering the air cylinder 11, the printed matter 4 is captured (held).
The removed take-out arm 6 is moved toward the ink curing and drying device 15 through the belt conveyor 14.

Then, the capture (holding) of the printed material 4 is released at a predetermined position on the belt conveyor 14, and the printed material 4 is gently dropped onto the belt conveyor 14, and is carried into the drying device 15 as it is.

At this time, simultaneously with the movement of the take-out arm 6, the printing table 2 retreats, and the stocker (
The printing materials 4 stacked on the printing table (not shown) are arranged at a predetermined position on the printing table 2 and protruding from the step 5 of the printing table 2, and, for example, the printing materials 4 are placed in a suction hole provided in the printing table. Fix it by.

FIG. 3 shows the state immediately before the print table 2 on which the print material 4 is set and fixed returns to the printing position after the print material has been taken out, and at the same time, the take-out arm 6 captures the print material 4. The air cylinder 11 is operated to bring the roller 12 at its tip into contact with the support plate 13, and the take-out arm 4 is slowly raised diagonally upward about the fulcrum 12 in the holding cylinder 9. It is brought into contact with the edge of the printing material 4 and the edge is captured (held) by the suction or clamping end 7 at the tip of the take-out arm 6 .

By sequentially repeating the above steps, it was possible to continuously automate the process of supplying, screen printing, and taking out the printing material 4 in screen printing.

By adopting such an automatic take-out method or a screen printing machine with an automatic take-out mechanism, the total printing time is reduced to 14 seconds/sheet, compared to 26 seconds/sheet in the conventional method, which is a reduction of approximately 12 seconds/sheet. It was done.

(Effects of the Invention) (1) By providing a step on the printing table and allowing the take-out arm to wait there, the take-out time can be significantly shortened.

(2) Since the printed material can be transported to the next process (for example, an ink effect drying device) without manual intervention, the quality of printed matter can be improved without the risk of wrinkles or scratches caused by manual labor.

(3) In screen printing of printing materials such as flexible wiring boards that have poor self-retention properties and tend to curl, the screen (plate) may be damaged by capturing (holding) the edge of the printing material with the take-out arm at the same level as the printing table. You can print smoothly without any problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the printing material is set on the printing table and the take-out arm is on standby; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which printing is completed and the take-out arm is in operation, and the printing is completed at the same time. This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the table is retracted; FIG. 3 shows a state in which the take-out arm has completed taking out the print material, and then the setting of the printing material on the printing table has been completed, and the take-out arm captures (holds) the printing material. It is a schematic diagram showing the state immediately before. 1; Screen printing machine main body 2; Printing table 3; Screen (plate) 4; Printed matter 5; Step 6; Take-out arm 7; Take-out arm suction or crack 8; Slide unit 9; ; Air cylinder 12; Column end 13; Holding plate 14i Belt conveyor 15; Ink curing and drying device 16: Fulcrum

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) When screen printing a printed material using a screen printing machine, a step is provided on the printing table's ejection side of the printed material, and the adsorption or clamping end of the retractable take-out arm is inserted into the step. On the other hand, the printed material is set and fixed on the printing table, and the protruding edge of the printed material from the step is captured (held) by the suction or clamping end, and after printing, the printed material is removed from the printing table. An automatic method for taking out printed matter, characterized by taking out printed matter. (2) In a screen printing machine that prints a predetermined pattern on a screen by setting and fixing a printing material brought in by an appropriate means on a printing table, a printing table provided with a step on the discharge side of the printing material; a take-out arm that can freely enter the step and move back and forth and move up and down; an end for suction or clamping that is provided at the end of the arm and that captures (holds) printed matter; and a take-out arm that can move forward and backward. A screen printing machine with an automatic take-out mechanism for printed matter, characterized in that it is comprised of a sliding device for advancing and a lifting device for moving the take-out arm up and down.