IR non-contact temperature sensing in a dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858070-B2
Application number	US-202218078653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2022
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A dispensing system includes an optional pre-heat station configured to receive an electronic substrate, a dispense station configured to dispense material on the electronic substrate received from the optional pre-heat station, an optional post-heat station configured to receive the electronic substrate from the dispense station, and a non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate on at least one of the optional pre-heat station, the dispense station, and the optional post-heat station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing system comprising:
a frame;
a dispense station coupled to the frame, the dispense station including a dispensing unit gantry configured to move in x-axis and y-axis directions and at least one dispensing unit coupled to the dispensing unit gantry by a carriage configured to move the at least one dispensing unit in a z-axis direction, the at least one dispensing unit being configured to dispense material on the electronic substrate positioned on a substrate support;
a first non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate on the dispense station, the non-contact sensor being mounted on the carriage and directed toward the substrate; and
a second non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate on a post-heat station positioned downstream from the dispense station to ensure that the electronic substrate is at a proper temperature at the post-heat station.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the second non-contact sensor is mounted on a first adjustable mechanism that moves towards and away from a target of the temperature measurement.

3. The dispensing system of claim 2 , further comprising a third non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate on a pre-heat station positioned upstream from the dispense station to ensure that the electronic substrate is at a proper temperature prior to entering the dispense station.

4. The dispensing system of claim 3 , wherein the third non-contact sensor is mounted on a second adjustable mechanism that moves towards and away from a target of the temperature measurement.

5. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first non-contact sensor and the second non-contact sensor is an infrared temperature sensor.

6. The dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor configured to move electronic substrates through the dispensing system.

7. A method of dispensing an assembly material on an electronic substrate, the method comprising:
delivering an electronic substrate to a dispensing system including
a frame,
a dispense station coupled to the frame, the dispense station including a dispensing unit gantry configured to move in x-axis and y-axis directions and at least one dispensing unit coupled to the dispensing unit gantry by a carriage configured to move the at least one dispensing unit in a z-axis direction, the at least one dispensing unit being configured to dispense material on the electronic substrate positioned on a substrate support, the dispense station further including a first non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate on the dispense station, the first non-contact sensor being mounted on the carriage and directed toward the substrate to measure a temperature of the electronic substrate, and
a post-heat station coupled to the frame and configured to receive and heat the electronic substrate, the post-heat station including a second non-contact sensor positioned to measure a temperature of the electronic substrate;

moving the electronic substrate to a dispense position within the dispense station;
performing a dispense operation on the electronic substrate;
measuring a temperature of the electronic substrate in the dispense position with the first non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate to ensure the electronic substrate is at a proper temperature;
moving the electronic substrate to a post-dispense position within a post-heat station; and
measuring a temperature of the electronic substrate in the post-dispense position with a second non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate to ensure that the electronic substrate is at a proper temperature.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the first non-contact sensor and the second non-contact sensor is an infrared sensor.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising positioning the second non-contact sensor with respect to the electronic substrate by an adjustable bracket.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing temperature feedback of the electronic substrate as part of a temperature control system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing temperature feedback includes, when an electronic substrate has reached a desired target temperature, the temperature control system turns off the heat to the electronic substrate, and when the temperature drops below a low temperature limit, the temperature control system turns the heat on.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, prior to moving the moving the electronic substrate to the dispense position within the dispense station, moving the electronic substrate to a pre-dispense position within the pre-heat station; and
measuring a temperature of the electronic substrate in the pre-dispense position with a third non-contact sensor positioned above the electronic substrate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein if the electronic substrate is at a proper temperature, moving the electronic substrate to the dispense position within the dispense station.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising positioning the third non-contact sensor with respect to the electronic substrate by a second adjustable bracket.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Prentice Thomas C
• Reid Scott A
• Mattero Patsy A
• Aguiar Fernando J

Classifications

• B23K3/0638 Primary

  for viscous material feeding, e.g. solder paste feeding (B23K3/0623 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K3/08

  Auxiliary devices therefor · CPC title

• H05K13/0469 Primary

  by applying a glue or viscous material · CPC title

• H05K2203/0126

  Dispenser, e.g. for solder paste, for supplying conductive paste for screen printing or for filling holes · CPC title

• H05K2203/163

  Monitoring a manufacturing process · CPC title