Filling assembly

A method for operating a filling assembly for filling holes formed in a board with a filling material, wherein the filling assembly includes:

• a board holding device having a carrier frame which is formed by frame elements and which defines an at least substantially vertical carrier frame surface, wherein the carrier frame is configured to hold the board at least substantially parallel to the carrier frame surface;
• at least one filling device which is arranged on a side of the carrier frame and which includes a filling material feeding device with a filling head, wherein the filling material feeding device is configured to provide a filling material to the board held by the carrier frame from at least one side of the board, and the filling head is movable relative to the carrier frame at least substantially parallel to the carrier frame surface along at least one dimension;
• at least one screen including a screen cloth and a screen frame surrounding the screen cloth;
• at least one screen holding frame which is formed by screen holding frame elements and defines a respective screen holding frame surface, wherein a respective screen holding frame is configured to hold a respective screen between the carrier frame and a respective filling device, wherein the filling head is configured to provide the filling material to pass through the respective screen to a respective side of the board;
• and
• a fixing device with at least one pneumatically or hydraulically operable expansion element which is arranged in one or more of the frame elements, wherein the at least one expansion element is configured to provide a compressive force which acts at least substantially perpendicular to the carrier frame surface to the screen frame of the respective held screen by pneumatically or hydraulically caused reversible expansion, in order to press the screen frame against the respective screen holding frame to fix the respective screen to the respective screen holding frame,
• the method comprising:
• vertically holding the board in the board holding device;
• arranging the respective screen in the respective screen holding frame in such a way that a screen surface defined by the respective screen is at least substantially parallel to the respective screen holding frame surface;
• arranging the respective screen holding frame and the board holding device relative to each other such that the respective screen is positioned on a respectively assigned board side in such a way that the respective screen surface is substantially parallel to the board;
• aligning the respective screen with the holes formed in the board by moving the respective screen relative to the respective screen holding frame in a direction parallel to the respective screen holding frame surface;
• fixing the respective screen to the respective screen holding frame;
• and
• operating a respective filling device for filling the holes on a respective board side,
• wherein fixing the respective screen to the respective screen holding frame includes applying pneumatic or hydraulic pressure to the at least one expansion element of the fixing device to expand the at least one expansion element, to thereby exert a compressive force acting substantially perpendicular to the carrier frame surface on the screen frame of the respective screen, so that the screen frame of the respective screen is pressed against the respective screen holding frame.

A filling assembly for filling holes formed in a board with a filling material, the filling assembly comprising:

• a board holding device including a carrier frame which is formed by frame elements and which defines an at least substantially vertical carrier frame surface, wherein the carrier frame is configured to hold the board at least substantially parallel to the carrier frame surface;
• at least one filling device which is arranged on a side of the carrier frame and which includes a filling material feeding device with a filling head, wherein the filling material feeding device is configured to provide a filling material to the board held by the carrier frame from at least one side of the board, and the filling head is movable relative to the carrier frame at least substantially parallel to the carrier frame surface along at least one dimension;
• at least one screen including a screen cloth and a screen frame surrounding the screen cloth;
• at least one screen holding frame which is formed by screen holding frame elements and defines a screen holding frame surface, wherein a respective screen holding frame of the at least one screen holding frame is configured to hold a respective screen of the at least one screen between the side of the carrier frame and a respective filling device of the at least one filling device, wherein the filling head is configured to provide the filling material to pass through the respective screen to a respective side of the at least one side of the board;
• and
• a fixing device with at least one pneumatically or hydraulically operable expansion element which is arranged in one or more of the frame elements, wherein the at least one expansion element is configured to provide a compressive force which acts at least substantially perpendicular to the carrier frame surface to the screen frame of the respective held screen by pneumatically or hydraulically caused reversible expansion, in order to press the screen frame against the respective screen holding frame to fix the respective screen to the respective screen holding frame.