Process for pick and place of electronic components in a vacuum

A process for manufacturing a laminated article of manufacture, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a sheet containing one or more arrays of outer layers for a plurality of laminated articles of manufacture to a surface via a plurality of registration holes configured within the sheet, wherein the plurality of registration holes are stretched over a plurality of bushings configured on the surface so that the sheet is held taut by the plurality of registration holes;
• positioning the surface beneath a pick head holding at least one electronic component via a plurality of pick head guide pins which are extended outwardly from the pick head toward the sheet;
• moving the pick head downwardly toward the sheet so that the pick head guide pins come into contact with a plurality of pick head holes formed in the sheet;
• covering the pick head and the sheet with a vacuum chamber and then removing air from the vacuum chamber to create a vacuum;
• lowering the pick head toward the sheet so that the at least one electronic component comes into contact with the sheet while there is still a vacuum in the vacuum chamber;
• raising the pick head away from the sheet while the at least one electronic component remains in contact with the sheet while there is still a vacuum in the vacuum chamber;
• and
• removing the vacuum chamber.

A process for manufacturing a laminated article of manufacture, comprising the steps of:

• cutting a plurality of registration holes in a sheet containing one or more arrays of outer layers for a plurality of laminated articles of manufacture;
• mounting the sheet to a surface of a pallet having a plurality of bushings extending outwardly from the surface, each of said plurality of bushings having an outer diameter and an inner pin shaft, wherein the sheet is mounted to a moveable pallet so that each of the plurality of registration holes is stretched over the outer diameter of one of the plurality of bushings so that the sheet is held taut by the plurality of registration holes;
• and
• moving the pallet with the sheet mounted to the surface of the pallet through a plurality of process stations in which a plurality of operations are performed without removing the plurality of registration holes from the plurality of bushings so as to create a plurality of laminated articles of manufacture;
• wherein the inner pin shaft of the plurality of bushings serve to receive a plurality of registration pins during the plurality of operations so as to provide registration of the sheet during said plurality of operations.