Back to results
US 12,214,377 B2Granted
Conformal coating process with thickness control
AssigneePrecision Valve & Automation, Inc.
InventorsJason Schoen, Jonathan Neal Urquhart, Frank Hart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling a dispensing system is provided, including the steps of dispensing, by a dispensing device, a coating material onto a substrate according to a first dispensing operation, inspecting, by an inspection device integrated with the dispensing device, the coating material applied to the first substrate, and altering the first dispensing operation based on the inspecting so that the coating material is dispensed onto a subsequent substrate according to a second dispensing operation. An associated coating machine is also provided.
Claims10
A method for controlling a dispensing system comprising:
- first dispensing, by a dispensing device, a coating material onto a first substrate of a sequence of substrates according to a first dispensing operation;
- first inspecting, by an inspection device physically attached to the dispensing device, the coating material applied to the first substrate, wherein movement of the dispensing device results in movement of the inspection device, wherein the first inspecting includes measuring a thickness of the coating material and comparing the thickness to a preset tolerance surrounding a desired thickness of coating material;
- altering the first dispensing operation based on determining that the thickness exceeds the preset tolerance so that the coating material is dispensed onto a second substrate according to a second dispensing operation, wherein the second substrate immediately follows the first substrate in the sequence;
- ejecting the first substrate from the dispensing system;
- second dispensing the coating material on the second substrate according to the second dispensing operation;
- second inspecting, by the inspection device, the coating material applied to the second substrate, wherein the second inspecting includes measuring a thickness of the coating material applied to the second substrate and comparing the thickness to the preset tolerance;
- and
- altering the second dispensing operation if the thickness of the coating material applied to the second substrate exceeds the preset tolerance so that the coating material is dispensed onto a third substrate according to a third dispensing operation, wherein the third substrate immediately follows the second substrate in the sequence, or dispensing the coating material on the third substrate according to the second dispensing operation;
- wherein the first dispensing operation, the second dispensing operation, and the third dispensing operations are different from each other.
6 more elements
A method for controlling a dispensing system comprising:
- dispensing a coating material onto a first substrate received by the dispensing system;
- measuring a thickness of the coating material applied to the first substrate with a sensor physically attached to a dispensing device within the dispensing system, wherein movement of the dispensing device results in movement of the inspection device;
- determining an error in the thickness of the coating material, wherein determining the error includes comparing the thickness measured by the sensor to a preset tolerance and determining that the thickness measured by the sensor exceeds a preset tolerance surrounding a desired thickness of coating material;
- adjusting at least one parameter of the dispensing system to correct the error;
- performing a corrective action, in response to the adjusting;
- ejecting the first substrate to receive a second substrate in a sequence of substrates, and in response to the ejecting, dispensing the coating material onto the second substrate and measuring a thickness of the coating material applied to the second substrate;
- wherein, for each substrate of the sequence of substrates to enter the dispensing system, a measuring step is performed to determine whether an adjustment to the at least one parameter is required, until a last substrate in the sequence.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.