Control for automated soldering

A robotic processing method, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) moving a mobile processing element to an initial location with respect to a particular target location of a workpiece including a plurality of target locations, each particular target location including an element to be processed wherein said initial location is offset from said target location in a single dimension;
• and thereafter
• (b) moving said mobile processing element along said single dimension towards said element at said particular target location until a contact signal is received at a controller coupled to said mobile processing element;
• and thereafter
• (c) communicating said contact signal to said controller when said mobile processing element makes a physical contact with said element at said particular target location.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium carrying program instructions for operating a system when executed using a computing system, the executed program instructions executing a robotic processing method, the method comprising:

• (a) moving a mobile processing element to an initial location with respect to a particular target location of a workpiece including a plurality of target locations, each particular target location including an element to be processed wherein said initial location is offset from said target location in a single dimension;
• and thereafter
• (b) moving said mobile processing element along said single dimension towards said element at said particular target location until a contact signal is received;
• and thereafter
• (c) stopping said movement of said mobile processing element in step (b) responsive to a generation of said contact signal when said mobile processing element makes physical contact with said element at said particular target location.