A screen printing apparatus, comprising:
- a print executing part positioned between a substrate loading position and a substrate unloading position, both of which are juxtaposed in a certain direction, the print executing part being configured to perform screen printing on a substrate;
- a substrate support table receiving a substrate loaded from the substrate loading position, supporting the substrate so that the print executing part enables printing on the substrate, and unloading the printed substrate from the substrate unloading position;
- and
- a control unit that drive-controls the substrate support table,
- a first substrate unloading position and a second substrate unloading position, both of which are aligned in a Y axis direction which is orthogonal to an X axis direction defined as the certain direction, being defined as the substrate unloading position,
- the substrate support table including a first substrate support device and a second substrate support device which are respectively movably provided in the Y axis direction, the first substrate support device moving at least between a receiving position where a substrate loaded from the substrate loading position is received and a first sending position where a substrate is sent to the first substrate unloading position, and the second substrate support device moving at least between the receiving position and a second sending position where a substrate is sent to the second substrate unloading position,
- the print executing part including one screen mask on which two printing patterns are aligned in the Y axis direction, the two printing patterns being formed of a first printing pattern positioned on the first substrate unloading position side and a second printing pattern positioned on the second substrate unloading position side, the screen mask being positioned within the common area,
- the first substrate support device and the second substrate support device are respectively further set with the movable area so that, while one of the first substrate support device and the second substrate support device is positioned on the screen mask, the other substrate support table enables moving outside with respect to the Y axis direction avoiding the one substrate support table, and
- wherein, when printing is performed on the substrate supported by the first substrate support device using the second printing pattern and printing is performed on the substrate supported by the second substrate support device using the first printing pattern, the control unit places the first substrate support device at the receiving position to receive a substrate loaded from the substrate loading position, and the control unit moves the first substrate support device to the print executing part so that printing is performed on the received substrate using the second printing pattern, and at the same time, the control unit moves the second substrate support device to a position outside the first substrate support device in the Y axis direction so as to avoid the first substrate support device, and, after printing is performed, the control unit moves the first substrate support device at the first sending position to send the substrate to the first substrate unloading position, and at the same time, the control unit moves the second substrate support device at the receiving position to receive a substrate loaded from the substrate loading position, and, after the substrate is received by the second substrate support device, the control unit moves the second support substrate support device to the print executing part so that printing is performed on the received substrate using the first printing pattern, and at the same time, the control unit moves the first substrate support device to a position outside the second substrate support device with respect to the Y axis direction so as to avoid the second substrate support device, and, after printing is performed, the control unit moves the second substrate support device at the second sending position to send the substrate to the second substrate unloading position, and at the same time, the control unit moves the first substrate support device at the receiving position that receives a substrate loaded from the substrate loading position, whereby printing is alternately performed while a substrate loaded from the substrate loading position is received by either the first substrate support device or the second substrate support device.