System and method for manufacturing flexible laminated circuit boards
AssigneeDuetto Integrated Systems, Inc.
InventorsAnthony FARACI, Gary N. SORTINO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an improved system and method for manufacturing flexible circuit boards (FSBs) using optical alignment and various bonding systems. The invention provides an improved process to connect together the layers of rigid-flex, flexible, and printed circuit boards while maintaining alignment of the layers prior to and possibly after a lamination step. An optical alignment system is provided, a preferred arrangement is enabled as an automated pinless bonding system (PBS), for securely gripping, aligning, transferring, and clamping, bonding and moving a bonded FSB employing a multi-axis orientation. An alternative manual optical alignment and bonding system is provided.
Claims11
A registration system for positioning a rigid-flex panel layup of a plurality laminate elements in a selected stack orientation, the system comprising:
- a first optical measurement system for receiving said layup, for imaging portions of said layup, and for determining a first reference orientation data set of said layup relative to a desired orientation of said layup;
- a computer operation control system for determining a required correction factor between said determined first reference orientation data set for said layup and said desired orientation of said layup;
- and
- a pin-less alignment and positioning system receiving said required correction factor positioning instructions from said computer operation control system for positioning each said layup from a top position to said desired orientation during a bonding of said layup;
- said pin-less alignment and positioning system includes a pre-alignment loading station;
- at least one imagery camera on said pre-alignment loading station, said at least one imagery camera enabling a pre-alignment of a layup;
- and
- a gripper assembly that employs at least one of a vacuum plate system and a cam adjustment system.
A registration method for positioning of a rigid-flex panel layup in a desired orientation, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first optical measurement system for receiving said layup;
- imaging portions of said layup and identifying at least two imaging targets for alignment;
- determining a first reference orientation data set for each layup;
- providing computer operation control system for determining a required correction factor between a determined first reference orientation data set for each layup and said desired orientation during a use of said method;
- providing an alignment system that is at least one of a pinned and a pin-less alignment system for receiving said required correction factor positioning as a movement instruction from said computer operation control system;
- positioning each said layup from a top position to said desired orientation based upon said required correction factor and clamping the same in a bonding position;
- and
- bonding at least one portion of said layup to form said rigid-flex panel.
A registration system for positioning a rigid-flex panel layup of a plurality laminate elements in a selected stack orientation, the system comprising:
- a rigid layup template member bounding an interior opening for receiving said panel layup;
- at least two retractable pin members each positioned on opposing sides of said rigid layup template system from said other said pin member;
- said retractable pins being extendable above a template contact surface of said rigid layup template system during a use of said system to releasably engage a panel layup and retractable below said template contact surface to release said panel layup from said rigid template system following said use;
- said panel layup including at least flex circuit portion;
- said panel layup including a plurality of interior bond site positions distal from a periphery of said layup;
- a bonding system including a support surface for slidably supporting said rigid layup template along said support surface during said use;
- said bonding system including a top bonding head member and a bottom bonding head member;
- whereby said top and said bottom bonding head members enable an axially aligned bonding of said interior bond site positions during said use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.