# US 2020/0413580 A1 · Spindle module, pick-and-place machine and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0413580 A1 - Document ID: US20200413580A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/992,686 - Filed: 2020-08-13 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-13 - Assignees: Universal Instruments Corporation - Applicants: Universal Instruments Corporation - Inventors: John Danek; Peter Joseph Dionne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200413580A1 ## CPC - H05K 13/0406: {Drive mechanisms for pick-and-place heads, e.g. details relating to power transmission, motors or vibration damping} - B65G 47/90: Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials - B65G 47/91: incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers - H05K 13/02: Feeding of components - H05K 13/0409: {Sucking devices} - H05K 13/0411: {having multiple mounting heads} - H05K 13/0413: {with orientation of the component while holding it; Drive mechanisms for gripping tools, e.g. lifting, lowering or turning of gripping tools} - H05K 13/0885: {Power supply} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A pick-and-place spindle module comprises a modular body structure including a first receiving location configured to receive a spindle, a first z-axis motor configured to move a spindle received in the first receiving location in a z-axis, a first theta motor configured to rotate a spindle received in the receiving location, an air distribution system including an air distribution port, the air distribution system configured to deliver received air from the air distribution port to a spindle received in the first receiving location, an electrical distribution system including an electrical distribution port, and a mechanical attachment mechanism, the mechanical attachment mechanism configured to facilitate attachment of the modular body structure to a spindle bank such that the air distribution port is connected to receive air from the spindle bank and the electrical distribution port is configured to receive electricity from the spindle bank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pick-and-place spindle module comprising: a modular body structure including a first receiving location configured to receive a spindle; a first z-axis motor configured to move a spindle received in the first receiving location in a z-axis; a first theta motor configured to rotate a spindle received in the receiving location; an air distribution system including an air distribution port, the air distribution system configured to deliver received air from the air distribution port to a spindle received in the first receiving location; an electrical distribution system including an electrical distribution port, the electrical distribution system configured to deliver received electricity from the electricity distribution port to the first z-axis motor and the first theta motor; and a mechanical attachment mechanism, the mechanical attachment mechanism configured to facilitate attachment of the modular body structure to a spindle bank such that the air distribution port is connected to receive air from the spindle bank and the electrical distribution port is configured to receive electricity from the spindle bank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 1, wherein the pick-and-place spindle module is not attachable directly to a movement axis of a pick-and-place machine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 1, wherein the mechanical attachment mechanism is a plurality of threaded bolts each configured to be turned by a hand tool. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 3, wherein the mechanical attachment mechanism is two threaded bolts each configured to be turned by the hand tool, and wherein the two threaded bolts are the only attachment mechanisms required to attach the modular body structure to the spindle bank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 1, further comprising a motion control chip configured to control the first z-axis motor and the first theta motor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 1, wherein the modular body structure further includes a second receiving location configured to receive a spindle, the pick-and-place spindle module further comprising: a second z-axis motor configured to move a spindle received in the second receiving location in the z-axis; and a second theta motor configured to rotate a spindle received in the second receiving location, wherein the air distribution system is configured to deliver received air from the air distribution port to a spindle received in the second receiving location, wherein the electrical distribution system is configured to deliver received electricity from the electricity distribution port to the second z-axis motor and the second theta motor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 6, wherein the first receiving location and the second receiving location spaced apart equal to or less than 10 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 6, wherein the modular body structure further includes a first linear track and a second linear track, the pick-and-place spindle module further comprising: a first body attached to the first linear track and operably connected to the first z-axis motor such that the first body moves along the first linear track when the first z-axis motor is actuated; and a second body attached to the second linear track and operably connected to the second z-axis motor such that the second body moves along the second linear track when the second z-axis motor is actuated, wherein the first theta motor is operably connected to the first body and the second theta motor is operably connected to the second body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 8, wherein the first linear track and the second linear track are attached to the modular body structure with a set screw extending between a first nut and a second nut. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 6, further comprising: a first motion control chip configured to control the first z-axis motor and the first theta motor; and a second motion control chip configured to control the second z-axis motor and the second theta motor. ### Claim 11 A method of assembly comprising: providing a pick-and-place machine having a first movement axis; providing a spindle bank attached to the pick and place machine such that the spindle bank is movable along the first movement axis: providing a first pick-and-place spindle module including: a modular body structure including a first receiving location; a first z-axis motor; a first theta motor; an air distribution system including an air distribution port; an electrical distribution system including an electrical distribution port; and a mechanical attachment mechanism; attaching, using the mechanical attachment mechanism, the first pick-and-place spindle module to the spindle bank such that the air distribution port is connected to receive air from an element of the spindle bank and the electrical distribution port is connected to receive electricity from an element of the spindle bank; receiving, by the receiving location of the modular body structure, a first spindle; moving, by the first z-axis motor, the received first spindle in a z-axis; rotating, by the first theta motor, the received first spindle; delivering, by the air distribution system, received air from the air distribution port to the received first spindle; delivering, by the electrical distribution system, received electricity from the electrical distribution port to the received first spindle; moving the spindle bank along the first movement axis; and at least partially assembling, by the attached first pick-and-place spindle module, at least one unfinished product. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of assembly of claim 11, wherein the mechanical attachment mechanism is a plurality of threaded bolts, the method further comprising: attaching the first pick-and-place spindle module to the spindle bank with a hand tool. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of assembly of claim 11, wherein the modular body structure further includes a second receiving location, the pick-and-place spindle module further comprising: a second z-axis motor; and a second theta motor, the method further comprising: receiving, by the second receiving location of the modular body structure, a second spindle; moving, by the second z-axis motor, the received second spindle in the z-axis; rotating, by the second theta motor, the received second spindle delivering, by the air distribution system, received air from the air distribution port to the received second spindle; and delivering, by the electrical distribution system, received electricity from the electrical distribution port to the received second spindle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of assembly of claim 13, wherein the modular body structure further includes a first linear track and a second linear track, the first pick-and-place spindle module further comprising: a first body attached to the first linear track and operably connected to the first z-axis motor; and a second body attached to the second linear track and operably connected to the second z-axis motor, wherein the first theta motor is operably connected to the first body and the second theta motor is operably connected to the second body, the method further comprising: moving, by the first z-axis motor, the first body along the first linear track; and moving, by the second z-axis motor, the second body along the second linear track. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The pick-and-place spindle module of claim 14, further comprising: attaching the first linear track and the second linear track to the modular body structure with a set screw extending between a first nut and a second nut. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of assembly of claim 13, the first pick-and-place spindle module further comprising: a first motion control chip; and a second motion control chip, the method further comprising: controlling, with the first motion control chip, the first z-axis motor and the first theta motor; and controlling, with the second motion control chip, the second z-axis motor and the second theta motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of assembly of claim 11, further comprising: providing a second pick-and-place spindle module including: a modular body structure including a receiving location; a first z-axis motor; a first theta motor; an air distribution system including an air distribution port; an electrical distribution system including an electrical distribution port; and a mechanical attachment mechanism; attaching, using the mechanical attachment mechanism, the second pick-and-place spindle module to the spindle bank such that the air distribution port of the second pick-and-place spindle module is connected to receive air from an element of the spindle bank and the electrical distribution port of the second pick-and-place spindle module is connected to receive electricity from an element of the spindle bank; receiving, by the receiving location of the modular body structure of the second pick-and-place spindle module, a spindle; moving, by the first z-axis motor of the second pick-and-place spindle module, the received spindle of the second pick-and-place spindle module in a z-axis; rotating, by the first theta motor of the second pick-and-place spindle module, the received spindle of the second pick-and-place spindle module; delivering, by the air distribution system of the second pick-and-place spindle module, received air from the air distribution port of the second pick-and-place spindle module to the received spindle of the second pick-and-place spindle module; delivering, by the electrical distribution system of the second pick-and-place spindle module, received electricity from the electrical distribution port of the second pick-and-place spindle module to the received spindle of the second pick-and-place spindle module; at least partially assembling, by the attached second pick-and-place spindle module, the at least one unfinished product. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of assembly of claim 17, the pick-and-place spindle module further including a first motion control chip, the second pick-and-place spindle module further including a second motion control chip, the method further comprising: controlling, with the first motion control chip, the first z-axis motor of the first pick-and-place spindle module and the first theta motor of the first pick-and-place spindle module; and controlling, with the second motion control chip, the first z-axis motor of the second pick-and-place spindle module and the first theta motor of the second pick-and-place spindle module. ### Claim 19 A pick-and-place machine comprising: a feeder location configured to present electronic components for picking; a placement location configured to receive an unfinished product to place the electronic components; a first movement axis; a spindle bank movable along the first movement axis; and a pick-and-place spindle module attached to the spindle bank including: a modular body structure including a first receiving location configured to receive a spindle; a first z-axis motor configured to move a spindle received in the first receiving location in a z-axis; a first theta motor configured to rotate a spindle received in the receiving location; an air distribution system including an air distribution port, the air distribution system configured to deliver received air from the air distribution port to a spindle received in the first receiving location; an electrical distribution system including an electrical distribution port, the electrical distribution system configured to deliver received electricity from the electricity distribution port to the first z-axis motor and the first theta motor; and a mechanical attachment mechanism, the mechanical attachment mechanism attaching the modular body structure to the spindle bank such that the air distribution port is connected to receive air and the electrical distribution port is configured to receive electricity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The pick-and-place machine of claim 19, wherein the mechanical attachment mechanism is a plurality of threaded bolts configured to be turned by a hand tool.