Electromechanical press and method of operating

Abstract

An electromechanical press apparatus for trimming excess portions from a leadframe strip package having a semiconductor chip thereon and for forming leads of the leadframe strip package extending from the semiconductor chip is disclosed. The apparatus provides an electric motor that drives two orthogonally oriented shafts through a 90 degree gear box coupler. One shaft is used to move a portion of the apparatus along a rectangular path of motion for linearly shifting a leadframe strip along a plane orthogonally oriented to the rectangular path of motion. The other shaft is used to move another portion of the apparatus along a line of motion orthogonally oriented to the plane for performing a trimming operation or a forming operation. The electric motor is provided with an internal clutch mechanism that is selectively engaged by external control signals in order to cause the motion of the leadframe strip to be synchronized with the motion required to perform the desired trimming or forming operation on the leadframe strip.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.