Method and apparatus for automatic loading and unloading of printed circuit boards on machines for electrical testing

An apparatus for automatic loading and unloading of printed circuit boards on machines for performing electrical testing, comprising a feeding line for circuit boards to be tested and a pick-up areas;

• means for transferring the circuit boards from the pick-up area to a loading station on the testing machine;
• and means for unloading tested circuit boards from said loading station to an emptying line for circuit boards having good circuits or into a magazine for circuit boards having faulty circuits;
• wherein a detection system is provided in said pick-up area to detect the actual position of predetermined data points on each of the circuit boards and make a comparison with a correct reference position;
• and wherein said means for transferring the circuits from the pick-up area to the loading station on the machine comprise a handling assembly which always picks up the circuit boards in the same points, taking into account any deviation signaled by the detection system with respect the correct reference position, and sets them down in a preestablished area of the loading station of the machine.

A method of automatic loading and unloading of printed circuit boards on machines for carrying out electrical testing, comprising the steps of:

• conveying a plurality of printed circuit to a pick-up area;
• transferring the plurality of printed circuit, one-by-one from said pick-up area to respective areas on a loading station of a testing machine;
• testing said plurality of printed circuit simultaneously;
• and
• discharging the printed circuit boards from said loading station after testing, with classification of the circuit boards into circuit boards with good circuits and circuit boards with faulty circuits based on the results of the testing.