Method for positioning a printed-circuit board in a press

Method for aligning a printed circuit (PC) board in relation to an anvil and an insertion die of a press, prior to the insertion of at least one electronic component provided with press-fit contact pins into holes of a selected insertion zone of a PC-board, whereby the anvil and an insertion die are always aligned to each other along an insertion center line and whereby the PC-board is secured to a manually operated X-Y table, a center point of the selected insertion zone of the PC-board being positioned respectively according to a X-coordinate and a Y-coordinate with respect to the insertion center line, the table being movable in a first tracking area, the limits of which extending throughout a large distance with respect to the insertion center line and a second tracking area, the limits of which extending throughout a limited distance with respect to the insertion center line, characterized in that

• the X-Y table being manually moved along respective X- and Y axes within the first tracking area in order to move the center point of the selected insertion zone of the PC-board towards the insertion center line;
• from the moment the center point of the selected insertion zone falls within the second tracking area, the manual movement along the respective X- and Y-axes are automatically blocked,
• a final tracking being taken over by corresponding X- and Y-adjustment mechanisms to achieve a last limited movement and a fine tuning of the alignment of the center point of the selected insertion zone of the PC-board with respect to the insertion center line of the press.