Apparatus for transporting circuit boards in a screen printer

An apparatus for performing an operation on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a controller, coupled to the frame, that controls operation of the apparatus;
• a device that performs the operation on the substrate, the device being coupled to the controller and positioned above a work area in the apparatus;
• a transportation system, coupled to the frame and to the controller, the transportation system having a conveyor system that loads substrates into the apparatus, unloads substrates from the apparatus, and transports substrates along a path between positions within the apparatus, the positions including a pre-operation position, an operation position and a post-operation position;
• and
• a substrate lifter disposed in the work area of the apparatus that lifts a substrate off of the transportation system to allow the device to perform the operation on the substrate;
• wherein the transportation system further includes at least one extension device extendable into the path of the conveyor system to maintain at least one substrate at one of the pre-operation position and the post-operation position while another substrate is moved by the transportation system.

In an apparatus for performing an operation on a substrate, a transportation system for transporting substrates through the apparatus, the transportation system comprising:

• a conveyor system that transports substrates along a path between positions within the apparatus, the positions including a pre-operation position, an operation position and a post-operation position;
• and
• a substrate lifter that lifts a substrate off of the conveyor system to allow the operation to be performed on the substrate;
• and
• at least one extension device extendable into the path of the conveyor system to maintain at least one substrate at one of the pre-operation position and the post-operation position while another substrate is moved by the conveyor system.