Abstract:
A system and related methods for configuring and monitoring a spraying application system for installation and use at a site that is remotely located from the spraying system manufacturing site. The system provides a configuration module that allows a customer or purchaser to configure a system electronically based on the customer's spraying needs. The selected configuration may further be linked to a pricing and inventory database module to allow the customer to order the system components, and obtain price and delivery schedules. In one embodiment, the configuration module is available to the customer via a secure web site over the Internet provided by a server accessed from a computer such as a personal computer at the customer's site. The system also provides a remote access module that provides spraying system operation and parametric information to be monitored at the manufacturing site to determine how the spraying system is operating and whether repair or maintenance should be initiated. Safety related parameters may also be monitored as a backup to the primary monitoring performed at the customer's site. The system also provides an extranet or other suitable site available, for example, via the Internet or other communication link, is used to provide an accessible database for historical data and configuration/installation information.
Abstract:
Provided, among other things, is a re-circulating particle feed apparatus comprising: a circular conduit of dimensions suitable for circulating gas with suspended particles; a deposition station comprising an opening onto the conduit, into which opening an electrostatic chuck fits, with a deposition surface of the chuck available to the interior of the conduit; and a propulsion device for maintaining fluid and particle circulation through the conduit, wherein the propulsion device is adapted to maintain fluid and particle circulation at a rate that brings a deposition effective amount of particles within a range of electro-attractive influence at the deposition station.
Abstract:
The application of (for example, elongated strip-shaped) spots of adhesive paste to successive objects (such as paper or cardboard blanks which are to be converted into soft or hinged-lid packs for arrays of cigarettes) which are advanced stepwise below the nozzle or nozzles of one or more pasters at an adhesive-applying station is regulated by a control unit which receives signals denoting the speed of the conveyor for the objects and the position of the object at the adhesive-applying station. The control unit regulates the operation of the valve for each nozzle of the paster by taking into consideration the inertia of electrical and mechanical constituents of the paster. This ensures the application of spots having an optimum shape and an optimum position relative to the respective objects and containing predetermined quantities of adhesive. The control unit ascertains a compensation interval for the inertia which is added to or subtracted from a system-dependent correction interval which reflects the pattern of advancement of the objects.
Abstract:
A gluing device having therein a pressuring means which presses a glue container containing a liquid glue to eject contained glue from an ejection opening, a supply tube through which the ejected glue is transported from the glue container, a connecting means on the glue container side which connects the supply tube to the glue container, a connecting means on the supply tube side which detachably connects the connecting means on the glue container side to the supply tube, and a glue discharging means which receives the glue transported through the supply tube and delivers them from a nozzle opening, wherein there is provided a valve member provided inside the connecting means on the glue container side that makes the ejection opening to be opened and closed, and a protrusion is provided inside the connecting means on the supply tube side so that the protrusion presses the valve member to open the ejection opening when the connecting means on the supply tube side is connected to the connecting means on the supply tube side.
Abstract:
An apparatus to dispense a droplet of liquid, such as solder flux, onto the surface of a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, and thereafter flatten the droplet with a burst of pressurized air directed onto the droplet. A dispenser has a dispenser body, which has a liquid supply passageway adapted to connect to a source of liquid. A nozzle body connects to the dispenser body and includes a liquid discharge passageway in fluid communication with the liquid supply passageway. The nozzle body also has an air discharge orifice which is adapted to connect to a source of pressurized air for selectively discharging bursts of pressurized air. The air discharge orifice is configured and aligned with the liquid discharge passageway so that the discharged bursts of pressurized air impinge upon one of the droplets of liquid dispensed from the liquid discharge passageway so as to flatten that droplet and thereby increase the contact area between the droplet and the substrate.
Abstract:
Apparatus and methods for spray coating selected areas of a circuit board with a liquid coating material without coating regions of the circuit board to be left uncoated. In one mode of operation, a bead of liquid coating material dispensed from an elongated nozzle tip is atomized by directing jets of air pressurized against the bead to form a conical, swirling spray pattern which is sprayed on selected areas of a circuit board. In a second mode of operation, the non-atomized bead of liquid coating material dispensed through the elongated nozzle tip is applied on selected areas of the circuit board. In a third mode of operation, jets of pressurized air are directed against the bead of liquid coating material to create a soft swirl pattern, without atomizing the bead of coating materia. In a second embodiment of the invention, the bead of liquid coating material is dispensed from a nozzle without the elongated nozzle tip. In another embodiment of the invention, the nozzle is located closely adjacent a valve seat at the end of a liquid delivery passageway to minimize a residual volume of coating material in a volume between the valve seat and the nozzle so as to minimize drip and dribble upon startup. In another embodiment of the invention, pressurized air is diverted to an exhaust port when operating in a non-pressure-assisted mode so as to minimize pressure spikes and consequent splatter when initiating a pressure-assisted mode of operation. In another embodiment of the invention, pressurized air is supplied through a fluid damping system so as to minimize pressure spikes and consequent splatter when initiating a pressure-assisted mode of operation.
Abstract:
A method for chemical vapor deposition using a very fine atomization or vaporization of a reagent containing liquid or liquid-like fluid near its supercritical temperature, where the resulting atomized or vaporized solution is entered into a flame or a plasma torch, and a powder is formed or a coating is deposited onto a substrate. The combustion flame can be stable from 10 torr to multiple atmospheres, and provides the energetic environment in which the reagent contained within the fluid can be reacted to form the desired powder or coating material on a substrate. The plasma torch likewise produces the required energy environment, but, unlike the flame, no oxidizer is needed so materials stable in only very low oxygen partial pressures can be formed. Using either the plasma torch or the combustion plasma, coatings can be deposited and powders formed in the open atmosphere without the necessity of a reaction chamber, but a chamber may be used for various reasons including process separation from the environment and pressure regulation.
Abstract:
A process of providing a hydrophobic property to the surface of a plate, and a process of providing a hydrophilic property to the surface by irradiating energy light (radiation) on the surface of the plate, which is provided with the hydrophobic property are provided. Variations in the accumulated illumination intensity of radiation on the surface of the plate are controlled to 20% or less.
Abstract:
A microdeposition system (20) and method deposits precise amounts of fluid material onto a substrate. A microdeposition head (50) includes a plurality of spaced nozzles. A positioning device controls a position of the microdeposition head relative to the substrate. A controller (22) includes a positioning module that communicates with the positioning device and that generates position control signals for the positioning device. A nozzle firing module communicates with the microdeposition head (50) and selectively generates nozzle firing commands to define features of at least one layer of an electrical device, such as resistors, traces and capacitors on a printed circuit board, polymer light emitting diodes, and light panels.
Abstract:
An apparatus for applying a material to a substrate includes a housing having an inlet passage, a plurality of exit openings, and a recess in fluid communication between the inlet passage and the exit openings. A valve element is disposed in the recess wherein the valve element includes a first portion and a second portion axially displaced from the first portion. Means are provided for moving the valve element in the recess such that the first portion provides continuous fluid communication between the inlet passage and one of the exit openings during movement of the valve element and the second portion provides intermittent fluid communication between the inlet passage and another of the exit openings during movement of the valve element. A method of applying a material to a substrate is also disclosed.