WO2003092980A1 - Forming device for forming component pockets for electronic components - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a forming device according to Claim No. 1 for forming a component carrier belt (1) which consists of component pockets (3) and which is made of a raw band (2), comprising a cyclically opening and closing forming tool (9) for pressing the component pockets (3) into the raw band (2). When pressing occurs, the forming tool (9) delivers a closing pressure. The forming tool (9) is connected at least indirectly to a closing device (11) for the provision of a closing pressure to the forming tool (9) and to an opening device (3,15) acting on the forming tool (9) at least indirectly for opening the forming tool (9). A transport device (5,7) is used to transport the raw band (2) and the ready component carrier band (1) into or out of the forming tool (9). The forming device is characterized in that the closing device comprises a pressure spring (11) for the production of a closing pressure and in that the opening device (13,15) for opening the forming tool (9) acts counter to the closing pressure.

Description

Eisenführ, Speiser & W tner Munich Bremen

Patent attorneys patent attorneys

European Patent Attorneys European Patent Attorneys

Dipl -Phys Heinz Noth Dipl -Ing Günther Eisenfuhr

Dipl -Wirt -Ing Rainer Fπtsche Dipl -Ing Dieter K Speiser

Lbm -Chem Gabriele Leißler-Gerstl Dr-Ing WernerW Rabus

Dipl-Ing Olaf Ungerer Dipl-Jürgen Jürgen Brugge

Patent attorney Dipl -Ing Jürgen Klinghardt

Dipl Chem Dr Peter Schuler Dipl -Ing Klaus G Goken

Jochen Ehlers

Alicante Dipl -Ing Mark Andres

European Trademark Attorney Dipl-Chem Dr Uwe Stilkenbohmer

Dipl -Ing Jürgen Klinghardt Dipl -Ing Stephan Keck

Dipl -Ing Johannes M B Wasiljeff

-Berlin- Dφl.-biotechnol. Hey o Seadrowsfa—

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European Patent Attorneys Lawyers

Dipl -Ing Henning Christiansen Ulrich H Sander

EPO-BERLIM Dipl -Ing Joachim von Oppen Christian Spintig

Dipl -Ing Jutta Kaden Sabine Richter 3 0 -04- 2003 Dipl -Phys Dr Ludger Eckey Harald A Forster

Spree Palace at Hamburg Cathedral

Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Strasse 2 patent attorney

D-10178 Berlin European Patent Attorney

Tel. + 49-10) 30-8418870 Dipl -Phys Frank Meier

Fax + 49-10) 30-84188777

Fax + 49-10) 30-84188778 Lawyers

Berlin, April 25, 2003 mail@eisenfuhr.com Rainer Böhm http://www.eisenfuhr.com Nicol A Schromgens, LL M

Our mark: BB 1378-02WO JVO / fut

Extension: 030/841 887 0

Applicant / owner: BOS GMBH,

INNOVATIVE PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY (IPT) PTE LTD

Official file number: PCT registration based on

DE; 102 20 963.4; 02.05.2002

DE; 102 21 102.7; 03.05.2002

DE; 102 29 377.5; 26.06.2002

1. BOS Berlin Oberspree Sondermaschinenbau GmbH Ostendstr. 1-14, 12459 Berlin

2. INNOVATIVE PLASTIC TECHNOLOGY (IPT) PTE LTD 25 Tagore Lane # 03-08; Singapore Godown; 787602 Singapore

MOLDING DEVICE FOR MOLDING COMPONENT BAGS FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

The invention relates to a shaping device for shaping a component carrier tape comprising component pockets from a raw tape.

Component carrier tapes are used to transport electronic components, for example memory chips, chips with integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, etc. from the manufacturer of the components to the processor of the components, who assembles the components into new products. To accommodate the components, such a component comprises Carrier tape a variety of pockets that are arranged next to each other on the tape along its length and serve as receptacles for the components.

The component carrier tape typically consists of a thermoplastic material in which the pockets are formed. Different shaping devices are available for shaping the pockets when producing the component carrier tape from a raw tape.

In rotary molding devices, the raw strip is first heated and then passed over a molding wheel that has depressions. Using a nozzle, the heated strip is pressed into the mold recesses of the mold wheel using compressed air. At the same time, the depressions of the molding wheel are often evacuated, so that the vacuum created thereby also pulls the warm raw strip into the mold. When the belt cools, the pockets formed in this way solidify.

While the pockets are formed in a continuous sequence in rotary molding devices, the pockets are formed in a cyclical process sequence in press-forming devices. Molding devices of this type comprise a molding tool with a stamp and a die, between which the previously heated raw strip is introduced in a first step, the component carrier strip molded in the previous cycle being removed from the molding tool at the same time. Then the mold is closed in the next step, whereby the pockets are pressed into the raw strip. Then the cycle repeats. When the band cools down, the shaped pockets solidify.

A press molding device for producing component carrier tape, in which a molding tool is used to shape the pockets, is described, for example, in EP 0 809 925.

Due to the large quantities of electronic components that are produced and transported worldwide, the industry needs such component carrier tapes in large quantities. There is therefore a need to produce large quantities of component carrier tape inexpensively. A machine for producing component carrier strip can process a certain throughput of raw strip per hour. The production of component carrier tape can be increased by either increasing the number of machines or the throughput of the machines.

State-of-the-art machines with molding wheels or molding tools for shaping the pockets in the component carrier belt create a throughput of up to approximately 340 m of belt per hour.

It is therefore the task of the person skilled in the art to provide a device for forming component carrier tape, with which higher tape speeds can be achieved.

This object is achieved by a molding device for molding component carrier tape according to claim 1. The subclaims contain further advantageous refinements of the present invention.

According to claim 1, a shaping device for forming component carrier strips comprising raw material strips from raw strip is provided, which has a cyclically opening and closing molding tool for pressing the component pockets into the raw strip. The mold imparts a closing pressure when pressing. At least indirectly, a closing device for supplying the closing pressure to the forming tool and an opening device acting at least indirectly on the forming tool for opening the forming tool are connected to the forming tool. A transport device serves to transport the raw strip to be processed and the finished component carrier strip into or out of the molding tool. The molding device is characterized in that the closing device for generating the closing pressure comprises a compression spring and the opening device is designed to open the molding tool against the closing pressure.

The invention is based on the following considerations: With the form wheel, only relatively small bandwidths can be processed and only relatively small pockets can be produced. Large bags are therefore made by hot pressing using molding tools.

If the bags are manufactured using hot pressing, a cyclical process sequence takes place, as already described above. The maximum possible belt speed is determined on the one hand by the number of possible strokes of the molding tool and the number of pockets produced per stroke. The number of pockets that can be formed per stroke in turn depends on the pocket size. Since a certain force is required to form a pocket, only a certain number of pockets can be formed with a certain pressing force of the molding tool, which pockets take up a certain length of the band. The claimed tape length is called the index length. When manufacturing small pockets, for example, index lengths of 56 mm are common, for large pockets index lengths of 144 mm per stroke. For one stroke, the machines according to the prior art require approximately 1.5 seconds, which, for example with an index length of 144 mm per stroke, leads to a processing speed (belt speed) of approximately 340 m / h.

By using the compression spring in the molding device according to the invention, a large closing force can be generated, which enables a high acceleration of the molding tool when closing and thus a large number of strokes per hour. In addition, the large closing force allows many component pockets to be formed with one closing operation, so that the molding tool can be equipped with many stamps over a long index length. Both the high acceleration of the molding tool and the many stamps make it possible to increase the processing speed when forming the pockets.

In one embodiment of the invention, the molding tool comprises a stamp and a die, to which a separate locking device is connected at least indirectly, so that the stamp and the die can exert different forces on the raw strip when the component pockets are formed. The compression spring of the closing device can be designed as a pneumatic spring. The pneumatic spring has less mass than other springs, for example a spiral or leaf or torsion spring, so that the acceleration of the mold when opening and closing and thus the number of strokes per hour can be increased further. Belt speeds of 700 m / h or more can be achieved in this way.

In one configuration of the pneumatic spring, it comprises a compressed air bellows to which compressed air is applied. This embodiment can be designed with particularly low mass. It also facilitates access to the working area of the mold, for example for maintenance purposes or for changing the die and stamp. By venting the bellows, for which e.g. If a ventilation device is provided, the closing force can be reduced, so that the mold can be opened without great effort.

It proves to be advantageous if an adjustment device for adjusting the compressed air pressure prevailing in the compressed air bellows is present. Adjusting the compressed air pressure enables the closing force of the closing device to be easily adjusted, as a result of which the shaping device easily meets changing requirements, such as the thickness of the band or the dimensions of the component pockets to be molded can be adjusted.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the opening device comprises a shaft and a cam disk arranged on the shaft and driven by it. The driven cam disk enables the mold to be opened cyclically against the closing force of the closing device in a simple manner. A separate cam wheel can be assigned to the punch and the die, which means that different movements for the punch and die can be realized.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the shaping device is characterized in that the shaping tool comprises a heating device for heating the raw strip and / or a punching device for creating a control hole in the bottom of the component pockets. The heating enables the component bags to be hot-pressed when the component carrier is being manufactured. gerbandes, the control hole when using the finished component carrier tape later, the control of the component pockets when filling or emptying.

The heating device and / or the perforating device can be implemented in separate, cyclically closing and opening tools, the tools imparting a closing pressure. Each tool is equipped with a closing device for supplying the closing pressure and an opening device for opening the tool, the closing device comprising a compression spring for generating the closing pressure and the opening device being designed to open the mold against the closing pressure. The separate design of the tools makes it possible to assign an individual closing pressure to each tool. The wear pressure of the heating tool can, for example, be lower than that of the molding tool.

The component carrier tape is usually not yet completely cold again at the time of the perforation. The remaining heat can lead to complications when forming the control hole. The omission of that area of the raw strip in which the control hole will be formed later helps to avoid these complications. It is therefore particularly advantageous if the heating device is designed in such a way that it does not heat that area of the raw strip that forms the bottom area of the component pocket in the finished component carrier strip into which the punching device makes the control hole.

It is advantageous if the molding device has a synchronization device for synchronizing the transport device with the cyclical opening and closing of the molding tool, so that the work processes of the molding device run as synchronously as possible.

The transport device can comprise a drive for imparting a gradual advance to the component carrier belt or the raw belt. In this case, the synchronizing device can be implemented by a trigger arranged on the shaft for triggering the advance steps. In a particularly preferred embodiment variant, the shaping device has a cutting device which is arranged and arranged after the component carrier belt in the transport direction of the component carrier belt, so that the shaped component carrier belt is divided in the longitudinal direction.

In this context, the molding tool is preferably designed to form at least two component pockets next to one another transversely to the longitudinal direction of the component carrier belt, so that the result is that at least two rows of component pockets arranged next to one another on the component carrier belt result on a component carrier belt. The cutting tool is preferably arranged relative to the molding tool such that the cutting device divides the component carrier tape between component pockets formed next to one another. As a result, several component carrier tapes can be produced in this way from a raw strip by first forming a plurality of rows of component pockets arranged next to one another in the raw strip and then dividing the strip lengthways between these rows of component pockets. This further contributes to the fast and efficient production of component carrier tapes of the type mentioned at the beginning.

Further features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail below on the basis of a detailed exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows the invention in a schematic front view.

Figure 2a shows the invention in a schematic side view.

Figure 2b shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in a schematic side view.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the present invention in a schematic front view.

Figure 4 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention in a perspective view. FIG. 5 shows a further perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

The structure and function of the device according to the invention for forming a component carrier tape 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The device comprises a molding tool 9 and a transport device 5, 7 for transporting the component carrier tape. The transport device 5, 7 can, for example, comprise a toothed wheel with teeth for engaging in the index holes of the band (the index holes represent a perforation in a side strip of the band) and can at the same time be designed for guiding the band. It also includes a motor, in the exemplary embodiment a servo motor (not shown), which provides the belt with a gradual advance.

The molding tool 9 comprises a punch 17 and a die 19 (each shown in section), between which the component carrier tape 1 is passed. The feed of the component carrier belt is conveyed by the transport device 5, 7. To form the component pockets 3 (also shown in section), this molding tool 9 is closed as soon as a section of the raw belt 2, in which the component pockets are to be formed, between the stamp 17 and the die Die 19 is located.

The mold 9 is closed by a pneumatic spring connected to the punch 17 and the die 19, each of which comprises a compressed air bellows 11 loaded with compressed air. The pressure of the compressed air in the bellows 11 can be varied by means of an adjusting device (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) and thus the spring force of the compressed air spring formed by the compressed air bellows 11 can be adjusted. This can be useful, for example, if tapes with different tape thicknesses are used. According to DIN standard IEC 286 III, strip thicknesses between 0.3 and 0.6 mm are possible.

To open the mold 9 against the closing force generated by the compressed air bellows 11, the punch 17 and the die 19 are connected to one another in an articulated manner via two levers 25 and a joint 27 (FIG. 2a). Between the levers 25 there is a shaft 15 arranged on and supported by the shaft 15. driven cam disc 13. The circumferential surface of the cam disc 13 has, for example - an elliptical. shape. DJe Well. 5,. aufjJer_dieJ ^ uryensscheibe, J3 ,. is arranged, is driven by a three-phase motor with adjustable speed, so that the cam disk 13 rotates at a certain frequency. The levers 25 are always pressed against the circumferential surface of the cam disc by the pressure force of the compressed air bellows 11. The rotation of the cam disc 13 therefore results in a pincer-shaped opening and closing movement of the molding tool, the largest opening of the molding tool 9, ie the greatest spread of the levers 25, being given by the large half axis of the ellipse and the smallest opening being by the small semi-axis. The elliptical shape of the cam plate 13 is chosen here only to simplify the illustration. It goes without saying that the shape of the peripheral surface of the cam 13 can be selected differently depending on the actual sequence of movements. In addition, it is possible to provide a separate cam disk for each lever 25 instead of a common cam disk 13.

In order to maintain the mold 9 or to replace the die 19 or the stamp 17, the bellows 1 can be vented, for example, via the adjusting device for adjusting the air pressure or via a specially provided venting device. After the bellows have been vented, the lever 25 can be lifted off the cam disk 13 without great effort.

The end of the lever 25 remote from the joint 27, and thus the die 19 fixed at this end or the punch 17 fixed at this end, perform a movement in operation which lies on a circular path. In order to have the punch 17 and the die 9 perform a linear movement, a straight guide is provided in the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 2b. This comprises a straight guide rod 10, of which the die 19 and the punch 17 are guided linearly. In addition, in the region of the end of the lever 25 remote from the joint and in the region of the die 19 there is a joint 14, 16 between which there is a short rod in order to compensate for the circular movement of the lever end. For the same purpose, there is also a joint 14 on the punch 17, which is articulated to the lever 25 via a rod. An alternative embodiment of the device for forming component carrier tape 1 is shown in FIG. The device shown in FIG. 3 comprises, in addition to the molding tool 9, a heating device 21 _r with which the raw strip 2 is heated before it is fed to the molding tool 9. Downstream of the molding tool 9 is a hole device 23 with which 3 holes are made in the bottoms of the molded component pockets, through which the filling state of the pocket can be determined later when the component pockets 3 are filled or emptied.

Both the heating device 21 and the perforating device 23, like the molding tool 9, are designed such that they go through a cycle of opening and closing. There is a synchronizing device (not shown) which synchronizes the cycles of the heating device 21, the molding tool 9 and the punching device 23 with the transport of the tape through the transport device 5, 7 in such a way that the tape is transported further when the heating device 21, the mold 9 and the punch device 23 are open. The synchronizing device is also present if the molding device is only equipped with a molding tool 9 but not with a heating device 21 or perforating device 23 (first embodiment).

The synchronization of the molding tool 9 with the heating device 21 and the perforating device 23 is provided in that the cam disks assigned to them are arranged on a common shaft 15.

The opening and closing of the heating device 21 and the punching device 23 is carried out in the same way as the opening and closing of the molding tool 9. However, the wear force generated by the compressed air bellows 11 can be lower than that of the compressed air bellows 11 of the molding tool 9. In particular the Heater 21 does not require a high closing force. In the heating device 21 and the punching device 23, the closing force is adjusted, as in the case of the molding tool 9, by adjusting the compressed air with which the compressed air bellows 11 is applied. For this purpose, an adjusting device (not shown) is provided, with which the compressed air pressure of each bellows 11 can be adjusted individually. Another exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and .5. The device shown therein is with a molding. Stuff-9 a heater 21 and a punch device-2-3-equipped. Accordingly, three pairs of levers 25 can be seen in FIG. 4, each of which is connected to one another via two joints 27a, 27b and a connecting rod 28. Base plates 12, 12 'for the bellows 11 are provided at the ends of the levers 25 remote from the joints 27a and 27b. The base plate 12 ′ has a smaller diameter than the base plate 12 because it is assigned to the heating device 21. However, the heating device 21 only requires a lower closing force than the molding tool 9. Therefore, the bellows for the heating device 21 only need to apply a lower maximum closing force than the bellows for the molding tool. Accordingly, they can have smaller dimensions than the bellows for the molding tool.

To open the levers 25, two cam plates 13a and 13b are assigned to each pair of levers 27a, 27b, one for each lever. The cams are driven by a shaft 15, which in turn is driven by the three-phase motor 30. Arranged on the shaft 15 is a trigger in the form of a pin (not shown) which, when it moves past a signal pickup (also not shown), a signal for the synchronization device for synchronizing the belt transport with the movement of the molding tool 9, the Heating 21 and the hole device 23 generated. The roller combination 5 'can be seen in FIG. 4 as part of the transport device.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective front view of the machine from FIG. 4. Of the molding tool 9, the heating device 21 and the punching device 23, only the holding plates for fastening the corresponding tools are shown in FIG.

In Figure 5 can be seen: the joints 14 and 16 and the guide rods 10 of the straight guide of the molding tool 9, the heating device 21 and the punching device 23, also the roller combination 5 'and a driving wheel 7' of the drive device for driving the belt. For example, a servo motor can be provided to drive the driving wheel 7 '. Also too A test device 31 can be recognized, which checks the finished component pockets for errors.

Claims

claims 1 ^" . Shaping device ^" zürn molds ^" of ^" KoTnpöhehtehtäschιι ^" (3) comprising component carrier tape (1) from raw tape (2), which a cyclically opening and closing molding tool (9) for pressing the component pockets (3) into the raw tape (2) The molding tool (9) conveys a closing pressure, a closing device (11) at least indirectly connected to the molding tool (9) for supplying the closing pressure to the molding tool, an opening device (13, 15) acting at least indirectly on the molding tool (9). for opening the mold (9) and a transport device (5, 7) for transporting the workpiece to be machined Raw strip (2) and the finished component carrier strip (1) into and out of the molding tool (9), characterized in that the closing device (11) for generating the closing pressure comprises a compression spring (11) and the opening device (13, 15) for Opening of the mold against the closing pressure is designed. 2. Molding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the molding tool (1 1) comprises a punch (17) and a die (19), with each of which at least indirectly a separate locking device (11) is connected. 3. Molding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the compression spring is designed as a pneumatic spring (11). 4. Molding device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pneumatic spring comprises a bellows (11) loaded with compressed air. 5. Molding device according to claim 4, characterized in that an adjusting device for adjusting the compressed air pressure is present. 6. Molding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening device (13, 15) comprises a shaft (15) and a cam (13) arranged on and driven by the shaft (15). 7. Molding device according to claim 2 and claim 6, characterized in that the stamp (17) and the die (19) are each assigned their own cam wheel (13). 8. Molding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the molding tool (9) is a heating device (21) for Heating the raw strip (2) and / or a perforating device (23) for creating a control hole in the bottom of the component pockets (3). 9. Molding device according to claim 8, characterized in that the heating device (21) and / or the perforating device (23) are realized in separate, cyclically closing and opening tools, the tools imparting a closing pressure and each tool with a closing device (11). is equipped for supplying the closing pressure and an opening device (13, 15) for opening the tool, the closing device comprising a compression spring (11) for generating the closing pressure and the opening device (13, 15) being designed to open the mold against the closing pressure. 10. Molding device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the heating device (21) is designed such that it does not heat that region of the raw strip which forms the bottom region of the component pocket (3) in the finished component carrier strip (1) which the punching device (23) forms the control hole. 11. Molding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a synchronizing device for synchronizing the transport device with the cyclical opening and closing of the molding tool (9) is present. 12. Form device according to claim 6 or 7 and claim 11, characterized in that the transport device (5, 7) comprises a drive for imparting a gradual advance to the component carrier tape or the raw tape and the synchronizing device one on the shaft (15) - Has an ordered trigger to trigger the advance steps. 13. Molding device according to claim 1, characterized by a cutting device, which is arranged downstream of the shaping tool in the transport direction of the component carrier tape and designed to split the shaped component carrier tape in the longitudinal direction. 14. Molding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the molding tool is designed to shape at least two component pockets arranged next to one another transversely to the longitudinal direction of the component carrier tape (2) in the component carrier tape (2). 15. Molding device according to claim 18 and 19, characterized in that the cutting device and the molding tool are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the cutting device divides the component carrier tape between component pockets formed next to one another.