Patent ID: 6587580
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: H05K

Abstract:
A method for determining optimal settings for a plurality of parameters that are used to regulate the operation of a stencil printing machine which applies a lead of solder paste to conductive paths located on a printed circuit board to enable the connection of circuit elements to said conductive paths, said method comprising the steps of:receiving input data representing said plurality of parameters and measurements of characteristics of said solder paste applied by said stencil printing machine, including: measuring a thickness of each said lead of said solder paste, measuring a width of each said lead of solder paste; generating, in response to receipt of said input data, a neural network model that serves to map said plurality of parameters to said measured characteristics of said solder paste applied by said stencil printing machine, including increasing an accuracy of said width of each said lead of solder paste as a spacing between adjacent conductive paths located on a printed circuit board decreases; determining, in response to generation of said model, a set of optimal settings for said plurality of parameters from said model; and outputting said set of optimal settings to regulate the operation of said stencil printing machine.