Patent ID: 7438857
Filing Date: 2008-10-21
Classification: B01J,B01L,C40B,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A material handling tool, comprising: a tool body; a plurality of needles mounted to the tool body, each of the plurality of needles constructed and arranged to remove material from a work area and deposit material on a work area; a plurality of plungers moveable in the tool body, each of the plurality of plungers associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of needles, wherein each of the plungers has a passageway that allows fluid flow through the plunger; and a controller constructed and arranged to individually address each of the passageways so that flow in each of the passageways is individually controlled, wherein the controller comprises a plurality of actuators, each of the actuators including a membrane valve that controls fluid flow with respect to a corresponding passageway and is capable of opening and closing a corresponding passageway, and a plurality of drive switches that controls flow through a passageway opened by an actuator.