Patent ID: 6895661
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: H05K,Y02P,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A component transfer system for transferring at least one electrical component to be placed on a substrate, wherein the component has a superficial fiducial marker on a surface of the component and wherein the fiducial marker indicates an orientation of a plurality of leads protruding from the component, said component transfer system comprising: a component feed source supporting the at least one component; a component transfer mechanism oriented to retrieve the at least one component from the component feed source and place a retrieved component in a transferred area such that the fiducial marker on said component is visible for detection prior to retrieval from said component feed source and placement of said retrieved component on the substrate; an optical fiducial marker detector oriented to detect the fiducial marker on said component prior to retrieval from said component feed source and placement of said retrieved component on the substrate, said optical fiducial marker detector generating alignment data for said retrieved component in response to detection of the fiducial marker on said component, said alignment data representing lead orientations for said component; and a controller coupled to said fiducial marker detector for receiving said alignment data therefrom for said retrieved component and containing instructions which, when executed, cause said controller to compare said alignment data for said retrieved component to desired alignment data indicative of desired lead orientations, said controller sending realignment signals to said component transfer mechanism for said retrieved component wherein the alignment data therefore differs from said desired alignment data to cause said component transfer mechanism to realign said retrieved component when the alignment data therefore differs from the desired alignment data.