Patent ID: 6810138
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: B41M,H05K

Abstract:
Apparatus for checking the application of solder paste to printed circuit boards by a screen-printing process using a printing stencil, the apparatus comprising:an optoelectronic apparatus operative to scan the positions and/or the sizes and shapes of openings in a printing stencil before initial use as a teach-in procedure, to generate an image thereof as a reference pattern, the optoelectronic apparatus further being operative to scan a surface of a printed circuit board to which solder paste has been applied using the printing stencil to generate an image consisting substantially of a pattern of solder paste applied to a surface thereof thereby to provide a production test pattern; and a data processing unit operative to convert the reference pattern image into electronic reference data, and to convert the production test pattern image into electronic production pattern data, the data processing unit being further operative to directly compare the production pattern data and the reference pattern data to determine conformity of an actual pattern of application of solder paste to a desired pattern of application.