Abstract:
A method of verifying a material application including the steps of inputting a first product number, inputting a second product number and confirming. The inputting of the first product number is done from a routing instrument. The inputting of the second product number is done from a number physically associated with the product. The confirming step is carried out by confirming the first product number and the second product number are identical.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a material dispensing system, and, more particularly, to a computerized material dispensing system. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In nearly every assembly process there is a need for piece parts that are identified by separate part numbers and are counted by the piece. In addition to piece parts that are utilized in the assembly process, often bulk materials are needed as a part of the assembly process. For example, materials such as lubricants, grease, solder paste, lock tight, heat sink grease and adhesives are brought to the assembly process in a bulk manner and a predetermined amount is utilized for various aspects of each assembly. These various materials, also referred to herein as chemistries, are used in a wide variety of products. If the wrong chemistry were applied to a product, that product may be susceptible to early field failure because of contamination, lack of proper adhesion, heat transfer and/or electro-migration related to improper cleaning methods of an electronic circuit. Often similar materials that look the same to the naked eye are co-located and it is necessary for an operator to select the correct product. 
         [0003]    What is needed in the art is a system to ensure that the correct material is applied at the proper assembly step. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a system that ensures that the correct material is applied to the correct product by use of product, material and applicator identifiers. 
         [0005]    The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a method of verifying a material application including the steps of inputting a first product number, inputting a second product number and confirming. The inputting of the first product number is done from a routing instrument. The inputting of the second product number is done from a number physically associated with the product. The confirming step is carried out by confirming the first product number and the second product number are identical. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematicized illustration of one embodiment of the material dispensing system of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is the material dispensing system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a method used by the material dispensing system of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2  there is shown a material dispensing system  10  having a computer  12 , a barcode scanner  14 , an employee personnel identification  16  and an air source  18 . Computer  12 , also known as a controller  12 , is communicatively coupled to barcode scanner  14  for the inputting of barcodes to computer  12 , which utilizes method  100  for controlling material dispensing system  10 . Although barcode scanner  14  is illustratively identified for purposes of illustrating the present invention, other identification tools and methods are also applicable and may be utilized in the present invention. Employee identification/barcode  16  illustrates a type of identification system utilized in many companies. Employee identification/barcode  16  is unique to the individual employee and may include a picture identification in addition to the barcode thereon. 
         [0010]    Material dispensing system  10  additionally interfaces with material  20  also known as product  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  which are materials utilized in an assembly process. A valve/controller  28 ,  30 ,  32  or  34  is respectively associated with material  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  for the selective application of a motive force, illustrated here as a pneumatic system attached to air source  18 . Valve/control  28 ,  30 ,  32  and  34  are selectively activated by computer  12  when utilizing method  100 . A dispenser  36 ,  38 ,  40  or  42  also known as an applicator  36 ,  38 ,  40  or  42  may be individually assigned to each material  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Applicator  36 ,  38 ,  40  or  42  includes human interface features allowing an operator to apply selective amounts of material  20 ,  22 ,  24  or  26  to an assembly as part of an assembly process as needed. A barcode  44 ,  46 ,  48  or  50  is associated in a 1:1 correspondence with material  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26 . Barcodes  44 ,  46 ,  48  and  50  are associated with their respective products prior to being identified with material dispensing system  10 . 
         [0011]    As shown in  FIG. 2  a single dispense gun  52  may be associated with material dispensing system  10 , which may be electrically and/or pneumatically connected with material dispensing system  10  and dispense gun  52  also known as an applicator  52  may interface with valve/control  28 ,  30 ,  32  and  34  of material dispensing system  10 . Although  FIG. 2  illustrates two products beyond products  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  it is understood that the method of the present invention is applicable to any number of material items. Additionally, dispense gun  52  may include the valve/control features illustrated in  FIG. 1  and may even incorporate identification functions such as a barcode scanner therein. 
         [0012]    Material dispense system  10  by way of identifiers, herein illustrated as a barcode system, selectively initializes one of the material dispensing units depending on the application of method  100 . All other products and any associated dispensing tools are non-functional while the activated applicator is in use. 
         [0013]    For purposes of illustration, materials  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  will be referred to as solder paste  20 ,  22 ,  24  or  26 . In this application material dispensing system  10  will control the selection and dispensing of an appropriate solder paste. Now, additionally referring to  FIG. 3 , there is illustrated a method  100  including step S 102  in which employee identification/barcode  16  is scanned by barcode scanner  14 . This identification is utilized for connecting the operator to the particular process and may be date stamped and data collected during the execution of method  100  may be transferred to a network system, not illustrated. A router sheet  54  is commonly used in an assembly process to sequentially identify operations in the assembly process. While router sheet  54  will be referred to herein, it is recognized that the router sheet may be implemented as a part of a computer control system and may not be a physical piece of paper. At step S 104 , router sheet  54  is scanned by barcode scanner  14  to identify a product number that relates to one of solder pastes  20 ,  22 ,  24  or  26 . At step S 106  a product number associated with solder paste product  20 ,  22 ,  24  or  26  is scanned by barcode scanner  14  when it scans the associated barcode  44 ,  46 ,  48  or  50 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2  barcodes  44 ,  46 ,  48  and  50  may be located on material dispensing system  10 , which corresponds to the location of material products  20 ,  22 ,  24  or  26 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1  individual dispensers  36 ,  38 ,  40  or  42  may be associated with each of solder pastes  20 ,  22 ,  24  or  26  for individual dispensing of the appropriate solder paste. At step S 108 , a barcode associated with the applicator may be scanned to identify the applicator which is associated with the product numbers identified in steps S 104  and S 106 . 
         [0014]    At step S 110 , if verification is required by another operator then steps S 102 -S 108  are repeated with a different operator personnel identification being required at step S 102  than the one that initially performed the scanning operations. If no further verification is required method  100  proceeds to step S 112 . At step S 112  the selected applicator is activated allowing the operator to dispense the selected, and verified solder paste, for use in the assembly operation. If product numbers do not match in the verification cycle, with those originally entered, no applicator will be activated and the operators will be prompted to start the process of selecting the material all over again. Although the barcodes in  FIG. 2  are illustrated as being positionally oriented relative to material dispensing system  10  the barcodes can also be located directly on dispensers  36 ,  38 ,  40  and  42 . This may allow the skipping of step S 106 . 
         [0015]    In the event that more than a predetermined time, such as two minutes, expires and no information is scanned or entered into material dispensing system  10 , then system  10  will erase all of the current entries and method  100  will restart. A counter is displayed on the screen of computer  12  to alert the personnel of the time remaining, as the counter counts down, until method  100  will restart. The predetermined time may be built into the operating code or it may be configurable in a set-up file that the method accesses. 
         [0016]    Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.