Patent ID: 7513410

Claim:
An air bearing gap control arrangement for an injection molded solder head, wherein said arrangement comprises: an injection molded solder head having a reservoir containing solder in a liquefied state, at least one discharge aperture communicating with the bottom of said reservoir for extruding solder; a mold having a surface with a plurality of recesses in a surface facing said discharge apertures for receiving solder extruded therefrom; said mold being movable relative to said solder discharge nozzle, whereby said mold surface defines a first gap between said components; and a housing structure encompassing said injection molded solder head so as to define a passageway for the infeed of a gas for preheating a cooling zone formed by said first gap and producing an air bearing, and a second gap being formed downstream of said first gap communicating with a passageway for the infeed of a gas for cooling and producing an air bearing pocket between the mold surface and a bottom of said housing structure.