Patent ID: 8596732

Claim:
A liquid droplet discharging apparatus configured to execute an image forming operation with respect to a workpiece by driving a functional liquid droplet discharging head while moving the workpiece back and forth along a first direction in an image formation area, the liquid droplet discharging apparatus comprising: a pair of workpiece stages each configured to support a workpiece thereon; a workpiece moving table configured to move the two workpiece stages individually in the first movement direction; a head moving table configured to move the functional liquid droplet discharging head in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; a maintenance unit arranged in a maintenance area separated from the image formation area in the second direction and configured to perform maintenance with respect to the functional liquid droplet discharging head; a pair of workpiece exchanging mechanisms arranged in two workpiece exchange areas positioned such that the image formation area lies therebetween along the first direction, and configured to perform exchanges of workpieces with respect to the workpiece stages; a single inspection stage mounted on the workpiece moving table that is configured to receive an inspection discharge from the functional liquid droplet discharging head, the single inspection stage being independently movable with respect to the workpiece stages in the first movement direction; and a control unit configured to control the workpiece moving table, the head moving table, the maintenance unit, the workpiece exchanging mechanisms, and the single inspection stage, the control unit being configured to execute control to move the workpiece stages alternately between the image formation area and the workpiece exchange areas such that one of the workpiece stages moves between the image formation area and one of the workpiece exchange areas and the other of the workpiece stages moves between the image formation area and the other of the workpiece exchange areas, and to execute control such that image forming operations and exchanges of workpieces are executed alternately with respect to each of the workpiece stages.