Patent ID: 7823266

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a die holding tray, comprising: making a rigid flat base support member; forming a generally planar top surface supported by the base support member, machining a set of lateral grooves and a set of longitudinal grooves in the top surface, whereby the lateral grooves and longitudinal grooves intersect one another, and whereby the grooves have a substantially flat bottom; shaping a plurality of strips sized to fill one set of grooves; placing the strips in each of the grooves of the one set of grooves, thereby forming a plurality of pockets for receiving dies, said pockets having a substantially flat bottom and side walls, wherein the bottom is substantially orthogonal to the side walls, comprising a segment of an unfilled machined groove and end walls comprising segments of the sides of strips, each of the plurality of pockets having planar dimensions approximately corresponding to a length and a width of a die to be received; and boring vacuum channels communicating into the bottom of the pockets for enabling a vacuum to be drawn upon dies in each of the pockets in order to enhance the tray holding capability, wherein dies are received to both sides of at least one of the plurality of strips and wherein a seal is created between the dies and a vacuum source.