Patent ID: 8424197

Claim:
A method of automatically assembling z-axis interconnectors into columns of aligned vias in stacked printed circuit boards of a circuit module in repetitively executed assembly cycles, each assembly cycle comprising: using an interconnector having a leader portion and a connection portion, singulating an interconnector from a plurality of the interconnectors; moving the circuit module and an insertion nozzle relative to one another to align an unoccupied via column with the insertion nozzle; conveying the singulated interconnector through a delivery tube; delivering the interconnector from the delivery tube into the insertion nozzle; delivering the interconnector from the insertion nozzle into the aligned via column; seating the interconnector in the aligned via column with the leader portion extending through the via column to a position below a lower circuit board of the circuit module; gripping the leader portion below the lower printed circuit board; pulling the gripped leader portion until the connection portion moves through the aligned via column into contact with the vias of the column; severing the leader portion from the connection portion at a cutoff location adjacent to the lower circuit board; extracting the severed leader portion; and automatically repeating a next assembly cycle after completing a previous assembly cycle until interconnectors have been assembled into a substantial majority of the via columns of the circuit module.