Keywords
Citation
(1999), "DEK launches new screen printer alignment package", Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Vol. 11 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ssmt.1999.21911bad.020
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
DEK launches new screen printer alignment package
DEK launches new screen printer alignment package
Keywords DEK, Screen printing, Software
DEK Printing Machines is launching a new manual vision alignment system for its 248 and 260 screen printers. The DEKalign 4 package is designed to work interactively with the operator to precisely align the board to the stencil before printing. It allows the operator to maintain the tight tolerances in stencil-to-board positional accuracy required for fine pitch devices.
The software uses the powerful Windows NT® operator interface, making it extremely easy to use. The 248 uses a standard single PC monitor and hand-held track-ball mouse, while the 260 uses a colour LCD touch screen display and integrated mouse pad with machine control and visual alignment images combined into a single display. Both systems feature on-screen prompts to guide the operator through the process, and both provide a print inhibit signal to prevent the printing of a board until it has been aligned. This provides a superior level of process control, as well as higher yields.
Through Windows NT, the DEKalign 4 system shows the images from two monochrome cameras on a single high resolution display, complete with translucent coloured overlays of a trained pad or fiducial. The live video is clearly visible through the coloured overlay; the coloration permits operators to determine at a glance whether or not the board is aligned and ready for printing. The new system is designed to be modularly upgradeable as new vision enhancement packages are developed. DEKalign 4 also uses "off-the-shelf" components, enabling spare parts to be sourced locally to offer cost and time savings.
For further information, please contact: Karen Moore-Watts, DEK Printing Machines Ltd. 11 Albany Road, Granby Industrial Estate, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9TH, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1305 760760; Fax: +44 (0) 1305 760123 E-mail: kmoore@dek.com