pp. 2091-2112
S&M3655 Research Paper of Special Issue https://doi.org/10.18494/SAM4735 Published: May 31, 2024 Development of a Machine for Printed Circuit Board Electrical Test Wire–Pin Fixture [PDF] Liang-Yu Lu, Hung-Ying Chen, Kuo-Ming Sun, Chia-Liang Tseng, Lian-Wang Lee, Wei-Zhen Su, Te-Jen Su, and Chien-Yu Lu (Received October 20, 2023; Accepted April 25, 2024) Keywords: ICT fixtures, automation, servo stage
In this paper, we focus on the development of a machine for manufacturing needle probes used in the electrical testing of printed circuit board (PCB) in-circuit-test fixtures. Currently, the manufacturing process for needle probes involves manual tasks such as wire threading, soldering, heat shrink tubing application, heat shrink tubing heating, and placing cylindrical terminals into a needle disc. Owing to the time-consuming nature of this production process, automation is proposed for improvement. The system development involves programmable logic controller (PLC) control and pneumatic cylinder mechanisms to replicate the manual wire threading process. Pneumatic grippers are used to position cylindrical terminals and heat shrink tubing. Two stepper motors drive plastic rollers for copper wire extension by a rolling process along V-shaped groove straightening guides, reaching the wire insertion holes on the PCB. A YZ-axis servo stage with clamping fixtures secures the PCB and moves it to the wire insertion holes. Once the copper wire extends through the cylindrical terminal, the threading action for that PCB hole is completed. Subsequently, laser welding joins the cylindrical terminal with the copper wire, and a hot air blower fuses the heat shrink tubing with the cylindrical terminal. Pneumatic grippers grasp the threaded cylindrical terminals. Simultaneously, an XY-axis servo stage with clamping fixtures places the disc into the clamping fixture, moves it beneath the pneumatic grippers, and inserts the cylindrical terminals into the disc. After completion, a few centimeters of copper wire in front of the rollers are cut, marking the completion of the needle placement for that hole on the disc. The combination of PCB hole wire threading and disc hole needle placement constitutes one cycle of the wire threading fixture. The machine repeats this automated sequence until the entire needle probe fixture is produced.
Corresponding author: Chien-Yu LuThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Cite this article Liang-Yu Lu, Hung-Ying Chen, Kuo-Ming Sun, Chia-Liang Tseng, Lian-Wang Lee, Wei-Zhen Su, Te-Jen Su, and Chien-Yu Lu, Development of a Machine for Printed Circuit Board Electrical Test Wire–Pin Fixture, Sens. Mater., Vol. 36, No. 5, 2024, p. 2091-2112. |