Manual Board Handling Options Workboard Holders
Workboard holders hold the PCBs for the machine to perform work. Workboard holders hold the PCBs in a position that is oriented, and allow for quick removal of the PCBs. The workboard holders allow from one window up to four windows. More windows in the workboard holders enable faster machine operation by reducing transfer time. For a single-board workboard holder, the machine rotates the board into the assembly area, begins operation, and then rotates the board out when work is complete. While the board is being reloaded, the machine stops while waiting for a new board. Throughput improvements can be achieved by utilizing to a two-window workboard holder. With a two- window workboard holder, while one window is in the assembly area, the other window is available to be unloaded and re-loaded. Therefore, the machine idle time is limited to the time required to rotate the workboard holder under the assembly head. This rotation takes one second. The throughput gain can be further improved by implementing a four-window workboard holder that requires only a 90-degree rotation by the table to get a new board under the work zone. This reduces the transfer time down to a half second.