Today’s electronic products are getting smaller and smaller in size. Automated equipment on electronics production lines must conduct high-precision machining and assembly of tiny, fragile components within a limited space while maintaining high yield rate and utilization. This is a major challenge for industry, which has growing requirements for assembly machines that ensure greater stability, smaller size, higher speed and exceptional accuracy.
The key to reaching the ideal yield rate in electronics assembly lies in the Z-axis motion, which refers to an object’s movement along the vertical direction. On the assembly line, the Z-axis motion entails pick-and-place, load-and-unload, pressing, surface mounting, die bonding, insertion, and inspection of chips and components. Any unexpected error during the Z-axis motion can lead to component damage, which consequently affects the product yield rate. To cater to the small size and slim design of electronic products, the mechanism that controls and drives the Z-axis motion has to be as compact as the workpiece. To optimize the assembly line utilization, multi-axis synchronization is also crucial for maximizing productivity. In order to enhance the Z-axis motion efficiency, the assembly equipment has to overcome the various challenges in terms of force control, force sensing, position feedback, direct drive mechanism design, and size reduction, and to shorten cycle times to break the bottleneck of unsatisfactory yield rates.
To address the demands of high-precision assembly, Delta has launched the Linear Pocket Actuator LPL Series, a linear motion product that integrates linear motors, optical linear encoders, force sensors, rotary servo motors, encoders, rails and frameworks within a compact module. The LPL features a short response time as well as fine, stable force analysis (within 0.1N). Combined with Delta’s Optical Linear Encoders MSR-LE Series, the position feedback resolution can reach up to 0.5µm, which fulfills the need for high-precision. The direct drive design with zero backlash reduces friction and wear to enhance equipment durability and reduce maintenance costs.
The slim design of the LPL enables installing multiple units in arrays within a limited space. Combined with a multi-axis mechanism, multiple LPL units can efficiently enhance equipment utilization. To achieve this, the LPL can be paired with Delta’s Servo Drive ASDA-D3. Its dual-drive system allows dual-axis synchronization, and the built-in controller ensures smooth continuous motion even with constant intensive acceleration and deceleration. In comparison with Delta’s 100W single-drive servo drives, the ASDA-D3 reduces installation space by 70%. Delta’s LPL can also accomplish soft landing with accurate force feedback supported by the optical linear encoder and the built-in customizable platform of the servo drive. Through fine-tuned speed and force control, the module smoothly conducts small component tending and assembly.
The Z-axis motion control solution that comprises the Linear Pocket Actuator LPL Series and the Servo Drive ASDA-D3 has been successfully tested and widely implemented in various high-precision processes, including labeling, consumer electronics assembly, high-density surface mounting, AOI inspection, and more. The solution efficiently enhances the product yield rate via high-speed, high-precision motion control with the soft landing function, and fulfills industrial demands for upgrading automated assembly lines in electronics and semiconductor production.