A method of removing a magnetic tooling pin from a planar ferromagnetic support surface, comprises providing a pin-placement tool comprising an engagement body and an electrically conductive coil, supplying electrical power to the conductive coil to create a magnetic field which causes the magnetic attraction between the tooling pin and the support surface to be reduced, and moving the engagement body and engaged tooling pin away from the support surface.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a flexible printed interconnect board, including an insulating base film; a conductive pattern that is layered on one surface side of the base film; and a plurality of connection terminals that are fixed to a terminal connection area on one edge side of the conductive pattern, includes: fixing the plurality of connection terminals in parallel to a component fixing jig; and mounting the plurality of fixed connection terminals together with the component fixing jig.

A method for creating a circuit assembly includes printing first conductive traces on a first side of a flexible substrate, printing second conductive traces on a second side of the flexible substrate opposite to the first side, and placing the flexible substrate on a first pallet with the first side facing up. The method includes printing conductive adhesive to form first contact pads on the first side, placing at least one first component onto the first contact pads, and removing the flexible substrate from the first pallet. The method includes placing the flexible substrate on a second pallet with the second side facing up, where the second pallet includes recessed areas or cut outs that align with the at least one first component, printing conductive adhesive to form second contact pads on the second side, and placing at least one second component onto the second contact pads.

A vertical circuit board printer includes a multi-layer conveyor, a printer assembly, and a control system. The multi-layer conveyor includes a number of front conveyors and one rear conveyor. Each upper front conveyor is coupled to a lower front conveyor by a circuit board-lowering mechanism to transport a number of circuit boards in sequence from the number of front conveyors to the rear conveyor. The printer assembly includes a number of printers arranged in sequence above the number of front conveyors. The control system controls operation of the multi-layer conveyor and controls operation of the printing assembly through a software system.

A support bracket for a manufacturer which prevents trays of cleanable devices supported thereon from being stacked together includes a front outer strip, a left outer strip, a rear outer strip, and a right outer strip connected in that order. The front outer strip faces the rear outer strip, the left outer strip faces the right outer strip. The bracket body further comprises at least one horizontal inner strip and at least one vertical inner strip. Each horizontal inner strip is connected between the front outer strip and the rear outer strip. Each vertical inner strip is connected between the left outer strip and the right outer strip and intersects with the horizontal inner strip. The bracket body is divided by the horizontal inner strip and the vertical inner strip into a plurality of sub bracket bodies. A cleaning device having the support bracket is also provided.

A fixture and method are directed to releasably couple the fixture to a semi-flexible printed circuit board (PCB)/printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) at a flexible PCB/PCBA portion. The fixture includes a body with a first arm and a second arm extending from a base, an interior surface of the first arm facing an interior surface of the second arm. A first ridge extends from the interior surface of the first arm and defines a first gap between the first ridge and the interior surface of the second arm. The first gap is sized to receive and support a flexible PCB/PCBA portion. At least one second ridge extends from the interior surface of the first arm and defines a second gap between the at least one second ridge and the interior surface of the second arm. The second gap is sized to receive and support a rigid PCB/PCBA portion.

A fixture and method are directed to releasably couple the fixture to a semi-flexible printed circuit board (PCB)/printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) at a flexible PCB/PCBA portion. The fixture includes a body with a first arm and a second arm extending from a base, an interior surface of the first arm facing an interior surface of the second arm. A first ridge extends from the interior surface of the first arm and defines a first gap between the first ridge and the interior surface of the second arm. The first gap is sized to receive and support a flexible PCB/PCBA portion. At least one second ridge extends from the interior surface of the first arm and defines a second gap between the at least one second ridge and the interior surface of the second arm. The second gap is sized to receive and support a rigid PCB/PCBA portion.

A method of manufacturing a pallet for use during manufacture of a printed circuit board assembly includes determining optimal solder flow for establishing connections between lead pins of a plurality of pin-through-hole components arranged on a circuit board, designing a pallet to include geometries configured to provide the optimal solder flow when the pallet, supporting the circuit board thereon, is passed through a wave solder machine, and creating the pallet based on the design. Pallets configured for optimal solder flow and methods of manufacturing printed circuit board assemblies using such pallet are also provided.

Embodiments herein describe a capillary containing a eutectic conductive liquid (e.g., EGaIn) and an electrolyte (e.g., NaOH) that is integrated into a printed circuit board (PCB). In one embodiment, the PCB includes a capillary, a negative electrode, a positive electrode, a plurality of insulation layers, and a conductive layer. The capillary extends through the PCB. The capillary includes a side surface forming an annular cylinder. A eutectic conductive liquid and an electrolyte are disposed within an aperture formed by the side surface. An electrode extends through the side surface and contacts at least the eutectic conductive liquid or the electrolyte. The negative electrode is disposed at a first end of the capillary. The positive electrode is disposed at a second end of the capillary. The conductive layer is disposed between two of the plurality of insulation layers. The electrode forms an electrical connection with the conductive layer.

A printable electronic component includes a component substrate and a circuit disposed in or on the component substrate. One or more electrically conductive connection posts protrude from the component substrate. One or more electrically conductive component contact pads are exposed on or over the component substrate on a side of the component substrate opposite the one or more connection posts. The one or more component contact pads and the one or more electrically conductive connection posts are both electrically connected to the circuit. The components can be printed onto a destination substrate and electrically connected to contact pads on the destination substrate through the connection posts. The components can also be printed onto other components and electrically connected through the connection posts and component contact pads to form a three-dimensional electronic structure.