A method for aligning a first article relative to a second article. The second article is provided with at least one flexible structure fixed to the second article at one point while the first article includes at least one surface relief marking. A detector measures the interaction between the flexible structure and surface relief marking and generates detector signals relative to that interaction to achieve alignment between the first and second articles.

A printed board working apparatus includes a transport device which transports a printed board in a horizontal direction, and a moving member which moves in a horizontal direction above the transport device. The printed board working apparatus includes a plurality of component attaching portions which are aligned in the installation direction and move together with the moving member. The printed board working apparatus also includes at least one working head which performs work on the printed board held by the transport device. The working head is attached to at least one component attaching portion out of the plurality of component attaching portions, and can change a position relative to the moving member in the installation direction. A region where the working head cannot perform work as the number of working heads increases is reduced.

A pallet, manufacturing system, and method for transporting and assembling different electrical connectors are provided. The pallet includes first and second jaw assemblies spaced apart from a connector support. The jaw assemblies include jaw plates with gripping edges that form a contoured opening therebetween. As the jaw assemblies move toward one another, dimensions of the contoured opening decrease such that the gripping edges contact and grip an electrical connector placed in the contoured opening. The jaw assemblies are connected to each other by a synchronization device that synchronizes motion of the jaw assemblies and centers the jaw assemblies about an alignment point on the pallet. The pallet accommodates a number of different sizes and/or types of electrical connectors.

An apparatus, method, and system, the apparatus including a receiving member dimensioned to receive an array of microelectronic devices; and a linkage member coupled to the receiving member, the linkage member configured to move the receiving member in at least two dimensions so as to modify a spacing between the electronic devices within the array of microelectronic devices received by the receiving member. The method including coupling an array of microelectronic devices to an expansion assembly; and expanding the expansion assembly so as to expand the array of microelectronic devices in at least two directions within a single plane. The system including a support member; an expansion assembly coupled to the support member, the expansion assembly having a plurality of receiving members configured to move in at least two dimensions within a single plane; and a plurality of microelectronic devices coupled to each of the plurality of receiving members.

A head gimbal assembly has a laminate flexure that includes a metallic conductive layer that includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces that are elongated and narrow and electrically connected to the read head, and a metallic structural layer that is stiffer than the conductive layer. A first dielectric layer is disposed between the structural layer and the conductive layer. A second dielectric layer substantially covers the conductive layer in a flexure tail bonding region that overlaps a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The structural layer includes a plurality of flexure bond pads that are aligned with, facing, and bonded to corresponding FPC bond pads. The flexure bond pads in the structural layer are electrically connected to the electrically conductive traces in the conductive layer by vias through the first dielectric layer. In certain embodiments, the flexure tail is folded upon itself in the flexure tail bonding region.

A rubbing alignment device, assembly and a rubbing alignment method are disclosed. The rubbing alignment device comprises a friction member including at least two friction rollers, and a friction member controller connected to the friction member for controlling respective friction rollers of the friction member to perform rubbing alignment for the substrates of the motherboard having different sizes, respectively.

Multiple tape feeders are installed in one row on a feeder setting base of a component mounting apparatus. The tape feeder is a variable tape feeder that is displaceable in a tape width direction to a predetermined displacement amount with respect to a feeder main body in which a reel holder has a wider width than the feeder main body. A mounting management device is a device that performs management of the component mounting apparatus, and sets an installation position considering an amount of displacement of the tape feeder such that the adjacent tape feeders do not interfere with each other.

A bonding system includes a substrate transfer device configured to transfer a first substrate and a second substrate in a normal pressure atmosphere, a surface modifying apparatus configured to modify surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate to be bonded with each other in a depressurized atmosphere, a load lock chamber in which the first substrate and the second substrate are delivered between the substrate transfer device and the surface modifying apparatus and in which an internal atmosphere of the load lock chamber is switchable between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and the depressurized atmosphere, a surface hydrophilizing apparatus configured to hydrophilize the modified surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a bonding apparatus configured to bond the hydrophilized surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate by an intermolecular force.

A retention-extraction device is provided for a removable card in a chassis. The device includes an actuation rod having a cam slot, the actuation rod configured to provide linear movement along the length of the actuation rod, and an extraction lever operatively connected to a proximal end of the actuation rod and pivotally secured to the chassis. The device also includes a bell crank with a cam follower that is configured to ride in the cam slot and a latch hook that pivots between an open and closed position based on the motion of the bell crank. The linear movement of the actuation rod causes the extraction lever to apply a force to a portion of the card and causes the latch hook to pivot to an open position to allow removal of the card.

In a device for producing and/or processing a workpiece, in particular circuit boards, in a work station, in particular for printing a corresponding blank or for checking finished circuit boards, at least one mark is provided on the workpiece. In this arrangement, at least one reference, which can be brought into alignment with the mark, is provided in the work station.