A stencil printer for printing an assembly material on an electronic substrate includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, the stencil having apertures formed therein, a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly being configured to support the electronic substrate, a print head gantry coupled to the frame, and a print head assembly supported by the print head gantry in such a manner that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during print strokes. The stencil printer further comprises a verification system to determine whether an item placed within the stencil printer is properly installed within the stencil printer.

A squeegee for spreading a conductive paste across a stencil during a stencil printing process is provided. The stencil covers an underlying base such that the conductive paste is spread across the stencil and into openings in the stencil to contact the underlying base. The squeegee has a leading surface at the front of the squeegee, a trailing surface at the rear of the squeegee, and a bottom surface. The bottom surface is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the leading surface and the trailing surface. In some embodiments, a rear corner or edge of the squeegee is the contact point between the squeegee and the stencil. Some of the paste can be collected beneath the bottom surface and scraped along with the squeegee.

A screen printer comprising: a conveyance device configured to convey a board; a board holding device configured to position a conveyed board at a printing position; a stencil holding device configured to attach a stencil above the held board; a squeegee device configured to fill pattern holes of the stencil with solder paste; a board raising and lowering device configured to raise and lower the board positioned by the board holding device; and a control device configured to perform drive control of each the above devices, the control device including a standby printing processing section configured to raise the board from below with respect to the stencil such that the board contacts the stencil, stand by in a state with solder paste filled in the pattern holes, and lower the board to separate the board from the stencil in accordance with a board conveyance signal.

A squeegee drip collection system is configured to receive assembly material from at least one squeegee blade of the print head assembly. The squeegee drip collection system includes a paste shield coupled to the print head gantry and configured to be moved between a retracted position in which the paste shield is spaced from the at least one squeegee blade and an extended position in which the paste shield is positioned under the at least one squeegee blade. The squeegee drip collection system further includes a paste shield removal assembly configured to uncouple the paste shield from the print head gantry and to remove the paste shield.

A method for producing a flat feature on a substrate, comprises the steps of printing a deposit of print medium onto the substrate, the printed deposit comprising an upper surface, modifying the upper surface of the printed deposit, for example by partially drying the printed deposit, and levelling the modified deposit to produce a flat feature.

Deflector units for use with a printing blade in printing a print medium through a printing screen, which are self-adjustable in a vertical direction for controlling production of rolls of print medium.

Systems and methods in which dot-like portions of a material (e.g., a viscous material such as a solder paste) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an intermediate substrate at a first printing unit, the intermediate substrate having the dot-like portions of material printed thereon is transferred to a second printing unit, and the dot-like portions of material are transferred from the intermediate substrate to a final substrate at the second printing unit. Optionally, the first printing unit includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred in the individual dot-like portions from the donor substrate onto the intermediate substrate at the first printing unit. Each of the first and second printing units may employ a variety of printing or other transfer technologies. The system may also include material curing and imaging units to aid in the overall process.

The supply unit is used in a printing device to perform a print process of a viscous fluid on a printing target to supply the viscous fluid. The supply unit includes an attachment section to and from which a cartridge accommodating the viscous fluid is attachable or detachable, a restricting wall section configured to cover the cartridge and restrict access to an inside of the printing device, and a driving section configured to move the cartridge attached to the attachment section and the restricting wall section in a supply operation direction.

A powder film forming method includes the steps of: filling an opening with a powder, the opening being formed in a screen plate; and forming the powder film by generating an electric potential difference between the screen plate and a substrate so as to cause the powder, which is filling the opening, to move to the substrate.

A paste supply apparatus includes: a pot holder which holds a paste pot including an inner lid movable in a container; an ejecting member; an annular protruding portion protruding downward from a lower surface of the ejecting member; a suction power generating mechanism which generates suction power in an internal space surrounded by the annular protruding portion; and an ejecting member lifting unit which moves up and down the ejecting member, The ejecting member lifting unit causes the ejecting member to press down the inner lid of the paste pot held by the pot holder to eject the paste from the through hole, and thereafter lifts the ejecting member which holds the inner lid by the suction power generated within the internal space of the annular protruding portion by the suction power generating mechanism.