CORFIN AUTOMATION

The ATS-300 is an automated in-line tinning system for axial leaded components. This system is typically used to comply with the solderability and cleanliness requirements of MIL-STD 2000, MIL-PRF-19500, MIL-PRF-38534, and MIL-PRF-38535. The system is comprised of a central processing module and may be equipped with several input and output handling options. The ATS-300 may be placed in-line with inspection or other equipment to eliminate handling. The ATS-300 system is designed for flexibility, to allow the processing of a wide range of axial components, with varying body lengths. The flux and solder modules have adjustable positions to allow the operator to control the space between each wave for different body lengths. 

The ATS-300 system may be specified to run lead-free alloys with little or no equipment modification. To convert existing machines to lead-free requires only a change in solder module to avoid contamination.

	apply flux to both leads
	preheat component
	apply solder to the first lead
	apply solder to the second lead
	post-clean and dry the complete component

 

 

CORFIN Model ATS-300 (click on drawing to enlarge)

The central processing module is a completely enclosed welded tubular steel structure. Sliding glass panels are provided in the front and rear of the system so the process may be easily viewed and monitored. Vent stacks are located along the top of the system. The standard system has a footprint of 146" long by 34" wide by 77" high (3708 x 864 x 1955mm). It includes:

The system is equipped with explosion-proof interior lighting, giving good visibility in the process area. Spill trays with drains under each module facilitate clean-up and maintenance. 
Operator controls are located above the process modules on the upper panel. These include Emergency Stop buttons at each end of the system and Alarm Reset switches. Controls and indicators for Service Utilities, Conveyor Control, Alarm Status and specific module control settings are also located on these panels. 
Door and Window interlocks prevent operators from accessing the interior of the system during processing. The standard door interlock package provides interlocks on all doors covering electrical power cabinets. The standard window interlock package provides interlocks on all sliding windows in the main processing module.

COMPONENT CONVEYOR

The variable speed component conveyor has a range of 0 to 30 feet per minute (0 - 9.1 m/min). There are 12 grippers per foot on the conveyor chain, thereby providing a typical throughput of 14,400 components per hour (based on 12 grippers / foot and speed of 20 feet per minute; 2/3 of maximum). 
The gripper assemblies are fitted with fingertips, custom designed to hold the axial components by the body. This feature allows in-line processing of the components and ensures part to part repeatability. The conveyor chain and cam-actuated gripper assemblies are all constructed of stainless steel to withstand the process environment. The snap-fit fingertips, designed so they can be changed quickly, are made from titanium which prevents solder from adhering to them during processing. 
Also incorporated as a standard feature is a finger cleaner. The finger cleaner is located directly above the post-cleaning module. It uses feed water to completely rinse the conveyor chain and gripper/finger assemblies, eliminating any flux residue build-up and greatly reducing maintenance requirements. Sheet metal safety guards with clear acrylic windows are provided to enclose the conveyor and fingers at each end of the system. 

WAVE FLUXING MODULE

The fluxing module has a wave flux pot constructed of PVC. The height of the flux wave is adjusted by a thumb wheel potentiometer, which controls a variable-speed D.C. motor pump. Air knives are used to remove excess flux, thereby eliminating solder splash and solder balls during the soldering process. A drain is provided, as is overflow protection. This allows for speedy clean-up at the end of the work schedule, or rapid changeover if more than one type of flux is being used. This module can accommodate all standard flux types. 

CONVECTION PREHEATER

The 18" long convection preheater module uses compressed air feeding through in-line heaters into a stainless steel enclosure that directs the hot air stream through slot nozzles on either side of the component. The thermocouple sensor is in the hot air stream and feeds back actual air temperature to a digital controller with high and low limit alarms. 

SOLDER MODULES

The two individual solder modules have stainless steel solder pots. These solder pots roll in and out by means of lead screws to facilitate position adjustment and access for maintenance. A positive stop ensures repeatability when returning to the operating position. The wave of the first solder pot in line tins one of the axial leads of the component; the wave on the second pot is adjusted, depending on the length of the component body, to tin the opposite lead. Each pot has its own thermally protected D.C. motor driven pump, which provides precise wave height control in the solder nozzle, adjustable via thumbwheel potentiometer. 
Each module is equipped with a digital temperature controller with high and low temperature alarms (audible and visual). A low solder level alarm is also standard. The system uses two non-contact heaters, which uniformly heat the walls of the pot, thereby minimizing the danger of an eruption during the warm-up phase. Corfin's dual chamber pot is designed to draw solder from the base of the pot, eliminating dross recirculation through the wave

INERTING SYSTEM

Each solder pot is equipped with an inert gas enclosure around the solder wave, with stainless steel gas diffusers that provide a non-turbulent protective gas cover over the wave. The controlled atmosphere reduces dross formation on the solder wave, promotes wetting and ensures uniform solder coverage of the component leads. The process of solder coating component leads is greatly enhanced by the inerting process, with the virtual elimination of icicles and flags. A stainless steel shroud that covers the rear of the solder pot, including the pump area, is injected with inert gas to reduce the formation of dross and black powder from the pump shaft. Consumption of solder and maintenance times are greatly reduced by the inerting system. 

POST-CLEANER MODULE

A two stage stainless steel cleaning module is supplied with all ATS-300 systems. The standard configuration for aqueous cleaning has a turbulent wave wash section with recirculating pump, followed by a spray rinse section. Hot feed water is supplied to the rinse section, ensuring that the components are rinsed clean before exiting the module. The rinse water then cascades to wash section and is recirculated by pump through the turbulent wave nozzle. An immersion heater located in the wash section maintains the water at the set temperature. 
Overflow from the wash section goes to drain, or may be recycled through an existing or optional recovery/treatment system. The post-cleaning module may be supplied with tap, reverse osmosis, or deionized water depending on customer process requirements. Flow rate for the cleaning module is adjustable via a flow meter; generally 1.5 - 2.5 gpm (5.7 - 9.5 litres/min) provides good cleaning results. 

POST-CLEAN BLOW-OFF / DRYER

At the exit end of the cleaning module there are two air blow-off nozzles that remove the large droplets of water. Devices then enter the drying module where specially designed nozzles remove residual water. 

HOT AIR DRYER MODULE

A hot air dryer is installed just prior to the discharge of the components, thus assuring that all moisture is removed prior to repackaging. It uses compressed air feeding through in-line heaters into a stainless steel enclosure that directs the hot air stream through slot nozzles on either side of the component. The thermocouple sensor is in the hot air stream and feeds back actual air temperature to a digital controller with high and low limit alarms. 

PRECLEANING MODULE

The precleaning module is designed to remove severe oxidation from component leads prior to the tinning process. To accommodate the preclean module requires an extended frame for the machine; the frame is extended by one section, adding 40" (1 m) to the overall length of the machine. The module is comprised of three stages.
The first stage is the deoxidizer tank, which is completely enclosed and has its own venting system. It utilizes a variable speed D.C. motor driven recirculation pump to provide a turbulent bi-directional wave for effective removal of oxides from the component leads. CPVC construction makes it compatible with most commercial pre-cleaning solutions. A Teflon coated immersion heater is provided to heat the pre-cleaning liquid and a digital temperature controller maintains the set temperature. The immersion heater is protected by a compressed air purge and flow switch. A separate pump is provided to feed pre-clean solution from a container housed in the base of the machine in order to maintain the correct liquid level in the tank. This auto liquid feeder provides level control with a high and low limit. 
The second stage is an aqueous spray rinse with fresh hot water feed. This removes residual precleaning solution from the components and prevents contamination of the flux. A set of compressed air blow-off nozzles follows the spray rinse. 
The third stage is a compressed air blow-off module which removes residual rinse water from the devices.

FLUX DENSITY CONTROLLER

The flux density controller is designed to control the specific gravity of the flux. Once the operator has set the recommended specific gravity, the controller will automatically add the necessary amount of flux or thinner to maintain the setting and the proper level in the flux pot. The FDC unit has a built-in temperature compensation feature. 

HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLDER MODULES

For certain alloys and processes, higher than normal operating temperatures are required. A specially treated stainless steel solder pot, pump and nozzle assembly are available for operating temperatures in excess of 650oF (343oC). This option is also required if lead-free alloys are used in the process. 

AUTOMATIC SOLDER FEEDER

This unit draws solder wire from a 44 lb (20 kg) spool. When a signal is received from a fixed probe at the surface of the solder, the DC motor/wire feeder drives the required quantity of solder wire through a guide tube into the solder pot. The probe is positioned to maintain a constant pre-set solder level. The unit is self-contained and functions automatically. .

DETAPING DEVICE

A detaping device may be used for processing taped axial components. This device mechanically removes the tape from the ends of the leads, then singulates and presents the components to the conveyor fingers for processing. 

BULK FEED

A "Jacobs Ladder" is used to sort and singulate loose components and load them on a transfer wheel which presents them to the conveyor fingers for processing. The bulk feed requires that the components have straight leads. 

LEAD STRAIGHTENER

This device is designed to straighten component leads prior to off-loading them to the bulk feed. 

POLARITY INDEXER

 This device is designed to index the components in the same polarity direction. This device is mounted at the exit end of the lead straightener. 

VIBRATOR BOWL FEEDER SYSTEM  

To fully automate the processing of feeding loose axial components a vibratory bowl may be added. This bowl can be adjusted to handle virtually any size of axial component. Components with badly bent leads will be automatically rejected by the bowl. 

TAPING DEVICE

The taping device accepts parts from the discharge of the central processing module. This device requires that the component leads be straight. It can be easily and quickly changed over to accommodate a wide variety of parts. Component spacing on the tape is selectable at .200", .400", or .600" centre to centre distance. This device may also be used as a stand-alone system for taping loose axial components. 

COMPUTER CONTROL PACKAGE

The Computer Control and Data Acquisition Package consists of a customized version of Wonderware's Intouch. Intouch process control software allows users to monitor, control, generate alarms, store data, and graphically display archived data. Corfin has used Intouch and its many powerful features to produce a data acquisition package designed specifically for your tinning system. 
Intouch runs on a personal computer supplied as part of this option package and interfaces with the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) on the tinning system. The program is easy to install and easy to use. A printer (not supplied) is recommended if hard copy printouts are desired. The printer must utilize the parallel printer port. 

UPPER PANEL COVERS AND LOCKS

Transparent acrylic panels can be installed with locks to restrict access to any of the process controls on the overhead panels. Strategic cut-outs in the panel can permit operator access to customer specified controls. 

ADDITIONAL SET OF INSTRUCTION MANUALS

The hard-copy operating manual for the system is normally supplied in two 3-ring binders; one with the operating and maintenance instructions; one with a full set of bills, assembly drawings, and electrical schematics. This option provides a full duplicate set of binders. 

CD-ROM ELECTRONIC MANUAL

The operating manual, with full system bills of materials, assembly drawings, and electrical schematics are supplied on CD-ROM allowing loading to standard PC. The electronic manual has internal "links" for ease of access. Any part of the manual, including drawings, can then be printed out if a duplicate copy is required. 

SPARE PARTS KIT

The spares kit is recommended to ensure that first line spare parts are available at customer location. The 5% of system cost guideline is normally sufficient to ensure a comprehensive range of essential spares. 

Safety features are built into the ATS-300 and are clearly outlined in the systems complete operating manual.
Audio and visual alarms are standard on the system to monitor the levels and temperature in each module and report any fault conditions. The operator may stop the audible alarm using the alarm reset button, however the visual alarm will continue until the fault condition is corrected.
If the conveyor is stopped for any reason while processing components, the entire conveyor assembly automatically lifts clear of the process modules, eliminating the potential for thermal or chemical damage to any components that are in process.
An exhaust system with interlock ensures that all process fumes are evacuated from the machine. Where appropriate, local venting at the process modules supplements the overall evacuation of the process chamber.
Door and window interlocks protect the operator from electrical hazards and from moving parts in the process chamber.