General description

The planned arrangement of feed rollers and the optimal allocation of friction coefficient of individual rollers allow prevention of possible meandering flow of substrates and improvement of motion control for straight transport.

Explanation

Explanation in this session focuses on the structural design to ensure transfer in a consistent straight line using the 3-rows independent feed roller system.

1)The number of rollers arranged and the planned arrangement

・ Increased stability of substrate transfer can be attained by making proper provisions to ensure well-balanced allocation of frictional force acting on individual rollers arranged to support each substrate.

2) Optimal allocation of friction coefficient of individual rollers to support each substrate

・ To ensure straight transport of loads being transported on the transfer line, the direction of action of frictional force for transport must be made straight.
・ For this purpose, optimal allocation of frictional force acting on individual rollers should be considered based on the concept of making the direction of action of frictional force easy to become straight even if the substrate support positions vary, by controlling the friction coefficient at each substrate support point of a roller.
・ The feed rollers equipped with rubber-made O-rings for transmission of frictional force and the auxiliary feed rollers made from plastic of smaller friction coefficient for auxiliary support of substrates are arranged alternately. This supports a flat plate at a total of 9 points, and at 5 or 4 of the 9 points, frictional force is transmitted, thus ensuring stable transfer.
・ The plan of arrangement of rollers with O-rings (Fig.1-Pattern A) provides agreement with the points for measurement of thickness of flat plates, showing a fundamental pattern for flat plate support.
・ The relation between substrates and roller positions in Pattern B, different from Pattern A, in which substrates move on the transfer line, is shown (in Fig.1-Pattern B).
・ Combined adoption of two roller arrangement patterns, A and B, facilitates linear movement of each substrate under well-balanced distribution of frictional force.