Abstract: A feeding assembly and a method of feeding components comprising a track along which components can be moved, said track comprising a sloped surface and a ledge, wherein said sloped surface slopes in a direction perpendicular to the direction which the components move along the track so that the components maintain a tilted orientation as they move along the track, a pickup platform comprising a pocket which can receive components from said track, and a pivot on which the pickup platform can be selectively rotated between a first position and second position. In the first position, the pocket is aligned with the track and the pocket is parallel with the sloped surface of the track, so that a component can move from the track into the pocket of the pickup platform. In the second position the pocket is in a horizontal orientation.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a component handling assembly which comprises, a transport system which comprises a track, and a plurality of shuttles, wherein each of said shuttles can be driven individually and independently of one another along the track; and wherein each of said shuttles comprise a pick-up-head which can hold a component; a plurality of stations located proximate to the track, said plurality of stations comprising, a picking station at which the pickup head on a shuttle can pick components from a tray located in said picking station; at least one vision inspection station, which comprises one or more cameras, at which a component which has been picked from the picking station and transported to the vision inspection station can be inspected; and at least one of, a placing station at which the pickup head on a shuttle can place a component onto a tray, and/or, a tape station at which the pickup head on a shuttle can place a component into a pocket of a tape.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a feeding assembly comprising, a track along which components can be moved, said track comprising a sloped surface and a ledge, wherein said sloped surface slopes in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction which the components move along the track so that the components are maintained in a tilted orientation as they move along the track; a pickup platform which comprises a pocket which can receive components from said track; wherein the feeding assembly further comprise a pivot on which the pickup platform can be selectively rotated between a first position and second position, wherein in its first position the pocket is aligned with the track and the pocket is parallel with the sloped surface of the track, so that a component can move from the track into the pocket of the pickup platform, and in its second position the pocket is in a horizontal orientation.

Abstract: A feeder assembly includes a hopper which can receive components to be fed and a sorting means which comprises at least a first mesh and a second mesh having different sized openings. The size of the openings in one of the meshes is larger than the size of the openings in the other mesh, so that the mesh with the larger sized openings can separate good components from malformed components and particles which are larger than the size of a good component, and the mesh with the smaller sized openings can separate good components from malformed components and particles which are smaller than the size of a good component. A first track can receive good components from the sorting means. The first track vibrates so as to move good components along the first track. One or more baffles positioned along the first track move good components into a predefined orientation. Also disclosed area method of feeding and a component handling assembly.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method of inspecting a component (10), using an assembly comprising a camera (3) with a fixed position, and a moveable stage (5), wherein the moveable stage is configured such that it can rotate about a rotation axis (7), and, can move linearly along two linear axes (9a, 9b) wherein said two linear axes are perpendicular to one another and wherein both of said two linear axes are each perpendicular to the rotation axis, the method comprising the steps of, (a) providing a first component into a predefined orientation on the stage, such that a first side of the component is facing a camera; (b) moving the stage linearly along one or more of said two linear axes so as to bring the first side of the first component into focus of the camera; (c) capturing an image of the first side of the first component after it has been brought into focus of the camera.

Abstract: According the present invention there is provided a method for adjusting a component handling assembly, the component handling assembly comprising, a plurality of stations at least some of which have a nest which can receive a component, and a rotatable turret having a plurality of component handling heads, and wherein the turret can rotate to transport components between the plurality of stations, the method comprising the steps of, capturing a first image of a reference element located at a first station, using a camera which is located on the rotatable turret; identifying the position in the first image of the center of the reference element; rotating the turret so that the camera on the turret is in a position where it can capture a second image of nest of a second station; capturing a second image of the nest of the second station, using said camera; identifying the position in the second image of the center of the nest of the second station; superimposing a marker on the second image at the same positio

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method of handling components on a carrier, the method comprising the steps of, providing a carrier having a plurality of components supported thereon; testing the plurality of components to identify good components and bad components, wherein good components are those components which successfully pass testing and bad components are those components which fail testing; defining a first good components to be picked from the carrier; defining an integer number of components to be a jump value; locating a pickup head, which is operable to pick components from the carrier, above a first reference position on the carrier; identifying one or more good components, which are within the jump value from the first reference position; moving the pickup head or the carrier so that the pickup head is centered above at least one of the one or more good components; moving the pickup head or the carrier, so that the pickup head is moved from above said at least one of th

Abstract: According the present invention there is provided a method for adjusting a component handling assembly, the component handling assembly comprising, a plurality of stations at least some of which have a nest which can receive a component, and a rotatable turret having a plurality of component handling heads, and wherein the turret can rotate to transport components between the plurality of stations, the method comprising the steps of, capturing a first image of a reference element located at a first station, using a camera which is located on the rotatable turret; identifying the position in the first image of the centre of the reference element; rotating the turret so that the camera on the turret is in a position where it can capture a second image of nest of a second station; capturing a second image of the nest of the second station, using said camera; identifying the position in the second image of the centre of the nest of the second station; superimposing a marker on the second image at the same positio

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided method of handling components, the method comprising the steps of: (a) aligning a component into a predefined orientation using an alignment means; (b) placing the component onto a predefined position on a boat which is located in a loading area; (c) capturing a first image of the component after it has been placed on the boat with a first camera; (d) using the first image to identify if the component is in a predefined orientation on the boat; (e) if the component is not in said predefined orientation on the boat, then picking the component from the boat and aligning the component again using said alignment means. There is further provided a corresponding assembly for handling components.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for testing electrical and optical parameters of a group of light-emitting devices, the method comprising the steps of, bringing the group of devices to a test position wherein light emitted by the devices in the group can be received into an integrating sphere; performing, electrical testing of the devices in the group in parallel, so that electrical parameters of each of the devices in the group can be determined; performing, in a sequential device-by-device manner, optical testing of the devices in the group, so that optical parameters of each of the devices in the group can be determined. There is further provided a corresponding assembly.

Abstract: A nest includes a fix part, and a movable part, wherein the fix part and movable part are configured to cooperate so as to define a pocket which can receive at least a part of an electrical component, wherein the movable part is moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the pocket is open so that at least part of the electrical component can be moved into the pocket, and in the second position the pocket is closed so that the at least part of the electrical component positioned in the pocket is secured within the pocket, wherein the nest further includes a biasing means which is arranged to bias the movable part towards its second position. There is further provided a nest assembly, a component handling assembly, and a table that includes the nest.

Abstract: A method for filling a carrier tape (10) with electronic components (12) and for removing and replacing defective electronic components (13) from the carrier tape, comprising the steps of: at a filling station (1), loading an electronic component in a pocket (11) of the carrier tape (10), moving said carrier tape (10) forward, automatically detecting that said electronic component which is defective, moving said carrier tape backward, and unloading the defective electronic component (13) from the carrier tape (10), at said filling station (1), filling said packet with a new electronic component.

Abstract: A testing device for measuring the light characteristics of an electronic component includes an inlet at one end at which an electronic component can be presented for testing. A shutter is located at the inlet and is moveable between a first open position in which an electronic component can be received into the inlet, and a second closed position in which the shutter can overlay at least the majority of a nest on which said electronic component is supported, so that the shutter prevents light emitted by the electronic component from being diverted away from the testing device. The shutter includes at least one sliding door that can be slid to move the shutter into its first and second open positions. The at least one sliding door includes a cut out portion that defines said opening when the shutter is in its second closed position.

Abstract: A wafer handler including, a wafer loading station (3) for loading a wafer (1) mounted on a tack film (2); a tensioner (30) for tensioning the tacky film; a picking module (66) for successively picking a plurality of devices from the wafer; a vision system (5, 50) with one or several cameras (50) for capturing a first image of the wafer or of portions of the wafer, the first image showing a plurality of devices, wherein the vision system is arranged for determining from the first image the individual position of a plurality of devices. The wafer handler further includes an additional camera (63) positioned proximate to the picking module (66) and arranged for capturing an second image of a device to be picked, wherein the second image is used for fine adjustment of the wafer so that the device to be picked is centered under the picking module.

Abstract: An assembly for testing performance of a component includes a rotatable turret having component handling heads each of which can hold a component and a rotatable head assembly that includes a rotatable head having one or more nests. Each nest has an electrical contact and can receive a component that electrically connects to the nest's electrical contact. Each nest can hold a component that remains electrically connected to the electrical contact, as the head rotates. The rotatable head is adjacent to the turret to pass a component directly from a component handling head on the turret to a nest on the head. A processor is in electrical communication with the electrical contact(s) of the nests such that the processor can send command signals to a component held in a nest and receive response signals from the component. The processor determines the performance of the component from the response signals.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a component handling assembly, comprising, an index table which comprises one or more nests each of which is configured to cooperate with a component to hold the component as the index table is indexed, wherein the one or more nests are configured such that a component which cooperates with a nest is supported above the nest so that the one or more nests can cooperate with components of various sizes, and an alignment means operable to move a component into a predefined orientation before a component co-operates with a nest on the index table. There is further provided a corresponding method of handling a component.

Abstract: An inspection device, suitable for use when inspecting a component for defects, including a cluster of lights which are arranged into two or more groups of lights, wherein the cluster of lights is configured such that each group of lights can be operated asynchronously to the other group(s) of lights so that light can be directed asynchronously at a component, from different directions; an image capturing means which is configured to capture an image of a component when each of the groups of lights are lit, to provide a plurality of images, each image showing the component lit from a different direction; a processing means configured to perform arithmetic computation using the images, so as to provide a single image in which defects in the component can be more easily identified. Also, a corresponding method of inspecting a component and a lighting arrangement with a dome and a diffuser.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for aligning a small-size component with vacuum pick-up nozzles within turrets used with electronic components or assembly equipments. The method comprises the steps of picking-up the component with a pick-up nozzle; measuring a position of the component in respect to a defined value; bringing the component held by the pick-up nozzle in contact with a aligning device; holding the component with the aligning device and; moving the aligning device in order to align the component based on the position measurement.

Abstract: A device for the automatic coiling and/or uncoiling on reels (28) of a flexible tape carrier of electronic components (60), the device comprising a coiling location (80) where a reel (28) can be connected to a rotation actuator, and retractable tape guides (35), consisting of articulated jaws (35) that can be closed together forming a channel to guide the flexible tape (60) and connect a free end of the flexible (60) tape (60) to a hub (29) of the reel (28), the device further having a stopper element (87) that engages with the slot in the reel hub, in order to stop the reel in a position in which the slot is aligned with the tape guide.

Abstract: A wafer handler including, a wafer loading station (3) for loading a wafer (1) mounted on a tack film (2); a tensioner (30) for tensioning the tacky film; a picking module (66) for successively picking a plurality of devices from the wafer; a vision system (5, 50) with one or several cameras (50) for capturing a first image of the wafer or of portions of the wafer, the first image showing a plurality of devices, wherein the vision system is arranged for determining from the first image the individual position of a plurality of devices. The wafer handler further includes an additional camera (63) positioned proximate to the picking module (66) and arranged for capturing an second image of a device to be picked, wherein the second image is used for fine adjustment of the wafer so that the device to be picked is centered under the picking module.