Apr 14, 2020 
ITW EAE is announcing new features for the MPM® Edison™ Printer. Board staging, designed to meet the demands from Automotive manufacturers for reduced cycle time, will now be a feature on the Edison. And the new EdgeLoc™ II is a robust addition to the side-clamming capability on the Edison.
The new board staging feature offers the ability to have three boards in the machine simultaneously. Reduced distance on the input conveyor by pre-loading the board during the print process results in reduced transfer times and improved cycle time and throughput.
The new EdgeLoc II board clamping system securely holds the board during printing using a side snugging technique. This removes the need for top clamps which interfere with the PCB to stencil contact. The result is optimal gasketing and more volumetrically consistent edge-to-edge prints. A large, flat squeegee landing area protects the squeegee blade and stencil from damage. Robust flippers engage to secure the board across the top edge to ensure board flatness and remove any warpage. The board is then gripped from the side with software-controlled pressure before the flippers move out of the way for printing.
The MPM Edison also offers board clamping that can change between edge and top clamping with a simple software selection. EdgeLoc+ can hold thin boards with the top clamps while simultaneously adding light edge clamping force for maximum flexibility.
“We will be presenting the new EdgeLoc board clamping and board staging features for Edison at the upcoming Productronica show,” said Wayne Wang, MPM Business Manager. “We are developing new technology for the entire MPM printer line to meet the needs of the market through customer back innovation.”
ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc., is the global leader in process knowledge, services and manufacture of capital equipment used in the printed circuit board assembly and semiconductor industries. The group brings together the world’s leading brands of electronics assembly equipment: MPM Printers, Camalot Dispensers, Electrovert Cleaners and Soldering Solutions, Vitronics Soltec Soldering Solutions and Despatch Thermal Processing Technology. For more information visit www.itweae.com.
