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In Focus - Archives Septembre 2008
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Measuring application for testing silicon wafers.
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01.09.2008 -
The importance and the use of cleanrooms is constantly on the rise, because miniaturization, micromechanics and nanotechnology, in addition to increasingly stringent requirements for high-quality production of components and process quality of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and foods make it increasingly important to completely control the ambient conditions for production and to limit in particular the number and size of the particles.
Cleanrooms offer the required controlled conditions and therefore enable the use of production processes that would be inconceivable under less favorable ambient conditions.
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EN ISO 14644
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One of the most important standards for cleanrooms and associated cleanroom areas is EN ISO 14644, which supersedes the old US Federal Standard 209E as of July 1999.
Part 1 of EN ISO 14644 deals with the classification of air purity and defines a cleanroom as a room “in which the concentration of airborne particles is controlled and which is designed and used so that the number of particles carried into the room or particles originating in the room and deposited in the room is minimized and in which other purity-related parameters, such as temperature, humidity and pressure, can be controlled as needed.”
According to the standard, the classification of cleanrooms is based on the following calculation formula:
cn = 10N * (0,1 / D)2,08
Cn is the maximum value for the particle concentration (in particles per cubic meter of air) of airborne particles, which is equal to or greater than the given particle size. N is the ISO classification number and cannot be higher than 9. D is the given particle size, specified in micrometers.
The calculation formula indicates for each class how high the concentration of particles of a particular size can be. Normally, the resulting values are depicted in the form of a table.
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The table above shows, for example, that per cubic meter of air in Class 1 cleanrooms the maximum number of airborne particles with a size of up to 0.1 µm is ten and the maximum number of particles with a size of up to 0.2 µm is two.
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Alternatively, the maximum permissible particle distribution can be depicted as a graph.
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Unique worldwide: comprehensive certification at SCHUNK
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“To meet the growing demand for cleanroom-compatible components and solutions, SCHUNK has certified a total of 10 series of various product types from many segments of its product spectrum”, says Dr.-Ing. Florian Simons, who works in advance development at SCHUNK. “That makes our company the leading manufacturer of automation solutions that can offer its customers certified components for all handling tasks, both for gripping and for turning and linear transport”.
This also allows SCHUNK to continue to develop its industry orientation. The family-operated enterprise pursues the goal of providing tailor-made solutions for the specific requirements of the individual industries. Cleanroom is a main focus of this development, since it affects many different industries and therefore is a subject of intense interest in diverse industrial sectors – from micro assembly to the manufacture of semiconductors, from medical technology to food production.
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Entire series certified
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The LMG food gripper is a sealed 180° angular gripper with a hygienic design and protection class IP 69 K for the automated handling of foods.
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The tests preceding the certifications were conducted by independent testing institutes; the test results were submitted to TÜV Süd, which then issued the certificates.
In addition to individual components from the SCHUNK product spectrum, entire series are also certified, for example the pneumatic parallel grippers of the PGN-plus, DPG-plus and MPG series, the 3-finger centric grippers of the PZN-plus, DPZ-plus and MPZ series, the rotary module of the SRU series or the linear modules of the LM and KLM series. These series comply with the requirements of cleanroom class 5, although a gripper of the PGN-plus series with a protective sleeve fulfills the requirements of cleanroom class 2 and the hygiene-safe grippers of type LMG 44 even attain cleanroom class 1 – which is absolutely tops!
“Where entire series were certified, the series always received the certification of the size with the highest emission”, explains industry manager Thomas Conz, Engineer (BA). “Since smaller components tend to emit fewer particles than larger components, this means that the smaller sizes of a series frequently have better ratings than would be indicated by the series certification.”
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Numerous applications in various industries
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As the following examples show, cleanroom certified products from SCHUNK are used in numerous industries.
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Sensitive wafer handling
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Gripping system for 300 mm silicon wafer.
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For an application in the semiconductor industry, a wafer disk with a diameter of 300 mm needed to be handled sensitively and reliably. SCHUNK offers so-called edge grippers for various wafer sizes from 150 – 400 mm up to cleanroom class 1.
The solution is based on three parallel grippers of the type LGP, which were integrated in a star-shaped base body made of a laserforming material. The base body is smooth and nearly without joints; the anodized gripper fingers are additionally coated with plastic in order to enable sensitive gripping and to prevent micro breakouts. A capacitive sensor is used for presence monitoring. Since the special gripper is based on standard components, a very economical solution could be found to fulfill the requirements.
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Contactless gripping of solar cells
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Gripping system uses ultrasound to generate an air bearing for contactless manipulation of the cell.
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A photovoltaic manufacturer needed to handle solar cells with a thickness of only 100-160 µm with low impact to the product, to minimize breakage, increase process reliability and reduce the reject rate.
SCHUNK uses a contactless ultrasonic gripper for this task. This gripping technology generates no friction, enables lifting of workpieces with sensitive surfaces and also allows contactless stabilizing of workpieces with unstable forms.
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Hygiene safety in medical technology
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Assembly of inhaler housings
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Components from SCHUNK are also used in the medical technology and pharmaceutical industries.
For example, Boehringer Ingelheim microParts GmbH has been using grippers of the PGN and MPG series for years for the precision and hygiene-safe assembly of inhalers for respiratory preparations.
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Robot doses medications
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The required dose of diluent is added to a medication in powder form before it is reconstituted in the mixing station according to the mix profile.
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The Canadian manufacturer Intelligent Hospital Systems used its RIVA system to develop a robotics solution that fills disposable syringes and infusion bags with precisely dosed medications in hospital pharmacies.
The system uses servo-electric grippers of the PG70 and MEG50 series, which eliminate certain hygiene risks since they operate without compressed air. The advanced electronic gripper controller makes it possible to precisely control parameters such as gripping forces or closing speeds. This enables sensitive handling of diverse products, such as bottles, syringes and infusion bags.
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Precision assembly of automotive light bulbs
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Precision assembly of automotive light bulbs using the KTG gripper for small components.
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A renowned manufacturer of light bulbs uses cleanroom certified grippers of the KTG series for the assembly of automotive light bulbs. The positioning of the filament is monitored by a camera system from the SCHUNK cooperation partner Vision & Control. The camera system measures the correct positioning of the filament and initiates a correction of the position in the range of hundredths of millimeters in the event that tolerances in the positioning are exceeded.
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Efficient PCB assembly
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PCB assembly with the MPG gripper for small components.
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Due to their high precision and reliability, cleanroom compatible grippers from SCHUNK are also used in electronics manufacturing. For example, a major manufacturer of electronic modules assembles PCBs with miniature electronic components. The various gripping modules are mounted on the customer’s assembly turret, in which special adapter plates enable a hose-free compressed air supply. The boards are supplied via a conveyor belt. Each gripper of the assembly turret equips the boards consecutively with another component, so that several process steps can be executed at each station.
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These applications illustrate the diversity of the requirements for cleanroom solutions in various industries – and how SCHUNK responds to the requirements of its customers with a high degree of professional competence and a broad spectrum of certified products and solutions.
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12.2008
Quick jaw change brings flexibility and substantial savings
Flexibility in production is a crucial competitive advantage. Only companies that can respond to demand with flexible yet absolutely precise production can supply their customers rapidly with a constantly increasing variety of products without needing to build up expensive and inefficient stocks.
 Pour en savoir plus…
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11.2008
Pneumatics or mechatronics? … It all depends!
To date, pneumatically driven gripper modules have been used primarily in gripper technology. Recently, however, more and more electric grippers have been coming onto the market. Both competing systems have powerful arguments in their favor.
Pour en savoir plus…
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10.2008
High-Performance-Cutting (HPC)
Hard on the outside, clever on the inside: Toolholder systems developed especially for HPC that have strong rigidity as well as good vibration dampening provide clear benefits for HPC.
Pour en savoir plus…
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09.2008
Cleanroom
The importance and the use of cleanrooms in assembly and handling are constantly increasing.
Pour en savoir plus…
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08.2008
Clamping Force / Torque
We are frequently confronted with torques on a daily basis, even though we do not recognize them as such.
Pour en savoir plus…
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07.2008
Convenient robot or attractively priced spindle gripper?
A significant potential for increasing efficiency in modern machining processes is the automated loading and unloading of the machines.
Pour en savoir plus…
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06.2008
Polygon clamping technology - round pegs in polygonal holes
The principle behind polygon clamping is surprisingly simple. The know-how that makes it work is however highly advanced.
Pour en savoir plus…
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05.2008
Packaging
A package for everything
Packaging is a universal function that is required in practically every industry and meanwhile is so important that it has become a separate industry itself.
Pour en savoir plus…
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04.2008
Magnetic clamping technology has strong attraction
Workpiece clamping with electroermanent magnets reduces set-up times by up to 50 percent and brings about significant advantages especially in the manufacture of large parts.
Pour en savoir plus…
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03.2008
Quick-change systems speed up production
Changing systems for components such as grippers and tools add a high degree of flexibility to production processes
Pour en savoir plus…
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02.2008
Vibration damping
Improves surface quality and reduces wear on the tool and spindle.
Pour en savoir plus…
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In Focus - 2013
In Focus - Archives 2012
In Focus - Archives 2011
In Focus - Archives 2010
In Focus - Archives 2009
In Focus - Archives 2008
In Focus - Archives 2007
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