Cutting apparatus, tray, and transport system
A cutting apparatus includes a chuck table having a holding surface used for holding either a workpiece unit that includes a plate-shaped workpiece supported on an annular frame by a tape or a tray shaped similarly to the annular frame, a rest area used for placing a receptacle that houses the workpiece unit or the tray, a transport unit configured to transport the workpiece unit or the tray between the rest area and the chuck table, the transport unit having a holding pad that holds the workpiece unit or the tray, a sub-chuck table that is disposed sideways of the chuck table and has a holding surface used for holding a board for use in adjusting a cutting unit, and a board transport unit configured to transport the board between the tray held on the chuck table and the sub-chuck table.
1 . A cutting apparatus comprising:
a cutting unit having a spindle with a cutting blade mounted on the spindle;
a chuck table having a holding surface used for holding either a workpiece unit that includes a plate-shaped workpiece supported on an annular frame by a tape or a tray shaped similarly to the annular frame, wherein the holding surface is connected to a suction source such that the suction source is configured and arranged to apply a negative pressure to the holding surface to hold either the workpiece unit or the tray thereon;
a processing feed unit that has a drive source and moves the chuck table along a processing feed direction;
an indexing feed unit that has a drive source and moves the cutting unit along an indexing feed direction perpendicular to the processing feed direction;
a rest area used for placing a receptacle that houses the workpiece unit or the tray;
a transport unit configured to transport the workpiece unit or the tray between the rest area and the chuck table, the transport unit having a first holding pad that holds the workpiece unit or the tray;
a sub-chuck table that is disposed sideways of the chuck table and that includes a holding surface that is at a height different than the holding surface of the chuck table, and wherein the holding surface of the sub-chuck table is used for holding a board for use in adjusting the cutting unit; and
a board transport unit configured to transport the board between the tray held on the chuck table and the sub-chuck table,
wherein the board transport unit includes:
a second holding pad that holds the board, and
an air-driven actuator that is supported, together with the cutting unit, on the indexing feed unit and moves the second holding pad, between a position where the second holding pad contacts the board held by the sub-chuck table and a position above the holding surface of the chuck table and the holding surface of the sub-chuck table, along a direction perpendicular to the processing feed direction and the indexing feed direction.
2 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tray storage area disposed below the rest area and used for storing the tray,
wherein the transport unit transports the tray between the tray storage area and the chuck table.
3 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the board comprises a dressing board.
4 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the dressing board is made of abrasive grains bound together by a binding agent.
5 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the abrasive grains comprise white alundum.
6 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the abrasive grains comprise green carborundum.
7 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the binding agent comprises resin.
8 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the binding agent comprises ceramic.
9 . The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rest area comprises an upper surface of a lifting table, and
wherein the cutting apparatus further comprises:
the lifting table is configured and arranged to be raised and lowered; and
a tray storage area disposed below the rest area defined by the upper surface of the lifting table, and wherein the tray storage area is configured and arranged for storing the tray, and further wherein the transport unit transports the tray between the tray storage area and the chuck table.