Method for assembling a carrier for integrated circuits

1. A method for assembling a carrier for integrated circuits, said carrier having upper and lower parts, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the lower part in a bottom clamp portion retained in a bottom clamp receptacle;

positioning a top clamp portion in a top clamp receptacle, the clamp portions being configured to engage each other in a locking manner;

positioning the upper part in a first gripper;

applying adhesive to at least one of the parts;

pressing said upper part onto the bottom part retained by the bottom clamp receptacle with the first gripper, whilst retrieving the top clamp portion with a second gripper; and

locking the top clamp portion to the bottom clamp portion with the second gripper to clamp the parts together.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning the carrier parts includes positioning carrier parts molded from a liquid crystal polymer (LCP).

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning the carrier parts includes receiving carrier parts which define a plurality of discrete fluid paths when operatively joined to form a fluid supply carrier for the printhead circuitry.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of applying adhesive includes dispensing the adhesive with an adhesive dispenser onto a surface and dipping at least part of the gripped upper part in such dispensed adhesive with said first gripper.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , carried out with an apparatus that defines a single-user station and including the step of monitoring an operational status of the apparatus.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , including the step of reading identifiers on the carrier parts and relaying data representing the identifiers to a control system of the apparatus.