SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS AND SCREEN PRINTING METHOD
A screen printing apparatus and a screen printing method facilitating to adjust a state of filling a paste. By adjusting a pneumatic pressure of pressing a squeezee 9 a formed with a flexible region at at least a portion thereof to a surface of a mask 2, the squeezee 9 a is moved up and down to follow recesses and projections of a surface of the mask 2 substantially in real time and an attack angle θ in sliding is maintained substantially constant. Thereby, a state of filling a paste can be stabilized without being influenced by recesses and projections of the surface of the mask 2 and promotion of a print quality can be expected. Further, bending is produced at the squeezee 9 a by only adjusting the pneumatic pressure, and therefore, an attack angle θ in correspondence with a change in a print condition of a kind or a property of the paste, a thickness of the mask and the like can easily be changed.
1 . A screen printing apparatus comprising:
a mask formed with pattern holes to which a paste is filled;
a squeezee slid on a surface of the mask and capable of adjusting an attack angle to the surface of the mask by producing bending at a flexible region formed at at least a portion thereof; and
pressing means for pressing the squeezee to the surface of the mask by a pneumatic pressure;
wherein the attack angle to the surface of the mask of the squeezee is adjusted by adjusting the pneumatic pressure.
2 . The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting means for detecting a press force of pressing the squeezee to the surface of the mask; and
pneumatic pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pneumatic pressure based on the press force detected by the detecting means;
wherein the pneumatic pressure adjusting means maintains the attack angle in sliding the squeezee constant by adjusting the pneumatic pressure based on the press force detected by the detecting means when the squeezee is slid on the surface of the mask.
3 . A screen printing method of sliding a squeezee formed with a flexible region at at least a portion thereof while pressing the squeezee to a surface of a mask formed with a pattern hole and filling a paste to the pattern hole in a state of maintaining an attack angle of the squeezee relative to the surface of the mask constant.
4 . The screen printing method according to claim 3 , wherein the squeezee is pressed to the surface of the mask by a pneumatic pressure.
5 . The screen printing method according to claim 4 , wherein the attack angle of the squeezee relative to the surface of the mask is adjusted by adjusting the pneumatic pressure.
6 . The screen printing method according to claim 5 , wherein a press force of pressing the squeezee to the surface of the mask is detected and the attack angle in sliding the squeezee is maintained constant by adjusting the pneumatic pressure based on the detected press force.