SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE, AND SCREEN PRINTING METHOD
A printing operation is repeatedly performed with respect to one substrate 2 , the printing operation including the step of loading the substrate 2 (the step ST 1 ), then contacting an upper surface of the substrate 2 with a mask 13 (the step ST 4 ), reciprocating a squeegeeing operation to slide squeegees 33 b on the mask 13 in contact with the substrate 2 to transfer a paste Pt on the mask 13 to the substrate 2 (the step ST 7 and the step ST 8 ), separating the substrate 2 from the mask 13 for a snap off (the step ST 9 ), and while unloading the substrate 2 (the step ST 11 ), performing mask cleaning to remove the paste Pt that is adhered to a lower surface of the mask 13 (the step ST 12 ).
1 - 3 . (canceled)
4 . A screen printing machine comprising:
a mask to contact with an upper surface of a substrate;
a squeegee head arranged to perform one time a first squeegeeing operation to slide one of two squeegees in one direction on the mask in contact with the upper surface of the substrate and perform one time a second squeegeeing operation to slide the other one of the two squeegees in a direction opposite to the direction in the first squeegeeing operation, the first squeegeeing operation and the second squeegeeing operation being performed in succession so as to transfer a paste on the mask to the substrate;
a snap-off mechanism arranged to separate the substrate from the mask for a snap off after the paste is transferred to the substrate by the squeegee head; and
a cleaning device arranged to perform mask cleaning to remove the paste that is adhered to a lower surface of the mask every time the snap off by the snap-off mechanism is performed.
5 . A screen printing method for repeatedly performing a printing operation with respect to one substrate, the printing operation comprising:
loading the substrate;
contacting an upper surface of the substrate that was loaded into contact with a mask;
performing one time a first squeegeeing operation to slide one of two squeegees in one direction on the mask in contact with the substrate and performing one time a second squeegeeing operation to slide the other one of the two squeegees in a direction opposite to the direction in the first squeegeeing operation, the first squeegeeing operation and the second squeegeeing operation being performed in succession so as to transfer a paste on the mask to the substrate;
separating the substrate from the mask to perform a snap off after transferring the paste to the substrate;
unloading the substrate after performing the snap off of the substrate; and
performing mask cleaning to remove the paste that is adhered to a lower surface of the mask from which the substrate is snapped off.
6 . The screen printing method according to claim 5 , wherein the mask cleaning is performed in parallel with the unloading of the substrate.