Accuflex™

Reference Guide

Part No. 1010280-01/A

April 2003
 ©2003 Speedline Technologies, Inc.
16 Forge Park
Franklin, Massachusetts U.S.A. 02038
(508) 520-6999
All rights reserved
Printed in U.S.A.
24-hour Toll-free
Technical Support Hotline
(800) 737-8110

Proprietary Information
Information and descriptions contained herein are the
property of Speedline Technologies, Inc. Such descriptions
and information may not be copied or reproduced
(duplicated) by any means (in any form), or disseminated
or distributed without the express prior written permission
(consent) of Speedline Technologies, Inc.

The information in this document is subject to change

without notice and should not be construed as a
commitment by Speedline Technologies, Inc. Speedline
Technologies, Inc. assumes no responsibility for any errors
that may appear in this document. The software described
in this document is furnished under a license and may be
used (not copied) only in accordance with the terms of such
license. Unlawful tampering with any portion of the
software or hardware contained in the Speedline
Technologies, Inc. equipment automatically voids the
expressed and/or implied warranty and will be construed
as a copyright infringement.

No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of

hardware or software on equipment that is not supplied by
Speedline Technologies, Inc.

2
 Table of Contents

Proprietary Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Operator Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Standard Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Classification of Hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
International Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Listing of Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Compressed Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Printer Component Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Listing of Hazards (Continued). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Solder Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Solvent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Lockout/Tagout Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Interlock System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Emergency Stop System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Dimensions and Floor Space Requirements. . . . . . . 17
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Machine Dimensions - Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Machine Dimensions - Side and Top Views. . . . . 18

3
 Table of Contents (continued)

Power, Utility and Environmental Requirements . . . 19

Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Utility and Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . 19
Unpacking and Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Unpack the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power Up and Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Controls, Indicators and Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Beacon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Permission Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Creating a New User Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using the Trackball Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Clicking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Double-Clicking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Dragging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Resizing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Closing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Scrolling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Selecting Menu Options (Menu Bar) . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Entering Data in Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
If the User Logon Dialog Does Not Appear . . . . . 29
Shutting Down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Opening an Existing Product File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Placing Paste and Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Placing Paste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Production Status Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Kneading the Paste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Adjusting Tooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4
 Table of Contents (continued)

Initialize Tooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tooling Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Manual and Automatic Board Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Placing Board Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Using the Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Auto Tooling Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Manual Tooling Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Placing Individual Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Vacuum Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Moving Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Deleting Posts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Checking Post Positions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Rail Width Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Automatic Rail Width Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Manual Rail Width Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Creating a File (New Board) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Enter PCB Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Product Information - PCB Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Product Information - Stencil Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
To Set up the Stencil Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
To Position the Correct Image in the
Printing Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Product Information - Stencil Position Tab . . . . . . . . 43
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Setting Print Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Print Parameters - Standard Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

5
 Table of Contents (continued)

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Independent Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Set Stroke Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Set Squeegee Forward Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Set Snap-Off Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Set Snap-Off Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Print Parameters - Advanced Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Stencil Y and Board Stop Offsets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
To Enter a Stencil Y Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
To Adjust the Board Stop Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Set Up the Vision System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Methods for Locating Fiducials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Accessing the Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Learning Fiducials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Optimizing the Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Calibrating the Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
To Calibrate the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
To Perform a Test Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Setting Print Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
To Set the Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
To Set an Offset Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
How to Improve the Fiducial Learn Results . . . . . . . 58
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
To Change the Correlation Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Setting the Fiducial Location Options. . . . . . . . . . 60
Squeegee Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

6
 Table of Contents (continued)

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Squeegee Calibration Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Squeegee Calibration - Standard Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Calibrate Squeegee Zero Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Calibrating the Standard Open-Loop
Control System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Calibrating the Optional Closed-Loop
Control System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Squeegee Calibration - Advanced Tab . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Closed Loop Squeegee Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Frequently Performed Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Removing/Installing Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Removing Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Installing Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Adding Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Changing Wiper Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Print Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Irregular Print Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Thin Print. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Poor Edge Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Incomplete Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Print Peaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Smearing - Bridging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Preventive Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Daily Preventive Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Weekly Preventive Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Monthly Preventive Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Semi-Annual Preventive Maintenance . . . . . . . . . 75
Annual Preventive Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Preventive Maintenance - Every Three Years . . . 76
Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

7
General Description
Introduction
The AccuFlex printer is a fully automatic screen/stencil
printer that deposits print medium on circuit boards to
enable application of surface mount components.

Operator Interface
A trackball controller and monitor provide the operator
interface to the AccuFlex system software, allowing
computerized motion control and easy access to all of the
following system functions:
• File creation through various user-friendly dialogs and
displays.
• Unlimited file storage. You can save new files and
delete existing files as required.
• Automatic and manual printing

Standard Features
Standard features of the AccuFlex printer include:
• Easy access to components for quick maintenance and
troubleshooting
• Fully configurable permission levels to prevent
unauthorized file access and access to selected printer
functions
• Safety interlocks to prevent personal injury

Options
Optional features of the AccuFlex printer include:
• Fully programmable squeegee head (closed loop)
• Automatic stencil cleaner
• Automatic paste dispensing system
• Automatic support post placement

8
Safety Information
Introduction
Although Cookson Electronics Equipment does its best to
design and build safe machines, some safety issues must
be observed when operating this equipment. These issues
are classified throughout the manuals as Cautions,
Warnings, and Dangers.

Classification of Hazards
Introduction
SEMI S13-0298 classifies hazards as cautions, warnings,
and dangers.

Cautions
A caution indicates a potentially hazardous situation which,
if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
Caution may also be used to identify unsafe practices.

Warnings
A warning indicates a potentially hazardous situation which,
if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

Dangers
A danger indicates an imminently hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
Danger is limited to the most extreme situations.

International Symbols
Each caution, warning, and danger listed within this
documentation is accompanied by the international symbol
which best represents the hazard. Leading text will indicate
whether the hazard is a caution, warning, or danger. For
example, the following symbol and leading text would be
used to identify a chemical hazard which may result in
minor or moderate injury:

Chemical Hazard
CAUTION. Text describing the chemical hazard.

9
Listing of Hazards
Introduction
This section lists, by category, the hazards which may be
encountered when operating the AccuFlex™ printer.

Compressed Air

Air Pressure
CAUTION. Compressed air can cause dirt/debris to
dislodge under pressure. Airborne particles and
solvents may be hazardous to your health. Do not
use compressed air to clean or to dry printer
components. Failure to comply may result in
personal injury.

Air Pressure
CAUTION. The impact of pressurized air can injure
skin and eyes. Be sure to remove air pressure to the
printer before servicing air pressure components.
Failure to comply may result in personal injury.

Electrical

Electrical Hazard
WARNING. High voltage is present on the line
(supply) side of the printer main disconnect switch
when the switch is in the OFF position. Turn OFF the
main disconnect switch, lock-out and tag-out the
main disconnect switch and remove the power
cable from its power source before servicing. Failure
to comply could result in serious injury or death.

10
Printer Component Movement

Hand Crush Hazard

WARNING. Before performing maintenance
procedures, you may need to reposition printer
components to gain better access. Stay clear as
components move. Failure to comply may result in
personal injury.

Listing of Hazards (Continued)

Hand Crush Hazard
CAUTION. Remove power from the printer before
you perform maintenance on internally mounted
components. Moveable axes are present that move
quickly with force. Serious injury can occur.

Hand Crush Hazard

WARNING. Moving parts, capable of causing injury,
are accessible through the printer input/output
conveyor track openings. Keep hands clear of input/
output conveyor track openings. Failure to comply
could result in serious injury.

Hand Crush Hazard

WARNING. Moving Input/Output conveyor rails can
cause injury. Conveyor rails can move during reset,
jog, process changeover, or teaching operations.
Keep hands clear of conveyor rails under these
circumstances. Failure to comply could result in
serious injury.

11
 Hand Crush Hazard
WARNING. Moving parts can cause injury. Certain
types of motion can be commanded with the printer
interlocked hood in the open position for the
purposes of setup and troubleshooting. Keep hands
clear of moving parts when setting up or
troubleshooting the printer with the hood opened.
Failure to comply could result in serious injury.

Hand Cut Hazard

CAUTION. Edges of the board clamping foils are
sharp. Keep hands clear. Apply foil safety covers
before manually adjusting the rails, setting up,
cleaning, or servicing the printer. Exercise caution
when cleaning foils and rails.

Solder Paste

Poison
WARNING. Solder paste and other printing medium
contain lead and are hazardous to your health and
the environment. Review the material safety data
sheet before use. Always wear protective gloves
and safety goggles when handling printing medium
and make sure you properly dispose of all waste
material according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Failure to comply could result in personal injury
and/or damage to the environment.

12
Solvent

Poison
CAUTION. Solvent may cause skin irritation or eye
injury. Always wear protective gloves and safety
glasses when handling solvent, and be careful not to
spill the solvent when filling the solvent tank. Review
solvent’s Material Safety Data Sheet before use.
Failure to comply may result in personal injury and/or
damage to the environment.

Chemical Hazard
WARNING. Isopropyl alcohol is extremely flammable
and must not be used in your solvent system. Use
ONLY approved solvents. Failure to comply could
result in personal injury, fire, or other equipment
damage.

Chemical Hazard
CAUTON. Remove power from the printer before you
use an approved solvent to clean the printer’s
components. Be careful when you use solvents, they
are combustible. Use personal protective equipment
when cleaning with solvents to prevent personal
injury. Review solvent’s Material Safety Data Sheet
before use.

Safety Glasses
CAUTION. Wear protective safety glasses when
handling solvent or printing media. These chemicals
can cause eye injury. Review material safety data
sheet before use.

Safety Glasses
CAUTION. Wear protective gloves when handling
solvent or printing media. Solvent can cause skin
irritation. Review material safety data sheet before
use.

13
Lockout/Tagout Recommendations
Introduction
In order to ensure complete safety when maintaining and/
or repairing your AccuFlex printer, Cookson Electronics
Equipment strongly recommends that you adhere to
standard shop lockout/ tagout practices. In addition to your
own procedures, Cookson Electronics Equipment
recommends the following.

Procedure
Lockout your printer as follows:
Step Action
1 Set the Main Disconnect switch to O (off).
2 Secure the switch in the Off position using an
approved lock.
3

Electrical Hazard
WARNING. Main Disconnect
terminals are live. Cookson
Electronics Equipment recommends
that you unplug the machine power
cord from its power source for added
safety.

Unplug the power cord from its power source.

14
 Step Action
4 Apply tags.

ATTENTION
The AccuFlex printer is designed to
effectively dissipate stored energy
when power is removed. Once power
is removed and the system is
efficiently locked and tagged, there is
no danger of electrical shock due to
stored energy.

Interlock System
Introduction
The AccuFlex hood interlock system limits access to
moving parts capable of causing serious injury when the
printer hood is open.

Hand Crush Hazard

WARNING. Limited motor-driven and
pneumatically-driven motion, for the purposes of
process set-up and machine troubleshooting, is
available with the interlocked cover open. Keep
hands clear of moving parts when commanding
motion with the interlocked cover in the open
position.

ATTENTION
WARNING. Do not attempt to defeat the interlock
through the use of spare interlock actuators or any
other means.

15
Emergency Stop System
The AccuFlex printer features two emergency stop push
button actuators on the face of the printer. The actuators
are identified by large red push buttons with yellow
backgrounds.
Pushing either of the emergency stop push button
actuators immediately halts all machine motion by
removing power from all motors and motor drives
(including the solvent pump) and venting air pressure from
the machine pneumatic system. The actuator is reset by
twisting it counter-clockwise.

ATTENTION
WARNING. Do not use the emergency stop system
as a substitute for safe machine operating practices.

Printer Specifications
Introduction
This section describes physical requirements, utility/
environmental requirements, and audible noise levels.

16
Dimensions and Floor Space Requirements
Environment
Install the AccuFlex in a clean, dust-free environment.
There should be 2 feet (60.96cm) of clearance around the
machine to provide adequate space for service.

Machine Dimensions - Front View

The following figure details machine dimensions as viewed
from the front:

51"
(1295mm)

31.75"
(807mm)

6.0" Maximum
UP5493
(152mm)

17
Machine Dimensions - Side and Top Views
The following figure details machine dimensions as viewed
from the side and top:

76.25"
(1937mm)

54.5"
(1384mm)

Right Side View

6.0" Max.
56.0" (152mm)
(1420mm)

47.25"
(1200mm)

Top View
Triple Tracks
52"(1321mm) 1500OPT-80
60"(1524mm) 1500OPT-81
68"(1727mm) 1500OPT-82
Single Track
45.5"(1156mm)

(Install either side)

Computer
Access Door
26.75"
(679mm)

UP5494

18
Power, Utility and Environmental
Requirements
Power Requirements
The printer is factory configured to one of the voltages
shown below. The voltage for the machine is displayed on
the rear panel label.
Configuration Current Load
(Amperes)
110-115 V Power 5
220-230 V Power 3
220-230 V Power 8
(with vacuum stencil wiper)

ATTENTION
Do not connect to source of supply with over-
current protection greater than 20 amperes.

Utility and Environmental Requirements

Below are the utility and environmental requirements
necessary to safely operate the AccuFlex printer. The
weight of the printer is also shown
Utility Requirements
Pneumatic 1 CFM at 90 PSI/620 kpa(24 liters/
minute)
25 CFM required for optional vacuum
system
Pneumatic Interface Bulkhead fitting accepts a 1/2 inch
(12mm) O.D. nylon tube
Temperature 50 TO 95˚F (10 to 35ºC)
Weight 1650 pounds (950 kg)

19
Unpacking and Installation
Introduction
This section describes the steps to unpack and install the
AccuFlex printer.

Unpack the Printer

CAUTION
The AccuFlex is heavy. Do not attempt to lift it or
move it by hand. You should lift and carry it to its
operating position using a carefully positioned
forklift truck. Always lift from the rear of the printer.

1. Inspect/open the shipping crate:

• Check for signs of damage to the shipping crate.
• Remove the crate lid and sides.
• If the printer is vacuum sealed, open the moisture
protection bag and peel it down to expose the printer.
Take care when using a knife not to damage the printer
body.
• Remove the foam pads from the base of the shipping
crate.
2. Install the printer feet:
• Using a forklift, pick-up the printer from the rear and
remove the foam pads from the legs.
• Install the feet in the positions vacated by the studs.
• Move the machine to its operating location.
• Adjust the feet until the machine is at the correct
operating height.
• Adjust the feet until the table is level to within 0.002"
(0.05mm) over 12" (300mm) in all directions.
3. Install the beacon:
• Unpack the beacon, and pass its lead through the hole
at the rear right side of the printer hood.
• Connect to the fitting under the hood. Screw the
beacon into position.
20
 4. Install the monitor support arm and monitor:
• Assemble the monitor support arm and table.
• Secure the bracket to the front side of the printer. The
bracket will be on the left or the right side of the
machine depending on the configuration.
• Unpack the monitor and place on the support table.
• Pass the signal and main wires through the bracket
hole and connect to the corresponding cables inside
the printer cabinet. Secure the monitor to the table
using the clamps provided.
• Secure the monitor cables to the support arm using
the cable clips on the rear of the arm.
5. Install the trackball:
• Pass the trackball lead through the support arm
bracket and connect to the socket mounted on the
internal framework of the printer.
• Secure the trackball cable to the monitor table so that
it can be used comfortably and not touch the floor if
accidentally dropped.
6. Remove the top rear cover using a phillips screwdriver.
Remove the ground wire connectors on the cover.
7. Remove the lower rear cover using a 5mm hex wrench.
8. Retain brackets for future use.
9. The print carriage is secured by a small bracket on the
rear left hand end of the print carriage casting (viewed
from the rear of the printer). Remove this bracket.
10. Remove the table transit bracket using a 4mm hex
wrench.
11. Lift the transport tracks and remove the four support
pads.
12. The camera is secured by a screw and sleeve to the
right hand main casting. Remove both the screw and
the sleeve.

21
 ATTENTION
Bumping or jarring the vision probe may cause
misalignment, requiring re-calibration of the
assembly.

13. Cut the tie wraps and remove the bubble-wrap from
the vision gantry.
14. Remove the clamping foil covers:
• Remove the ty-wraps.

ATTENTION
The foil clamps are sharp and may cause cut injury.
Do not touch the foil clamps.

• Remove the covers and retain for future use.

15. The stencil cleaner carriage is secured to the right hand
main casting by a screw and sleeve. Remove both the
screw and the sleeve and set aside for future use.
16. Cut the tie-wrap securing the dispenser carriage to the
dispenser drive belt.
17. Replace the upper and lower rear panels. Remember to
replace the earth ground wire connectors when
replacing this panel.

22
Power Up and Test
1. Ensure that:
• The mains isolator on the front of the printer is OFF.
• No stencil is installed.
• No squeegees are installed.
• The print carriage, table and squeegee mechanisms
are free to move.
2. Close the hood.
3. Connect the air supply to the printer.
4. Connect main electricity to the printer.

ATTENTION
Before power-up, verify that the supply power
matches the machine’s voltage configuration.

5. Turn the electricity mains isolator switch ON. The

printer will boot-up and display the User log on dialog.
6. Use the system Log-on name and Password to log onto
the system. Contact your printer supplier if you need
the system name/password.
7. Initialize all printer mechanisms.

23
Controls, Indicators and Alarms
Beacon
The beacon is a three or four tiered indicator that displays
operational status:
• Green lamp indicates normal/safe operation.
• Red lamp indicates an abnormal or unsafe condition.
• Blue (or white) lamp is for other states (intervention
required).

Permission Levels
A fully privileged user account is provided with each new
machine. It allows you to setup the machine, and create
other user accounts with varying permission levels.
Each user is assigned a permission level from 1 to 10. In
addition, each user may have varying permission levels for
each menu. The user must have a permission level equal to
or greater than that of the menu to access the contents of
that menu.
For example, if the Production menu is set to 1, the File
menu to 3 and the Configuration to 5, a user with a
permission level of 4 will be able to access the contents of
Production and File menus, but not the Configuration
menu.

24
Creating a New User Account
To create a new account:
Step Action
1 Select Users from the Configure menu to view the
Users dialog.
2 Click Next user, or Previous user to view the details
of existing user accounts. You may delete a user
from this list by clicking the Delete user button.
3 Click New user to clear the user name and
password fields.
4 Enter first and last names and a password. Retype
the password for confirmation. If the passwords do
not match, you will be prompted to retype them.
5 In addition to the user name and password, a
default log on name, such as ADMIN, appears with
a preset permission level.
6 To change the user’s permission level:
Select a level from 1 (lowest) to 10 by using the
scroll bar to the right of the permission level field.
7 Click Close to exit the dialog.

ATTENTION
If you find that some menu options are dimmed,
you cannot use them, because your user account
does not allow for this level of access.

25
Using the Trackball Controller
Use the trackball to move the pointer around the screen to
the desired field or function.
Use the left button to select all menu items, buttons, and
check boxes.

UP5450

Clicking
Clicking tells the AccuFlex that you have selected a choice
or an action.
To click, position the pointer on the object and press the left
button on the trackball. The object will change state.
Clicking a selected object a second time reverses the state.

ATTENTION
Command buttons, lists, check boxes and option
buttons are collectively known as ‘controls’.

When you click in a data field, the pointer will change to a

vertical bar (cursor).
This is the editing cursor, and when it’s visible you can type
into the field.

Double-Clicking

26
A quick way of selecting an object and an action.

ATTENTION
If you leave too long an interval between clicks, the
AccuFlex treats them as two separate clicks.

Dragging
To drag (move) an object to a new location on screen:
1. Position the cursor on the object, press and hold the
left button on the trackball.
2. Move the trackball to reposition the object on the
screen.
3. Release the left button.

Resizing Windows
1. Position the cursor at the lower right hand corner of the
window; press and hold the left button on the trackball.
2. Drag the corner in or out to resize the window.
3. Release the left button.

Closing Windows
To close a window, click the close (X) box on the right of the
group of boxes at the top right-hand corner of the window.

Scrolling
Scroll bars have a scroll arrow at either end, and a scroll
box inside the body of the bar.
Move through the list one item at a time by clicking the
scroll arrows, or several items at a time by clicking next to
the scroll box. You can also ‘slide’ up and down the list by
dragging the scroll box.

27
Selecting Menu Options (Menu Bar)
1. Position the cursor on the item and click the left button
on the trackball.
2. Click the option in the drop-down menu. This may take
you to a dialog box, or cause more menu options to
appear. Click on an option in the new menu in the same
way.

ATTENTION
Additional menu options may appear. If you see
another menu, click selections as described above.

Using the Keyboard

The keyboard slides out of the front of the machine. To
release the keyboard, push it into the machine a little, and
release.
Use the keyboard for typing and editing words and
numbers.

Entering Data in Dialogs

1. Click in the field with the left trackball button.
2. Drag to select any existing text you wish to replace.
3. Type the data, words or numbers.

ATTENTION
If entering numeric data, you can use the on-screen
numeric keypad. Simply double-click in the field to
display the numeric keypad and click on the numeric
keypad to enter digits.

4. Use the Backspace or Delete button to correct

mistakes.
5. Click in the next box or click OK if you’ve finished with
the dialog.

28
Power Up
Procedure
To turn on and log on to the printer:
1. Turn on the rotary isolator switch (front of the printer).
2. Turn the computer monitor on (if not already on). The
AccuFlex displays the Windows Log On screen. Press
OK. No password is necessary.
3. If the printer is connected to a network, enter your
password and press OK.
The User log on dialog appears.
4. Enter your name and password. The password will
appear as asterisks. Check Remember log on name,
and click OK. The next time you log on, you will enter
only your password.
5. A message appears telling you to be sure the
EMERGENCY STOP buttons are released and to press
the SYSTEM POWER button.
6. Press the SYSTEM POWER button. It will illuminate.
Click OK.
7. The AccuFlex initializes and the AccuFlex main window
appears.

ATTENTION
System power to the moving parts is controlled by
software and hardware interlocks, and is off at this
point.

If the User Logon Dialog Does Not Appear

Check the following:
• Mains supply properly connected?
• Computer turned on with its own switch?
• Monitor turned on with its own switch?
• Monitor brightness and contrast controls set correctly?

29
Shutting Down
Procedure
To log off and turn off the printer:
1. Select File > Exit. If you have made changes since you
last saved, you will be asked if you want to save them
first. If an operation is in progress, you will be asked if
you want to abort it and close down, or ignore the Exit
command and continue.
2. Click the Windows Start menu. Select Shut Down...
3. Select Shut down the computer.
4. Click Yes. Wait for the message saying it is safe to turn
the computer off.

ATTENTION
Always shut down the AccuFlex computer by using
the Start menu, Shut Down command.

5. Turn the rotary isolator switch to OFF.

30
Opening an Existing Product File

1. Click or select Open from the File menu. The

Open dialog displays.
2. Click the file you want from the list of files.
3. Click Open.
4. If a file is already loaded, you will be asked if you wish
to save it. Choose Yes or No. The new file name
appears on the title bar.

Placing Paste and Printing

Placing Paste

Poison
WARNING. Solder paste contains lead. Refer to
Solder Paste and Solvent in the Safety section (at
the front of this manual) before continuing with this
procedure.

1. Apply solder paste to the stencil by clicking or

by selecting Utilities > Dispense paste.

ATTENTION
If your printer is not equipped with the automatic
paste dispenser option, lift the front cover and put a
fillet of solder paste on the front of the stencil just in
front of the nearest apertures.

2. Enter Production mode by clicking or by

selecting Production > Run.... The Production Status
dialog appears on the screen.

31
Production Status Dialog
This dialog consists of seven individual tabs:
• Use Progress to view progress of printing job.
• Use Setup to view current print profile data.
• Use Options to set up batch and operator intervention
intervals in addition to other controls to enable
inspection and paste kneading.
• Use Counters to monitor or setup the various interval
counters in the system.
• Use Notes to read or enter product or system notes.
• Use Utilities to operate the paste dispenser and the
stencil cleaner.
• Use Vision to monitor the camera field of view.
This dialog can only be closed when printing has stopped.

Printing
1. Click the Start button. The Production status dialog
displays. Printing will continue automatically until
operator attention is required.
2. If hand-feeding, instructions will appear on the screen.
3. If you have selected Show alignment, the screen will
show the alignment correction. The alignment
correction is always displayed in this box.
The software switches to this tab so that the video
window becomes visible.
4. To stop printing, click the Stop button, or click Cancel
on the hand-feeding instruction dialog.

ATTENTION
The dialog can only be closed when printing has
stopped.

32
Kneading the Paste
The printer automatically starts a kneading cycle if you
request a print after the medium has been idle for longer
than the knead counter allows.
1. When the Knead Cycle dialog displays, click Yes to
accept or No to reject.
2. To stop printing, click Stop.
3. If you are hand-feeding boards, you can also stop
printing by canceling the request for a board to be
supplied.

33
Adjusting Tooling
Introduction
Tooling comprises the physical positions of the board
support posts, the moving rail and the board stop.

Initialize Tooling

Click , or choose Setup > Tooling.

Tooling Tabs
Support - Use to position support posts automatically, or to
record post positions which you position manually.
Rails - Use to position the conveyor rail at the correct width.
Offsets - Use to move the board stop or stencil position.

ATTENTION
Click on the tab you require to bring it to the top.

34
Manual and Automatic Board Posts
Introduction
There are some differences between the way that you place
board posts and operate the dialog when you have the
auto-tooling option and when you have the manual tooling
option. The following section describes both.

ATTENTION
The autotooling carousel holds up to 48 board posts
in its carousel.

Hand Crush Hazard

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OVERRIDE the safety
interlock system which prevents you placing your
hand near the table, the board support posts, or the
carousel during operation of the auto tooling
system. The camera carriage, which is used to
position the board support posts, moves very fast
and could cause injury.

ATTENTION
You can use many standard posts and 4 vacuum
posts with this option.

35
Placing Board Posts
Introduction
Position posts individually or by using the grid function.

Using the Grid

The grid allows you to define a regular rectangular grid of
posts within the area of the board. You define the number
of posts you want in each direction and the printer
determines where to place them. You can then add or
delete posts, or move any post to a new position.

ATTENTION
The AccuFlex will not permit you to place any post
too near an obstruction such as a conveyor rail or
another post, or too near the auto-tooling access
holes or board stop position.

1. Click or select Setup>tooling.

2. Click the Support tab.
3. Within the grid area, set the number of posts for the X
direction (X scroll control in the Grid area of the
dialog).
4. Set the number of posts for the Y direction (Y scroll
control in the Grid area of the dialog).
5. Click Create.

Auto Tooling Placement

1. Click or select Setup>tooling.

2. Click the Support tab.
3. Click Position in the Autotooling area of the dialog.
Support posts are automatically placed.
4. Click Stop to halt post placement.
5. Click Store to replace posts in the carousel.
36
Manual Tooling Placement

1. Click or select Setup>tooling.

2. Click the Support tab.
3. Click on the representation of the post in the PCB
diagram. The X and Y coordinates of the post will
appear in the Post position area of the dialog.
4. Position a standard tooling post in the location
specified.
5. If using a vacuum post, delete the standard post (see
below) and replace it with a vacuum post (see below).
6. Repeat for each post in the grid.

Placing Individual Posts

1. Click on where you want to place the post. See also
Vacuum Posts (below) if using manual tooling.

ATTENTION
To reposition posts using coordinates, see Moving
Posts (below).

2. When the layout is complete, position the actual posts

on the table as described in Using the Grid.

Vacuum Posts

ATTENTION
If using the manual tooling system with the venturi
vacuum support kit, you can position up to four
vacuum posts in place of standard posts.

To specify a vacuum post, click the Vacuum post control

(instead of the Standard post control), and proceed as
normal.

37
Moving Posts
1. Click on the representation of the post you want to
move. The X and Y coordinates of the post will appear
in the Post position area of the dialog.
2. Move the post position by:
• Dragging the post to its new location.
• Over-typing the X and Y coordinates in the X and Y
post position boxes.
3. If you have autotooling and there are support posts on
the table, a message will display instructing you to
store them.
• Click OK.
• Click Store to replace all the posts in the carousel. You
can now proceed with repositioning the posts.

Deleting Posts
1. Click on the post you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.
3. To delete all the posts, click on Delete All.
4. If you have autotooling and there are posts on the
table, you will be asked to store them.
• Click OK.
• Click Store to replace all the posts in the carousel. You
can now proceed with deleting the posts.

Checking Post Positions

1. Click PCB in to load a board.
2. Click Table up to bring the table to tooling height.
3. Click Board Stop to toggle the board stop up and down.

Rail Width Adjustment

Introduction
Depending upon the specification of your printer, either the
front or rear rail is fixed. The other rail moves under
manual control or automatic control (optional) to
accommodate the width of your board. You can adjust the
38
width of the conveyor rails using this tab or you can adjust
the rails manually.

ATTENTION
The printer will set the default width of the rails to
be 0.5mm wider than the board width that you set in
the PCB information dialog.

Automatic Rail Width Adjustment

To change the width of the conveyor:
1. Click in the Rail width box and type the required width
of the conveyor rails.
Alternatively, click on the arrow controls to increase or
decrease the width in 0.5mm steps.
2. Press Apply or Default (to return to the original
setting).

Manual Rail Width Adjustment

Hand Cut Hazard

To avoid cut injury from the board foil clamps, be
sure to install the board foil clamp safety covers
before handling the foils.

1. Install the board foil clamp safety covers.

2. Release both rail clamps.
3. Grasp the rail and position it at the approximate board
width.
4. Place a board on each end of the rails, slide the boards
along the rails, and adjust the rail width so that the
boards are secure and not binding (.020 - inch
overplay).
5. Tighten both rail clamps by moving them to the locked
position.
6. Remove the board foil clamp safety covers.

39
Creating a File (New Board)
Introduction
In summary, this process involves:
• Starting a new product file
• Entering information about the PCB
• Selecting Print Parameters (pressure, stroke length,
etc.)
• Adjusting tooling
• Setting up the vision system
• Setting stencil cleaning parameters
• Changing the stencil
• Aligning the stencil and the board
• Saving the file

Enter PCB Information

To enter PCB information, click or select Setup

>Product information.
Three tabs are available:
• Use the PCB tab to enter the board description and
dimensions, and also the coordinates of the board
fiducials.
• Use the Stencil tab to enter information about the
position of the board image on the stencil.
• Use the Stencil Position tab to position the stencil
manually.

ATTENTION
If the desired dialog is not currently on top, simply
click on the tab you require.

40
Product Information - PCB Tab
Introduction
Use the PCB tab to set the following:
• Product Description - Click in the Description box and
type a short description.
• Product Dimensions - Enter the board dimensions as
accurately as possible:
– Use X to calculate the position of the board stop, so
that the board is positioned centrally in the X direction
to the stencil.
– Use Y to position the conveyor system. By default the
rails are positioned 0.5mm (.195 in) wider than the pro-
grammed board width. It is possible to change this
value in the Tooling dialog (Rails tab).
– Use Z to calculate the printing position of the table
when it is raised to printing height.
• Fiducial Locations - You can enter the coordinates of up
to ten fiducials or you can click in the box to place the
fiducials directly. The coordinates of the board fiducials
are entered on this dialog. These are measured from
the corner of the PCB.

ATTENTION
Make sure that you enter the coordinates of each of
the fiducials that you are interested in (a minimum
of two).

To delete a fiducial (i.e. set its status to “not set”), set both
its X and Y coordinates to zero.
• Adjust Rail - Available when manual rails is enabled.
When you click on this button, the system prompts the
user to adjust the rails manually.

Hand Cut Hazard

CAUTION. To avoid cut injury from the board foil
clamps, be sure to install the board foil clamp safety
covers before handling the foils.
41
Product Information - Stencil Tab
Introduction
Permits you to alter the position of the board image on the
stencil and to position the stencil in the correct position for
printing.
If your board sizes permit, you may have two or more
board images on one stencil. You can then use this dialog
to mark the coordinates of each board image and position
the stencil with the correct image over your board.

ATTENTION
The Load, Unload, and Position buttons do not
appear on the Stencil tab screen if the stencil auto
load feature is not installed.

42
To Set up the Stencil Position
1. Set the Number of images using the scroll control.
2. If you have set just one image click Front, Center or
Rear to indicate where on the stencil the image is
placed.
3. Click Create.
4. Click on the desired board image. The current
coordinates of that image appear.
5. Click in the coordinate boxes if necessary and overtype
with the actual values.
6. Press Enter on the keyboard.
7. To load/unload the stencil, click on Load or Unload as
appropriate.

To Position the Correct Image in the Printing Position

1. Click on the board image position you want to use.
2. Click Position. The stencil will move backwards or
forwards to position the correct image over the
printing area.
3. To exit the dialog, click OK.

ATTENTION
If manual rails are enabled and the Y dimension
changed, the system prompts you to adjust the rails
when the tabs are clicked.

Product Information - Stencil Position Tab

Introduction
Used to position the stencil manually.

Procedure
1. Select the Position button. A prompt instructs you to
place the stencil at a specific mark on the y axis.
2. Click OK. Another prompt instructs you to place a
board on the track.

43
3. Click OK. The PCB loads and the camera moves to
Fiducial 1.
4. Move Fiducial 1 on the PCB to the center of the live
video display using the arrows.

ATTENTION
To the left of the arrows, a window with a scroll bar
allows you to adjust the amount of movement each
click of an arrow produces.

5. Select Stencil View and move to the same fiducial

using the arrows.
We are concerned with the image in the Y direction
(top to bottom in the window). When both the Stencil
and PCB views show the fiducial centered in the Y
direction, press OK.
6. Select Stencil View before manually moving the stencil
to position the fiducial in the
center of the screen.

ATTENTION
Select Stencil View before manually moving the
stencil to position the fiducial in the center of the
screen. When Stencil View is selected, the up and
down camera move arrows are not available.

7. Select Board View before moving the camera to

Fiducial 1.
8. Select the Position button to position the camera over
Fiducial 1. Fiducials must be entered in the PCB
information tab first.

44
Setting Print Parameters
Introduction

To open the Print parameters dialog, Click or choose

Setup > Print profile.
Two tabs are available:
• Use the Standard tab to set the print speed and
pressure, the print stroke limits, snap-off speed and
distance.
• Use the Advanced tab to enter print mode, the paste
kneading parameters, vacuum control, prints per cycle
(deposits), alignment options, and print gap.

ATTENTION
If the desired dialog is not currently on top, simply
click on the tab you require.

45
Print Parameters - Standard Tab
Introduction
The standard tab consists of seven fields:
Field Function
Print Speed Determines how quickly the squeegee
moves across the stencil. Click in the
Speed box and type the print speed.
Alternatively set the required value with
the corresponding scroll control.
Print Pressure The pressure applied to the squeegees
during the printing stroke. Too little
causes smearing on the stencil and poor
deposition. Too much can cause
“scooping”–loss of paste from larger
areas–especially with a polyurethane
squeegee. Click in the Pressure box and
type the pressure required. Alternatively
set the required value with the
corresponding scroll control.
Stroke Start The distance from the fixed rail to the
position of the squeegee where the stroke
begins or ends. Alternatively set the required
value with the corresponding scroll control.
Stroke The distance that the squeegee travels when
Distance printing a board. Alternatively set the
required value with the corresponding scroll
control.
Squeegee The distance that the start of the squeegee
Forward travel will be offset from the zero position.
Offset The purpose of this setting is to overcome
excessively wide glue lines on stencils.
Alternatively set the required value with the
corresponding scroll control.

46
 Field Function
Snap Off The speed at which the table moves down
Speed for the first few millimeters of travel,
separating the board and stencil after
printing. A slower speed helps the paste to
come out of stencil apertures on small areas.
Snap Off The distance over which the snap-off
Distance speed applies.

Independent Settings
To set the print speed and pressure profiles independently
for each direction of print, or automatically set them to be
the same:
1. Check the Independent profiles box.
2. Select Forward or Backward as appropriate when
setting the Print speed or Print pressure.

ATTENTION
To keep the forward and reverse profiles the same,
clear the Independent profiles box.

ATTENTION
The squeegee zero pressure must be calibrated
before printing.

Set Stroke Parameters

You need to set the limits to which the front and rear
squeegees travel during printing, usually a minimum of
6mm beyond the furthest aperture on the stencil.
The distances are set in terms of a stroke length and start
position. Set the following:
1. Click in the Stroke start box and type the required
value, or use the scroll box to change the display.
2. Click in the Distance box and type the required value,
or use the scroll box to change the display.
47
Set Squeegee Forward Offset
1. Click in the Squeegee forward offset entry box.
2. Type the required value, or use the scroll box to change
the display.

Set Snap-Off Speed

Click in the Speed box and type the required value, or use
the scroll box to change the display.

ATTENTION
An excessive gap and/or an excessively slow snap-
off speed will increase cycle time.

Set Snap-Off Distance

Click in the Distance box and type the required value, or
use the scroll box to change the display.

Print Parameters - Advanced Tab

Introduction
Set values based on the following:
Field Function
Print Mode Three modes are available:
• Print Print
• Print Flood
• Flood Print
To set the Print Mode, click the button
alongside your choice.
Deposits Defines how many print strokes constitute
one print cycle. Select 1 or 2 deposits as
required

48
 Field Function
Print Gap The gap between the stencil and the board
during the print stroke. Normally left at the
default value of zero (on-contact).
To set the print gap:
Click in the Print Gap entry box and type
the required value, or use the scroll box to
change the display.
Knead Paste Enables kneading of paste during production:
Knead paste - enables the function
Knead paste Time delay - specifies the
maximum time that paste on the stencil is
allowed to stand idle before a knead paste
cycle is triggered.
Number of cycles - sets the number of knead
paste printing cycles to perform when the
Knead paste cycle is triggered.
Number of boards - specifies the number
of boards in each knead paste cycle. For
example, when the knead timer expires,
each board entering the printer during a
production cycle will require the paste to
be kneaded until the number of boards
specified has passed.
Clean Stencil Cleans the stencil after every knead paste
After Each cycle.
Cycle

49
 Field Function
Align Align on every print - specifies alignment
Options of board and stencil fiducials on every
print.
Align on first print - specifies alignment of
board and stencil fiducials on the first print
only. Subsequent boards will be aligned to
the position of the first board.
No alignment - Check when you do not
want an alignment of board and stencil
fiducials
Vacuum If using vacuum board posts you can control
Control whether the vacuum is automatically turned
off as soon as the print stroke completes, or is
switched off when the board has been
lowered from the print position.
Vacuum off after print - switches off vacuum
immediately after the print cycle has
completed.
To switch off the vacuum after the board has
been lowered from the print position, clear
the Vacuum off after print box.

50
Stencil Y and Board Stop Offsets
Introduction
The following offsets must be set for printing:
Offset Description
Stencil Y Moves the stencil backwards or forwards
relative to the board.
Board Stop Moves the board stop position left or right
or for more specialized applications.
Adjusting the X offset will move the board
stop position and thus effectively move the
board left or right relative to the stencil.
X Move Defines the distance that the board
overshoots the printing position when first
loaded.
The board is then brought back into the
printing position under computer control.
Normally only used in conjunction with
product dedicated tooling.
Y Offset Defines the position of the board stop
actuator across the width of the board.
Useful if the normal position coincides with a
routed hole or other feature on the board
edge.

To Enter a Stencil Y Offset

1. From the main screen, select Setup>Tooling>Offsets.
2. Click in the relevant box and type a new value.
Alternatively, you can use the corresponding scroll
controls to adjust the values.
3. Click Apply to move the stencil to the new position.

To Adjust the Board Stop Offsets

1. From the main screen, select Setup>Tooling>Offsets.

51
 2. Click in the relevant box and type the new required
value, or use the corresponding scroll controls to
adjust the values.
3. Click Apply.

Set Up the Vision System

Introduction
The vision system needs to learn at least four fiducials, two
on the stencil and two on the board in order to calibrate the
vision system. You have already described the board and
the positions of the fiducials in the PCB information dialog.
This section describes how to calibrate the vision system.

Methods for Locating Fiducials

There are two basic methods that the vision system uses to
locate fiducials:
Offset Mode Description
Boundary Outlines the shape of a fiducial and stores
Tracking the values for the area and perimeter of the
fiducial and the height and width of a
“bounding box” that surrounds the fiducial,
touching it on four sides
Correlation Uses a statistical method of comparison
(normalized correlation) to find a
“model” of the fiducial image

52
Accessing the Vision System

1. Click or select Setup > Vision.

2. Click Yes in response to the displayed message.
3. Place a board on the conveyor input side.
4. Click OK in response to the request to do so. A Vision
setup dialog displays.

ATTENTION
The Move: field in the lower right shows the rate of
camera movement produced by each click of an
arrow button. You can adjust this value by using the
scroll bar to the right or typing directly into the field.

Learning Fiducials
To learn the fiducials:
1. If not already there, access the vision system.
2. Select the Stencil button located under the Weight
selector box.
3. Select a fiducial site in the Site selector box.
4. Double click on the fiducial.

ATTENTION
The camera will not detect a fiducial image if it or its
surrounding area is very dark. If this is the case, click
the Blue flood box to add blue coloring to the image,
and then proceed. The default state is Blue flood
ON.

5. Click on the fiducial image. In most cases, the vision

system will learn the fiducial and respond with the
following message: Fiducial learned, the fiducial is
unique.

53
 6. Click OK if the above mentioned dialog appears. You
will return to the Vision system dialog, where the Not
Learned symbol for the fiducial will have been replaced
by an icon of the fiducial.
7. If the learn was unsuccessful you will need to click
More>> and adjust parameters before re-learning the
fiducial.
8. Select PCB from the option button under the Site
selector box.
9. Learn the corresponding PCB fiducial in a similar
manner to the stencil fiducial.
10. Repeat the above steps for each remaining pair of
fiducials.

Optimizing the Vision System

Introduction
Optimizing the vision system brings the stencil and board
fiducials as near as possible to the center of the camera
field of view when the camera is at a fiducial site.

Procedure
1. If not already there, access the vision system.
2. When the camera is at a fiducial site, both stencil
fiducials and board fiducials must be as near the center
of the field of view as possible.
3. It may be necessary to move the stencil forward or
backward in the Y direction, or to move the board stop
to achieve a movement in the X direction.
4. You can enter the X and Y offsets directly or, for
automatic optimization, click Optimize.
5. The stencil and board will be moved under system
control to their optimal positions and the board will
eject and be repositioned.

54
Calibrating the Table
Introduction
Table calibration is an automatic routine in which the
system learns the relationship between the physical
movement of the table and the movement of the board
fiducials in the camera field of view.

To Calibrate the Table

1. Click Calibrate. The sequence runs automatically.
2. Click OK to store the calibration settings.

To Perform a Test Align

Click Test Align. The board moves to its alignment position.
Any errors encountered will be displayed on the monitor.

55
Setting Print Offsets
Introduction
You can compensate for any print registration inaccuracies
by setting an offset for the print.

Procedure
1. Click Print offsets. The Printing Offsets dialog displays.
2. Set independent offset values for forward and reverse
printing:
• Check the Independent forward and reverse offsets
box.
• Click the Forward or Reverse option button to set the
offsets for the corresponding print direction.

ATTENTION
You can set the mode of entering offsets to be X, Y,
and Ø, or X, Y1 and Y2.
Three adjusters move the table, two in the ‘Y’
direction, Y1 and Y2, and one in the ‘X’ direction.
The X,Y, Ø control calculates the required
movement in each adjuster and moves them
accordingly. The X, Y1 and Y2 control moves each
adjuster individually. You can switch between the
two modes without losing information.

To Set the Mode

Click the X, Y, Theta or the X, Y1, Y2 option buttons as
appropriate. A Printing Offsets dialog displays.

ATTENTION
If the Independent forward and reverse offsets box
is not checked then there will be only one offsets
setting panel, not two.

56
To Set an Offset Value
1. Click in the appropriate offset value box.
2. Type the required value directly into the box, or
increase or decrease the existing values by clicking on
the white arrow heads to the right of each.

ATTENTION
Alternatively, click on the blue directional arrows to
change the values.
The blue dot button in the center returns all values
to zero.

57
How to Improve the Fiducial Learn Results
Procedure

1. Select Vision from the Setup menu or Click . The

extended Vision setup window displays.

ATTENTION
You may be able to improve the location of the
fiducials by editing the locate options. See Setting
the Fiducial Location Options later in this section.

2. To adjust any of the controls in the Learn mode portion

of the extended dialog, click Manual learn.
3. To obtain the best possible contrast between the
fiducial and its surrounding area, adjust the scroll
controls for Brightness and Contrast.

58
ATTENTION
The image you see normally in the vision window is
a gray-scale image. Internally, within the logic of the
vision system, the system has a binary light
threshold below which the image is considered to
be dark, and above which it is considered to be light.
You may find it helpful to check the Show threshold
image box and adjust the threshold setting to
achieve a better result.

ATTENTION
If the system can see more than one item in its field
of view, it may not be able to distinguish between
them when trying to locate a fiducial. You should try
to make the fiducial unique within the field of view.
If Correlation is used to locate a fiducial, you should
consider the whole correlation box to be the
effective fiducial and not an individual mark. You
may therefore be able to make the fiducial unique
by altering the size or position of the box within the
camera field of view.

59
To Change the Correlation Box
1. Click Set Correlation box.
2. Click on a point in the camera field of view window
where you want the first corner of your new correlation
box to be.
3. Move the pointer to the opposite corner on the new
correlation box.
4. Click OK.

ATTENTION
If Blue flood is not checked, do not attempt to define
a new correlation box while the Show threshold
image box is checked. This will turn part of the
monitor screen dark and the mouse will not work in
this area.

Setting the Fiducial Location Options

When viewed by the vision system camera, each fiducial
image will vary in some way from the stored information. A
100% match between the stored information and a fiducial
in the camera field of view (during Locate) is unlikely. A
level of acceptability must be established to Locate a
matching fiducial. That level is determined in the Location
options dialog.
The amount of contrast and the reflectivity of the fiducial
will determine the percent match value.
To set the locate options for each fiducial:
1. Select the fiducial using the Site selection box.
2. Click Options to display the Location options dialog.
3. Click the desired locate mode (Correlation with or
Tracking with).
4. Set the% match value on Correlation and/or Tracking to
the required values.

60
 ATTENTION
Default values are excellent starting points. You
might set a lower value if, for example, the paste
deposits reflect light unevenly.

5. Test the ability of the vision system to locate a given

fiducial by clicking Test Locate.

Squeegee Calibration
Introduction
The AccuFlex uses one of two methods for applying
squeegee pressure:
• Open Loop (Standard) where the system applies
pressure calculated from stored system parameters.
• Closed Loop (Optional) where the pressure is
constantly measured and may be adjusted during the
print stroke.
This calibration applies to a particular pair of squeegees,
and is stored in the board file. Provided you always use the
same pair of squeegees with this board, you can remove
and refit them without the need to re-calibrate.

CAUTION
Do not begin printing until this calibration has been
carried out. Failure to comply can result in damage
to the machine or stencil!

ATTENTION
You need to calibrate the zero pressure for both
front and rear squeegees.
Calibrating the squeegee zero pressure is not the
same as setting squeegee printing pressures.

61
Squeegee Calibration Tabs
The Squeegee calibration menu is divided into two tabs:
• Standard which provides controls to set the squeegee
zero pressure point.
• Advanced which provides general controls to:
– Set the step values
– Set the squeegee heights
Click on the tab you require to bring it to the top.

Squeegee Calibration - Standard Tab

1. To access the Squeegee calibration dialog:

Click , or select Setup > Squeegees.

ATTENTION
Each squeegee has an independent current default
position. These default positions are saved as
machine parameters, not board file parameters, and
you can change the default positions using this
dialog.

2. To save the new positions of the squeegees as the new

defaults, check the Store new values as default box.
The new values will become effective when you click
OK to leave the dialog.
3. To move a squeegee to the current default position:
• Select Front or Rear squeegee as required.
• Click Move to front/rear squeegee default.
4. To reload the default position as the current calibrated
position, click Use front/rear squeegee default.

62
Calibrate Squeegee Zero Pressure
The squeegees used for this procedure must be those used
to print. A stencil must be fitted, but it can be any one. See
Loading Stencils in Section H: Frequently Performed
Functions. No board is required.

CAUTION
Forcing the squeegee down hard against the stencil
could damage the stencil.

Calibrating the Standard Open-Loop Control System

1. Fit the squeegees.
2. Click Rear to identify the squeegee being calibrated.
3. Click Initialize squeegees to begin calibration.
4. Click Coarse to select large incremental moves.
5. Click the Up and Down arrow buttons to move the
selected squeegee down until it is near the stencil
surface.
6. Click Fine to select small incremental moves.
7. Click the Down arrow button until the squeegee just
contacts the stencil across its full length. Use the Up
arrow to ease the squeegee up a little if necessary.
8. Click Calibrate to store the setting.
9. Click Front and repeat steps 4 to 8 to calibrate the front
squeegee zero pressure.

63
Calibrating the Optional Closed-Loop Control
System
1. Fit the squeegees.
2. Click Rear to identify the squeegee being calibrated.
3. Click Find zero to automatically move the squeegee to
the calibration point.
4. Click Calibrate to store the setting.
5. Click Front and repeat steps 3 and 4 to calibrate the
front squeegee zero pressure.

ATTENTION
You may further fine tune the position of the
squeegees using the arrow buttons before clicking
Calibrate.

6. To view the readings taken during the last print cycle,

select Utilities > Squeegee feedback chart.

Squeegee Calibration - Advanced Tab

Introduction
This dialog allows you to control the coarse and fine
incremental steps that the squeegee makes when you are
calibrating the squeegee zero pressure.
You can also define:
• The height above the stencil of the non-printing
squeegee.
• The height of the squeegees above the stencil after a
print has occurred to allow paste to be released from
the squeegee. The squeegee then returns to the non-
printing height.
• The height above the stencil of the squeegees during a
stencil inspection.
• How the pressure control is used in a printer fitted with
the optional squeegee closed-loop control system.

64
Closed Loop Squeegee Control
If your printer has closed-loop squeegee control, the
advanced tab displays an additional Feedback system
dialog. Within this dialog:
1. Check Feedback enabled to allow feedback control.
2. Select whether you want continuous correction of
squeegee pressure while printing.

65
Frequently Performed Functions
ATTENTION
Adhere to the warnings printed in the front of this
manual.

Loading Stencils

Poison
WARNING. Solder paste contains lead. Refer to
Solder Paste and Solvent in the Safety section (at
the front of this manual) before continuing with this
procedure.

1. Click to access the Utilities dialog or select

Utilities>Printer Utilities from the main screen.
2. Click the Stencil tab.
3. Click Load Stencil and follow system prompts.

66
Removing/Installing Blades
Poison
WARNING. Solder paste contains lead. Refer to
Solder Paste and Solvent in the Safety section (at
the front of this manual) before continuing with this
procedure.

Removing Blades
1. Open the hood.
2. Loosen the squeegee blade thumb screws.
3. Remove the squeegee blade.

Installing Blades
1. Open the hood.
2. Slide the rear blade into the holder with the blade
angled away from you.
3. Tighten the thumb screws.
4. Slide the front blade into the holder with the blade
angled toward you.
5. Tighten the thumb screws.
6. Close the cover.

67
Adding Paste
Poison
WARNING. Solder paste contains lead. Refer to
Solder Paste and Solvent in the Safety section (at
the front of this manual) before continuing with this
procedure.

ATTENTION
The paste dispenser uses 1 Kg Pyle-type solder
paste cartridges.

To replace the paste cartridge:

1. Click to access the Utilities dialog or select

Utilities>Printer Utilities from the main screen.
2. Click the Paste tab.
3. Click Change cartridge.
4. Lift the front cover.
5. Unscrew the top of the cartridge cover and lift out the
empty paste cartridge.
6. Take off the nozzle. It is advisable to clean the nozzle at
this point.
7. Remove the caps from the new cartridge and attach the
nozzle.
8. Put the new cartridge in the holder and screw the cover
back on. The dispenser uses the common Pyle-type
solder paste cartridge.
9. Click the close box to exit the dialog.

68
Changing Wiper Paper
Poison
WARNING. Solder paste and solvent exposure
potential. Refer to Solder Paste and Solvent in the
Safety section (at the front of this manual) before
continuing with this procedure

1. Select Utilities>Printer Utilities from the main screen.

2. Select the Stencil tab.
3. Click Change USC paper.
4. Determine whether or not you want to move the stencil
and make the appropriate selection on screen.
5. Lift the front cover.
6. Remove the stencil.

ATTENTION
Reusing stencil cleaner paper on the opposite side is
not advised.

7. Fold the end of the paper (into a point) to make it easier

to feed into the mechanism:

Fold

Fold
UP5039

8. Fasten the end of the paper to the take-up roll with a

small piece of sticky tape.
9. Route the paper along the proper paper path:

69
 Paper-Feed Roll

UP5038

10. When you have changed the paper, close the

printhead.
11. Click Done.

70
Print Troubleshooting
Irregular Print Thickness
• Screen or stencil not parallel to PCB surface.
• Squeegee pressure not even.
• Squeegee not level.
• Stencil aperture warped, dented, or bent.
• Debris on bottom of stencil: Clean or scrape stencil.
• Irregular solder mask.

RG0021

Thin Print
• Squeegee pressure too high (polyurethane blades).
• Squeegee durometer too soft.
• Stencil thickness incorrect or worn.

RG0022

71
Poor Edge Definition
• Temperature/Humidity too high.
• Worn or damaged stencil.
• Snapoff too large.
• Paste condition unacceptable (temperature/age).

RG0025

Incomplete Print
• Stencil clogged: Wipe and clean apertures.
• Paste is low: Add paste.
• Paste sticking to squeegee.
• Paste not at working viscosity or not thawed
completely.
• Stencil not wiped clean from squeegee.

RG0020

72
Print Peaking
• Stencil snapoff too large.
• Temperature/Humidity too high.
• Excess solder paste clinging to bottom of stencil: Clean
stencil.
• Slow snapoff speed too fast.

RG0024

Smearing - Bridging
• Excessive squeegee pressure or downstop.
• Excess solder paste on bottom of stencil – Insufficient
wipe frequency.
• Snapoff distance too large.
• Poor gasketing of stencil to board.
• Stencil aperture damaged.

RG0023

73
Preventive Maintenance
Introduction
This section lists the preventive maintenance schedules for
maintaining the AccuFlex printer.

ATTENTION
Adhere to the warnings printed in the front of this
manual.

Daily Preventive Maintenance

Operator:
• Printer
– Clean paste build-up
– Check solvent supply
– Clean top cover and monitor screen
– Check wiper paper supply
– Check wiper paper tension
– Verify wiper plenum pressure. Adjust regulator
Technician:
• Stencil Cleaner
– Replace cleaning paper (if required)
– Add cleaning solvent (if required)
– Add paste (if required)

74
Weekly Preventive Maintenance
Technician:
Perform daily maintenance
• Inspect:
– Conveyor belts
– Board foil clamps
– Squeegee blades
• Clean:
– Camera (top and bottom lenses)
– Table top
– Individual board posts
– All electromechanical faces

Monthly Preventive Maintenance

Technician:
• Perform weekly maintenance
• Wipe the following:
– Print carriage bearings
– Stencil cleaner/camera guide rails
– Table rising rails
– Front hood pneumatic struts

Semi-Annual Preventive Maintenance

Technician:
• Perform monthly maintenance
• Camera
– Re-grease the camera X ball screw
• Stencil Cleaner
– Change the filter unit

75
Annual Preventive Maintenance
Technician:
• Perform monthly and semi-annual maintenance
• Camera
– Re-grease the rack and pinion
• Re-grease the following bearings:
– Printhead carriage
– Stencil cleaner
– Table rising rails
– Camera carriage
• Check squeegee drive belts (condition and tightness)
• Clean/grease rising table actuator shaft
• Inspect conveyor belts
• Inspect air lines to board stop and board foil clamps
• Check downward motion of squeegees and carriers

Preventive Maintenance - Every Three Years

Technician:
• Replace pneumatic hood struts

76
Repair
Introduction
This section describes the procedure for replacing failed
components.

ATTENTION
Adhere to the warnings printed in the front of this
manual when performing repair/replace procedures.

Procedure
1. Power down the printer.
2. Replace failed component(s) using standard shop
practices.

ATTENTION
Refer to the illustrated parts breakdowns in the
AccuFlex™ Maintenance/Troubleshooting Guide for
additional information as required.

3. Power up the printer and test the replaced

component(s).

77
 Index

A Board posts, manual and

automatic
Adjust Rail button, 41 description of, 35
Air, compressed Board stop offset
hazards of, 10 adjusting, 51
removal of, 10 Brackets (shipping)
use of, 10 removal of, 21
Alcohol, isopropyl
use of, 13
C
B Camera
annual maintenance, 76
Beacon semi-annual
functional maintenance, 75
description, 24 weekly maintenance, 75
Board clamping foils Camera carriage
hazards of, 12 annual maintenance, 76
Board description and Camera field of view
dimensions monitoring, 32
entering, 40 Camera movement rate
Board file creation adjusting, 53
summary, 40 Caution
Board foil clamps definition of, 9
weekly maintenance, 75 Closed loop control system
Board image calibrating, 64
positioning for Conveyor belts
printing, 43 weekly maintenance, 75
Board image position Conveyor track movement
information hazards of, 11
entering, 40 Conveyor track openings
Board posts hazards of, 11
automatic placement, 36
checking position of, 38
deleting, 38
manual placement, 37
moving, 38
placing individual, 37
specifiying vacuum, 37
weekly maintenance, 75

78
 Index

D Fiducials
deleting, 41
Danger learning, 53
definition of, 9 making unique within
Data camera field of
entering in dialogs, 28 view, 59
entering numeric, 28 methods for locating, 52
Dialog Fiducials (board and stencil)
location options, 60 centering in camera field
production status, 32 of view, 54
squeegee calibration, 62
Dimensions
printer, 17 G
Grid
E using to place board
posts, 36
Electrical hazards, 10
Electromechanical faces
weekly maintenance, 75 H
Emergency stop system Hazards
definition of, 16 classification of, 9
Energy listing of, 10
stored, 15
Environmental requirements I
printer, 17, 19
If 29
Interlocks
F defeating, 15
Features
standard, 8 K
Fiducial coordinates
entering in software, 41 Keyboard
Fiducial learn results releasing, 28
improving, 58
Fiducial location options L
setting, 60 Lockout/Tagout
recommendations, 14
Logging off the printer, 30

79
 Index

M Pneumatic hood struts

monthly
Maintenance maintenance, 75
annual, 76 replacement interval, 76
daily, 74 Pneumatic interface
monthly, 75 printer, 19
semi-annual, 75 Pneumatic requirments
three-year, 76 printer, 19
weekly, 75 Power requirements
Menu options printer, 19
access to, 25 Power up procedure, 29
Powering up the printer, 23
O Print carriage bearings
Offset monthly
board stop, 51 maintenance, 75
Stencil Y, 51 Print cycle readings
X move, 51 viewing, 64
Y, 51 Print offsets
Open loop control system modes for setting, 56
calibrating, 63 setting, 56
Operating temperature Print parameter
printer, 19 align options, 50
Operation, printer clean stencil after each
with open hoods, 12 cycle, 49
Operational requirements deposits, 48
power, utility and knead paste, 49
environmental, 19 print gap, 49
Operator interface, 8 print mode, 48
Operator intervention inter- vacuum control, 50
vals Print parameters
setting, 32 print pressure, 46
Options print speed, 46
list of, 8 snap off distance, 47
snap off speed, 47
P squeegee forward
offset, 46
Paste disenser stroke distance, 46
controls, 32 stroke start, 46
Permission levels Print parameters dialog
definition of, 24 opening, 45

80
 Index

Print pressure Product file

setting for each direction of opening an existing, 31
print, 47
Print profile data R
viewing, 32
Print speed Rail width
setting for each direction of automatic default
print, 47 setting, 39
Print troubleshooting Rail width adjustment
incomplete print, 72 automatic 39
irregular print manual, 39
thickness, 71 overview, 38
poor edge definition, 72 Rails
print peaking, 73 fixed, 38
smearing-bridging, 73
thin print, 71 S
Printer Set Correlation function
daily maintenance, 74 use of, 60
lifting and moving, 20 Show threshold image box
Printer beacon use of, 59
installation of, 20 Shutting down the
Printer component movement printer, 30
hazards of, 11 Snap-off distance
Printer covers setting, 48
removal of, 21 Snap-off speed
Printer feet setting, 48
installation of, 20 Solder paste
Printer monitor adding, 68
installation of, 21 kneading, 33
Printhead carriage placing, 31
annual maintenance, 76 safe handling of, 12
Printing Solvent
starting, 32 safe handling of, 13
stopping, 32 use of in cleaning the
Printing progress printer, 13
viewing, 32 Solvent hazards, 13
Product description Specifications
entering in software, 41 printer, 16
Product dimensions
entering in software, 41

81
 Index

Squeegee blades Symbols

removing and international, 9
installing, 67 System, interlock
weekly maintenance, 75 description of, 15
Squeegee calibration
closed loop system, 61 T
open loop system, 61
Squeegee calibration tab Table
advanced, 64 weekly maintenance, 75
standard, 62 Table calibration, 55
Squeegee control, closed loop Table rising rails
description, 65 annual maintenance, 76
Squeegee default monthly
positions, 62 maintenance, 75
Squeegee forward offset Tooling
setting, 48 adjusting, 34
Squeegee pressure definition of, 34
methods for applying, 61 initializing, 34
Squeegee stroke parameters tabs, 34
setting, 47 Tooling carousel
Squeegee zero pressure maximum number of
calibrating, 63 board posts, 35
Stencil Trackball
manual positioning, 40 installation of, 21
Stencil cleaner Trackball controller
annual maintenance, 76 use of, 26
controls, 32
daily maintenance, 74 U
monthly User account
maintenance, 75 creating a new, 25
Stencil position User logon dialog
setting up, 43 does not appear, 29
Stencil Y offset Utility requirements
entering, 51 printer, 19
Stencils
loading, 66
Stencl cleaner
semi-annual
maintenance, 75

82
 Index

V
Vacuum off after print
description, 50
Vision system
accessing, 53
optimizing, 54
setting up, 52

W
Warning
definition of, 9
Weight
printer, 19
Windows
closing, 27
resizing, 27
Wiper paper
changing, 69

83