Development and application of a low-cost manual micro assembly system with integrated heater

This paper describes the development and the application of a low-cost manual micro assembly system with an integrated heater. The presented system consists basically of a massive frame to dampen vibrations, of an observation unit, of a heating element with a 2-point temperature controller, and of an exchangeable vacuum gripper for the deposition of a work piece on a target substrate which is mounted and correctly aligned on a vacuum plate. During the development we place considerable value on a modular system which is easy to use, highly accurate, and cost-efficient. In this connection, we will point out the labor and machine maintenance as well as the material costs. Present micro assembly system only weighs 21 kg and has an engine room of 28 × 35 × 56 cm (length × width × height). This makes it suitable for easy transportation. So it can be installed and used in almost every location. Although the labor and machine maintenance as well as the material costs only amount to less than 9.900 € a positioning accuracy of ±15 μm is achievable. The maximum tooling-up time depends on the required operating temperature.