Method and apparatus for conditioning leads of packaged electronic devices

摘要

A method and apparatus for conditioning the leads of integrated circuit devices having a plurality of sequential stations. The flat device packages have rows of J-shaped leads along the edges. Individual devices are picked up at an input station and moved to a precising nest where the device is accurately located. The device is moved, preferably by a vacuum chuck transport mechanism, to a first conditioning station where a precising bar adjusts lead spread, then a needle is inserted through the row of leads to adjust lead standoff. A coining die reforms the "J" configuration and establishes a precisely uniform seating plane for all leads. A combing blade arrangement then establishes the lead spacing and lead sweep. After leads along two opposite sides of the device are conditioned, the device is moved to a second conditioning station (if required) where these operations are repeated on the other two sides of the device. The device is moved to a final coining station where all of the leads are pressed downwardly together to establish a uniform standoff dimension. The completely conditioned devices are then moved to an output station for packaging and shipment.