Supply and Removal of Small Amounts of Liquid Using a Robot Mechanism

We studied the positioning characteristics of a removal nozzle of a robot mechanism and the removal characteristics of oil from a thin groove, aiming at matrix-type optical waveguide switches that utilize optical reflection and transmission effects at the groove depending on the presence or absence of oil. The removal nozzle and the supply needle were controlled by a vision servo with a positioning precision of 5μm. The optimum position of the removal nozzle was at the entrance of the groove to a circular oil pool, and the positioning margin was ±10-15μm around the optimum position. The removal time was proportional to the kinetic viscosity of the oil, and the height of the removal nozzle from a waveguide board was independent of the kinetic viscosity of the oil.