Multi-component sorting equipment

Abstract

This application discloses a multi-assembly sorting device for printed circuit boards, which includes a multi-assembly unit and a sorting unit. The multi-assembly unit is used to assemble printed circuit boards into sorting components. The sorting unit includes a conveying platform, a detector, a controller, and a sorting robot. The conveying platform is used to carry the components to be sorted and is arranged adjacent to the multi-assembly unit. The detector is arranged corresponding to the conveying platform. The controller is connected to the detector and the sorting robot by signal and determines the sorting robot to transport the components to be sorted on the conveying platform to the designated position based on the detection information of the detector. It can realize automated and intelligent sorting of 1-assembly, 2-assembly, and 4-assembly boards and improve the sorting accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of finished printed circuit board packaging, and in particular to a multi-piece sorting device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of intelligent automation and the gradual increase in manufacturing costs, reducing manufacturing costs and realizing intelligent manufacturing are the directions that enterprises are striving to develop. In the traditional PCB (Printed Circuit Board) industry, packaging and sorting are mainly carried out manually. The main reasons are: the diversity of the shape and size of finished PCB boards increases the requirements for the mechanical structure of the equipment; the diversity of the forms of PCB finished product file numbers, cycles, and serial numbers, such as solder mask openings, printed text, etched copper lettering, barcodes, QR codes, etc., increases the recognition requirements of the sorting equipment's camera; the sorting of finished PCB boards requires a misjudgment rate (treating unqualified as qualified) of 0% and a false judgment rate (treating qualified as unqualified) of 99%, which also places high demands on software compensation.

[0003] The use of manual sorting in the PCB packaging industry not only significantly increases labor costs but also carries the uncontrollable risk of mixing or missorting materials. Therefore, the introduction of higher-quality sorting equipment is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main technical problem addressed by this application is to provide a multi-piece sorting device that can achieve automated and intelligent sorting of 1-piece, 2-piece, and 4-piece panels, thereby improving sorting accuracy.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a multi-assembly sorting device, which includes a multi-assembly unit and a sorting unit; the multi-assembly unit is used to assemble printed circuit boards into sorting components; the sorting unit includes a conveying platform, a detector, a controller, and a sorting robot; the conveying platform is used to carry the components to be sorted, and the conveying platform is arranged adjacent to the multi-assembly unit; the detector is arranged corresponding to the conveying platform; the controller is signal-connected to the detector and the sorting robot, and determines the sorting robot to transport the components to be sorted on the conveying platform to the designated location based on the detection information of the detector.

[0006] In one specific embodiment, the material conveying platform includes a material pushing assembly line, which is connected to a multi-assembly device and a sorting device, for transferring sorting components from the multi-assembly device to the sorting device.

[0007] In one specific embodiment, the material conveying platform further includes a positioning component, which is arranged parallel to the material pushing assembly line and positioned directly below the detector.

[0008] In one specific embodiment, the feeding assembly line includes a plate-laying platform with casters installed on it. The plate-laying platform uses the casters to transport the sorting components from the feeding assembly line to the positioning components.

[0009] In one specific embodiment, the sorting robot includes a robotic arm and a material-picking suction cup. The material-picking suction cup is installed below the robotic arm and receives control signals from the controller to pick up the parts to be sorted on the conveyor platform.

[0010] In one specific embodiment, the detector includes a CCD camera, which is positioned above the robotic arm. The CCD camera scans image information of the parts to be sorted, and the robotic arm controls the picking suction cup to pick up the parts to be sorted and place them in a preset area based on the image information.

[0011] In one specific embodiment, the controller includes a solenoid valve, which is signal-connected to the sorting robot. The controller controls the sorting robot to transport the parts to be sorted on the conveying platform to a preset area by controlling the solenoid valve.

[0012] In one specific implementation, the controller is equipped with vision software. The controller uses the vision software to control the detector to acquire information about the parts to be sorted and to generate qualified board information.

[0013] In one specific implementation, the controller controls the solenoid valve to control the sorting robot to pick up the parts to be sorted according to the qualified plate information and place the parts to be sorted in a preset area.

[0014] In one specific implementation, multiple multi-unit sorting robots are provided, and the multiple multi-unit sorting robots are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: Unlike the prior art, the multi-assembly sorting equipment of this application includes a multi-assembly device and a sorting device; the multi-assembly device is used to assemble printed circuit boards into sorting components; the sorting device includes a conveying platform, a detector, a controller, and a sorting robot. The conveying platform is used to carry the components to be sorted, and the conveying platform is arranged adjacent to the multi-assembly device; the detector is arranged corresponding to the conveying platform, and the controller is connected to the detector and the sorting robot by signal. Based on the detection information of the detector, the controller determines that the sorting robot will transport the components to be sorted on the conveying platform to the designated position, which can realize the automated and intelligent sorting of 1-assembly, 2-assembly, and 4-assembly boards, and improve the sorting accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-piece sorting equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the multi-unit sorting device in the multi-unit sorting equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0021] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0022] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-assembly sorting equipment 100 of this application. In the multi-assembly sorting equipment 100 of this application embodiment, the multi-assembly sorting equipment 100 includes a multi-assembly device 10 and a sorting device 11. The multi-assembly device 10 is used to assemble printed circuit boards into sorting components. The sorting device 11 includes a conveying platform 111, a detector, a controller 112 and a sorting robot 113. The conveying platform 111 is used to carry the sorting components and is arranged adjacent to the multi-assembly device 10. The detector is arranged corresponding to the conveying platform 111. The controller 112 is signal-connected to the detector and the sorting robot 113, and determines the sorting robot 113 to transport the components to be sorted on the conveying platform 111 to the designated position based on the detection information of the detector.

[0023] Among them, the multi-unit placement device 10 achieves multi-unit placement through manual loading onto a board. For details, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the multi-assembly device 10 of the multi-assembly sorting equipment shows that the multi-assembly device 10 includes a movable feeding base plate 101 with grooves in the horizontal and vertical (XY) directions. After the printed circuit boards are placed on the feeding base plate 101, the boards are assembled by a plate-tapping mechanism in the XYZ directions. For printed circuit boards of different sizes, 1, 2, and 4-assembly arrangements can be achieved to obtain the items to be sorted. Each printed circuit board has character information, which can be used to determine the position information of the printed circuit board.

[0024] In one specific embodiment, after the worker places the printed circuit board on the loading base plate 101, and selects a layout method on the touch screen 107, the multi-assembly device 100 uses XYZ direction clapping mechanisms to assemble the printed circuit board into a whole board according to the layout method selected on the touch screen 107. The X-direction clapping mechanism can be an X-direction clapping and lifting cylinder 102 and an X-direction clapping motor 103; the Y-direction clapping mechanism can be a Y-direction clapping and lifting cylinder 104 and a Y-direction clapping motor 105; and the Z-axis clapping mechanism can be a Z-axis lifting platform 106. The X and Y direction clapping motors and the Z-axis lifting platform 106 are driven by stepper motors. Specifically, the X-direction flapping motor 103 is connected to the X-direction flapping lifting cylinder 102. The X-direction flapping motor 103 drives the X-direction flapping lifting cylinder 102 to move along the X-direction groove on the loading base plate 101, thereby pushing the printed circuit board to move in the X direction. The Y-direction flapping motor 103 is connected to the Y-direction flapping lifting cylinder 102. The Y-direction flapping motor 105 drives the Y-direction flapping lifting cylinder 104 to move along the Y-direction groove on the loading base plate 101, thereby pushing the printed circuit board to move in the Y direction. The Z-axis lifting platform 106 is located directly below the loading base plate. The Z-axis lifting platform 106 moves up and down via a stepper motor, thereby causing the printed circuit board to move up and down in the Z-axis direction.

[0025] After the printed circuit board is assembled into sorting components according to the requirements by the multi-assembly device 10, the sorting components are transferred to the conveying table 111 of the sorting device 11. The conveying table 111 is arranged adjacent to the multi-assembly device 10 to facilitate the transfer of sorting components from the multi-assembly device 10 to the conveying table 111. The sorting components can be transferred to the conveying table 111 by manual labor or a robotic arm.

[0026] In one specific embodiment, the material conveying platform 111 includes a material pushing assembly line 1111, which is connected to the multi-assembly device 10 and the sorting device 11, for transferring sorting components from the multi-assembly device 10 to the sorting device 11.

[0027] In one specific embodiment, the material conveying platform 111 further includes a positioning component 1112, which is arranged parallel to the material pushing assembly line 1111 and is located directly below the detector. The positioning component 1112 is a printed circuit board / pad positioning component.

[0028] In one specific implementation, the feeding assembly line 1111 includes a plate-laying platform, which is placed on the feeding assembly line 111. The feeding assembly line 111 is equipped with casters, and the plate-laying platform uses the casters to transport the sorting components from the feeding assembly line to the positioning components 1112.

[0029] Specifically, after the printed circuit boards are assembled into sorting components according to requirements using the multi-assembly device 10, the sorting components are transferred to the placement platform of the conveyor 111. The placement platform moves on the feeding conveyor 1111, and can be freely pushed on the feeding conveyor 1111 by means of casters installed on the feeding conveyor 1111. After the placement platform is moved to the position corresponding to the positioning component 1112, the worker transfers the placement platform (not shown in the figure) to the positioning component 1112, thereby transferring the sorting components to the positioning component 1112. The positioning component 1112 is equipped with a fixing component to fix the placement platform in place, preventing the placement platform from moving left or right, which would affect the operation of the controller 112 and the sorting robot 113 on the sorting components. After the placement platform is fixed on the positioning component 1112, the detector scans the components to be sorted on the placement platform and identifies the characters on the components to be sorted. Optionally, a placement platform can be set at the end of the feeding line 1111 that is away from the multi-assembly device 10. The placement platform is used to stack and place the board moving platform during non-working hours. During working hours, the board moving platform can be directly taken from the placement platform. Therefore, the board moving platform can be taken conveniently and quickly.

[0030] In one specific embodiment, the sorting robot 113 includes a robotic arm, a material-grabbing suction cup, and a robot frame 1131. The robotic arm is mounted on the robot frame 1131, and the material-grabbing suction cup is mounted below the robotic arm. The material-grabbing suction cup receives control signals from the controller 112 to pick up sorting components from the conveying platform 111. Multiple sorting robots 113 are arranged adjacently; for example, three sorting robots 113 can be arranged adjacently, all mounted on the robot frame 1131 and positioned directly above the positioning component 1112. Correspondingly, three robotic arms and three material-grabbing suction cups are also provided. Each sorting robot 113 has a corresponding working area, and the three sorting robots 113 sort the components to be sorted in their respective working areas. Multiple sorting robots 113 can work independently, thereby enabling more efficient sorting and placement.

[0031] In one specific embodiment, the detector includes a CCD camera, which is positioned above the robotic arm and mounted on the robot frame 1131. The CCD camera scans image information of the sorting components located on the positioning component 1112. Based on the image information scanned by the CCD camera, the robotic arm controls a suction cup to pick up the sorting components and place them in a preset area. This preset area is divided into a qualified product line and a defective product area. Optionally, the defective product area includes a separator and a defective product unloading device for storing defective components to be sorted; some printed circuit boards require separation using the separator.

[0032] In one specific embodiment, the controller 112 includes a solenoid valve, which is signal-connected to the sorting robot 113. There are three sorting robots 113, and each sorting robot 113 is equipped with one solenoid valve; that is, each solenoid valve controls one sorting robot 113. The controller 112 controls the solenoid valves to control the sorting robots to transfer the sorting components on the conveying platform 111 to a preset area.

[0033] In one specific embodiment, the controller 112 is equipped with vision software. The controller 112 uses the vision software to control the detector to acquire data on the parts to be sorted, thereby creating qualified board data. Specifically, the controller 112 controls a solenoid valve to control the sorting robot 113 to pick up the parts to be sorted based on the qualified board data and place them in a preset area. The controller 112 also includes a display device for displaying the vision software interface and controlling the detector 113 and the sorting robot 113. Optionally, the controller 112 is signal-connected to the multi-paneling device 10 and can receive signals from it. After the multi-paneling device 10 selects a 1, 2, or 4-panel layout, the controller 112 can correspondingly select the number of panels to be sorted, and the vision software can create a corresponding PCB template.

[0034] Specifically, after the parts to be sorted are transported to the positioning unit 1112 via the conveyor 111, the controller 112 controls the CCD camera of the detector to recognize the characters on the parts to be sorted, so that the vision software can create a PCB template. The logic for the vision software to create the PCB template is as follows:

[0035] 1. Create a template for workstation 1 area X. Multiple recognition areas can be set for a single part to be sorted, thereby improving the recognition accuracy of the detector. Specifically, scale the characters in area X of the part to be sorted to a suitable position and check whether the characters are rotated. The characters are rotated 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. Select area X by drawing a rectangle, hand-drawing, etc. After selecting the characters, save the recognition content as area 1 template, and then switch to the area interface.

[0036] 2. Optimize the recognition area: Optimize the selected characters in the template of the above-mentioned area 1 by using union, difference, and intersection methods to reduce interference and improve the recognition power of the detector;

[0037] 3. Select the search area, which includes the created template and the drawn recognition area;

[0038] 4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 above to complete the settings for area 2 and area 3;

[0039] 5. Load the character library and identify the characters of the parts to be sorted. Optionally, the controller 112 also includes a storage medium for storing the character library and program data. The program data can execute the aforementioned vision software. The storage medium 60 can be a storage chip in the terminal, a hard disk, a portable hard disk, a USB flash drive, an optical disc, or other read / write storage tools, or it can be a server, etc.

[0040] The vision software of the controller 112 can automatically calculate the corresponding area position of each printed circuit board of the component to be sorted based on the image information acquired by the CCD camera, the preset assembly method of the components to be sorted, and the placement position of the components to be sorted, and confirm that each printed circuit board of the component to be sorted is placed correctly.

[0041] In one specific implementation, after the vision software of the controller 112 confirms that each printed circuit board of the component to be sorted is placed correctly, the controller 112 controls the robotic arm of the sorting robot 113 to work through the solenoid valve corresponding to the sorting robot 113. The controller controls the picking suction cup on the robotic arm to pick up the component to be sorted. After the picking suction cup picks up the component to be sorted, the robotic arm continues to work to transfer the component to be sorted on the picking suction cup to a preset area. The qualified component to be sorted is picked up by the picking suction cup and transferred to the next process, while the unqualified component to be sorted is transferred to the defective product area.

[0042] In summary, the multi-assembly sorting equipment of this application includes a multi-assembly device and a sorting device; the multi-assembly device is used to assemble printed circuit boards into sorting components; the sorting device includes a conveying platform, a detector, a controller, and a sorting robot. The conveying platform is used to carry the components to be sorted, and the conveying platform is arranged adjacent to the multi-assembly device; the detector is arranged corresponding to the conveying platform, and the controller is signal-connected to the detector and the sorting robot, and determines the sorting robot to transport the components to be sorted on the conveying platform to the designated position based on the detection information of the detector. This enables automated and intelligent sorting of 1-assembly, 2-assembly, and 4-assembly boards, improving sorting accuracy.

[0043] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-assembly sorting device for printed circuit boards, characterized in that, The multi-unit sorting equipment includes a multi-unit device and a sorting device; The multi-assembly device is used to assemble the printed circuit board into sorting components. The multi-assembly device includes a movable feeding base plate with grooves in the horizontal and vertical directions. After the printed circuit board is placed on the feeding base plate, the board is assembled by the XYZ direction tapping mechanism to form a sorting component. The sorting device includes a conveying platform, detectors, a controller, and a sorting robot. Sorting components are transferred to the conveying platform manually or by a robotic arm. The conveying platform carries the components to be sorted and is located adjacent to the multi-assembly device. A detector is positioned corresponding to the conveying platform. The controller is signal-connected to the detectors and the sorting robot, and determines, based on the detection information from the detectors, that the sorting robot will transport the components to be sorted on the conveying platform to a designated location. The controller is equipped with vision software. The controller controls the detector to acquire the data of the parts to be sorted through the vision software and generates qualified board data. Specifically, the controller is connected to the multi-unit assembly device to receive the signal from the multi-unit assembly device. After the multi-unit assembly device selects the assembly method for the printed circuit board, the controller selects the number of assembly boards for the sorting parts, and the vision software creates the corresponding PCB template. The sorting robot includes a robotic arm and a material-picking suction cup. The detector includes a CCD camera, which is positioned above the robotic arm. The CCD camera scans the image information of the parts to be sorted. The robotic arm controls the material-picking suction cup to pick up the parts to be sorted and place them in a preset area based on the image information acquired by the CCD camera, the preset assembly method of the parts to be sorted, and the placement position of the parts to be sorted, to calculate the corresponding area position of each printed circuit board of the parts to be sorted, so as to confirm that each printed circuit board of the parts to be sorted is placed correctly.

2. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material conveying platform includes a material pushing assembly line, which connects the multi-assembly device and the sorting device, and is used to transfer the sorting components from the multi-assembly device to the sorting device.

3. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The material conveying platform also includes a positioning component, which is arranged parallel to the material pushing assembly line and is located directly below the detector.

4. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material handling platform also includes a plate-laying platform, which is placed on the material pushing assembly line. The material pushing assembly line is equipped with casters, and the plate-laying platform uses the casters to transport the sorting component from the material pushing assembly line to the positioning component.

5. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material-picking suction cup is installed below the robotic arm, and the material-picking suction cup receives the control signal from the controller to pick up the parts to be sorted on the conveying platform.

6. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller includes a solenoid valve, which is signal-connected to the sorting robot. The controller controls the sorting robot to transport the parts to be sorted on the conveying platform to the preset area by controlling the solenoid valve.

7. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller controls the solenoid valve, and controls the sorting robot to pick up the parts to be sorted according to the qualified plate information, and places the parts to be sorted in the preset area.

8. The multi-piece sorting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple sorting robots are provided, and the multiple sorting robots are arranged adjacent to each other.

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