Conveying on a production line

Abstract

A method of conveying articles within a workpiece processing machine (mounter and / or printer) of a production line by conveying articles within a slider of a slider conveyor; and positioning the slider of the slider conveyor within a work area of the machine, for example, within a head unit work area, wherein a head unit of the machine can pick up or place certain articles within the work area. The system can also be used to convey rejected articles to a scrap unit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a workpiece processing machine, a production line and a method of conveying articles in a workpiece processing machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of processing workpieces so as to equip them with electronic components. These components can be packaged electronic components or unpackaged components designed as chips, which can be removed directly from the processed wafer and supplied to a mounting procedure.

[0003] The initial stage of processing comprises printing the workpiece by means of a conductive medium, such as solder paste, by means of a printer or "stencil printer". After printing, the electronic subassembly is usually prepared by means of a so-called placement machine, by means of which electronic components can be removed from a component supply, such as a feeder, and subsequently mounted on the workpiece, such as a printed circuit board, in an automated manner. The components can be transferred from the component supply to the respective mounting position by means of a component handling device, such as a placement head. For the purposes of the present invention, both the printer and the placement machine are referred to as "workpiece processing machine".

[0004] There is a growing demand for flexibility in the operation of workpiece processing machines. For example, in view of the wide variety of components that can be mounted, it is also necessary to have a correspondingly wide variety of handling tools to be attached or attachable to the placement head, such as suction nozzles or component grippers of different sizes. Furthermore, the type and size of the target workpiece can vary, and so can the type or number of support pins or other supports required. In order to achieve as much flexibility as possible in operation, placement machines are usually provided with storage devices for temporarily storing support pins, nozzles, grippers and the like. For example, such replaceable, exchangeable or consumable articles can be temporarily stored in one or more tool magazines of the placement machine, and can be accessed and deployed automatically without the need for human intervention. The tool magazine can also store spare articles, for example, so that a defective article can be automatically "replaced", thus avoiding excessive downtime of the placement machine.

[0005] However, it is not only a matter of increasing flexibility and reducing downtime from an economic point of view, but also of minimizing the size or footprint of the workpiece processing machine and of being able to increase the throughput. For example, if a large tool magazine is provided on the placement machine to accommodate a large number of articles, this not only increases the size of the machine, but also reduces the throughput, since the movement distance of the placement head between the feeder and the workpiece usually has to be increased if the one or more tool magazines are arranged in the vicinity of the placement area. Similar problems arise with the printer, i.e. it would be advantageous to be able to provide a large number of workpiece support pins, different configurations of squeegee blades and the like, but the available space in the machine is obviously limited.

[0006] Figure 1A top view of the interior of a known placement machine 1 is shown schematically. As shown, workpieces W to be assembled are passed through the placement machine 1 from left to right along a workpiece path 2 by a workpiece conveyor 3. A first gantry 4 and a second gantry 5 are positioned above the workpiece path 2 for positioning respective placement heads 6 between component feeders 7, wherein the component feeders 7 are positioned on opposite sides of the placement machine 1 so that they can be easily exchanged, for picking up components to be placed on the workpieces W. A fixed camera 8 is provided on one side of the workpiece conveyor 3 for inspecting the components, and between the fixed camera 8 and the workpiece conveyor 3 a component reject bin 9 is provided for discarding defective components identified by the fixed camera 8. Between the component feeders 7 and the workpiece conveyor 3 a support pin magazine 10 and a nozzle magazine 11 are also provided, and in addition, near the nozzle magazine 11 and the fixed camera 8 a reject nozzle magazine 12 is provided for receiving defective nozzles, which is generally known in the art. As can be seen, the magazines 10 and 11 are quite large, which lengthens the travel path of the placement heads 6 between the component feeders 7 and the workpieces W, which is detrimental to reducing the necessary footprint of the placement machine 1 and also reduces the throughput. Furthermore, neither the nozzles nor the support pins can be automatically fed into or removed from the placement machine 1. Instead, the placement machine 1 has to be stopped and the magazine 10, 11 or individual nozzles / support pins have to be replaced or removed by a human operator, which further reduces the throughput.

[0007] Although for simplicity, Figure 1 The placement machine 1 shown in Fig. 1 only shows one workpiece conveyor 3, and thus, components can only be placed on one workpiece W at a time, modern placement machines usually comprise a pair of parallel and adjacent workpiece conveyors, and thus, workpieces W can be conveyed on either workpiece conveyor individually and independently. Usually, a dedicated placement head unit can be provided for each workpiece conveyor. Furthermore, the placement machine can comprise multiple placement head units for each workpiece conveyor, so that components can be placed on multiple workpieces on each workpiece conveyor simultaneously.

[0008] The present invention aims at making the supply of items to a workpiece processing machine more flexible, while minimizing the footprint and avoiding a reduction of the throughput. Furthermore, the present invention provides a mechanism for conveniently removing unwanted items from the workpiece processing machine, while having a minimal footprint.

[0009] According to the present application, this object is achieved by providing a dedicated transport path for the items. These items can include pickable or non-pickable items, where pickable items are items that can be picked up or placed by a head unit of a workpiece processing machine. Items suitable for transport through the transport path can include replaceable or consumable items, such as tools, hereinafter referred to as including all consumable or replaceable items required for the normal operation of a workpiece processing machine, including support pins, calibration tools, scrapers, measurement tools, nozzles, grippers and the like, or electronic components, in particular electronic components identified as being defective and thus to be discarded. For such tools as force measurement tools, they can not be pickable, and thus can remain in the transport path during their measurement use and be transported to elsewhere in the production line, such as another machine, after their measurement use. The transport path can transport these items between the workpiece processing machine and an external location, such as a storage or a scrap yard. SUMMARY

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a workpiece processing machine comprising:

[0011] a work area located inside the workpiece processing machine; a workpiece conveyor for conveying workpieces in the workpiece processing machine;

[0012] an exchange area located outside the workpiece processing machine; and

[0013] a shuttle conveyor arranged at least partially parallel to the workpiece conveyor and for conveying a shuttle located on the shuttle conveyor between the work area and the exchange area, wherein the shuttle is configured to carry at least one item thereon.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present application, there is provided a production line comprising:

[0015] a workpiece processing machine according to the first aspect; and

[0016] a shuttle movable along the shuttle conveyor.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present application, there is provided a method of conveying items in a workpiece processing machine, comprising the steps of:

[0018] i) conveying an item located in a shuttle located on a shuttle conveyor; and

[0019] ii) placing the shuttle on the shuttle conveyor located in a work area of the workpiece processing machine.

[0020] Further specific aspects and features of the present application will be set out in the accompanying claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The application will now be described with reference to the drawings (not to scale) in which:

[0022] Figure 1 schematic top view of the interior of a known placement machine;

[0023] Figure 2 schematic top view of a portion of a production line comprising five placement machines according to an embodiment of the application;

[0024] Figure 3 perspective view of a portion of a slider conveyor fitted with sliders;

[0025] Figure 4 perspective view of a branch conveyor cooperating with the main slider conveyor;

[0026] Figure 5 perspective view of a vertical loop portion of a slider conveyor;

[0027] Figure 6 perspective view of a horizontal loop portion of a slider conveyor according to another embodiment of the application;

[0028] Figure 7 perspective view of a vertical loop portion of a slider conveyor according to another embodiment of the application;

[0029] Figure 8 perspective view of a horizontal loop portion of a slider conveyor according to another embodiment of the application; and

[0030] Figure 9 schematic top view of a portion of a production line comprising four placement machines and one printer according to another embodiment of the application.

[0031] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

[0032] 1 - known placement machine

[0033] 2 - workpiece path

[0034] 3 - workpiece conveyor

[0035] 4 - first hanger

[0036] 5 - second hanger

[0037] 6 - placement head

[0038] 7 - component feeder

[0039] 8 - fixed camera

[0040] 9 - component reject bin

[0041] 10 - support pin magazine

[0042] 11 - nozzle magazine

[0043] 12 - waste nozzle magazine

[0044] 20A-20E - placement machine

[0045] 21 - first workpiece conveyor

[0046] 22 - second workpiece conveyor

[0047] 23A, 23A' - 23E, 23E' - head unit

[0048] 24A-24E - head unit work area

[0049] 25 - slider conveyor

[0050] 26 - exchange area

[0051] 27, 28 - fixed guide rail

[0052] 29, 30 - movable guide rail

[0053] 31 - main slider conveyor

[0054] 32, 32A-32E - branch conveyor

[0055] 33 - tool change unit

[0056] 34 - tool carrier

[0057] 35, 35A, 35B - slider

[0058] 36, 36A, 36B - linear conveyor module

[0059] 37 - guide rail

[0060] 38 - connecting rod

[0061] 39 - base

[0062] 40A, 40B - tray

[0063] 41 - recess

[0064] 42 - receptacle

[0065] 43 - loop conveyor

[0066] 44 - column

[0067] 45 - lifting conveyor

[0068] 46 - shuttle support

[0069] 47 - shuttle conveyor

[0070] 48, 49 - belt conveyor modules

[0071] 50A, 50B - branch shuttles

[0072] 51 - printer

[0073] 52 - printer head unit work area

[0074] 53 - printer exchange area

[0075] 54 - printer branch conveyor

[0076] 55 - scrap unit

[0077] 56 - scrap transporter

[0078] W - workpiece

[0079] T - direction of movement of the slide

[0080] B - direction of movement of the branch conveyor DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] For the sake of simplicity, the present application will be described hereinafter with particular reference to a placement machine as a wafer processing machine, but it should be understood that the principles of the present application can be easily applied to the case of a printer as a wafer processing machine.

[0082] Figure 2 An embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. The figure shows a portion of a production line comprising five placement machines 20A-20E arranged in sequence next to each other. As shown, a first workpiece conveyor 21 and a second workpiece conveyor 22, arranged parallel and next to each other, are configured to convey workpieces W (not shown) along a direction from left to right, so that they pass through the five placement machines 20A-20E, so that each placement machine can perform a work operation, in particular a placement of one or more electronic components on each workpiece W. Figure 2 Figure 2 ​The workpieces W carried by the workpiece conveyors 21, 22 and subjected to the work operations can have different widths, and to accommodate such widths, the workpiece conveyors 21, 22 can be defined by fixed rails 27, 28 and movable rails 29, 30, respectively. To perform the work operations, each of the placement machines 20A-20E includes two head units, 23A, 23A' - 23E, 23E', respectively. These head units 23A, 23A' - 23E, 23E' can be carried, for example, by respective hangers (not shown for clarity), as is well known in the art. In use, each of the head units 23A, 23A' - 23E, 23E' operates to pick up or place a pickable object within a head unit work area 24A-24E of its respective placement machine 20A-20E. More specifically, 24A-24E shows the head unit work area of each placement machine 20A-20E, which is the area that at least one head unit 23A, 23A' of each placement machine 20A-20E can reach. In practice, each head unit of each placement machine, e.g., each head unit 23A, 23A' of placement machine 20A, has its own work area, which is approximately half the size of the head unit work area 24A, etc. But for clarity, Figure 2 Only the entire head unit work area 24A-24E is shown.

[0083] A slider conveyor 25 runs inside and between all of the placement machines 20A-20E and is configured to convey sliders 35 on the production line. As Figure 2As shown, the slider conveyor 25 is formed by several conveyors of different lengths, including a main slider conveyor 31 which moves parallel to the first and second workpiece conveyors 21, 22, and a plurality of branch conveyors 32A-32E which are branches of the main slider conveyor 31 within the respective placement machines 20A-20E and are operatively connected thereto for conveying sliders from the main slider conveyor 31 to the branch conveyors 32A-32E. It should be noted that most of the main slider conveyor 31 and the branch conveyors 32A-32E are located within the head unit working areas 24A-24E, so that the head units 23A, 23A'-23E, 23E' can reach the sliders 35 for picking up pickables therefrom or placing pickables therein as required. The main slider conveyor 31 can be simply connected by screws, for example, to the guide rails, for example to the movable guide rails 29 or 30, which facilitates adaptation to different widths of workpieces. The tail end of the slider conveyor 25 is located in the exchange area 26 outside the placement machines, of which the placement machine 20A is an upstream placement machine. A tool changer unit 33 is provided in the vicinity of the exchange area and is connected to the main slider conveyor 31 by a tool carrier 34, so that the sliders 35 can be driven from the tool changer unit 33 to the slider conveyor 25 by the tool carrier 34 and thus be conveyed between the head unit working areas and the exchange area. The tool changer unit 33 comprises a space for storing at least one slider 35, which can be empty or pre-loaded with pickables. In a preferred embodiment, the tool changer unit 33 is capable of automatically loading pickables into the sliders 35 under the control of a control device to be described below, for subsequent conveyance to the slider conveyor 25 as required. Alternatively or additionally, the tool changer unit 33 can also be operated manually, so that a human operator can place items or directly into the sliders 35. Each slider 35 is configured to carry at least one pickable thereon, which will be described in detail below. Thanks to the movement of the movable guide rails 29, 30, the relative movement between the main slider conveyor 31 and the tool changer unit 33 can be managed in various ways, for example, using shuttle devices similar to those shown and described below, or using a section of rotatable conveyor (similar to a "rail tip" of a railway track), or even a section of conveyor that can be at least partially bent (for example, by using a composite conveyor formed by several small conveyors that can be partially rotated relative to each other). Figure 4

[0084] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to providing pickables, but can also be used to convey non-pickables. In particular, such non-pickables can be, for example, force measuring tools for measuring the force exerted by the placement head. Such force measuring tools can be, for example, battery powered and have a memory to save the measured values. Non-pickables that can be conveyed can also be nozzle waste bins for receiving discarded nozzles from the head units. ​

[0085] Although Figure 2 not shown, the system also includes a control device for controlling movement of the sleds 35 on the sled conveyor 25 and the tool change unit 33. Advantageously, the control system is operatively coupled to the main production line control system, so that movement of the sleds can be seamlessly coordinated with the needs and operation of each placement machine 20A-20E on the production line. For example, if the control device determines that placement machine 20C needs a new nozzle, it can control the tool change unit 33 to load a sled 35 containing a nozzle onto the sled conveyor 25 via the tool carrier 34, and then move the sled 35 to the head unit work area 24C of placement machine 20C so that the placement head 6 of placement machine 20C can pick up the nozzle. In addition, other sleds 35 can need to be moved out of the way so that the sled containing the nozzle can reach the head unit work area 24C. As will be described in more detail below, interfering sleds 35 can be moved to a return loop so that the path between the tool carrier 34 and the head unit work area 24C can be cleared. The control device can include a processing device such as a processor, or a computer loaded with appropriate control software or hardware, which can be located on the production line or remotely from the production line, as is well known in the art.

[0086] Figure 3 An exemplary portion of the sled conveyor 25 is shown schematically, on which two sleds 35A, 35B are mounted. This portion of the sled conveyor can include, for example, at least a portion of the main sled conveyor 31 (see Figure 2 ), at least a portion of the branch conveyors 32A-32E (see Figure 2 ), or at least a portion of a loop, as will be described in more detail below. The portion of the sled conveyor 25 shown includes two linear conveyor modules 36A, 36B, which are linked to each other to form a linear conveyor having a composite length. In this context, the term linear conveyor, as opposed to a belt conveyor, refers to a conveyor in which the movement of the sleds 35 along the linear conveyor is directly affected by a linear drive, typically an electromagnetic linear drive. The drive can be provided in both directions of the conveyor, and the sleds can be accurately stopped at any point along the linear conveyor.

[0087] Each linear transport module 36A, 36B includes an elongated rail 37 defining a path of movement for the sleds 35 in the direction T, and each end of the rail 37 includes a link 38 for confirming alignment between adjacent linear transport modules 36A, 36B. When properly set, the gap between the rails 37 of adjacent linear transport modules in the transport path is less than the length of the sleds 35A, 35B, so the sleds 35A, 35B can pass between linear transport modules 36A, 36B without interference or obstruction. As desired, a number of linear transport modules 36 can be linked to form a composite sled transport 25.

[0088] Each sled 35A, 35B includes a base 39 that, in use, sits directly on the rail 37, and is shaped to facilitate reduced probability of falling off the rail 37. In the illustrated embodiment, each sled 35A, 35B has an upper tray 40A, 40B adapted for temporary storage of at least one pickable item during transport. The tray 40A is provided with a plurality of recesses 41 sized to receive a single nozzle for safe and reliable transport of such nozzles. Similar trays (not shown) can be used to receive support pins, grippers, etc. The tray 40B is formed as a larger open container 42 that can be adapted, for example, to receive used, damaged, or discarded pickable items such as electronic components, nozzles, grippers, support pins, etc. As shown, the trays 40A, 40B are modular, so that any sled base 39 can be fitted with any type of tray 40A, 40B as desired. In another embodiment (not shown), the sled 35 can include an integrally formed base and tray, in which case pickable items can be transported by a specialized sled 35 in use. Figure 3

[0089] Figure 4 ​A perspective view of a branch conveyor 32 is shown in cooperation with the main slider conveyor 31. As shown, the branch conveyor 32 is positioned between two adjacent and aligned linear conveyor modules 36 and is perpendicular thereto. The branch conveyor 32 is a linear conveyor (operating similarly to the linear conveyor modules 36) that carries two branch shuttles 50A, 50B thereon, each of which is movable in a direction B of the branch conveyor 32 under control of a control device (not shown). Each branch shuttle 50A, 50B includes a relatively short linear conveyor, but of sufficient length to support a slider 35 thereon and to convey the slider 35 in a direction orthogonal to the direction B of the shuttle travel and parallel to the direction T of the slider travel. When a branch shuttle, such as the branch shuttle 50A shown, is aligned with an adjacent linear conveyor module 36, a slider, such as the slider 35A shown, can be free to move in the direction T between the linear conveyor modules 36. In addition, a slider 35 can be brought to a stop on top of a branch shuttle, such as the branch shuttle 50B shown, and then conveyed along the branch conveyor 32 in the direction B. According to this arrangement, the sliders 35 can be permitted to have "overtaking" capabilities along the main slider conveyor 31. For example, as shown, by moving a slider 35B onto the branch shuttle 50B and moving it out of alignment with the linear conveyor modules 36, the slider 35A can be free to move along the extent of the linear conveyor modules 36 through the aligned branch shuttle 50A without the danger of being impeded or colliding with the slider 35B.

[0090] As previously mentioned, the linear conveyor modules 36 of the main slider conveyor 31 are advantageously mounted on the movable rails 29, 30. The branch conveyor 32 is also advantageously mounted on the same movable rails, and thus moves therewith.

[0091] In the embodiment shown, the branch conveyor 32 extends from one side of the main slider conveyor 31. In other embodiments (not shown), the branch conveyor can extend from both sides of the main slider conveyor 31, however, additional measures can be required to avoid obstruction of the rails in this arrangement. Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, the branch conveyor 32 extends from one side of the main slider conveyor 31. In other embodiments (not shown), the branch conveyor can extend from both sides of the main slider conveyor 31, however, additional measures can be required to avoid obstruction of the rails in this arrangement.

[0092] While the provision of branch conveyors 32 provides the sliders 35 with the ability to overtake and thus change relative positions, as briefly described above, further flexibility can be achieved by including one or more loops in the conveyors, allowing the sliders carried thereon to circulate around the loops, such that not only can the sliders 35 be facilitated to move along the production line, but also multiple sliders 35 can be permitted to move along the same portion of the slider conveyor without colliding or colliding. Loops can alternatively or additionally be provided on the branch conveyors. Such loops can be located in the main slider conveyor 31 and / or one or more of the branch conveyors 32A-32E ("branch loops").Figures 5 to 8 Various possible loop embodiments are shown, suitable for the main slider conveyor 31. Loops for the branch conveyor 32 can be provided in a similar manner.

[0093] Figure 5 A perspective view is shown schematically of a vertical loop portion of the slider conveyor 25. The loop comprises a loop conveyor 43 arranged parallel to the main slider conveyor 25 and spaced apart in the vertical direction, three linearly arranged conveyor modules of which are shown in the figure. Two uprights 44 are provided, arranged at either end of the central conveyor module of the main conveyor 25. Each upright 44 carries a lifting conveyor 45 thereon, which is a linear conveyor that can carry and drive the sliders 35 and can be moved vertically relative thereto between a lower position in which the lifting conveyor 45 is operatively connected to the conveyor modules of the main conveyor 25 for movement of the sliders 35 therebetween and an upper position in which the lifting conveyor 45 is operatively connected to the loop conveyor 43 for movement of the sliders between the lifting conveyor 45 and the loop conveyor 43. Advantageously, the lifting conveyors 45 can be controlled by the control device described above.

[0094] Figure 6 A perspective view is shown schematically of a horizontal loop portion of the slider conveyor 25. The loop comprises a loop conveyor 43 arranged parallel to the main slider conveyor 25 and spaced apart in the horizontal direction, three conveyor modules of which are shown in the figure. Two shuttle supports 46 are provided, arranged at either end of the central conveyor module of the main conveyor 25. Each shuttle support 46 carries a shuttle conveyor 47 thereon, which is a linear conveyor that can carry and drive the sliders 35 and can be moved horizontally relative thereto along the shuttle support 46 between a first position in which the shuttle conveyor 47 is operatively connected to the conveyor modules of the main conveyor 25 for movement of the sliders 35 therebetween and a second position in which the shuttle conveyor 47 is operatively connected to the loop conveyor 43 for movement of the sliders between the shuttle conveyor 47 and the loop conveyor 43. Advantageously, the shuttle conveyors 47 can be controlled by the control device described above.

[0095] Although the embodiments described above have used only conveyor modules comprising linear conveyors, the application is not limited thereto, other types of conveyors such as belt conveyors are also possible. Figure 7 A perspective view is shown schematically of a vertical loop portion of a slider conveyor according to a further embodiment of the application. For this arrangement, reference can be made similarly to the above, but here the loop comprises one belt conveyor module 48. Figure 5

[0096] Figure 8 ​Fig. 6 schematically shows a perspective view of a horizontal loop section of a slider conveyor according to another embodiment of the application. For this arrangement, reference can be made similarly to Figure 6 The loop described above, but here comprising a belt conveyor module 49.

[0097] Figure 9 Fig. 7 schematically shows a top view of a part of a production line according to another embodiment of the application, comprising four placement machines 20A-20D and a printer 51. For the placement machines 20A-20D and the slider conveyor 25 running therebetween, reference can be made similarly to Figure 2 described above, and will therefore not be described here again. In this embodiment, the slider conveyor 25 extends into the printer 51, which is located upstream of the placement machines 20A-20D in the production line, as is well known to the skilled person. Between the printer 51 and the placement machines 20A-20D, there can be some intermediate machines or stations, such as inspection machines, for which, for the sake of clarity, Figure 9 These machines or stations are not shown, the slider conveyor 25 can pass through or around these machines. The main slider conveyor 31 of the slider conveyor 25 can extend into the printer 51 and into a print head unit working area 52, which refers to an area accessible to a print head unit (not shown), which can for example comprise a print head or a special purpose head unit, which can be operable to pick up and / or deposit or pick up and / or deposit pickable objects (not shown) such as support pins, squeegee blades, etc. from and / or to the sliders on the slider conveyor 25 and the print head unit working area 52. A printer exchange area 53 is located outside the printer 51. The main slider conveyor 31 can be conveniently connected to a guide rail (not shown), advantageously to a movable guide rail (not shown) of the printer 51. A printer branch conveyor 54 is also provided, which runs transversely to the main slider conveyor 31 within the printer 51 and can move with the main slider conveyor 31 and the connected movable guide rail. Thanks to the movement of the printer movable guide rail, the relative movement between the main slider conveyor 31 and other parts of the system in the printer 51 can be managed in several ways, as described above for Figure 2

[0098] Between the printer 51 and the placement machines 20A, a similar Figure 2 ​The tool exchange unit 33 is shown laterally offset from the main sled conveyor 31. The tool exchange unit 33 is linked to the main sled conveyor 31 by a tool transporter 34, such that a sled 35 can be driven from the tool exchange unit 33 to the sled conveyor 25 by the tool transporter 34, and in turn conveyed between the printer head unit work area 52 and the printer exchange area 53. For larger production lines, such as those used to produce smartphones, which can include many machines (production lines of over 20 machines are known), one or more additional tool exchange units can be provided, which can be positioned as required or where space along the line permits. In addition, in the present embodiment, a reject unit 55 is also provided, which is linked to the main sled conveyor 31 by a reject transporter 56, such that a sled 35 containing rejected or waste items placed by the head unit of a machine (mounter 20A-D or printer 51) can be driven from the sled conveyor 25 to the reject unit 55 by the reject transporter 56. The reject unit 55 is configured to receive the rejected or waste items from the sled 35 for subsequent processing. This processing can include counting the rejected components and discarding them into a reject bin (not shown) in the reject unit 55. The rejected or waste items can be removed from the sled 35 by various methods, for example, the sled can be tipped over a funnel-like device, or a sled with a built-in ejection mechanism can be used. All of the above operations can be controlled by the control device (not shown) described above. In alternative embodiments, the reject unit 55 can be omitted or replaced by a storage unit for the reject bin.

[0099] The above embodiments are merely exemplary, and other possibilities and alternatives within the scope of the present application will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the position of the sled conveyor is flexible, and in various embodiments the sled conveyor can be positioned above or below the workpiece or each workpiece conveyor. Also, production lines can be used in which the height of the sled conveyor varies along the length of the production line relative to the workpiece conveyor. For example, if the production line includes several different kinds of machines, it can be advantageous to vary the height of the sled conveyor according to the different machines, for example, by providing a ramp-like device between different portions of the sled conveyor. Figure 5 Lifting / lowering device shown.

Claims

1. A workpiece processing machine comprising: a work area located inside the workpiece processing machine; a workpiece conveyor for conveying workpieces in the workpiece processing machine; an exchange area located outside the workpiece processing machine; a sled conveyor arranged at least partially parallel to the workpiece conveyor and for conveying a sled located on the sled conveyor between the work area and the exchange area such that the sled is located within the work area when in the work area, wherein the sled is configured to carry at least one item thereon, and a head unit operable in use to pick an item from or deposit an item to the sled within the work area.

2. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1, wherein, The sled conveyor comprises a main sled conveyor arranged parallel to the workpiece conveyor.

3. The workpiece processing machine of claim 2, wherein, The sled conveyor comprises a loop to allow the sled conveyed thereon to circulate around the loop.

4. The workpiece processing machine of claim 3, wherein: The loop comprises a loop conveyor arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the main sled conveyor in a lateral or vertical direction.

5. The workpiece processing machine of claim 2, wherein, The sled conveyor comprises a branch conveyor branching from and operably connected to the main sled conveyor to convey the sled from the main sled conveyor to the branch conveyor.

6. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1, wherein, The workpiece conveyor is supported by a rail to which the sled conveyor is attached.

7. The workpiece processing machine of claim 6, wherein, The rail comprises a movable rail.

8. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1, wherein, The sled conveyor comprises a linear conveyor.

9. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1, further comprising a placement machine.

10. The workpiece processing machine of claim 9, wherein, The head unit comprises a placement head for placing a component on a workpiece or a tool pick head unit for picking a tool from the sled.

11. The workpiece processing machine of claim 1, further comprising a printer.

12. A production line comprising: a workpiece processing machine as claimed in claim 1; and a sled drivable along a sled conveyor.

13. The production line of claim 12, wherein, The sled comprises a tool magazine for housing at least one tool and / or the sled comprises a receptacle to receive an item from a head unit.

14. The production line of claim 12 or 13, further comprising: a tool change unit; a tool transporter for connecting the tool change unit to the sled conveyor of the workpiece processing machine, wherein the sled is movable along the tool transporter to send a tool from the tool change unit to the sled conveyor via the tool transporter, and at least one further workpiece processing machine, and wherein the sled conveyor links the tool change unit to the at least one further workpiece processing machine.

15. The production line of claim 14, wherein, The tool change unit is operable to load the tool into the sled.

16. The production line of claim 14, the tool change unit comprising a storage for storing at least one sled.

17. A method of conveying an item in a workpiece processing machine comprising a head unit operable in use to pick or place an item within a work area, the method comprising the steps of: i) conveying an item within a sled located on a sled conveyor; ii) placing the sled on a sled conveyor within a workpiece machine work area, and iii) picking up an item from the sled with the head unit.

18. The method of claim 17 for supplying an item including a tool to a workpiece machine, further comprising the steps of: i) transporting the tool to the workpiece machine by a sled on the sled conveyor; ii) placing the sled within a work area, and iii) picking up the tool with the head unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The tool includes one of the group consisting of an element handling tool, a force measuring tool, a support pin, and a squeegee blade.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The tool includes a gripper or a suction nozzle.

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