Automatic replacement of an element supply device by using an unmanned transport vehicle in combination with a precisely positionable positioning device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for replacing an element supply device on an automatic assembly machine. The device has: (a) an autonomous transport vehicle having a traveling mechanism and a load receiving mechanism, wherein the traveling mechanism is configured to position the load receiving mechanism with a first spatial accuracy relative to the automatic assembly machine; (b) a positioning device mounted on the load receiving mechanism; and (c) a receiving device for temporarily receiving at least one element supply device, wherein the positioning device is configured to position the receiving device with a second spatial accuracy relative to the automatic assembly machine, wherein the second spatial accuracy is greater than the first spatial accuracy. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a method for replacing an element supply device on an automatic assembly machine by means of such a device.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of electronic component production technology, in which component carriers are equipped with electronic components. The present invention particularly relates to providing electronic components for an automatic assembly machine that must process a plurality of electronic components during continuous operation. The present invention particularly relates to a device and method for automatically replacing a first component supply device with a second component supply device directly on an automatic assembly machine. Background Art

[0002] Electronic components, especially surface mount device (SMD) components, are usually assembled on printed circuit boards using an automatic assembly machine according to the so-called "pick-and-place" principle. Here, the components provided by the component supply device are picked up by the assembly head of the automatic assembly machine, transported to an assembly area where the component carrier to be assembled, such as a printed circuit board, is located, and then placed at a predetermined component mounting position on the component carrier.

[0003] To ensure high assembly efficiency, that is, the number of a large number of components processed within a predetermined period of time, the components are preferably mass-produced into tapes, for example with so-called plastic blisters, or can also be mass-produced into stable cardboard tapes with grooves, and are supplied to the assembly process by means of a suitable component supply device. With such tapes, the automatic assembly machine can run without interruption for a long period of time.

[0004] To ensure the most uninterrupted operation of the automatic assembly machine possible, it is known (shortly before the component tape is "exhausted") to attach a new component tape at the end of the tape by means of a so-called butt joint. However, this butt joint, which is usually carried out by an operator on the relevant automatic assembly machine, is labor-intensive and error-prone.

[0005] Furthermore, it is known that instead of joining a new component tape to the (old) component tape, the entire component supply device is replaced, if necessary, together with the remainder of the first component tape with a pre-configured second component supply device, where pre-configured means that the second component tape has already been inserted into the second component supply device. However, this replacement of the component supply device together with the inserted component tape still always requires a considerable amount of manual work, which must be carried out by an operator.

[0006] To reduce such operating costs, it is also known to install tracks on the automatic assembly machines of the production line, along which robots can move in order to convey a pre-configured second component supply device from one end of the production line to the automatic assembly machine, where the first component supply device is automatically replaced by the pre-configured second component supply device, and the replaced first component supply device is conveyed back to the end of the production line. However, the disadvantage of this solution is that the robots on the production line side require a relatively large positioning space in order to be able to be used without the risk of, for example, colliding with the operating personnel during use. This increases the positioning space requirements of the production line, so that fewer automatic assembly machines or production lines can be installed within the pre-given area of the factory. This applies in particular to (a) production lines with relatively large automatic assembly machines, where components are supplied from both sides, that is to say from the left and right sides of the production line, and (b) production lines that are arranged parallel to another production line and therefore require an increased gap between the respective adjacent production lines. Obviously, due to the increased positioning space requirements or area requirements, the assembly efficiency that can be provided within the factory is reduced.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to achieve a high assembly efficiency within a pre-given "area supply". Summary of the Invention

[0008] This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a device for replacing a component supply device on an automatic assembly machine is described. The described device has (a) an autonomous transport vehicle, which has a running mechanism and a load receiving mechanism, wherein the running mechanism is configured to position the load receiving mechanism with a first spatial accuracy relative to the automatic assembly machine within a working area on the ground; (b) a positioning device, which is mounted on the load receiving mechanism; and (c) a receiving device for temporarily receiving at least one component supply device, wherein the positioning device is configured to position the receiving device with a second spatial accuracy relative to the automatic assembly machine, wherein the second spatial accuracy is greater than the first spatial accuracy.

[0010] The described device for replacing a component supply device (hereinafter also simply referred to as the replacement device) is based on the recognition that by combining two positioning systems, namely an autonomous transport vehicle (FTF) that can be roughly positioned and a positioning device that can be finely or precisely positioned, the first component supply device can be automatically replaced by the second component supply device at a precise position on the automatic assembly machine, at which position the corresponding component needs to be supplied to the assembly process that is carried out using the automatic assembly machine.

[0011] During such a replacement, the first component supply device can be removed from the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine and transferred to the receiving device. In addition, the second component supply device can be transferred from the receiving device to the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine.

[0012] Due to the relatively high positioning accuracy of the positioning device, conventional and commercially available driverless transport vehicles can be used, which, for example, have a positioning accuracy of only ±10 mm. As a result, sufficient spatial accuracy for replacing the component supply device is achieved through the relatively high positioning accuracy of the positioning device, which can be, for example, ±0.5 mm, ±0.25 mm, ±0.10 mm or even less.

[0013] Conventional positioning systems can also be used for the described positioning device. Such a positioning system can have any suitable drive components, such as a lead screw drive.

[0014] The receiving device can include a manipulation system that performs all the necessary operations "on-site", that is, on the automatic assembly machine, in order to replace the first component supply device with the second component supply device. For this purpose, it can especially include the following aspects: (a) removing the first component supply device that was recently in operation from the relevant receiving cylinder on the automatic assembly machine, (b) temporarily picking up the first component supply device (in addition to the second component supply device), and (c) precisely introducing the second component supply device into the relevant receiving cylinder, which should start its operation in a short time.

[0015] The first and / or second component supply device can be preconfigured such that it contains the components required for the respective assembly process. The components can especially be encapsulated in a so-called component tape in a known manner. The introduction of the component tape into the relevant component supply device can already be carried out manually during the preparation phase for the actual replacement of the component supply device. Thereby, it is no longer necessary to (laboriously) manually thread such a component tape "on-site", and the time interval required for the replacement can be reduced.

[0016] Generally, the first component supply device contains a plurality of first components, and the second component supply device includes a plurality of second components. Depending on the corresponding assembly task or the type of electronic component to be manufactured, the first and second components can be of the same or different types.

[0017] By using an unmanned transport vehicle, the replacement device can cover relatively long distances relatively quickly. Such distances can extend, for example, from the following workstations to the position of the component supply device to be replaced or to the receiving cylinder, at which workstations the operator pre-configures the component supply device in the above-described manner. Here, this position can be one of a plurality of positions on different automatic assembly machines in a factory hall, which may be on different production lines for electronic components if necessary. By using the positioning device, after the unmanned transport vehicle (with its relatively low positioning accuracy) has moved to the relevant position of the automatic assembly machine, a suitable fine positioning of the receiving device can be achieved quickly. Thereby, a rapid replacement or substitution of the component supply device can be realized, such that this replacement does not cause or only causes a slight negative impact on the assembly efficiency.

[0018] The load receiving mechanism can be any mechanical structure to which a first component configured as a positioning device can be attached. The mechanical structure can be, for example, a platform mounted or constructed on the (upper) surface of the FTF (housing).

[0019] The device according to the invention has an architecture that enables the construction of a device from components that are known per se and commercially available. Thereby, the device can be realized in a simple, effective and relatively inexpensive manner. In addition, the described device for replacing the component supply device can replace the component supply device on all relevant sides of the relevant automatic assembly machine due to the high degree of freedom of movement of the FTF on the following factory floor, and the relevant automatic assembly machine is typically arranged together with a plurality of other automatic assembly machines on the factory floor.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the invention, the device also has a position sensor for detecting the current position of the receiving device relative to a target position on the automatic assembly machine. Here, the target position is in particular such a position on the automatic assembly machine at which there is a first component supply device (to be replaced). The target position can be represented or defined by a suitable (separate) marking and is of course spatially associated with the relevant receiving cylinder. A common marking can also be provided for a plurality of receiving cylinders.

[0021] The described position sensor can only be used when the unmanned transport vehicle has moved to the relevant final position on the automatic assembly machine. Then, the positioning device can be adjusted taking into account the position signal of the position sensor and the positioning device can be controlled with high precision such that the receiving device is precisely located in one of the following positions, in which a trouble-free replacement of the component supply device can be ensured.

[0022] The position sensor can, for example, have a conventional camera with an image analysis unit connected downstream, which camera is communicatively coupled to the control unit of the positioning device.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the invention, the device further has an identification sensor configured to detect and analyze an identification feature assigned to a predefined position of an element supply device on an automatic assembly machine. Here, the predefined position is typically the receiving cylinder of the associated element supply device.

[0024] By using the described identification sensor, it can be ensured before replacing the associated element supply device that the device, or more precisely the receiving device, has been moved to the correct position, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the replacement of a wrong element supply device. In this way, undesired incorrect assembly can be effectively avoided.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the invention, an autonomous transport vehicle is configured in combination with a positioning device to position the receiving device along three translational degrees of freedom.

[0026] The three translational degrees of freedom can in principle be distributed to two components, namely the "autonomous transport vehicle" and the "positioning device". However, it must be ensured that the receiving device can be positioned with the required accuracy. In particular, it may be necessary that the more precise positioning device has a translational degree of freedom along the horizontal x-direction, which extends parallel to a row of a plurality of element supply devices arranged side by side on the automatic assembly machine. Depending on the specific configuration of the automatic assembly machine, the horizontal x-direction can extend parallel to the transport direction along which the element carrier to be assembled is moved into the assembly area of the automatic assembly machine and is removed from the assembly area again after at least partial assembly.

[0027] Preferably, the positioning device is further configured to position the receiving device with high precision along the vertical z-direction. Thereby, for example, unevenness of the ground on which the autonomous transport vehicle moves can be compensated with high precision.

[0028] Even more preferably, the positioning device is further configured to position the receiving device also along the horizontal y-direction, so that high positioning accuracy can also be achieved along this direction. This can further improve the error robustness of the replacement of the (first) element supply device.

[0029] Regarding the translational degrees of freedom of the autonomous transport vehicle, in most embodiments, it is sufficient to move within the plane defined by the x-direction and the y-direction. This is typically the plane of the ground on which the autonomous transport vehicle must move anyway to ensure the transport of the element supply device between (i) the workstation for pre-configuring the element supply device and (ii) the relevant position on the associated automatic assembly machine.

[0030] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the driverless conveying means and the positioning device are configured in combination to position the receiving device along at least one rotational degree of freedom.

[0031] This rotational degree of freedom (as long as it involves a rotational axis parallel to the vertical z-direction) can be provided in a simple manner by the driverless conveying means. That is, the driverless conveying means is generally configured to move freely in the horizontal X / Y plane.

[0032] However, the positioning device preferably has a rotational degree of freedom about the z-axis (parallel to the vertical z-direction). Thereby, rotation about the vertical z-axis can also be achieved with particularly high precision.

[0033] Further preferably, the positioning device also has a rotational degree of freedom about the x-axis parallel to the x-direction and / or a rotational degree of freedom about the y-axis parallel to the y-direction. Thereby, in an advantageous manner, even when the relevant component supply device is inserted relatively long into the elongated receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine or pulled out relatively long from the elongated receiving cylinder, a gentle and shock-free replacement of the first component supply device can be achieved, and thereby a reliable replacement of the first component supply device with the second component supply device can be achieved.

[0034] The extensive rotational and / or translational degrees of freedom of the positioning device are particularly advantageous when the (second) component supply device has to be pushed along or on a profile rail into its final position on the automatic assembly machine. Such a profile rail can be, for example, a so-called Ω-shaped profile (in the cross-section perpendicular to the pushing direction), which ensures a high position stability of the relevant component supply device in a known manner. This also applies during a long-lasting assembly process. Here, of course, it is necessary that a structure complementary to the profile cross-section of the profile rail is preferably constructed or present on the lower side of the relevant component supply device.

[0035] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the positioning device has a hexapod. The advantage is that all six spatial degrees of freedom (three translational degrees of freedom and three rotational degrees of freedom) can be achieved with high precision in a simple manner by the positioning device and using a positioning mechanism known per se.

[0036] The "hexapod" is understood in the context as a special form of a so-called parallel kinematic machine, which has six legs with variable lengths, and these legs can be adjusted individually but in coordination with each other. The hexapod is based on a relatively simple structure and has high dynamics, which advantageously enables rapid positioning along all six spatial degrees of freedom.

[0037] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the device further has (i) a first control unit for controlling an autonomous transport vehicle and (ii) a second control unit for controlling a positioning device.

[0038] The separation of the control of the two components "autonomous transport vehicle" and "positioning device" has the advantage that the replacement device described herein can be implemented using known autonomous transport vehicles not only in terms of the required hardware but also in terms of control, without significant modification of the hardware and control software. Here, such a known autonomous transport vehicle can be part of a transport system with a fleet of autonomous transport vehicles. Thus, there is no need to design a separate control device for the two-dimensional movement required by the autonomous transport vehicle on the ground. The two control units can be implemented by separate control units in the hardware or by virtualization in a common single processor, and the two control units can be communicatively coupled to a higher-level control unit for coordinated operation of the two components.

[0039] By means of the described separation of the control of the transport vehicle and the positioning device by hardware and / or by virtualization, the replacement device described herein can be implemented in a simple manner, namely, by making relatively simple mechanical and control-technical modifications in a known autonomous transport vehicle, which add fine positioning functionality to the known functionality of the two-dimensional movement of the autonomous transport vehicle by means of the positioning device.

[0040] The first control unit and / or the second control unit can be coupled to at least one of the above-mentioned sensors "position sensor" and "identification sensor". Thereby, at least in the area near the automatic assembly machine, controlled and thus highly accurate positioning can be achieved by the autonomous transport vehicle and / or by the positioning device, and / or verification of the correct replacement of the relevant component supply device can be carried out.

[0041] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the device further has a manipulation device, which is attached to or configured on the receiving device. The manipulation device is configured to (i) transfer a first component supply device from the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine to the receiving device, and (ii) transfer a second component supply device from the receiving device to the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine.

[0042] The manipulation device can be any mechanical structure having a movable part relative to the receiving device, and the part can be moved such that it can perform the manipulations required for the described transfer of the component supply device.

[0043] The movement of the manipulation device can be controlled by a third control unit. This can be implemented together with the second control unit in common hardware, for example, by means of virtualization software.

[0044] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the handling device has a gripping unit. The gripping unit can be, for example, a movable robotic arm, which can perform all the handling processes required for the transfer described for the component supply device.

[0045] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the handling device includes a sliding / traction device and a coupling mechanism, which is configured to detachably attach the first component supply device or the second component supply device to the sliding / traction device. Thereby, the transfer of the aforementioned first or second component supply device between the receiving device and the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine can be realized in a particularly simple manner. In particular, only a one-dimensional movement of the sliding / traction device, for example, along the aforementioned horizontal y-direction, is required. Therefore, no movement in other directions is needed, because in the case of appropriately finely positioning the receiving device by the positioning device, the second component supply device can be brought to the optimal position relative to the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine along the horizontal x-direction and along the vertical z-direction, for example, by translation and / or rotation.

[0046] The coupling mechanism can be, for example, a mechanical structure having a first component on the sliding / traction device and a second component on the relevant component supply device. The detachable fastening of the component supply device to the sliding / traction device can be achieved by switching the coupling mechanism from a first operating state to a second operating state, in which the two components do not interact in the first operating state and the two components are mechanically engaged with each other in the second operating state. Alternatively or in combination, the coupling mechanism can also have magnetic components, wherein preferably the first component has an electromagnet, which magnetically attracts the ferromagnetic second component when appropriately determined.

[0047] In a mechanically particularly easy-to-implement embodiment, the sliding / traction device is realized as a movable wall of the receiving device.

[0048] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the device also has an (electrical) energy storage, which is mainly assigned to the driverless transport vehicle, and wherein the energy storage is also secondarily provided for actuating the positioning device.

[0049] In this also particularly advantageous embodiment, it is intuitively expressed that the energy storage (which is already included in each known driverless transport vehicle) is additionally used for the function of fine positioning achieved by the positioning device and / or for operating the aforementioned handling device. Thereby, a second (electrical) energy storage can be advantageously omitted.

[0050] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the device also has an interface for detachably attaching the positioning device (together with the receiving device) to the load receiving mechanism.

[0051] By means of the described detachable attachment, the replacement device described herein can be implemented with a modular structure. This means that different types of positioning devices and / or receiving devices can be installed on or in the driverless transport vehicle. Thereby, when using component supply devices that are spatially configured differently and are used for automatic assembly machines and / or for different automatic assembly machines of a production line, different modules can be attached to the same type of driverless transport vehicle, each of which has at least one positioning device and a receiving device that is adapted to each component supply device to be replaced. Here, different component supply devices can be distinguished, for example, by their width.

[0052] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for replacing a component supply device on an automatic assembly machine by means of the aforementioned device is described. The method includes: (a) picking up a second component supply device at a workstation (in particular for manually pre-configuring the second component supply device); (b) placing the second component supply device in the receiving device; (c) the driverless transport vehicle moving from the workstation to the automatic assembly machine with a first spatial accuracy to a spatial region in which the first component supply device is located; (d) positioning the receiving device with a second accuracy to a predetermined position within the spatial region; (e) transferring the first component supply device from the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine to the receiving device; and (f) transferring the second component supply device from the receiving device to the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine.

[0053] The method is also based on the recognition that, through the inventive combination of two positioning systems - a roughly positionable driverless transport vehicle and a finely or precisely positionable positioning device - the second component supply device can be accurately brought to such a position with high spatial accuracy where the first component supply device can be replaced by the second component supply device without problems. Here, "problem-free replacement" can in particular be understood as such a replacement in which the transfer of the two component supply devices takes place with high precision and thus with negligible or at least very small mechanical resistance. This generally means a transfer without "skew" and / or "jitter".

[0054] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the invention, the method further includes: (g) the driverless transport vehicle moving from the spatial region to the workstation, and (h) transferring the first component supply device from the receiving device to the workstation. Thereby, the first component supply device can be pre-configured for future use in the automatic assembly machine or in other automatic assembly machines without affecting the assembly operation. As described above, such pre-configuration can be introducing a new component tape into the first component supply device. Here, the new component tape can be filled with the same electronic components or other electronic components with respect to the at least partially used-up component tape of the first component supply device.

[0055] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to different inventive concepts. In particular, some embodiments of the present invention having apparatus claims and other embodiments of the present invention having method claims are described. However, those skilled in the art will immediately understand upon reading this document that, unless otherwise explicitly stated, any combination of features belonging to different types of inventive concepts is also feasible, in addition to combinations of features belonging to one type of inventive concept.

[0056] Other advantages and features of the present invention result from the following exemplary description of the presently preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Figure 1 A replacement device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0058] Figure 2 A replacement device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0059] Figures 3a to 3h Schematically shows the replacement of a first element supply device with a second element supply device in the case of using Figure 1 the replacement device shown.

[0060] DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS:

[0061] 100 Replacement device

[0062] 110 Driverless transport vehicle

[0063] 112 Travel mechanism

[0064] 114 Load receiving mechanism

[0065] 116 First control unit

[0066] 118 Energy storage

[0067] 130 Positioning device / six - leg parallel mechanism

[0068] 140 Receiving device

[0069] 142 Position sensor

[0070] 144 Identification sensor

[0071] 146 Second control unit

[0072] 150 Manipulation device

[0073] 152 Slip / traction device

[0074] 154 Coupling mechanism

[0075] 190 Component supply device

[0076] 194 Component tape

[0077] 200 Replacement device

[0078] 240 Receiving device

[0079] 252 Sliding / traction device

[0080] 254 Coupling mechanism

[0081] 260 Interface / frame structure

[0082] 300 Replacement device

[0083] 310 Driverless transport vehicle

[0084] 330 Positioning device / six - leg parallel mechanism

[0085] 340 Receiving device

[0086] 342 Position sensor

[0087] 348 Mechanical orientation element

[0088] 352 Sliding / traction device

[0089] 380 Automatic assembly machine (frame)

[0090] 382 Conveyor system for component carrier / printed circuit board

[0091] 384 Reference mark

[0092] 386 Receiving area for component supply device

[0093] 388 Receiving cylinder

[0094] 391 First component supply device

[0095] 392 Second component supply device

[0096] T Conveying direction of the conveyor system. Detailed implementation mode

[0097] It should be noted that in the following detailed description, features or components of different embodiments that are the same or at least functionally the same as the corresponding features or components of another embodiment have the same reference numerals or reference numerals with the last two digits the same as those of the corresponding features or components that are the same or at least functionally the same. To avoid unnecessary repetition, features or components that have been explained with the aid of the previously described embodiments will not be elaborated in detail later.

[0098] It should be noted that the embodiments described below are only a limited selection of possible implementation variants of the present invention. In particular, it is feasible to combine the features of the individual embodiments with each other in a suitable manner, so that for a person skilled in the art, multiple different embodiments can be regarded as clearly disclosed by using the implementation variants explicitly shown herein.

[0099] Figure 1 A replacement device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The replacement device 100 has a commercially available driverless transport vehicle 110, which includes a traveling mechanism 112 and a load receiving mechanism 114. In Figure 1 the traveling mechanism with wheels 112 is schematically shown, the wheels roll on the ground, and the driverless transport vehicle 110 moves on the ground. In the driverless transport vehicle 110 used here, the load receiving mechanism 114 is simply the upper surface of the housing. This load receiving mechanism has sufficient mechanical stability to carry the other components of the replacement device 100 described below.

[0100] The replacement device 100 also has a first control unit 116, which is (wirelessly) connected to a central control device (not shown) and controls the driverless transport vehicle 110 to move to any predetermined position on the ground. In addition, the driverless transport vehicle has an Figure 1 electric energy storage 118 schematically shown in. The energy storage 118 is in particular a rechargeable battery.

[0101] On the load receiving mechanism 114, there is arranged a positioning device 130, which is a so-called six-legged parallel mechanism according to the embodiment shown here. The six-legged parallel mechanism 130 includes two plates connected to six legs with adjustable lengths. The lengths of the legs can be changed individually but coordinated with each other so that the upper plate moves relative to the lower plate. This movement, which can be carried out with high precision, can be performed along all six degrees of freedom (three translational degrees of freedom and three rotational degrees of freedom).

[0102] In addition, the replacement device 100 has an Figure 1 accepting device 140 schematically shown in, which is fixedly mounted on the upper plate of the six-legged parallel mechanism 130. A position sensor 142 is attached to the accepting device 140, which can move or be positioned with high precision by means of the six-legged parallel mechanism 130. The position sensor 142 can (optically) detect a reference mark, which (i) is mounted on Figure 1on the housing of the automatic assembly machine not shown herein and the reference mark (ii) is spatially fixedly assigned to the receiving cell of the component supply device 190 for attachment to the automatic assembly machine. By means of a suitable image analysis carried out by a subsequent image analysis unit (not shown), the exact relative position of the receiving device 140 with respect to the reference mark can be determined. The corresponding spatial relative position between the receiving device 140 and the reference mark can be communicated to the second control unit 146, which controls the six-legged parallel mechanism 130 such that the receiving device 140 moves precisely into a predetermined spatial position and / or orientation. The predetermined spatial position / orientation is characterized in that, as described hereinafter by means of Figures 3a to 3h it is possible to reliably and problem-free replace the component supply device detachably attached to the automatic assembly machine.

[0103] After the above-described precise spatial positioning of the receiving device 140, such replacement of the first component supply device with the second component supply device is carried out by means of the actuating device 150. According to the embodiment shown herein, the actuating device 150 has a sliding / traction device 152 and a coupling mechanism 154. The sliding / traction device 152 can be moved along the bottom plate of the receiving device 140. The coupling mechanism 154, which consists of two coupling parts, is located between the sliding / traction device 152 and the respective component supply device 190. One of the two coupling parts is assigned to the sliding / traction device 152, and the other of the two coupling parts is assigned to the component supply device 190. In the first operating state of the coupling mechanism 154, these two coupling elements are connected to each other. This can be done, for example, by means of an activated magnetic force and / or by means of a mechanical intervention. In the second operating state, the two coupling elements are decoupled from each other.

[0104] Furthermore, an identification sensor 144 is mounted on the receiving device 140. The identification sensor is used to detect an identification feature not shown in Figure 1 which is directly attached in the immediate vicinity of the receiving cylinder for the component supply device to the associated automatic assembly machine and is logically assigned to the receiving cylinder. By recognizing this identification feature, it is possible to verify before replacing the component supply device that the correct component supply device is actually being replaced.

[0105] It should be noted that Figure 1 the component supply device 190 shown in is configured such that it can accommodate the component tape 194 in the form of a cassette inside it. This means that when replacing or substituting the component supply device 190, the electronic components contained in the component tape 194 are also automatically replaced, and these electronic components are supplied to the assembly process in the automatic assembly machine. The other components of the component supply device 190 visible in Figure 1 are known standard components of such a component supply device and are therefore not further elaborated herein.

[0106] Figure 2 Shows the replacement device 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the replacement device 200, the driverless transport vehicle 110 is the same as those driverless transport vehicles in the replacement device 100. However, different from the replacement device 100, the positioning device 130, which is also configured as a six-leg parallel mechanism here, is not directly attached to the load receiving mechanism 114. Instead, a mechanical interface 260 is provided on the load receiving mechanism 114, which is again on the surface of the housing of the driverless transport vehicle 110, and this mechanical interface is realized by a simple frame structure. In Figure 2 it, the frame structure 260 is illustrated as a U-shaped structure, wherein the lower leg of the "U" is detachably mounted on the load receiving mechanism 114.

[0107] In Figure 2 on the legs of the "U" shown above, a fixed plate of the six-leg parallel mechanism 130 is fixed. The movable plate of the six-leg parallel mechanism 130 is connected to the receiving device 240, and the receiving device is shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 2 it, which has an upper elongated member and a lower elongated member, and the upper elongated member and the lower elongated member are mechanically rigidly connected to each other in a manner not shown. The actual receiving space of the receiving device 240 is formed between the two elongated members.

[0108] In the replacement device 200, a sliding / traction device 252 and a coupling mechanism 254 are also provided. In Figure 2 it, the sliding / traction device 252 is in its left terminal position and can be pushed to the right into an unshown receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine when correspondingly activated by an unshown drive device (together with the component supply device 190).

[0109] The above-mentioned detachability of the frame structure 260 from the load receiving mechanism 114 advantageously enables (i) replacing the frame structure 260 together with other components mounted thereon with (ii) another frame structure of the corresponding components mounted thereon. This means that the same driverless transport vehicle 110 can be equipped with different components "positioning device", "receiving device" and / or "manipulating device".

[0110] Figures 3a to 3h Schematically shows the replacement of the first component supply device with a second component supply device in the case of using the replacement device 100 shown in Figure 1 it.

[0111] Figure 3aIt shows how the replacement device, now labeled with reference numeral 300, approaches the position where the component supply device is to be replaced next to the automatic assembly machine only when using the driverless transport vehicle 310. The automatic assembly machine or more precisely the lower frame structure of the automatic assembly machine is labeled with reference numeral 380.

[0112] Above the lower frame structure 380, in Figures 3a to 3h a transport system 382 for component carriers is shown, which component carriers are introduced into the assembly area of the automatic assembly machine and where electronic components are assembled. In Figure 3a the component supply device is labeled with reference numeral 391, with which components (not shown) are presented to an assembly head (also not shown) for picking up at a picking position. Hereinafter, the component supply device 391 will be referred to as the first component supply device. The component carriers to be assembled are not shown in Figures 3a to 3h this figure.

[0113] As already explained in the above detailed description of the replacement device 100, another component supply device is located on or at the receiving device 340, which receiving device 340 is attached to a movable part of a positioning device 330 configured as a six - leg parallel mechanism. The fixed part of the six - leg parallel mechanism 330 is attached to a load receiving mechanism (not labeled) of the driverless transport vehicle 310.

[0114] As described above, after rough positioning by the driverless transport vehicle 310, the positioning device 330 is controlled such that the receiving device 340 is precisely brought into the following position, in which a smooth replacement of the first component supply device 391 with the second component supply device 392 can be achieved. In order to be able to control the positioning device 330 or its drive device (not shown) in a suitable manner, a position sensor 342 is attached to the receiving device 340, which position sensor detects a reference mark 384 provided on the automatic assembly machine 380. An analysis unit subsequent to the position sensor 342 determines the precise relative position between the receiving device 340 and the reference mark 384. This reference mark 384 is spatially precisely assigned to the position of the receiving cylinder, in which the first component supply device 391 is located.

[0115] In Figures 3a to 3h the slide / traction device already described above is labeled with reference numeral 352. The coupling mechanism 154 shown in Figure 1 is not shown in these figures for the sake of simplicity.

[0116] According to the embodiment shown herein, a mechanical orientation element 348 is provided on the front side of the receiving device 340. When the receiving device 340 is correctly positioned relative to the receiving cylinder where the first element supply device 391 is located, the mechanical orientation element 348 engages with a complementary orientation element ( Figure 3a not shown in the figure). Without such engagement, the receiving device 340 will not be in the correct position required for the smooth replacement of the first element supply device 391 and the second element supply device 392.

[0117] Figure 3b The state after fine positioning achieved by the positioning device 330 is shown. The receiving device 340 is in the position required for the smooth replacement of the first element supply device 391 and the second element supply device 392. The mechanical orientation element 348 of the receiving device 340, which is not labeled with a reference numeral herein, is in correct mechanical engagement with the complementary orientation element on the automatic assembly machine 380.

[0118] Figure 3c The state is shown in which the sliding / traction device 352 has moved forward to grip the first element supply device 391 by means of another coupling mechanism (not shown).

[0119] Figure 3d The state is shown in which the sliding / traction device 352 moves backward again, and in this process, the first element supply device 391 is pulled out of the receiving cylinder. Now, the first element supply device 391 is located next to the second element supply device 392. Based on Figure 3d the perspective view, only one of the two element supply devices 391, 392 can be seen.

[0120] Figure 3d ' shows a corresponding top view of the automatic assembly machine 380. According to the embodiment shown herein, the automatic assembly machine 380 has two receiving areas 386 for respectively a plurality of element supply devices arranged adjacent to each other. There is the above-mentioned conveying system for the element carrier between the two receiving areas 386, which is schematically shown by an arrow labeled with the reference numeral T, and this arrow should indicate the conveying direction of the conveying system 382. The first element supply device 391 just taken out from the receiving cylinder labeled with the reference numeral 388 in Figure 3d ' is directly located next to the second element supply device 392 along the conveying direction T.

[0121] Figure 3e and Figure 3e ' respectively show the receiving device 340 after being repositioned or moved along the conveying direction T. The repositioning results in that now the second element supply device 392 is aligned with the receiving cylinder 388.

[0122] Figure 3f Shows the state where the sliding / traction device 352 moves left again. During this process, it pushes the second element supply device 392 into the receiving cylinder.

[0123] Figure 3g Shows the state where the sliding / traction device 352 moves right again. Before moving right, the coupling between the sliding / traction device 352 and the second element supply device 392 has been released. Thus, the second element supply device 392 remains in the receiving cylinder.

[0124] Figure 3h Shows the movement of the entire replacement device 300 away from the automatic assembly machine 380. For this, an autonomous transport vehicle 310 is used, which takes the first element supply device 391 to a workstation (not shown). At this workstation, an operator can insert a new element tape into the first element supply device 391, so that the element supply device is directly preconfigured on the automatic assembly machine 380 for subsequent replacement with another element supply device (or, if necessary, also with the first element supply device 391 located in the receiving cylinder 388) located in another receiving cylinder.

[0125] It should be noted that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements, and the numeral "a" does not exclude a plurality. In addition, elements described in connection with different embodiments can be combined. It should also be noted that the reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for replacing a component supply device on an automatic assembly machine, the device having an autonomous transport vehicle with a traveling mechanism and a load receiving mechanism, wherein, The traveling mechanism is configured to position the load receiving mechanism relative to the automatic assembly machine with a first spatial accuracy; A positioning device, which is mounted on the load receiving mechanism; A receiving device, which is configured to temporarily receive two of the component supply devices, the component supply devices including a first component supply device and a second component supply device, wherein the positioning device is configured to position the receiving device relative to the automatic assembly machine with a second spatial accuracy, and the second spatial accuracy is greater than the first spatial accuracy; And A manipulation device, which is mounted or configured on the receiving device and is configured to, (i) transfer the first component supply device from the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine to the receiving device, and (ii) transfer the second component supply device from the receiving device into the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising A position sensor for detecting the current position of the receiving device relative to a target position on the automatic assembly machine.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising An identification sensor, which is configured to detect and analyze an identification feature, the identification feature being assigned to a predefined position of a component supply device on the automatic assembly machine.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein The driverless transport vehicle and the positioning device are configured in combination to position the receiving device along three translational degrees of freedom.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein The driverless transport vehicle and the positioning device are configured in combination to position the receiving device along at least one rotational degree of freedom.

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein The positioning device has a six-legged parallel mechanism.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising A first control unit for controlling the driverless transport vehicle, and A second control unit for controlling the positioning device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein The manipulation device has a grasping unit.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein The manipulation device has a sliding / traction device and a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism being configured to detachably connect the first component supply device or the second component supply device to the sliding / traction device.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising An energy storage device, which is mainly assigned to the driverless transport vehicle, wherein, The energy storage is also secondarily provided for actuating the positioning device.

11. The device according to claim 1, further having An interface for detachably attaching the positioning device to the load receiving mechanism.

12. A method for replacing a component supply device on an automatic assembly machine by means of the device according to claim 1, the method comprising Picking up a second component supply device at a workstation; Placing the second component supply device in the receiving device; Moving the driverless transport vehicle from the workstation to the automatic assembly machine with a first spatial accuracy to a spatial region in which the first component supply device is located; Positioning the receiving device with a second accuracy to a predefined position within the spatial region; Transfer the first component supply device from the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine to the receiving device; and Transfer the second component supply device from the receiving device to the receiving cylinder of the automatic assembly machine.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising Moving the driverless transport vehicle from the spatial area to the workstation, and Transferring the first component supply device from the receiving device to the workstation.

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