Method for detecting clear component identification of electronic components during assembly by an assembly machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for detecting a clear component identification (4) of an electronic component (3) during an assembly process of an automatic assembly machine (10), wherein at least one assembly head (8) receives a component (3) from a component holder (1) and assembles a printed circuit board (7) with the received component (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for detecting a clear component identification of an electronic component during an assembly process of an automatic assembly machine and an automatic assembly machine configured to implement the method. Background Art

[0002] In order to ensure the traceability or traceability of electronic components on printed circuit boards, it is necessary to ensure within the scope of the assembly process of an automatic assembly machine that clear component identification is assigned to the electronic components placed on the circuit board. At present, this is achieved in the following manner, i.e. before, during or after the corresponding component is grabbed by the component holder, in the case of an SMD component in the form of a band, a bar code on the component itself or on the component holder, next to the component, is read. This bar code is a clear component identification that is specific to the component and indicates the component. Thus, the clear distribution relationship between each component and the printed circuit board is possible, and the circuit board itself can be provided with a bar code equally. In order to read the bar code, the circuit board camera of an automatic assembly machine is usually used. However, by reading the bar code of each individual component, the assembly efficiency of the automatic assembly machine is significantly reduced. Summary of the invention

[0003] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to propose an improved method for detecting clear component identification of electronic components during the assembly process of an automatic assembly machine, which method at least reduces the shortcomings of the prior art, and in particular ensures the traceability of components with as little or no reduction in assembly efficiency as possible.

[0004] The above-mentioned object is achieved by the subject matter of the claims. The object is achieved in particular by a method according to claim 1 and an automatic assembly machine according to claim 10. Further advantages and details of the invention are derived from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings. Here, the features and details disclosed in connection with the method according to the invention are of course also applicable in connection with the automatic assembly machine according to the invention and vice versa, so that the disclosures concerning the respective inventive aspects are always mutually referenced or can be mutually referenced.

[0005] Therefore, according to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a method for detecting unambiguous component identification of electronic components during assembly in an automatic assembly machine. In the method, at least one assembly head picks up components from a component holder and assembles the picked up components for a printed circuit board. The method has the following steps:

[0006] reading a first unambiguous physical identification of a first component of a component on the component holder, wherein the physical identification of the component is arranged on the component and / or on the component holder,

[0007] picking up a first component (and a first physical identification read therefrom) by the assembly head in a first receiving process of the receiving sequence of the at least one assembly head (and in particular assembling the printed circuit board with the first component),

[0008] detecting a component identification of a first component according to predetermined assignment data, which assign physical identifications to component identifications in a predetermined sequence,

[0009] synchronizing the receiving sequence with the allocation data at the position of the first receiving process in the receiving sequence and at the position of the first physical identification in the predetermined sequence of the allocation data, and

[0010] The component identification of the component picked up by the component holder (and in particular the printed circuit board is populated with said component) is detected by means of the mutually synchronized reception sequence and the allocation data.

[0011] Therefore, the method according to the present invention is capable of detecting the unambiguous component identification of a component grasped or picked up by at least one assembly head and placed on a printed circuit board. Here, it is ensured by the synchronization process of the receiving sequence and the allocation data that after the component identification of the first component is detected by reading its physical identification, the component identification of other components can also be detected corresponding to the receiving sequence of at least one assembly head. In other words, with the help of the mutually synchronized allocation data and the predetermined receiving sequence or assembly sequence determined by the receiving sequence, the component identification of the components picked up after the first component and placed on the printed circuit board can be detected respectively without reading the physical identification to which it belongs.

[0012] This can be achieved without having to read each physical identification of the component and the assembly efficiency will not be reduced in this regard due to the need to read each individual physical identification. Instead, the assembly efficiency can be significantly improved because only the physical identification of the first component needs to be read. The first component can also correspond to the first component contained in the component holder, but this is not necessary. The first component is called "first" only to distinguish it from other components, because in principle only one synchronization is required, that is, the position of the first component in the receiving process in the receiving sequence and the position of the first physical identification of the first component in the predetermined order of the distribution data need to be synchronized. Resynchronization can still be carried out, as it is explained in detail later. This can be carried out, for example, occasionally, that is, for example, every ten, twenty or more components, or triggered by a specific event, such as the loss of a component. These and other details of the advantageous embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail below.

[0013] It can be provided that the method also has a resynchronization step, by means of which the physical identification of the element on the element holder is read. This has already been referred to as resynchronization. In this case, the second element does not have to correspond to the element that directly follows the first element. Instead, the second element can be any subsequent element within the receiving sequence of the current element holder. As mentioned at the beginning, this can be a periodic or otherwise set resynchronization, or the steps can be repeated or implemented periodically or in another way to ensure correct synchronization, i.e. the correspondence of the receiving sequence to the allocation data, which allows the further reading of the physical identification to be abandoned.

[0014] In particular, it can be provided that after a previous component on the component holder has been received incorrectly or lost, synchronization is performed again. Accordingly, traceability can be ensured even in the event of such a fault using the proposed method. It is also not necessary to recheck all physical identifications of the components.

[0015] Instead, reading the already mentioned second element or its physical identification is sufficient, since then, based on the order of the element identification relative to the physical identification predetermined by the allocation data, it can be ensured that further elements received according to the reception sequence can be correctly detected along the reception process of the reception sequence.

[0016] It can also be provided that the method further comprises a step of reading or detecting an unambiguous component holder identification. Reading or detecting the component holder identification allows the component to be tracked within the scope of the component holder identification. Accordingly, for example, a tracking file can be established for each component holder identification. It is also possible that the method further comprises a step of reading or detecting an unambiguous supplier identification of a supplier of the component holder. Here, when using a component holder in the form of a conveyor belt or a belt, the supplier can be designed in particular as a conveyor belt conveyor (also called a so-called feeder).

[0017] Furthermore, it can be provided that the method has a step of reading or detecting a printed circuit board identification. This allows a clear assignment of the individual components and their detected component identifications to the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board identification can be, for example, a barcode.

[0018] The components can be SMD components or SMD members (SMD - surface mount device in English, also surface mount components in German) in a manner known per se, which are soldered on a printed circuit board. Here, the component holder can be provided as a conveyor belt or belt (also called belt in English), which in turn has interlayers (also called pockets in English) or gaps in which the components can be placed or accommodated. Individual physical identifications can be arranged next to these interlayers or gaps. These interlayers or gaps can, for example, be embossed, glued, engraved or applied in other ways. The conveyor belt or belt can be arranged on rollers (also called wheels in English).

[0019] Furthermore, it can be provided that the physical identification is a barcode and / or a character string. As character strings, for example, numbers, letters, other characters or combinations thereof are conceivable. For example, the consecutive numbering of the physical identification of the component can be 1, 2, 3, etc. As a barcode, the physical identification can be, for example, a barcode or a QR code.

[0020] Finally, it can be provided that the component identification of the component which is picked up by the component holder and with which the printed circuit board is assembled is detected by creating a tracing file. The tracing file created in this way enables simple traceability up to the printed circuit board when a defect of a component or a similar component is later determined, and thus facilitates a possible recall of the printed circuit board or a device equipped with the printed circuit board.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the invention, the task mentioned at the beginning is achieved by an automatic assembly machine having at least one assembly head, a supplier for a component holder with electronic components, a reading unit for reading a unique physical identification of a component on the component and / or on the component holder, and a detection unit for detecting the unique component identification of the electronic component during an assembly process of the automatic assembly machine, wherein the automatic assembly machine is configured to perform the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0022] The reading unit can be formed by an optical camera unit, in particular a printed circuit board camera, and a corresponding computer unit, in particular a CPU, which can realize optical detection of the physical identification and subsequent evaluation or reading of the physical identification for further processing. In this regard, reading is understood as a process of decrypting or identifying the physical identification in computer technology. This first requires the detection, in particular optical detection, of the physical identification by a corresponding camera unit. Therefore, the method according to the first aspect of the invention can also include a step of optically capturing an image of the physical identification before reading the physical identification.

[0023] In order to carry out the method according to the first aspect of the invention, the automatic assembly machine may have a correspondingly configured control unit which is configured to carry out or control the steps of the method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The invention according to an exemplary embodiment is explained in detail below with the aid of the drawings. All features derived from the claims, the description or the drawings, including structural details, are important to the invention both individually and in any different combinations. It is shown:

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an automatic assembly machine having a component holder according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 The allocation data of the component holder is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a synchronization process between receiving sequences of an assembly head of an automatic assembly machine;

[0027] Figure 3 Shown including Figure 2 and a schematic diagram of the resynchronization process; and

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the flow of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Parts with the same function and mode of action are Figures 1 to 4 The same reference numerals are respectively provided in the figures.

[0030] Description of reference numerals:

[0031] 1 Component holder, conveyor belt

[0032] 2 Component holder identification, conveyor belt identification

[0033] 3 Electronic components

[0034] 4. Clear component identification

[0035] 5. Clear physical identification

[0036] 6 Receiving Sequence

[0037] 7 Circuit Board

[0038] 8 Assembly head

[0039] 9 segments

[0040] 10 Automatic assembly machine

[0041] 11 Allocation data, allocation table

[0042] 100 Methods

[0043] 101…105 method steps. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Figure 1 An automatic assembly machine 10 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The automatic assembly machine 10 has an assembly head 8 with a plurality of segments 9, on which corresponding receiving devices (not shown), in particular pipettes, can be mounted in order to receive components 3 from a component holder 1 and bring them to an assembly area where a printed circuit board 7 is arranged. In the assembly area, the printed circuit board 7 is assembled with components 3 by means of the assembly head 8.

[0045] The automatic assembly machine 10 also has a feeder or a supply unit (not shown), which is provided for supplying the component holder 1 with the electronic components 3 located thereon. Here, the component holder 1 is particularly designed as a conveyor belt 1, which is wound on a roller (not shown) and is moved to the receiving area of ​​the assembly head 8 by means of a feeder designed as a belt conveyor, on which the assembly head 8 can receive the components 3 with its segments 9 or the pipette located thereon. Here, the components 3 are designed as SMD components 3 in the present embodiment, which are positioned in corresponding recesses (not shown) of the conveyor belt 1 at intervals from each other along the conveyor belt 1. There are unique and two-dimensional physical identifications 5 next to the recesses, which are shown here as bar codes, especially QR codes, for example. "Unambiguously" means that there is an unambiguous or unique physical identification 5 for each component 3, which in this respect can infer the component 3 or the unambiguous component identification 4 assigned to the component 3. In this respect, the component identification 4 is also unambiguous and can infer the individual components 3 in the conveyor belt 1.

[0046] Just to simplify Figure 4 For further explanation of the method 100, the following will discuss in a representative manner that the lowercase letters shown in addition to the QR code and representing the physical identifier 5 are substituted for the QR code. Figure 1 Unlike the QR code in FIG. 1 , the lowercase letters are not actually present on or next to the conveyor belt 1 , but are shown here only for ease of understanding. In addition, the uppercase letters are used here purely as an example. Figure 1 4 is only shown for the sake of understanding, and of course a clear component identification 4 can also be represented by numbers, letters, combinations thereof or other symbols, etc. In contrast to the physical identification 5, the component identification 4 is not visible or is not attached to the conveyor belt 1 and the component 3. Instead, the component identification 4 refers to the following data, which can be stored in particular as a data record in a computer unit (not shown) of the automatic assembly machine 10.

[0047] The physical markings 5 ​​can be detected by means of an optical camera unit (not shown), which can be arranged, for example, on the mounting head 8. The images of the physical markings 5 ​​thus received can then be read by means of a reading unit (not shown) of the automatic mounting machine 10.

[0048] In principle, it is desirable to be able to track the components 3 used to assemble the printed circuit board 7. It is possible here to detect a physical identification 5 next to the component 3 by means of an optical camera unit before, during or after receiving the component 3 by means of the assembly head 8 and to read the physical identification 5 by means of a computer unit (not shown) of the automatic assembly machine 10. Then, an unambiguous component identification 4 of the component 3 is obtained from the physical identification 5, which can now be assigned to the component 3. For this purpose, a tracking file (not shown) can be created and stored in the computer unit, in particular in a memory unit of the computer unit.

[0049] The problem with the processing method described is that the physical identification 5 associated with or arranged next to it (or alternatively also arranged on the component 3 itself) must be detected and read for each received component 3. This in turn leads to a loss in assembly efficiency in the automatic assembly machine 10, that is, a loss in the number of components 3 used to assemble the printed circuit board 7 within a limited time.

[0050] In order to achieve high assembly efficiency and also to ensure traceability, a further method 100 is proposed, which comprises: Figure 4 The method steps 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 are shown purely schematically and described below according to Figure 2 and 3 To elaborate.

[0051] Figure 2 In this regard, it is shown Figure 1 The conveyor belt 1 has an assignment data 11. The assignment data 11 can also be referred to as an assignment diagram 11 or a "tape map" 11 of the conveyor belt 1. The conveyor belt 1 has a component holder identification 2 or a conveyor belt identification 2. This component holder identification can also be physically present on the conveyor belt 1 and detected and read in a method step (not shown) of the method 100. The assignment data 11 belongs to this conveyor belt identification 2. The assignment data 11 can be located on a computer unit or a memory unit or loaded when the conveyor belt identification 2 is read.

[0052] The allocation data 11 allocates the physical identification 5 to the distinct component identification 4 in a predetermined order, i.e. in a continuous order of the elements 3 on the conveyor belt 1. As can be seen, the allocation data 11 are organized in the form of an allocation table 11. Here, each physical identification 5, for example "o" (or the associated QR code, which is represented here purely by way of example by the lowercase letter "o") is allocated a component identification 4, for example "A" for "o". This continues according to the predetermined order of the allocation data 11. Thus, the first element 3 has the following physical identification 5 "o", which can be allocated to the component identification 4 "A" according to the allocation data 11. As can be seen from the allocation table 11, this allocation is carried out in a predetermined order, which follows the arrangement of the elements 3 on the conveyor belt 1.

[0053] The placement head 8 itself has a receiving sequence 6 in which it picks up individual components 3 for placement on a printed circuit board 7. As can be gathered from the receiving sequence 6, these are numbered here, for example, column by column.

[0054] Now using Figure 4 In the method 100 presented in FIG. 1 , in a first method step 101 , a first unambiguous physical identification 5 of a first element 3 of the elements 3 on the conveyor belt 1 is read. This is “o” in the present embodiment.

[0055] In a second method step 102 , the first component 3 is then picked up in a first receiving process “ 1 ” of the receiving sequence 6 and the printed circuit board 7 is populated thereby.

[0056] In a third method step 103 , the component identification 4 “A” of the first component is detected based on the allocation data 11 before, during or after the receiving process “ 1 ”.

[0057] However, after the third method step 103, each physical identification 5 of each further element 3 is no longer read, but in a fourth method step 104, the reception sequence 6 is synchronized with the allocation data 11 at the position of the first reception process "1" in the reception sequence 6 and at the position of the first physical identification 5 in the predetermined sequence of the allocation data 11. Figure 2 Synchronization is graphically represented by ellipses in FIG.

[0058] By means of synchronization, in the fifth method step 105, in the subsequent receiving process of the assembly head 8, the receiving process "2", "3", etc. can be assigned to the physical identification 5 and thus to the component identification 4 by means of the assignment data 11, without having to read the physical identification 5 separately each time. In other words, the component identification 4 of the component 3 can be detected based on the mutually synchronized receiving sequence 6 and the assignment data 11.

[0059] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 And another synchronization or resynchronization at the location of the fifth receiving process "5" and at the location of the physical identification 5 "s" of the associated component 3 on the conveyor belt 1. This can be done, for example, if the component 3 was lost beforehand, that is, in the receiving process "4".

Claims

1. A method (100) for detecting an unambiguous component identification (4) of an electronic component during an assembly process of an automatic assembly machine (10), wherein at least one assembly head (8) receives a component from a component holder (1) and assembles the received component onto a printed circuit board (7), in, The method (100) comprises the following steps: reading a first unambiguous physical identification (5) of a first component of a component on a component holder (1), wherein the physical identification (5) of the component is arranged on the component and / or on the component holder (1), During a first receiving process of a receiving sequence (6) of the at least one assembly head (8), the first component is picked up by the assembly head (8), detecting a component identification (4) of a first component based on predetermined assignment data (11), which assigns physical identifications (5) to the component identifications (4) in a predetermined sequence, synchronizing the receiving sequence (6) with the allocation data (11) at the position of the first receiving process in the receiving sequence (6) and at the position of the first physical identification (5) in a predetermined sequence of the allocation data (11), and The component identification (4) of a component received by the component holder (1) is detected by means of mutually synchronized receiving sequences (6) and allocation data (11).

2. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The method (100) further comprises the step of resynchronizing the second component of the component on the component holder (1) to read its physical identification (5).

3. The method (100) according to claim 2, wherein: Resynchronization is performed after a previous element reception failure or loss on the element holder (1).

4. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The method (100) further comprises the step of reading or detecting an unambiguous component holder identification (2).

5. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The method (100) further comprises the step of reading or detecting a mark of the printed circuit board (7).

6. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The component holder (1) is a conveyor belt having partitions in which the components are accommodated.

7. The method (100) according to claim 6, wherein: The physical identification (5) of the components are arranged beside the partitions respectively.

8. The method (100) of claim 1, wherein: The physical identifier (5) is a barcode and / or a character string.

9. The method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The detection of the component identification (4) of the component which is received by the component holder (1) and with which the printed circuit board (7) is assembled is carried out by creating a tracking file.

10. An automatic assembly machine (10), comprising at least one assembly head (8), a supplier for a component holder (1) with electronic components, a reading unit for reading a clear physical identification (5) of the component on the component and / or on the component holder (1), and a detection unit for detecting the clear component identification (4) of the electronic component during the assembly process of the automatic assembly machine (10), wherein the automatic assembly machine (10) is configured to perform the method (100) according to claim 1.

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