PCB processing apparatus and control method

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a PCB processing equipment and control method. The PCB processing equipment includes a worktable, at least one temporary storage mechanism, and a lifting mechanism. The worktable has at least one tool disc placement area for placing a tool disc. The worktable is configured to place a PCB and to drive the tool disc to move in the Y-axis direction. The temporary storage mechanism includes a temporary storage rack configured to temporarily store the tool disc. The worktable is configured to drive the tool disc placement area in the Y-axis direction to a position where it docks with the temporary storage rack. The lifting mechanism is configured to drive at least one of the temporary storage rack and the tool disc to move in the height direction, so as to place the tool disc located on the temporary storage rack into the tool disc placement area, or to transfer the tool disc located in the tool disc placement area to the temporary storage rack. The PCB processing equipment of this disclosure achieves automated tool disc replacement through the cooperation between the lifting mechanism, the temporary storage rack, and the worktable, thereby improving the utilization rate of the PCB processing equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of processing equipment, and more specifically, to a PCB processing equipment; this disclosure also relates to a control method for a PCB processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the PCB manufacturing process, drilling machines are used to drill holes in the PCB for connections between circuit layers and subsequent installation of electronic components, as well as to mill the PCB edges according to design requirements. The drilling process utilizes a drill bit connected to the spindle of the drilling machine. The high-speed rotation of the spindle drives the drill bit to rotate, causing it to drill holes in the PCB. Different design requirements necessitate drilling holes of varying diameters on the PCB, requiring the drill bit to be changed to meet these requirements. Currently, drill bit changes on the worktable are generally done manually. However, manual operation is inefficient, resulting in significant downtime for the drilling machine during changes, which severely impacts efficiency. Furthermore, manual operation is not only costly, increasing PCB production costs, but also prone to errors that can lead to PCB scrap. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a PCB processing equipment and control method to address the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a PCB processing apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0005] A worktable having at least one tool holder placement area for placing a tool holder; the worktable is configured to place a PCB and to drive the tool holder to move in the Y-axis direction.

[0006] At least one temporary storage mechanism is configured to temporarily store the cutter head;

[0007] The lifting mechanism is configured to move the tool head placement area in the Y-axis direction to a position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism; the lifting mechanism is configured to drive at least one of the temporary storage mechanism and the tool head to move in the height direction, so as to place the tool head located on the temporary storage mechanism in the tool head placement area, or to transfer the tool head located in the tool head placement area to the temporary storage mechanism.

[0008] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a placement seat for supporting the cutter head is provided in the cutter head placement area, and a clearance position lower than the placement seat in the height direction for avoiding the temporary storage mechanism; the lifting mechanism is configured to drive the temporary storage mechanism to move at least between an initial position and a docking position;

[0009] When in the initial position, the temporary storage mechanism is configured to be located above the placement seat; when in the docking position, the temporary storage mechanism is configured to be located at a height corresponding to the clearance position.

[0010] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when the temporary storage mechanism is in the initial position, the worktable is configured to move in the Y-axis direction to a position where the clearance position is below the temporary storage mechanism; the lifting mechanism is configured to move downward to the docking position to place the cutter head located on the temporary storage mechanism onto the placement seat.

[0011] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when the temporary storage mechanism is in the docking position, the worktable is configured to move in the Y-axis direction to place the temporary storage mechanism within the clearance position; the lifting mechanism is configured to move upward to the initial position to transfer the cutter head located on the placement seat to the temporary storage mechanism.

[0012] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the lifting mechanism is disposed in the cutter head placement area and is configured to receive the cutter head on the temporary storage mechanism and place it in the cutter head placement area during movement in the height direction; or to transfer the cutter head located in the cutter head placement area to the temporary storage mechanism.

[0013] A support for carrying the cutter head is provided in the cutter head placement area; the lifting mechanism is configured to move the cutter head at least between an initial position and a docking position;

[0014] When in the initial position, the lifting mechanism is located below the top end face of the placement seat; when in the docking position, the lifting mechanism moves to a position above the temporary storage mechanism.

[0015] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the temporary storage mechanism includes a temporary storage rack, the temporary storage rack comprising:

[0016] Base;

[0017] A support portion consisting of at least one insert tooth; the support portion extends from the base toward the worktable and is configured to support the cutter head;

[0018] The PCB processing equipment also includes:

[0019] Control unit;

[0020] At least one spindle is configured to process a PCB on a worktable;

[0021] The base, the temporary storage mechanism is disposed on the base, and the worktable is disposed on the base between the spindle and the temporary storage mechanism, and is configured to move in the direction of the temporary storage mechanism to dock with the temporary storage mechanism, or to move in the direction of the spindle to process the PCB on the worktable through the spindle.

[0022] In one embodiment of this disclosure, each spindle corresponds to at least two tool turret placement areas distributed in the X-axis direction, which are respectively denoted as the first tool turret placement area and the second tool turret placement area; at least two temporary storage racks are provided, which are respectively denoted as the first temporary storage rack corresponding to the first tool turret placement area and the second temporary storage rack corresponding to the second tool turret placement area;

[0023] The control unit is configured to transfer an old tool turret from the first tool turret placement area to the first temporary storage rack in a tool change operation, and / or transfer a new tool turret from the second temporary storage rack to the second tool turret placement area; and in another tool change operation, transfer a new tool turret from the first temporary storage rack to the first tool turret placement area, and transfer an old tool turret from the second tool turret placement area to the second temporary storage rack.

[0024] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a mounting frame is provided at the outer edge of the base. The mounting frame includes a crossbeam, the opposite ends of which are configured to be mounted at the outer edge of the base via connecting portions. The crossbeam is configured to be suspended on the outer side of the base, and the temporary storage mechanism is provided on the crossbeam.

[0025] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the temporary storage mechanism and the lifting mechanism are configured to be mounted on a transport robot, which is configured to walk on the ground to dock with the workbench.

[0026] In one embodiment of this disclosure, at least two support portions are provided, referred to as a first support portion and a second support portion respectively, which are spaced apart in the height direction; the first support portion and the second support portion are configured to temporarily store the cutter head respectively;

[0027] The control unit is configured to control the lifting mechanism to move in the height direction to a first position so that the first support part docks with the cutter head placement area, or to move to a second position so that the second support part docks with the cutter head placement area.

[0028] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the clearance position of the cutter head placement area is a clearance groove provided in the cutter head placement area; the length of the second support portion in the Y-axis direction is greater than the length of the first support portion in the Y-axis direction.

[0029] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first support is configured to carry an old cutter head transferred from the cutter head placement area, and the second support is configured to carry a new cutter head to be transferred to the cutter head placement area; the control unit is configured to control the second support to transfer the new cutter head to the cutter head placement area after the old cutter head in the cutter head placement area is transferred to the first support;

[0030] Alternatively, the first support is used to carry a new cutter head to be transferred to the cutter head placement area, and the second support is configured to carry an old cutter head transferred from the cutter head placement area; the control unit is configured to control the first support to transfer the new cutter head to the cutter head placement area after the old cutter head in the cutter head placement area is transferred to the second support.

[0031] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a PCB processing equipment is also provided, implemented by the aforementioned PCB processing equipment, comprising:

[0032] The control table moves the tool turret placement area along the Y-axis to the position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism;

[0033] The lifting mechanism is controlled to move in the height direction to transfer the cutter head located in the cutter head placement area to the temporary storage mechanism, or to place the cutter head located on the temporary storage mechanism in the cutter head placement area.

[0034] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a placement seat for supporting the cutter head is provided in the cutter head placement area, and a clearance position lower than the placement seat in the height direction for avoiding the temporary storage mechanism, the temporary storage mechanism including a temporary storage rack; the control method includes a feeding step, the feeding step including:

[0035] S1. Control the lifting mechanism to move the temporary storage mechanism from its initial position above the placement seat downwards until the temporary storage mechanism is positioned at a docking position corresponding to the clearance position.

[0036] S2. Control the worktable to move the old cutter head until the temporary storage mechanism extends into the clearance position and is located below the old cutter head;

[0037] S3. Control the lifting mechanism to drive the temporary storage mechanism to rise, so as to lift the old cutter head located on the placement seat;

[0038] And / or,

[0039] The control method includes a feeding step, which includes:

[0040] S4. Control the worktable to move in the Y-axis direction so that the tool disc placement area is located below the temporary storage mechanism;

[0041] S5. Control the lifting mechanism to move the temporary storage mechanism from the initial position to the docking position, so as to place the new cutter head on the temporary storage mechanism onto the placement seat in the cutter head placement area;

[0042] S6. Control the worktable to move in the Y-axis direction to a safe area where the tool turret placement area is separated from the temporary storage mechanism;

[0043] S7. Control the lifting mechanism to drive the temporary storage mechanism to move upward from the docking position to the initial position.

[0044] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the PCB processing equipment includes at least one spindle and a control unit. Each spindle corresponds to at least two tool turret placement areas distributed in the X-axis direction, which are respectively referred to as the first tool turret placement area and the second tool turret placement area. At least two temporary storage racks are provided, which are respectively referred to as the first temporary storage rack corresponding to the first tool turret placement area and the second temporary storage rack corresponding to the second tool turret placement area.

[0045] The control unit is configured to perform a feeding step on the first cutter head placement area via the first temporary storage rack and / or a feeding step on the second cutter head placement area via the second temporary storage rack during a tool change operation; and to perform a feeding step on the first cutter head placement area via the first temporary storage rack and / or a feeding step on the second cutter head placement area via the second temporary storage rack during another tool change operation.

[0046] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the temporary storage rack includes a base and a support portion consisting of at least one insert tooth; the support portion is provided in at least two parts, respectively referred to as a first support portion and a second support portion distributed at intervals in the height direction; the first support portion and the second support portion are configured to temporarily store the cutter head;

[0047] The lifting mechanism is controlled to perform the loading step via the first support part and the unloading step via the second support part; or the lifting mechanism is controlled to perform the unloading step via the first support part and the loading step via the second support part.

[0048] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the PCB processing equipment includes at least one spindle and a control unit. Each spindle corresponds to at least two tool turret placement areas distributed in the X-axis direction, which are respectively referred to as the first tool turret placement area and the second tool turret placement area. At least two temporary storage racks are provided, which are respectively referred to as the first temporary storage rack corresponding to the first tool turret placement area and the second temporary storage rack corresponding to the second tool turret placement area.

[0049] The control unit is configured to simultaneously perform loading and unloading steps on the cutter heads in the first cutter head placement area and the second cutter head placement area via the first temporary storage rack and the second temporary storage rack during a tool change operation; or, the control unit is configured to perform an unloading step on the first cutter head placement area via the first temporary storage rack and / or perform a loading step on the second cutter head placement area via the second temporary storage rack during a tool change operation; and to perform a loading step on the first cutter head placement area via the first temporary storage rack and / or perform an unloading step on the second cutter head placement area via the second temporary storage rack during another tool change operation.

[0050] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the control method includes a feeding step, the feeding step comprising:

[0051] S1. Control the lifting mechanism to raise the old cutter head to a position higher than the temporary storage mechanism;

[0052] S2. Control the worktable to move the lifting mechanism in the Y-axis direction until the old cutter head is positioned above the temporary storage mechanism;

[0053] S3. Control the lifting mechanism to descend so that the old cutter head located on the lifting mechanism can be placed on the temporary storage mechanism during the descent.

[0054] And / or,

[0055] The control method includes a feeding step, which includes:

[0056] S4. Control the worktable to move the lifting mechanism in the Y-axis direction until the lifting mechanism is positioned below the temporary storage mechanism;

[0057] S5. Control the lifting mechanism to rise until it lifts the new cutter head located on the temporary storage mechanism;

[0058] S6. Control the worktable to drive the lifting mechanism to move in the Y-axis direction to the safe area away from the temporary storage mechanism;

[0059] S7. Control the lifting mechanism to lower the new cutter head to place it in the cutter head placement area.

[0060] One beneficial effect of this disclosure is that the PCB processing equipment achieves automated tool head replacement through the cooperation between the lifting mechanism and the worktable, thereby improving the uptime of the PCB processing equipment. Specifically, the worktable can drive the tool head and the tool head placement area to move in the Y-axis direction, and the lifting mechanism can drive at least one of the temporary storage rack and the tool head to move in the height direction. Through the cooperation between the worktable and the lifting mechanism, the tool head can be transferred between the tool head placement area and the temporary storage rack, thus achieving the purpose of automated tool head replacement. During the tool head replacement operation, manual intervention is reduced, which helps to shorten the downtime of the PCB processing equipment when performing tool replacement operations, thereby improving the uptime of the PCB processing equipment.

[0061] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0062] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a PCB processing equipment provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0064] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A in the middle;

[0065] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the temporary storage mechanism and the tool disc provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0066] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a PCB processing equipment provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0067] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of part B in the middle;

[0068] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a temporary storage mechanism and mounting frame provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0069] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the worktable and the tool holder placement area provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0070] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a PCB processing equipment provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0071] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Enlarged view of a section in the middle C;

[0072] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the temporary storage mechanism and mounting bracket provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0073] Figure 11 This is a side view of a lifting mechanism and a worktable provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0074] Figure 12 This is a side view of a lifting mechanism and a worktable provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0075] Figure 13 This is a side view of a lifting mechanism and a worktable provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0076] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of a control unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0077] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of a cutterhead unloading operation provided in one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0078] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of a cutterhead feeding operation provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0079] Figure 17 This is a flowchart of the cutterhead unloading operation provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0080] Figure 18 This is a flowchart of the cutterhead loading operation provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0081] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of a cutterhead unloading operation provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0082] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of a cutterhead feeding operation provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0083] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the first support and the second support performing a feeding operation on the cutter head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0084] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the first support and the second support performing a feeding operation on the cutter head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0085] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the first support and the second support performing loading and unloading operations on the cutter head according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0086] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the cutting disc performing a feeding operation when the lifting mechanism drives the cutting disc to rise and fall according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0087] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the cutting disc performing a material feeding operation when the lifting mechanism drives the cutting disc to rise and fall according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0088] Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of two temporary storage mechanisms and a workbench provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0089] Figures 1 to 26 The one-to-one correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows:

[0090] 1. Worktable; 2. Tool head placement area; 21. First tool head placement area; 22. Second tool head placement area; 3. Tool head; 31. Placement seat; 32. Clearance groove; 33. New tool head; 34. Old tool head; 4. Temporary storage mechanism; 41. First temporary storage rack; 42. Second temporary storage rack; 43. Lifting mechanism; 441. Base; 442. Gear cutter; 443. First support part; 444. Second support part; 5. Control unit; 6. Spindle; 7. Base; 71. Mounting bracket; 711. Crossbeam; 712. Connecting part; 8. Micro switch. Detailed Implementation

[0091] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.

[0093] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0094] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0095] The specific embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0096] In this article, terms such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate the relative positional relationship between related parts, rather than to define the absolute position of these related parts.

[0097] In this article, "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish one another, and not to indicate degree of importance, order, or prerequisite for each other.

[0098] In this document, terms such as “equal” and “same” are not strict mathematical and / or geometric limitations, but also include errors that are understandable to those skilled in the art and permissible in manufacturing or use.

[0099] This disclosure provides a PCB processing apparatus, which can be a drilling machine, forming machine, milling machine, or other equipment that needs to process PCBs. The PCB processing apparatus of this disclosure includes a worktable, at least one temporary storage mechanism, and a lifting mechanism. The worktable is configured to place the PCB, and a cutter head placement area is provided on the worktable for placing the cutter head. The temporary storage mechanism is configured to temporarily store the cutter head. The lifting mechanism is configured to drive at least one of the temporary storage mechanism and the cutter head to move in the height direction.

[0100] In one application scenario of this disclosure, when it is necessary to transfer the cutter head on the temporary storage mechanism to the cutter head placement area, the worktable is configured to move the cutter head placement area in the Y-axis direction to a position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism. Then, the lifting mechanism is configured to move at least one of the temporary storage mechanism and the cutter head in the height direction to place the cutter head located on the temporary storage mechanism in the cutter head placement area, thereby completing the cutter head loading operation.

[0101] In another application scenario of this disclosure, when it is necessary to transfer the tool turret located in the tool turret placement area to the temporary storage mechanism, the lifting mechanism is configured to move at least one of the temporary storage mechanism and the tool turret in the height direction to a position where it aligns with the tool turret placement area. Then, the worktable is configured to move the tool turret placement area in the Y-axis direction to place the tool turret located in the tool turret placement area onto the temporary storage mechanism, thereby completing the tool turret unloading operation. Thus, the PCB processing equipment of this disclosure can automatically perform tool changing operations through the cooperation between the worktable and the lifting mechanism. The entire tool changing process requires no manual intervention, which helps to improve the utilization rate of the PCB processing equipment.

[0102] For ease of understanding, please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 14 and Figures 19 to 26 The specific structure and working principle of the PCB processing equipment disclosed herein are described in detail with reference to three embodiments.

[0103] To facilitate the explanation of the specific structure and motion principle of PCB processing equipment, in a three-dimensional coordinate system, the direction of PCB movement is defined as the Y-axis, the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis in the horizontal plane is defined as the X-axis, and the height direction is denoted as the Z-axis. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are used for clarity and are not intended to limit the PCB processing equipment.

[0104] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 4One embodiment of this disclosure provides a PCB processing apparatus, which can be a drilling machine, forming machine, or milling machine, or other equipment that needs to process PCBs. Specifically, the PCB processing apparatus of this disclosure includes a worktable 1 and at least one temporary storage mechanism 4. The worktable 1 is configured to place a PCB, and a cutter head placement area 2 is provided on the worktable 1, which is configured to place a cutter head 3. The temporary storage mechanism 4 includes a lifting mechanism 43, which is configured to temporarily store the cutter head 3. The lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move at least one of the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the cutter head 3 in the height direction.

[0105] In one application scenario of this disclosure, when it is necessary to transfer the cutter head 3 from at least one of the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the cutter head 3 to the cutter head placement area 2, the worktable 1 is configured to move the cutter head placement area 2 in the Y-axis direction to a position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 cooperates to move at least one of the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the cutter head 3 in the height direction, so as to place the cutter head 3 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4 into the cutter head placement area 2, thereby completing the loading operation of the cutter head 3. In another application scenario of this disclosure, when it is necessary to transfer the cutter head 3 located in the cutter head placement area 2 to the temporary storage mechanism 4, the lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move at least one of the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the cutter head 3 in the height direction to a position where it docks with the cutter head placement area 2. The worktable 1 cooperates to move the cutter head placement area 2 in the Y-axis direction, so as to place the cutter head 3 located on the cutter head placement area 2 onto the temporary storage mechanism 4, thereby completing the unloading operation of the cutter head 3.

[0106] Thus, the PCB processing equipment disclosed herein can achieve fully mechanized and automated operation when changing the tool head. The entire tool changing process requires no manual intervention, significantly reducing downtime during tool changes and thereby improving equipment uptime. Furthermore, reduced manual intervention also helps lower labor costs, which in turn reduces PCB manufacturing costs.

[0107] Example 1

[0108] This embodiment uses the lifting mechanism 43 driving the temporary storage mechanism 4 to move in the height direction as an example for illustration. In one embodiment of this disclosure, in order to achieve the cooperation between the tool disc placement area 2 and the temporary storage mechanism 4, refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 A mounting base 31 for supporting the cutter head 3 is provided in the cutter head placement area 2, and a clearance position lower than the mounting base 31 in the height direction for avoiding the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move the temporary storage mechanism 4 at least between the initial position and the docking position. (See also...) Figure 4When the temporary storage mechanism 4 is in the initial position, it is configured to be positioned above the placement seat 31. When the temporary storage mechanism 4 is in the docking position, it is configured to be positioned at the height corresponding to the clearance position.

[0109] In a specific embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 2 The height of the placement seat 31 in the Z-axis direction is higher than the height of the clearance position. That is, the side wall of the placement seat 31 and the top of the worktable cooperate to form a clearance position with an opening at the top. Therefore, during the process of placing the cutter head 3 in the placement seat 31, the temporary storage mechanism 4 can move directly from the Z-axis direction into the clearance position. Furthermore, since the size of the cutter head 3 in the X-axis direction is larger than the size of the temporary storage mechanism 4, the cutter head 3 will cooperate with the placement seat 31 during the movement of the temporary storage mechanism 4 to the clearance position. The placement seat 31 can support the cutter head 3. As the temporary storage mechanism 4 continues to move, it disengages from the cutter head 3, thus realizing the loading operation of the cutter head 3.

[0110] In another embodiment of this disclosure, when the temporary storage mechanism 4 is in the docking position, reference is also made to... Figure 11 At this time, the position height of the temporary storage mechanism 4 is matched with the height of the clearance position. During the movement of the worktable 1 along the Y-axis, the temporary storage mechanism 4 can be extended into the clearance position until the temporary storage mechanism 4 is located below the cutter head 3. That is, the projections of the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the cutter head 3 in the Z-axis direction at least partially overlap, which facilitates the subsequent material feeding operation of the cutter head 3 through the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0111] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when the temporary storage mechanism 4 is in its initial position, the worktable 1 is configured to move in the Y-axis direction to a position where the clearance position is below the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move downward to a docking position to place the cutter head 3 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4 onto the placement seat 31. (See reference...) Figure 2 , Figure 19 During the feeding process of the cutter head 3, the temporary storage mechanism 4, on which the cutter head 3 is placed, moves to the clearance position. The cutter head 3 is supported by the placement seat 31, thereby detaching the temporary storage mechanism 4 from the cutter head 3 and achieving the purpose of feeding the cutter head 3. In one embodiment of this disclosure, the clearance position can also be a groove with an upper opening or a through groove, as long as the temporary storage mechanism 4 can extend into it; this disclosure does not impose many restrictions here. Correspondingly, the placement seat 31 can be located on both sides of the clearance position or at any position within the cutter head placement area 2, as long as it can support the cutter head 3; this disclosure does not impose many restrictions here.

[0112] In a specific embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 2 , Figure 3The placement seat 31 is constructed as an upwardly extending flange disposed within the tool holder placement area 2. At least two placement seats 31 arranged along the X-axis direction are configured to support the opposite ends of the tool holder 3. The spacing between two adjacent placement seats 31 is adapted to the length of the tool holder 3 in the X-axis direction, so that when the tool holder 3 is placed on the placement seat 31, the two placement seats 31 can cooperate with the tool holder 3 to support the tool holder 3, allowing the tool holder 3 to be stably placed within the tool holder placement area 2. To increase the accuracy of the tool holder placement area 2 in positioning the tool holder 3, reference is also made to... Figure 7 A positioning pin is provided on the placement base 31, and a groove is formed at the corresponding position of the cutter head 3 to cooperate with the positioning pin. Thus, when the cutter head 3 is placed on the placement base 31, the positioning pin on the placement base 31 will cooperate with the groove on the cutter head 3, thereby limiting the movement of the cutter head 3 in the X and Y axis directions. In this embodiment, referring to... Figure 7 The clearance position is a clearance groove 32 formed by the cooperation of the side walls of two adjacent placement seats 31 and the end face of the worktable. The upper end of the clearance groove 32 is open, so that the temporary storage mechanism 4 can fall into the clearance groove 32 through the upper end opening during the descent process, so as to transfer the cutter head 3 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4 to the placement seat 31; or the temporary storage mechanism 4 located in the clearance groove 32 can lift the cutter head 3 on the placement seat 31 during the descent process, thereby completing the transfer of the cutter head 3 between the placement seat 31 and the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0113] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when loading and unloading tasks for the cutter head 3 are not required via the temporary storage mechanism 4, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is configured to be in its initial position, referring to... Figure 1 , Figure 13 At this time, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is located above the placement seat 31, so the temporary storage mechanism 4 will not interfere with the worktable 1. This can avoid interference between the PCB processing equipment and the temporary storage mechanism 4 when performing processing operations, which would cause equipment damage. It also helps to increase the processing stroke of the worktable 1 in the Y-axis direction, thereby increasing the processing range of the PCB processing equipment.

[0114] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 11 , Figure 12 When the temporary storage mechanism 4 is in the docking position, the worktable 1 is configured to move in the Y-axis direction until the temporary storage mechanism 4 is in the clearance position. The lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move upward to the initial position to transfer the cutter head 3 located on the placement seat 31 to the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0115] In a specific application scenario disclosed herein, refer to Figure 19 , Figure 21When it is necessary to transfer the cutter head 3 on the placement seat 31 to the temporary storage mechanism 4, the temporary storage mechanism 4 will move to the docking position under the drive of the lifting mechanism 43. Then, the worktable 1 will drive the cutter head placement area 2 to move in the Y-axis direction until the temporary storage mechanism 4 extends into the clearance position. Finally, the temporary storage mechanism 4 will move upward under the drive of the lifting mechanism 43. At this time, the temporary storage mechanism 4 will gradually fit and support the cutter head 3 during the movement, and drive the cutter head 3 to move together, so that the cutter head 3 is separated from the cutter head placement area 2.

[0116] In one embodiment of this disclosure, to further reduce interference between devices and to optimize the motion process, before the temporary storage mechanism 4 moves from its initial position to the docking position, the worktable 1 needs to be controlled to be in a safe zone to avoid interference between the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the worktable 1 during downward movement. For example, when the tool holder area 2 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 overlap in the height direction, the worktable 1 will drive the tool holder area 2 to move away from the temporary storage mechanism 4 until there is no interference between them in the Z-axis direction. When the tool holder area 2 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 do not overlap in the height direction, that is, when the worktable 1 is already in the safe zone, there is no need to move the worktable 1; the temporary storage mechanism 4 can be directly controlled to move from its initial position to the docking position.

[0117] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 6 The temporary storage mechanism 4 includes a temporary storage rack, which includes a base 441 and a support portion consisting of at least one insert tooth 442. The support portion extends from the base 441 toward the worktable 1 and is configured to support the cutter head 3. In this embodiment, reference is also made to... Figure 3 , Figure 6 The temporary storage rack includes two protruding teeth 442 extending outward from the end face of the base 441. The two protruding teeth 442 are configured to cooperate to allow the cutter head 3 to be stably placed on the support. Of course, the protruding teeth 442 can also be a single plate structure, as long as it can achieve the stable placement of the cutter head 3 on the support and the support can extend into the clearance position. This disclosure does not impose too many restrictions here. In this embodiment, when the temporary storage rack is in the docking position, the support is configured to be at a height corresponding to the clearance position, which allows the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction so that the support can extend into the clearance groove 32. In order to improve the stability of the cooperation between the support and the cutter head 3, a plunger is also provided on the support, and a groove is provided on the cutter head 3 to cooperate with the plunger. When the cutter head 3 is placed on the support, the plunger cooperates with the groove on the cutter head 3 to limit the movement of the cutter head 3 and prevent the cutter head 3 from shaking during movement.

[0118] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 1 , Figure 14The PCB processing equipment also includes a control unit 5, at least one spindle 6, and a base 7. The spindle 6 is configured to process the PCB on the worktable 1. A temporary storage mechanism 4 is disposed on the base 7, and the worktable 1 is disposed on the base 7 between the spindle 6 and the temporary storage mechanism 4, and is configured to move in the direction of the temporary storage mechanism 4 to dock with it, or move in the direction of the spindle 6 to process the PCB on the worktable 1 via the spindle 6. In this embodiment, the control unit 5 is configured to obtain the movement distance of the worktable 1 in the Y-axis direction based on the positional relationship between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4. When a tool change operation is required, the control unit 5 is configured to control the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction to dock with the temporary storage mechanism 4. When the PCB on the worktable 1 needs to be processed, the control unit 5 is configured to control the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction according to design requirements, so as to cooperate with the spindle 6 to process the PCB.

[0119] In a specific embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 9 A microswitch 8 is also provided in the cutter head placement area 2. The microswitch 8 is configured to cooperate with the cutter head 3 and the placement seat 31 to achieve triggering. When the cutter head 3 is engaged with the placement seat 31 and placed in place, the bottom of the cutter head 3 will press down and trigger the microswitch 8. After being triggered, the microswitch 8 will send a signal, thereby informing the control unit 5 that the cutter head 3 has been installed in place and can proceed with subsequent processes.

[0120] In one embodiment of this disclosure, to further increase the uptime of the PCB processing equipment, reference is continued. Figure 1 Each spindle 6 corresponds to at least two tool turret placement areas 2 distributed in the X-axis direction, denoted as the first tool turret placement area 21 and the second tool turret placement area 22, respectively. At least two temporary storage racks are provided, denoted as the first temporary storage rack 41 corresponding to the first tool turret placement area 21 and the second temporary storage rack 42 corresponding to the second tool turret placement area 22, respectively. The control unit 5 is configured to transfer the old tool turret 34 from the first tool turret placement area 21 to the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or transfer the new tool turret 33 from the second temporary storage rack 42 to the second tool turret placement area 22 during a tool change operation. During another tool change operation, the new tool turret 33 from the first temporary storage rack 41 is transferred to the first tool turret placement area 21, and the old tool turret 34 from the second tool turret placement area 22 is transferred to the second temporary storage rack 42.

[0121] In one application scenario disclosed herein, reference Figure 8 , Figure 9 Each spindle 6 corresponds to at least two tool holder areas 2, which allows the spindle 6 to change tools through the tool holders 3 in the two tool holder areas 2. That is, the spindle 6 is configured to be able to obtain the tool holders in the first tool holder area 21 and the second tool holder area 22 respectively.

[0122] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the cutter heads on the temporary storage rack need to be processed. For example, old cutter heads can be transferred out of the temporary storage rack manually or by a robotic arm, or new cutter heads can be placed on the temporary storage rack to load the cutter head placement area. This makes the processing of the cutter heads on the temporary storage rack take a lot of time, thus affecting the working efficiency of the PCB processing equipment.

[0123] In one specific embodiment of this disclosure, the control unit 5 is configured to transfer the old cutter head 34 from the first cutter head placement area 21 to the first temporary storage rack 41, and / or transfer the new cutter head 33 from the second temporary storage rack 42 to the second cutter head placement area 22 during a single tool change operation. Specifically, for example, when it is necessary to unload the old cutter head 34 in the first cutter head placement area 21 and load it into the second cutter head placement area 22, refer to... Figure 8 , Figure 14 The control unit 5 first controls the movement of the worktable 1 in the Y-axis direction based on the positional relationship between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4, ensuring that the two do not interfere with each other in the height direction. The first temporary storage rack 41 is empty, and the new tool head 33 is placed on the second temporary storage rack 42. The lifting mechanism 43 corresponding to the first temporary storage rack 41 will move the first temporary storage rack 41 to the docking position, that is, move it downward until the first temporary storage rack 41 is at the height corresponding to the clearance groove 32; at the same time, the second temporary storage rack 42 remains in a different position than its initial position, that is, the second temporary storage rack 42 is located on the worktable. After the first temporary storage rack 41 moves into place, the worktable 1 will move the tool head placement area 2 along the Y-axis direction until the first temporary storage rack 41 extends into the clearance groove 32, at which point the second temporary storage rack 42 is located directly above the second tool head placement area 22.

[0124] The lifting mechanism 43 corresponding to the first temporary storage rack 41 will move the first temporary storage rack 41 to its initial position. During the movement, the old cutter head 34 located on the placement seat 31 will move together with the first temporary storage rack 41, thereby completing the unloading task of the old cutter head 34 in the first cutter head placement area 21. At the same time, the lifting mechanism 43 corresponding to the second temporary storage rack 42 will move the second temporary storage rack 42 to the docking position. When the second temporary storage rack 42 moves to the clearance groove 32, the new cutter head 33 located on the second temporary storage rack 42 will be placed on the end face of the placement seat 31, causing the second temporary storage rack 42 to detach from the new cutter head 33, thereby completing the task of loading the new cutter head 33 into the second cutter head placement area 22.

[0125] Finally, the worktable 1 moves away from the temporary storage mechanism 4 until it reaches a position where it does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the height direction, i.e., it moves to the safe zone. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the second temporary storage rack 42 to move upward to the initial position, thus completing the task of unloading the first cutter head placement area 21 and loading the second cutter head placement area 22.

[0126] The above steps enable the simultaneous unloading of the first tool turret placement area 21 and loading of the second tool turret placement area 22 during a single tool change operation. Even though there is no tool turret 3 in the first tool turret placement area 21, the spindle can still perform tool changes using the new tool turret 33 in the second tool turret placement area 22. This ensures that during the processing of the tool turrets on the temporary storage rack, the spindle always has a tool turret in one of its placement areas available for processing the PCB on the worktable 1, thus avoiding low work efficiency due to downtime.

[0127] The first temporary storage rack 41 and the second temporary storage rack 42 perform loading and unloading operations simultaneously under the control of their respective lifting mechanisms 43, which helps to reduce the downtime of the PCB processing equipment when performing tool changing operations, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the PCB processing equipment.

[0128] Based on the above disclosure, during a single tool change operation, the tool discs in the first tool disc placement area 21 can be unloaded separately. Similarly, the tool discs in the second tool disc placement area 22 can be loaded separately. Specific loading and unloading methods will not be elaborated further.

[0129] In this application scenario, the old tool head 34 in the first tool head placement area 21 was unloaded during the last tool change operation, while a new tool head is loaded in the second tool head placement area 22. When the spindle finishes its predetermined PCB processing time, i.e., when the PCB processing equipment needs to perform another tool change operation, the new tool head 33 on the first temporary storage rack 41 is transferred to the first tool head placement area 21, and the old tool head 34 in the second tool head placement area 22 is transferred to the second temporary storage rack 42. Specific execution steps can be found above, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0130] By repeatedly performing the above steps, the new cutter heads 33 and old cutter heads 34 on the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or the second temporary storage rack 42 can be replenished and replaced during PCB processing operations, effectively shortening the downtime for tool changes. By alternating between the first cutter head placement area 21 and the second cutter head placement area 22, the tool changing operations are performed in steps for loading and unloading. Specifically, during one tool change operation, while unloading is performed in the first cutter head placement area 21, loading is performed in the second cutter head placement area 22; conversely, during another tool change operation, while loading is performed in the first cutter head placement area 21, loading is performed in the second cutter head placement area 22. This ensures that during the interval between two tool changes, a cutter head in one of the cutter head placement areas 2 is always available for the spindle to use, allowing the spindle to process the PCB. Furthermore, during this processing, the cutter heads on the temporary storage racks can be handled manually or by a robotic arm. By alternating the tool changes, the downtime of PCB processing equipment during tool changing operations is reduced, thereby improving the uptime of PCB processing equipment.

[0131] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 7 A mounting bracket 71 is provided at the outer edge of the base 7. The mounting bracket 71 includes a crossbeam 711. The opposite ends of the crossbeam 711 are configured to be mounted at the outer edge of the base 7 via connecting parts 712. The crossbeam 711 is configured to be suspended on the outer side of the base 7. The temporary storage mechanism 4 is mounted on the crossbeam 711. This design reduces the area occupied by the lifting mechanism 43 in the working area of ​​the worktable 1, thereby increasing the processing stroke of the worktable 1 and enabling the PCB processing equipment to perform processing over a wider range.

[0132] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the lifting mechanism 43 are configured to be mounted on a transport robot, which is configured to walk on the ground to dock with the worktable 1. Mounting the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the lifting mechanism 43 on the transport robot further reduces the area occupied by the temporary storage mechanism 4 on the base 7, thereby increasing the processing stroke of the worktable 1 and further expanding the processing range of the PCB processing equipment of this disclosure.

[0133] In one embodiment of this disclosure, in order to further improve the uptime of PCB processing equipment, reference is made to... Figure 10 , Figure 13 The support portion is provided with at least two parts, which are respectively referred to as the first support portion 443 and the second support portion 444, which are spaced apart in the height direction. The second support portion 444 is located above the first support portion 443, and the first support portion 443 and the second support portion 444 are configured to temporarily store the cutter head 3.

[0134] Please refer to the above. Figure 14 The control unit 5 is configured to control the lifting mechanism 43 to move in the height direction to a first position so that the first support 443 docks with the cutter head placement area 2, or to move to a second position so that the second support 444 docks with the cutter head placement area 2. That is, since there are two supports in this disclosure, there are two docking positions for the temporary storage rack, including a first position for docking the first support 443 with the cutter head placement area 2, and a second position for docking the second support 444 with the cutter head placement area 2. Furthermore, in the initial position, it is necessary to ensure that both the first support 443 and the second support 444 are higher than the placement base to avoid interference between the worktable 1 and the first support 443 and the second support 444 during movement.

[0135] In this embodiment, reference Figure 12 , Figure 21 , Figure 22When the first support part 443 moves to the first position, it is positioned at a height corresponding to the clearance groove 32, so that the worktable 1 can move the tool holder placement area 2 in the Y-axis direction and dock with the first support part 443. (Reference) Figure 11 When the second support 444 moves to the second position, it is positioned at a height corresponding to the clearance groove 32, allowing the worktable 1 to move the tool holder area 2 in the Y-axis direction and dock with the second support 444. Similarly, in this embodiment, to avoid interference between the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the tool holder area 2, after the temporary storage mechanism 4 completes its loading and unloading tasks, the lifting mechanism 43 will move the temporary storage mechanism 4 back to its initial position. Figure 13 At this time, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is located above the placement seat 31. The worktable 1 can move to a position where the tool holder placement area 2 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 overlap in the height direction. This not only avoids interference between the two and damage to the equipment, but also increases the processing stroke of the worktable to a certain extent, thereby increasing the working range of the PCB processing equipment.

[0136] In one embodiment of this disclosure, to avoid mutual interference between multiple support parts during the loading and unloading of the cutting disc 3, reference is made to... Figure 8 , Figure 9 The clearance is a clearance groove 32 provided in the cutter head placement area 2. The length of the second support part 444 in the Y-axis direction is greater than the length of the first support part 443 in the Y-axis direction. The length of the second support part 444 is at least twice that of the first support part 443, so that interference between the worktable and the first support part 443 can be avoided during the loading and unloading process through the second support part 444.

[0137] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figures 21 to 23 The first support portion 443 is configured to carry the old cutter head 34 transferred from the cutter head placement area 2, and the second support portion 444 is configured to carry the new cutter head 33 to be transferred to the cutter head placement area 2. The control unit 5 is configured to control the second support portion 444 to transfer the new cutter head 33 to the cutter head placement area 2 after the old cutter head 34 in the cutter head placement area 2 has been transferred to the first support portion 443.

[0138] In one application scenario of this disclosure, when the support includes a first support 443 and a second support 444, it performs a complete tool changing operation on the tool holder placement area 2. That is, after unloading the old tool holder in the tool holder placement area 2, it can perform a loading operation on the tool holder placement area 2. Specifically, the control unit 5 needs to control the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction to a safe position where the two do not interfere, based on the positional relationship between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4. In this application scenario, the first support 443 is empty, and a new tool holder 33 is placed on the second support 444. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the first support 443 to move to the first position, at which time the height of the first support 443 matches the clearance groove 32 of the tool holder placement area 2. After the first support 443 moves into place, the worktable 1 drives the tool holder placement area 2 to move in the Y-axis direction until the first support 443 extends into the clearance groove 32. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the first support part 443 to move upward to the initial position, thus completing the task of unloading the material into the cutter head placement area 2.

[0139] Subsequently, the worktable 1 can move the cutter head placement area 2 to below the second support 444. The lifting mechanism 43 continues to move the second support 444 to the second position. At this time, the second support 444 moves the new cutter head 33 placed on it to the clearance position. At this time, the new cutter head 33 on the second support 444 will cooperate with the end face of the placement seat 31 during the descent. Then, the lifting mechanism 43 will move the second support 444 down into the clearance groove 32, so that it is separated from the new cutter head 33. At this time, the new cutter head 33 is located on the placement seat 31, thus completing the task of loading the new cutter head 33 into the cutter head placement area 2.

[0140] Thus, the first support unit 443 and the second support unit 444 can perform a single tool change operation, that is, unload the old tool head 34 in the tool head placement area 2 and load the tool head placement area 2 after unloading. Furthermore, since both the old tool head and the new tool head 33 can be placed on the support unit during the tool change operation, the time required to change the robotic arm or for the user to change the tool head 3 on the support unit can be effectively reduced, thereby helping to reduce the downtime of the PCB processing equipment.

[0141] In another embodiment of this disclosure, the first support portion 443 is used to carry a new cutter head 33 to be transferred to the cutter head placement area 2, and the second support portion 444 is configured to carry an old cutter head 34 transferred from the cutter head placement area 2. The control unit 5 is configured to control the first support portion 443 to transfer the new cutter head 33 to the cutter head placement area 2 after the old cutter head 34 in the cutter head placement area 2 has been transferred to the second support portion 444. Whether the first support portion 443 or the second support portion 444 is used to carry the new cutter head 33 to be transferred to the cutter head placement area 2, as long as the replacement of the new cutter head 33 and the old cutter head 34 can be achieved through the first support portion 443 and the second support portion 444, this disclosure does not impose any further limitations.

[0142] In one embodiment of this disclosure, when the support portion has a first support portion 443 and a second support portion 444, each spindle 6 corresponds to at least two tool disc placement areas 2 distributed in the X-axis direction, respectively denoted as a first tool disc placement area 21 and a second tool disc placement area 22. At least two temporary storage racks are provided, respectively denoted as a first temporary storage rack 41 corresponding to the first tool disc placement area 21 and a second temporary storage rack 42 corresponding to the second tool disc placement area 22. The control unit 5 is configured to simultaneously replace the tool discs 3 in the first tool disc placement area 21 and the second tool disc placement area 22 via the first temporary storage rack 41 and the second temporary storage rack 42 during a single tool change operation. That is, since this disclosure provides at least two support portions, after unloading the old tool disc in the tool disc placement area, the tool disc placement area can be subsequently loaded. This allows for simultaneous tool change operations in the two tool disc placement areas via two temporary storage racks, without additional time consumption of the PCB processing equipment, thus ensuring the efficiency of the PCB processing equipment.

[0143] Of course, in another embodiment of this disclosure, the control unit 5 is configured to transfer the old tool head 34 from the first tool head placement area 21 to the first temporary storage rack 41 in one tool change operation, and / or transfer the new tool head 33 from the second temporary storage rack 42 to the second tool head placement area 22. In another tool change operation, the new tool head 33 from the first temporary storage rack 41 is transferred to the first tool head placement area 21, and the old tool head 34 from the second tool head placement area 22 is transferred to the second temporary storage rack 42. The specific steps of the tool change operation have been described in detail above, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] Example 2

[0145] This embodiment also provides a PCB processing device, which includes a temporary storage mechanism 4 and a worktable 1. (See reference...) Figure 8 , Figure 9A temporary storage mechanism 4 is configured to temporarily store the tool head 3. The temporary storage mechanism 4 can be fixed on the base and positioned higher than the worktable 1, ensuring that the worktable 1 does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4 during movement. At least one tool head placement area 2 is provided on the worktable 1 for placing the tool head 3. The worktable 1 is configured to place the PCB and to move the tool head 3 in the Y-axis direction to a position corresponding to the temporary storage mechanism 4. A lifting mechanism 43 is provided in the tool head placement area 2. The lifting mechanism 43 is configured to receive the tool head 3 from the temporary storage mechanism 4 and place it in the tool head placement area 2 during its movement in the height direction. Alternatively, it can transfer the tool head 3 located in the tool head placement area 2 to the temporary storage mechanism 4. This embodiment is similar to the above embodiment, except that the lifting mechanism 43 in this embodiment is located in the tool head placement area 2, and therefore, in this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move the tool head 3 in the height direction.

[0146] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 8 , Figure 9 A placement seat 31 for supporting the cutter head 3 is provided in the cutter head placement area 2. A lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move the cutter head 3 at least between an initial position and a docking position. When the lifting mechanism 43 is in the initial position, it is positioned below the top end face of the placement seat 31. When the lifting mechanism 43 is in the docking position, it moves to a position above the temporary storage mechanism 4. In this embodiment, when the lifting mechanism 43 is in the initial position, the cutter head 3 and the lifting mechanism 43 are placed on the placement seat 31 without interference; that is, the top end of the lifting mechanism 43 is located within the clearance groove 32. When the lifting mechanism 43 is in the docking position, it moves the cutter head 3 located on the placement seat 31 to a position where the cutter head 3 is above the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0147] In a specific embodiment of this disclosure, to avoid interference between the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the lifting mechanism 43, the lifting mechanism 43 is configured to be located in the middle region of the clearance groove 32. When the worktable 1 moves to cooperate with the temporary storage mechanism 4, the supporting part of the temporary storage mechanism 4 can be located on both sides of the lifting mechanism 43. In this way, the lifting mechanism 43 can move up and down through the gap in the middle of the supporting part. Of course, the lifting mechanism 43 can be located at any position in the clearance groove 32, as long as it can ensure that it lifts the cutter head 3 located on the placement seat 31 and cooperates with the supporting part so that the two do not interfere with each other in the height direction. This disclosure does not impose any restrictions here.

[0148] In one specific embodiment of this disclosure, when the lifting mechanism 43 is in the initial position, the worktable 1 is configured to move in the Y-axis direction to a position where the lifting mechanism 43 is below the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move upward to the docking position to lift the cutter head 3 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4. In another specific embodiment of this disclosure, when the lifting mechanism 43 moves the cutter head 3 in the cutter head placement area to the docking position, the worktable 1 is configured to move in the Y-axis direction to a position where the cutter head 3 is above the temporary storage mechanism 4, and the lifting mechanism 43 is configured to move downward to the initial position to transfer the cutter head 3 located on the lifting mechanism 43 to the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0149] In one application scenario disclosed herein, reference Figure 24 , Figure 25 When a material unloading operation is required, the control unit 5 first controls the worktable 1 to move to a position that does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4, i.e., to the safe zone, based on the positional relationship between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4. Of course, if the worktable 1 is already in the safe zone, it does not need to move. The lifting mechanism 43 will drive the cutter head 3, which is placed on the placement seat 31, to the docking position, i.e., the cutter head 3 is higher than the temporary storage mechanism 4. After the lifting mechanism 43 moves into position, the worktable 1 drives the lifting mechanism 43 to move in the Y-axis direction to the docking position with the temporary storage mechanism 4. At this time, the projections of the cutter head 3, the lifting mechanism 43, and the temporary storage mechanism 4 overlap in the Z-axis direction. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the cutter head 3 to move downward. During this movement, the lifting mechanism 43 will place the cutter head 3 on the temporary storage mechanism 4, and the lifting mechanism 43 will pass through the temporary storage mechanism 4 and continue to move downward to the initial position. After the lifting mechanism 43 moves into position, the worktable 1 will move in the Y-axis direction to a position that does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4, thus completing the material unloading operation.

[0150] When a tool loading operation is required, a new tool disc 33 is placed on the temporary storage mechanism 4. The worktable 1 moves the lifting mechanism 43 along the Y-axis to a position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism 4, i.e., the tool disc placement area and the lifting mechanism 43 are positioned below the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 moves along the Z-axis to the docking position, at which point it lifts the new tool disc 33 from the temporary storage mechanism 4, disengaging it from the mechanism. Then, the worktable 1 moves along the Y-axis to a position where it does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4. Once in position, the lifting mechanism 43 moves the tool disc 3 to its initial position. During this movement, the tool disc 3 is positioned on the placement seat 31, thus completing the loading operation.

[0151] Example 3

[0152] The first and second embodiments are quite similar, except that this embodiment includes multiple temporary storage mechanisms 4, each with a corresponding mounting frame 71. These multiple temporary storage mechanisms 4 are independent of each other and are configured to move along the crossbeam 711 of the mounting frame 71 in the X-axis direction.

[0153] In a specific embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 26 In the view direction, along the Y-axis, the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the mounting bracket 71 are respectively referred to as the first temporary storage mechanism, the second temporary storage mechanism, the first mounting bracket, and the second mounting bracket. The first temporary storage mechanism and / or the second temporary storage mechanism can each perform tool changing operations on the first tool head placement area 21 and the second tool head placement area 22, respectively. The first and second temporary storage mechanisms can also perform tool changing operations on either the first tool head placement area 21 or the second tool head placement area 22 simultaneously. The steps for the first and second temporary storage mechanisms to perform tool changing operations have been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. The following description will focus on an example where the first and second temporary storage mechanisms simultaneously perform tool changing operations on the first tool head placement area 21, and the lifting mechanism 34 is configured to drive the movement of the temporary storage mechanism 3.

[0154] In one application scenario of this disclosure, when only the second temporary storage mechanism holds a new cutter head 33, the first temporary storage mechanism needs to perform a cutting operation on the old cutter head 34 placed in the first cutter head placement area 21. At this time, the first temporary storage mechanism will move along the first crossbeam in the X-axis direction to a position corresponding to the first cutter head placement area 21 in the Y-axis direction, and the worktable 1 is located in the safe zone. The first cutter head placement area 21 is controlled to move from its initial position to the docking position corresponding to the clearance position. Then, the worktable 1 is controlled to move the old cutter head 34 in the Y-axis direction toward the first temporary storage mechanism, so that the first temporary storage mechanism can extend into the clearance position until the first temporary storage mechanism is located below the old cutter head 34. Finally, the first lifting mechanism 43 drives the first temporary storage mechanism to rise, thereby lifting the old cutter head 34 located on the placement seat 31, completing the cutting operation on the first cutter head placement area 21.

[0155] After the first temporary storage mechanism completes the cutting operation, the second temporary storage mechanism, carrying the new cutter head 33, moves along the second crossbeam in the X-axis direction to a position corresponding to the first cutter head placement area 21 in the Y-axis direction. At this time, the control table 1 moves in the Y-axis direction toward the second temporary storage mechanism until the first cutter head placement area 21 is located below the second temporary storage mechanism. Then, the control table 1 moves the second temporary storage mechanism from its initial position to the docking position to place the new cutter head 33 on the second temporary storage mechanism onto the placement seat 31 of the first cutter head placement area 21. At this time, the second temporary storage mechanism and the new cutter head 33 are in a disengaged state. The control table 1 moves along the Y-axis direction until the first cutter head placement area 21 is completely disengaged from the second temporary storage mechanism, thus completing the cutting operation on the first cutter head placement area 22.

[0156] In this application scenario, the second temporary storage mechanism can also be configured to move along the second crossbeam in the X-axis direction to a position corresponding to the first tool disc placement area 21 in the Y-axis direction during or before the first temporary storage mechanism performs the cutting operation. This disclosure does not impose any further restrictions here.

[0157] In one embodiment of this disclosure, to avoid interference between the first and second temporary storage mechanisms during movement, the first and second mounting brackets have different heights. Thus, even if the first and second temporary storage mechanisms overlap in the Z-axis direction, they will not interfere with each other when performing up and down cutting operations with the worktable 1.

[0158] It is worth noting that when the lifting mechanism 43 is configured to drive the tool head to move, the first temporary storage mechanism and the second temporary storage mechanism can also cooperate with the worktable 1 and the lifting mechanism 43 respectively to complete the tool changing operation. The specific steps can be referred to the foregoing, and will not be elaborated on here.

[0159] For ease of understanding, please refer to the following: Figures 15 to 18 The specific workflow of the control method for the PCB processing equipment disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to one embodiment.

[0160] This disclosure also provides a control method for PCB processing equipment implemented by the PCB processing equipment in Embodiments 1 and 2. The control method includes: controlling the worktable 1 to move the cutter head placement area 2 in the Y-axis direction to a position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism 4; and controlling the lifting mechanism 43 to move in the height direction to transfer the cutter head 3 located in the cutter head placement area 2 to the temporary storage mechanism 4, or to place the cutter head 3 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the cutter head placement area 2, thereby completing the loading and unloading operations.

[0161] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a lifting mechanism 43 is disposed on a temporary storage mechanism 4 and configured to control the movement of the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the height direction. A placement seat 31 for supporting the cutter head 3 is provided in the cutter head placement area 2, and a clearance position lower than the placement seat 31 in the height direction for avoiding the temporary storage mechanism 4. (See reference...) Figure 15 , Figure 20 The control method includes the material feeding step, which includes:

[0162] S1. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to move the temporary storage mechanism 4 from the initial position higher than the placement seat 31 downwards to the docking position where the temporary storage mechanism 4 is at the height corresponding to the clearance position.

[0163] In the initial position, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is configured to be positioned above the placement seat 31. When the lifting mechanism 43 moves the temporary storage mechanism 4 downward from the initial position to the docking position, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is configured to be positioned at the height corresponding to the clearance position.

[0164] S2. Control the worktable 1 to move the old cutter head 34 until the temporary storage mechanism 4 extends into the clearance position and is located below the old cutter head 34.

[0165] The worktable 1 is configured to move the old cutter head 34 along the Y-axis until the temporary storage mechanism 4 extends into the clearance position, until the temporary storage mechanism 4 is located below the old cutter head 34. At this time, there is a gap between the old cutter head 34 and the temporary storage mechanism 4, and their projections in the Z-axis direction overlap.

[0166] S3. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to drive the temporary storage mechanism 4 to rise, so as to lift the old cutter head 34 located on the placement seat 31.

[0167] As the lifting mechanism 43 raises the temporary storage mechanism 4, the temporary storage mechanism 4 gradually comes into contact with the old cutter head 34 until it detaches from the placement seat 31, thereby transferring the old cutter head 34 from the placement seat 31 to the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 can raise the temporary storage mechanism 4 to the initial position and stay there, completing the unloading of the old cutter head 34.

[0168] In one embodiment of this disclosure, prior to step S1, a step of controlling the workbench 1 to move to a safe area is included, comprising:

[0169] S11. If it is determined that the current distance between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 is less than the predetermined safe distance, control the worktable 1 to move away from the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Y-axis direction to the safe area.

[0170] The safe zone is the position where there is no interference between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, it can be understood as the position where the orthographic projections of the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Z-axis direction do not overlap. Otherwise, the temporary storage mechanism 4 may interfere with the worktable 1 during the descent of the lifting mechanism 43, causing damage to the equipment. Therefore, before the lifting mechanism 43 descends, it is necessary to ensure that the worktable 1 is within the safe zone. For example, if the current distance between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 is less than a predetermined safe distance, the worktable needs to be moved in the Y-axis direction to a position where it does not overlap with the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Z-axis direction. Of course, if the worktable 1 is already within the safe zone, there is no need to move the worktable 1 further; the lifting mechanism 43 can be directly moved downwards to the docking position.

[0171] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 16 , Figure 19 The control method includes the feeding step, which includes:

[0172] S4. Control the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction so that the tool turret placement area 2 is located below the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0173] A new cutter head 33 is placed on the temporary storage mechanism 4, and the lifting mechanism 43 controls the temporary storage mechanism 4 to be in its initial position, that is, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is higher than the worktable 1 or the placement seat 31. At this time, there is no interference between the temporary storage mechanism 4 and the worktable. The worktable 1 is controlled to move in the Y-axis direction toward the temporary storage mechanism 4 until the cutter head placement area 2 is located below the temporary storage mechanism 4. At this time, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is directly above the clearance position in the height direction, which allows it to be located in the clearance position after it moves down to the docking position.

[0174] S5. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to drive the temporary storage mechanism 4 to move from the initial position to the docking position, so as to place the new cutter head 33 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4 on the placement seat 31 located in the cutter head placement area 2.

[0175] During the process of the lifting mechanism 43 driving the temporary storage mechanism 4 to move from the initial position to the docking position, the new cutter head 33 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4 will move downward. When the temporary storage mechanism 4 moves downward to the clearance position, the new cutter head 33 on the temporary storage mechanism 4 will be supported on the placement seat 31. After that, when the temporary storage mechanism 4 continues to move downward in the clearance position, the temporary storage mechanism 4 will disengage from the new cutter head 33 and keep the new cutter head 33 on the placement seat 31.

[0176] S6. Control the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction to the safe zone where the tool head placement area 2 is separated from the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0177] Since the temporary storage mechanism 4 has already disengaged from the new tool head 33 in step S5, when the worktable 1 moves away from the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Y-axis direction, the temporary storage mechanism 4 gradually disengages from the clearance position in the Y-axis direction. Once the worktable 1 reaches the safe zone, the temporary storage mechanism 4 completely disengages from the clearance position. There is no interference between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Z-axis direction.

[0178] S7. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to drive the temporary storage mechanism 4 to move upward from the docking position to the initial position.

[0179] Since the new cutter head 33 on the temporary storage mechanism 4 has been transferred to the placement seat 31, the temporary storage mechanism 4 is currently in an empty state. The control lifting mechanism 43 drives the temporary storage mechanism 4 to move and maintain it in its initial position to ensure that during the subsequent movement of the cutter head placement area 2 by the worktable 1, there will be no interference with the temporary storage mechanism 4, which could cause damage to the equipment. This also facilitates the subsequent loading of a new cutter head onto the empty temporary storage mechanism 4 by manual labor or a robotic arm. Of course, the temporary storage mechanism 4 can also remain in an empty state so that it can be used to support the old cutter head 34 in the cutter head placement area 2 during subsequent unloading operations.

[0180] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the PCB processing equipment includes at least one spindle 6 and a control unit 5. Each spindle 6 corresponds to at least two tool holder placement areas 2 distributed in the X-axis direction, respectively denoted as a first tool holder placement area 21 and a second tool holder placement area 22. The temporary storage mechanism 4 includes a temporary storage rack, and at least two temporary storage racks are provided, respectively denoted as a first temporary storage rack 41 corresponding to the first tool holder placement area 21 and a second temporary storage rack 42 corresponding to the second tool holder placement area 22.

[0181] The control unit 5 is configured to perform a feeding step on the first tool turret placement area 21 via the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or a feeding step on the second tool turret placement area 22 via the second temporary storage rack 42 during a tool change operation. In another tool change operation, it performs a feeding step on the first tool turret placement area 21 via the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or a feeding step on the second tool turret placement area 22 via the second temporary storage rack 42.

[0182] In one application scenario disclosed herein, reference Figure 8 , Figure 21 Each spindle 6 corresponds to at least two tool holder areas 2, which allows the spindle 6 to change tools through the tool holders 3 in the two tool holder areas 2. That is, the spindle 6 is configured to be able to obtain the tool holders in the first tool holder area 21 and the second tool holder area 22 respectively.

[0183] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the cutter head on the temporary storage mechanism 4 needs to be processed. For example, the old cutter head on the temporary storage mechanism 4 can be transferred out manually or by a robotic arm, or a new cutter head can be placed on the temporary storage mechanism 4 to load the cutter head placement area. This makes the processing of the cutter head on the temporary storage mechanism 4 take a lot of time, thus affecting the working efficiency of the PCB processing equipment.

[0184] The control unit 5 is configured to transfer the old tool 34 in the first tool turret placement area 21 to the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or transfer the new tool turret 33 on the second temporary storage rack 42 to the second tool turret placement area 22 in a tool change operation in accordance with the method described above.

[0185] Specifically, for example, when it is necessary to unload the old cutter head 34 in the first cutter head placement area 21 and load the second cutter head placement area 22, refer to Figure 14 The control unit 5 first controls the movement of the worktable 1 in the Y-axis direction based on the positional relationship between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4, ensuring that the two do not interfere with each other in the height direction. The first temporary storage rack 41 is empty, and the new tool head 33 is placed on the second temporary storage rack 42. The lifting mechanism 43 corresponding to the first temporary storage rack 41 will move the first temporary storage rack 41 to the docking position, that is, move it downward until the first temporary storage rack 41 is at the height corresponding to the clearance groove 32; at the same time, the second temporary storage rack 42 remains in a different position than its initial position, that is, the second temporary storage rack 42 is located on the worktable. After the first temporary storage rack 41 moves into place, the worktable 1 will move the tool head placement area 2 along the Y-axis direction until the first temporary storage rack 41 extends into the clearance groove 32, at which point the second temporary storage rack 42 is located directly above the second tool head placement area 22.

[0186] The lifting mechanism 43 corresponding to the first temporary storage rack 41 will move the first temporary storage rack 41 to its initial position. During the movement, the old cutter head 34 located on the placement seat 31 will move together with the first temporary storage rack 41, thereby completing the unloading task of the old cutter head 34 in the first cutter head placement area 21. At the same time, the lifting mechanism 43 corresponding to the second temporary storage rack 42 will move the second temporary storage rack 42 to the docking position. When the second temporary storage rack 42 moves to the clearance groove 32, the new cutter head 33 located on the second temporary storage rack 42 will be placed on the end face of the placement seat 31, causing the second temporary storage rack 42 to detach from the new cutter head 33, thereby completing the task of loading the new cutter head 33 into the second cutter head placement area 22.

[0187] Finally, the worktable 1 moves away from the temporary storage mechanism 4 until it reaches a position where it does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the height direction, i.e., it moves to the safe zone. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the second temporary storage rack 42 to move upward to the initial position, thus completing the task of unloading the first cutter head placement area 21 and loading the second cutter head placement area 22.

[0188] The above steps enable the simultaneous unloading of material from the first tool turret placement area 21 and loading of material into the second tool turret placement area 22 during a single tool change operation. Even though there is no tool turret 3 in the first tool turret placement area 21, the spindle can still perform tool changes using the new tool turret 33 in the second tool turret placement area 22. This ensures that during the processing of the tool turrets on the temporary storage rack of the temporary storage mechanism 4, the spindle always has a tool turret in one of its placement areas available for processing the PCB on the worktable 1, thus avoiding low work efficiency due to downtime.

[0189] The first temporary storage rack 41 and the second temporary storage rack 42 perform loading and unloading operations simultaneously under the control of their respective lifting mechanisms 43, which helps to reduce the downtime of the PCB processing equipment when performing tool changing operations, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the PCB processing equipment.

[0190] In this application scenario, the old tool head 34 in the first tool head placement area 21 was unloaded during the last tool change operation, while a new tool head is loaded in the second tool head placement area 22. When the spindle finishes its predetermined PCB processing time, i.e., when the PCB processing equipment needs to perform another tool change operation, the new tool head 33 on the first temporary storage rack 41 is transferred to the first tool head placement area 21, and the old tool head 34 in the second tool head placement area 22 is transferred to the second temporary storage rack 42. Specific execution steps can be found above, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0191] By repeatedly performing the above steps, the new cutter heads 33 and old cutter heads 34 on the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or the second temporary storage rack 42 can be replenished and replaced during PCB processing operations, effectively shortening the downtime for tool changes. By alternating between the first cutter head placement area 21 and the second cutter head placement area 22, the tool changing operations are performed in steps for loading and unloading. Specifically, during one tool change operation, while unloading is performed in the first cutter head placement area 21, loading is performed in the second cutter head placement area 22; conversely, during another tool change operation, while loading is performed in the first cutter head placement area 21, loading is performed in the second cutter head placement area 22. This ensures that during the interval between two tool changes, a cutter head in one of the cutter head placement areas 2 is always available for the spindle to use, allowing the spindle to process the PCB. Furthermore, during this processing, the cutter heads on the temporary storage mechanism 4 can be handled manually or by a robotic arm. By alternating the tool changes, the downtime of PCB processing equipment during tool changing operations is reduced, thereby improving the uptime of PCB processing equipment.

[0192] Based on the above disclosure, during a single tool change operation, the tool discs in the first tool disc placement area 21 can be unloaded separately. Similarly, the tool discs in the second tool disc placement area 22 can be loaded separately. Specific loading and unloading methods will not be elaborated further.

[0193] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the temporary storage mechanism 4 includes a temporary storage rack, which includes a base 441 and a support portion consisting of at least one insert tooth 442. At least two support portions are provided, respectively designated as a first support portion 443 and a second support portion 444 spaced apart in the height direction. The first support portion 443 and the second support portion 444 are configured to temporarily store the cutter head 3. The lifting mechanism 43 performs a loading step via the first support portion 443 and a unloading step via the second support portion 444. Alternatively, the lifting mechanism 43 performs a unloading step via the first support portion 443 and a loading step via the second support portion 444. The methods for performing the loading and unloading steps have been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0194] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the PCB processing equipment includes at least one spindle 6 and a control unit 5. Each spindle 6 corresponds to at least two tool holder placement areas 2 distributed in the X-axis direction, respectively denoted as a first tool holder placement area 21 and a second tool holder placement area 22. At least two temporary storage racks are provided, respectively denoted as a first temporary storage rack 41 corresponding to the first tool holder placement area 21 and a second temporary storage rack 42 corresponding to the second tool holder placement area 22.

[0195] The control unit 5 is configured to simultaneously perform loading and unloading steps on the cutter heads 3 in the first cutter head placement area 21 and the second cutter head placement area 22 via the first temporary storage rack 41 and the second temporary storage rack 42 during a single tool change operation. Alternatively, the control unit 5 is configured to perform an unloading step on the first cutter head placement area 21 via the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or a loading step on the second cutter head placement area 22 via the second temporary storage rack 42 during a single tool change operation. In another tool change operation, the control unit 5 performs a loading step on the first cutter head placement area 21 via the first temporary storage rack 41 and / or an unloading step on the second cutter head placement area 22 via the second temporary storage rack 42.

[0196] In one application scenario disclosed herein, reference Figure 21 , Figure 22When the support section includes the first support section 443 and the second support section 444, it performs a complete tool changing operation on the tool head placement area 2. That is, after unloading the old tool head in the tool head placement area 2, it can perform a loading operation on the tool head placement area 2. Specifically, the control unit 5 needs to control the worktable 1 to move in the Y-axis direction to a safe position where the two do not interfere, based on the positional relationship between the worktable 1 and the temporary storage mechanism 4. In this application scenario, the first support section 443 is empty, and the second support section 444 has a new tool head 33 placed on it. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the first support section 443 to move to the first position, at which time the height of the first support section 443 matches the height of the clearance groove 32 of the tool head placement area 2. After the first support section 443 moves into place, the worktable 1 drives the tool head placement area 2 to move in the Y-axis direction until the first support section 443 extends into the clearance groove 32. The lifting mechanism 43 drives the first support part 443 to move upward to the initial position, thus completing the task of unloading the material into the cutter head placement area 2.

[0197] Subsequently, the worktable 1 can move the cutter head placement area 2 to below the second support 444. The lifting mechanism 43 continues to move the second support 444 to the second position. At this time, the second support 444 moves the new cutter head 33 placed on it to the clearance position. At this time, the new cutter head 33 on the second support 444 will cooperate with the end face of the placement seat 31 during the descent. Then, the lifting mechanism 43 will move the second support 444 down into the clearance groove 32, so that it is separated from the new cutter head 33. At this time, the new cutter head 33 is located on the placement seat 31, thus completing the task of loading the new cutter head 33 into the cutter head placement area 2.

[0198] Thus, the first support unit 443 and the second support unit 444 can perform a single tool change operation, that is, unload the old tool head 34 in the tool head placement area 2 and load the tool head placement area 2 after unloading. Furthermore, since both the old tool head and the new tool head 33 can be placed on the support unit during the tool change operation, the time required to change the robotic arm or for the user to change the tool head 3 on the support unit can be effectively reduced, thereby helping to reduce the downtime of the PCB processing equipment.

[0199] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 8 , Figure 9 The temporary storage mechanism 4 is fixed on the base 7. The lifting mechanism 43 is located in the tool disc placement area 2, specifically at the clearance position, and is configured to drive the tool disc 3 to move in the Z-axis direction. The tool disc placement area 2 is provided with a placement seat 31 for supporting the tool disc 3, and a clearance position lower than the placement seat 31 in the height direction to avoid the temporary storage mechanism 4. (Reference) Figure 17 , Figure 25 The control method includes the material feeding step, which includes:

[0200] S1. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to raise the old cutter head 34 to a position higher than the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0201] Before controlling the lifting mechanism 43 to move the old cutter head 34, the process also includes controlling the worktable 1 to move to a safe zone in the Y-axis direction; otherwise, the lifting mechanism 43 might interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4 during its upward movement. Therefore, before the lifting mechanism 43 operates, the worktable 1 needs to be moved to a safe zone. Of course, if the worktable 1 is already in the safe zone, it does not need to move.

[0202] The lifting mechanism 43 includes an initial position and a docking position. Before the lifting mechanism 43 drives the old cutter head 34 to move, the lifting mechanism 43 is located in the initial position, at which time the lifting mechanism 43 is located below the top end face of the placement seat 31. When the lifting mechanism 43 is in the docking position, the lifting mechanism 43 moves to a position higher than the temporary storage mechanism 4. As the lifting mechanism 43 moves from the initial position to the docking position, the lifting mechanism 43 gradually comes into contact with the old cutter head 34 and drives it to move upward, causing it to detach from the placement seat 31 and move together with the lifting mechanism 43 to the docking position. At this time, both the cutter head 34 and the lifting mechanism 43 are higher than the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0203] S2. Control the worktable 1 to drive the lifting mechanism 43 to move in the Y-axis direction until the old cutter head 34 is positioned above the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0204] After the lifting mechanism 43 moves to the docking position, the worktable 1 is driven to move along the Y-axis. At this time, the lifting mechanism 43 and the cutter head 3 will move along the Y-axis with the worktable 1 until the projections of the cutter head 3, the lifting mechanism 43 and the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the height direction overlap, and the cutter head 3 is located directly above the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0205] S3, control the lifting mechanism 43 to descend, so that the old cutter head 34 located on the lifting mechanism 43 is placed on the temporary storage mechanism 4 during the descent.

[0206] The lifting mechanism 43 drives the cutter head 3 to move downwards. During this downward movement, the old cutter head 34 on the lifting mechanism 43 will be placed on the temporary storage mechanism 4. The lifting mechanism 43 will then pass through the temporary storage mechanism 4 and continue to move downwards to its initial position. After the lifting mechanism 43 reaches its final position, the worktable 1 will move along the Y-axis to a safe zone position where it does not interfere with the temporary storage mechanism 4, thus completing the unloading operation.

[0207] In one embodiment of this disclosure, reference is made to Figure 18 , Figure 24 The control method includes the feeding step, which includes:

[0208] S4. Control the worktable 1 to drive the lifting mechanism 43 to move in the Y-axis direction until the lifting mechanism 43 is located below the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0209] The temporary storage mechanism 4 is fixed on the base and positioned higher than the worktable 1. During the loading process, the lifting mechanism is in its initial position, at which point the worktable 1 can be directly controlled to move in the Y-axis direction until the lifting mechanism 43 is positioned directly below the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0210] S5. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to rise until it lifts the new cutter head 33 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0211] After the lifting mechanism 43 moves into position in the Y-axis direction, it will move to the docking position in the Z-axis direction. At this time, the lifting mechanism 43 will lift the new cutter head 33 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4, so that it is disengaged from the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0212] S6. Control the worktable 1 to drive the lifting mechanism 43 to move in the Y-axis direction to the safe area away from the temporary storage mechanism 4.

[0213] Since the lifting mechanism 43 lifts the new cutter head 33 located on the temporary storage mechanism 4, the control table 1 moves in the Y-axis direction, so that the lifting mechanism 43 can move the new cutter head 33 away from the temporary storage mechanism 4, and move directly to the safe zone position where the orthogonal projection of the temporary storage mechanism 4 in the Z-axis direction does not overlap.

[0214] S7. Control the lifting mechanism 43 to lower it so that the new cutter head 33 is placed in the cutter head placement area 2.

[0215] Once the movement is complete, the lifting mechanism 43 will drive the cutter head 3 to move to the initial position. During the movement, the cutter head 3 is positioned on the placement seat 31 to complete the loading operation.

[0216] In the above embodiments, loading and / or unloading operations can be performed on the cutter head placement area according to actual needs. This mainly depends on the current state of the cutter head placement area. Therefore, the sequence numbers of the above steps are not a restriction on their order. In addition, in embodiments where the cutter head 3 is controlled to rise or fall by the lifting mechanism 43, multiple support parts can also be provided on the temporary storage rack. This has been described in detail in the above specification and will not be repeated here.

[0217] In embodiments where each spindle corresponds to at least two cutter head placement areas, each cutter head placement area can be loaded and unloaded separately using the aforementioned structure or control method, or the loading and unloading can be performed simultaneously. Loading and unloading operations can be performed sequentially in a single operation, or they can be performed separately in different tool change operations; these details will not be elaborated further here.

[0218] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A PCB processing equipment, characterized in that, include: A workbench (1) is provided on the workbench (1) with at least one tool disc placement area (2) for placing a tool disc (3). The tool disc placement area (2) is provided with a placement seat (31) for supporting the tool disc (3) and a clearance position that is lower than the placement seat (31) in the height direction and is used to avoid the temporary storage mechanism (4). The workbench (1) is configured to place a PCB and is configured to drive the tool disc (3) to move in the Y-axis direction. At least one temporary storage mechanism (4) is configured to temporarily store the cutter head (3); The lifting mechanism (43) is configured to move the temporary storage mechanism (4) at least between an initial position and a docking position. When in the initial position, the temporary storage mechanism (4) is configured to be located above the placement seat (31). When in the docking position, the temporary storage mechanism (4) is configured to be located at a height corresponding to the clearance position. The worktable (1) is configured to move the cutter head placement area (2) in the Y-axis direction to a position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism (4). The lifting mechanism (43) is configured to drive at least one of the temporary storage mechanism (4) and the cutter head (3) to move in the height direction to place the cutter head (3) located on the temporary storage mechanism (4) in the cutter head placement area (2) or to transfer the cutter head (3) located in the cutter head placement area (2) to the temporary storage mechanism (4).

2. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the temporary storage mechanism (4) is in the initial position, the worktable (1) is configured to move in the Y-axis direction to a position where the clearance position is below the temporary storage mechanism (4); the lifting mechanism (43) is configured to move downward to the docking position to place the cutter head (3) located on the temporary storage mechanism (4) on the placement seat (31).

3. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the temporary storage mechanism (4) is in the docking position, the worktable (1) is configured to move in the Y-axis direction so that the temporary storage mechanism (4) is in the clearance position; the lifting mechanism (43) is configured to move upward to the initial position to transfer the cutter head (3) located on the placement seat (31) to the temporary storage mechanism (4).

4. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (43) is located in the cutter head placement area (2) and is configured to receive the cutter head (3) on the temporary storage mechanism (4) and place it in the cutter head placement area (2) during the movement in the height direction; or to transfer the cutter head (3) located in the cutter head placement area (2) to the temporary storage mechanism (4). A placement seat (31) for supporting the cutter head (3) is provided in the cutter head placement area (2); the lifting mechanism (43) is configured to drive the cutter head (3) to move at least between the initial position and the docking position; When in the initial position, the lifting mechanism (43) is located below the top end face of the placement seat (31); when in the docking position, the lifting mechanism (43) moves to a position above the temporary storage mechanism (4).

5. The PCB processing equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The temporary storage mechanism (4) includes a temporary storage rack, which includes: Base (441); A support portion consisting of at least one insert tooth (442); the support portion extends from the base (441) toward the worktable (1) and is configured to support the cutter head (3); The PCB processing equipment also includes: Control unit (5); At least one spindle (6) is configured to process a PCB on a worktable (1); The base (7) is provided with the temporary storage mechanism (4) and the worktable (1) is provided on the base (7) between the spindle (6) and the temporary storage mechanism (4) and is configured to move in the direction of the temporary storage mechanism (4) to dock with the temporary storage mechanism (4) or move in the direction of the spindle (6) to process the PCB on the worktable (1) through the spindle (6).

6. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each spindle (6) corresponds to at least two tool turret placement areas (2) distributed in the X-axis direction, which are respectively referred to as the first tool turret placement area (21) and the second tool turret placement area (22); at least two temporary storage racks are provided, which are respectively referred to as the first temporary storage rack (41) corresponding to the first tool turret placement area (21) and the second temporary storage rack (42) corresponding to the second tool turret placement area (22); The control unit (5) is configured to transfer the old cutter head (34) in the first cutter head placement area (21) to the first temporary storage rack (41) and / or transfer the new cutter head (33) on the second temporary storage rack (42) to the second cutter head placement area (22) in one tool change operation; and to transfer the new cutter head (33) on the first temporary storage rack (41) to the first cutter head placement area (21) and the old cutter head (34) in the second cutter head placement area (22) to the second temporary storage rack (42) in another tool change operation.

7. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, A mounting bracket (71) is provided at the outer edge of the base (7). The mounting bracket (71) includes a crossbeam (711). The two ends of the crossbeam (711) are configured to be mounted at the outer edge of the base (7) via a connecting part (712). The crossbeam (711) is configured to be suspended on the outer side of the base (7). The temporary storage mechanism (4) is provided on the crossbeam (711).

8. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The temporary storage mechanism (4) and the lifting mechanism (43) are configured to be mounted on the transport robot, which is configured to walk on the ground to dock with the workbench (1).

9. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support portion is provided in at least two parts, which are respectively referred to as the first support portion (443) and the second support portion (444) distributed at intervals in the height direction; the first support portion (443) and the second support portion (444) are configured to temporarily store the cutter head (3); The control unit (5) is configured to control the lifting mechanism (43) to move in the height direction to a first position so that the first support (443) docks with the cutter head placement area (2), or to move to a second position so that the second support (444) docks with the cutter head placement area (2).

10. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The clearance position of the cutter head placement area (2) is a clearance groove (32) provided in the cutter head placement area (2); the length of the second support part (444) in the Y-axis direction is greater than the length of the first support part (443) in the Y-axis direction.

11. The PCB processing equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first support (443) is configured to carry the old cutter head (34) transferred from the cutter head placement area (2), and the second support (444) is configured to carry the new cutter head (33) to be transferred to the cutter head placement area (2); the control unit (5) is configured to control the second support (444) to transfer the new cutter head (33) to the cutter head placement area (2) after the old cutter head (34) in the cutter head placement area (2) is transferred to the first support (443); Alternatively, the first support (443) is used to carry a new cutter head (33) to be transferred to the cutter head placement area (2), and the second support (444) is configured to carry an old cutter head (34) transferred from the cutter head placement area (2); the control unit (5) is configured to control the first support (443) to transfer the new cutter head (33) to the cutter head placement area (2) after the old cutter head (34) in the cutter head placement area (2) is transferred to the second support (444).

12. A control method for a PCB processing equipment, implemented by the PCB processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, include: The control table (1) drives the tool holder (2) to move in the Y-axis direction to the position where it docks with the temporary storage mechanism (4); The lifting mechanism (43) is controlled to move in the height direction to transfer the cutter head (3) located in the cutter head placement area (2) to the temporary storage mechanism (4), or to place the cutter head (3) located on the temporary storage mechanism (4) in the cutter head placement area (2).

13. The control method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The cutter head placement area (2) is provided with a placement seat (31) for supporting the cutter head (3), and a clearance position lower than the placement seat (31) in the height direction for avoiding the temporary storage mechanism (4); the temporary storage mechanism (4) includes a temporary storage rack; the control method includes a feeding step, the feeding step including: S1. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to drive the temporary storage mechanism (4) from the initial position higher than the placement seat (31) to move downwards until the temporary storage mechanism (4) is located at the docking position corresponding to the clearance position; S2. The control table (1) drives the old cutter head (34) to move until the temporary storage mechanism (4) extends into the clearance position and is located below the old cutter head (34); S3. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to drive the temporary storage mechanism (4) to rise, so as to lift the old cutter head (34) located on the placement seat (31); And / or, The control method includes a feeding step, which includes: S4. Control the worktable (1) to move in the Y-axis direction so that the tool disc placement area (2) is located below the temporary storage mechanism (4); S5. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to drive the temporary storage mechanism (4) to move from the initial position to the docking position, so as to place the new cutter head (33) located on the temporary storage mechanism (4) on the placement seat (31) located in the cutter head placement area (2); S6. Control the worktable (1) to move in the Y-axis direction to a safe area where the tool holder area (2) is separated from the temporary storage mechanism (4); S7. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to drive the temporary storage mechanism (4) to move upward from the docking position to the initial position.

14. The control method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The PCB processing equipment includes at least one spindle (6) and a control unit (5). Each spindle (6) corresponds to at least two tool holder placement areas (2) distributed in the X-axis direction, which are respectively referred to as the first tool holder placement area (21) and the second tool holder placement area (22). At least two temporary storage racks are provided, which are respectively referred to as the first temporary storage rack (41) corresponding to the first tool holder placement area (21) and the second temporary storage rack (42) corresponding to the second tool holder placement area (22). The control unit (5) is configured to perform a feeding step on the first cutter head placement area (21) via the first temporary storage rack (41) and / or a feeding step on the second cutter head placement area (22) via the second temporary storage rack (42) in a tool change operation; and to perform a feeding step on the first cutter head placement area (21) via the first temporary storage rack (41) and / or a feeding step on the second cutter head placement area (22) via the second temporary storage rack (42) in another tool change operation.

15. The control method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The temporary storage rack includes a base (441) and a support portion consisting of at least one insert tooth (442); the support portion is provided in at least two parts, respectively referred to as a first support portion (443) and a second support portion (444) distributed at intervals in the height direction; the first support portion (443) and the second support portion (444) are configured to temporarily store the cutter head (3); The lifting mechanism (43) is controlled to perform the loading step through the first support part (443) and the unloading step through the second support part (444); or the lifting mechanism (43) is controlled to perform the unloading step through the first support part (443) and the loading step through the second support part (444).

16. The control method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The PCB processing equipment includes at least one spindle (6) and a control unit (5). Each spindle (6) corresponds to at least two tool holder placement areas (2) distributed in the X-axis direction, which are respectively referred to as the first tool holder placement area (21) and the second tool holder placement area (22). At least two temporary storage racks are provided, which are respectively referred to as the first temporary storage rack (41) corresponding to the first tool holder placement area (21) and the second temporary storage rack (42) corresponding to the second tool holder placement area (22). The control unit (5) is configured to simultaneously perform loading and unloading steps on the cutter heads (3) of the first cutter head placement area (21) and the second cutter head placement area (22) via the first temporary storage rack (41) and the second temporary storage rack (42) during a tool change operation; or, the control unit (5) is configured to perform unloading steps on the first cutter head placement area (21) via the first temporary storage rack (41) and / or perform loading steps on the second cutter head placement area (22) via the second temporary storage rack (42) during a tool change operation; and to perform loading steps on the first cutter head placement area (21) via the first temporary storage rack (41) and / or perform unloading steps on the second cutter head placement area (22) via the second temporary storage rack (42) during another tool change operation.

17. The control method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The control method includes a feeding step, which includes: S1. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to drive the old cutter head (34) to rise to a position higher than the temporary storage mechanism (4); S2. Control the worktable (1) to drive the lifting mechanism (43) to move in the Y-axis direction until the old cutter head (34) is located above the temporary storage mechanism (4); S3. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to descend so that the old cutter head (34) located on the lifting mechanism (43) is placed on the temporary storage mechanism (4) during the descent. And / or, The control method includes a feeding step, which includes: S4. Control the worktable (1) to drive the lifting mechanism (43) to move in the Y-axis direction until the lifting mechanism (43) is located below the temporary storage mechanism (4); S5. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to rise until it lifts the new cutter head (33) located on the temporary storage mechanism (4); S6. Control the worktable (1) to drive the lifting mechanism (43) to move in the Y-axis direction to the safe area where it is separated from the temporary storage mechanism (4); S7. Control the lifting mechanism (43) to lower to place the new cutter head (33) in the cutter head placement area (2).

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