System for manufacturing electronic components and method for manufacturing electronic components

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of electronic component manufacturing system capable of efficient distribution of electronic components corresponding to the processing condition of electronic components.A kind of electronic component (10) manufacturing system (1) implements multiple manufacturing processes to manufacture electronic components (10), comprising: multiple manufacturing equipment (20) for performing different processes corresponding to multiple manufacturing processes on electronic components (10), a distribution mechanism (30) for distributing electronic components (10) to manufacturing equipment (20), and a control unit (100), the control unit (100) registers multiple electronic components (10) as a batch, and generates batch status information by associating batch identification information of the registered batch with processing information representing the processes performed by the manufacturing equipment (20), and based on the generated batch status information, outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism (30) to distribute the registered batch to a given manufacturing equipment (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a manufacturing system for electronic components. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, automated handling devices were known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated handling device with a built-in barcode reader that reads barcodes while holding a wafer carrier with a barcode attached. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses that control information for controlling the operation of the storage container and cleaning device, as well as wafer carrier tracking information for the AGV, are pre-input into a main computer system.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-216216 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] According to the automatic transport device of Patent Document 1, the current position information of the wafer carrier can be obtained during the transport process. However, although the automatic transport device of Patent Document 1 can reduce the deviation between the current position information of the wafer carrier and the position based on the tracking information of the wafer carrier, it fails to perform efficient delivery of the manufactured object in accordance with the processing status of the manufactured object.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing system for electronic components that is capable of efficient delivery of electronic components in accordance with the processing status of the electronic components.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving the problem

[0010] The present invention relates to an electronic component manufacturing system that performs multiple manufacturing processes to manufacture electronic components. The electronic component manufacturing system comprises: multiple manufacturing devices that perform different processes on the electronic components corresponding to the multiple manufacturing processes; a delivery mechanism that delivers the electronic components to the manufacturing devices; and a control unit that registers multiple electronic components as batches, generates batch status information based on batch identification information of the registered batches, and outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism to deliver the registered batches to a given manufacturing device based on the generated batch status information.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the present invention, a manufacturing system for electronic components is provided that enables efficient delivery of electronic components in accordance with the processing status of the electronic components. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the manufacturing system for the electronic component according to this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional view of the appearance of an electronic component manufactured by a manufacturing system.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a 3D view of the exterior of a delivery box that houses multiple electronic components.

[0016] Figure 4 It is a diagram that schematically shows the outline of the manufacturing equipment.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a 3D rendering of the exterior of an automated guided vehicle equipped with a delivery box.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of the control unit in the above-described embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the above-described embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following describes the manufacturing system 1 for electronic components according to the embodiments of this disclosure. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the electronic component manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the electronic component 10 manufactured by manufacturing system 1. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the delivery box 40 that houses multiple electronic components 10. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the manufacturing equipment 20. Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the unmanned transport vehicle 31 carrying the delivery box 40.

[0021] The electronic component manufacturing system 1 is, for example, a manufacturing system for manufacturing electronic components 10, such as laminated ceramic electronic components. The electronic component 10 can also be a surface-mount electronic component. For example, it can also be... Figure 2 The image shows a sheet-like, stacked ceramic electronic component in a roughly cuboid or roughly cubic shape.

[0022] Manufacturing system 1 performs multiple manufacturing processes to manufacture electronic components 10. Manufacturing system 1 includes multiple manufacturing equipment 20, a delivery mechanism 30 for delivering electronic components to the manufacturing equipment, and a control unit 100. In addition, the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment has a delivery box 40 for accommodating multiple electronic components 10 and a storage rack 50 for storing the delivery box 40 containing multiple electronic components 10.

[0023] First, the electronic component 10 manufactured by the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment will be described. The electronic component 10 is, for example, as follows: Figure 2 The multilayer ceramic capacitor and other multilayer ceramic electronic components are shown. For example, the multilayer ceramic electronic component of this embodiment has a stack body 11, which includes multiple stacked ceramic layers and multiple internal conductor layers, and has a first main surface TS1 and a second main surface TS2 facing each other in the height direction T, a first side surface WS1 and a second side surface WS2 facing each other in the width direction W orthogonal to the height direction T, and a first end surface LS1 and a second end surface LS2 facing each other in the length direction L orthogonal to the height direction T and the width direction W. In addition, the multilayer ceramic electronic component of this embodiment has: a first external electrode 12 disposed on the first end surface LS1 side of the multilayer body 11 and connected to the internal conductor layer; and a second external electrode 13 disposed on the second end surface LS2 side of the multilayer body 11 and connected to the internal conductor layer.

[0024] If the length dimension of the stacked ceramic electronic component, including the laminate 11, the first external electrode 12, and the second external electrode 13, is defined as dimension L, then dimension L can be 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Furthermore, if the height dimension of the stacked ceramic electronic component is defined as dimension T, then dimension T can be 0.05 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Furthermore, if the width dimension of the stacked ceramic electronic component is defined as dimension W, then dimension W can be 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. That is, the maximum dimension of the electronic component 10 can be 10 mm or less. However, it is not limited to this.

[0025] The electronic component 10 is delivered by the delivery mechanism 30 in a delivery box 40. Furthermore, the electronic component 10 is stored in a storage rack 50 in the delivery box 40.

[0026] like Figure 3 As shown, the delivery box 40 has a box body 41 and an identification information holding medium 42 for holding identification information.

[0027] All electronic components 10 contained within the main body 41 of the delivery box 40 are from the same batch. It is also possible that the number of sheet-like laminated ceramic electronic components contained in one delivery box 40 is 1000 or more. After the cutting process of cutting the laminated blocks into laminated pieces of a given size, many electronic components 10 are randomly contained within the delivery box 40. Furthermore, it is assumed here that the workpiece that will become an electronic component 10, i.e., the workpiece in the manufacturing process, is also included and referred to as electronic component 10. Additionally, the delivery box 40 may also have a cover (not shown) at the upper opening.

[0028] Multiple electronic components 10 constituting a batch are contained in one or more shipping boxes. That is, depending on their component size and quantity, multiple electronic components 10 constituting a batch may sometimes be contained in only one shipping box, or sometimes distributed into multiple shipping boxes. Furthermore, electronic components 10 in the same batch are of the same type. Therefore, electronic components 10 in the same batch are manufactured using the same manufacturing process. Additionally, all multiple electronic components 10 contained in one shipping box are from the same batch. Essentially, for electronic components 10 in the same batch, the same processing is performed in each manufacturing equipment 20. Therefore, multiple electronic components 10 contained in one shipping box undergo the same processing in each manufacturing equipment 20.

[0029] The identification information holding medium 42 can also be, for example, an RFID tag. The identification information holding medium 42 holds the identification information.

[0030] The identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 may also directly include batch identification information of the electronic component. Alternatively, the identification information may be identification information linked to the batch identification information of the electronic component.

[0031] For example, the identification information could be a delivery box ID assigned to each delivery box 40, which is linked to the batch identification information of the electronic component. In this case, for example, the delivery box ID and the batch identification information of the electronic component could be linked during the receiving process of placing the electronic component 10 into the delivery box 40. Thus, in subsequent processes, the batch identification information of the electronic component 10 placed in the delivery box 40 could be determined based on the delivery box ID. This linking operation could also be performed by the control unit 100, described later.

[0032] Furthermore, the identification information holding medium 42 is not limited to RFID tags. For example, the identification information holding medium 42 can also be a barcode, a QR code, or an AR tag.

[0033] The manufacturing equipment 20, distribution mechanism 30, and storage rack 50 described later preferably include an identification information acquisition unit for reading the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42. The identification information acquisition unit can be appropriately selected depending on the type of identification information holding medium 42. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 is an RFID tag, the identification information acquisition unit can also be a handheld RFID reader / writer, a fixed RFID antenna, or other RFID reader. If the identification information holding medium 42 is a barcode, QR code, or AR tag, a reader corresponding to that type can be used as the identification information acquisition unit. This allows for high-speed and accurate reading of the identification information.

[0034] Manufacturing system 1 has multiple manufacturing equipment 20. The multiple manufacturing equipment 20 perform different processes on electronic components 10 respectively.

[0035] For example, when manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component such as a multilayer ceramic capacitor as electronic component 10, a large number of manufacturing processes are performed until completion. The manufacturing system 1 has multiple manufacturing equipment 20, each corresponding to a different manufacturing process. The multiple manufacturing equipment 20 performs different processing on the electronic component 10, each corresponding to a different manufacturing process.

[0036] For example, multiple manufacturing apparatuses 20 include: a cutting apparatus 20A for cutting a laminate block comprising a dielectric sheet and a conductive paste into laminate pieces of a given size; a firing apparatus 20B for firing the laminate pieces to produce a laminate; a coating apparatus 20C for coating a material of the base electrode layer of the external electrode at a given location on the laminate; a sintering apparatus 20D for sintering the coated material of the base electrode layer; a plating apparatus 20E for forming a plating layer on the outer surface of the base electrode layer; a characteristic inspection apparatus 20F for inspecting the characteristics of the laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate; and an appearance screening inspection apparatus 20G for performing an appearance screening inspection of the laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate.

[0037] In addition, the multiple manufacturing equipment 20 may also include manufacturing equipment other than those described above. For example, it may include a roller polishing device for grinding the surface of the laminate. As a manufacturing system 1, it may also be configured to include at least four or more of these multiple manufacturing equipment 20. In addition, it may include equipment for manufacturing dielectric sheets, or equipment for manufacturing dielectric paste for manufacturing dielectric sheets, or equipment for printing internal electrodes by printing conductive paste on dielectric sheets, or manufacturing equipment for laminating dielectric sheets to form a laminate.

[0038] Here, the processing performed by each manufacturing equipment 20 corresponds to one of the overall manufacturing processes of the electronic component 10. For example, the cutting equipment 20A, which performs the cutting process, cuts a laminate containing a dielectric sheet and conductive paste into laminated pieces of a given size. The firing equipment 20B, which performs the firing process, fires the laminated pieces. The coating equipment 20C, which performs the coating process, applies the material of the base electrode layer of the external electrode to a given location on the laminate. The firing equipment 20D, which performs the firing process, fires the applied base electrode layer material. The plating equipment 20E, which performs the plating process, forms a plating layer on the outer surface of the base electrode layer. The characteristic inspection equipment 20F, which performs the characteristic inspection process, inspects the characteristics of the laminated ceramic electronic component containing the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate. The appearance screening inspection process performed by the appearance screening inspection equipment is the appearance screening inspection process for laminated ceramic electronic components that have formed external electrodes including a base electrode layer and a plating layer. The dielectric sheet fabrication equipment performs the process of fabricating dielectric sheets. The dielectric paste fabrication equipment performs the process of fabricating dielectric paste. The internal electrode printing equipment performs the process of printing conductive paste onto dielectric sheets to print internal electrodes. The laminate fabrication equipment performs the process of laminating dielectric sheets to fabricate a laminate.

[0039] In addition, depending on the type of electronic component 10, some manufacturing processes may be skipped. Furthermore, depending on the type of electronic component 10, additional manufacturing processes may be added midway through the standard manufacturing process.

[0040] Although Figure 1 Each of the above shows one manufacturing equipment 20 performing the same type of processing, but multiple manufacturing equipment 20s performing the same type of processing may exist. For example, there may be one firing equipment 20B performing the firing process, or there may be two or more. In this case, let's assume that the first one is called machine number 1, and the second one is called machine number 2. The number of manufacturing equipment 20s performing the same type of processing can be set according to the overall production scale of the manufacturing system 1, the preparation time of each manufacturing equipment 20, etc.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the outline of a manufacturing apparatus 20. Each manufacturing apparatus 20 has an infeed section 21, a processing section 22, and an outfeed section 23. In addition, each manufacturing apparatus 20 has a first identification information acquisition unit 24.

[0042] The receiving section 21 is the part that moves the electronic components 10 delivered by the delivery mechanism 30 (described later) into the manufacturing equipment 20. Alternatively, the electronic components 10 may be delivered to the receiving section 21 after being delivered to the starter rack 25 (described later). The electronic components 10 are delivered to the receiving section 21 in a state of being contained in the delivery box 40.

[0043] The manufacturing equipment 20 has a first identification information acquisition unit 24. The first identification information acquisition unit 24 is preferably located at or near the loading section 21. The first identification information acquisition unit 24 acquires batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information of the electronic components 10 loaded into the manufacturing equipment 20. The first identification information acquisition unit 24 is preferably a reader that reads the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40 is an RFID tag, the first identification information acquisition unit 24 may also be an RFID antenna. If it is a combination of an RFID tag and an RFID antenna, the RFID antenna can automatically acquire the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 when the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 approaches or passes through the loading section 21. Alternatively, the first identification information acquisition unit 24 may also be an input unit capable of inputting batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information.

[0044] Processing unit 22 is the unit that performs a given process on electronic component 10. For example, the processing unit of firing equipment 20B performs a firing process on a stack of small sheets comprising a dielectric sheet and a conductive paste. In processing unit 22, electronic component 10 is typically processed in the state of being removed from delivery box 40.

[0045] The removal section 23 is the section that removes the electronic components 10 processed by the processing section 22. The electronic components 10 processed by the processing section 22 can be re-placed in the delivery box 40, or they can be placed in another delivery box and removed. However, it is preferable to place them back in the delivery box 40 after removal. In this case, the electronic components 10 are preferably placed in the same delivery box 40 as when they were placed in, using an electronic component holding mechanism (not shown). Thus, the batch correspondence between the delivery box 40 and the electronic components 10 contained within it is maintained. Consequently, it becomes unnecessary to rewrite or re-register identification information on the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40.

[0046] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a start rack 25 and a finish rack 26 for each manufacturing equipment 20. Alternatively, multiple manufacturing equipment performing the same type of processing may be provided with a shared start rack 25 and finish rack 26. The start rack 25 and finish rack 26 may also be shared racks. The start rack 25 and finish rack 26 temporarily store the electronic components 10 housed in the delivery box 40.

[0047] The electronic components 10, which are to be processed by the manufacturing equipment 20 but are not yet processed, are moved into the starting rack 25 by the delivery mechanism 30 (described later). The starting rack 25 temporarily stores the electronic components 10, which are to be processed by the manufacturing equipment 20, in a delivery box 40. Then, the electronic components 10, which are to be processed but are temporarily stored in the starting rack 25, are moved into the receiving section 21. The movement from the starting rack 25 to the receiving section 21 can also be carried out by a delivery mechanism such as an automated guided vehicle or an automated guided robot.

[0048] The processed electronic component 10, having been processed by the manufacturing equipment 20, is removed from the transfer section 23 of the manufacturing equipment 20 and placed in the finishing rack 26. The transport from the transfer section 23 to the finishing rack 26 can also be carried out by a delivery mechanism such as an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or an automated guided robot (AGV). The finishing rack 26 temporarily stores the processed electronic component 10, which has been processed by the manufacturing equipment 20, in a delivery box 40. Then, the processed electronic component 10, temporarily stored in the finishing rack, is removed by the delivery mechanism 30, described later.

[0049] The delivery mechanism 30 delivers electronic components 10 to the manufacturing equipment 20. Additionally, the delivery mechanism 30 delivers electronic components 10 to the storage rack 50. The delivery mechanism 30 may include, for example, an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). The AGV may also be an unmanned transport vehicle 31. Furthermore, the delivery mechanism 30 may also include an unmanned transport robot. The delivery mechanism 30 is preferably an unmanned delivery mechanism.

[0050] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the unmanned transport vehicle 31, which serves as the delivery unit 30. The unmanned transport vehicle 31 travels automatically, for example, along guide lines (not shown) such as a travel tape laid on the factory floor.

[0051] The automated guided vehicle 31 includes a vehicle body 32, a shelf 33 mounted on the upper part of the vehicle body 32 and capable of carrying electronic components 10, wheels 34 mounted on the vehicle body 32, and a second identification information acquisition unit 35. Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, the automated guided vehicle 31 includes a magnetic sensing sensor for sensing a travel magnetic tape and a travel control unit. The travel control unit performs travel control based on control signals wirelessly transmitted from the control unit 100 and detection signals from the magnetic sensing sensor.

[0052] The unmanned transport vehicle 31, acting as a delivery unit 30, transports electronic components 10 to the manufacturing equipment 20. More specifically, the unmanned transport vehicle 31 transports the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 from the outbound section 53 of the storage rack 50 (described later) to the inbound section 21 of the manufacturing equipment 20 or to the start rack 25 provided on the manufacturing equipment 20.

[0053] The automated guided vehicle 31, acting as a delivery unit 30, transports the electronic component 10 to the storage rack 50 (described later). More specifically, the automated guided vehicle 31 transports the delivery box 40 containing the electronic component 10 from the outgoing section 23 of the manufacturing equipment 20 or the finishing rack 26 located on the manufacturing equipment 20 to the receiving section 51 of the storage rack 50.

[0054] Furthermore, the automated guided vehicle 31, which serves as the delivery mechanism 30, can also be configured to transport the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 from the manufacturing equipment 20 to other manufacturing equipment 20. That is, the automated guided vehicle 31 can also be configured to transport the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 from the outgoing section 23 of the manufacturing equipment 20 or the finishing rack 26 provided on the manufacturing equipment 20 to the incoming section 21 of other manufacturing equipment 20 or the starting rack 25 provided on other manufacturing equipment 20.

[0055] In addition, the delivery mechanism 30 may also be configured to be able to transport items from the delivery section 23 of the manufacturing equipment 20 or the finishing rack 26 provided on the manufacturing equipment 20 to the delivery section 21 of the same manufacturing equipment 20 or the starting rack 25 provided on the same manufacturing equipment 20.

[0056] The second identification information acquisition unit 35 acquires batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information of the electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 mounted on the automated guided vehicle 31. The second identification information acquisition unit 35 is preferably configured to read the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 when the delivery box 40 is mounted on the shelf 33 of the automated guided vehicle 31. The second identification information acquisition unit 35 is preferably a reader that reads the information held by the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 is an RFID tag, the second identification information acquisition unit 35 may also be an RFID antenna. If it is a combination of an RFID tag and an RFID antenna, the RFID antenna can automatically acquire the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 when the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 is mounted on the shelf 33 of the automated guided vehicle 31.

[0057] Preferably, one automated guided vehicle (AGV) 31 delivers one delivery box 40. That is, the AGV 31 may also have a shelf 33 capable of carrying a maximum of one delivery box 40. Furthermore, one delivery box 40 may be able to hold more than 1000 electronic components. Thus, a large number of electronic components 10 can be efficiently delivered using the smallest delivery unit. In addition, a one-to-one relationship is established between one delivery box 40 and one AGV 31, thereby reducing control complexity. Furthermore, the relationship between the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 and the second identification information acquisition unit 35 of the AGV 31 is also one-to-one, thus reducing the likelihood of errors in reading the identification information by the second identification information acquisition unit 35.

[0058] The storage rack 50 stores multiple batches of electronic components 10 in a manner that allows them to be contained within the delivery box 40. The storage rack 50 is, for example, an automated warehouse.

[0059] The storage rack 50 includes an receiving section 51, a storage area 52, and an outgoing section 53. Furthermore, the storage rack 50 has a third identification information acquisition unit 54 and a fourth identification information acquisition unit 55.

[0060] The receiving section 51 is where electronic components 10 delivered by the distribution organization 30 are stored. The electronic components 10 are stored in the receiving section 51 in a delivery box 40. The receiving section 51 is equipped with a conveyor (not shown) for receiving. The conveyor transports the delivery boxes 40 stored in the receiving section 51 to the storage area 52.

[0061] Storage area 52 stores multiple batches of electronic components 10 in delivery boxes 40. Storage area 52 consists of multi-level shelves. Storage area 52 is equipped with automated handling mechanisms such as conveyors, stacker cranes, and picking cranes (not shown). Locations within the storage area are managed using address information. Delivery boxes 40, which acquire identification information upon receipt, are moved to a designated location assigned address information based on control signals from control unit 100. The moved delivery boxes 40 are stored at the designated location. On the other hand, upon dispatch, the dispatched delivery box 40 is designated by specifying information linked to the identification information received upon receipt, such as the batch number of the electronic component. The designated delivery box 40 is moved from the designated location based on the address information.

[0062] The outbound section 53 is responsible for removing electronic components 10 from the storage rack 50. Electronic components 10, stored in the storage area 52, are moved out while still contained within the delivery box 40. The outbound section 53 includes an outbound conveyor (not shown). The conveyor transports the delivery box 40 from the storage area 52 to the outside of the storage rack 50.

[0063] The storage rack 50 has a third identification information acquisition unit 54. The third identification information acquisition unit 54 is preferably located near the receiving section 51. The third identification information acquisition unit 54 acquires batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information of the electronic components 10 moved into the storage rack 50. The third identification information acquisition unit 54 is preferably a reader that reads information held by the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40 is an RFID tag, the third identification information acquisition unit 54 can also be an RFID antenna. If it is a combination of an RFID tag and an RFID antenna, the RFID antenna can automatically acquire the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 when the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 approaches or passes through the receiving section 51. Alternatively, the third identification information acquisition unit 54 can also be an input unit capable of inputting batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information.

[0064] The storage rack 50 has a fourth identification information acquisition unit 55. The fourth identification information acquisition unit 55 is preferably located near the outbound section 53. The fourth identification information acquisition unit 55 acquires batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information for the electronic components 10 removed from the storage rack 50. The fourth identification information acquisition unit 55 is preferably a reader that reads information held by the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40 is an RFID tag, the fourth identification information acquisition unit 55 can also be an RFID antenna. If it is a combination of an RFID tag and an RFID antenna, the RFID antenna can automatically acquire the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 when the delivery box 40 containing the electronic components 10 approaches or passes through the outbound section 53. Alternatively, the fourth identification information acquisition unit 55 can also be an input unit capable of inputting batch identification information or identification information linked to batch identification information.

[0065] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of the control unit 100 in this embodiment.

[0066] The control unit 100 includes a batch registration unit 110, a batch discrimination unit 120, a processing information acquisition unit 130, a batch status information generation unit 140, a device information acquisition unit 150, a location information acquisition unit 160, an evaluation information acquisition unit 170, a delivery destination determination unit 180, a batch selection unit 190, an indication signal output unit 200, and a storage unit 210.

[0067] Alternatively, the control unit 100 can also be a server. Furthermore, the control unit 100, as described above, is composed of multiple functional blocks, but these functional blocks do not necessarily need to be physically separated; the functions of multiple functional blocks can be implemented by a single CPU. Additionally, the control unit 100 can be configured in two or more locations, taking into account the configuration of the controlled objects. For example, the batch registration unit 110 and the batch status information generation unit 140 could be located on a server, while the batch discrimination unit 120 could be located in the control units of each manufacturing device 20, storage rack 50, etc. Alternatively, a single functional block could be distributed across two or more locations for decentralized control. Furthermore, the storage unit 210 is composed of recording media such as ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a removable memory card. Examples of recording media include non-transitory tangible media. Furthermore, the control unit 100 may include, for example, an arithmetic processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Various functions of the control unit 100 can be implemented, for example, by executing programs (application programs) stored in the storage unit 210. These programs (application programs) may be provided via a network or recorded on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-only memory) or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). Additionally, the functions of the control unit 100 can be implemented through a combination of hardware and software, or solely through hardware (electronic circuitry).

[0068] The batch registration unit 110 registers multiple electronic components as a given batch. For example, the batch registration unit 110 registers a group of electronic components of the same type A, manufactured in the same manufacturing process in a previous process, as batch number A001. Similarly, the batch registration unit 110 registers a group of electronic components of the same type A, manufactured in the same manufacturing process in a previous process, as batch number A002. Here, batch number A001 and batch number A002 become batch identification information for the registered batch. This registration operation can also be performed through operator input or through control by a higher-level system. Furthermore, multiple electronic components 10 registered as a batch with a batch number, such as batch number A001, are housed in one or more delivery boxes 40.

[0069] Alternatively, after batch registration is performed by the batch registration unit 110, the batch number, which serves as the batch identification information, is set as the primary key, and various other information is linked to it. That is, a database can be formed using the batch identification information as the primary key. However, information other than the batch identification information can also be set as the primary key. Furthermore, such database information is stored in the storage unit 210.

[0070] The batch identification information can also be retained on the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 in accordance with the batch registration operation in the batch registration unit 110. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 is an RFID tag, an RFID reader / writer can be used to write the identification information directly containing the batch identification information onto the RFID tag. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 is a barcode, a barcode containing the identification information directly containing the batch identification information can be affixed to the delivery box 40.

[0071] Furthermore, the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 can also be identification information linked to the batch identification information of the electronic component. For example, if the identification information holding medium 42 of each delivery box 40 holds a delivery box ID, the delivery box ID and the batch identification information of the electronic component can be linked during the placement process of placing the electronic component 10 into the delivery box 40. Thus, in subsequent processes, the batch identification information of the electronic component placed in the delivery box 40 can be determined based on the delivery box ID.

[0072] Furthermore, batches registered by the batch registration department 110 are continuously fed into each manufacturing equipment 20 based primarily on the input schedule. The input schedule can be optimized in the initial stage based on factors such as the type and quantity of electronic components 10 flowing through the production process and the number of units in each manufacturing equipment 20. The input schedule can be rewritten according to the overall status of the manufacturing system 1 and as needed. The input schedule is stored in the storage department 210. Based on the input schedule and its status, the following processing is determined for each batch.

[0073] The batch determination unit 120 determines the batch number of the electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit. For example, the first identification information acquisition unit 24 of each manufacturing device 20 acquires the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 when a batch of electronic components 10 is moved in. Then, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch number of the electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information read by the first identification information acquisition unit 24. In addition, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch number of the electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 for which identification information has been acquired by the second identification information acquisition unit 35, the third identification information acquisition unit 54, and the fourth identification information acquisition unit 55, respectively.

[0074] The processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating the processing performed by each manufacturing equipment 20 on the batches transferred into the manufacturing equipment 20. For example, if the cutting equipment 20A performs a cutting process on batch A001, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the cutting process was performed on batch A001. Similarly, if the firing equipment 20B performs a firing process on batch A001, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the firing process was performed on batch A001. Furthermore, if the coating equipment 20C performs a coating process on batch A001, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the coating process was performed on batch A001. Additionally, the batch number of the batches transferred into the manufacturing equipment 20 is determined by the batch determination unit 120 described above. Alternatively, the batch number of each batch moved into each manufacturing equipment 20 and the information indicating that each manufacturing equipment 20 has performed processing can be linked through the control unit within each manufacturing equipment 20, and processing information can be generated within each manufacturing equipment 20.

[0075] The batch status information generation unit 140 generates batch status information by linking the batch identification information of the registered batch with the processing information indicating the processing performed on the registered batch. For example, the status information generation unit 140 links the batch number A001 of the registered batch with the processing information performed on the batch with batch number A001.

[0076] For example, consider the following scenario: Batch registration unit 110 registers batch number A001, and then processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that batch number A001 was cut by cutting equipment 20A, fired by firing equipment 20B, and coated by coating equipment 20C. In this case, status information generation unit 140 generates status information indicating that batch number A001 was cut by cutting equipment 20A, fired by firing equipment 20B, and coated by coating equipment 20C; that is, it indicates that the cutting, firing, and coating processes have been completed. Thus, the batch status information includes information indicating which manufacturing process the batch registered by batch registration unit 110 has completed, i.e., which manufacturing equipment 20 performed the processing. The batch status information includes batch processing history information.

[0077] Alternatively, the status information of this batch can be said to indicate which manufacturing process the registered batch should be put into next, that is, which manufacturing equipment 20 it should be put into.

[0078] For example, consider the following scenario: as batch status information, information is generated indicating that batch number A001, registered by batch registration department 110, has completed the cutting, firing, and coating processes. In this case, it can be said that the batch status information indicates that batch number A001 should be put into firing equipment 20D. In other words, it can be said that the batch status information indicates that the batch is in a state where batch number A001 can be put into firing equipment 20D.

[0079] Based on the generated batch status information, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20. For example, if the batch status information indicates that batch number A001 has completed the firing and coating processes in the batch operation, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute batch number A001 to the firing equipment 20D. Furthermore, this process can also be performed at the scheduled batch input time or at any arbitrary time.

[0080] As mentioned above, batches registered by the batch registration department 110 are continuously fed into each manufacturing equipment 20 based primarily on the input schedule. However, due to malfunctions and other reasons, batches are sometimes not properly processed according to the predetermined plan. According to this embodiment, registered batches can be delivered to the appropriate manufacturing equipment 20 based on the information in the input schedule and the batch status information.

[0081] Furthermore, when electronic components 10 constituting a batch are distributed into multiple delivery boxes 40 for storage, the indicator signal output unit 200 can also output an indicator signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to distribute the electronic components 10 constituting a batch to the same manufacturing equipment 20. Thus, even when electronic components 10 constituting a batch are distributed into multiple delivery boxes 40 for storage, the electronic components 10 constituting a batch are processed by the same manufacturing equipment 20. Therefore, the processing within a batch can be made consistent. Additionally, in this case, branch numbers can be assigned to the batch number in the form of A001-1, A001-2, etc.

[0082] In this case, the indicator signal output unit 200 outputs an indicator signal to the number of automated guided vehicles 31 corresponding to the number of delivery boxes 40 constituting a batch. For example, if there are two delivery boxes 40 constituting a batch, an indicator signal is output to the two automated guided vehicles 31 to deliver the corresponding delivery boxes 40 to the same manufacturing equipment 20.

[0083] The control unit 100 in this embodiment may also include a device information acquisition unit 150. The device information acquisition unit 150 acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of each manufacturing device 20. Here, the manufacturing equipment information may also include fault information of the manufacturing equipment. Furthermore, the manufacturing equipment information may also include information indicating that the manufacturing equipment 20 is in batch processing, information indicating that batch processing performed by the manufacturing equipment 20 has ended, information indicating that the manufacturing equipment 20 is in a device standby state waiting for batches, etc. The manufacturing equipment information may also include information indicating whether the manufacturing equipment is available.

[0084] The indicator signal output unit 200 can also output an indicator signal to the distribution organization 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information and manufacturing equipment information.

[0085] For example, let's describe a scenario where there are two coating equipment 20Cs, machine 1 and machine 2. As an example, assume that the status information generation unit 140 generates information indicating that batch number A001 has completed the cutting and firing processes. Furthermore, assume that the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires, for example, fault information indicating that machine 1 of coating equipment 20C is in an abnormal state, as manufacturing equipment information. In this case, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver batch number A001 to machine 2 of coating equipment 20C, which is in an usable state. This enables efficient delivery.

[0086] In this way, the control unit 100 manages the batch by linking the status information of the batch with the manufacturing equipment information. More specifically, the control unit 100 links the manufacturing equipment 20 that is in an available state with the batch that is in a ready-to-use state, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to deliver the linked batch to the linked manufacturing equipment 20.

[0087] The control unit 100 in this embodiment may also include a location information acquisition unit 160. The location information acquisition unit 160 acquires the location information of the batch, which is the location information of the batch, based on the reading information of the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40. Specifically, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires the location information of the batch based on the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40, which is read by the acquisition units arranged in the manufacturing system 1, such as the first identification information acquisition unit 24, the second identification information acquisition unit 35, the third identification information acquisition unit 54, and the fourth identification information acquisition unit 55.

[0088] The first identification information acquisition unit 24, installed in each manufacturing device 20, reads the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 installed in the delivery box 40. The location information acquisition unit 160 acquires the location information of the batch based on the read identification information. Specifically, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch number of the electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition unit 24. Then, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information such as the location information of the batch, that is, the determined batch exists at the manufacturing device 20 where the identification information was read.

[0089] For example, the first identification information acquisition unit 24 of the second machine in the coating equipment 20C reads the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 in the delivery box 40. Based on the read identification information, it is determined that the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 is, for example, batch number A001. In this case, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information as the location information of the batch, namely, that batch number A001 exists at the second machine of the coating equipment 20C.

[0090] The second identification information acquisition unit 35, installed in the automated guided vehicle 31 (AGV) serving as the delivery mechanism 30, reads the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 installed in the delivery box 40 when the delivery box 40 is mounted on the shelf 33 of the AGV 31. The location information acquisition unit 160 acquires the location information of the batch based on the read identification information. Specifically, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information acquired by the second identification information acquisition unit 35. Then, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information such as the determined batch mounted on the AGV 31 as the location information of the batch.

[0091] For example, the second identification information acquisition unit 35 of the automated guided vehicle 31 reads the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 disposed in the delivery box 40. Based on the read identification information, it is determined that the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 is, for example, batch number A001. In this case, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information such as the location information of the batch, namely, that batch number A001 is carried on the automated guided vehicle 31.

[0092] Furthermore, when the movement information of the automated guided vehicle 31 is acquired along with its movement, the movement information of the batch can be obtained as the location information of the batch. When the second identification information acquisition unit 35 determines that the automated guided vehicle 31 is carrying a given batch, such as batch number A001, the movement information of batch number A001 is consistent with the movement information of the automated guided vehicle 31. Therefore, more detailed location information of the batch, including the real-time location information of the moving batch and the batch's movement trajectory information, can be obtained.

[0093] The third identification information acquisition unit 54, located in the receiving section 51 of the storage rack 50, reads the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 when the delivery box 40 is received. The location information acquisition unit 160 acquires the location information of the batch based on the read information of the identification information. Specifically, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information acquired by the third identification information acquisition unit 54. Then, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information such as the batch location information, that is, the determined batch is currently present in the receiving section 51 of the storage rack 50, and then places it in the storage area 52.

[0094] For example, the third identification information acquisition unit 54 reads the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40. Based on the read identification information, it is determined that the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 is, for example, batch number A001. In this case, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information such as the location information of the batch, that is, batch number A001 is currently present in the storage section 51 of the storage rack 50, and then places it in the storage area 52.

[0095] The fourth identification information acquisition unit 55, located in the outbound section 53 of the storage rack 50, reads the identification information held in the identification information holding medium 42 of the delivery box 40 when the delivery box 40 is dispatched. The location information acquisition unit 160 acquires the location information of the batch based on the read identification information. Specifically, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information acquired by the fourth identification information acquisition unit 55. Then, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information such as the batch location information, that is, the determined batch is currently present in the outbound section 53 of the storage rack 50 and then dispatched to the outside of the storage area 52.

[0096] For example, the fourth identification information acquisition unit 55 reads the identification information held by the identification information holding medium 42 provided in the delivery box 40. Based on the read identification information, it is determined that the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 is, for example, batch number A001. In this case, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information as the location information of the batch, such as that batch number A001 is currently present at the outbound section 53 of the storage rack 50 and then shipped out of the storage area 52.

[0097] Alternatively, the identification information acquisition unit can be configured in other locations within the manufacturing system 1. In this case, the location information acquisition unit 160 acquires information as location information for the batch, namely, that a batch exists at a location corresponding to the configuration location of the identification information acquisition unit, based on the identification information read by the identification information acquisition unit.

[0098] The indication signal output unit 200 can also output an indication signal to the distribution organization 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information and batch location information.

[0099] For example, consider the following scenario: as batch status information, information is generated indicating that batch A001 and batch A002 have completed the cutting, firing, and coating processes, respectively. In this case, assume that batch A001 is still in the coating equipment 20C as batch location information. On the other hand, assume that batch A002 is located in the storage area 52 of the storage rack 50 as batch location information. In this situation, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism indicating that batch A002, which is in a waiting-for-delivery state on the storage rack 50, will be delivered to the firing equipment 20D. This enables efficient delivery.

[0100] In addition, the indication signal output unit 200 may also output an indication signal to the distribution organization 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information, the batch location information, and the manufacturing equipment information.

[0101] For example, suppose that information is generated as batch status information indicating that batch A001 and batch A002 have completed the cutting, firing, and coating processes, respectively. At this time, suppose that information is obtained as batch location information that batch A001 is still in the coating equipment 20C. On the other hand, suppose that information is obtained as batch location information that batch A002 is located in storage area 52 of storage rack 50. Furthermore, suppose that fault information is obtained as manufacturing equipment information indicating that firing equipment 20D 20D 1 is in an abnormal state. In this case, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver batch A002, which is in a waiting-for-delivery state on storage rack 50, to firing equipment 20D 20D 2, which is in a usable state. This enables efficient delivery.

[0102] In addition, based on the output instruction signal, the delivery destination determination unit 180 further determines the delivery destination of the registered batch based on the batch status information and, as needed, the manufacturing equipment information and the location information of the batch.

[0103] Additionally, the delivery destination determination unit 180 can also determine, based on batch status information and manufacturing equipment information, whether to deliver the registered batch from a given manufacturing equipment 20 to a storage rack 50 or from a given manufacturing equipment 20 to another manufacturing equipment 20. In this case, the instruction signal output unit 200, based on the decision, outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver the registered batch to the storage rack 50 or other manufacturing equipment 20. Furthermore, this control can be employed when the automated guided vehicle 31 can travel directly between manufacturing equipment without passing through the storage rack 50.

[0104] For example, when the status information generation unit 140 acquires processing information indicating that the coating process was performed on batch number A001 by the coating equipment 20C as batch status information, the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires manufacturing equipment information of the sintering equipment 20D.

[0105] At this time, it is assumed that the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires information indicating that the coating equipment 20D is in batch processing as manufacturing equipment information. In this case, the delivery destination determination unit 180 decides to deliver batch number A001 from the coating equipment 20C to the storage rack 50. In this case, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30 for delivering batch number A001 from the coating equipment 20C to the storage rack 50.

[0106] On the other hand, assume that the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires information indicating that the firing equipment 20D is in a standby state awaiting a batch, as manufacturing equipment information. In this case, the delivery destination determination unit 180 decides to deliver batch number A001 directly from the coating equipment 20C to the firing equipment 20D. In this case, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30 for delivering batch number A001 directly from the coating equipment 20C to the firing equipment 20D.

[0107] Furthermore, suppose that the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires fault information indicating that the coating equipment 20D is in an abnormal state as manufacturing equipment information. In this case, the delivery destination determination unit 180 decides to deliver batch number A001 from the coating equipment 20C to the storage rack 50. In this case, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30 for delivering batch number A001 from the coating equipment 20C to the storage rack 50. This enables efficient delivery.

[0108] Based on the batch status information, the batch selection unit 190 selects a given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50. The indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30, causing the batch selected by the batch selection unit 190 to be delivered from the storage rack 50 to the given manufacturing equipment 20.

[0109] For example, suppose batches A001 and A002 are stored in storage rack 50. Furthermore, suppose that the batch status information generated indicates that batch A001 has completed the cutting and firing processes but not the coating process. On the other hand, suppose that the batch status information generated indicates that batch A002 has completed the cutting, firing, and coating processes. In this case, when it is desired to feed batches of product A into the firing equipment 20D based on the operation schedule, the batch selection unit 190 selects batch A002 from the multiple batches stored in storage rack 50, ensuring that it is ready for the firing process. The instruction signal output unit 200 outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30, instructing the batch selected by the batch selection unit 190, batch A002, to be delivered from storage rack 50 to the firing equipment 20D. This enables efficient delivery.

[0110] The batch selection unit 190 can also select a given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50 based on the batch status information and manufacturing equipment information.

[0111] For example, suppose batches A001 and A002 are stored in storage rack 50. Furthermore, suppose that the batch status information generated indicates that although batch A001 has completed the cutting and firing processes, the coating process has not. On the other hand, suppose that the batch status information generated indicates that batch A002 has completed the cutting, firing, and coating processes. Moreover, suppose that the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires fault information indicating that the coating equipment 20C is in an abnormal state as manufacturing equipment information. On the other hand, suppose that the equipment information acquisition unit 150 acquires information indicating that the firing equipment 20D is in a standby state awaiting batches as manufacturing equipment information. In this case, the batch selection unit 190 selects batch A002 from the multiple batches stored in storage rack 50, as being in a state where it can be put into the firing process. The indicator signal output unit 200 outputs an indicator signal to the delivery mechanism 30, causing the batch with batch number A002 selected by the batch selection unit 190 to be delivered from the storage rack 50 to the firing device 20D. This enables efficient delivery.

[0112] Alternatively, the batch selection unit 190 can also select a given batch from multiple batches stored on the storage rack 50 based on the batch's status information and location information. That is, it can also determine the batch stored on the storage rack 50 based on the batch's location information, and then select a given batch from multiple batches stored on the storage rack 50.

[0113] As mentioned above, batches registered by the batch registration department 110 are continuously deployed to each manufacturing equipment 20 based primarily on the deployment schedule. However, due to malfunctions or other reasons, batches sometimes cannot be delivered according to the planned schedule. Furthermore, depending on the overall condition of the manufacturing system 1, situations sometimes arise where more efficient batch delivery can be achieved. According to this embodiment, based on the information from the deployment schedule and the batch status information, and further as needed, based on manufacturing equipment information and batch location information, appropriate batches can be selected, and the selected batches can be efficiently delivered to the appropriate delivery destination.

[0114] The control unit 100 in this embodiment may also include an evaluation information acquisition unit 170.

[0115] The evaluation information acquisition unit 170 acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batch processed by the manufacturing equipment 20. Specifically, the evaluation information acquisition unit 170 acquires information such as the number of processing defects within the batch as evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the processed batch, based on the sensing results of various sensors installed in each of the manufacturing equipment 20. For example, it acquires information on the number of cutting defects occurring within a batch in the cutting equipment 20A.

[0116] The delivery destination determination unit 180 determines which manufacturing equipment 20 to deliver the batch based on the batch evaluation information obtained by the evaluation information acquisition unit 170. For example, if the number of cutting defects in a batch in cutting equipment 20A is higher than a given number, the delivery destination determination unit 180 decides to repeatedly transport the batch to the appearance screening and inspection equipment 20G. Alternatively, the delivery destination determination unit 180 may also decide to repeatedly transport the batch to the characteristic inspection equipment 20F.

[0117] Based on batch evaluation information, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute the batch to the manufacturing equipment 20 determined by the distribution destination determination unit 180. For example, if the number of cutting defects in a batch in the cutting equipment 20A is higher than a given value, the indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to repeatedly transport the batch to the appearance inspection equipment 20G. Alternatively, the indication signal output unit 200 may also output an indication signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to repeatedly transport the batch to the characteristic inspection equipment 20F. In addition, the indication signal output unit 200 may output an indication signal to the distribution mechanism 30 during the manufacturing process up to the appearance inspection equipment 20G or the characteristic inspection equipment 20F, so that the batch is transported in the order of the normal manufacturing process.

[0118] In this way, the indicator signal output unit 200 can output an indicator signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to repeatedly distribute the batch to the same manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch evaluation information. As a result, batches that are determined to require attention can be inspected more thoroughly.

[0119] In addition, the delivery destination determination unit 180 can also determine the number of repeated handling, so that the more defects are detected in a batch by the manufacturing equipment 20, the more times the batch is handled by inspection equipment such as the characteristic inspection equipment 20F or the appearance screening inspection equipment 20G.

[0120] The process of this embodiment will be described below. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of this embodiment.

[0121] In the registration process of step S11, the batch registration unit 110 registers multiple electronic components as a given batch. For example, the batch registration unit 110 registers the first batch of electronic components of the same type A, which were manufactured in the previous process through the same manufacturing process, as batch number A001.

[0122] In the processing information acquisition step S12, when a batch of electronic components 10 is moved into the manufacturing equipment 20, the batch determination unit 120 determines the batch number of the batch of electronic components 10 contained in the delivery box 40 based on the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit. Then, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating the processing performed by each manufacturing equipment 20 on the batch moved into the manufacturing equipment 20. For example, if the cutting equipment 20A performs a cutting process on the batch with batch number A001, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the cutting process was performed on the batch with batch number A001. Furthermore, if the firing equipment 20B performs a firing process on the batch with batch number A001, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the firing process was performed on the batch with batch number A001. Furthermore, when the coating equipment 20C performs coating processing on batch number A001, the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the coating process has been performed on batch number A001.

[0123] In the generation process of step S13, the status information generation unit 140 establishes a link between the batch identification information of the registered batch and the processing information indicating that the processing performed on the registered batch to generate batch status information. For example, consider the following case: the batch registration unit 110 registers batch number A001, and then the processing information acquisition unit 130 acquires processing information indicating that the cutting device 20A performed a cutting process on batch number A001, the firing device 20B performed a firing process on batch number A001, and the coating device 20C performed a coating process on batch number A001. In this case, the status information generation unit 140 generates information indicating that batch number A001 has completed the cutting process, the firing process, and the coating process as batch status information.

[0124] In the instruction signal output process of step S14, the instruction signal output unit 200 outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the generated batch status information. For example, if the batch status information indicates that batch number A001 has completed the cutting process, firing process, and coating process, the instruction signal output unit 200 outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute batch number A001 to the firing equipment 20D. Furthermore, this process can be performed at the scheduled batch input time or at any arbitrary time.

[0125] Alternatively, the batch to be delivered can also be selected by the batch selection unit 190. In this case, the batch selection unit 190 selects the given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50 based on batch status information, etc. Alternatively, the batch selection unit 190 can also select the given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50 based on batch status information and manufacturing equipment information. The indication signal output unit 200 outputs an indication signal to the delivery mechanism 30, causing the batch selected by the batch selection unit 190 to be delivered from the storage rack 50 to the given manufacturing equipment 20.

[0126] In the delivery process of step S15, the delivery mechanism 30 receives an indication signal output from the indication signal output unit 200 and delivers the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the indication signal. For example, the delivery mechanism 30 delivers the batch with batch number A001 stored in the storage rack 50 to the calcination equipment 20D.

[0127] In addition, if the control unit 100 has an equipment information acquisition unit 150, in step S14, the instruction signal output unit 200 may also output an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information generated in step S13 and the manufacturing equipment information acquired by the equipment information acquisition unit 150.

[0128] In addition, if the control unit 100 has a location information acquisition unit 160, in step S14, the instruction signal output unit 200 may also output an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information generated in step S13 and the batch location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 160.

[0129] In addition, in step S14, the indication signal output unit 200 may also output an indication signal to the distribution organization 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information, manufacturing equipment information, and batch location information.

[0130] Furthermore, when issuing a delivery instruction for a batch located at manufacturing equipment 20, in step S14, the delivery destination determination unit 180 may also determine, based on the batch's status information and manufacturing equipment information, whether to deliver the registered batch from the given manufacturing equipment 20 to the storage rack 50 or from the given manufacturing equipment 20 to another manufacturing equipment 20. Then, the instruction signal output unit 200 may also output an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30, based on this decision, instructing the registered batch to be delivered to the storage rack 50 or other manufacturing equipment 20.

[0131] Furthermore, if the control unit 100 has an evaluation information acquisition unit 170, in step S14, the delivery destination determination unit 180 can also determine the manufacturing equipment 20 to be delivered to the batch based on the batch evaluation information acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit 170. Then, the instruction signal output unit 200 can also output an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver the batch to the delivery destination determined by the delivery destination determination unit 180.

[0132] In this way, the manufacturing method of electronic component 10 in this embodiment uses multiple manufacturing equipment 20 that perform multiple different manufacturing processes to manufacture electronic component 10. The manufacturing method of electronic component 10 includes: a registration process, which registers multiple electronic components 10 as batches; a generation process, which establishes a link between the information of the registered batches and the processing information representing the processing performed by the manufacturing equipment 20 to generate batch status information; and a distribution process, which distributes the registered batches to a given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information.

[0133] Furthermore, this disclosure is particularly effective in manufacturing systems for laminated ceramic electronic components. In such a manufacturing system 1, numerous manufacturing processes are performed until the electronic component 10 is completed. Consequently, a large number of manufacturing equipment 20 are present. Moreover, it is common for these numerous manufacturing equipment 20 to be separately configured. In addition, there are many varieties of electronic components 10 being manufactured, so the manufacturing equipment 20 is sometimes arranged to correspond to each variety. In this case, the manufacturing equipment 20 is temporarily stopped. Furthermore, there are sometimes many batches awaiting instructions. Therefore, depending on the overall condition of the batches, manufacturing equipment 20, etc., there are many situations where batches cannot be delivered according to the predetermined plan. Furthermore, depending on the overall condition of the batches, manufacturing equipment 20, etc., there are sometimes situations where more efficient batch delivery can be achieved. According to the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment, efficient delivery of electronic components 10 corresponding to the processing status of electronic components 10 can be performed. Furthermore, efficient delivery of electronic components 10 corresponding to the overall condition of the batches, manufacturing equipment 20, etc., can be performed. Furthermore, if the system targets small, stacked ceramic electronic components, it is possible to accommodate many electronic components 10 in the same batch in the delivery box 40, thus enabling efficient delivery based on the overall system status, using delivery boxes as the unit.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electronic component 10 that is the object of processing is not limited to a multilayer ceramic capacitor. For example, it may also be a piezoelectric component, a thermistor, an inductor, a resistor, or other sheet-shaped electronic component.

[0135] The electronic component manufacturing system 1 according to this embodiment achieves the following effects.

[0136] (1) The electronic component manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment implements multiple manufacturing processes to manufacture electronic components 10. The electronic component manufacturing system 1 includes multiple manufacturing equipment 20 that perform different processes on the electronic components 10 corresponding to the multiple manufacturing processes, a delivery mechanism 30 that delivers the electronic components 10 to the manufacturing equipment 20, and a control unit 100. The control unit 100 registers the multiple electronic components 10 as batches, generates batch status information based on the batch identification information of the registered batches, and outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver the registered batches to a given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the generated batch status information. This enables efficient delivery of batches corresponding to the processing status of the electronic components 10. Furthermore, the control unit 100 preferably establishes a link between the batch identification information of the registered batches and processing information indicating the processes performed by the manufacturing equipment 20 to generate batch status information. This enables more efficient delivery of batches corresponding to the processing status of the electronic components 10.

[0137] (2) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment 20, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information and the manufacturing equipment information. As a result, batch distribution can be performed more efficiently based on the status of the manufacturing equipment.

[0138] (3) In the electronic component manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment, the manufacturing equipment information includes fault information of the manufacturing equipment 20. Therefore, batch delivery can be performed more efficiently by taking into account the fault information of the manufacturing equipment 20.

[0139] (4) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batch processed by the manufacturing equipment 20, and determines the manufacturing equipment 20 to which the batch should be delivered based on the evaluation information, and outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver the batch to the determined manufacturing equipment 20. As a result, more appropriate batch delivery can be performed in accordance with the evaluation results of the batch.

[0140] (5) Based on the evaluation information, the control unit 100 of this embodiment outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 for repeatedly distributing batches to the same manufacturing equipment 20. As a result, more appropriate batch distribution can be performed in accordance with the evaluation results of the batches.

[0141] (6) The delivery mechanism 30 in this embodiment is an AGV. As a result, batch delivery can be carried out more efficiently.

[0142] (7) The manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment also includes a delivery box 40 for accommodating multiple electronic components 10. Multiple electronic components 10 registered as a batch are accommodated in one or more delivery boxes 40. The multiple electronic components 10 accommodated in one delivery box 40 are electronic components 10 of the same batch. The delivery box 40 has an identification information holding medium 42 for holding identification information, which includes batch identification information or is linked to batch identification information. Therefore, batch delivery can be performed more efficiently using the delivery box 40.

[0143] (8) In the manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment, multiple electronic components 10 registered as a batch are allocated to multiple delivery boxes 40 for storage, and the control unit 100 outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 for delivering the electronic components 10, which constitute a batch and are allocated to the multiple delivery boxes 40, to the same manufacturing equipment 20. As a result, batch delivery can be carried out efficiently while ensuring that the processing of electronic components 10 within a batch is consistent.

[0144] (9) In this embodiment, the delivery mechanism is an AGV, with one AGV delivering one delivery box 40. This allows for efficient delivery of electronic component assemblies using the smallest possible delivery unit. Furthermore, the one-to-one relationship between one delivery box 40 and one AGV reduces control complexity.

[0145] (10) In the electronic component manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment, the electronic component 10 is a sheet-like laminated ceramic electronic component, and the number of sheet-like laminated ceramic electronic components housed in a delivery box 40 is 1,000 or more. Thus, a large number of electronic components 10 can be efficiently delivered using the smallest delivery unit.

[0146] (11) In this embodiment, the identification information holding medium 42 is an RFID tag. As a result, identification information is easily obtained.

[0147] (12) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 obtains the location information of the batch based on the reading information of the identification information, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the status information of the batch and the location information of the batch. As a result, the batch distribution can be performed more efficiently based on the location information of the batch.

[0148] (13) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment 20, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information, the batch location information, and the manufacturing equipment information. As a result, batch distribution can be performed more efficiently based on the batch location information and the manufacturing equipment information.

[0149] (14) The electronic component manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment also includes a storage rack 50 for storing multiple batches of electronic components 10 in a delivery box 40. The control unit 100 selects a given batch from the multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50 based on the batch status information and outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver the selected batch from the storage rack 50 to the given manufacturing equipment 20. As a result, batches can be selected appropriately, and batch delivery can be performed more efficiently.

[0150] (15) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment 20, selects a given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50 based on the batch status information and the manufacturing equipment information, and outputs an instruction signal to the delivery mechanism 30 to deliver the selected batch from the storage rack 50 to the given manufacturing equipment 20. Thus, considering the manufacturing equipment information, the batch can be selected more appropriately, and the batch delivery can be performed more efficiently.

[0151] (16) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 obtains the location information of the batch based on the reading information of the identification information, selects a given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack 50 based on the batch status information and the batch location information, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism 30 to distribute the selected batch from the storage rack 50 to the given manufacturing equipment 20. Therefore, based on the batch location information, the batch can be selected more appropriately, and the batch distribution can be performed more efficiently.

[0152] (17) The electronic component manufacturing system 1 of this embodiment also includes a storage rack 50 for storing multiple batches of electronic components 10 in a state of being housed in a delivery box 40. The control unit 100 acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the state of the manufacturing equipment 20, and determines, based on the batch state information and the manufacturing equipment information, whether to deliver the registered batch from a given manufacturing equipment 20 to the storage rack 50 or from the given manufacturing equipment 20 to another manufacturing equipment 20. Thus, batch delivery can be performed more efficiently based on the manufacturing equipment information.

[0153] (18) In the manufacturing system 1 for electronic components of this embodiment, the electronic component 10 is a laminated ceramic electronic component. The plurality of manufacturing equipment 20 includes a cutting equipment 20A for cutting laminated pieces of a given size into laminated blocks comprising dielectric sheets and conductive paste, a firing equipment 20B for firing laminated pieces to form a laminated body, a coating equipment 20C for coating a material of a base electrode layer for an external electrode at a given position on the laminated body, a firing equipment 20D for firing the coated base electrode layer material, a plating equipment 20E for forming a plating layer on the outer surface side of the base electrode layer, a characteristic inspection equipment 20F for inspecting the characteristics of the laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising a base electrode layer and a plating layer formed on the laminated body, and an appearance screening inspection equipment 20G for performing an appearance screening inspection of the laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising a base electrode layer and a plating layer formed on the laminated body, and includes at least four or more manufacturing equipment 20. In this way, the effects of this embodiment can also be obtained in a manufacturing system for stacked ceramic electronic components having multiple manufacturing equipment 20.

[0154] (19) In this embodiment, the control unit 100 acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batch processed by the manufacturing equipment 20, and based on the evaluation information, outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization 30 to distribute the batch multiple times to the characteristic inspection equipment 20F or the appearance screening inspection equipment 20G. As a result, batches that require attention can be inspected in detail.

[0155] (20) The electronic component manufacturing method of this embodiment uses multiple manufacturing equipment 20 that perform multiple different manufacturing processes to manufacture electronic components 10. The electronic component manufacturing method includes: a registration process, in which multiple electronic components 10 are registered as batches; a generation process, in which batch status information is generated by linking the information of the registered batches with processing information indicating the processing performed by the manufacturing equipment 20; and a distribution process, in which the registered batches are distributed to a given manufacturing equipment 20 based on the batch status information. As a result, efficient distribution of batches corresponding to the processing status of the electronic components 10 is possible.

[0156] This invention is not limited to the structures described in the above embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and applied without changing the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, combining two or more of the preferred structures described in the above embodiments also constitutes this invention.

[0157] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0158] 1: Manufacturing system for electronic components;

[0159] 10: Electronic components;

[0160] 20: Manufacturing equipment;

[0161] 20A: Cutting equipment;

[0162] 20B: Firing equipment;

[0163] 20C: Coating equipment;

[0164] 20D: Firing equipment;

[0165] 20E: Plating equipment;

[0166] 20F: Characteristic inspection equipment;

[0167] 20G: Visual inspection equipment;

[0168] 24: First identification information acquisition unit;

[0169] 30: Delivery organizations;

[0170] 31: Unmanned transport vehicle;

[0171] 35: Second identification information acquisition unit;

[0172] 40: Delivery box;

[0173] 42: Medium for retaining identification information;

[0174] 50: Storage rack;

[0175] 54: Third identification information acquisition unit;

[0176] 55: Fourth identification information acquisition unit;

[0177] 100: Control Department;

[0178] 110: Batch Registration Department;

[0179] 120: Batch Identification Department;

[0180] 130: Information Acquisition and Processing Department;

[0181] 140: Status Information Generation Unit;

[0182] 150: Equipment Information Acquisition Department;

[0183] 160: Location Information Acquisition Department;

[0184] 170: Evaluation Information Acquisition Department;

[0185] 180: Delivery Destination Determination Department;

[0186] 190: Batch Selection Department;

[0187] 200: Indicator signal output unit;

[0188] 210: Storage Department.

Claims

1. A manufacturing system for electronic components, comprising multiple manufacturing processes to manufacture the electronic components, wherein, The manufacturing system for the electronic components includes: Multiple manufacturing equipment performs different processes on the electronic components, each corresponding to one of the multiple manufacturing steps. The distribution organization delivers the electronic components to the manufacturing equipment; as well as Control Department The control unit registers multiple electronic components as batches, acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batches after processing by the manufacturing equipment, and determines the manufacturing equipment to be delivered to the batch based on the evaluation information, and outputs an instruction signal to the delivery organization to deliver the batch to the determined manufacturing equipment.

2. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein, Based on the evaluation information, the control unit outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to repeatedly deliver the batch to the same manufacturing equipment.

3. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The delivery vehicle is an AGV.

4. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control unit generates batch status information based on the batch identification information of the registered batch, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to deliver the registered batch to a given manufacturing equipment based on the generated batch status information.

5. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 4, wherein, It also has a delivery box that can hold multiple electronic components. Multiple electronic components registered as part of the batch are housed in one or more of the delivery boxes. The multiple electronic components contained in one of the delivery boxes are electronic components from the same batch. The delivery box has an identification information retention medium to hold identification information. The identification information includes the batch identification information or establishes a connection with the batch identification information.

6. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 5, wherein, Multiple electronic components registered as a single batch are distributed into multiple of the aforementioned delivery boxes for containment. The control unit outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism for distributing electronic components, which are allocated to multiple distribution boxes and constitute a batch, to the same manufacturing equipment.

7. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The delivery mechanism is an AGV, and one AGV delivers one delivery box.

8. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The electronic component is a sheet-like, stacked ceramic electronic component. The number of sheet-like stacked ceramic electronic components contained in one of the delivery boxes is more than 1,000.

9. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The medium for storing the identification information is an RFID tag.

10. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The control unit acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment, and based on the status information of the batch and the manufacturing equipment information, outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment.

11. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 10, wherein, The manufacturing equipment information includes fault information of the manufacturing equipment.

12. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The control unit obtains the location information of the batch based on the reading information of the identification information, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment based on the status information of the batch and the location information of the batch.

13. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 12, wherein, The control unit acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment, and based on the status information of the batch, the location information of the batch, and the manufacturing equipment information, outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to deliver the registered batch to the given manufacturing equipment.

14. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, It also features: a storage rack for storing multiple batches of electronic components within the delivery box. The control unit selects a given batch from the multiple batches stored in the storage rack based on the status information of the batch, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism to distribute the selected batch from the storage rack to the given manufacturing equipment.

15. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 14, wherein, The control unit acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment, selects a given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack based on the batch status information and the manufacturing equipment information, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism to distribute the selected batch from the storage rack to the given manufacturing equipment.

16. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 14, wherein, The control unit obtains the location information of the batch based on the reading information of the identification information, selects a given batch from multiple batches stored in the storage rack based on the status information and location information of the batch, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution mechanism to distribute the selected batch from the storage rack to a given manufacturing equipment.

17. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, It also features: a storage rack for storing multiple batches of electronic components within the delivery box. The control unit acquires manufacturing equipment information indicating the status of the manufacturing equipment, and based on the status information of the batch and the manufacturing equipment information, determines whether to ship the registered batch from the given manufacturing equipment to the storage rack or from the given manufacturing equipment to other manufacturing equipment.

18. The manufacturing system for electronic components according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The electronic component is a laminated ceramic electronic component. The plurality of manufacturing apparatuses include at least four or more manufacturing apparatuses, comprising: a cutting apparatus for cutting a laminated block comprising a dielectric sheet and a conductive paste into laminated pieces of a given size; a firing apparatus for firing the laminated pieces to produce a laminate; a coating apparatus for coating a base electrode layer material for an external electrode at a given location on the laminate; a firing apparatus for firing the coated base electrode layer material; a plating apparatus for forming a plating layer on the outer surface side of the base electrode layer; a characteristic inspection apparatus for inspecting the characteristics of a laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate; and an appearance screening apparatus for performing an appearance screening inspection of a laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate.

19. A manufacturing system for electronic components, comprising multiple manufacturing processes to manufacture the electronic components, wherein, The manufacturing system for the electronic components includes: Multiple manufacturing equipment performs different processes on the electronic components, each corresponding to one of the multiple manufacturing steps. A distribution organization delivers the electronic components to the manufacturing equipment; and Control Department The electronic component is a laminated ceramic electronic component. The plurality of manufacturing apparatuses include a cutting apparatus that cuts a laminated block comprising a dielectric sheet and a conductive paste into laminated pieces of a given size; a firing apparatus that fires the laminated pieces to produce a laminate; a coating apparatus that coats a base electrode layer material for an external electrode at a given location on the laminate; a firing apparatus that fires the coated base electrode layer material; a plating apparatus that forms a plating layer on the outer surface of the base electrode layer; a characteristic inspection apparatus that inspects the characteristics of a laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate; and an appearance screening apparatus that performs an appearance screening inspection of a laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate, wherein the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses include at least four manufacturing apparatuses that include either the characteristic inspection apparatus or the appearance screening apparatus. The control unit registers multiple electronic components as batches, acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batches after processing by the manufacturing equipment, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to deliver the batches multiple times to the feature inspection equipment or appearance screening inspection equipment based on the evaluation information.

20. The electronic component manufacturing system according to claim 19, wherein, The control unit generates batch status information based on the batch identification information of the registered batch, and outputs an instruction signal to the distribution organization to deliver the registered batch to a given manufacturing equipment based on the generated batch status information.

21. A method for manufacturing an electronic component, comprising using multiple manufacturing devices that perform multiple different manufacturing processes to manufacture the electronic component, wherein, The method for manufacturing the electronic component includes: The registration process involves registering multiple electronic components as a batch. The evaluation information acquisition process acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batch processed by the manufacturing equipment. as well as The delivery process involves determining the manufacturing equipment to which the batch should be delivered based on the evaluation information, and then delivering the batch to the determined manufacturing equipment.

22. A method for manufacturing an electronic component, comprising using multiple manufacturing equipment performing multiple different manufacturing processes to manufacture the electronic component, wherein, The electronic component is a laminated ceramic electronic component. The plurality of manufacturing apparatuses include a cutting apparatus that cuts a laminated block comprising a dielectric sheet and a conductive paste into laminated pieces of a given size; a firing apparatus that fires the laminated pieces to produce a laminate; a coating apparatus that coats a base electrode layer material for an external electrode at a given location on the laminate; a firing apparatus that fires the coated base electrode layer material; a plating apparatus that forms a plating layer on the outer surface of the base electrode layer; a characteristic inspection apparatus that inspects the characteristics of a laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate; and an appearance screening apparatus that performs an appearance screening inspection of a laminated ceramic electronic component having an external electrode comprising the base electrode layer and the plating layer formed on the laminate, wherein the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses include at least four manufacturing apparatuses that include either the characteristic inspection apparatus or the appearance screening apparatus. The method for manufacturing the electronic component includes: The registration process involves registering multiple electronic components as a batch. The evaluation information acquisition process acquires evaluation information representing the evaluation results of the batch processed by the manufacturing equipment. as well as In the distribution process, based on the evaluation information, the batch is distributed multiple times to the characteristic inspection equipment or appearance screening inspection equipment.

23. The method for manufacturing an electronic component according to claim 21 or 22, wherein, The method for manufacturing the electronic component includes: The generation process links the registered batch information with processing information representing the processing performed by the manufacturing equipment to generate batch status information; as well as The delivery process involves delivering the registered batch to a given manufacturing facility based on the batch's status information.

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