Transfer of shuttle assembly modules between guide rails and pick-up structures in shuttle assembly module assembly systems

Abstract

The invention describes a shuttle assembly module assembly system for assembling a component carrier with components. The shuttle assembly module assembly system has: (a) a guide rail; (b) at least one shuttle assembly module having (b1) a frame configured to move on and along a guide rail, and (b2) an assembly head configured to move on and along the guide rail, an assembly head mounted on the frame and configured to pick up at least one component from a component supply device in a component pick-up area and place the picked-up component on a component carrier in an assembly area; (c) a pick-up structure on which the shuttle assembly module can be detachably mounted; and (d) a transfer device configured to automatically transfer the shuttle assembly module between the guide rail and the pick-up structure. The invention further relates to a method for automatically mounting components on component carriers using the aforementioned shuttle-type mounting module mounting system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates generally to the technical field of assembly technology. That is, components are assembled to component carriers, in particular electronic components. The present application relates in particular to a shuttle assembly module which is displaceable along a guide rail and has an assembly head for assembling a component carrier. The present application also relates to an assembly system having a guide rail and at least one such shuttle assembly module. Furthermore, the present application also relates to a method for assembling a component carrier with components using an assembly system having at least one such shuttle assembly module. An assembly system having a guide rail and at least one such shuttle assembly module is also referred to as shuttle assembly module assembly system in this publication. BACKGROUND

[0002] Assembling component carriers with electronic components is typically carried out by means of an automatic assembly machine. An automatic assembly machine has an assembly head which (i) grasps an electronic component in a component pick-up area at a pick-up position of a component supply device, (ii) transports it into an assembly area of the automatic assembly machine, in which the component carrier to be assembled is located, and (iii) deposits the grasped component on the component carrier at a predetermined assembly position. The movement of the assembly head is typically realized by means of a gantry system or a planar positioning system which has (a) a fixed guide rail mounted on a frame of the automatic assembly machine, (b) a laterally upright carrier arm mounted on and movable along the fixed guide rail, and (c) an assembly element mounted on and movable along the laterally upright carrier arm. The assembly head is mounted on the assembly element.

[0003] In the prior art, it is also known from the publications DE 100 60 205 A1 and DE 11 2013 003 227 B4, for example, a shuttle assembly module assembly system which has a plurality of so-called shuttle assembly modules instead of an assembly head which is displaced between a component pick-up area and an assembly area by means of a gantry system, said shuttle assembly modules each having an assembly head and being displaceable on and along a closed guide rail between the component pick-up area and the assembly area. When the shuttle assembly module is located in the component pick-up area, the assembly head can pick up at least one component from a component supply device. If the shuttle assembly module is located in the assembly area, the assembly head can deposit the at least one previously picked-up component on a component carrier provided in the assembly area.

[0004] For the maintenance and / or repair of the shuttle assembly module, it is necessary to manually remove the relevant shuttle assembly module from the guide rail and, if necessary, to install another shuttle assembly module on the guide rail. For this purpose, it is necessary to temporarily interrupt the assembly operation for safety reasons. This in turn reduces the assembly efficiency of the relevant shuttle assembly module assembly system. SUMMARY

[0005] It is the task of the present application to improve the assembly efficiency of a shuttle assembly module assembly system.

[0006] This task is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the present application are described in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present application, a shuttle assembly module assembly system for assembling components on component carriers is described. The described shuttle assembly module assembly system has: (a) a guide rail; (b) at least one shuttle assembly module, which has: (bl) a machine frame, which is configured to move on and along the guide rail, and (b2) an assembly head, which is mounted on the machine frame and is configured to pick up at least one component in a component pick-up area from a component supply and to place the picked-up component on a component carrier in an assembly area; (c) a pick-up structure, on which the shuttle assembly module can be detachably mounted; and (d) a transport device, which is configured to automatically transport the shuttle assembly module between the guide rail and the pick-up structure.

[0008] The described shuttle assembly module assembly system is based on the recognition that, by automatic transport of the shuttle assembly modules, the configuration of the shuttle assembly module assembly system can be matched automatically and dynamically, that is to say during the assembly operation. Thus, for example, a shuttle assembly module can be removed from the guide rail for the purpose of maintenance or repair. Furthermore, shuttle assembly modules that are not required at least for a certain period of time can be removed from the assembly operation and, if necessary, replaced by other types of shuttle assembly modules. In general, the number of activated, that is to say, circulating, shuttle assembly modules on the guide rail can be reduced or increased in matching to the current assembly task. The described shuttle assembly module assembly system can thus be flexibly, simply, automatically, quickly and without interruption of the assembly operation adapted to new requirements or reconfigured.

[0009] By a suitable dynamic configuration of the described shuttle assembly module assembly system, a high assembly efficiency can also be ensured at any time by matching of the number and / or type of activated shuttle assembly modules. In the present context, the term "assembly efficiency" is to be understood as the maximum number of components that can be assembled in a particular unit of time.

[0010] In the shuttle assembly module assembly head system according to the application, a shuttle assembly module that is not currently required can be removed from the assembly operation and does not have to be "carried along" inactive in terms of assembly tasks between the active shuttle assembly modules. This can be particularly applicable to special shuttle assembly modules that are designed for special assembly tasks, for example the assembly of particularly large components or other assemblable objects that have to be placed on the relevant component carriers (heat sink components, plug strips, etc.). Shuttle assembly modules with, in particular, cameras for measuring the (position) of component carriers can also be removed from the track or transferred onto the track and thus introduced into a series of surrounding shuttle assembly modules.

[0011] The dynamic configuration of the described shuttle assembly module assembly system can also lie in the fact that the number of shuttle assembly modules remains constant and only the order of the shuttle assembly modules moving along the track is changed. This can also contribute to an (further) improved assembly efficiency in many application cases.

[0012] After the shuttle assembly module has been transferred from the track to the pick-up structure, other "work" that is usually required on the assembly head can also be carried out, so that the operation of the activated shuttle assembly module is not disturbed by these works. For example, when the shuttle assembly module is located on the pick-up structure, a so-called pipette exchange is preferably carried out automatically, i.e. without manual operating intervention. In this context, not only the function of the pipette as a suction gripper for components, but also the structure of the pipette exchange device used in conventional automatic assembly machines, are known to the person skilled in the art. Therefore, both are not described in detail in this disclosure in order to avoid unnecessarily enlarging the scope of the disclosure.

[0013] Furthermore, by limiting the number of shuttle assembly modules that surround the track in such a way that only the activated, i.e. participating, shuttle assembly modules move along the track, it is possible in an advantageous manner to keep the energy consumption of the assembly system very small. In addition, the spatial position provided for each shuttle assembly module along the track can be increased and the surrounding time for the activated shuttle assembly modules can also be reduced. This in turn has a positive effect on the assembly efficiency of the assembly system.

[0014] In the present disclosure, the term "shuttle assembly module" is to be understood as any module which has complete assembly functionality. This means that from the assembly head of the shuttle assembly module it is possible (i) to pick up at least one component from a component supply device, (ii) that the component can be transported to an assembly area by the travel of the shuttle assembly module along a predetermined guide rail, and (iii) that in the assembly area the component can be placed onto a component carrier provided therein and to be assembled. The component supply device can also have a plurality of component supply mechanisms by means of which one type of component can be supplied to the assembly process respectively. In this case, the component supply device can also be referred to as a component supply system.

[0015] The assembly head can have a plurality of sleeves, on which in each case a suction gripper can be mounted in a manner known per se, so that according to the "collect and place" principle (i) a plurality of components can first be picked up from the component supply device, (ii) the picked-up components are then collectively transported to the assembly area, and (iii) the plurality of transported components are placed one after the other on the relevant component carrier.

[0016] The term "shuttle assembly module" is also to be understood in the present disclosure as a shuttle module which is not an assembly module in the narrower sense, but which can be helpful or even necessary when the assembly task is carried out by other shuttle assembly modules. For example, in the present disclosure the expression "shuttle assembly module" also includes shuttle modules which only have a camera or other measuring instrument.

[0017] In the present disclosure, the term "carriage" is to be understood as any mechanical device which can be movably mounted on a correspondingly configured guide rail. To this end, the carriage can have a (movable) coupling structure which engages with a fixed coupling structure of the guide rail or is attracted to it when the shuttle assembly module is moved. Thereby it is ensured that the shuttle assembly module is reliably guided at or by the guide rail when it is moved.

[0018] The carriage can for example have one slide and the guide rail can have one track or a plurality of track sections or track segments. The friction between the carriage and the guide rail can be reduced in a manner known per se, for example by air flowing from the guide rail, which flows from a plurality of small air discharge openings. The compressed air required for this can be generated by a central overpressure generation mechanism.

[0019] In the present disclosure, the term "guide rail" can be understood as any spatial entity structure which (complementarily to a rack or at least a part of a rack) is so constructed that the rack can only move (linearly) along the longitudinal extension of the guide rail in operation. The guide rail can be an open or closed guide rail, in particular, having straight sections and curved sections.

[0020] In the present disclosure, the term "assembly head" can be understood as any handling mechanism which is capable of (i) picking up at least one component in the region of a component supply device and (ii) depositing the at least one component on a relevant component carrier in the assembly region with positional accuracy and in a predetermined angular position. In particular, the assembly head can have a drive device which can raise and lower a sleeve along a vertical z-axis, a pipette can be detachably mounted and in particular plugged onto the sleeve. Since the assembly head is mounted directly or indirectly on a movable rack, it can also be referred to as a (mobile) assembly head.

[0021] In the present disclosure, the term "component" can be understood as any mountable component which can be mounted or assembled on a component carrier. The term "component" can include packaged (electronic) components and, in particular, unpackaged components or chips. These include two- or multi-pole SMT components or other highly integrated planar, round or other shaped components, such as ball grid arrays, dies, flip chips or individual parts of semiconductor chips, such as semiconductor wafers, which are further processed into finished components, in particular after wafer structuring and cutting. However, in the present disclosure, the term "component" can also include non-electrically active parts, such as mountable electrical plugs or plug connectors, cooling bodies, shielding components, housing parts, etc.

[0022] In the present disclosure, the term "component carrier" can be understood as any type of mountable medium, in particular a substrate or a circuit board. The mountable medium, in particular the circuit board, can be rigid or also flexible. It can also have at least one first rigid region and at least one second flexible region.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present application, the pick-up structure is so dimensioned that two or more shuttle assembly modules can be picked up. This advantageously enables a plurality of (non-activated) shuttle assembly modules to be provided or, respectively, held, which can be transferred from the pick-up structure onto the guide rail when required and subsequently contribute as activated shuttle assembly modules to the implementation of an assembly task to be performed by the entire shuttle assembly module assembly system.

[0024] Preferably, different types of shuttle assembly modules can also be stored on the pick-up structure, which can each have a specific function that is only required for a short time when completing an assembly task. After use of such a special shuttle assembly module, the special shuttle assembly module involved can then be transported back onto the pick-up structure again in order not to hinder the assembly by the remaining shuttle assembly modules located on the guide rail. Such a special shuttle assembly module can for example be a shuttle module with a camera only as described above.

[0025] According to a further embodiment of the application, the pick-up structure has a longitudinal extension and is configured such that the shuttle assembly module can be moved along the longitudinal extension of the pick-up structure.

[0026] The described mobility of the shuttle assembly module and, if necessary, of a further shuttle assembly module on the pick-up structure has the advantage that a plurality of shuttle assembly modules can be installed on the pick-up structure even in a compactly constructed transport device. The shuttle assembly module installed on the pick-up structure can in particular be moved directly after its installation and thereby free up space for a further shuttle assembly module, which can then be transferred from the guide rail to the pick-up structure at the same location of the pick-up structure by the (compactly constructed) transport device.

[0027] According to a further embodiment of the application, the transport device has a movable transfer device relative to the guide rail and the pick-up structure, which can assume two operating states, wherein (i) in a first operating state the movable transfer device is coupled to the guide rail, so that the shuttle assembly module can be transferred between the guide rail and the movable transfer device, and (i) in a second operating state the movable transfer device is coupled to the pick-up structure, so that the shuttle assembly module can be transferred between the movable transfer device and the pick-up structure.

[0028] The movable transfer device can be realized in a variety of ways. The usual designer, depending on the specific mechanical configuration of the components interacting with the movable transfer device, as in particular the guide rail, the pick-up structure and further in particular the machine frame, can without problems find a design suitable for the movable transfer device. It is important only that the movable transfer device has the above defined transfer function with two operating states.

[0029] According to a further embodiment of the application, the transfer device further comprises a servo drive configured to automatically switch the movable transfer device from the first operating state to the second operating state and / or from the second operating state to the first operating state.

[0030] The servo drive described herein can play an important role in order to automate the automatic transport of the shuttle assembly modules that can be realized with the shuttle assembly module assembly system. Here, the servo drive is preferably controlled by a control unit. The control unit can be a control unit that is provided separately for the servo drive. But preferably, the control unit is realized in a central control computer by means of hardware and / or software, which coordinates and controls the assembly operation of the entire shuttle assembly module assembly system in a known manner.

[0031] According to a further embodiment of the application, the movable transfer device is configured to transport one shuttle assembly module and at least one further shuttle assembly module between the guide rail and the picking structure simultaneously (in only one transition between the two operating states). This has the advantage that in the case where two or more shuttle assembly modules are to be transported between the guide rail and the picking structure, the respective multiple transport can be carried out particularly quickly and thus efficiently.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the application, the guide rail has a first interruption and the movable transfer device has a transfer rail section with a longitudinal extension, wherein (i) in the first operating state the transfer rail section closes the first interruption and (ii) in the second operating state the transfer rail section is coupled with the picking structure in such a way that a shuttle assembly module can be transported between the transfer rail section and the picking structure. This expresses intuitively that in the first operating state at least a part of the movable transfer device is simultaneously a section of the guide rail. Thus, the first interruption and the transfer rail section should have the same length.

[0033] In order to automatically transport a shuttle assembly module from the guide rail onto the picking structure, in this embodiment the shuttle assembly module to be transported must be located in the section of the guide rail that is constituted in the first operating state by the transfer rail section. Depending on the length of the transfer rail section or the length of the first interruption, at least one further shuttle assembly module can be transported simultaneously with the one shuttle assembly module, if necessary, by only one transport process.

[0034] According to a further embodiment of the application, the picking structure has a second interruption, wherein (i) in the first operating state the first interruption is either open or the first interruption is closed by a further transfer rail section that is assigned to the movable transfer device, and (ii) in the second operating state the second interruption is closed by the transfer rail section. This expresses intuitively that in the second operating state at least a part of the movable transfer device is simultaneously a section of the picking structure. Thus, the second interruption and the transfer rail section should have the same length.

[0035] In order to realize the automatic transfer of the shuttle assembly modules from the pick-up structure to the guide rail, in this embodiment the shuttle assembly module to be transferred has to be located in a predetermined section of the pick-up structure, which in the second operating state is constituted by the transfer rail section. Here too, depending on the length of the transfer rail section and the same length of the two interruptions, at least one further shuttle assembly module can be transferred simultaneously with the one shuttle assembly module, if necessary, by means of a single transfer process.

[0036] The second interruption divides the pick-up structure into two end sections, which are located on different and preferably opposite ends of the pick-up structure from the perspective of the second interruption. As a result, the shuttle assembly module transferred onto the pick-up structure can be selectively transferred and in particular moved onto one of the two end sections. As a result, the other of the two end sections can be used to pick up at least one further shuttle assembly module.

[0037] According to a further embodiment of the application, the pick-up structure has a pick-up structure end section, wherein (i) in the first operating state the guide rail is open at the first interruption or closed by a further transfer rail section assigned to the movable transfer device, and (ii) in the second operating state the transfer rail section is coupled with the pick-up structure end section, so that the shuttle assembly module can be transferred between the transfer rail section and the pick-up structure end section. This expresses intuitively that in the second operating state the transfer rail section is docked with the pick-up structure, which in turn effectively extends the pick-up structure.

[0038] According to a further embodiment of the application, the overall assembly consisting of the guide rail and the transfer rail section is a surrounding and closed guide rail, which extends between the component pick-up area and the assembly area of the shuttle assembly module assembly system.

[0039] All shuttle assembly modules can advantageously be moved in the same direction in the surrounding and closed overall assembly consisting of the guide rail and the transfer rail section. A continuous assembly operation can thus be realized in a simple manner, in which all shuttle assembly modules are moved in the same predetermined surrounding direction and a return movement is not mandatory. Furthermore, an undesired collision of the shuttle assembly modules can also be reliably avoided.

[0040] The guide rail can consist of individual sections, wherein at least some of the sections are curved. Preferably, the guide rail has a polygonal shape comprising straight sections and curved sections.

[0041] As described above, in the component pick-up area the components are gripped at the pick-up positions of the component supply device. In the assembly area, as also described in the foregoing, the components are placed onto the provided component carriers at the predetermined assembly positions.

[0042] According to a further embodiment of the application, the gantry has a first coupling structure which is configured for detachably coupling the shuttle assembly module to the rail. Furthermore, the transport device has a second coupling structure which is mounted on the gantry and is configured for detachably coupling the shuttle assembly module to the pick-up structure.

[0043] In this embodiment, the transport of the shuttle assembly module from the rail to the pick-up structure takes place in particular in three steps: 1. First, the first coupling structure is in the coupled state and the second coupling structure is in the decoupled state. The shuttle assembly module is thus only (movably) mounted on the rail, but can be in loose touching contact with the pick-up structure.

[0044] 2. Then, the second coupling structure is switched into its coupled state. The relevant shuttle assembly module is thus mounted not only on the rail but also on the pick-up structure.

[0045] 3. In the last step, the first coupling structure is switched into its decoupled state. The relevant shuttle assembly module is thus only still (movably) mounted on the pick-up structure.

[0046] The transport of the shuttle assembly module from the pick-up structure to the rail takes place in the reverse order.

[0047] According to a further embodiment of the application, the first coupling structure is located on a first side of the gantry and the second coupling structure is mounted on a second side of the gantry, wherein the first side and the second side are sides which are located opposite one another. Thereby, the transport of the shuttle assembly module between the rail and the pick-up structure can be implemented in a structurally simple manner in an advantageous manner by a suitable design of the pick-up structure and / or a suitable design of the transport device. This is particularly advantageous when the rail and the pick-up structure are located in a common, preferably horizontal plane.

[0048] According to a further embodiment of the application, a first spacing between the pick-up structure and the rail is determined by the spacing between the first coupling structure and the second coupling structure within the shuttle assembly module transport region along the rail. Furthermore, a second spacing between the pick-up structure and the rail is greater than the first spacing outside the shuttle assembly module transport region.

[0049] A suitably selected first spacing has the advantage that a safe and reliable transport of the shuttle assembly module can be ensured. Here, the first spacing can preferably be selected such that the shuttle assembly module is spatially precisely matched to the pick-up structure and the rail.

[0050] The increase in the spacing outside the shuttle assembly module transport area has the advantage that it is possible to ensure that the shuttle assembly modules are reliably "moved into" or "guided into" the transport area. Here, in particular, it is possible to prevent the shuttle assembly modules from unintentionally mechanically colliding with the picking structure when the shuttle assembly modules are "moved into" or "guided into" the shuttle assembly module transport area along the guide rail. Intuitively, it is expressed that outside the shuttle assembly module transport area, the picking structure and the guide rail form a "funnel" which ensures that the shuttle assembly modules are reliably guided into the shuttle assembly module transport area.

[0051] According to a further embodiment of the application, the guide rail is a looped and closed guide rail which extends between the component picking area and the assembly area of the shuttle assembly module assembly system.

[0052] As already mentioned above in connection with the further embodiment, it is possible in an advantageous manner to move all shuttle assembly modules in the same direction using a looped and closed guide rail. Thus, it is possible to realize a continuous shuttle assembly module assembly operation in a simple manner, in which all shuttle assembly modules are moved in a predetermined same looped direction and do not necessarily need to be moved back. Furthermore, it is also possible to reliably avoid unwanted collisions of the shuttle assembly modules in the embodiment described here.

[0053] In this embodiment, the guide rail can also be composed of individual segments, wherein at least some of the segments are curved. Preferably, the guide rail has a polygonal shape which comprises straight segments and curved segments.

[0054] As described above, in this embodiment, components are also grasped in the component picking area at the picking position of the component supply device. In the assembly area, as also described in the foregoing, the components are placed onto the provided component carrier at the predetermined assembly position.

[0055] According to a further embodiment of the application, the shuttle assembly module assembly system also has a further guide rail which is configured such that the rack can also be moved along the further guide rail. Here, the transport device is also configured for automatically transporting the shuttle assembly modules between the further guide rail and the picking structure and / or between the further guide rail and the guide rail.

[0056] The further guide rail can be a further production guide rail which can significantly increase the assembly efficiency of the shuttle assembly module assembly system. Here, the shuttle assembly modules moved on the further guide rail can pick up components from the same or a further component supply device and / or place components onto the same or a further component carrier.

[0057] The described transport device can transport the assembly modules directly or indirectly between the rail and the further rail. This enables the possibility that a dedicated shuttle assembly module can be separated between the rail and the further rail. Thus, for example, only one such "dedicated shuttle assembly module" can be prepared in advance, which can then complete its assembly work on both rails, i.e. on the rail and on the further rail.

[0058] On the further rail, for example, shuttle assembly modules that are not currently needed can also be installed and a large number of shuttle assembly modules can be prepared for further assembly runs. Here, these unnecessary shuttle assembly modules can be moved or be in a stationary state or parked.

[0059] The further rail can be a closed or an open rail. In the present context, "open" intuitively means that the further rail forms a "dead slot", i.e. the shuttle assembly module has to be moved in a move-in direction in order to be transported from the rail onto the further rail and in a move-out direction in order to be transported from the further rail onto the rail, the move-out direction being opposite to the move-in direction.

[0060] In the case of the above-described and configured movable transfer device, the further rail can also have interruptions. It can then be closed by the transfer rail sections likewise described above in the same way as the interruptions in the rail.

[0061] The described shuttle assembly module assembly system can also have more than one further rail, which can likewise be connected to a further rail and / or a pick-up structure for the purpose of the transport of the shuttle assembly modules by the described transfer device. If necessary, a connection by a further transport device can also be provided. The entirety of the rails can here form a rail system, which can have any suitable topology depending on the respective application and the respective predetermined boundary conditions.

[0062] According to a further embodiment of the application, the shuttle assembly module has a pneumatic accumulator having an inlet-side connection and an outlet-side connection, wherein (i) the inlet-side connection can be coupled pneumatically to an external pneumatic loading device when the shuttle assembly module is located in a provision area of the external pneumatic loading device, and (ii) the outlet-side connection is coupled pneumatically, directly or indirectly, to a sleeve of the assembly head.

[0063] The pneumatic accumulator can here in principle be of any structure having an inner space of large volume, which is hermetically sealed with respect to the environment. Here, the pneumatic accumulator can be loaded with underpressure or overpressure depending on the specific application.

[0064] It is also conceivable that, during the completion of a specific assembly task for producing a plurality of (identical) assembled products, if necessary, the underpressure loading is carried out in one phase and the overpressure loading in another phase. Assembled products are to be understood in the present disclosure as an element carrier together with elements deposited thereon.

[0065] The pneumatic store loaded with underpressure can be responsible for holding the element on a suction gripper, which can be coupled pneumatically in a known manner with the sleeve and in fact coupled in the assembly operation. Furthermore, the underpressure from the pneumatic store can be used to reliably and quickly transfer the element from the element supply device onto the suction gripper. The pneumatic store loaded with overpressure can be used to reliably and quickly transfer the element held by the suction gripper from the suction gripper onto the element carrier to be assembled.

[0066] External pneumatic loading devices can be arranged along the guide rails of the described shuttle assembly module assembly system. When the shuttle assembly module passes the external pneumatic loading devices in the operation of the assembly system, the shuttle assembly module can briefly stop there and be loaded with underpressure or overpressure, as the case can be. Intuitively, the external pneumatic loading devices can be referred to as "pneumatic stations" for "pneumatic refueling". Here, pneumatic refueling is understood as the loading of the pneumatic store with underpressure or with underpressure.

[0067] The pneumatic store can also have two chambers, wherein one chamber can be loaded with overpressure and the other chamber can be loaded with underpressure.

[0068] It is pointed out that the loading of the pneumatic store with underpressure can also be produced with the overpressure on the sleeve alone. This can be achieved in a manner known per se, for example by means of a (compressed air) throughflow of a pneumatic element, for example a so-called Venturi nozzle, which can generate underpressure on the output port. Furthermore, the pneumatic element can likewise be a switchable pneumatic element in a manner known per se, for example a switchable Venturi nozzle, so that depending on the switching state underpressure (for picking up and holding the element) or overpressure (for supporting the transfer from the associated suction gripper to the element carrier) can be provided on the output port.

[0069] The external pneumatic loading devices can also be arranged at a position at which the shuttle assembly module must stop anyway during the usual assembly operation. This is the case, for example, when picking up the element from the element supply device and when depositing the element on the element carrier.

[0070] According to a further embodiment of the application, the external pneumatic loading device is positioned and configured such that the joint on the inlet side can be coupled (only) with the external pneumatic loading device when the shuttle assembly module is located on the pick-up structure. This has the advantage that a shuttle assembly module which is not active with regard to the current assembly process or its pneumatic store can be pneumatically loaded by the external pneumatic loading device. Thus, additional production-inconsequential additional times which would reduce the assembly efficiency of the described shuttle assembly module assembly system can be avoided in an advantageous manner.

[0071] According to a further embodiment of the application, the shuttle assembly module further has a mutual shuttle pneumatic interface which is configured to be pneumatically coupled with a further mutual shuttle pneumatic interface of a further shuttle assembly module of the shuttle assembly module assembly system, such that a negative pressure and / or an overpressure can be transferred from the pneumatic store of the shuttle assembly module to a further pneumatic store of the further shuttle assembly module.

[0072] This intuitively means that the pneumatic store of the shuttle assembly module can not only supply the "its own" assembly head with the negative pressure and / or overpressure required for the assembly process. The pneumatic store can also pneumatically load a further pneumatic store of a further shuttle assembly module via the two mutual shuttle pneumatic interfaces.

[0073] The described transfer of the negative pressure and / or overpressure can be realized by (i) coupling or connecting the mutual shuttle pneumatic interface with (ii) the further mutual shuttle pneumatic interface into a mutual shuttle pneumatic connection. This can in principle be realized in every arbitrary phase of the movement of the shuttle assembly modules on the guide rail. However, the pressure transfer is preferably carried out at the moment when the two relevant shuttle assembly modules are in a stationary state. This can for example be the case if the participating shuttle assembly modules are located on one waiting position before picking up an element at an element supply device and / or when the participating shuttle assembly modules are located on a further waiting position before depositing the element in the assembly area of the described shuttle assembly module assembly system. It is also possible to provide specific sections along the guide rail in which this transfer of the negative pressure and / or overpressure has to be carried out. Suitable (automatic) handling devices can also be provided on such sections which carry out or at least support the coupling between the two mutual shuttle pneumatic joints.

[0074] According to a further embodiment of the application, the shuttle assembly module further has an energy store which supplies electrical energy in operation for the assembly head and / or for a drive unit of the gantry, and which can be charged by an external charging infrastructure.

[0075] The charging of the energy store can be carried out wired via corresponding contacts, for example sliding contacts, or wireless, in particular by inductive transmission of electrical power.

[0076] The energy store has the advantage that a reliable electrical energy supply for the shuttle assembly module does not require cables which extend from a central electrical energy supply, for example a central power grid component, to the individual shuttle assembly modules of a shuttle assembly module assembly system, which as described above typically has a plurality of shuttle assembly modules. As a result, during operation of such a shuttle assembly module assembly system, such cables cannot become entangled with one another or in other words twisted or wound around one another.

[0077] By virtue of the decentralized concept described herein with respect to the electrical energy supply, it is also possible to implement a shuttle assembly module assembly system having a relatively complex spatial guide rail with a plurality of guide rail sections which intersect or branch off as required. It is also not necessary to use wear-prone electrical sliding contacts in order to ensure a reliable and in particular continuous electrical energy supply, which can be used instead of these cables and by means of which the relevant shuttle assembly module can be supplied with electrical power permanently (and not only in order to charge the energy store). As a result, with the energy store described, the component assembly head and / or the aforementioned drive unit are always ready for use, in particular when the charge status is sufficient. The shuttle assembly module is thus able to reliably and without errors process or complete the tasks assigned to it.

[0078] In some embodiments, the external charging infrastructure is able to implement a charging of the energy store when the shuttle assembly module is located in the action area of the external charging infrastructure along the guide rail. In this context, it is preferable for the external charging infrastructure to be arranged at a specific location of the guide rail such that a reliable coupling for charging is ensured. Here, the charging can take place during a temporary standstill of the shuttle assembly module, for example when the shuttle assembly module must come to a standstill anyway during a normal assembly operation. This is the case, for example, when picking up elements from an element supply device and when depositing elements on an element carrier. Such a standstill can also take place directly before an element pick-up area and / or before an assembly area of the shuttle assembly module assembly system. Here, the charging of the energy store can also take place time- neutrally if at least one preceding shuttle assembly module happens to be standing still when picking up at least one element or when assembling or depositing at least one element, i.e. if the relevant shuttle assembly module must wait.

[0079] In some embodiments of the shuttle assembly module assembly system, a charging of the energy store is also possible without stopping of the shuttle assembly module. This can be the case if the external charging infrastructure is so constructed that a charging of the energy store is possible not only in a specific location but also along a certain section along the guide track. In this case, the energy transferred to the energy store during the respective "on-the-fly" charging process can optionally be increased by the fact that the speed of the shuttle assembly module is at least slightly reduced in the section.

[0080] It is noted that the reliability of the energy supply by the described electrical energy store is also significantly increased relative to known inductive and / or capacitive energy supply concepts. Thus, in practice it is difficult to realize inductive and / or capacitive energy supply concepts which provide a reliable energy supply without interruption along the entire guide track and, if necessary, along the pick-up structure. This applies in particular to sections of the guide track which have a bend.

[0081] According to a further embodiment of the application, the external charging infrastructure is positioned and constructed in such a way that the energy store can be charged (only) by the external charging infrastructure when the shuttle assembly module is located on the pick-up structure. This has the advantage that the shuttle assembly module or its energy store, which is not activated with regard to the current assembly process, can be charged by the external charging infrastructure. Thus, additional production uneconomical additional time, which would reduce the assembly efficiency of the shuttle assembly module assembly system, can also be avoided in an advantageous manner with regard to the charging of the energy store.

[0082] According to a further embodiment of the application, the shuttle assembly module also has a mutual shuttle charging interface which is configured to be electrically coupled with a further mutual shuttle charging interface of a further shuttle assembly module of the shuttle assembly module assembly system, so that electrical energy can be transferred from one energy store of one shuttle assembly module to a further energy store of a further shuttle assembly module.

[0083] In this embodiment, the described electrical energy transfer is realized by (i) the mutual coupling or connection of the mutual shuttle charging interface with (ii) the further mutual shuttle charging interface into one mutual shuttle charging connection. This can in principle be realized in every arbitrary phase of the movement of the shuttle assembly module on the guide track.

[0084] In some embodiments, the electrical energy is transferred between two participating shuttling assembly modules during their usual movement on the guide rail. This has the advantage that the energy transfer can be achieved in a time-neutral manner in terms of the assembly efficiency of the shuttling assembly module system. In other embodiments, the mutual shuttling energy transfer takes place when the relevant shuttling assembly modules are at a standstill. In these cases, the energy transfer preferably takes place at a time or position at which the two relevant shuttling assembly modules are at a standstill anyway. This can be the case, for example, if the participating shuttling assembly modules are located in a waiting position before picking up components at a component supply system and / or if the participating shuttling assembly modules are located in a further waiting position before depositing the components in the assembly area of the relevant shuttling assembly module system.

[0085] It is also possible to provide specific sections along the guide rail in which such an energy transfer has to be carried out. In particular in the case of an energy transfer by means of a wired connection via charging contacts, suitable (automatic) handling devices can also be preset on such sections, which carry out or at least support the coupling between the respective charging contacts.

[0086] According to a further embodiment of the application, the shuttling assembly module system also has a protective cover which, during operation of the shuttling assembly module system, makes a manual operational intervention into at least one assembly module located on the guide rail impossible for safety reasons. The protective cover has a recess which allows a manual operational intervention into at least one shuttling assembly module located on the pick-up structure.

[0087] In this embodiment, an operational intervention into only one inactive shuttling assembly module is possible during operation of the shuttling assembly module system without reducing the operational safety of the entire shuttling assembly module system and without endangering the operating personnel. A manipulation of the inactive shuttling assembly module of the type as always does not then lead to an interruption of the assembly operation in a favorable manner. Such an operational intervention can include, inter alia, the removal of a shuttling assembly module from the pick-up structure and the addition of a shuttling assembly module to the pick-up structure.

[0088] Depending on the spatial configuration of the shuttling assembly module system and in particular on the position determination of the pick-up structure, the recess can be a suitably designed lateral recess or opening in the protective cover.

[0089] According to another aspect of the application, a method for automatically assembling an element carrier with elements using the previously described shuttle assembly module assembly system is described. The method has the following steps: (a) picking up an element from an element supply device located in an element pick-up area of the shuttle assembly module assembly system by means of an assembly head; (b) moving the shuttle assembly module along the guide rail from the element pick-up area of the shuttle assembly module assembly system towards an assembly area; depositing the picked-up element onto an element carrier which is provided in the assembly area.

[0090] The method is based on the insight that the previously described shuttle assembly module assembly system, due to the possibility of "parking" at least one shuttle assembly module, enables a dynamic matching of the configuration of the shuttle assembly module assembly system and thus an efficient assembly of element carriers.

[0091] It is noted that embodiments of the application are described with reference to different inventive subjects. In particular, some embodiments of the application are described using device claims, while another embodiment of the application is described using a method claim. However, it will be immediately clear to the skilled person when reading this application that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, any combination of features belonging to one type of inventive subject matter is possible in addition to combinations of features belonging to different types of inventive subject matter.

[0092] Further advantages and features of the application result from the following exemplary description of presently preferred embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0093] Figure 1 A shuttle assembly module assembly system is shown, which has (i) a guide rail along which a plurality of shuttle assembly modules can be moved between an element pick-up area and an assembly area, (ii) a pick-up structure for temporarily picking up shuttle assembly modules which are not currently needed, and (iii) a transport device for automatically transporting shuttle assembly modules between the guide rail and the pick-up structure.

[0094] Figure 2 The simultaneous transport of two shuttle assembly modules between the guide rail and the pick-up structure by means of a transport device is shown, which has a transfer guide rail section which is movable in parallel, which moves between a first interruption in the guide rail and a second interruption in the pick-up structure when a shuttle assembly module transport is taking place and closes one of the two interruptions depending on its position.

[0095] Figure 3 The simultaneous transport of two shuttle assembly modules between a guide rail having a first interruption and a pick-up structure having a "one-sided" pick-up structure end section is shown.

[0096] Figure 4 A partial view of a shuttle assembly module assembly system is shown, which has two guide rails and a transport device with a parallelly movable transfer rail section and a further transfer rail section connected thereto.

[0097] Figure 5 A partial view of a shuttle assembly module assembly system is shown, in which a shuttle assembly module to be transported is transferred directly between a guide rail and a picking structure, wherein the transport device mounted on the shuttle assembly module respectively is configured as a detachable coupling section.

[0098] Figure 6 A shuttle assembly module is shown, which has a first coupling structure for detachable coupling of the shuttle assembly module with a guide rail and a second coupling structure mounted on a chassis of the shuttle assembly module for detachable coupling of the shuttle assembly module with a picking structure.

[0099] Figure 7 A shuttle assembly module is shown, which, in addition to an assembly head for components, has (i) a pneumatic accumulator for supplying a suction gripper mounted on the assembly head with negative pressure and (ii) an electrical energy accumulator for supplying electrical actuators or drive devices of the shuttle assembly module with electrical energy.

[0100] Legend of the figures: Figure 1 100 shuttle assembly module assembly system 110 component picking area 112 component supply device 115 component camera 120 assembly area 125 suction gripper changing mechanism 195 component 197 component carrier F guide rail A picking structure T transport device S shuttle assembly module Figure 2 UF first interruption (in the guide rail F) UA second interruption (in the picking structure A) T2 transport device, movable transfer device F2 transfer rail section M servo drive Figure 3 A3 pick-up structure end section Figure 4 F4 further transfer rail section K4 coupling structure T4 transport device / movable transfer device WF further rail UWF further interruption (in the further rail WF) Figure 5 530 shuttle assembly module transport area Figure 6 640 rack 642 first mechanical coupling structure 644 second mechanical coupling structure Figure 7 746 vertical load-bearing structure (with rails) 748 drive unit / mover of linear motor 750 assembly head 752 sleeve 752a first end 752b second end 754 suction gripper 760 pneumatic store / pressure vessel 760a pneumatic connection on the outlet side 760b pneumatic connection on the inlet side 761 pneumatic line 762 mutually shuttling pneumatic interface 764 pneumatic interface on the shuttle side 765 external pneumatic loading device / external pressure generator system 767 pressure interface on the pressure generator side 770 energy store 772 mutually shuttling charging interface 775 external charging infrastructure DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0101] It is noted that in the following detailed description, features or components according to a respective embodiment are identical or at least functionally identical features or components of different embodiments have the same reference signs or have reference signs which are identical in the last two digits to the reference signs of the respective identical or at least functionally identical features or components. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions, features or components which have already been explained by means of the preceding description of embodiments are not elaborated on in the following.

[0102] It is furthermore pointed out that the embodiments described below are only a restricted selection of possible implementation variants of the present application. It is especially possible for features of individual embodiments to be combined with one another in a suitable manner, so that a person skilled in the art can consider a plurality of different embodiments as being disclosed explicitly with the implementation variants shown here.

[0103] Figure 1 A shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 according to one embodiment of the present application is shown. The shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 has a plurality of shuttle assembly modules S, all of which are configured to move on and along a guide rail F in a circumferential direction. Here, the shuttle assembly modules F move from an element pick-up area 110 to an assembly area 120, and in order to ensure continuous operation of the shuttle assembly module assembly system 100, the shuttle assembly modules move back to the element pick-up area 110.

[0104] According to the embodiment shown here, the shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 comprises a total of 11 shuttle assembly modules S, which are each schematically shown by an ellipse. The 11 shuttle assembly modules S are individually distinguished by the numbers 1 to 11. Depending on requirements, the shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 can of course also have a different number of shuttle assembly modules S.

[0105] A plurality of element supply devices 112 is located in the element pick-up area 110. From each element supply device 112, a specific type of element 195 can be picked up at a respectively predetermined element pick-up position.

[0106] After picking up or grasping one element 195 or, if necessary, also a plurality of elements 195 (in the case of shuttle assembly modules having a so-called multiple assembly head with a plurality of suction grippers), the relevant shuttle assembly module S passes the element camera 115 on its way on the guide rail F into the assembly area 120, with which the element 195 held by the suction gripper not shown in Figure 1 is optically detected from below. Here, the exact spatial position of the relevant held element 195 is determined in a manner known per se. In the subsequent assembly of the element carrier 197 with the relevant element 195 in the assembly area 110, (i) a suitable positioning of the shuttle assembly module S along the guide rail F and / or (ii) a suitable steering of the positioning of the assembly head or its suction gripper, also not shown in Figure 1 perpendicular to the guide rail F compensates for positional deviations from the exactly centred pick-up position. Furthermore, angular deviations of the picked-up element can be compensated by means of a controlled rotation of the relevant suction gripper in a manner known per se.

[0107] After successful assembly of the element(s) 195, the associated shuttle assembly module S passes the suction gripper exchange mechanism 125 on its way back to the element pick-up area 110. As soon as the suction gripper(s) is / are worn due to the hitherto operation, or for other reasons a new suction gripper is required, the suction gripper exchange mechanism 125, also known as pipette tip changer to the person skilled in the art, can be used to replace the worn suction gripper by a new or at least less worn suction gripper. The suction gripper exchange mechanism 125 can also be used to replace the suction gripper by another type of suction gripper, if required.

[0108] The shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 further has a pick-up structure A, on which at least one of the shuttle assembly modules S can be detachably mounted. According to the embodiment shown here, the pick-up structure A comprises a pick-up track on which the associated shuttle assembly module S can be moved or displaced along the longitudinal extension of the pick-up track. Preferably, the movement or displacement can be carried out automatically, that is to say without manual operating intervention.

[0109] Furthermore, the shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 has a transport device T, which is configured to automatically transport the shuttle assembly modules S between the guide rail F and the pick-up structure A. In the operating state shown here, two shuttle assembly modules S (with the reference numerals 10 and 11) are located on the pick-up structure A. Another shuttle assembly module S (with the reference numeral 9) is being transported exactly between the guide rail F and the pick-up structure A.

[0110] By transporting the shuttle assembly modules S (temporarily) onto the pick-up structure A, the following objectives can be achieved, for example: (A) Shuttle assembly modules S that are not required in the current operating mode can be "parked" on the pick-up structure A. Thereby, the shuttle assembly modules S that are not currently required no longer have to be moved unnecessarily along the closed guide rail F together with the other activated shuttle assembly modules S. As a result, the efficiency or assembly efficiency of the shuttle assembly module assembly system 100 can be increased in this operating mode.

[0111] (B) The "back and forth transport" of at least one shuttle assembly module S can be used to change the order of the shuttle assembly modules S on and along the guide rail F, if required.

[0112] (C) On the pick-up structure A, the shuttle assembly module S can be maintained, for example, in the context of a (routine) check or in the event of an error. Furthermore, without interrupting the assembly operation, a specific shuttle assembly module S can be removed from the shuttle assembly module system 100 or replaced by another shuttle assembly module S.

[0113] (D) In the case of a shuttle assembly module S having a pneumatic accumulator (see below for the shuttle assembly module S by means of the Figure 7 embodiments described in detail), a "pneumatic refuelling" can be carried out by an external pneumatic loading device arranged in the area of the pick-up structure A.

[0114] (E) Furthermore, in a shuttle assembly module S having an electrical energy accumulator (see below for the shuttle assembly module S by means of the Figure 7 embodiments described in detail), the charging of the energy accumulator is carried out by means of an external charging infrastructure arranged in the area of the pick-up structure A. Since the shuttle assembly module S located on the pick-up structure A does not participate in the assembly operation, there is generally no time pressure when charging the energy accumulator and the charging can be carried out gently, that is to say with a relatively small charging current, in an advantageous manner.

[0115] Figure 2 The simultaneous transport of two shuttle assembly modules S by means of the transport device T2 is shown. According to the embodiment shown here, the transport device T2 is a movable transfer device which can be automatically converted between a first position and a second position by means of a servo drive M, wherein the first position corresponds to a first operating state of the transport device T2 and the second position corresponds to a second operating state of the transport device T2. The transport device T2, which is configured as a movable transfer device, has a transfer rail section F2 along which the shuttle assembly modules S to be transported can be moved or displaced.

[0116] According to the embodiment shown here, the guide rail F has a first interruption UF and the pick-up structure A has a second interruption UA. The lengths of the two interruptions UF and UA are just sufficient for (i) in the first operating state of the transport device T2, the transfer guide rail segment F2 just fits into the interruption UF and closes this interruption, and (ii) in the second operating state of the transport device T2, the transfer guide rail segment F2 just fits into the interruption UA and also closes this interruption. This means that, in the first operating state, the guide rail F is closed and the shuttle assembly module S circulates along this guide rail F and can fulfil its task, i.e. component picking up and component carrier assembly, without stopping or being blocked at the first interruption UF. In the second operating state, the shuttle assembly module S can be transported between the transport device T2 and the pick-up structure A. Furthermore, since in the second operating state the interruption UA is closed by the transfer guide rail segment F2, the shuttle assembly module S can move between the left pick-up structure end segment on the transfer guide rail segment F2 shown in Figure 2 and the right pick-up structure end segment shown in Figure 2 .

[0117] According to the embodiment shown here, the transfer guide rail segment F2 of the transport device T2 is so long that at least two shuttle assembly modules S can be transported simultaneously.

[0118] Figure 3 An embodiment of a shuttle assembly module assembly system is shown, wherein, in contrast to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , the pick-up structure has only a right pick-up structure end segment A3. Thus, in the pick-up structure shown in Figure 3 there is no interruption, and the transfer guide rail segment F2 is only "stacked" on the pick-up structure or on the right pick-up structure end segment A3 thereof, so that the shuttle assembly module S can be transferred between the transfer guide rail segment F2 and the right pick-up structure end segment A3.

[0119] Figure 4 One layout of a shuttle assembly module assembly system is shown, which has two guide rails, namely the guide rail F and a further guide rail WF. The further guide rail WF has a further interruption UWF, which is closed in the first operating state of the transport device, as described below.

[0120] A plurality of shuttle assembly modules S move on both rails F and WF and each complete their assembly task. The further rail WF is preferably assigned a plurality of not shown further component supply devices in a further component pick-up area, so that the shuttle assembly modules S do not move laterally on the rail F when picking up components while the shuttle assembly module assembly system is running, and the shuttle assembly modules S do not move laterally on the further rail WF. With regard to an also not shown assembly area, the shuttle assembly modules S assigned to the different rails can assemble identical component carriers. Alternatively, the rail F can be assigned one assembly area and the further rail WF can be assigned a further assembly area, wherein then, for the assembly, preferably different component carriers are placed in both assembly areas.

[0121] Irrespective of whether a further rail WF is present or not, according to the embodiment shown here, the transport device T4 has the above-mentioned transfer rail section F2 and a further transfer rail section F4. Both transfer rail sections F2 and F4 are of equal length and in principle "match" into all interruptions UFF, UF and UA. According to the embodiment shown here, both transfer rail sections F2 and F4 are connected by means of a coupling structure K4 into a mechanically rigid structure, so that the above-mentioned servo drive M moves both transfer rail sections F2 and F4 simultaneously and jointly.

[0122] In a first operating state of the transport device T4 or of the entire shuttle assembly module assembly system, which is not shown here, the transport device T4 or is driven, that is to say, as in the previously described embodiment by means of Figure 2 and Figure 3 the transfer rail section F2 closes the first interruption UF (in the rail F). Furthermore, in this first operating state, the further transfer rail section F4 closes the further interruption UWF (in the further rail WF). Thus, in this first operating state, the shuttle assembly modules S move without interruption not only on the rail F but also the shuttle assembly modules S on the further rail WF along the rail F or the further rail WF.

[0123] In a second operating state of the transport device T4 shown here, in accordance with the embodiment shown in Figure 2 the transfer rail section F2 closes the second interruption UA (in the pick-up structure A). Furthermore, as can be seen from Figure 4As can be seen in the figure, the further transfer rail section F4 closes the first interruption UF (in the guide rail F). Thus, during the transfer of the shuttle assembly module S between the transfer rail section F2 and the two end sections of the pickup arrangement A, and during the movement of the shuttle assembly module S along the entire pickup arrangement A (and the transfer rail section F2), the assembly operation can continue on the guide rail F using the shuttle assembly module S. During the relatively short time window typically associated with this transfer / movement, the assembly operation on the further guide rail WF using the shuttle assembly module S is then blocked or even interrupted, if necessary, because the "flow" of the shuttle assembly module S is blocked at the further interruption.

[0124] Figure 5 A detail of a shuttle assembly module assembly system is shown, in which the shuttle assembly module S to be transferred is transferred directly between the guide rail F and the pickup structure A. This is achieved by the guide rail F and the pickup structure A being so close together in the shuttle assembly module transfer area 530 that the shuttle assembly module S fits exactly between the guide rail F and the pickup structure A in this area 530.

[0125] To ensure reliable transport of the shuttle assembly modules S, an electromagnetic coupling structure, or optionally a mechanical coupling structure, is provided on one side of each movable shuttle assembly module S. These coupling structures can be automatically activated and deactivated. In the activated state, the coupling structure assigned to the guide rail F and the entire shuttle assembly module S are connected to or (movably) mounted on the guide rail F. In the deactivated state, the coupling structure assigned to the guide rail F is not connected to the guide rail F. Instead, another electromagnetic or, if necessary, mechanical coupling structure, which is assigned to the pickup structure A and is then in the activated state, ensures that the associated shuttle assembly module S is connected to or movably secured to the pickup structure A.

[0126] Figure 6 A single shuttle assembly module S is shown, in which two such electromagnetic or, if necessary, mechanical coupling structures are provided. The shuttle assembly module S has a frame 640 on which a first mechanical coupling structure 642 is mounted. As described above, this first mechanical coupling structure 642, as a component of the shuttle assembly module S, can be activated or deactivated. In the activated state, the frame 640, and thus the entire shuttle assembly module S, is connected to and can move along the guide rails F.

[0127] The second mechanical coupling structure 644 is mounted on the carriage 640 and is not considered a component of the shuttle assembly module S in the context of the present disclosure. Rather, the second mechanical coupling structure 644 represents a transport device in the context of the present invention described in the present disclosure. The transport device configured as the second mechanical coupling structure 644 can also be activated or deactivated as described above. In the activated state, the carriage 640 and thus the entire shuttle assembly module S is connected to the pick-up structure A and can be moved along the pick-up structure A.

[0128] Figure 7 A shuttle assembly module S is shown which, in addition to the assembly head 750 for the component 195, has (i) a pneumatic accumulator 760 for supplying the suction gripper 754 mounted on the assembly head 195 with negative pressure and (ii) an electrical energy store 770 for supplying the electric actuators or drive devices of the shuttle assembly module S with electrical energy.

[0129] The carriage 640 of the shuttle assembly module S is designed in spatial terms such that it can move on and along the guide rail F. To this end, complementary guide structures are configured not only on the carriage 640 but also on the guide rail F, which mechanically engage with one another and / or are attracted to one another by means of magnetic force in the operation of the shuttle assembly module S, if necessary assisted by the gravitational force of the shuttle assembly module S. This mechanical engagement or magnetic coupling is designed such that movement of the carriage 640 along the guide rail F can be achieved and such that removal of the carriage 640 from the guide rail F is at least not feasible in normal operation of the shuttle assembly module S. These complementary guide structures can also include the first mechanical coupling structure described above in embodiments according to Figure 6

[0130] For example, the carriage 640 can be a skid. The guide rail F can be, for example, a track system, which is formed by a plurality of straight and / or curved track sections. According to the embodiment shown here, a vertical carrier structure 746 extends upwards on the carriage 640 (in the direction of the arrow Figure 7 The assembly head 750 or at least the sleeve 752 of the assembly head 750 is movably mounted on the vertical carrier structure 746 in the vertical z direction. In addition, the assembly head 750 or at least the sleeve 752 of the assembly head 750 can be moved relative to the carriage 640 at least perpendicular to the guide rail F (in the x and / or y direction).

[0131] It should be noted that other geometries of the shuttle assembly module S can preferably be used in practice, but this geometry is not shown in the figures for reasons of simplification of the illustration. In this way, the carriage can be hung from the side on the guide rail and the sleeve, at least, is (movably) mounted on the carriage from the side. Figure 7 ​​

[0132] According to the embodiment shown here, the shuttle assembly module S has a drive unit 748. The drive unit 748 is responsible, under appropriate control, for moving the shuttle assembly module S along the guide rail F at a predetermined speed. In some embodiments, the drive unit 748 is a rotor of a linear motor. The stator of the linear motor is located on the guide rail F and along the guide rail F.

[0133] The shuttle assembly module S shown here furthermore has an electrical energy store 770. The energy store 770 is a rechargeable battery or accumulator. In other embodiments, the electrical energy store 770 has one or more so-called supercapacitors.

[0134] As can be seen from Figure 7 , the electrical energy store 770 can be charged wirelessly by an external charging infrastructure 775. To this end, the external charging infrastructure 775 has suitable and not further shown external charging devices. For an efficient charging of the electrical energy store 775, an inductive coupling between (i) a not shown transmission coil of the external charging infrastructure 775 and (ii) a not shown reception coil, which is assigned to the shuttle assembly module S and is electrically connected to the energy store 770, is particularly suitable.

[0135] When the shuttle assembly module S is located in the range of action of the external charging infrastructure 775, the energy store 770 can always be charged. In the present context, a charging station of the external charging infrastructure 775 can be arranged at a specific location of the guide rail F, thus guaranteeing a reliable (inductive) coupling for charging. Of course, the external charging infrastructure 775 can also have a plurality of charging stations, which are arranged (distributively) along the guide rail F. Here, the charging of the energy store 770 can take place during a temporary standstill of the shuttle assembly module S, for example when the shuttle assembly module S has to stop anyway during a normal assembly operation. In this case, the charging of the energy store 770 can take place at least approximately time-neutral. In some embodiments, the energy store 770 can be charged without stopping the shuttle assembly module S. In this case, the external charging stations of the external charging infrastructure 775 have to be constructed such that the charging of the energy store 770 can take place not only in a specific location but also along a certain section of the guide rail F. In the case of a preferred inductive coupling, the transmission coil has to extend along this section, wherein the transmission coil can preferably have a plurality of individual coils.

[0136] However, the charging infrastructure 775 is preferably located in the area of the pick-up structure A and is associated therewith. This has the advantage that a shuttle assembly module S parked on the pick-up structure A and thus at rest can be charged without time pressure. A shuttle assembly module S charged on the pick-up structure A can consume the charged energy itself in a later assembly operation. Alternatively, it can output a portion of the charged energy to at least one other shuttle assembly module S via a mutual shuttle charging interface described below. This can take place (preferably) on the guideway F.

[0137] Instead of or in addition to the previously described wireless charging of the energy store 770 on the pick-up structure A by means of an external charging infrastructure 775, the energy store 770 can also be charged by another shuttle assembly module not shown here, which is also located on the guideway F. For this purpose, the shuttle assembly module S participating in the respective charging process has the aforementioned mutual shuttle charging interface 772, which is electrically connected to the respective energy store 770. When the two participating shuttle assembly modules are close to each other or spaced apart by a small distance along the guideway F (co-movement or co-rest), the mutual shuttle charging interface 772 of a shuttle assembly module S can establish an electrical charging connection with the (not shown) complementary mutual shuttle charging interface of the other shuttle assembly module. In some embodiments, a charging current can flow through this charging connection. The current direction of this charging current can depend on the charging state of the two energy stores of the participating shuttle assembly modules, so that the charging current either flows from the one shuttle assembly module S shown here to the other shuttle assembly module not shown here in one direction or from the other shuttle assembly module not shown here to the one shuttle assembly module S shown here in the other direction. In this way, intelligent charging management between all shuttle assembly modules having such a mutual shuttle charging interface 772 can be realized.

[0138] It is also possible that at least one shuttle assembly module S is equipped with a particularly large electrical energy store and that this shuttle assembly module S is then used as an energy transfer module of the type. Such an energy transfer module can then be charged as a selected shuttle assembly module, preferably or only on the pick-up structure A, and then transfer a portion of the charged electrical energy to at least one "normal" shuttle assembly module on the guideway F.

[0139] As can be seen from Figure 7As can be seen, the assembly head 750 has the above-mentioned sleeve 752. The sleeve 752 has a first end 752a and a second end 752b. The second end 752b is configured in such a way that the suction gripper 754 can be arranged on the second end 752b for temporary holding of the element.

[0140] Figure 7 The assembly head 750 is shown in a state in which the suction gripper 754 is mounted on the second end 752b. The element held by the suction gripper 754 is in the Figure 7 is denoted by reference 195.

[0141] The negative pressure required for holding the element 195 is generated according to the embodiment shown here by means of a pneumatic store 760. The pneumatic store is a pressure vessel 760 which, depending on the embodiment and / or the application, can be loaded with a negative pressure or an overpressure.

[0142] The pressure vessel 760 has an outlet-side pneumatic connection 760a and an inlet-side pneumatic connection 760b. The outlet-side pneumatic connection 760a is connected to a pneumatic line 761.

[0143] In the case of a loading of the pressure vessel 760 with a negative pressure, the pneumatic line 761 is a suction line. The negative pressure contained therein can then be used for holding the element 195 on the suction gripper 754 directly, or pneumatically regulated, or valve-controlled, via the sleeve 752 and the suction gripper 754.

[0144] In the case of a loading of the pressure vessel 760 with a negative pressure, the pneumatic line 761 is a pressure line. However, the overpressure present in the pneumatic line 761 can also be used to generate a negative pressure in the suction duct of the suction gripper 754. As already mentioned, this can be achieved, for example, by means of a so-called and not shown Venturi nozzle, which can generate a negative pressure for the suction gripper 754 on the output port in a known manner. In the pneumatic interaction with the Venturi nozzle, a switchable pneumatic element can also be used, so that depending on the switching state a negative pressure (for picking up and holding the element) or a short overpressure pulse (for supporting the transfer from the associated suction gripper to the element carrier) can be provided on the output port.

[0145] On the inlet-side pneumatic connection 760b, a shuttle-side pneumatic interface is configured, which is connected to a shuttle-side pneumatic line 762. Figure 7The shuttle-side pneumatic interface 764 can be pneumatically connected with a pressure generator-side pressure interface 767 of an external pressure generator system 765 at least when the shuttle assembly module S is located at at least one predetermined position along the guide track F or the picking structure A, so that a pneumatic connection between the external pressure generator system 765 and the pressure vessel 760 exists. In the case of overpressure loading of the pressure vessel 760, compressed air can flow into the pressure vessel 760 through this pneumatic connection. In the case of underpressure loading of the pressure vessel 760, the external pressure generator system 765 generates an underpressure and sucks air out of the pressure vessel 760 through this pneumatic connection.

[0146] The pressure vessel 760 can also have two regions which are not shown in the figure and which are pneumatically decoupled from one another, one of which can be loaded with underpressure and the other of which can be loaded with overpressure. Thus, depending on the current requirements, the suction channel of the suction gripper 754, via a suitably switchable valve (not shown) which is controlled, can be loaded with a short-term overpressure (for supporting the transfer of the element 195 onto the element carrier to be assembled) or, via a suitably switchable valve (not shown) which is controlled, can be loaded with underpressure (for grasping and holding the element 195). Figure 7

[0147] Instead of or in addition to the pneumatic loading of the pressure vessel 760 by means of the external pressure generator system 765 described above, the pressure vessel 760 can also be "pneumatically loaded" (i.e. air is pumped into the pressure vessel 760) or "pneumatically unloaded" (i.e. air is sucked out of the pressure vessel 760) by another shuttle assembly module (not shown here) (i). For this purpose, the two shuttle assembly modules which participate in the respective pneumatic loading or unloading process have their own mutual shuttle pneumatic interface 762 which is (also) pneumatically connected with the pressure vessel 760.

[0148] The mutual shuttle pneumatic interface 762 of the shuttle assembly module S can establish a pneumatic connection with the complementary mutual shuttle pneumatic interface (not shown) of another shuttle assembly module when the two shuttle assembly modules which participate are located close to one another along the guide track F or on the picking structure A (together in motion or together at rest). Through this pneumatic connection, air can flow either in one direction or in the other direction depending on the current pressure situation in the two pressure vessels of the participating shuttle assembly modules. In this way, an intelligent "pneumatic loading management" can be achieved (by suitable switchable valves) between all shuttle assembly modules which have such a mutual shuttle pneumatic interface 762.

[0149] ​Finally, it is stated that the term "having" does not exclude other elements and the number "one" does not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, elements described in association with different embodiments can be combined. It shall also be noted that the reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) for assembling components (195) for component carriers (197), the shuttle assembly module assembly system having a guide rail (F); at least one shuttle assembly module (S) having (i) a machine frame (640) configured to move on and along the guide rail (F), and (ii) an assembly head (750) mounted on the machine frame (640) and configured to pick up at least one component (195) in a component pick-up area (110) from a component supply device (112) and to place the picked-up component (195) on a component carrier (197) in an assembly area (120); a pick-up structure (A) on which the shuttle assembly module (S) can be detachably mounted; and a transport device (T) configured to automatically transport the shuttle assembly module (S) between the guide rail (F) and the pick-up structure (A).

2. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up structure (A) is dimensioned such that two or more shuttle assembly modules (S) can be picked up.

3. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up structure (A) has a longitudinal extension and is configured such that a shuttle assembly module (S) can move along the longitudinal extension of the pick-up structure (A).

4. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the transport device (T) has a transfer device (T2, T4) that is movable relative to the guide rail (F) and the pick-up structure (A), the transfer device being adoptable in two operating states, wherein (i) in a first operating state, the movable transfer device (T2, T4) is coupled with the guide rail (F) such that the shuttle assembly module (S) can be transferred between the guide rail (F) and the movable transfer device (T2, T4), and (i) in a second operating state, the movable transfer device (T2, T4) is coupled with the pick-up structure (A) such that the shuttle assembly module (S) can be transferred between the movable transfer device (T2, T4) and the transfer device of the pick-up structure (A).

5. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 4, wherein the transport device (T) further has a servo drive (M) configured to automatically switch the movable transfer device (T2, T4) from the first operating state to the second operating state and / or from the second operating state to the first operating state.

6. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 4, wherein ​ The movable transfer device (T2, T4) is configured to transfer the shuttle assembly module (S) and at least one further shuttle assembly module simultaneously between the guide rail (F) and the pick-up structure (A).

7. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 4, wherein the guide rail (F) has a first interruption (UF), and the movable transfer device (T2, T4) has a transfer guide rail section (F2) with a longitudinal extension, wherein (i) in a first operating state of the transfer guide rail section (F2), the first interruption (UF) is closed, and (ii) in the second operating state, the transfer guide rail section (F2) is coupled with the pick-up structure (A) such that the shuttle assembly module (S) can be transferred between the transfer guide rail section (F2) and the pick-up structure (A).

8. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up structure (A) has a second interruption (UA), wherein (i) in the first operating state, the first interruption (UF) is either open or the first interruption (US) is closed by a further transfer guide rail section (F4) which is assigned to the movable transfer device (T2, T4), and (ii) in the second operating state, the second interruption (UA) is closed by the transfer guide rail section (F2).

9. The shuttle assembly module assembly system according to claim 7, wherein the pick-up structure (A) has a pick-up structure end section (A3), wherein (i) in the first operating state, the guide rail (F) is either open at the first interruption (UF) or closed by a further transfer guide rail section (F4) which is assigned to the movable transfer device (T4), and (ii) in the second operating state, the transfer guide rail section (F2) is coupled with the pick-up structure end section (A3).

10. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 7, wherein the entirety consisting of the guide rail (F) and the transfer guide rail section (F2) is a looped and closed guide rail which extends between an element pick-up area (110) and an assembly area (120) of the shuttle assembly module assembly system (100).

11. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the gantry (640) has a first coupling structure (642) which is configured to detachably couple the shuttle assembly module (S) with the guide rail (F), and wherein the transfer device (T) has a second coupling structure (644) which is mounted on the gantry (640) and is configured to detachably couple the shuttle assembly module (S) with the pick-up structure (A).

12. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 11, wherein The first coupling structure (642) is located on a first side of the chassis (640) and the second coupling structure (644) is mounted on a second side of the chassis (640), wherein, the first side and the second side are opposite sides.

13. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 11, wherein a first distance between the pick-up structure (A) and the rail (F) is determined by a spacing between the first coupling structure (642) and the second coupling structure (644) along the rail (F) within the shuttle assembly module transport area (530), and wherein a second distance between the pick-up structure (A) and the rail (F) is greater than the first distance outside the shuttle assembly module transport area (530).

14. The shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 11, wherein the rail is a looped and closed rail, which extends between an element pick-up area and an assembly area of the shuttle assembly module assembly system.

15. The shuttle assembly module assembly system according to claim 1, further having a further rail (WF) which is so configured that the gantry (640) can also be moved along the further rail (WF); wherein the transport device (T4) is further configured for automatically transporting the shuttle assembly module (S) between the further rail (WF) and the pick-up structure (A) and / or between the further rail (WF) and the rail (F).

16. The shuttle assembly module assembly system according to claim 1, wherein the shuttle assembly module (S) has a pneumatic accumulator (760) with a connection (760b) on an inlet side and a connection (760a) on an outlet side, wherein (i) the connection (760b) on the inlet side can be pneumatically coupled with an external pneumatic loading device (765), and (ii) the connection (760a) on the outlet side is pneumatically coupled, directly or indirectly, with a sleeve (752) of the assembly head (750).

17. The shuttle assembly module assembly system according to claim 16, wherein the external pneumatic loading device (765) is so positioned and configured that the connection (760b) on the inlet side can then be coupled with the external pneumatic loading device (765) when the shuttle assembly module (s) is located on the pick-up structure (A).

18. The shuttle assembly module assembly system of claim 16, wherein, the shuttle assembly module (S) further has a mutual shuttle pneumatic interface (762) which is configured for being pneumatically coupled with a further mutual shuttle pneumatic interface of a further shuttle assembly module of the shuttle assembly module assembly system, such that a negative pressure and / or an overpressure can be transferred from the pneumatic accumulator (760) of the shuttle assembly module (S) to a further pneumatic accumulator of the further shuttle assembly module.

19. The shuttle assembly module assembly system of claim 1, wherein, the shuttle assembly module (S) further has an energy accumulator (770) which supplies electrical energy in operation to the assembly head (750) and / or to a drive unit (748) for the gantry (640), and The energy store is chargeable by an external charging infrastructure (775).

20. The shuttle assembly module assembly system according to claim 19, wherein The external charging infrastructure (775) is positioned and configured such that the energy store (770) is then chargeable by the external charging infrastructure (775) when the shuttle assembly module (S) is located on the pick-up structure (A).

21. The shuttle assembly module assembly system of claim 19, wherein, The shuttle assembly module (S) further has a mutual shuttle charging interface (772) configured to be electrically coupled with a further mutual shuttle charging interface of a further shuttle assembly module of the shuttle assembly module assembly system such that electrical energy is transferable from the energy store (770) of the shuttle assembly module (S) to a further energy store of the further shuttle assembly module.

22. The shuttle assembly module assembly system according to claim 1, further having a protective cover which makes a manual operational intervention into at least one assembly module located on the guide rail impossible during operation of the shuttle assembly module assembly system, wherein the protective cover has an opening which allows a manual operational intervention into at least one shuttle assembly module located on the pick-up structure.

23. A method for automatically assembling components (195) to component carriers (197) in the case of use of a shuttle assembly module assembly system (100) according to claim 1, the method having the following steps: - picking up components (195) by means of an assembly head (750) from a component supply device (112) located in a component pick-up area (110) of the shuttle assembly module assembly system (100); - moving the shuttle assembly module (S) along the guide rail (F) from the component pick-up area (110) towards an assembly area (120) of the shuttle assembly module assembly system (100); and - depositing the picked-up components (195) onto a component carrier (197) provided in the assembly area (120).

Images