An automatic chip mounter and an automatic chip mounting method

Abstract

The application provides an automatic patching machine and an automatic patching method, which comprise a rack table top, a base body loading assembly, a glue dispensing assembly, a cutter head loading assembly, a calibration adjusting assembly, and an ejection mechanism and a discharging mechanism arranged around a multi-station base. The multi-station base drives each universal base to step and rotate through a rotating index plate, and synchronously transfers the base body to the corresponding station. The core of the application is that the calibration adjusting assembly combines a visual detection module and a mechanical pushing module, can identify the position deviation after patching, and controls the extension of the correction push rod to physically abut and push the cutter head from the side to complete the coordinate fine adjustment. The whole machine realizes the full-automatic assembly line operation from the base body loading, glue dispensing, cutter head patching, high-precision dynamic calibration to finished product discharging, effectively avoids the positioning error caused by the traditional rigid clamping, and significantly improves the assembly precision and production efficiency of the finished product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of cutting tool processing equipment, specifically relating to an automatic chip mounter and an automatic chip mounter method. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of various cutting tools (such as PCD tools, diamond saw blades, carbide end mills, etc.), it is usually necessary to precisely attach or weld carbide cutting tips (inserts) to the tool substrate. Traditional patch bonding processes often rely on manual assembly and placement of the cutting tips and substrates, which is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also prone to deviations in placement due to human factors, resulting in poor product consistency.

[0003] With the development of automation technology, some automated placement or assembly equipment has emerged in the market. However, existing automated equipment generally uses purely mechanical rigid grippers for centering and clamping when aligning the cutter head with the substrate. This traditional rigid positioning method has significant drawbacks: firstly, since the substrate and cutter head themselves have certain processing tolerances during material handling, direct rigid clamping easily leads to cumulative errors; secondly, most existing equipment directly sends the cutter head to the next process (such as welding or curing) after the robotic arm places it, lacking a post-placement position re-inspection and dynamic adjustment mechanism. Even a slight coordinate shift during the gripping or dispensing process can easily result in defective finished products.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a fully automated device that can achieve smooth multi-process flow and perform high-precision dynamic calibration and fine-tuning after the robot arm places the parts, in order to improve the product qualification rate and overall production cycle. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of a series of technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes an automatic chip placement machine and an automatic chip placement method to solve the above problems.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an automatic placement machine is provided, comprising: Rack surface; A multi-station base is set on the machine frame table. The multi-station base includes a rotating indexing plate that can rotate and switch stations. The rotating indexing plate has multiple sets of universal bases for positioning and clamping the substrate distributed circumferentially. The multi-station base, through the stepping rotation of the rotating indexing plate, synchronously transfers the substrates carried by each set of universal bases to the corresponding loading station, dispensing station, patch station and calibration station in sequence. The substrate feeding assembly and substrate tray are used to pick up substrate materials from the substrate tray and transfer them to a general-purpose substrate located at the feeding station; The dispensing assembly, mounted on the machine stand, is used to apply solder paste to the surface of the substrate that is transferred to the dispensing station. The cutter head feeding assembly and the cutter head tray seat store the cutter head material. The cutter head feeding assembly is used to grab the cutter head and place it on top of the substrate after the coating process is completed and it is transferred to the chip mounting station. The calibration and adjustment assembly is located at the calibration station next to the multi-station base. The calibration and adjustment assembly includes a vision inspection module and a mechanical pushing module with a correction push rod. The vision inspection module is used to identify the positional deviation of the cutter head placed on the base. The mechanical pushing module controls the correction push rod to extend according to the positional deviation so as to physically abut and push the cutter head from the side to complete the coordinate fine adjustment. The assembly consists of a feeding mechanism and a unloading mechanism. The unloading mechanism is used to clamp the finely adjusted finished cutting tool from the universal base and transfer it to the feeding mechanism. By adopting a multi-station base with a rotating indexing layout, the feeding, dispensing, patching, calibration, and unloading processes are integrated into a circular production line, realizing simultaneous and uninterrupted processing of multiple workpieces, which greatly improves the production efficiency of the equipment. At the same time, the innovative introduction of a calibration and adjustment component that combines visual inspection with mechanical push rods breaks through the tolerance bottleneck caused by traditional purely mechanical rigid clamping, and realizes active coordinate correction after patching, fundamentally ensuring the fitting accuracy of the cutting head.

[0007] In some specific embodiments, the multi-station base also includes a turntable base, with a rotating indexing plate mounted above the turntable base; the universal base includes a base body fixedly mounted on the surface of the rotating indexing plate, with push blocks and pressure blocks slidably fitted on the base body, and the end of the pressure block having a positioning groove for abutting against the base body; a transition support plate is fixedly installed in the central area of ​​the rotating indexing plate, and multiple base cylinders extending radially outward are horizontally arranged above the transition support plate; the base cylinders correspond to the peripheral universal base, and the power output end of the base cylinder is driven and connected to the push blocks and pressure blocks. By horizontally concentrating the base cylinders on the transition support plate in the central area and driving the peripheral push blocks and pressure blocks radially outward, it ensures that multiple sets of fixtures can share the central axis of rotation without interference, and also enables the base body to obtain a stable and uniform radial clamping force when rotating at high speed, preventing material position deviation.

[0008] In some specific embodiments, the substrate loading assembly includes a substrate loading base and a first four-axis mechanism mounted on top of the substrate loading base. A loading cylinder is located below the end joint of the first four-axis mechanism. The loading cylinder is vertically mounted via a cylinder fixing component, and a slide block for vertical sliding is provided on the side of the loading cylinder. An internal gripper is fitted at the power output end of the loading cylinder, and a substrate rotation plate is located above the internal gripper. A material rack gripper is located at the outwardly extending end region of the substrate rotation plate. The first four-axis mechanism provides high-speed transfer capability over a large spatial range. The vertically mounted loading cylinder, in conjunction with the slide block, ensures high rigidity and linear guidance accuracy for the Z-axis descent and loading / unloading action. The design of the internal gripper effectively adapts to the geometric characteristics of the tool substrate with a central hole, making the gripping more stable.

[0009] In some specific embodiments, the substrate feeding assembly further includes a vision recognition system mounted on the end of the first four-axis mechanism; the vision recognition system includes a first camera vertically mounted above the inner hole gripper via a bracket, and a first light source positioned below the lens of the first camera. The cooperation of the first camera and the first light source enables the robotic arm to capture the planar coordinates and orientation of the substrate material in real time before gripping, ensuring accurate initial gripping and reducing the high dependence on the accuracy of the front-end feeding.

[0010] In some specific embodiments, the dispensing assembly includes a spatial three-axis moving platform and a dispensing execution module mounted thereon. The spatial three-axis moving platform includes an X-axis drive mechanism arranged at the bottom layer, a Y-axis drive mechanism cross-stacked above the moving slide of the X-axis drive mechanism, and a Z-axis drive mechanism vertically mounted on the Y-axis drive mechanism. The dispensing execution module includes a screw valve mounted on the vertical moving slide of the Z-axis drive mechanism, with a dispensing syringe attached to the side of the screw valve, and a dispensing needle connected to the bottom of the screw valve. The separate drive of the X, Y, and Z axes ensures high spatial freedom addressing of the dispensing trajectory. The application of the screw valve enables high-precision micro-control of the extrusion rate and extrusion amount of high-viscosity solder paste, avoiding the risk of poor soldering due to excessive or insufficient adhesive.

[0011] In some specific embodiments, the cutter head disc holder includes a pad fixed to the machine frame table and a base body arranged above the pad. A flexible vibrator is installed on the base body, and a baffle is horizontally fixed across the main material tray area at the top of the base body. A cutter head material box holder is also fixedly installed on the pad. By configuring a flexible vibrator on the cutter head disc holder, high-frequency micro-vibration is effectively used to level and process fine cutter head materials. The baffle design prevents the material tray from tilting and falling off during vibration or when the robot arm pulls it upwards. The integrated cutter head material box holder provides a reliable collection station for nearby disposal of waste materials.

[0012] In some specific embodiments, the cutter head feeding assembly includes a bottom cutter head feeding base and a second four-axis mechanism mounted on the cutter head feeding base; the end of the second four-axis mechanism is connected to a cutter head rotating base plate, and the bottom end of the cutter head rotating base plate is coaxially provided with an actuation structure for adsorbing the cutter head; a second camera and a second light source are vertically arranged on the side of the cutter head rotating base plate; a rotating platform is provided on the side of the cutter head rotating base plate, and a cutter head rotating plate is driven and connected below the rotating platform; the support extension end of the cutter head rotating plate is provided with a cutter head material box for flipping, unloading, and handing over replacement.

[0013] In some specific embodiments, the calibration and adjustment assembly includes an upper visual inspection module and a lower mechanical shifting module. The visual inspection module includes a camera mount, with a third camera and a third light source vertically positioned downwards from the top extension of the camera mount. The mechanical shifting module includes a correction table slide rail at the bottom, a correction base supported on the correction table slide rail, and a correction base cylinder positioned on the side of the correction base. A correction table rotation motor is mounted on the correction base. A correction push rod cylinder is stably mounted on the correction base, with its power output directly connected to the correction push rod. The third camera provides top-down global field-of-view guidance, and the multi-axis (slide rail, rotation motor, etc.) correction base at the bottom provides fine-tuning support. The key is that the correction push rod cylinder directly drives the correction push rod to physically contact the side of the cutter head, converting the virtual coordinate deviation of the vision software into a precise physical shift, achieving sub-millimeter-level position intervention.

[0014] In some specific embodiments, the discharge mechanism includes a drive chassis and a carrying hopper; the drive chassis includes a pusher plate and a pusher plate cylinder that drives the pusher plate to slide along a bottom linear guide rail; a pallet is placed inside the carrying hopper; a clearance groove is provided at the bottom of the hopper; the output end of the pusher plate cylinder is connected to the pusher plate, which is used to push the pallet through the clearance groove at the bottom of the hopper and into the unloading junction position; a push plate cylinder is provided on one side of the unloading junction position, and the output front end of the push plate cylinder is connected to a push plate for abutting against and pushing the pallet, the pushing direction of the push plate being perpendicular to the pushing direction of the pusher plate; the unloading mechanism includes, in sequence, a connected X-axis unloading mechanism, a Y-axis unloading mechanism, and a Z-axis unloading mechanism, and the end of the Z-axis unloading mechanism is provided with an unloading gripper through a module adapter plate. The clearance groove at the bottom of the hopper is cleverly designed so that the pusher plate can push the pallet out from directly below the hopper, and then, combined with the push plate cylinder at the unloading junction position, perform a vertical orthogonal lateral push. The orthogonal transfer logic operates smoothly without occupying unnecessary linear layout space, ensuring a smooth material handover.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an automatic placement method using the above-described automatic placement machine is provided, comprising the following steps: S1: The substrate feeding assembly moves to the top of the substrate plate, grabs the substrate material and transfers it to the universal base located at the feeding station, where it is clamped and positioned by the universal base; S2: The multi-station base rotates stepwise, transferring the substrate to the dispensing station. The dispensing assembly descends and applies solder paste to the designated position on the substrate. S3: The multi-station base continues to rotate and transfer the coated substrate to the mounting station; the cutter head loading assembly picks up the cutter head from the cutter head plate seat, identifies the orientation through end vision, and then attaches it to the substrate. S4: The multi-station base rotation transfers the base and the cutter head to the calibration station. The vision inspection module identifies the positional deviation of the cutter head placed on the base. The mechanical pushing module controls the extension of the correction push rod according to the positional deviation, which physically contacts and pushes the cutter head from the side to complete the coordinate fine adjustment. S5: The unloading mechanism picks up the assembled and finely adjusted finished cutting tool, smoothly transfers it to the tray of the unloading mechanism for output.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial results of the present invention are as follows: This invention utilizes a circular assembly line layout centered on a multi-station rotating base to highly integrate multiple processes such as substrate loading, dispensing, tool tip mounting, high-precision calibration, and unloading. This achieves synchronous and uninterrupted multi-station assembly line operation, significantly improving the equipment's production cycle time and operational efficiency. Particularly in the core assembly stage, this invention creatively introduces a calibration and fine-tuning mechanism combining visual recognition detection and lateral mechanical push rods. This completely overcomes the tolerance accumulation bottleneck caused by traditional automated equipment relying solely on rigid mechanical clamping, enabling secondary high-precision dynamic coordinate correction after the robotic arm initially places the tool tip. Combined with dedicated visual-guided gripping, precision screw valve dispensing, orthogonal push-discharge structure, and integrated waste recycling design in each component, the entire machine not only possesses extremely high flexibility and automation but also significantly improves the assembly accuracy and yield rate of finished tools, providing a reliable solution for the mass production and high-quality manufacturing of high-end cutting tools. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments and many anticipated advantages of the embodiments will be readily recognized as they become better understood through reference to the following detailed description. Elements in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The same reference numerals refer to corresponding similar parts.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic chip mounter according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-station base according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base disk according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate feeding assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dispensing assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cutter head holder according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cutting head feeding assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a calibration and adjustment component according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the discharge mechanism according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a feeding assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a flowchart of an automatic patching method according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The meanings of the numbers in the diagram are as follows: 100-Frame table, 200-Multi-station base, 210-Turntable base, 220-Rotating indexing plate, 230-Universal base, 231-Base body, 232-Push block, 233-Pressure block, 240-Transfer support plate, 250-Base cylinder, 300-Base loading assembly, 310-Base plate seat, 320-Base loading base, 330-First four-axis mechanism, 341-Loading cylinder, 342-Cylinder fixing component, 34 3-Slide block, 344-Internal gripper, 350-Base rotating plate, 360-Material rack gripper, 370-First camera, 380-First light source, 400-Dispensing assembly, 410-X-axis drive mechanism, 420-Y-axis drive mechanism, 430-Z-axis drive mechanism, 440-Screw valve, 450-Dispensing syringe, 460-Dispensing needle, 500-Cutter head loading assembly, 510-Cutter head disc holder, 511-Cutter head material box, 512-Flexible vibrator, 513- 514-Cutter head material box holder, 515-Baffle plate, 520-Cutter head loading base, 530-Second four-axis mechanism, 540-Cutter head rotating base plate, 550-Second camera, 560-Second light source, 570-Rotating platform, 580-Cutter head rotating plate, 600-Calibration and adjustment assembly, 610-Camera mounting base, 620-Third camera, 630-Third light source, 640-Correction push rod cylinder, 641-Correction push rod, 650-Correction base cylinder, 66 0-Correcting base, 670-Correcting table rotation motor, 680-Correcting table slide rail, 700-Discharge mechanism, 710-Hopper, 720-Pattern, 730-Push plate cylinder, 731-Push plate, 740-Push plate cylinder, 741-Push plate, 800-Unloading mechanism, 810-Unloading gripper, 820-Module adapter plate, 830-X-axis unloading mechanism, 840-Y-axis unloading mechanism, 850-Z-axis unloading mechanism, 900-Outer frame, 1000-Base frame. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0021] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] This invention proposes an automatic chip mounter. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic placement machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 1As shown, the lowest supporting structure of the automatic placement machine is the base frame 1000, which mainly serves to support and stabilize the entire machine. A frame platform 100 is stably installed above the base frame 1000. The frame platform 100 serves as the core load-bearing platform of the entire equipment, supporting all automated actuators. Specifically, the frame platform 100 can be a marble platform. Furthermore, an outer frame 900 covers the frame platform 100, providing external physical protection for the equipment. In the central core area of ​​the frame platform 100, a multi-station base 200 is arranged. This multi-station base 200 is the core hub for material flow and processing in the entire automatic placement machine. All loading, unloading, and processing components are arranged around it to achieve seamless connection between various processes.

[0023] In a specific embodiment, multiple functional components for performing different processes are sequentially arranged around the multi-station base 200 on the rack table 100. These include a substrate loading component 300 responsible for the first process and a substrate tray 310 arranged adjacent to it. The substrate tray 310 is used to centrally store the substrate material to be processed, while the substrate loading component 300 uses a corresponding robotic arm and grippers to precisely pick up the material from the substrate tray 310 and smoothly transport it to the first station of the multi-station base 200. Following the rotational flow direction of the multi-station base 200, a dispensing component 400 is also configured on the rack table 100. When the substrate flows to the corresponding station, the dispensing component 400 precisely dispenses and applies solder paste to the designated location on the substrate, preparing it for the subsequent surface mount process.

[0024] In a specific embodiment, on the other side of the frame table 100, a cutter head feeding assembly 500 and a matching cutter head holder 510 are arranged. The cutter head holder 510 is specifically used to provide cutter head materials such as PCD blades, while the cutter head feeding assembly 500 is responsible for picking up the cutter head from the holder and accurately placing it on the substrate that has completed the dispensing process. To ensure the positioning accuracy of the chip, a calibration and adjustment assembly 600 is also compactly arranged next to the multi-station base 200. This assembly can perform high-precision position fine-tuning and verification of the placed cutter head under visual guidance when the material flows to this station. Finally, at the end of the entire processing flow, a discharge mechanism 700 and a unloading mechanism 800 are provided on the frame table 100. The two work together to smoothly remove the finished product that has been assembled and finely adjusted on the multi-station base 200 from the processing area, thus completing the fully automated production line operation from material supply, dispensing, chip placement, calibration to unloading.

[0025] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-station base according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 2As shown, the multi-station base 200 is mainly used to realize the orderly flow and precise positioning of the substrate material between various processing steps. At the bottom of this multi-station base is the turntable base 210, which serves as the supporting foundation for the entire multi-station module, stably supporting all the rotating and actuating components above it. A disc-shaped rotating indexing plate 220 is smoothly mounted above the turntable base 210. In actual operation, this rotating indexing plate 220 can be driven by a power source to perform high-precision stepping rotation indexing movements, thereby driving the material it carries through each station sequentially to complete the cyclical operation of processing steps such as loading, dispensing, patching, and calibration unloading.

[0026] In a specific embodiment, four sets of universal bases 230 for positioning and clamping the substrate are evenly distributed circumferentially (at 90-degree intervals) around the outer periphery of the upper surface of the rotating indexing disk 220. Specifically, each set of universal bases 230 includes a base body 231 fixedly mounted on the surface of the rotating indexing disk 220, which forms the mounting frame of the outer clamping assembly. Push blocks 232 and pressure blocks 233 for performing clamping actions are fitted on the base body 231. The pressure block 233 is located at the foremost end, and its end is provided with a groove (such as a V-groove) for contour positioning, used to directly abut against and firmly press the substrate; while the push block 232 is arranged in cooperation with the pressure block 233, providing precise pushing and guiding during the clamping or releasing feeding process, jointly ensuring that the substrate remains stable during high-speed rotation and flow, without any positional displacement.

[0027] In a specific embodiment, a centralized drive mounting structure is also provided in the central area of ​​the rotary indexing plate 220. Specifically, a transition support plate 240 is fixedly installed in the middle of the rotary indexing plate 220. This transition support plate 240 serves as an internal transition platform, with multiple base cylinders 250 arranged horizontally above it. The base cylinders 250 extend radially outward along the turntable and correspond in orientation to the four sets of universal bases 230 on the periphery. With the stable support of the transition support plate 240, the base cylinders 250 can smoothly output linear extension and retraction power, thereby driving the push block 232 and pressure block 233 in the corresponding orientation to perform opening, closing, and clamping actions, thus realizing automated material clamping and synchronous control of the entire multi-station base during operation.

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a base disk according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 3As shown, the base plate 310 serves as the feeding carrier for the tool substrate material during the initial loading stage. The base plate 310 is securely mounted on the machine frame table or other basic support structures and is positioned close to the substrate loading assembly, thus providing a fixed material handling origin for the efficient gripping of the actuator. A material tray can be placed on the top of the base plate 310. The material tray is a large rectangular support surface with multiple sets of matrix-like (grid-like) receiving slots regularly arranged on it. This array-like slot design not only effectively avoids mutual squeezing or collision wear between the various tool substrate materials but also provides a highly standardized physical positioning basis for the rapid coordinate recognition by the upper vision camera and the array-like, cyclical, precise gripping of the robotic arm.

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a substrate feeding assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, a base loading platform 320 is located at the bottom of the component. This platform is a frame structure, and its bottom is used to fix it on the machine frame table, mainly serving to elevate the bottom layer and support the overall load-bearing capacity of the moving components above. A first four-axis mechanism 330 is stably mounted on top of the base loading platform 320. This first four-axis mechanism 330, as the core horizontal multi-joint manipulator, can provide high-speed, smooth movement with multiple degrees of freedom in space, and is responsible for driving its end effector to perform precise horizontal positioning and large-stroke transport between the base feeding area and the multi-station transfer area.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, a core gripping module for performing vertical picking and placing actions is centrally suspended below the end joint of the first four-axis mechanism 330. Specifically, a loading cylinder 341 providing Z-axis lifting power is vertically mounted on the end of the robot arm via a cylinder fixing member 342. To ensure smooth lifting and gripping actions and extremely high linear guidance accuracy, a sliding block 343 that slides vertically is arranged on the side of the loading cylinder 341. Driven by the loading cylinder 341, the sliding block 343 can drive the lowest actuator to perform precise descent for picking up materials and lifting to avoid obstacles. At the lowest end of the lifting mechanism, an inner-hole gripper 344 for directly contacting and clamping materials is assembled. This gripper can extend into the inner hole structure of the tool base to achieve stable internal support clamping. Meanwhile, a base rotating plate 350 is provided above and around the inner hole gripper 344. The end area of ​​the base rotating plate 350 is also provided with a material rack gripper 360, which can be used to hold the material tray to realize the replacement of the material tray.

[0031] In a specific embodiment, the end effector module is also equipped with a complete vision recognition system on its side. A first camera 370 is vertically arranged downwards on the side above the gripper via a bracket. This first camera 370 can perform global or local inspections as the first four-axis mechanism 330 moves, thereby accurately capturing and acquiring the two-dimensional planar coordinates and orientation information of the substrate material below before the actual gripping action occurs. To ensure high contrast and clarity of the industrial camera images and effectively overcome interference from external ambient light, a first light source 380 is tightly installed below the lens of the first camera 370. The first light source 380 can provide uniform and high-brightness illumination to the area to be gripped below, thereby significantly improving the recognition stability and positioning accuracy of the entire vision gripping system.

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a dispensing assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the dispensing assembly 400 is mainly used for high-precision solder paste application at specific locations during substrate transfer. The overall architecture of this assembly is built on a highly integrated three-axis spatial moving platform to achieve efficient, flexible, and precise coordinate positioning of the end effector in three-dimensional space. Specifically, the bottom layer of the assembly is stably equipped with an X-axis drive mechanism 410, which serves as the horizontal movement support for the entire dispensing module, providing linear translation in the X direction. Above the moving slide of the X-axis drive mechanism 410, a Y-axis drive mechanism 420 is cross-stacked, which controls the displacement of the upper assembly in the Y direction (i.e., laterally). At the front end or side of the Y-axis drive mechanism 420, a Z-axis drive mechanism 430 is vertically and stably mounted upwards. This mechanism forms the vertical lifting axis of the three-axis platform, responsible for controlling the lowering approach and lifting avoidance movements of the entire dispensing execution module during operation. The dispensing execution module is mounted on the vertical moving slide of the Z-axis drive mechanism 430. The main component of this module is a screw valve 440 that precisely controls fluid output. Through its internal screw rotation and pushing structure, the screw valve 440 precisely controls the dispensing rate and volume of solder paste, ensuring uniform and consistent application each time. A dispensing syringe 450 is tightly attached to the side of the screw valve 440. The dispensing syringe 450 primarily serves as a storage container, safely and centrally storing the fluid medium to be applied and continuously supplying it to the downstream valve body. At the very bottom of the entire actuator, connected to the screw valve 440, is a slender dispensing needle 460. In the actual automated workflow, guided by the linkage positioning of the underlying three-axis drive mechanism and the precise downward movement of the Z-axis drive mechanism 430, the dispensing needle 460 can approach and accurately align with the substrate surface on the worktable below, smoothly completing the high-quality micro-dispensing and application process.

[0033] Figure 6A schematic diagram of the structure of a cutter head holder according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the cutter head holder is used to centrally store cutter head materials during the operation of the automatic placement machine, and also serves to recycle and process defective waste materials. The bottom layer of this holder structure is a pad 513, which serves as the underlying support for the entire assembly. Multiple through holes for fasteners such as bolts are provided around its perimeter. The pad 513 secures the entire cutter head holder to the machine frame of the automatic placement machine, providing stable physical support for the material tray and actuators above, ensuring that the overall structure does not shift position during subsequent high-frequency material gripping or vibration-based material handling. Above the pad 513 is a base body for accommodating the main material tray. A flexible vibrator 512 is installed on the side end face of this base body. This flexible vibrator 512 provides high-frequency, minute vibration force to the area storing the cutter heads during equipment operation. This helps to smooth and finely adjust the posture of small PCD cutter materials in the tray, and also provides some flexible buffering during high-frequency gripping by the robotic arm. In addition, a long strip-shaped baffle 515 is horizontally fixed across the open area at the top of the base body. The baffle 515 mainly serves to limit and prevent detachment. It can effectively suppress and block the material tray of the cutter head placed below, preventing the tray from accidentally tilting, shaking, or detaching when it is disturbed by the vibration of the flexible vibrator 512 or when the robotic arm suction nozzle is pulled vertically upwards. This ensures the continuity and extremely high stability of the cutter head feeding process.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, a waste recycling structure for auxiliary storage is integrated on the pad 513 next to the base body. Specifically, a cutter head material box seat 514 of a certain height is fixedly installed in this area, providing a stable mounting base for the receiving container above. A square cup-shaped or funnel-shaped cutter head material box 511 is nested inside the top opening of the cutter head material box seat 514. In the actual automated processing and visual inspection process, when the vision camera of the feeding component identifies defects such as damage or incorrect orientation of the cutter head material to be grasped or already grasped, which do not meet processing standards, the robotic arm will quickly transfer it to this area and release it into the cutter head material box 511 for centralized collection. This design allows the cutter head plate seat to meet high-precision feeding requirements while also highly integrating automated waste recycling capabilities for defective products.

[0035] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cutting head feeding assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 7As shown, the cutter head feeding assembly is mainly used to realize the automated gripping, posture recognition, and high-precision placement of cutter heads (such as PCD blades). At the bottom of this assembly is a cutter head feeding base 520, which is fixedly mounted on the machine frame table, serving as the supporting foundation for the entire cutter head feeding mechanism. A second four-axis mechanism 530, serving as the main actuator, is mounted on top of the cutter head feeding base 520. As the core horizontal multi-joint manipulator, the second four-axis mechanism 530 provides high-speed movement and precise positioning capabilities with multiple degrees of freedom in space, primarily responsible for driving its end-effector-suspended execution and vision modules to transfer and move materials between the cutter head feeding area and the placement processing area. An end-effector module responsible for precise pick-and-place and visual verification is integrated at the end joint of the second four-axis mechanism 530. Specifically, a cutter head rotating base plate 540 is securely connected to the end of the manipulator. This cutter head rotating base plate 540, as the main body of the end-effector, serves to centrally support and transfer various functional components. A second camera 550 is vertically arranged on the side of the cutting head rotating base plate 540, and a second light source 560 is tightly installed at the lens of the second camera 550. In the actual material handling and unloading process, the second light source 560 provides high-brightness supplementary lighting, while the second camera 550 performs high-definition image acquisition of the material below the cutting head, thereby accurately identifying and feeding back the planar position and orientation information of the cutting head.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, to enable real-time correction of the blade's contact orientation based on data feedback from the vision system, the end effector module is equipped with a precision attitude adjustment structure. A rotating platform 570 is provided in conjunction with the blade rotation base plate 540. This platform 570 drives the blade rotation plate 580 below it to precisely deflect along the R-axis (angular direction), thereby adjusting the posture of the adsorbed blade and ensuring that the angle and orientation of the blade when finally placed on the substrate fully meet the processing standards. Furthermore, a small blade material box 511 is extended from one side of the end effector via a bracket. During automated operation, if the second camera 550 detects that a gripped blade is damaged or has an incorrect profile, the end effector does not need to return to a specific waste area; it can directly release the defective product and have it fall into the nearby, dynamically configured blade material box 511. This design greatly optimizes the waste removal path and improves the overall operating efficiency and continuity of the equipment.

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a calibration and adjustment assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, such as... Figure 8As shown, the calibration and adjustment component is mainly used for high-precision position fine-tuning and verification of the tool head placed on the substrate under visual guidance. This component includes a camera mount 610, which serves as the mounting carrier for the visual inspection equipment above. A third camera 620 is securely mounted vertically downwards at the top extension of the camera mount 610 for monitoring the fine-tuning process from above. To ensure high-definition, high-contrast image features are acquired during the fine-tuning and verification process to overcome external light interference, a third light source 630 is closely arranged below the lens of the third camera 620. Through the coordinated operation of the third camera 620 and the third light source 630, the system can accurately collect and identify the actual position and attitude deviation of the tool head within the working area below, providing accurate visual guidance data for subsequent mechanical correction.

[0038] In practical implementation, a mechanical correction structure responsible for fine-tuning is arranged directly below the vision inspection system. The bottom layer of this correction structure features a correction table slide rail 680, which serves as the underlying guide for the entire mobile adjustment platform, guiding the upper actuators to perform linear translation and workstation insertion. Above the slide rail guide structure is a correction base 660, which acts as the skeleton of the mobile adjustment platform and centrally houses multi-axis fine-tuning drives. To achieve flexible locking and sliding control of the platform position, a correction base cylinder 650 is auxiliaryly configured on the side of this base. Simultaneously, to correct the angle deflection of the cutter head, a correction table rotation motor 670 is mounted at the front end of the adjustment mechanism. This motor drives the corresponding bearing end face to perform a slight R-axis rotation, thereby precisely adjusting the final contact orientation of the cutter head. A correction push rod cylinder 640, providing lateral linear thrust, is also stably mounted on the correction base 660. The power output end of the correction push rod cylinder 640 is directly connected to the correction push rod 641. In the actual verification and fine-tuning process, the third camera 620 identifies the deviation in the specific position of the cutter head, controls the bottom module and the correction table rotation motor 670 to perform coarse attitude adjustment, and then drives the correction push rod 641 to extend smoothly through the correction push rod cylinder 640. The end of the push rod directly abuts against and gently pushes the relevant parts of the cutter head to complete the fine position adjustment, thereby completely ensuring the positional accuracy of the placement process.

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the discharge mechanism according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 9As shown, the unloading mechanism 700 is located at the end of the automated processing flow, receiving and smoothly removing the assembled finished product. The bottom of the unloading mechanism 700 serves as a mobile support base, equipped with a pusher plate 741 capable of linear sliding horizontally. A pusher plate cylinder 740 is installed on its bottom side. In actual operation, the pusher plate cylinder 740 guides the pusher plate 741 along the linear guide structure at the bottom for long-distance horizontal transport through its extension and retraction movements, thereby achieving precise switching between different workstations on the entire unloading platform. On the upper surface of the pusher plate 741, a hopper 710 is securely installed for centralized support and material positioning. The hopper 710 has a U-shaped support structure with vertical guide notches, and its internal space is used to place a pallet 720. The bottom of the hopper 710 has a clearance groove. The pallet 720 directly serves as the base for the finished product, and its surface has a support area for placing materials. The pallet 720 can be securely placed inside the frame by the physical restraints on the side wall of the hopper 710.

[0040] In a specific embodiment, the bottom of the discharge mechanism 700 is provided with a pusher plate 741 and a pusher plate cylinder 740 installed in conjunction with it. In actual operation, the pusher plate cylinder 740 extends under control, driving the pusher plate 741 to move horizontally along the linear guide rail structure at the bottom. The pusher plate 741 can push the bottommost pallet 720 smoothly through the clearance groove at the bottom of the hopper 710, and push it horizontally to the unloading handover position (i.e., the unloading handover station). A transverse pushing component is specially integrated on one side of this unloading handover position. Specifically, a pusher plate cylinder 730 is fixedly installed at this position, and a pusher plate 731 is firmly connected to the power output front end of the pusher plate cylinder 730. When the pallet 720 enters the unloading handover position, the pusher plate cylinder 730 is activated under control, driving the pusher plate 731 to extend horizontally in the side, and the pushing direction of the pusher plate 731 is perpendicular to the pushing direction of the aforementioned pusher plate 741. The extended push plate 731 can accurately abut against and push the pallet 720, smoothly pushing it laterally out of the current positioning area, so that the subsequent unloading mechanism can grab or transfer it, thus efficiently completing the automated closed-loop operation of the entire equipment unloading process.

[0041] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a feeding assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 10As shown, the unloading mechanism is used to smoothly and accurately pick up and transfer the calibrated tool to the tray of the unloading mechanism after all the preceding processes such as placement and calibration are completed. The entire mechanism is built on a set of three-axis Cartesian coordinate system moving platforms, with the X-axis unloading mechanism 830 arranged at the bottom. The X-axis unloading mechanism 830 adopts a long-stroke linear movement module, which serves as the main translational skeleton of the entire unloading assembly. It can drive the upper actuator to make a large-span horizontal displacement along the length of the equipment, thereby covering the long transport and handover path from the calibration processing area to the unloading mechanism. The moving platform of the X-axis unloading mechanism 830 is further equipped with the Y-axis unloading mechanism 840 and the Z-axis unloading mechanism 850. Among them, the Y-axis unloading mechanism 840 is responsible for controlling the translation of the entire actuator in another vertical direction (front and back lateral) in the horizontal plane; the Z-axis unloading mechanism 850 is installed in a vertical position and is responsible for providing linear lifting power in the vertical direction to control the downward picking and upward unloading avoidance actions of the end gripping mechanism. The component includes a module adapter plate 820, with a material unloading gripper 810 mounted on its front end. During automated unloading, the material unloading gripper 810 moves precisely above the calibration and adjustment component's workstation under the coordinated guidance of the X, Y, and Z axis mechanisms. It then descends with the Z-axis unloading mechanism 850 to perform a reliable gripping action, safely lifting the calibrated tool. Subsequently, it is smoothly transported along a set path and finally precisely placed into the tray of the discharge mechanism, thus completing the material transfer from the internal processing stage to the discharge stage.

[0042] Figure 11 A flowchart of an automated patching method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, as follows: Figure 11 As shown, the method includes the following steps: S1: The substrate feeding assembly moves to the top of the substrate plate, grabs the substrate material and transfers it to the universal base located at the feeding station, where it is clamped and positioned by the universal base.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, before gripping the substrate material, the first camera at the end of the substrate feeding assembly performs pre-visual recognition and alignment of the planar coordinates and orientation of the substrate material under the supplementary light of the first light source. Then, the inner hole gripper at the end extends into the inner hole of the substrate to complete precise gripping. After the substrate is transferred into the universal base, the base cylinder at the center of the multi-station base extends in a controlled manner, driving the push block and pressure block on the universal base to work together to firmly and accurately clamp the substrate in the positioning groove of the pressure block, preventing any positional displacement during subsequent high-speed rotation.

[0044] S2: The multi-station base rotates stepwise, transferring the substrate to the dispensing station. The dispensing assembly descends and applies solder paste to the designated position on the substrate.

[0045] In a specific embodiment, the dispensing assembly, guided by the coordinated X-axis and Y-axis drive mechanisms, pre-aligns precisely in the horizontal plane. Subsequently, the Z-axis drive mechanism propels the dispensing execution module, equipped with a screw valve, to descend smoothly, bringing the dispensing needle close to the substrate surface. During the application process, the precise control within the screw valve accurately adjusts the solder paste extrusion rate and micro-extrusion volume, ensuring uniform, full, and consistent application of the solder paste to the substrate surface, providing an excellent foundation for subsequent high-quality surface mount bonding.

[0046] S3: The multi-station base continues to rotate step by step, transferring the coated substrate to the bonding station; the cutting head loading assembly picks up the cutting head from the cutting head plate seat, and after the orientation is identified by the end vision, it is attached and placed on the substrate.

[0047] In a specific embodiment, after the cutter head is grasped, the second camera acquires high-definition images of the cutter head to obtain its precise orientation information. If the vision system detects that the cutter head is damaged or its outline is misaligned, it directly drives the adsorption structure at the end to transfer the defective cutter head to the waste area; if the cutter head is qualified, it drives the rotating platform in real time to make precise deflection of the R-axis (angular direction) according to the visual feedback data to correct its fitting orientation, and finally places the cutter head precisely and specifically at the paste application position on the substrate.

[0048] S4: The multi-station base rotates to transfer the base and the cutter head to the calibration station. The vision inspection module identifies the positional deviation of the cutter head placed on the base. The mechanical pushing module controls the extension of the correction push rod according to the positional deviation, and physically abuts and pushes the cutter head from the side to complete the coordinate fine adjustment.

[0049] In a specific embodiment, a third camera located above, in conjunction with a third light source, performs a global top-down view, accurately calculating the minute deviation between the actual XY coordinates of the cutter head and the standard theoretical coordinates. Subsequently, the underlying correction base and rotating motor perform coarse attitude adjustment, and the correction push rod cylinder smoothly outputs power, using the slender end of the correction push rod to directly abut against the side of the cutter head for sub-millimeter-level physical displacement compensation. This step effectively eliminates the mechanical positioning tolerances accumulated in previous processes and the materials themselves, ensuring extremely high placement accuracy.

[0050] S5: The unloading mechanism picks up the assembled and finely adjusted finished cutting tool, smoothly transfers it to the tray of the unloading mechanism for output.

[0051] In a specific embodiment, the unloading mechanism guides the unloading gripper to precisely descend and grab the finished product through the efficient three-axis linkage of its three-axis Cartesian coordinate system moving platform, and loads it across the workpiece onto the pallet stacked in the material bin of the unloading mechanism; then, the push plate cylinder drives the push plate to push the bottom pallet fully loaded with finished products smoothly out of the clearance groove at the bottom of the material bin and into the next side push handover station. Finally, the push plate cylinder set on the side of the station drives the push plate to push it in the vertical direction, and smoothly move the pallet out of the equipment, completely completing the closed-loop operation of the automated production line.

[0052] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0053] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The simple fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that combinations of these measures cannot be used for improvement. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. An automatic chip mounter, characterized in that, include: Rack surface; A multi-station base is disposed on the machine frame table. The multi-station base includes a rotating indexing plate that can rotate and switch stations. The rotating indexing plate has multiple sets of universal bases for positioning and clamping the substrate distributed circumferentially. The multi-station base, through the stepping rotation of the rotating indexing plate, synchronously transfers the substrates carried by each set of universal bases to the corresponding loading station, dispensing station, patch station, and calibration station in sequence. A substrate feeding assembly and a substrate tray are used to pick up substrate material from the substrate tray and transfer it to the universal substrate located at the feeding station; A dispensing assembly, disposed on the machine stand, is used to apply solder paste to the surface of the substrate that flows to the dispensing station; The cutter head feeding assembly and the cutter head disc holder, wherein the cutter head disc holder stores the cutter head material, and the cutter head feeding assembly is used to grab the cutter head and place it above the substrate after the coating process is completed and it is transferred to the patch station; A calibration and adjustment assembly is provided at the calibration station next to the multi-station base. The calibration and adjustment assembly includes a visual inspection module and a mechanical pushing module with a correction push rod. The visual inspection module is used to identify the positional deviation of the cutter head placed on the substrate. The mechanical pushing module controls the extension of the correction push rod according to the positional deviation, so as to physically abut against and push the cutter head from the side to complete the coordinate fine adjustment. The unloading mechanism and the feeding mechanism are used to clamp the finished tool that has been finely adjusted from the universal base and transfer it to the unloading mechanism.

2. The automatic chip mounter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-station base also includes a turntable base, and the rotating indexing plate is mounted above the turntable base; the universal base includes a base body fixedly mounted on the surface of the rotating indexing plate, and a push block and a pressure block are slidably fitted on the base body, with a positioning groove for abutting against the base body at the end of the pressure block; a transition support plate is fixedly installed in the central area of ​​the rotating indexing plate, and multiple base cylinders extending radially outward are horizontally arranged above the transition support plate; the base cylinders correspond to the universal base on the periphery, and the power output end of the base cylinders is drivenly connected to the push block and the pressure block.

3. The automatic placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate feeding assembly includes a substrate feeding base and a first four-axis mechanism installed on the top of the substrate feeding base; a feeding cylinder is provided below the end movable joint of the first four-axis mechanism, the feeding cylinder is vertically installed through a cylinder fixing component, and a slide block for vertical sliding is provided on the side of the feeding cylinder; an inner hole gripper is assembled at the power output end of the feeding cylinder, a substrate rotating plate is provided above the inner hole gripper, and a material rack gripper is provided at the outwardly extending end area of ​​the substrate rotating plate.

4. The automatic placement machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The substrate feeding assembly also includes a vision recognition system mounted on the end of the first four-axis mechanism; the vision recognition system includes a first camera vertically and downwardly mounted on the side above the inner hole gripper via a bracket, and a first light source mounted in conjunction with the lower end of the first camera lens.

5. The automatic placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dispensing assembly includes a spatial three-axis moving platform and a dispensing execution module mounted thereon; the spatial three-axis moving platform includes an X-axis drive mechanism arranged at the bottom layer, a Y-axis drive mechanism cross-stacked above the moving slide of the X-axis drive mechanism, and a Z-axis drive mechanism vertically mounted on the Y-axis drive mechanism; the dispensing execution module includes a screw valve mounted on the vertical moving slide of the Z-axis drive mechanism, a dispensing syringe is attached to the side of the screw valve, and a dispensing needle is connected to the bottom end of the screw valve.

6. The automatic placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutter head plate seat includes a pad fixed on the machine frame table and a base body arranged above the pad; a flexible vibrator is provided on the base body, and a baffle is horizontally fixed across the main material tray area at the top of the base body; a cutter head material box seat is also fixedly provided on the pad.

7. The automatic placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutter head feeding assembly includes a bottom cutter head feeding base and a second four-axis mechanism mounted on the cutter head feeding base; the end of the second four-axis mechanism is connected to a cutter head rotating base plate, and the bottom end of the cutter head rotating base plate is coaxially provided with an actuation structure for adsorbing the cutter head; a second camera and a second light source are vertically arranged on the side of the cutter head rotating base plate; a rotating platform is provided on the side of the cutter head rotating base plate, and a cutter head rotating plate is driven and connected below the rotating platform; the support extension end of the cutter head rotating plate is provided with a cutter head material box for flipping, unloading, and handing over replacement.

8. The automatic placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The calibration and adjustment assembly includes an upper visual inspection module and a lower mechanical pushing module. The visual inspection module includes a camera mount, with a third camera and a third light source vertically extending downward from the top of the camera mount. The mechanical pushing module includes a correction table slide rail at the bottom, a correction base supported on the correction table slide rail, and a correction base cylinder located on the side of the correction base. A correction table rotation motor is installed on the correction base. A correction push rod cylinder is stably installed on the correction base, with the power output end of the correction push rod cylinder directly connected to the correction push rod.

9. The automatic placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism includes a drive chassis and a carrying hopper; the drive chassis includes a push plate and a push plate cylinder that drives the push plate to slide along a bottom linear guide rail; a pallet is placed inside the carrying hopper; a clearance groove is provided at the bottom of the carrying hopper; the output end of the push plate cylinder is connected to the push plate, and the push plate is used to push the pallet through the clearance groove at the bottom of the carrying hopper and into the unloading handover position; a push plate cylinder is provided on one side of the unloading handover position, and the output front end of the push plate cylinder is connected to a push plate for abutting and pushing the pallet, and the pushing direction of the push plate is perpendicular to the pushing direction of the push plate; the unloading mechanism includes an X-axis unloading mechanism, a Y-axis unloading mechanism and a Z-axis unloading mechanism connected in sequence, and the end of the Z-axis unloading mechanism is provided with an unloading gripper through a module adapter plate.

10. An automatic placement method using an automatic placement machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: The substrate feeding assembly moves to the top of the substrate tray, grabs the substrate material and transfers it to the universal base located at the feeding station, where it is clamped and positioned by the universal base; S2: The multi-station base rotates stepwise to transfer the substrate to the dispensing station, and the dispensing component descends and applies solder paste to the designated position on the substrate. S3: The multi-station base continues to rotate step by step, transferring the coated substrate to the patching station; the cutting head feeding assembly picks up the cutting head from the cutting head disc, identifies the orientation through end vision, and then places it on top of the substrate; S4: The multi-station base rotates to transfer the base and the cutter head to the calibration station. The vision detection module identifies the positional deviation of the cutter head placed on the base. The mechanical pushing module controls the extension of the correction push rod according to the positional deviation, which physically abuts against and pushes the cutter head from the side to complete the coordinate fine adjustment. S5: The unloading mechanism picks up the assembled and finely adjusted finished cutting tool, smoothly transfers it and places it in the tray of the unloading mechanism for output.

Images