Automatic feeding and discharging method for optical processing of circuit board

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of automatic feeding and discharging methods of circuit board optical processing, it is related to circuit board automated detection technical field, the method uses automatic feeding and discharging device, device includes feeding and discharging machine, taking and placing mechanism, handover platform, guide frame, vertical drive assembly, left and right drive assembly, turnover drive assembly and suction cup assembly, handover platform is equipped with handover table top and detection table top.The method includes: taking and placing mechanism removes circuit board from material box and sends to handover table top;Suction cup assembly removes material from handover table top according to detection mode and sends to detection table top and carries out optical processing;After detection, suction cup assembly sends circuit board back to handover table top, and taking and placing mechanism returns it to material box.Suction cup assembly includes single-sided suction cup assembly and double-sided suction cup assembly, can realize three modes of full front detection, full back detection and front-back alternating detection.The application realizes the full automatic feeding and discharging of circuit board detection, without manual intervention, improves detection efficiency and product yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated circuit board testing technology, specifically to an automated loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards. Background Technology

[0002] Circuit boards (PCBs), as core components of electronic devices, are widely used in consumer electronics, communication equipment, automotive electronics, industrial control, aerospace, and many other fields. Their quality and reliability directly determine the performance and lifespan of the final product. In the PCB manufacturing process, AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) and AOS (Automated Optical Repair) are indispensable quality control and processing steps. The former is used to detect various defects on the PCB surface, while the latter is used to repair defective circuits using laser or copper plating. Together, they ensure the quality and yield of PCB products.

[0003] Currently, the loading and unloading operations in the optical processing of printed circuit boards (PCBs) are generally carried out manually or semi-automatically. Operators need to manually remove the PCBs from the hopper, place them on the working platform of the optical processing equipment, and then manually put them back into the hopper after processing. Under this manual operation method, the operation steps are isolated from each other, making it impossible to achieve parallel operation of material handling, processing, and unloading. This results in a significant decrease in the overall efficiency of the equipment due to the constraints of the manual operation rhythm. At the same time, for PCBs that require double-sided processing, the manual flipping operation causes process interruptions, resulting in long single-batch processing cycles, which makes it difficult to meet the continuous and high-efficiency requirements of large-scale production.

[0004] In response to the above problems, some companies have tried to transform their operations using traditional automation solutions. However, most existing automated loading and unloading methods can only achieve automated loading and unloading for single-sided processing. For double-sided processing, manual or additional equipment intervention is still required for flipping operations. The process flow is discontinuous, which seriously restricts capacity improvement and production line automation upgrades. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an automated loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards, solving the problems mentioned in the background section.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards, employing an automatic loading and unloading device. The automatic loading and unloading device includes a loading and unloading machine, a picking and placing mechanism, a transfer platform, a guide frame, a first vertical drive assembly, a left and right drive assembly, a second vertical drive assembly, a flipping drive assembly, and a suction cup assembly. The transfer platform includes a transfer table and a detection table distributed sequentially from left to right. The method includes the following steps: S1: Loading step, transport the box containing the circuit board to the box interface of the loading and unloading machine, the picking and unloading mechanism takes out the circuit board from the box and transports the circuit board to the handover platform. S2: Material handling and inspection step. According to the inspection mode, the suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board from the transfer table, transports the circuit board to the inspection table, and the optical processing equipment performs optical processing on the circuit board. S3: Unloading step. After the inspection is completed, the suction cup assembly removes the circuit board from the inspection table and transports it back to the handover table. The picking and placing mechanism picks up the circuit board from the handover table and puts it back into the material box. The suction cup assembly includes a single-sided suction cup assembly and a double-sided suction cup assembly.

[0007] Furthermore, in step 2, the detection modes include all-front detection mode, all-back detection mode, and alternating front and back detection mode.

[0008] Furthermore, the full front inspection mode performs front-side inspection only on each circuit board in the bin. The full front inspection mode includes the following steps: The double-sided suction cup assembly directly picks up the circuit board from the transfer table and transports it to the testing table for frontal inspection. During the inspection of the current circuit board, the double-sided suction cup assembly sequentially picks up the next circuit board from the transfer table, rotates it 180° above the testing table, waits, and then exchanges it with the current circuit board on the testing platform, returning the inspected circuit board to the transfer table.

[0009] Furthermore, the full reverse inspection mode performs reverse inspection only on each circuit board in the bin. The full reverse inspection mode includes the following steps: The single-sided suction cup assembly first picks up the circuit board from the transfer platform and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly moves below the single-sided suction cup assembly and transfers the circuit board to it. The flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip, placing the circuit board on the detection platform for reverse detection. During the detection of the current circuit board, the single-sided suction cup assembly continues to pick up the next circuit board from the transfer platform and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly transfers the next circuit board from the single-sided suction cup assembly and moves above the detection platform to wait. It then picks up the currently detected circuit board from the detection platform, flips it, and places the next circuit board on the detection platform for reverse detection. After detection, the double-sided suction cup assembly transfers the detected circuit board back to the single-sided suction cup assembly, which then places it back on the transfer platform.

[0010] Furthermore, the alternating front and back inspection mode involves sequentially inspecting the front and back sides of each circuit board in the bin before returning it to the bin. The alternating front and back inspection mode includes the following steps: The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the current circuit board from the transfer platform and places it on the detection platform for front-side inspection. After the front-side inspection of the current circuit board is completed, the double-sided suction cup assembly directly grabs the circuit board and moves it back to the transfer platform. The single-sided suction cup assembly then picks up the circuit board and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly moves below the single-sided suction cup assembly and transfers the circuit board to it. The flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip, placing the circuit board on the detection platform for back-side inspection. During the back-side inspection of the current circuit board, the material handling mechanism operates synchronously. The next circuit board is removed from the hopper and moved to the transfer table for waiting. After the reverse side of the current circuit board is inspected, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board from the inspection table, flips it back to face up, and then transports it back to the single-sided suction cup assembly for suction. At the same time, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the next circuit board that has been pre-positioned on the transfer table and begins the front side inspection of the next circuit board. The single-sided suction cup assembly places the current circuit board that has completed double-sided inspection on the transfer table, and the material handling mechanism sends it back to the hopper. This process is repeated until all circuit boards have completed double-sided inspection.

[0011] Furthermore, in the full reverse detection mode, after the material handling mechanism retrieves the tested circuit board from the transfer table, it adjusts the posture by rotating the steering component and raising and lowering the lifting component, and then sends the circuit board back to the original position of the material box.

[0012] Furthermore, in the alternating front and back detection mode, after the current circuit board is detected on the back side, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board with the back side facing up from the detection table, and the flipping drive assembly drives it to flip back to the front side facing up, and then transports it back to the bottom of the single-sided suction cup assembly for the single-sided suction cup assembly to pick it up.

[0013] Furthermore, the single-sided suction cup assembly is driven to rise and fall by the first vertical drive assembly, and the double-sided suction cup assembly is driven to move back and forth between the transfer platform and the detection platform by the left and right drive assemblies, and is driven to rise and fall by the second vertical drive assembly, and is driven to flip by the flip drive assembly.

[0014] Furthermore, the material handling mechanism includes a lifting component, a steering component, a guiding component, and a material handling component. The lifting component drives the steering component to move vertically, the steering component drives the guiding component to rotate, and the guiding component drives the material handling component to move back and forth in a straight line in the horizontal direction. The material handling end of the material handling component is used to extend into the material box or the transfer platform to hook or place the circuit board.

[0015] This invention provides an automated loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards, which has the following beneficial effects: This invention integrates the circuit board picking, optical processing, and unloading steps into a continuous automated process. Using a suction cup assembly as the primary transfer mechanism between workstations, it achieves overlapping and parallel operation of the picking, optical processing, and unloading processes, freeing the equipment's overall efficiency from the constraints of manual operation. Through the coordinated operation of single-sided and double-sided suction cup assemblies, combined with a flip drive assembly to flip the double-sided suction cups, the circuit board automatically switches between front and back sides without leaving the automated process, eliminating process interruptions caused by manual flipping. This achieves full automation from picking the board from the bin to returning it to the bin after processing, significantly improving the continuity and production efficiency of the circuit board optical processing. Furthermore, this invention can flexibly switch between three working modes: all-front processing, all-back processing, and alternating front and back processing. It adapts to different production process requirements without additional equipment or manual intervention, demonstrating excellent versatility and adaptability. In addition, the entire process uses non-contact suction for picking and placing, avoiding scratches or contamination of the circuit board surface caused by manual operation, effectively ensuring product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram (first perspective) of the loading and unloading machine in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram (second perspective) of the loading and unloading machine in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the lifting component, steering component, guiding component, and material handling component in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram (first perspective) of the material handling mechanism in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the handover platform and AOI optical inspection machine in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the rear structure of the guide frame in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram (second perspective) of the material handling mechanism in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism in the automatic loading and unloading device used in the automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to the present invention. In the diagram, the correspondence between component names and drawing numbers is as follows: 1. Loading / unloading machine; 2. Picking / unloading mechanism; 3. Transfer platform; 4. Guide frame; 5. First vertical drive assembly; 6. Left / right drive assembly; 7. Second vertical drive assembly; 8. Tilting drive assembly; 9. Single-sided suction cup assembly; 10. Double-sided suction cup assembly; 11. AOI optical inspection machine; 12. Material box interface; 13. Lifting assembly; 14. Steering assembly; 15. Guide assembly; 16. Picking / unloading assembly; 17. Picking / unloading base plate; 18. Drive motor; 19. Driven pulley; 20. Drive belt; 21. Slide rail; 22. Slider; 23. Connecting block; 24. Hook frame; 25. Support rod; 26. Support plate; 27. First suction... Attached pipe 28, first sealing connecting plate 29, first suction nozzle 30, second suction pipe 31, second sealing connecting plate 32, second suction nozzle 33, connecting part 34, material box lifting mechanism 35, clearance port 36, material box 37, interface 38, circuit board 39, interface platform 40, detection platform 41, fixed column 42, positioning plate 43, first support block 44, second support block 45, first positioning block 46, second positioning block 47, first inclined groove 48, second inclined groove 49, hooking component 50, hooking rod 51, plate hook 52, limiting block 53, limiting frame 54, guide column 55. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Example 1 Please see Figures 1 to 10This invention provides an automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards, employing an automatic loading and unloading device. The automatic loading and unloading device includes a loading and unloading machine 1, a picking and placing mechanism 2, a transfer platform 3, a guide frame 4, a first vertical drive assembly 5, a left and right drive assembly 6, a second vertical drive assembly 7, a flipping drive assembly 8, and a suction cup assembly. The transfer platform 3 includes a transfer table surface 40 and a detection table surface 41 distributed from left to right. The suction cup assembly includes a single-sided suction cup assembly 9 and a double-sided suction cup assembly 10.

[0023] The loading / unloading machine 1 has two hopper interfaces 12, which are used to connect to hoppers 37 containing circuit boards 39. A hopper lifting mechanism 35 is provided at each hopper interface 12, located below the hopper interface 12, to lift the hopper 37 moved to the hopper interface 12 and align the hopper 37's loading port with the hopper interface 12. A clearance opening 36 is provided on the left side wall of the loading / unloading machine 1's outer casing, located at the front of the machine, for operators to observe or perform maintenance. Automatic lifting doors are provided on the inner side wall of the loading / unloading machine 1 corresponding to the two hopper interfaces 12, and are used to open or close the hopper interfaces 12. When the material bin 37 needs to be connected, the automatic lifting door is raised to open the material bin interface 12, so that the picking and placing end of the picking and placing component 16 can extend into the material bin 37 through the material bin interface 12 to pick up and place the circuit board 39; when there is no material bin 37 to be connected at the material bin interface 12 or the loading and unloading machine 1 is in standby mode, the automatic lifting door is lowered to close the material bin interface 12.

[0024] The material handling mechanism 2 is installed inside the loading / unloading machine 1. The material handling mechanism 2 includes a lifting assembly 13, a steering assembly 14, a guide assembly 15, and a material handling assembly 16. The lifting assembly 13 is vertically mounted on the inner wall of the loading / unloading machine 1. The driving end of the lifting assembly 13 is connected to the steering assembly 14, driving the steering assembly 14 to move vertically reciprocally. The driving end of the steering assembly 14 faces upward and connects to the bottom of the guide assembly 15, driving the guide assembly 15 to rotate. The driving end of the guide assembly 15 faces upward and connects to the bottom of the material handling assembly 16, driving the material handling assembly 16 to move horizontally in a reciprocating linear motion. The material handling end of the material handling assembly 16 extends into the material box 37 or the transfer platform 3 to hook or place the circuit board 39.

[0025] The material handling assembly 16 includes a handling base plate 17, a drive motor 18, a drive pulley 19, a driven pulley 20, a transmission belt 21, a slide rail 22, a slider 23, a connecting block 24, and a hook frame 25. The bottom of the handling base plate 17 is fixedly connected to the drive end of the guide assembly 15. The drive motor 18 is fixedly connected to the top of the handling base plate 17, and the drive end of the drive motor 18 is connected to the drive pulley 19. The driven pulley 20 is rotatably connected to the handling base plate 17 and located in front of the drive pulley 19. The transmission belt 21 is rotatably sleeved on the drive pulley 19 and the driven pulley 20. The connecting block 24 is fixedly mounted on the transmission belt 21 and located on the upper part of the transmission belt 21. The hook frame 25 includes a hooking part and a connecting part 34 fixedly connected sequentially in the front-rear direction. The top of the connecting block 24 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the connecting part 34 of the hook frame 25, and the connecting block 24 is located in the middle of the connecting part 34 of the hook frame 25. Two slide rails 22 are provided and symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the drive motor 18, extending in the front-to-back direction. Two sliders 23 are provided corresponding to the two slide rails 22. The two sliders 23 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the hook frame 25 connecting part 34, and the two sliders 23 are slidably connected to the corresponding slide rails 22. The hooking part of the hook frame 25 is used to hook the circuit board 39. The hooking member 50 of the hooking part includes four hooking members 50 distributed at intervals in the left-to-right direction. One hooking member 50 is provided at the left and right edges of the front side wall of the hook frame 25 connecting part 34 to support the left and right edges of the bottom of the circuit board 39. Two hooking members 50 are provided at intervals in the middle of the front side wall of the hook frame 25 connecting part 34 to support the middle of the circuit board 39. Each hook 50 includes a hook rod 51, a plate-removing hook 52, and a limiting block 53. The hook rod 51 is a long rectangular rod that extends in the front-back direction. The plate-removing hook 52 is fixedly connected to the front end of the hook rod 51 and is used to hook the front side wall of the circuit board 39. The limiting block 53 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the hook rod 51 and is used to abut against the rear side wall of the circuit board 39.

[0026] The pick-and-place base plate 17 is also provided with limiting components. Two sets of limiting components are provided, respectively located at the left and right edges of the upper surface of the pick-and-place base plate 17. The limiting components include limiting frames 54 and several guide posts 55. The limiting frames 54 of the two sets of limiting components are fixedly installed at the left and right edges of the upper surface of the pick-and-place base plate 17 and distributed along the front-back direction. The several guide posts 55 are rotatably connected to the upper surface of the limiting frames 54 and are arranged in an array along the direction in which the circuit board 39 enters and exits the pick-and-place base plate 17. The inner end of the guide post 55 is used to contact the outer wall of the circuit board 39, so that the circuit board 39 can be prevented from deflecting and limited when entering and exiting the pick-and-place base plate 17.

[0027] The transfer platform 3 is located behind the loading / unloading machine 1. The transfer platform 3 includes a transfer table 40 and a testing table 41 distributed from left to right. An interface 38 is provided on the rear side wall of the loading / unloading machine 1 for communicating with the transfer table 40 of the transfer platform 3. The testing table 41 is used to connect with external optical processing equipment, including an AOI optical inspection machine 11 or an AOS automatic optical repair machine.

[0028] A positioning mechanism is provided on the junction platform 40. The positioning mechanism includes a fixing post 42, a positioning plate 43, a first support block 44, a second support block 45, a first positioning block 46, and a second positioning block 47. Two fixing posts 42 are provided, spaced apart along the front-to-back direction. The fixing posts 42 are fixedly connected to the junction platform 40. The top of the fixing post 42 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the positioning plate 43 to support the positioning plate 43. The positioning plate 43 has a rectangular structure to support the circuit board 39. The first support block 44 is fixedly connected to the middle of the positioning plate 43 and extends along the front-to-back direction to support the bottom of the circuit board 39. Two second support blocks 45 are provided, symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the first support block 44. The bottom of the second support block 45 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the positioning plate 43 to support the bottom of the circuit board 39. Two first positioning blocks 46 are provided and fixedly connected to the left and right edges of the upper surface of the positioning plate 43. The first positioning block 46 is a long rectangular block extending in the front-to-back direction. A first inclined groove 48 is formed on the inner side wall of the first positioning block 46. The first inclined groove 48 is inclined inward and runs through the front and back. Eight second positioning blocks 47 are provided and fixedly connected to the front and back edges of the upper surface of the positioning plate 43. Four second positioning blocks 47 are respectively provided at the front and back edges of the upper surface of the positioning plate 43. The second positioning blocks 47 are short rectangular blocks. The four second positioning blocks 47 at the front and back edges of the upper surface of the positioning plate 43 are spaced apart in the left-to-right direction. A second inclined groove 49 is formed on the inner side wall of the second positioning block 47. The second inclined groove 49 is inclined inward and runs through the left and right. The gaps between the second positioning blocks 47 in the positioning mechanism and the gaps between the second positioning blocks 47 and the corresponding first positioning blocks 46 are used for the hooking parts 50 of the material handling assembly 16 to enter and exit the positioning plate 43, which facilitates the hooking, transfer and storage of the circuit board 39.

[0029] The positioning mechanism is used to precisely position the circuit board 39 transferred from the material bin 37 to the transfer platform 40. When the circuit board 39 is placed on the transfer platform 40, the edge of the circuit board 39 first contacts the inclined wall of the first inclined groove 48 and / or the second inclined groove 49. Due to the guiding effect of the inclined groove wall, the circuit board 39 slides down along the inclined groove wall under its own gravity until the edge of the circuit board 39 slides down to the bottom of the first inclined groove 48 and the second inclined groove 49. The first inclined groove 48 and the second inclined groove 49 simultaneously guide and limit the circuit board 39 from the left and right directions and the front and back directions, so that the circuit board 39 is accurately positioned at the preset position on the positioning plate 43. In some embodiments, a tapping mechanism is also provided on the outer wall of the transfer platform 3. The tapping end of the tapping mechanism is used to tap the outer wall of the circuit board 39 to assist the circuit board 39 in sliding down to the bottom of the groove.

[0030] The guide frame 4 is mounted on the transfer platform 3, and the guide frame 4 adopts an elevated structure spanning above the transfer platform 3. The first vertical drive assembly 5 is vertically mounted on the front side wall of the guide frame 4, and is located on the left side. The drive end of the first vertical drive assembly 5 is connected to the single-sided suction cup assembly 9, which is located above the transfer platform 40 and is used to adsorb the circuit board 39. The single-sided suction cup assembly 9 includes a support rod 26, a support plate 27, a first adsorption tube 28, and a first sealing connection plate 29. The left end of the support rod 26 is fixedly mounted on the drive end of the first vertical drive assembly 5. The support rod 26 extends in the left-right direction, and the bottom of the support rod 26 is fixedly connected to the support plate 27. The support plate 27 is located on the right side of the support rod 26 and extends in the front-back direction. Two first sealing connection plates 29 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the support plate 27. The two first sealing connection plates 29 are spaced apart in the front-back direction. Three first adsorption tubes 28 are fixedly connected between the two first sealing connection plates 29 and are arranged in an array in the left-right direction. A first adsorption chamber is formed inside the first adsorption tube 28 along the front-to-back direction. Several first suction nozzles 30 are arrayed and connected to the bottom of the first adsorption tube 28. The several first suction nozzles 30 are distributed along the front-to-back direction. A first negative pressure interface is connected to the bottom of the first adsorption tube 28. The first negative pressure interface is connected to an external vacuum generator to provide negative pressure to the first adsorption chamber so that each first suction nozzle 30 generates adsorption force synchronously.

[0031] The left and right drive assembly 6 is disposed on the front side wall of the guide frame 4 along the left and right direction. The drive end of the left and right drive assembly 6 is connected to the second vertical drive assembly 7, and is used to drive the second vertical drive assembly 7 to reciprocate between the transfer platform 40 and the detection platform 41. The drive end of the second vertical drive assembly 7 is connected to the flip drive assembly 8, and is used to drive the flip drive assembly 8 to move vertically. The drive end of the flip drive assembly 8 is connected to the double-sided suction cup assembly 10, and is used to drive the double-sided suction cup assembly 10 to flip. The double-sided suction cup assembly 10 is used to adsorb the circuit board 39 and transfer the circuit board 39 to the detection platform 41. The double-sided suction cup assembly 10 includes a second adsorption tube 31 and a second sealing connecting plate 32. There are two second sealing connecting plates 32 spaced apart along the front and back direction. Three second adsorption tubes 31 are fixedly connected between the two second sealing connecting plates 32. The three second adsorption tubes 31 are arranged in an array along the left and right direction. A second adsorption cavity is opened in the second adsorption tube 31 along the front and back direction. There are two second adsorption cavities spaced apart along the up and down direction. The two second adsorption cavities are isolated from each other. The top and bottom of the second adsorption tube 31 are each connected in an array of second suction nozzles 33. The second suction nozzles 33 located at the top and bottom of the second adsorption tube 31 are distributed along the front-to-back direction. The top and bottom of the second adsorption tube 31 are each connected to a second negative pressure interface, which is connected to one of the two second adsorption chambers respectively. The two negative pressure systems are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other.

[0032] The double-sided suction cup assembly 10 has a double-sided suction function. When it is necessary to pick up the circuit board 39 from the transfer platform 40 or the single-sided suction cup assembly 9, the flip drive assembly 8 adjusts the posture of the double-sided suction cup assembly 10 so that the second suction nozzle 33 on one side faces the circuit board 39. The second vertical drive assembly 7 drives the double-sided suction cup assembly 10 to descend, and the second negative pressure interface connected to the second suction nozzle 33 on that side is connected to an external negative pressure generating device, forming a negative pressure in the corresponding second suction chamber. A negative pressure is generated at the second suction nozzle 33, which adsorbs and fixes the circuit board 39. Subsequently, the second vertical drive assembly 7 rises, and the flip drive assembly 8 drives the double-sided suction cup assembly 10 to flip, causing the circuit board 39 to flip over. The left and right drive assembly 6 drives the second vertical drive assembly 7 to move above the detection platform 41. The second vertical drive assembly 7 descends, at which point the second suction nozzle 33 on the other side comes into contact with the detection platform 41 or the circuit board 39. A vacuum is drawn into the second adsorption chamber on this side through another second negative pressure interface. The second suction nozzle 33 on this side adsorbs the circuit board 39. At the same time, the vacuum in the second negative pressure interface on the original adsorption side is broken, and the second suction nozzle 33 releases the circuit board 39, thereby accurately placing the circuit board 39 at the detection port. Since the upper and lower second adsorption chambers are isolated from each other, the negative pressure of the second suction nozzles 33 on both sides can be established and released independently, ensuring that no board will fall off due to vacuum leakage during the flipping and handover process.

[0033] The optical processing equipment is located on the rear side of the transfer platform 3, with its detection port facing the rear side of the detection table 41. When the optical processing equipment is an AOI optical inspection machine 11, it is used to perform optical scanning inspection on the circuit board 39 placed on the detection table 41 to identify defects such as open circuits, short circuits, gaps, copper slag, pinholes, and wire deformation. When the optical processing equipment is an AOS automatic optical repair machine, it is used to first perform optical scanning to identify defects on the circuit board 39 placed on the detection table 41, and then remove excess copper foil or selectively repair the circuit by laser ablation or selective local copper deposition.

[0034] The entire machine is controlled in conjunction with a vision system via a PLC controller. The vision system includes an industrial camera mounted above the transfer platform 3, used for positioning and correcting the circuit board 39, ensuring zero-deviation transmission of the circuit board 39 between the exchange platform and the AOI inspection station. A camera for reading the ID on the circuit board is mounted above the pick-and-place base plate 17 via a mounting bracket.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first vertical drive assembly 5, the left and right drive assembly 6, the second vertical drive assembly 7, the lifting assembly 13, and the guide assembly 15 all adopt a linear module structure. Each linear module includes a servo motor, a ball screw pair, and a linear guide pair. The servo motor is coaxially connected to the lead screw of the ball screw pair via a coupling. The nut of the ball screw pair is fixedly connected to the moving part. The slider 23 of the linear guide pair is fixedly connected to the moving part. The servo motor drives the lead screw to rotate, and the nut drives the moving part to reciprocate linearly along the linear guide pair. The flip drive assembly 8 and the steering assembly 14 both adopt a combination structure of a servo motor and a reducer. The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the input end of the reducer. The output shaft of the reducer is fixedly connected to the rotating part via a flange. The servo motor drives the rotating part to rotate after being reduced in speed and increased in torque by the reducer.

[0036] The method includes the following steps: S1: Loading step, transport the box containing the circuit board to the box interface of the loading and unloading machine, the picking and unloading mechanism takes out the circuit board from the box and transports the circuit board to the handover platform. S2: Material handling and inspection step. According to the inspection mode, the suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board from the transfer table, transports the circuit board to the inspection table, and the optical processing equipment performs optical processing on the circuit board. Among them, the optical processing equipment is either an AOI optical inspection machine or an AOS automatic optical repair machine; S3: Unloading step. After the inspection is completed, the suction cup assembly removes the circuit board from the inspection table and transports it back to the handover table. The picking and placing mechanism picks up the circuit board from the handover table and puts it back into the material box. The suction cup assembly includes a single-sided suction cup assembly and a double-sided suction cup assembly.

[0037] As a preferred option, in step 2, the detection modes include all-front detection mode, all-back detection mode, and alternating front and back detection mode.

[0038] As a preferred option, the full front inspection mode performs front-side inspection only on each circuit board in the bin. The full front inspection mode includes the following steps: The double-sided suction cup assembly directly picks up the circuit board from the transfer table and transports it to the testing table for frontal inspection. During the inspection of the current circuit board, the double-sided suction cup assembly sequentially picks up the next circuit board from the transfer table, rotates it 180° above the testing table, waits, and then exchanges it with the current circuit board on the testing platform, returning the inspected circuit board to the transfer table.

[0039] Specifically, all the flips described in this solution are 180° flips.

[0040] In this embodiment, the specific steps of the all-front detection mode are as follows: Step S211: Material Box Docking. The operator pushes the material cart loaded with the material box to the material box interface of the loading and unloading machine, or automatically docks it using the AGV docking mechanism. The material box lifting mechanism at the material box interface lifts the material box upwards, aligning the material box's loading port with the material box interface.

[0041] Step S212: Material Retrieval. The lifting assembly, steering assembly, guide assembly, and material retrieval assembly within the loading / unloading machine rise as a whole to the top layer or target layer of the corresponding material bin. Driven by the guide assembly, the material retrieval assembly extends forward into the material bin to retrieve the first circuit board to be tested. After retrieval, the guide assembly drives the material retrieval assembly to retract, and the steering assembly drives the guide assembly to rotate, oriented the circuit board towards the transfer platform. Subsequently, the lifting assembly adjusts its height, and the guide assembly again drives the material retrieval assembly to extend forward, placing the first circuit board onto the transfer platform through the interface.

[0042] Step S213: Frontal Inspection. The first vertical drive assembly drives the single-sided suction cup assembly to rise above the double-sided suction cup assembly, allowing the double-sided suction cup assembly to move above the junction platform. The left and right drive assembly drives the second vertical drive assembly to move above the junction platform. The second vertical drive assembly then drives the flip drive assembly and the double-sided suction cup assembly to descend. The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the first circuit board and rises. The left and right drive assembly drives the second vertical drive assembly to move above the inspection platform. The second vertical drive assembly descends, placing the first circuit board on the inspection platform. The front of the circuit board is then optically scanned and inspected by the inspection port of the optical processing equipment.

[0043] Step S214: Flow Exchange. While the first batch of circuit boards is being inspected, the pick-and-place assembly continues to move the second circuit board to the transfer table. Driven by the left and right drive components and the second vertical drive component, the double-sided suction cup assembly moves above the transfer table to pick up the second circuit board, and then moves above the inspection table. At this time, the double-sided suction cup assembly rotates 180° and waits. After the optical processing equipment completes the inspection of the first circuit board, the double-sided suction cup assembly descends to pick up the inspected first circuit board, rises, and then descends again to place the second uninspected circuit board on the inspection table. Subsequently, the optical processing equipment performs frontal inspection on the second circuit board, while the double-sided suction cup assembly rotates the inspected first circuit board 180° and returns it to the transfer table for release.

[0044] Step S215: Return to storage. The material handling assembly picks up the tested circuit board from the handover table, adjusts its posture by rotating the steering assembly and raising the lifting assembly, and then returns it to its original position in the material box.

[0045] Following the aforementioned assembly line operation method, the double-sided suction cup assembly sequentially picks up subsequent circuit boards from the transfer table. Each time, it first rotates 180° above the inspection table and waits before exchanging with the previous circuit board on the AOI inspection table, achieving uninterrupted continuous inspection. For the last circuit board, after the double-sided suction cup assembly places it in the inspection port and completes the inspection, it directly picks up the circuit board from the inspection table, transports it back to the transfer table, and is then sent back to the material bin by the pick-and-place assembly, completing the entire process of front-side inspection.

[0046] As a preferred option, the full reverse inspection mode performs reverse inspection only on each circuit board in the bin. The full reverse inspection mode includes the following steps: The single-sided suction cup assembly first picks up the circuit board from the transfer platform and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly moves below the single-sided suction cup assembly and transfers the circuit board to it. The flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip, placing the circuit board on the detection platform for reverse detection. During the detection of the current circuit board, the single-sided suction cup assembly continues to pick up the next circuit board from the transfer platform and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly transfers the next circuit board from the single-sided suction cup assembly and moves above the detection platform to wait. It then picks up the currently detected circuit board from the detection platform, flips it, and places the next circuit board on the detection platform for reverse detection. After detection, the double-sided suction cup assembly transfers the detected circuit board back to the single-sided suction cup assembly, which then places it back on the transfer platform.

[0047] As a preferred embodiment, in the full reverse detection mode, after the material handling mechanism retrieves the tested circuit board from the transfer table, it adjusts the posture by rotating the steering component and raising and lowering the lifting component, and then sends the circuit board back to the original position of the material box.

[0048] In this embodiment, the specific steps of the full reverse detection mode are as follows: Step S221: Material Retrieval. The material retrieval assembly picks up the first circuit board to be inspected on the reverse side from the material bin and transfers it to the transfer table.

[0049] Step S222: Handover and Flipping. The single-sided suction cup assembly picks up the first circuit board from the handover platform and rises. The left and right drive assembly drives the second vertical drive assembly to move above the handover platform. The second vertical drive assembly then drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to descend until the double-sided suction cup assembly is directly below the single-sided suction cup assembly. The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the first circuit board from the single-sided suction cup assembly. Subsequently, the flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip 180 degrees, so that the reverse side of the circuit board is facing up. The circuit board is then placed on the testing platform for reverse side testing.

[0050] Step S223: Reverse Inspection Flowchart. While the current circuit board is undergoing reverse inspection, the single-sided suction cup assembly continues to pick up the second circuit board from the transfer table and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the second circuit board from the single-sided suction cup assembly and moves it above the inspection table to wait. Subsequently, the double-sided suction cup assembly descends to pick up the first inspected circuit board from the inspection table, then rises and flips it 180 degrees before descending again to place the second circuit board onto the inspection table for reverse inspection.

[0051] Step S224: Handover. The double-sided suction cup assembly hands over the first circuit board to the single-sided suction cup assembly, which then places the first circuit board onto the handover platform. At this time, the double-sided suction cup assembly performs a clearance action to make room for the single-sided suction cup assembly to place the board. The pick-and-place assembly retrieves the inspected first circuit board from the handover platform, the steering assembly drives the guide assembly to rotate, the lifting assembly adjusts the height, and the pick-and-place assembly sends the first circuit board back to the material box.

[0052] Following the above process, the double-sided suction cup assembly sequentially transfers subsequent circuit boards from the single-sided suction cup assembly, exchanging them with the previously inspected circuit board on the AOI inspection table. After the inspected circuit board is returned to the handover table by the single-sided suction cup assembly, it is retrieved back to its original position in the material box by the pick-and-place assembly. When the reverse side of the last circuit board is inspected, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks it up from the inspection table and transfers it to the single-sided suction cup assembly, which places it on the handover table. The pick-and-place assembly then retrieves it back to the material box.

[0053] As a preferred solution, the alternating front and back inspection mode involves sequentially performing front and back inspections on each circuit board in the bin before returning it to the bin. The alternating front and back inspection mode includes the following steps: The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the current circuit board from the transfer platform and places it on the detection platform for front-side inspection. After the front-side inspection of the current circuit board is completed, the double-sided suction cup assembly directly grabs the circuit board and moves it back to the transfer platform. The single-sided suction cup assembly then picks up the circuit board and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly moves below the single-sided suction cup assembly and transfers the circuit board to it. The flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip, placing the circuit board on the detection platform for back-side inspection. During the back-side inspection of the current circuit board, the material handling mechanism operates synchronously. The next circuit board is removed from the hopper and moved to the transfer table for waiting. After the reverse side of the current circuit board is inspected, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board from the inspection table, flips it back to face up, and then transports it back to the single-sided suction cup assembly for suction. At the same time, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the next circuit board that has been pre-positioned on the transfer table and begins the front side inspection of the next circuit board. The single-sided suction cup assembly places the current circuit board that has completed double-sided inspection on the transfer table, and the material handling mechanism sends it back to the hopper. This process is repeated until all circuit boards have completed double-sided inspection.

[0054] As a preferred embodiment, in the alternating front and back detection mode, after the current circuit board is detected on the back side, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board with the back side facing up from the detection table, and the flipping drive assembly drives it to flip back to the front side facing up, and then transports it back to the bottom of the single-sided suction cup assembly for the single-sided suction cup assembly to pick it up.

[0055] In this embodiment, the specific steps of the alternating forward and reverse detection mode are as follows: Step S231: Material Pickup and Front Inspection. The material pickup and drop assembly picks up the first circuit board from the material bin and transfers it to the transfer table. The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the first circuit board from the transfer table, moves it above the inspection table, and places it on the inspection table for front inspection.

[0056] Step S232: Transfer and Reverse Inspection. After the front side inspection of the current circuit board is completed, the double-sided suction cup assembly directly picks up the circuit board from the inspection table and moves it back to the transfer table. Then, the single-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board and raises it. At this time, the double-sided suction cup assembly moves to the left, directly below the single-sided suction cup assembly, and picks up the circuit board and moves it above the inspection table. The flip drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip 180 degrees, so that the reverse side of the circuit board is facing up. The double-sided suction cup assembly then places the reverse-facing circuit board on the inspection table for reverse inspection.

[0057] Step S233: Synchronous material handling. During the reverse side inspection of the current circuit board, the material handling assembly simultaneously picks up the next circuit board from the material bin and moves it to the handover table, so that the next circuit board is in place in advance and ready to go.

[0058] Step S234: Data Retrieval and Unloading Initiation. After the reverse side inspection of the current circuit board is completed, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board with its reverse side facing up from the inspection table. Driven by the flipping drive assembly, it flips the circuit board so that its front side faces up, and then transports it back to the bottom of the single-sided suction cup assembly for pickup. Subsequently, the double-sided suction cup assembly descends again to pick up the next circuit board that has been pre-positioned on the transfer table, and begins the front side inspection of the next circuit board. At the same time, the single-sided suction cup assembly places the first circuit board that has completed double-sided inspection on the transfer table, and the pick-and-place assembly hooks the circuit board and sends it back to its original position in the material box.

[0059] Repeat steps S231 to S234 to complete the double-sided inspection of all circuit boards in sequence. During this process, while the current circuit board is being inspected on both sides of the inspection table, the picking and positioning of the next circuit board is performed simultaneously, maximizing the overlap between the inspection and loading / unloading cycles.

[0060] All operating units of the machine are uniformly scheduled through a PLC controller. The vision system performs real-time position identification and ID code reading of the circuit boards, ensuring that the position information of each circuit board is traceable throughout the entire process of picking, placing, handing over, flipping, inspecting, and storing. The PLC controller interacts with the optical processing equipment and the MES system through a communication protocol to realize the uploading of inspection data, automatic switching of process recipes, and optimized control of production cycle. The negative pressure systems of the single-sided suction cup assembly and the double-sided suction cup assembly are independently controlled by solenoid valves to ensure that no board falls off due to vacuum leakage during the handover process.

[0061] As a preferred embodiment, the single-sided suction cup assembly is driven to rise and fall by the first vertical drive assembly, and the double-sided suction cup assembly is driven to move back and forth between the transfer platform and the detection platform by the left and right drive assemblies, and is driven to rise and fall by the second vertical drive assembly, and is driven to flip by the flip drive assembly.

[0062] As a preferred embodiment, the material handling mechanism includes a lifting component, a steering component, a guiding component, and a material handling component. The lifting component drives the steering component to move vertically, the steering component drives the guiding component to rotate, and the guiding component drives the material handling component to move reciprocally in a straight line in the horizontal direction. The material handling end of the material handling component is used to extend into the material box or the transfer platform to hook or place the circuit board.

[0063] In this embodiment, during the S1 feeding step, the lifting component drives the picking and placing component to rise and fall to the height corresponding to the picking port of the material box, the steering component drives the picking and placing component to rotate towards the material box interface, the guide component drives the picking and placing component to extend into the material box to hook the circuit board, after hooking, the guide component drives the picking and placing component to retract, the steering component drives the picking and placing component to rotate towards the transfer platform, the lifting component drives the picking and placing component to rise and fall to the height corresponding to the transfer platform, and the guide component drives the picking and placing component to push the circuit board to the transfer platform.

[0064] In the S3 unloading step, the process of the picking and placing mechanism taking the circuit board from the transfer table and putting it back into the material box is as follows: the lifting component drives the picking and placing component to rise and fall to the height corresponding to the transfer table, the guide component drives the picking and placing component to extend into the transfer table to hook the circuit board, after hooking, the guide component drives the picking and placing component to retract, the steering component drives the picking and placing component to rotate to the direction facing the material box interface, the lifting component drives the picking and placing component to rise and fall to the height corresponding to the material box's picking port, and the guide component drives the picking and placing component to push the circuit board back into the material box.

[0065] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0066] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards, characterized in that: An automatic loading and unloading device is adopted, which includes a loading and unloading machine, a material handling mechanism, a transfer platform, a guide frame, a first vertical drive assembly, a left and right drive assembly, a second vertical drive assembly, a flipping drive assembly, and a suction cup assembly. The transfer platform includes a transfer table and a detection table distributed from left to right. The method includes the following steps: S1: Loading step, transport the box containing the circuit board to the box interface of the loading and unloading machine, the picking and unloading mechanism takes out the circuit board from the box and transports the circuit board to the handover platform. S2: Material handling and inspection step. According to the inspection mode, the suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board from the transfer table, transports the circuit board to the inspection table, and the optical processing equipment performs optical processing on the circuit board. S3: Unloading step. After the inspection is completed, the suction cup assembly removes the circuit board from the inspection table and transports it back to the handover table. The picking and placing mechanism picks up the circuit board from the handover table and puts it back into the material box. The suction cup assembly includes a single-sided suction cup assembly and a double-sided suction cup assembly.

2. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 2, the detection modes include full front detection mode, full back detection mode, and alternating front and back detection mode.

3. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 2, characterized in that: The full front inspection mode performs front-side inspection only on each circuit board in the bin. The full front inspection mode includes the following steps: The double-sided suction cup assembly directly picks up the circuit board from the transfer table and transports it to the testing table for frontal inspection. During the inspection of the current circuit board, the double-sided suction cup assembly sequentially picks up the next circuit board from the transfer table, rotates it 180° above the testing table, waits, and then exchanges it with the current circuit board on the testing platform, returning the inspected circuit board to the transfer table.

4. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 2, characterized in that: The full reverse inspection mode performs reverse inspection only on each circuit board in the bin. The full reverse inspection mode includes the following steps: The single-sided suction cup assembly first picks up the circuit board from the transfer platform and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly moves below the single-sided suction cup assembly and transfers the circuit board to it. The flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip, placing the circuit board on the detection platform for reverse detection. During the detection of the current circuit board, the single-sided suction cup assembly continues to pick up the next circuit board from the transfer platform and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly transfers the next circuit board from the single-sided suction cup assembly and moves above the detection platform to wait. It then picks up the currently detected circuit board from the detection platform, flips it, and places the next circuit board on the detection platform for reverse detection. After detection, the double-sided suction cup assembly transfers the detected circuit board back to the single-sided suction cup assembly, which then places it back on the transfer platform.

5. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 2, characterized in that: The alternating front and back inspection mode involves sequentially inspecting each circuit board in the bin from both the front and back before returning it to the bin. The alternating front and back inspection mode includes the following steps: The double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the current circuit board from the transfer platform and places it on the detection platform for front-side inspection. After the front-side inspection of the current circuit board is completed, the double-sided suction cup assembly directly grabs the circuit board and moves it back to the transfer platform. The single-sided suction cup assembly then picks up the circuit board and rises. The double-sided suction cup assembly moves below the single-sided suction cup assembly and transfers the circuit board to it. The flipping drive assembly drives the double-sided suction cup assembly to flip, placing the circuit board on the detection platform for back-side inspection. During the back-side inspection of the current circuit board, the material handling mechanism operates synchronously. The next circuit board is removed from the hopper and moved to the transfer table for waiting. After the reverse side of the current circuit board is inspected, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board from the inspection table, flips it back to face up, and then transports it back to the single-sided suction cup assembly for suction. At the same time, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the next circuit board that has been pre-positioned on the transfer table and begins the front side inspection of the next circuit board. The single-sided suction cup assembly places the current circuit board that has completed double-sided inspection on the transfer table, and the material handling mechanism sends it back to the hopper. This process is repeated until all circuit boards have completed double-sided inspection.

6. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the full reverse inspection mode, after the material handling mechanism retrieves the inspected circuit board from the transfer table, it adjusts the posture by rotating the steering component and raising and lowering the lifting component, and then sends the circuit board back to the original position of the material box.

7. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the alternating front and back detection mode, after the current circuit board is detected on the back side, the double-sided suction cup assembly picks up the circuit board with the back side facing up from the detection table, and the flipping drive assembly drives it to flip back to face up, and then transports it back to the bottom of the single-sided suction cup assembly for the single-sided suction cup assembly to pick it up.

8. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: The single-sided suction cup assembly is driven to rise and fall by the first vertical drive assembly, while the double-sided suction cup assembly is driven to move back and forth between the transfer platform and the detection platform by the left and right drive assemblies, and is driven to rise and fall by the second vertical drive assembly and is driven to flip by the flip drive assembly.

9. The automatic loading and unloading method for optical processing of circuit boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material handling mechanism includes a lifting component, a steering component, a guiding component, and a material handling component. The lifting component drives the steering component to move vertically, the steering component drives the guiding component to rotate, and the guiding component drives the material handling component to move back and forth in a horizontal linear direction. The material handling end of the material handling component is used to extend into the material box or the transfer platform to hook or place the circuit board.

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