Data correlation between different machines in a production line for electronic components

Abstract

Method for adjusting process parameters for a process for manufacturing electronic assemblies by means of automated manufacturing on a production line (100), comprising the method (A) Performing a correlation procedure to correlate different data sets that are assigned to one and the same printed circuit board (470) on which an electronic assembly with several electronic components is built up by means of automated manufacturing, the correlation procedure comprising Providing a first data set from a first machine (110), wherein the first data set is assigned to the first machine (110), controls an operation of the first machine (110) and features: first position information and first characteristic information about characteristic target properties of a product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at several positions of the printed circuit board (470); Providing a second data set from a second machine (160), wherein the second data set is assigned to the second machine (160), controls an operation of the second machine (160) and features: second position information and second characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board (470); geometric superimposition of the first position information with the second position information; Repositioning the first position information and / or the second position information such that the totality of distances between each pair of associated position information, i.e., a first position information and an associated second position information, from each of the same locations on the printed circuit board (470), is reduced; and Providing a third data set from a third machine (130), wherein the third data set is assigned to the third machine (130), controls an operation of the third machine (130) and has third position information and third characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board (470); wherein the geometric overlay further comprises a geometric overlay of the third position information with the first position information and / or the second position information; and wherein the repositioning further comprises repositioning the third position information such that an entirety of the sum of the three distances between each set of three mutually associated position information, i.e. the sum of (i) a first distance between the first position information and the associated second position information, (ii) a second distance between the associated second position information and a third position information which is associated with the first position information and the second position information, and (iii) a third distance between the third position information and the first position information, from each of the same location on the printed circuit board (470), is reduced; wherein the first machine is a first processing machine (110) and the first data record contains a first process data record; wherein the second machine is a first inspection machine (160) and the second data set contains a first inspection data set; wherein the third machine is a second processing machine (130) and the third data set contains a second process data set; and wherein the method for adjusting process parameters further comprises (B) Determine, using the first inspection machine (160), a first deviation between an actual property and a target property of the product characteristic structure in a first area of ​​the printed circuit board (470), which is assigned to a first location on a surface of the printed circuit board (470); (C) Creating a first combination data set (375) based on (i) at least one first part of each of the first process data set, the second process data set and the first inspection data set, wherein the first part is assigned to the first area of ​​the printed circuit board (470) and further based on (ii) the repositioned first position information and / or the repositioned second position information and / or the repositioned third position information; and (D) Adjusting first process parameters of the first processing machine (110) and / or second process parameters of the second processing machine (130) based on the created first combination data set (375) and the determined first deviation.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of manufacturing electronic assemblies in a production line comprising several machines, in particular a placement machine for placing electronic components onto a printed circuit board and an inspection machine for determining the quality of preceding process steps. The present invention relates in particular to a method for adjusting process parameters for a process for manufacturing electronic assemblies by means of automated production on a production line. Background of the invention

[0002] Electronic assemblies typically consist of a printed circuit board (PCB) and several electronic components mounted on the PCB and electrically interconnected via conductive traces. These electronic assemblies are manufactured on production lines that include several machines connected by a conveyor belt for manufacturing or processing, as well as machines for (optical) inspection of intermediate products. Such machines typically comprise... (a) a solder paste printing machine for selectively applying solder paste to component connection pads formed on a surface of the printed circuit board concerned; (b) a solder paste inspection machine for verifying the correct application of solder paste; (c) at least one placement machine for placing electronic components on the solder paste-coated surface of the printed circuit board; (d) a placement inspection machine for verifying correct placement of the printed circuit board; (e) a soldering machine or oven for melting the solder paste located between component terminals of the populated printed circuit board and electrical terminal contacts of the components concerned; and (f) a solder inspection machine for verifying that the components are soldered correctly.

[0003] For a potentially less stringent quality assessment, it is not absolutely necessary to use all three inspection machines mentioned. Only one inspection machine is required, and this does not necessarily have to be the solder inspection machine mentioned.

[0004] In currently known production lines for electronic assemblies, at least one inspection machine is used to reject defective or poorly processed circuit boards from the manufacturing process or to send them for repair. This rejection takes place at a specific point in the production line using a suitable reject device, which is also referred to as a gate in this document. It is obvious that, for cost-benefit reasons, such rejection should occur as early as possible.

[0005] There are two main reasons for rejecting a product. First, the processed circuit board, also referred to in this document as product or intermediate, may actually be defective or of (very) poor quality. Second, the product or intermediate may be perfectly fine, but the inspection machine may have falsely reported a defect. Therefore, when classifying a product using an inspection machine, it is advisable to select the threshold values ​​for defect detection in such a way that, on the one hand, defective products are reliably identified, and on the other hand, as few false positives as possible are reported.

[0006] A rejected product or a rejected processed circuit board can be manually inspected and, if necessary, reworked by an experienced operator. Based on the results of such an inspection, process parameters, such as the squeegee speed in a solder paste printing machine, can then be improved or optimized for future printing processes. Furthermore, the aforementioned threshold values ​​for defect detection can be adjusted.

[0007] However, both such manual optimization of process parameters and the appropriate setting of thresholds for fault detection are very difficult in practice. Both depend in particular on the skill and experience of the operator in optimizing process parameters and setting such thresholds.

[0008] US 2012 / 0130666A1 discloses a method for inspecting a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the inspection is performed in at least one selected area of ​​the PCB. To avoid inadvertently inspecting the "wrong area" due to mechanical distortion of the PCB, the area where selected components are placed or mounted is not simply inspected. Instead, acquired measurement data is compared with predetermined reference data based on characteristic features, and a conversion ratio is determined that is indicative of mechanical distortion. The validity of the conversion ratio is then verified using at least one characteristic feature and two other features (one of which is a component connection pad), and after successful verification, the "new" inspection area is defined.

[0009] EP 3 223 594 A1 discloses a production line for manufacturing populated printed circuit boards. The production line comprises a solder paste printing machine, a subsequent solder paste inspection machine, a placement machine, a placement inspection machine, a soldering machine, and a final solder inspection machine. Each inspection machine verifies the reliability and / or process quality of the preceding processing machine. To ensure the correct assignment of inspection results, optically acquired measurement data is compared with predetermined reference data, and coordinate transformation and / or coordinate correction data are calculated from this comparison. This ensures that the positional data used by all inspection machines are correlated and that the results of the inspection machines can be compared with positional accuracy.

[0010] JP 2013-187483A discloses a defect detection method for a production line for electronic assemblies. The production line comprises a solder paste printing machine, a placement machine, and a soldering machine. A placement inspection machine is located between the placement machine and the soldering machine. A solder inspection machine is located downstream of the soldering machine. The inspection machines calculate positional deviations of the placed components during the manufacturing process based on optically acquired measurement data and provided reference data. A process unit evaluates the coordinate deviations correlated by the inspection machines with the reference data and thus detects incorrectly placed and / or soldered components.

[0011] US 2015 / 0206086 A1 discloses a method for controlling a production system for electronic assemblies. The production system comprises several placement lines, each with multiple placement machines. Each placement machine has a control device, all of which are connected to a central, higher-level computer via a data network. To coordinate the workflows throughout the entire production system, various types of data are transferred over the network: (a) configuration data for the various placement machines, (b) work data for placing the respective printed circuit boards (PCBs), and (c) distribution data that assigns the work to the various placement lines or placement machines. The work data or work instructions for each placement machine use an internal coordinate system of the PCB to be placed.The computer, which contains several storage and processing units, translates the coordinate systems of the various placement machines into one another.

[0012] JP 2006-86 323 A discloses a method for generating inspection data for inspecting the assembly status of an electronic component on a substrate or printed circuit board, which, for example, was placed on the substrate using a placement machine. The placement machine is part of a system described in Fig. Figure 1 depicts a production line for electronic assemblies, which includes (a) a solder paste printer, (b) a dispenser, (c) two placement machines, (d) an inspection machine, and (e) a reflow oven. The substrates (to be assembled, or assembled and inspected) are transported along a flow direction extending from the solder paste printer to the reflow oven. The various devices (a) to (d) communicate such that production data from an upstream device is transmitted to a downstream device and taken into account. Likewise, data from a downstream device, particularly the inspection machine, can be transmitted to an upstream device, e.g., a placement machine, to prevent the occurrence of defective electronic assemblies (due to poor assembly).The data transmitted along or against the direction of transport can include, for example, positional data of components on the substrate. Furthermore, the transmitted data can include color and tolerance data of a component, positional information of solder joints, or tolerance data in areas requiring particularly high accuracy. The positional information (and other characteristic information) can be based on different coordinate systems. Therefore, a coordinate transformation between the various datasets is necessary.

[0013] EP 1 578 186 A2 discloses an inspection method for substrates with components mounted thereon, which are produced by a plurality of successive production steps. The inspection method comprises the following steps: (a) providing a plurality of inspection devices, each associated with one of the production steps; and (b) performing an inspection process on a substrate using an image of the substrate taken after a production step. In this process, an inspection device used to inspect a substrate uses data generated by another inspection device during the inspection of that substrate.

[0014] The invention is based on the objective of facilitating the optimization of process parameters and / or the setting of threshold values ​​for error detection in the manufacture of electronic assemblies. Summary of the invention

[0015] This problem is solved by a method according to claim 1, by a production line according to claim 12, and by a computer program according to claim 13. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in dependent claims 2 to 11.

[0016] According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for correlating different data sets assigned to one and the same printed circuit board is described, on which an electronic assembly with several electronic components is built by means of automated manufacturing on a production line. The described method comprises (a) providing a first data set from a first machine, wherein the first data set (a1) is assigned to the first machine, (a2) controls the operation of the first machine, and (a3) ​​includes: (a) first position information and first characteristic information about characteristic target properties of a product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board at several positions of the printed circuit board; (b) providing a second data set from a second machine, wherein the second data set (b1) is assigned to the second machine, (b2) controls an operation of the second machine and (b3) includes: (a) second position information and second characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board; (c) geometric superimposition of the first position information with the second position information; and (d) repositioning of the first position information and / or the second position information such that the totality of the distances between each pair of associated position information, i.e., a first position information and an associated second position information, from each of the same locations on the printed circuit board, is reduced.

[0017] The described method according to claim 1 is based on the understanding that by suitable geometric repositioning of a first coordinate system of the first position information and / or a second coordinate system of the second position information relative to each other, the process data of the different machines can be compared with one another or correlated with one another with regard to production-characteristic results of an intermediate product or a finished product (finished assembly). In simpler terms, this repositioning forms the basis for comparing or correlating the data from different machines. This allows not only the influence of process parameters on the machining result of a single machine to be investigated, but also the (combinatorial) influence of several process parameters assigned to different machines on characteristic properties or...The quality of the intermediate and, in particular, the final product can be evaluated. This advantageously enables the automated optimization of various process parameters with a view to achieving the highest possible quality of intermediate and final products.

[0018] A shared database, used by multiple processing machines and / or inspection machines and containing correlated data sets, allows for two ways to improve the manufacturing process of electronic assemblies. This improvement can be achieved by appropriately adjusting the process parameters of the processing machines and / or the thresholds of the inspection machines or reject devices (gates). First, the quality of the manufactured electronic assemblies or end products can be improved. Alternatively, or in combination, the proportion of non-defective (end) products incorrectly rejected from the manufacturing process can be reduced.

[0019] The relative repositioning of the two (different) coordinate systems described above is carried out according to the invention in such a way that the product-characteristic structures of the printed circuit board, which are naturally the same for the (one and the same) printed circuit board and are merely captured and processed or machined in different coordinate systems by the different machines, have the greatest possible overlap in the two coordinate systems after repositioning. In simpler terms, this means that the (two) geometric descriptions of the product-characteristic printed circuit board structure are aligned by the described repositioning so that a correct geometric correlation of the two data sets can be performed.

[0020] In this document, the term "correlation" can be understood as any type of geometric mapping of coordinates from different coordinate systems that ensures that one and the same structure of the printed circuit board (PCB) is described as the same structure in both coordinate systems (and in both data sets). For example, a specific pad on the PCB, which is designated for a specific electrical contact of a particular component in the electronic assembly, must be described as the same pad in both data sets. It is obvious that this primarily depends on correct geometric repositioning.

[0021] In this document, the term "machine" can be understood to mean any type of device that contributes to the production of the electronic assembly. A machine can be a processing machine or an inspection machine. Examples of processing machines in the described production line include a solder paste printing machine, a placement machine, or a soldering machine such as a reflow oven, as described earlier. An inspection machine can be an optical inspection machine that captures the intermediate or final product in two or three dimensions. The inspection machine can be located at various points in the production line. (a) In the case of an arrangement along a transport direction downstream of the solder paste printing machine and upstream of the placement machine, the results of a solder paste printing process can be inspected. Such an inspection machine is referred to in this document as a ‘solder paste inspection machine’. (b) If the installation is located downstream of the placement machine and upstream of the soldering machine, the results of a placement process can be inspected. Such an inspection machine is referred to in this document as the ‘placement inspection machine’. (c) If the installation is located downstream of the soldering machine, the results of (reflow) soldering of the mounted components can be inspected at the respective component pads on the printed circuit board. Such an inspection machine, which is typically used to inspect the final product of the production line, is referred to in this document as a "placement inspection machine".

[0022] In this document, the term "position information" can be understood to mean any position-specific information about a location on the printed circuit board (PCB). Position information specifically refers to the positions of the component pads on the PCB surface, which, during component placement, make electrical contact with the component leads. Naturally, the position information for the same PCB location will have different values ​​in different coordinate systems (used by different machines).

[0023] In this document, the term "characteristic information" can be understood to mean any information about the spatial, physical, optical, and / or electrical properties or characteristics of a specific location or (small) area of ​​the printed circuit board, such as a pad. Spatial physical characteristic information can be two-dimensional geometric information, for example, information about the location, size, and / or shape of a pad. Alternatively, or in combination, spatial physical characteristic information can be three-dimensional information, for example, information about the volume of solder paste applied to a specific pad.Optical characteristic information could, for example, be a description of a pad's color and / or reflectivity, which might indicate potential pad corrosion or a cold solder joint. Electrical characteristic information could, for example, be a description of a conductor's conductivity on the surface of the printed circuit board.

[0024] In this document, the term "product characteristic structure" can be understood to encompass all structural or spatial physical features that are characteristic of a particular type of printed circuit board (PCB). In particular, product characteristic structure(s) can be used to distinguish one type of PCB from another. Such features can include, for example, the location, size, and / or shape of pads.

[0025] In this document, the term "repositioning" can refer to any type of geometric change to a coordinate system used to describe the data set in question. In particular, repositioning can involve moving, rotating, and / or, in some cases, distorting at least one of the two coordinate systems, each associated with one of the two data sets.

[0026] In this document, the term "total of distances between any two corresponding positional information" can be understood as the sum of distances between any two positional data points in different coordinate systems, where the two positional data points are coordinate points relating to one and the same location on the printed circuit board (PCB). The sum is calculated by adding the absolute values ​​of the distances for different locations on the PCB. Alternatively, the total can also be the sum of all squared distances between corresponding positional data points with respect to one and the same location on the PCB. Repositioning can therefore be analogous to the best fit of a mathematical function to a plurality of measurement points, which have a (statistical) dispersion and which, in the described procedure, represent distance values.

[0027] According to claim 2, the first processing machine performs a physical modification of a product comprising the printed circuit board and the product-characteristic structure by means of a processing process. The physical modification can include adding a product-characteristic structure and / or changing the properties of the product-characteristic structure. The product-characteristic structure can, for example, be a volume of solder paste that is applied to (at least) one component connection pad formed on a surface of the printed circuit board by means of solder paste printing. The product-characteristic structure can also be an electronic component or the spatial position in two or three dimensions of an electronic component that is placed on the printed circuit board by means of a placement machine.

[0028] According to claim 3, the first processing machine is a machine selected from the group consisting of (i) a solder paste printing machine for selectively applying solder paste to component connection pads of the printed circuit board; (ii) a placement machine for placing electronic components on the printed circuit board; and (iii) a soldering machine for melting the solder paste located between component connection pads of the printed circuit board and electrical connection contacts of components placed on the printed circuit board.

[0029] The described selection of processing machines has the advantage that it includes all typical processing machines found in a production line for electronic components. This means that the described method can, in principle, be used for data correlation between all types of processing machines in a production line. This applies to all machines that work with position-specific information or that provide position-specific information as part of a measurement.

[0030] According to claim 4, the first inspection machine detects the product-characteristic structure by means of an inspection process. The first inspection machine, or more precisely a data processing device contained in or downstream of the first inspection machine, can compare a detected actual product-characteristic structure with a corresponding predetermined target product-characteristic structure and thereby determine a quality value for the manufactured and detected product-characteristic structure. This quality value can be used to adjust process parameters of a processing machine and / or at least a threshold value of the first inspection machine or a further inspection machine in a suitable manner.

[0031] Preferably, the first inspection machine does not merely detect a single product-characteristic structure, but rather a multitude of product-characteristic structures. The aforementioned data processing device can then compare more than one, or at least several, of the detected actual product-characteristic structures with a corresponding predefined target product-characteristic structure, and thereby determine several quality values ​​and / or an overarching quality value for the manufactured and detected product-characteristic structure.

[0032] The first inspection machine described can be an optical inspection machine that detects the product's characteristic structure in one dimension, preferably in two dimensions, and more preferably in three dimensions. This has the advantage that the inspection can be carried out quickly and with high accuracy.

[0033] According to claim 5, the first inspection machine is a machine selected from the group consisting of (i) a solder paste inspection machine for detecting applied solder paste; (ii) a placement inspection machine for detecting placed components; and (iii) a solder inspection machine for detecting soldered components.

[0034] Solder paste analysis can include, for example, measuring the position, volume, and / or shape of a solder paste application. Naturally, all these observables have a (strong) influence on the quality of the contacts for the components yet to be installed.

[0035] The detection of placed components can include, for example, the type of component, its placement position in the plane of the printed circuit board, and / or the component's height above the board surface (the component rests on the solder paste before subsequent soldering). It is obvious that all these observables have a significant influence on the subsequent soldering process and thus on the final electrical contact of the components.

[0036] The detection of soldered components can also include the type of soldered component, its final position in the plane of the printed circuit board (PCB), and / or its height above the PCB surface (the component rests on the volume of the temporarily melted and subsequently solidified solder paste after soldering). In particular, it can be determined whether the component leads are correctly soldered to the corresponding PCB pads and thus electrically connected. It is obvious that all these observables significantly influence the quality of the final product, namely the manufactured electronic assembly. Therefore, detection by the described solder inspection machine can be an important component of a final quality analysis of the manufactured (end) product. The final quality analysis, if applicable,Together with at least a non-final quality analysis, this can be used to optimize the process parameters of processing machines and / or threshold values ​​of the first inspection machine and, if necessary, of further inspection machines by means of a suitable learning process.

[0037] It should be noted that in embodiments where the first machine is a (first) processing machine and the second machine is a (first) inspection machine, the described method can advantageously combine measurement data and process data. This can be done, in particular, to optimize the process data using the measurement data. This can advantageously enable a particularly accurate analysis of automated manufacturing.

[0038] The described selection of inspection machines has the advantage that it includes all typical inspection machines of a production line for electronic components. Therefore, the described method can, in principle, be used for data correlation between all types of inspection machines in a production line and, optionally, additionally between all processing machines and all inspection machines in a production line for electronic assemblies.

[0039] The method according to claim 1 further comprises (a) providing a third data set from a third machine, wherein the third data set (a1) is assigned to the third machine, (a2) controls an operation of the third machine and (a3) ​​includes: Third position information and third characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product-characteristic structure of the printed circuit board at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board; wherein the geometric superposition further exhibits a geometric superimposition of the third position information with the first position information and / or the second position information; and wherein the repositioning further features a repositioning of the third position information such that a totality of the sum of the three distances between each set of three corresponding position information pieces, i.e. the sum of (i) a first distance between the first position information and the associated second position information, (ii) a second distance between the assigned second position information and a third position information which is assigned to the first position information and the second position information, and (iii) is reduced by a third distance between the third position information and the first position information, each from the same location on the printed circuit board.

[0040] The correlation according to the invention between three (machine-specific) data sets has the advantage that the manufacturing process of an electronic assembly can be jointly analyzed with respect to not only two but three different machines (machining machines and / or inspection machines) and the analysis result can be used for an improved adaptation of process parameters of the machining machines and / or threshold values ​​of the first inspection machine and possibly further inspection machines.

[0041] Depending on the specific application, the third machine can be a processing machine or an inspection machine, and in principle, all of the processing machine types described above are suitable. In the case of a processing machine, the third machine should be of a specific type, so that the production line does not contain two solder paste printing machines or two soldering machines. However, the production line may include two or more placement machines. The same applies to the type of inspection machine in the case of an inspection machine.

[0042] According to claim 6, the second processing machine performs a further physical modification of a product, comprising the circuit board and the product-characteristic structure, by means of a processing process.

[0043] Further physical modification can also include adding a product-characteristic structure and / or changing the properties of the product-characteristic structure. As described above, the product-characteristic structure can, for example, be an electronic component that is placed on the printed circuit board using a pick-and-place machine. The product-characteristic structure can refer to a state before soldering or to a state after soldering.

[0044] It should be noted that the first inspection machine can be positioned between the two processing machines with respect to the transport direction of the production line. In this case, the first inspection machine detects the processing performed by the first processing machine, but not the processing performed by the second processing machine.

[0045] Preferably, the first inspection machine is arranged downstream of both machining centers. This allows the "work" of both machining centers to be inspected simultaneously.

[0046] Preferably, no further processing machine is arranged downstream of the first inspection machine. This means that the first inspection machine inspects the final product of the production line. Inspecting the final product and providing suitable feedback of the inspection result to the two processing machines has the advantage that the process parameters of the processing machine(s) can be adjusted or optimized with regard to the final desired product characteristics of the manufactured electronic assembly.

[0047] According to claim 7, the method further comprises (a) providing a fourth data set from a fourth machine, wherein the fourth data set (a1) is assigned to the fourth machine, (a2) controls an operation of the fourth machine and (a3) ​​comprises: Fourth position information and fourth characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product-specific structure of the printed circuit board at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board. Furthermore, geometric superposition also refers to a geometric superposition of the fourth position information with the first position information, the second position information, and / or the third position information. Additionally, repositioning also refers to a repositioning of the fourth position information such that a totality of the sum of the six distances between each set of four corresponding position information points, i.e.,the sum of (i) the first distance, (ii) the second distance, (iii) the third distance, (iv) a fourth distance between the fourth position information and the third position information, (v) a fifth distance between the fourth position information and the second position information, and (vi) a sixth distance between the fourth position information and the first position information, from each of the same location on the printed circuit board, is reduced.

[0048] It should be noted that more than four data sets, each assigned to a machine in an electronic assembly production line, can also be correlated using the described method. This creates an even larger database for further optimization of the assembly manufacturing process.

[0049] Depending on the specific application, the fourth machine can be a machining machine or an inspection machine. Regarding the type of machine, the same applies to the fourth machine as to the third machine, as explained above for the other machines.

[0050] According to claim 8, it is described that (i) the first inspection machine detects the product-characteristic structure at a first inspection point along the production line; (ii) the second processing machine is arranged downstream of the first processing machine with respect to a transport direction of the production line; and (iii) the fourth machine is a second inspection machine which detects the product-characteristic structure at a second inspection point along the production line.

[0051] With regard to the transport direction of the production line, the second inspection point is preferably located upstream of the first inspection point and further preferably between (a) a first processing point by the first processing machine and (b) a second processing point by the second processing machine.

[0052] A preferred configuration of the production line according to this embodiment is characterized by an arrangement and distribution of the types of machines in which the four different machines are arranged in the following sequence along the transport direction of the production line: Position 1: The first processing machine is a solder paste printing machine; Position 2: The second inspection machine is a solder paste inspection machine; Position 3: The second processing machine is a placement machine; and Position 4: The first inspection machine is a pick-and-place inspection machine or a solder inspection machine.

[0053] If the first inspection machine is a soldering inspection machine, then a third processing machine, namely a soldering machine, is located upstream as the fifth machine. Furthermore, in this case, a placement inspection machine, designed as a third inspection machine, can optionally be located between the soldering machine and the second processing machine (which is a placement machine). This placement inspection machine directly inspects the placement result.

[0054] In the embodiment described above with a total of six machines, the different types of machines are preferably arranged in the following order: Position 1: The first machine or the first processing machine is a solder paste printing machine; Position 2: The fourth machine, or the second inspection machine, is a solder paste inspection machine; Position 3: The third machine, or the second processing machine, is a placement machine; Position 4: The sixth machine, or the third inspection machine, is a pick-and-place inspection machine; Position 5: The fifth machine, or the third processing machine, is a soldering machine; and Position 6: The second machine, or the first inspection machine, is a solder inspection machine.

[0055] In many embodiments, the placement machine is a system consisting of two or more placement devices. Each placement device can have one or more placement heads, which can be moved in a known manner by means of a gantry system and which, during placement operation, pick up components from a component feeder and place them onto a printed circuit board that is currently located in a placement area of ​​the placement device.

[0056] The process parameter adjustment method according to the invention is further characterized in that (a1) the first machine is a first processing machine and the first data set contains a first process data set; (a2) the second machine is a first inspection machine and the second data set contains a first inspection data set; (a3) ​​the third machine is a second processing machine and the third data set contains a second process data set.The process parameter adjustment method according to the invention further comprises (b) determining, by means of the first inspection machine, a first deviation between an actual property and a target property of the product characteristic structure in a first (spatial) area of ​​the printed circuit board, which is assigned to a first location on the surface of the printed circuit board; (c) creating a first combination data set based on (i) at least a first part of the first process data set, (a first part) of the second process data set and (a first part) of the first inspection data set, wherein the first part is assigned to the first area of ​​the printed circuit board and further based on (ii) the repositioned first position information and / or the repositioned second position information and / or the repositioned third position information.The described process parameter adjustment procedure further includes (d) an adjustment of first process parameters of the first processing machine and / or of second process parameters of the second processing machine based on the created first combination data set and the determined first deviation.

[0057] The described method according to claim 1 is based on the further insight that by jointly considering several possible causes for unwanted (initial) deviations of actual properties from desired target properties of product-characteristic structure(s) associated with different processing machines, a particularly effective adjustment of process parameters can be achieved. Such an adjustment leads to significantly better results and improved manufacturing compared to a conventional adjustment that considers only the process data set of a single processing machine. The causes of such unwanted deviations are suboptimal process parameters of the processing machines involved in the manufacturing process.

[0058] To perform such a joint analysis using the combined dataset, it is essential that the data or information assigned to the respective first area of ​​the printed circuit board (PCB) is used to create the combined dataset. Since the datasets from different machines (machining machines and / or inspection machines) are typically based on different description formats and different coordinate systems, it is necessary to first perform the position-correct correlation of the various datasets described above. Only in this way can it be ensured that the information contained in the different datasets is correctly correlated with each other in relation to the respective location or area of ​​the PCB.The described correlation can therefore also be understood as a positionally correct combination of information.

[0059] In simpler terms, when adjusting process parameters, the previously described method for correlating different data sets ensures a position-correct translation of various machine-specific data sets (process data sets and / or inspection data sets). This "translation" involves converting the "languages" and / or "data formats" of the different data sets in such a way that a position-correct correlation of the information contained in the various data sets becomes possible.

[0060] According to claim 9, the first (spatial) region of the printed circuit board is a region of the printed circuit board in which the first deviation between the actual property and the desired property of the product characteristic structure is greater than a second deviation between an actual property and a desired property of the product characteristic structure in a second (spatial) region of the printed circuit board, which is assigned to a second location on the surface of the printed circuit board. The second location or region is / are different from the first location or region.

[0061] To put it simply, the first area is more problematic or critical in terms of the quality of the assembly being manufactured than the second area. This can be due, for example, to the fact that the first area contains smaller circuit board structures, especially smaller component pads, which are also closer together. In this context, it is obvious that such "finer" structures are significantly more difficult to process correctly than larger structures (in the second area). Optimizing process parameters, especially with a focus on problematic or critical areas, can be particularly advantageous if these areas are parts of the circuit board that cannot be repaired after soldering.

[0062] A further advantage of exclusively or preferentially considering such critical areas is that data with little or no impact on achieving optimal process parameter adjustment does not need to be processed unnecessarily. This reduces the computational demands of the described procedure. Furthermore, given a certain amount of available computing power, the procedure can be executed significantly faster.

[0063] The selection of different areas of the printed circuit board can be based on an operator's prior knowledge and / or experience. Alternatively, the selection can also be made based on (rarely performed) at least nearly complete, i.e., full-surface, inspections of the circuit board, in which the degree of deviations is determined for various locations or areas of the board.

[0064] According to claim 10, the method further comprises (a) determining, by means of the first inspection machine, the second deviation between an actual property and a target property of the product characteristic structure in the second (spatial) area of ​​the printed circuit board; (b) creating a second combination data set based on (b1) at least a second part of the first process data set, a second part of the second process data set and a second part of the first inspection data set, wherein the second part is assigned to the second area of ​​the printed circuit board and further based on (b2) the repositioned first position information and / or the repositioned second position information and / or the repositioned third position information;and (c) an adjustment of the first process parameters of the first processing machine and / or the second process parameters of the second processing machine, further based on the generated second combination data set and the determined second deviation. Taking into account the deviation(s) in the second area allows for an even more precise adjustment of the process parameters with a view to achieving the best possible quality of the manufactured end product.

[0065] It should be noted that the process parameter adjustment described here can also be carried out on production lines with more than two processing machines and / or on production lines with more than one inspection machine. For this, it is only necessary to create suitable combination data sets, whereby it must always be ensured that the information contained in the various process data sets and the inspection data sets is always merged or combined with each other with positional accuracy.

[0066] According to claim 11, the adjustment of the first process parameters of the first processing machine and / or the second process parameters of the second processing machine is performed iteratively using at least one learning algorithm. This has the advantage that the process parameters can be improved, for example, using artificial intelligence. For this purpose, it is advantageous if the described method is carried out during the production of a specific type of electronic assembly, either for each individual assembly or at least for a large number of assemblies. A data processing unit, on which the necessary learning algorithms are executed, then receives a large amount of training data. This enables particularly precise adjustment of the process parameters with a view to achieving the best possible quality of the final electronic assembly.

[0067] For the purposes of this document, the term "computer program" is synonymous with the term "program element", "computer program product" and / or "computer-readable medium" containing instructions for controlling a computer system in order to appropriately coordinate the operation of a system or a method in order to achieve the effects associated with the method according to the invention.

[0068] The computer program can be implemented as machine-readable instruction code in any suitable programming language. The computer program can be stored on a machine-readable storage medium (CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, removable drive, volatile or non-volatile memory, built-in memory / processor, etc.). The instruction code can program a computer or other programmable devices to perform the desired functions. Furthermore, the computer program can be made available on a network, such as the internet, from which it can be downloaded by a user as needed.

[0069] The described method can be implemented either by means of a computer program, i.e., software, or by means of one or more special electronic circuits, i.e., in hardware, or in any hybrid form, i.e., by means of software components and hardware components.

[0070] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following exemplary description of currently preferred embodiments. Brief description of the drawing Fig. Figure 1 shows a production line for electronic assemblies with a higher-level data processing unit for correlating process data and inspection data from various processing or inspection devices of the production line. Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a correlation of process data and inspection data, among other things, for the subsequent optimization of process parameters of a processing machine designed as a solder paste printing machine. Fig. Figure 3 shows a correlation data set implemented as a correlation table for two different types of printed circuit boards. Fig. Figure 4 shows an optimization of process data for assembly using a block diagram. Fig. Figure 5 shows a repositioning of position data. Detailed description

[0071] It should be noted that in the following detailed description, features or components of different embodiments that are identical or at least functionally equivalent to the corresponding features or components of another embodiment are designated with the same reference numerals or with reference numerals whose last two digits are identical to the reference numerals of corresponding identical or at least functionally equivalent features or components. To avoid unnecessary repetition, features or components already explained with reference to a previously described embodiment will not be explained in detail again later.

[0072] Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments described below represent only a limited selection of possible embodiments of the invention. In particular, it is possible to combine the features of individual embodiments in a suitable manner, so that a multitude of different embodiments are to be considered obviously disclosed to the person skilled in the art with the embodiments explicitly presented here.

[0073] Fig. Figure 1 shows a production line 100 for electronic assemblies. The production line has various devices arranged along a conveyor belt for printed circuit boards. The direction of travel of the printed circuit board conveyor belt is shown in Fig. 1 indicated by an arrow marked "T".

[0074] Along the transport direction T, the production line 100 has, in a known manner, an input station 102 into which pre-manufactured but not yet printed circuit boards are fed. Downstream of the input station 102 is a device 104 for marking circuit boards using laser beams.

[0075] The first processing machine is a solder paste printing machine 110, which selectively applies solder paste to specific locations on the printed circuit board (PCB) using a well-known screen printing process. These locations are typically the component pads on the surface of the PCB. Applying the solder paste is not a simple process in practice, because the solder paste must be applied to each component pad with precise positioning and quantity. To achieve this, a large number of process parameters of the solder paste printing machine 110 must be correctly set. These process parameters include, for example, the speed of a squeegee that is guided along the surface of a printing stencil, ensuring that the viscous solder paste is transferred in the correct quantity into each opening of the stencil.

[0076] Downstream of the solder paste printing machine 110 is a solder paste inspection machine 120, which optically checks whether the solder paste printing is of sufficient quality to allow further processing of the printed circuit board. The solder paste inspection machine 120 is also called an SPI machine, based on the English term "Solder Paste Inspection".

[0077] A placement system then follows along the transport direction T. According to the embodiment shown here, the placement system comprises a total of three placement machines 130, each of which places a specific number of (different) components at the component positions defined by the previously applied solder paste deposits.

[0078] Following the placement system is a placement inspection machine 140, which verifies whether the placement of components on the printed circuit boards by the three placement machines 130 was correct. According to the embodiment shown here, the placement inspection machine 140 optically detects the placed components in two dimensions (2D) and in three dimensions (3D). The placement inspection machine 140 is a known "Automatic Optical Inspection" (AOI) machine.

[0079] Downstream of the AOI machine 140 is a soldering machine 150, which is designed in a known manner as a so-called reflow oven. In this reflow oven 150, the viscous solder paste is melted so that, after the solder paste has cooled, the components are firmly and electrically connected to their respective component contact surfaces.

[0080] After the reflow oven 150, there is another circuit board buffer 152 in which a certain number of soldered circuit boards can be stored or buffered.

[0081] According to the embodiment shown here, a solder inspection machine 160 follows (downstream) to check whether the soldering process carried out in the reflow oven 150 was (qualitatively) successful. The solder inspection machine 160 is also a known AOI machine.

[0082] Following the AOI machine 160 is an output station 162. At this station, the finished electronic assemblies can be removed by an operator.

[0083] In production lines known from the prior art, it is common practice to optimize the process parameters of the individual processing machines (solder paste printing machine 110, placement machine 130, reflow oven 150) based on the inspection data from the inspection machine (solder paste inspection machine 120, placement inspection machine 140, solder inspection machine 160) that is directly associated with or downstream of the respective inspection machine. A process-engineered, combined optimization of process parameters, which are naturally not entirely independent of each other with regard to the final quality of a manufactured electronic assembly, is not known.

[0084] In the production line 100 described here, a higher-level data processing unit (µP) is provided, which collects and jointly evaluates the inspection data from the various inspection machines 120, 140, and 160. Furthermore, current process data from the processing machines 110, 130, and 150, especially from the solder paste inspection machine 120, is also collected and evaluated together with the inspection data to ensure the highest possible quality of the final end product, i.e., the manufactured electronic assemblies. For this purpose, artificial intelligence methods and algorithms are preferably used. This evaluation then leads to optimized process parameters, which can be stored in a database (DB).

[0085] However, a joint evaluation of the data sets provided by the various machines is not so simple. While the content of the different data sets covers all (relevant) positions on the respective printed circuit board (PCB), each machine typically uses its own data format. These data formats differ, in particular, in their process-specific position descriptions of the various locations and component contents on the PCB. Therefore, it is necessary to reposition the corresponding position information from the different data sets and geometrically superimpose it so that it aligns as closely as possible. The corresponding method for correlating the different data sets, which is performed in the data processing unit µP and which represents a central aspect of the invention described in this document, is explained in detail below.

[0086] The core of the invention described in this document lies in correlating the functionalities of the various machines in production line 100. This is referred to below as the "Inter Device Data Correlation Functionality" (IDDCF). With such an IDDCF, it is possible to optimize the process flow of the entire production line 100. For this purpose, measurement data from the various inspection machines and process data from at least one of the various processing machines are collected, and correlation data is derived from this, so that, figuratively speaking, all machines "speak the same language." The communication data contained in a correlation dataset can then be used to optimize the entire manufacturing process (collectively) by setting optimized process parameters for the various processing machines.

[0087] In other words, the data processing unit µP connects at least some of the machines and retrieves detailed operating data from them, which are also referred to in this document as "operating instructions." These operating instructions contain information on how the respective machine is to perform its work. To clarify: This applies not only to the machining machines but also to the inspection machines.

[0088] A working recipe for the solder paste printing machine 110 includes, for example (but is not limited to), the size and format of the circuit board in question, the locations on the circuit board where the solder paste is to be applied, process parameters such as the speed of the squeegee, cleaning cycles for the squeegee, etc.

[0089] A work order for the solder paste inspection machine 120 includes, for example, a layout description specifying where the solder paste deposits are to be expected and what these deposits should look like in 2D and 3D for the solder paste inspection machine 120. Furthermore, a layout description can also include information about the expected or desired volumes of solder paste and, if applicable, their tolerable tolerances.

[0090] A work recipe for the placement machines 130 includes, for example, the respective placement positions as well as process information such as vacuum values ​​for the negative pressure with which components are held by a suction gripper, the pressure or force when placing the components onto the circuit board, traverse speeds of a placement head, etc.

[0091] A work order for both AOI machines 140 and 160 includes, for example, information about (selected) solder joints to be inspected (before or after the reflow oven 150), target positions and target heights of placed or soldered components, etc.

[0092] The aforementioned exemplary work recipes are correlated with each other using the aforementioned IDDCF. In particular, the positional information of all components and their electrical connections is analyzed with positional accuracy, i.e., with a correct geometric superposition of the product-characteristic structures of the printed circuit board.

[0093] It should be noted that the IDDCF described here does not preclude the removal of defective (intermediate) products at so-called gates from the manufacturing process. However, within the framework of an optimized process flow, it is possible to adjust the internal thresholds of an inspection machine for classifying an (intermediate) product as defective in order to reduce the probability of false alarms. Furthermore, as described above, the process parameters for the various processing machines can be adjusted based on the measurement results of the inspection machines to improve the overall quality of production. This advantageously leads to an overall improved manufacturing process and reduced cycle times, because, in particular, the number of false alarms can be reduced by appropriately adjusting internal thresholds.

[0094] Using a known printed circuit board tracking system within a production line and the IDDCF mentioned above, the following correlations in particular emerge: (A) Which printed circuit board identification number for an AOI machine corresponds to which printed circuit board identification number for a placement machine? (B) Which component detected by an AOI machine corresponds to which component placed by a pick-and-place machine. (C) Which connection or pin identification number for an AOI machine corresponds to which component pin head identification number used by the SPI machine?

[0095] Additionally, the placement positions used by the placement machines 130 can be correlated with the component pick-up positions, which can be obtained from the process data management system of the respective placement machine 130. These position correlations, or correlations with the identification numbers, should always be recalculated whenever at least one work recipe for at least one of the machines involved in production line 100 is changed.

[0096] Once these correlations are available, they can be used to optimize the process flow for subsequent printed circuit boards.

[0097] Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a correlation of process data and inspection data, among other things, for the subsequent optimization of process parameters of a processing machine designed as a solder paste printing machine.

[0098] According to the embodiment shown here, this process begins in step S1 with the collection of work instructions for solder paste inspection, component placement inspection, and the placement process by the placement machines 130. These work instructions contain, among other things, detailed information about the layout of the respective printed circuit board, the components to be placed on it (positions and sizes), and their component connection contacts.

[0099] In the next step, S2, the aforementioned correlation of position data is performed using IDDCF. Here, the positions of the components and the positions of the component connection contacts are correlated between the work recipes used by the various machines, ensuring that all component connection contacts contained in the different work recipes are correctly assigned to each other. The result of this correlation is a correlation table that correctly assigns the component connection contacts and component pads to each other for all participating machines. This assignment is based not only on positions on the respective printed circuit board type, but also on component identification numbers, component pad identification numbers, and / or component connection contact identification numbers.This allows for the correct assignment of potentially different component designations and identification names of the various machines involved in the manufacturing process and their operating procedures. In particular, this correlation table can be used to correlate (a) the operating procedures of at least one AOI inspection machine and the solder paste inspection machine, and (b) the operating procedures of the solder paste printing machine and the placement machines, identifying which operating procedures contain the current process parameters.

[0100] In the next step, S3, the system waits for results from the various inspection machines. These results all relate to a specific printed circuit board.

[0101] Once the results from the various inspection machines are available, the previously determined position assignment is used in the next step S4 to correlate these results with each other. The correlation table determined in step S2 is used for this purpose.

[0102] In the next step, S5, the correlated results, the (current) work recipes, and the correlation data are stored in a database (DB). The database (DB) forms the basis for accessing this information from one source to another. Fig. For the processor (not shown), a so-called "big data" analysis can be performed, and the results of this analysis can be displayed to an operator using a suitable visualization. For example, big data analysis can be used to identify the root causes of defects in electronic assemblies at the end of the production line. Furthermore, such a big data analysis can also be used to adjust the thresholds of inspection machines for rejecting defective intermediate products, thereby reducing the probability of false error messages.

[0103] In step S6, the correlation results are transmitted to the respective inspection machine or processing machines. In the case of the solder paste inspection machine, particularly relevant areas of the printed circuit board (PCB) can then be marked with regard to potential defects for a solder paste application. With a solder paste printing machine, at least some process parameters can then be adjusted to reduce the probability of defective solder paste applications and thus automatically the reject rate of PCBs printed with solder paste before they are populated with components.

[0104] Fig. Figure 3 shows a correlation data set implemented as correlation table 375 for two different types of printed circuit boards (PCBs): a first PCB 370a and a second PCB 370b. In the work instructions for the placement machines, the first PCB 370a is designated as Panel 1 and the second PCB 370b is designated as Panel 2. In the work instructions for the AOI machines, the first PCB 370a is designated as Panel A and the second PCB 370b is designated as Panel B. This assignment is stored in the first two rows of correlation table 375, according to the embodiment shown here. Furthermore, correlation table 375 contains additional correlations for various types of components. Unique identification numbers are used for this purpose. According to the embodiment shown here, these are the IDs R100, R101, ..., R100_a, R101_a, ..., etc. for resistors., for capacitors the Ids C100, C101, ..., C100_b, C101_c, for diodes the Ids D100, R101, D100_c, D101_c and for Ball Grid Arrays the Ids Q2 and Q2_x.

[0105] Fig. Figure 4 shows an optimization of process data for assembly using a block diagram. As explained several times above, the optimization is based on the positionally correct superimposition of the descriptions of one and the same printed circuit board by different machines or in different work recipes. Top left in Fig. Figure 4 clearly visualizes the layout of a printed circuit board (PCB) 470 in the work order or coordinate system for a placement machine. The same layout of the PCB 470 is clearly visualized in the work order or coordinate system for an AOI machine in the upper right.

[0106] As can be seen from the block diagram shown below the two printed circuit board layouts, optimizing process data for component placement requires a positionally correct superimposition of the position descriptions of the two layouts, i.e., description 482 of the placement positions and description 483 of component positions in the coordinate system or the work recipe of the respective AOI machine. Position description 482 for component placement depends on the work recipe for component placement (component placement work recipe 481). A data set 484 is created as a correlation table from component placement work recipe 481, description 482, and description 483, which assigns the component positions in the different coordinate systems or work recipes to each other.Based on (i) a data set 485 containing process data for component placement, and (ii) the correlation table 484 for component positions, a further correlation table 486 is generated, describing a correlation between (i) the placement positions and (ii) the component pick-up positions of the respective components from a component feeder. From this further correlation table 486, optimized process data 487 for component pick-up and component placement are then determined with respect to minimizing the rate of incorrectly placed components. Incorrectly placed components would, as described above, be (hopefully correctly) detected by an AOI machine as component defects.

[0107] As explained above, different work recipes from different machines cannot simply be correlated using reference designations such as printed circuit board IDs, because the corresponding descriptions may differ between machines. At least currently, there is also no agreement (between manufacturers of different machines) to use the same reference designations for different machines on an electronic assembly production line. Even the origins of different coordinate systems can differ. The only reliable data that can be used for position-correct correlation are the distances between the (centers of the) different components.To reliably establish such a positional correlation, the relative distances between the (center points of the) components and the component connection contacts of the respective component can be used. With a correct positional correlation, the different layouts can be superimposed in such a way that the overlap between the product-characteristic structures—component connection surfaces and component connection contacts—is as large as possible between the two layouts.

[0108] To put it simply, a plurality of center point positions can be considered a "fingerprint" for a specific product or printed circuit board (PCB). This fingerprint must be at least very similar for different data sources (from different machines). If this were not the case, then it would not be the same product. According to a preferred embodiment, a positionally correct superimposition is performed based on such a fingerprint for two different layout descriptions of a PCB, wherein at least one of the two layout descriptions is shifted such that the total distances between any two corresponding positions of component connection contacts and / or component connection pads are minimized. For this purpose, a known "nearest neighbor" algorithm can be used, for example.

[0109] Fig. Figure 5 clearly illustrates the repositioning of position data used by different machines for the same printed circuit board 570. The open circles represent the center points of component connection contacts, as used by an AOI machine (see reference numeral 140 in [reference number]). Fig. 1) are used. The solid circles represent the center points of component connection surfaces, as used for or by an SPI machine (see reference numeral 120 in Fig. 1) be used.

[0110] It should be noted that repositioning can also be performed iteratively with multiple loops. For example, after an initial repositioning procedure that does not yield a 100% match, a second procedure can be performed to achieve an improved repositioning result. REFERENCE MARK: 100 production line 102 Input station 104 Device for marking printed circuit boards with laser radiation 110 solder paste printing machine 120 Solder Paste Inspection Machine / SPI Machine 130 placement machines 140 Picking and Inspection Machine / AOI Machine 150 Soldering machine / Reflow oven 152 printed circuit board buffers 160 Solder Inspection Machine / AOI Machine 162 Dispensing station T Transport direction µP data processing unit DB database S1 Recording of work recipes S2 Correlation positions between different machines S3 Recording Results S4 Application of Position Correlations to Machine Results S5 Storage of correlated machine results S6 Real-time feedback from correlated machine results 370a Printed circuit board (first type) 370b printed circuit board (second type) 375 Correlation data set / correlation table 470 circuit board 481-487 blocks 570 circuit board

Claims

Method for adjusting process parameters for a process for manufacturing electronic assemblies by means of automated manufacturing on a production line (100), comprising (A) performing a correlation procedure for correlating different data sets assigned to the same printed circuit board (470) on which an electronic assembly with several electronic components is built by means of automated manufacturing, comprising the correlation procedure: providing a first data set from a first machine (110), wherein the first data set is assigned to the first machine (110), controls an operation of the first machine (110) and comprises: first position information and first characteristic information about characteristic target properties of a product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at several positions of the printed circuit board (470);Providing a second data set from a second machine (160), wherein the second data set is assigned to the second machine (160), controls an operation of the second machine (160) and includes: second position information and second characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board (470); geometric superimposition of the first position information with the second position information; repositioning of the first position information and / or the second position information such that the totality of distances between each pair of associated position information, i.e., a first position information and an associated second position information, of each of the same location on the printed circuit board (470), is reduced;and providing a third data set from a third machine (130), wherein the third data set is assigned to the third machine (130), controls an operation of the third machine (130) and includes third position information and third characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board (470); wherein the geometric superposition further includes a geometric superposition of the third position information with the first position information and / or the second position information;and wherein the repositioning further comprises repositioning the third position information such that the totality of the sum of the three distances between each set of three mutually associated position information, i.e., the sum of (i) a first distance between the first position information and the associated second position information, (ii) a second distance between the associated second position information and a third position information associated with the first position information and the second position information, and (iii) a third distance between the third position information and the first position information, from each of the same location on the printed circuit board (470), is reduced; wherein the first machine is a first processing machine (110) and the first data set contains a first process data set;wherein the second machine is a first inspection machine (160) and the second data set contains a first inspection data set; wherein the third machine is a second processing machine (130) and the third data set contains a second process data set; and wherein the method for adjusting process parameters further comprises (B) determining, by means of the first inspection machine (160), a first deviation between an actual property and a target property of the product characteristic structure in a first region of the printed circuit board (470), which is assigned to a first location on a surface of the printed circuit board (470);(C) Creating a first combination data set (375) based on (i) at least one first part each of the first process data set, the second process data set, and the first inspection data set, wherein the first part is assigned to the first area of ​​the printed circuit board (470), and further based on (ii) the repositioned first position information and / or the repositioned second position information and / or the repositioned third position information; and (D) adjusting first process parameters of the first processing machine (110) and / or second process parameters of the second processing machine (130) based on the created first combination data set (375) and the determined first deviation. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the first processing machine (110) performs a physical change on a product comprising the printed circuit board (470) and the product characteristic structure by means of a processing process. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the first processing machine is a machine selected from the group consisting of (i) a solder paste printing machine (110) for selectively applying solder paste to component connection pads of the printed circuit board (470); (ii) a placement machine (130) for placing electronic components on the printed circuit board (470); and (iii) a soldering machine (150) for melting the solder paste located between component connection pads of the printed circuit board (470) and electrical connection contacts of components placed on the printed circuit board (470). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first inspection machine (160) detects the product characteristic structure by means of an inspection process. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the first inspection machine is a machine selected from the group consisting of (i) a solder paste inspection machine (120) for detecting applied solder paste; (ii) a placement inspection machine (140) for detecting placed components; and (iii) a solder inspection machine (160) for detecting soldered components. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second processing machine (130) performs a further physical change on a product comprising the printed circuit board (470) and the product characteristic structure by means of a further processing process. A method according to the preceding claim, further comprising providing a fourth data set from a fourth machine (120), wherein the fourth data set is assigned to the fourth machine (120), controls the operation of the fourth machine (120), and comprises: fourth position information and fourth characteristic information about characteristic target properties of the product characteristic structure of the printed circuit board (470) at the multiple positions of the printed circuit board (470); wherein the geometric superposition further comprises a geometric superposition of the fourth position information with the first position information, the second position information, and / or the third position information; and wherein the repositioning further comprises a repositioning of the fourth position information such that an entirety of the sum of the six distances between each set of four mutually assigned position information, i.e.,the sum of (i) the first distance, (ii) the second distance, (iii) the third distance, (iv) a fourth distance between the fourth position information and the third position information, (v) a fifth distance between the fourth position information and the second position information, and (vi) a sixth distance between the fourth position information and the first position information, from each of the same location on the printed circuit board (470). Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the first inspection machine (160) detects the product characteristic structure at a first inspection point along the production line (100); the second processing machine (130) is arranged downstream of the first processing machine (110) with respect to a transport direction (T) of the production line (100); and the fourth machine is a second inspection machine (120) which detects the product characteristic structure at a second inspection point along the production line (100). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first region of the printed circuit board (470) is a region of the printed circuit board (470) in which the first deviation between the actual property and the desired property of the product characteristic structure is greater than a second deviation between an actual property and a desired property of the product characteristic structure in a second region of the printed circuit board (470), which is assigned to a second location on the surface of the printed circuit board (470), wherein the second location is different from the first location. Method according to claim 9, further comprising: determining, by means of the first inspection machine (160), the second deviation between an actual property and a target property of the product characteristic structure in the second area of ​​the printed circuit board (470); creating a second combination data set based on (i) at least a second part of the first process data set, the second process data set and the first inspection data set, wherein the second part is assigned to the second area of ​​the printed circuit board (470) and further based on (ii) the repositioned first position information and / or the repositioned second position information and / or the repositioned third position information;and adjusting the first process parameters of the first processing machine (110) and / or the second process parameters of the second processing machine (130) further based on the created second combination data set and the determined second deviation.; Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjustment of the first process parameters of the first processing machine (110) and / or the second process parameters of the second processing machine (130) is carried out iteratively by means of at least one learning algorithm. Production line (100) for the automated manufacture of an electronic assembly comprising a printed circuit board (470) and several electronic components attached to the printed circuit board (470) and electrically interconnected by means of conductor tracks, the production line (100) comprising a first machine (110) for processing a product comprising the printed circuit board and a product-characteristic structure; a second machine (160) for inspecting the product-characteristic structure; a third machine (130) for processing the product; and a data processing device (µP) which is communicatively coupled to the first machine (110), the second machine (160) and the third machine (130) and which is configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims. Computer program for adjusting process parameters for a process for manufacturing electronic assemblies by means of automated manufacturing on a production line (100), wherein the computer program, when executed by a data processing device (µP) of the production line (100), is configured to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 11.

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