Assembly system and method for instructing the filling of elements

Abstract

An assembly system formed by arranging several assembly fixtures on which several elements used in a plate assembly process are mounted along a conveying direction of the plate, wherein the assembly system comprises: an information acquisition section configured to acquire information including a conveying status of the plate; and an instruction output section configured to determine, based on the conveying status of the plate, which assembly fixture should be preferentially refilled when refilling of the elements is required or is predicted to be required in two or more assembly fixtures, and to issue the specified refill instruction.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present description discloses an assembly system and a method for instructing the filling of elements. State of the art

[0002] A conventional assembly system is known in which several assembly devices, on which elements such as component feeding units used in the assembly process of a panel are arranged along a transport direction of the panel (see, for example, patent literature 1). This assembly system includes an operating device (exchange device) that performs an automatic exchange process of the elements required for production and provides operating instructions to an operator, taking into account the operating status of the operating device. This promotes cooperative operation of the exchange process by the operator and the exchange process by the operating device and improves the efficiency of the element exchange process. Patent literature

[0003] Patent literature 1: WO2021 / 186552A1 Summary of the invention: Technical problem

[0004] In this case, it may be necessary to replenish components for two or more assembly fixtures simultaneously. In this case, production of the panel is interrupted until the components required for each assembly fixture have been replenished.

[0005] Depending on the order in which the elements are replenished, the production interruption due to waiting for the elements to be replenished may be longer, which can reduce production efficiency.

[0006] A main objective of the present disclosure is to efficiently replenish the elements when two or more assembly devices require replenishment of the elements. Solution to the problem

[0007] To achieve the main objective described above, this disclosure employs the following means.

[0008] An assembly system of the present disclosure is summarized as an assembly system formed by arranging several assembly devices on which several elements used in an assembly process of a plate are assembled along a conveying direction of the plate, wherein the assembly system comprises: an information acquisition section configured to acquire information including a conveying status of the plate; and an instruction output section configured to determine, based on the conveying status of the plate, which assembly device should preferentially be refilled, when refilling of the elements in two or more assembly devices is required or is predicted to be required, and to issue the specific refilling instruction.

[0009] The assembly system of the present disclosure determines, when refilling of the elements is required in two or more assembly devices, or predicts which assembly device should preferably be refilled based on the transport status of the plate, and outputs the determined refilling instruction. Therefore, it is possible to output the refilling instruction in order to prevent the influence of waiting on the refilling of the elements by taking the transport status of the plate into account. Accordingly, it is possible to refill the elements efficiently when two or more assembly devices require refilling. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a view that schematically shows a configuration of an assembly system 10. Fig. Figure 2 is a view that schematically shows a configuration of an assembly device 20. Fig. Figure 3 is a block diagram that represents a configuration relating to the control of an assembly device 10. Fig. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of feeder information 54a and plate information 54b. Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a refilling process for a feeder. Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a target lane determination process. Fig. Figure 7 is a view illustrating an example of a funding status of plate S. Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a replenishment instruction output process. Fig. Figure 9 is a view showing an example of determining the preferred assembly system 20 to be filled. Fig. Figure 10 is a view that provides an example for determining the preferred assembly system 20 to be filled. Fig. Figure 11 is a view showing an example of determining the preferred assembly system 20 to be filled. Fig. Figure 12 is a flowchart that illustrates an example of a withdrawal instruction process. Fig. Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for refilling the feeder according to a change example. Description of the embodiments

[0010] In the following, an embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to the drawings. Fig. Figure 1 is a view that schematically shows a configuration of an assembly system 10. Fig. Figure 2 is a view that schematically represents a configuration of an assembly device 20. Fig. Figure 3 is a block diagram representing a configuration for controlling the assembly system 10. In the present embodiment, a left-right direction (X-axis), a front-back direction (Y-axis), and an up-down direction (Z-axis) are shown as in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shown.

[0011] The assembly system 10 performs an assembly process of components onto plates S (see Fig. 2) and comprises an assembly line 11, a loader 30, an automated guided vehicle 40 (hereinafter referred to as AGV 40), and an administration device 50. The assembly line 11 comprises a pressure device 12, a pressure testing device 14, a storage unit 16, an assembly device 20, and an assembly testing device 18. These are arranged in a conveying direction of a plate S (an X-axis direction). The assembly line 11 may include a reflow device or similar equipment that performs a reflow process on the plate S on which the components are mounted.

[0012] The printing device 12 prints onto the plate S by pressing solder into the pattern holes formed in a stencil mask. The printing test device 14 checks the condition of the solder printed by the printing device 12. The assembly test device 18 checks the condition of the components mounted onto the plate S by the assembly device 20.

[0013] Several assembly devices 20 are arranged along the conveying direction of the plate S and assemble components onto the plate S. The assembly device 20 comprises a plate conveyor 21, several feeders 22, a head 23, a motion mechanism 24, a control panel 26, and a control section 28. The plate conveyor 21 has two pairs of conveyor belts and conveys the plate S with each conveyor belt. Therefore, the assembly line 11 can convey the plate S in two parallel conveying tracks, one in front of and one behind it. The two conveying tracks are designated as conveying tracks L1 and L2, respectively.

[0014] The feeder 22 is designed as a tape feeder with a spool on which a tape containing a component is wound at a predetermined distance. The tape is fed to the component by rotating the spool. The feeder 22 is detachably mounted on a loading table located at the front of the assembly device 20, and several feeders 22 are arranged and held in the direction of the X-axis. The head 23 is equipped with receiving elements, such as nozzles, which can be raised and lowered. It uses these receiving elements to pick up a component and mount it on the plate S. The movement mechanism 24 comprises a slider that moves in the XY direction and is guided by guide rails, and a motor that drives the slider and moves the head 23, which is attached to the slider, in the XY direction.The control panel 26 includes a display area that shows various information and an operating area on which various types of input operations can be performed by an operator.

[0015] The control section 28 is configured with a known CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and outputs control signals to the plate conveyor 21, each feeder 22, each head 23, the motion mechanism 24, and the like, and outputs display signals to the control panel 26. The control section 28 receives signals from the plate conveyor 21, each feeder 22, head 23, motion mechanism 24, and the like, and receives operating signals from the control panel 26.

[0016] Warehouse 16 is an inline storage facility for feeders 22, which are used in the assembly process on assembly line 11. The operator replenishes or removes the feeders 22 from warehouse 16. Additionally, loader 30 and AGV 40 in warehouse 16 are configured to automatically exchange, replenish, or retrieve the feeders 22. AGV 40 is configured to automatically travel between assembly line 11 and the feeder storage facility, transporting the feeders 22.

[0017] The loader 30 comprises a motion mechanism 32, a transfer mechanism 34, a sensor 36, and a control section 38. The motion mechanism 32 is configured to move the loader 30 in the left-right direction along the conveying direction of the plate S on the front surface of the multiple mounting fixtures 20 and the bearing 16. Although not shown, the transfer mechanism 34 comprises a clamping mechanism for clamping the feeder 22, a clamping movement mechanism for moving the clamping mechanism in the forward-backward or up-down direction, and is configured to transfer the feeder 22 between the loader 30 and the mounting fixture 20 or the bearing 16.Sensor 36 is a detection sensor that detects an operator or an object within a predetermined detection range in the feed direction (left direction or right direction) of the loader 30, a position sensor that detects a movement position, or the like.

[0018] The control section 38 is equipped with a known CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, receives various detection signals from the sensor 36, and outputs drive signals to the motion mechanism 32 and the transfer mechanism 34. When the feeder 22 is automatically replaced, the control section 38 causes the motion mechanism 32 to move the loader 30 to a position opposite the mounting fixture 20, which has the feeder 22 to be replaced as its target position. When the loader 30 reaches the target position, the control section 38 causes the transfer mechanism 34 to pull out and retract the feeder 22 mounted on the mounting fixture 20. The control section 38 also causes the transfer mechanism 34 to insert a new feeder 22 into the loader 30 and attach the new feeder 22 to the mounting fixture 20. If an obstacle, such as a blockage, is encountered, the control section 38 then causes the transfer mechanism 34 to move the loader 30 to a position opposite the mounting fixture 20.If an operator or an object is detected by the sensor 36 while the loader 30 is moving, the control section 38 causes the movement mechanism 32 to stop the loader 30 from moving until the obstacle is no longer detected.

[0019] The management device 50 is a multi-purpose computer with a control section 52 configured with a known CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and a storage section 54, such as a hard disk, which stores various information. An input device 56, such as a keyboard or mouse, and an output device 58, such as a display, are connected to the storage section 54. The storage section 54 stores feeder information 54a and plate information 54b in addition to the production program for the plate S. The production program contains information such as the production quantity of plate S, the printing position of the solder on the plate S, and the type, mounting position, and mounting sequence of the components to be mounted on the plate S.During the production of plate S, the management device 50 issues various command signals to the respective devices, such as the printing device 12, the pressure testing device 14, the assembly device 20, and the assembly testing device 18, based on the production program, and inputs the production status of the respective devices. Furthermore, the management device 50 issues a refill instruction to the assembly device 20 and the loader 30 to refill the feeder 22 and inputs an operating status of the loader 30. The management device 50 is configured to communicate wirelessly with the AGV 40, issue a driving instruction to the AGV 40, and input a driving status of the AGV 40.The management device 50 is configured to communicate with the mobile terminal 60 worn by an operator, to output various information that is displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 60, and to input information that is entered by or read from the mobile terminal 60.

[0020] Fig. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of feeder information 54a and plate information 54b. Feeder information 54a contains information about the arrangement position of feeder 22, a feeder ID (which is identification information for feeder 22), a component type, the number of remaining components housed in feeder 22, and similar information. The arrangement position information includes details about which of the assembly fixtures 20 and storage 16 feeder 22 is located in and in which slot feeder 22 is mounted. Plate information 54b includes a plate ID (identification information for the plate S present in assembly line 11, i.e., the plate S currently being manufactured), a plate type, information about the position of plate S, the date and time of plate S's arrival, and similar information.The presence position information includes information about the device and the conveyor track on which the plate S is located. The date and time of entry are information about the date and time at which the plate S was entered into the leading assembly device 20(1) of the conveyor track on which the plate S is located. The management device 50 updates the feeder information 54a and the plate information 54b appropriately by communicating with each device, the memory 16, or similar.

[0021] The following describes the functionality of the assembly system 10 configured as above. Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process related to refilling a feeder. This process is executed by control section 52 of the management device 50. As part of the refilling process, control section 52 first records the usage status of feeder 22 (S100). For example, control section 52 receives information about the number of remaining components in each feeder 22 from feeder information 54a as the usage status of feeder 22.

[0022] Next, the control section 52 determines, based on the usage status of the feeder 22, whether there is a feeder 22 that needs to be refilled (replaced) or whether there is a feeder 22 for which refilling is predicted in one of the assembly devices 20 (S110). For example, the feeder 22 that needs refilling is a feeder 22 where the number of remaining components is 0, indicating that the components are running low, and the feeder 22 for which refilling is predicted is a feeder 22 where the number of remaining components is equal to or less than a predetermined number close to 0, indicating that the components are about to run low.Furthermore, control section 52 can record the production status of each device in S100 to predict plate type changeovers and determine if there is a feeder 22 that is predicted to require refilling due to the associated setup changeover. If control section 52 determines in S110 that there is no feeder 22 that requires or is expected to require refilling, the process proceeds to S170.

[0023] If, on the other hand, it is determined that a feeder 22 is present that needs to be refilled or is expected to need refilling, control section 52 determines whether the feeder 22 should be refilled at two or more assembly fixtures 20 (S120). If it is determined that the feeder 22 should be refilled at one assembly fixture 20 instead of two or more, control section 52 issues a refill instruction for the feeder 22 required for the assembly fixture 20 (S130) and terminates the refilling process. The refill instruction in S130 is issued to the loader 30 and includes the identification number (module number) of the assembly fixture 20 that needs to be refilled, the feeder ID and slot number of the feeder 22, the feeder ID and slot number of the target feeder 22 in storage 16, and the like.The loader 30, having received the refill instruction, moves to storage 16, removes the refill target feeder 22 from storage 16, and then moves to the refill target assembly device 20. The loader 30 then removes the feeder 22, which needs to be refilled, from the refill target assembly device 20 and attaches the refill target feeder 22, thereby refilling (replacing) the feeder 22. The refill instruction in S130 can be issued to the operator's mobile device 60.

[0024] If it is determined that refilling of the feeder 22 is required for two or more assembly fixtures 20, i.e., if there are two or more target assembly fixtures 20 requiring refilling that simultaneously necessitate refilling of the feeder 22, the control section 52 determines the conveying status of the plate S from the plate information 54b (S140). Since the control section 52 subsequently determines, based on the conveying status of the plate S, which assembly fixture 20 should be prioritized for refilling and refills the feeder 22 accordingly, the control section 52 performs a target lane determination process (S150) and a refill instruction output process (S160).

[0025] Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a target lane determination process. Fig. Figure 7 is a view showing an example of the conveying status of plate S. In this process, control section 52 determines whether plate S is present in each of the conveying lanes (L1 and L2) based on the conveying status of plate S (S200) recorded in S140. If it is determined that plate S is present in only one of the conveying lanes, control section 52 designates the conveying lane containing plate S as the destination lane (S210) and terminates the destination lane designation process.

[0026] On the other hand, if it is determined that the plate S is located in each conveyor lane, the control section 52 receives information from the plate information 54b about the entry date and time when the plate S, located at the head (most downstream side) of each conveyor lane, was conveyed into the leading assembly device 20(1) (S220). Subsequently, the control section 52 specifies the plate S with the earliest entry date and time, designates a conveyor lane in which the plate S is located as the destination lane (S230), and terminates the destination lane designation process. Fig. 7. Conveyor track L2 is designated as the destination track if the entry date and time of plate S into assembly fixture 20(3) are earlier. Furthermore, conveyor track L1 is designated as the destination track if the entry date and time of plate S into assembly fixture 20(1) are earlier, even if the conveyance is delayed due to a shortage of components or the like. Although plate information 54b contains the date and time of the feed, plate information 54b may be sufficient to indicate the earliest delivered plate S and may include at least the entry time. Alternatively, the time elapsed since the feed of plate S may be included in plate information 54b, and control section 52 may indicate the earliest delivered plate S based on the elapsed time.

[0027] Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an output process for replenishment instructions. In this process, the control section 52 first subdivides the target lane defined in the target lane determination process, with the assembly device 20, which is a replenishment target of the feeder 22, serving as a boundary, into one or more segments located between assembly devices 20 that serve as boundaries (S300). Next, the control section 52 determines whether the plate S is present in the segment on the downstream side below the subdivided segments (S310), and if it is determined that the plate S is present, the control section 52 determines the assembly device 20 that serves as a boundary on the downstream side in that segment, here the segment on the downstream side (S320).Subsequently, control section 52 issues a refill instruction for the preferred refill supply of feeder 22 to the designated assembly device 20 on loader 30 (S330) and terminates the refill instruction output process. The refill instruction in S330 can be output to the operator's mobile device 60.

[0028] If, on the other hand, S310 detects that there is no plate S in the segment on the downstream side, control section 52 determines whether there is a segment on the next upstream side to that segment (S340). If it is detected that there is a segment on the next upstream side, control section 52 determines whether there is a plate S in that segment (S350). That is, control section 52 then determines whether there is a plate S in every segment starting from the segment on the downstream side in the destination track.When it is determined that a plate S is located in the segment on the upstream side, the control section 52 determines that the assembly device 20 serves as the boundary on the downstream side in this segment (S320), issues the replenishment instruction for the preferred feeder 22 to the assembly device 20 (S330) and terminates the replenishment instruction output process.

[0029] If S340 determines that there is no segment on the upstream side, i.e., that the plate S is not located in any of the segments arranged between the refill target assembly devices 20, the control section 52 determines the assembly device 20 on the upstream side below the refill target assembly devices 20 (S360). Subsequently, the control section 52 issues a refill instruction for the feeder 22 to be preferentially refilled to the determined assembly device 20 (S330) and terminates the refill instruction output process.

[0030] Here are the Fig. Figures 9 to 11 illustrate examples for determining the preferred assembly device 20 to be filled. In the Fig. In sections 9 to 11, the filling targets are the assembly device 20(1) and assembly devices 20(4), and it is determined whether the plate S is present in a segment, with assembly device 20(1) and assembly device 20(4) serving as boundaries, i.e., in assembly device 20(2) and assembly device 20(3). Furthermore, it can be determined whether the plate S is present in assembly device 20(2) to assembly device 20(4), including assembly device 20(4), which serves as the downstream boundary in this segment. Moreover, the filling target is not limited to two assembly devices 20 and can include two or more assembly devices 20.

[0031] Since in Fig. 9. If the target track is conveyor track L2 and it is determined that the plate S of assembly device 20(3) is located in the segment, assembly device 20(4), which serves as the boundary on the downstream side of the segment, is determined as the prioritized refill destination in S320, and feeder 22 is refilled. If feeder 22 is refilled first in assembly device 20(1), the time during which the plate S in assembly device 20(3) waits to be refilled from feeder 22 to assembly device 20(4) becomes long, and the process is delayed. Due to the effect of the delay, it can happen that a new plate S, even if it is conveyed into conveyor track L2 and processed, remains there without being immediately conveyed to the downstream side. Here, the assembly device 20, which serves as a boundary on the downstream side in the segment where the plate S is located, is determined as the prioritized filling target and feeder 22 is filled.Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a delay in the processing of plate S in the segment and to carry out the production of plate S efficiently.

[0032] On the other hand, in Fig. 10. If the target track is conveyor track L1 and it is determined that the plate S is not in the segment, assembly device 20(1) on the upstream side is determined as the prioritized refill destination in S360, and feeder 22 is refilled. This is because, if the plate S is not in the segment, feeder 22 is needed first in assembly device 20 on the upstream side when processing the next conveyed plate S. This prevents the next conveyed plate S from waiting for feeder 22 to be refilled for assembly device 20(1), and the plate S can be produced efficiently.

[0033] Furthermore, in Fig. 11. Although the transport is delayed, conveyor track L1 is designated as the destination track because the arrival date and time of the transport of plate S in assembly device 20(1) are earlier. Since it is therefore determined that plate S is not present in the segment, assembly device 20(1) is designated as the prioritized replenishment destination and feeder 22 is replenishment. In the case of Fig. 11. It is also conceivable to designate conveyor track L2 as the target track simply because the plate S is positioned on the downstream side, and to designate assembly device 20(4) as the prioritized replenishment target because the plate S is present in the segment. However, if the processing of plate S in conveyor track L2 is prioritized, the processing of plate S in conveyor track L1, which was conveyed earlier, will be further delayed, as the feeder 22 is waiting to be replenished. If such a situation persists, the imbalance in the production progress of conveyor tracks L1 and L2 increases, which is undesirable. In this case, the prioritized replenishment target of assembly device 20 is determined based on the conveying status of a conveyor track into which plate S was previously conveyed, and feeder 22 is replenishment.

[0034] In the feeder refilling process of Fig. In step 52, after executing the target lane determination process (S150) and the refill instruction output process (S160), the control section executes the withdrawal instruction process (S170) and terminates the feeder refill process. Here, the refill instruction is also output to the operator's mobile device 60 in S330, and the operator may refill the feeder 22 manually. In this case, the operator may first refill the feeder 22 to a low-priority assembly device 20 (assembly device 20 differs from the instruction), which is not the prioritized target assembly device 20 for refilling, and the handling for this situation is performed in S170.

[0035] Fig. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a pick-and-place instruction process. In this process, control section 52 terminates the pick-and-place instruction process if it first determines whether a new feeder 22 is attached (S400) and determines that no new feeder 22 is attached. If it determines that a new feeder 22 is attached, control section 52 determines whether a new feeder 22 is attached first to a low-priority assembly fixture 20 (S410) and determines whether a feeder 22 of the same component type as the preferentially replenished feeder 22 is attached (S420). If a negative determination is made in S410 or S420, control section 52 terminates the pick-and-place instruction process.

[0036] If control section 52 detects in S410 and S420 that feeder 22 of the same component type is attached to assembly fixture 20 with low priority, control section 52 removes feeder 22, issues an instruction to reattach feeder 22 to assembly fixture 20 with a prioritized replenishment target (S430), and terminates the removal instruction process. The instruction includes information that feeder 22 was incorrectly attached to assembly fixture 20 with low priority, the module number and slot number of assembly fixture 20 from which feeder 22 is to be removed, and the module number and slot number of assembly fixture 20 to which feeder 22 is to be attached.Accordingly, even if the feeder 22 is first attached to the assembly device 20 with low priority, it can be properly filled at the assembly device 20 with a prioritized filling target.

[0037] Here, a correspondence relationship between elements of the present embodiment and elements of the present disclosure is clarified. The assembly system 10 of the present embodiment corresponds to an assembly system of the present disclosure; the control section 52 of the management device 50, which executes S140 of the process related to filling the feeder, corresponds to an information acquisition section; and the control section 52, which executes S160 of the same process, corresponds to an instruction output section. In the present embodiment, an example of an instruction procedure for filling elements is also illustrated by describing an operation of the assembly system 10.

[0038] In the assembly system 10 described above, the control section 52 determines which feeder 22 of two or more filling target assembly devices 20 should be preferentially filled, based on the conveying status from the plate S. Since the filling instruction can be issued to prevent the influence of waiting on the filling of feeder 22 by taking into account the conveying status from the plate S, feeder 22 can be filled efficiently.

[0039] Furthermore, the control section 52 divides the filling target assembly devices 20 into segments, which serve as boundaries. It determines whether a segment containing plate S exists, proceeding sequentially from the downstream side in the conveying direction. If such a segment exists, the assembly device 20 serving as a boundary on the downstream side of that segment is preferentially filled. Since processing of plate S in the segment is not continued while waiting for the feeder 22 to be filled, it is therefore possible to prevent another plate S from remaining on the upstream side of the segment and to carry out production efficiently.

[0040] Furthermore, the control section 52 ensures that if there is no segment in which the plate S is located, the assembly device 20 on the upstream side is preferentially filled among the filling targets, and thus it is possible to efficiently fill the feeder 22 to mount the assembly device 20 on the upstream side into which the plate S is next conveyed and which requires the feeder 22.

[0041] Furthermore, the control section 52 indicates the first conveyed plate S among the plates S present in each conveyor lane and determines which assembly device 20 should be preferentially replenished, based on the conveying status of a conveyor lane in which the plate S is present. Thus, if there are multiple conveyor lanes, it is possible to prevent the assembly process of the first conveyed plate S from being delayed.

[0042] It is unnecessary to say that the present disclosure is in no way limited to the embodiment described above and can therefore be implemented in various forms, as long as it falls within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] For example, in this embodiment, two conveying tracks L1 and L2 are illustrated as multiple conveying tracks; however, three or more conveying tracks can also be used. Although the first conveyed plate S is specified among the plates S present in the multiple conveying tracks, and the preferred assembly device 20 to be filled is determined based on the conveying status of a conveying track in which plate S is present, the present invention is not limited thereto. The plate S present in the segment on the downstream side among the plates S present in the multiple conveying tracks can be specified, and the assembly device 20 serving as a boundary on the downstream side in this segment can be determined. The present invention is not limited to a configuration in which multiple conveying tracks are provided, and a single conveying track can be provided.In this case, the destination lane determination process of S150 only needs to be omitted, since one conveyor lane is the destination lane.

[0044] In this embodiment, the assembly device 20 is preferably filled on the upstream side if there is no plate S in the segment arranged between the assembly devices 20 for filling, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if bearing 16 is arranged at a location other than the upstream side in the conveying direction, in the middle, on the downstream side, or elsewhere in the conveying direction, the assembly device 20 that is closer to bearing 16 can preferably be filled.

[0045] In this embodiment, several assembly devices 20 are divided into segments, and then it is determined which assembly device 20 should preferably be refilled. However, it may be possible to determine which assembly device 20 should preferably be refilled based on the conveying status of the plate S, without dividing it into segments. For example, among two or more assembly devices 20 to be refilled, it may be possible to specify the assembly device 20 into which the plate S will be conveyed first and to determine which assembly device 20 to refill it. However, if the plate S is waiting for refilling from the feeder 22 on the downstream side, it is preferable to determine this as in the embodiment, since the other plate S remains on the upstream side.

[0046] In this embodiment, the preferred assembly device 20 to be filled is determined without regard to the number of feeders 22 that the loader 30 can transport simultaneously, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the number of feeders 22 that the loader 30 can transport simultaneously is one, the process can be carried out as in the embodiment, and if the number of feeders 22 is multiple, the process can be carried out as in the following modification example. Fig. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a feed replenishment process according to a modification example. In the modification example, the same step number is assigned to the same process as in the embodiment, and a description of it is omitted.

[0047] If, in this process, it is determined in S120 that replenishment is required for two or more assembly fixtures 20, the control section 52 determines whether loader 30 can convey replenishment target feeders 22 simultaneously (at once) (S132). The control section 52 makes this determination in S132 taking into account factors such as the maximum conveying capacity of loader 30 and the number of replenishment targets. If it is determined that loader 30 cannot convey replenishment target feeders 22 simultaneously, the control section 52 executes the process from S140 onwards as described in the embodiment. Conversely, if it is determined that loader 30 can convey replenishment target feeders 22 simultaneously, the control section 52 issues the replenishment instruction to replenish replenishment target feeders 22 in the sequence from the assembly fixture 20 closest to storage 16 (S134).In other words, control section 52 stipulates that of two or more assembly devices 20 serving as filling targets, the assembly device 20 on the upstream side, which is closer to the bearing 16, should preferably be filled.

[0048] As described above, in the modification example, the control section 52 determines, if the loader 30 (mobile operating unit) can collectively transport feeders 22 that need to be refilled, that the assembly device 20, which is closer to storage 16 (storage section), should be preferentially refilled, regardless of the conveying status of the plate S. Conversely, if the loader 30 cannot collectively transport feeders 22 that need to be refilled, the conveying status of the plate S determines which assembly device 20 should be preferentially refilled. If the loader 30 is configured to collectively transport feeders 22 that need to be refilled, minimizing the loader 30's motion loss can enable more efficient refilling of the feeders 22.For example, consider a case where the replenishment target includes assembly device 20 on the upstream side, which is closer to storage 16, and assembly device 20 on the downstream side, which is farther from storage 16. In this case, it may be more efficient to sequentially replenish assembly device 20 on the downstream side before the loader 30 moves from storage 16 to assembly device 20 on the downstream side to replenish feeders 22, and then returns to assembly device 20 on the upstream side to replenish feeders 22, as this minimizes motion loss and performs the replenishment efficiently. Therefore, by adopting the modification example, it is possible to replenish feeders 22 efficiently without reducing the operating efficiency (motion efficiency) of the loader 30.

[0049] In this embodiment, a process for determining the preferred assembly device 20 to be filled is carried out regardless of whether the component type of the target filling feeder 22 is the same, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the process for determining the preferred assembly device 20 to be filled can only be carried out if the component type of the feeder 22, which is filled for two or more assembly devices 20, is the same.

[0050] In this embodiment, refilling the feeder 22 (component supply unit) is given as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and refilling elements used in the assembly process of the plate in the assembly device is permissible. For example, refilling (replacing) heads or nozzles that are detachably mounted on the assembly device 20 may also be permissible. Furthermore, it may also be acceptable to refill elements used in the assembly process of the plate in the assembly-related devices, such as masks that are detachably mounted on the printing device 12, and not only in the assembly device 20. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to an assembly system that includes a loader 30 and automatically refills elements, and an assembly system that does not include a loader 30 and refills elements manually may be used.

[0051] The assembly system of the present disclosure can be configured as follows. For example, the instruction output section in the assembly system of the present disclosure can be configured to divide the arrangement of the multiple assembly devices, each of the two or more assembly devices serving as a boundary, into one or more segments arranged between the two or more assembly devices (boundary assembly devices), based on the conveying status of the plate, to determine whether there is a segment in which the plate is present from a downstream side in the conveying direction, and to determine, if the segment in which the plate is present exists, that an assembly device serving as a boundary on the downstream side in the segment should preferably be filled.In this way, it is possible to prevent the influence of waiting on the replenishment of elements on the plate located in the segment on the downstream side in the conveying direction. Since the assembly process of the plate on the downstream side in the conveying direction does not progress, it is correspondingly possible to prevent another plate from remaining on the upstream side of this segment and to carry out production efficiently.

[0052] In the assembly system of the present disclosure, the instruction output section can be configured such that, if there is no segment containing the plate, it determines that an assembly device on the most upstream side in the conveying direction should be preferentially replenished among the two or more assembly devices. In this way, if there is no plate in the segment, it is possible to efficiently replenish the elements from the assembly device on the upstream side, where the plate is first conveyed and where the elements are needed.

[0053] In the assembly system of the present disclosure, several parallel conveyor tracks can be arranged as conveyor tracks for the plate, extending in the conveying direction. The information acquisition section can be configured to acquire conveying information in order to determine which plate is conveyed first among the plates present in the multiple conveyor tracks. The instruction output section can be configured to determine the plate that is conveyed first based on the conveying information and, based on the conveying status of the plate in one of the conveyor tracks where the specified plate is present, to determine which assembly device should be preferentially replenished. In this way, if multiple conveyor tracks are present, it is possible to replenish the elements by taking into account the conveying status of the conveyor track in which a plate was conveyed first.Therefore, it is possible to prevent the assembly process of the first transported plate from being delayed and to carry out production efficiently.

[0054] The assembly system of the present disclosure may further comprise a mobile executing device configured to move along the conveying direction between a storage section of the elements and the assembly device, conveying and replenishing the elements. The instruction output section may be configured such that, if the mobile executing device is configured to convey the elements to be replenished together, it determines that an assembly device near the storage area should be preferentially replenished, regardless of the conveying status of the plate. If the mobile executing device is not configured to convey the elements to be replenished together, it determines which assembly device should be preferentially replenished based on the conveying status of the plate. In this way, it is possible to efficiently replenish the required elements without reducing the operational efficiency of the mobile executing device.

[0055] A method for providing instructions for refilling elements of the present disclosure is summarized as a method for providing instructions for refilling elements in an assembly system formed by arranging several assembly devices on which several elements used in an assembly process of a plate are mounted along a conveying direction of the plate, the method comprising: (a) a step for acquiring information, including a conveying status of the plate; and (b) a step for determining when refilling the elements in two or more assembly devices is required or is expected to be required, which assembly device should preferably be refilled based on the conveying status of the plate, and outputting the determined refilling instruction.

[0056] The method for the filling instruction for elements of the present disclosure, similar to the assembly system described above, allows for the efficient filling of elements when two or more assembly devices need to fill elements. The filling instruction for elements can incorporate various aspects of the assembly system described above, or steps can be added to achieve each function of the assembly system described above. Industrial applicability

[0057] The present disclosure can be used in an assembly system or the like in which assembly devices are arranged on which elements are mounted. Reference character list

[0058] 10: Assembly system, 11: Assembly line, 12: Printing device, 14: Pressure testing device, 16: Bearing, 18: Assembly testing device, 20: Assembly device, 21: Plate conveyor device, 22: Feeder, 23: Head, 24: Motion mechanism, 26: Control panel, 28, 38: Control section, 30: Loader, 32: Motion mechanism, 34: Transfer mechanism, 36: Sensor, 40: Automated guided vehicle (AGV), 50: Management device, 52: Control section, 54: Storage section, 54a: Feeder information, 54b: Plate information, 56: Input device, 58: Output device, 60: Mobile device, and S: Plate QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 2021 / 186552A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] An assembling system formed by arranging a plurality of assembling devices on which a plurality of elements used in an assembling process of a plate are mounted along a conveying direction of the plate, the assembling system comprising: an information acquisition section configured to acquire information including a conveying status of the plate; and an instruction output section configured to, when necessary replenishment of the elements in two or more mounting devices is required or predicted, determine which mounting device should be preferentially replenished based on the conveying status of the plate and output the determined replenishment instruction. [2] The mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the instruction output section is configured to divide the arrangement of the plurality of mounting devices, each of the two or more mounting devices serving as a boundary, into one or more segments arranged between the two or more mounting devices, determine whether there is a segment in which the plate is present from a downstream side in the conveying direction based on the conveying status of the plate, and determine, when there is the segment in which the plate is present, that a mounting device serving as a boundary on the downstream side in the segment should be preferentially filled. [3] The mounting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the instruction output section is configured to, when there is no segment in which the plate is present, determine that a mounting device on a most upstream side in the conveying direction among the two or more mounting devices should be preferentially filled. [4] The mounting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein several parallel conveyor tracks are provided as conveyor tracks of the plate, which extend in the conveying direction, the information acquisition section is configured to acquire feed-in information for specifying the plate first conveyed in the conveying tracks among the plates present in the plurality of conveying tracks, and the instruction output section is configured to specify the board to be conveyed first based on the infeed information and to determine which mounting device should be preferentially replenished based on the conveyance status of the board in one of the conveyance tracks in which the specified board is present. [5] The mounting system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a mobile operating device configured to move along the conveying direction between a storage section of the elements and the assembly device and to convey and refill the elements, wherein the instruction issuing section is configured to, when the mobile operation device can collectively convey the items requiring replenishment, determine that an assembly device near the storage section should be preferentially replenished regardless of the conveyance status of the plate, and when the mobile operation device cannot collectively convey the items requiring replenishment, determine which assembly device should be preferentially replenished based on the conveyance status of the plate. [6] A method for guiding the replenishment of elements in an assembly system formed by arranging a plurality of mounting devices on which a plurality of elements used in an assembly process of a plate are mounted along a conveying direction of the plate, the method comprising: (a) a step of capturing information including a transport status of the plate; and (b) a step of determining, when replenishment of the elements in two or more mounting devices is required or predicted to be required, which mounting device should be preferentially replenished based on the conveyance status of the plate, and outputting the determined replenishing instruction.

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