Component assembly fixture and component assembly method

Abstract

A component assembly device comprises an assembly control section configured to execute an assembly operation based on a control program that specifies the execution sequence of a PP cycle, which includes a component pick-up operation and an assembly operation for mounting the components on a plate; a feed control section configured to cause, if the pick-up quantity of components in a bulk feeder configured to feed multiple components in a bulk state is lower than the reference value, the bulk feeder to perform a component feed operation in parallel with an assembly cycle; and a sequence adjustment section configured to adjust, if a required time for an assembly operation scheduled to be performed in parallel with the next feed operation is lower than the reference value, the required time for an assembly operation that is scheduled to be performed in parallel with the next feed operation is lower than the reference value.which is planned based on the current collectable quantity, is shorter than the time required for the feeding process, to adjust the execution sequence of the PP cycle, which includes the assembly process.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method. State of the art

[0002] A component mounting device performs a mounting operation of mounting components supplied from a feeder or the like onto a board. As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, there is a type of feeder described above in which components are supplied in a bulk state, in which the components are scattered in a supply area where the components can be picked up by a suction nozzle. In a mounting operation, a component mounting device performs image processing of recognizing a supply state of components by such a bulk feeder and controls a picking operation of picking up a component using a suction nozzle based on the result of the image processing. Patent LiteraturePatent Literature 1: JP-A-2011-114084Summary of the InventionTechnical Problem

[0003] In the assembly process, if the collectable quantity of components supplied by the bulk material supply device is less than the required quantity for one collection process, part of the scheduled assembly processes may not be performed, or a supply process of the bulk material supply device may have to wait, possibly resulting in a decrease in production efficiency. As described above, when performing the assembly process using the bulk material supply device, it is desirable to cause the supply process to be performed at an appropriate execution time, considering that the collectable quantity of components supplied by the bulk material supply device is indefinite.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a component assembling apparatus and a component assembling method that can prevent a decrease in production efficiency in an assembling process using a bulk material feeding device. Solution to the task

[0005] The present specification discloses a first component mounting apparatus, comprising: a mounting control section configured to execute a mounting operation based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, including a component picking operation and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a plate; a supply control section configured to, when the collectable amount of components in a bulk material supply apparatus configured to supply a plurality of components in a bulk state is less than a reference value, cause the bulk material supply apparatus to perform a component supply operation in parallel with a mounting cycle in which the mounting operation is repeated a plurality of times;and an order adjustment section configured to, when a required time for the mounting cycle scheduled to be executed in parallel with the next feeder scheduled based on the current collectable amount is shorter than a required time for the feeder, adjust an execution order of the PP cycle including the mounting cycle;

[0006] The present specification discloses a second component mounting apparatus comprising: a component supply device including a bulk material supply device configured to supply a plurality of components in a bulk state, and a belt supply device configured to feed and move a carrier belt housing the same type of components as the bulk material supply device to supply the components; a mounting control section configured to execute a mounting operation based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, including a component picking operation and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a board;and a feeding control section configured to, when the collectable amount of components in the bulk material feeding device is less than a reference value, cause the bulk material feeding device to perform a feeding operation of the components in parallel with the PP cycle, in which the assembly control section is configured to switch a picking target to the components fed from the belt feeder when a waiting time for waiting for completion of the feeding operation of the components from the bulk material feeding device occurs when the picking operation is executed.

[0007] The present specification discloses a component assembling method, comprising: an assembly control step of executing an assembling operation based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, including a component picking operation and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a plate; a supplying step of causing, when the collectable amount of components in a bulk material supply device configured to supply a plurality of components in a bulk state is lower than a reference value, the bulk material supply device to execute a component feeding operation in parallel with an assembling cycle in which the mounting operation is repeated a plurality of times;and an order adjustment step of adjusting, when a required time for the assembly cycle scheduled to be executed in parallel with the next feeding operation scheduled based on the current collectable amount is shorter than a required time for the feeding operation, an execution order of the PP cycle including the assembly cycle; Advantageous effect of the invention

[0008] With such a configuration of the first component assembly device and the component assembly method, the execution order of multiple PP cycles is appropriately adjusted based on the required quantity and the collectible quantity. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent incidents such as insufficient collectible quantity or waiting time for the bulk material feeding device to complete the feeding operation during the execution of the PP cycles. As a result, a decrease in production efficiency can be prevented.

[0009] Furthermore, with the configuration of the second component assembling device, when the feeding operation of the bulk material feeding device is required, the collection destination is switched to the components fed from a belt feeder that can feed the same type of components as the bulk material feeding device, thus preventing the occurrence of a waiting time for the completion of the feeding operation of the bulk material feeding device. As a result, a decrease in production efficiency can be prevented. Short description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a component mounting apparatus according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating a feeding area of ​​components in a bulk material feeding device. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the component mounting apparatus. Fig. 4 is a view showing image data obtained by image capturing the feeding area. Fig. 5 is a view showing a result of detection processing of a feed state for the image data in Fig. 4 represents. Fig. Figure 6 is a table showing a control program and analysis results for each PP cycle. Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an assembling process of the component mounting device. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a supply management process of the components from the component mounter. Fig. Figure 9 is a timing diagram showing a relationship between the PP cycle to be executed as scheduled and the adjusted PP cycle. Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a PP cycle adjustment process of the component mounter. Fig. 11 is a view of a cycle generation process of the component mounting apparatus. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a supply management process of components from a component mounting apparatus according to a second embodiment. Description of Embodiments 1. First Embodiment

[0010] A component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method for performing a component mounting operation using a bulk material feeder 30 will be described with reference to the drawings. The bulk material feeder 30 is provided, for example, on a component mounting apparatus 10 that mounts components on a plate 91 and feeds the components in a bulk state (a loose state in which postures of the components are irregular). 1-1. Component Mounting Device Configuration 10

[0011] The component mounting device 10 forms a production line for producing plate products together with several types of plate processing machines, for example, including another component mounting device 10. The plate processing machines forming the above-described production line may include a printer, an inspection device, a reflow oven, and the like. 1-1-1: Plate transport device

[0012] As in Fig. 1, the component mounting apparatus 10 includes a plate conveying apparatus 11. The plate conveying apparatus 11 sequentially conveys a plate 91 in a conveying direction and positions the plate 91 at a predetermined position within the apparatus. 1-1-2. Component feeding device 12

[0013] The component mounting apparatus 10 includes a component feeder 12. The component feeder 12 feeds components to be mounted on the plate 91. The component feeder 12 includes feeders 122 provided individually in a plurality of slots 121. For example, a belt feeder is employed in the feeder 122, which feeds and moves a carrier belt accommodating a large number of components to feed the components so that they can be collected. Furthermore, a bulk material feeder 30 is employed in the feeder 122, which feeds components accommodated in a bulk state so that they can be collected. Details of the bulk material feeder 30 are described below.

[0014] In addition, the feeder 122 is loaded with components to enable the feeder 122 to supply the required types of components according to the scheduled assembly process, and is provided in slots 121. If a component shortage occurs during the execution of the assembly process, the assembly process temporarily stops, and production efficiency decreases. Therefore, the practice of providing a replacement feeder 61 capable of supplying the same type of components in other slots 121 can be adopted in the assembly process. 1-1-3. Component transfer device 13

[0015] The component mounting apparatus 10 includes a component transfer device 13. The component transfer device 13 transfers components supplied by the component supply device 12 to a predetermined mounting position on the platen 91. The component transfer device 13 includes a head drive device 131, a moving table 132, a mounting head 133, and suction nozzles 134. The head drive device 131 moves the moving table 132 in a horizontal direction (X direction and Y direction) with a linear motion mechanism. The mounting head 133 is detachably attached to the moving table 132 with a clamping member (not shown) and is provided so that it can be moved in the horizontal direction in the mounting apparatus.

[0016] The mounting head 133 supports a plurality of suction nozzles 134 for rotation, lifting, and lowering. The suction nozzle 134 is a holding member that collects and holds a component supplied from the feeding device 122. The suction nozzle 134 picks up a component supplied from the feeding device 122 using supplied negative air. As a holding member to be attached to the mounting head 133, a gripper or the like that holds the component by gripping the component can be used. 1-1-4. Part camera 14 and plate camera 15

[0017] The component mounting apparatus 10 includes a parts camera 14 and a plate camera 15. The parts camera 14 and the plate camera 15 are digital image capture devices that include image capture elements such as CMOS. The parts camera 14 and the plate camera 15 perform image capture based on control signals and transmit image data obtained through the image capture. The parts camera 14 is configured to image a component held by the suction nozzle 134 from below. The plate camera 15 is provided on the movement table 132 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction integrally with the mounting head 133. The plate camera 15 is configured to image the plate 91 from above.

[0018] In addition to using a surface of the plate 91 as an image acquisition target, the plate camera 15 can use various devices or the like as an image acquisition target, as long as the various devices are located within a movable range of the moving table 132. For example, in the present embodiment, the plate camera 15 can, as shown in Fig. 2, a feed area As to which the bulk material feeder 30 feeds components, or markers 344 provided at an upper portion of the bulk material feeder 30, can be captured within the camera's field of view. As described above, the plate camera 15 can be used to collectively image various image acquisition targets to obtain the image data used for various image processing. 1-1-5. Control device 20

[0019] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the component mounting apparatus 10 includes a control device 20. The control device 20 is mainly formed by a CPU, various types of memory, and a control circuit. The control device 20 includes a memory section 21, as shown in Fig. 3. The storage section 21 includes an optical drive device, such as a hard disk or a flash memory. Various data, such as a control program M1 used to control an assembly process, and the like, are stored in the storage section 21 of the control device 20.

[0020] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the control program M1 specifies the mounting position, mounting angle, and component type of the components to be mounted on the plate 91 in the mounting process in the scheduled mounting order. Here, the mounting process includes a process of repeating a PP (Pick and Place) cycle, which includes a picking cycle and a mounting cycle, multiple times. The above-described "picking cycle" is a process of repeating a picking operation from the suction nozzle 134 to pick up the components fed from the component feeder 12 multiple times.

[0021] The "mounting cycle" described above is a process of repeating a mounting operation a plurality of times to mount the picked components at predetermined mounting positions and at predetermined mounting angles on the plate 91. As described above, in the control program M1, the execution order (PP1, PP2, etc.) of the PP cycle, which includes a plurality of picking operations and mounting operations grouped in consideration of the number of suction nozzles 134 carried by the mounting head 133, the moving distance of the mounting head 133, and the like, is predetermined.

[0022] The control device 20 includes an assembly control section 22. The assembly control section 22 executes the assembly process based on the control program M1, in which the execution order of the PP cycle is specified. The assembly control section 22 performs recognition processing for detecting a holding state of each of the components held by the plurality of holding members (suction nozzles 134). More specifically, the assembly control section 22 performs image processing on image data obtained by image acquisition of the parts camera 14 and detects the position and angle of each component with respect to a reference position of the mounting head 133.In addition to the part camera 14, the mounting control section 22 may perform image processing on the image data obtained by capturing images of the component from the side, bottom, or top by a head camera unit or the like provided integrally with the mounting head 133.

[0023] During the mounting process, the mounting control section 22 controls the operation of the mounting head 133 based on information output from various sensors, the result of image processing, the control program M1, or the like. As a result, the positions and angles of the plurality of suction nozzles 134 supported by the mounting head 133 are controlled. As a result, the component held by the suction nozzle 134 is mounted at a predetermined mounting position commanded by the control program M1, at a predetermined mounting angle.

[0024] The control device 20 includes a state detection section 23. The state detection section 23 detects the feeding state of a plurality of components in the feeding area As of the bulk material feeding device 30 based on image data D1 (see Fig. 4) obtained by the image capture of the camera (the disk camera 15 in the present embodiment). The feeding state recognition processing includes a processing step of recognizing whether there are collectible components in the feeding area As and, if there are collectible components, a processing step of recognizing the positions and angles of these components. Furthermore, the mounting control section 22 controls an operation of the mounting head 133 in the picking process based on a result of the feeding state recognition processing. Details of the recognition processing by the state recognition section 23 will be described later.

[0025] The control device 20 includes a feed control section 24. The feed control section 24 controls the component feed by the component feed device 12. When the bulk material feed device 30 is provided in the component feed device 12, the feed control section 24 causes the feed operation by the bulk material feed device 30 to be executed at an appropriate execution time during the execution of the assembly process. Details of the control for the bulk material feed device 30 by the feed control section 24 will be described later.

[0026] The control device 20 includes a sequence adjustment section 25. Here, in the PP cycle, which is repeated multiple times in the assembly process, the execution order is predetermined by the control program M1, as described above. However, in the actual assembly process, there are cases where some of the assembly processes in the PP cycle are not successfully completed due to errors in the component picking process or the presence of defective components. In such a case, the sequence adjustment section 52 adjusts the execution order of the PP cycle.

[0027] For example, if assembly operations occur that were not successfully completed, the sequence adjustment section 25 moves the set of assembly operations relating to the assembly operation to the middle or end of the scheduled PP cycle. As a result, the assembly control section 22 retries the assembly operations as correction processing. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, in addition to the circumstances described above, the sequence adjustment section 25 adjusts the execution order of the predetermined PP cycle in accordance with the feeding operation of the bulk material feeding device 30 and the progress of the assembly operation. Details of the PP cycle adjustment process by the sequence adjustment section 25 will be described later.

[0028] The control device 20 includes a cycle generation section 26. When the execution order of a part of the PP cycle is changed by the order adjustment section 25, the cycle generation section 26 groups predetermined mounting operations under predetermined conditions to generate new PP cycles. Accordingly, for example, a plurality of mounting operations that are the target for correction processing are grouped into one PP cycle. Details of the PP cycle generation process by the cycle generation section 26 will be described later. 1-2. Configuration of the bulk material feeding device 30

[0029] The bulk material supply device 30 is provided on the component assembly device 10 and serves as a part of the component supply device 12. The bulk material supply device 30 supplies components housed in a bulk state in which the components are not lined up, such as in a carrier belt. Therefore, since the bulk material supply device 30 does not use a carrier belt, compared to the belt supply device, there is an advantage in that loading the carrier belt, collecting the used belt, or the like can be omitted.

[0030] For example, there is a bulk material feeding device 30 of a type that feeds components in irregular postures to a flat feeding area As. However, when the components in the feeding area As are so close to each other that they touch each other, the components are piled up (a state of overlapping in a vertical direction), or the components are in a horizontally standing posture in which the width direction of the component points in the vertical direction, the component assembling device 10 cannot regard these components as a collection target. Then, in order to increase a proportion of collectable components, there is a bulk material feeding device 30 of a type that feeds components in an aligned state to the feeding area As. In the present embodiment, the bulk material feeding device 30 of the type in which the components are aligned will be described as an example.

[0031] When the bulk material feeder 30 is placed in slots 121 of the component feeder 12, the bulk material feeder 30 is supplied with power via a connector and is in a state in which the bulk material feeder 30 can communicate with the control device 20. The bulk material feeder 30 includes a feeder main body 31 formed in a flat box shape. A component container for accommodating a plurality of components in a bulk state is detachably attached to the feeder main body 31. The bulk material feeder 30 includes a cam member 34 provided so as to be able to swing with respect to the feeder main body 31.The curve element 34 is formed with a transport path R through which a plurality of components are transported, and the feed area As which is connected to the transport path R and is open at the top so that the plurality of components can be collected.

[0032] The curve element 34 is designed such that it moves in a front-back direction (left-right direction in Fig. 2) of the feeder main body 31. A pair of side walls 341 projecting upward are formed on both edges of the cam member 34 in a width direction (a vertical direction in Fig. 2). The pair of side walls 341 surround the peripheral edge of the transport path together with a front end portion 342 of the cam member 34 to prevent the escape of the components transported onto the transport path R. A pair of left and right circular markers 344, each indicating a reference position of the feed area As, is attached to a surface of the front end portion 342.

[0033] In the present embodiment, an alignment member 50 is replaceably attached to the cam member 34. The alignment member 50 has a plurality of recesses 51 that individually accommodate a plurality of components. Specifically, a plurality of recesses 51 are arranged in a zigzag shape in which rows adjacent to each other are staggered in the conveying direction in the feed area As. For example, the alignment member 50 has a total of 64 recesses 51, with 8 recesses regularly arranged in the conveying direction and 8 recesses regularly arranged in the width direction of the conveying path R. Each of the plurality of recesses 51 is open upward to accommodate the component in a posture in which a thickness direction of the component is in the vertical direction. A plurality of recesses 51 may be arranged in a matrix.

[0034] The opening of the recess 51 is set to a dimension slightly larger than an outer shape of the component, viewed from above. The depth of the recess 51 is determined according to the type (shape, mass, or the like) of the component. A cam element 34, which is selected from various types of cam elements 34 based on the type of component, the required number of recesses 51, and the functionality, is attached to the cam element 34.

[0035] Here, the "feeding area As" of the cam member 34 is an area to which components are fed in a bulk state and is an area from which the component can be picked up by the suction nozzle 134 carried by the mounting head 133. Furthermore, the "transporting path R" of the cam member 34 is a component path along which the component circulating from the component container side to the cam member 34 is conveyed to the feeding area As. A cover 36 covering an upper portion of the transporting path R is attached to the cam member 34.

[0036] The bulk material feeding device 30 includes a shutter 37 provided at an upper part of the cam member 34 and capable of closing the opening of the feeding section As. By opening or closing the shutter 37, the bulk material feeding device 30 can prevent the component from protruding and foreign material from entering the feeding section As. The shutter 37 is switched between an open state, a closed state, and an intermediate state by an opening / closing operation. The closed state of the shutter 37 is a state in which the shutter 37 contacts the cam member 34 and the opening of the feeding section As is completely closed. As shown by a dashed line in Fig. 2, at this time, the shutter 37 is positioned behind the feeder main body 31 with respect to the pair of marker characters 344 of the cam member 34, and the pair of marker characters 344 can be visually recognized and imaged as viewed from above.

[0037] The open state of the shutter 37 is a state in which the opening of the supply section As is not closed, and a main area of ​​the supply section As (in the present embodiment, the area where a plurality of recesses 51 are provided) is exposed. At this time, the suction nozzle 134 can perform the component collecting operation at any of the recesses 51. The intermediate state of the shutter 37 is a state between the closed state and the open state in which the shutter 37 is separated from the cam element 34 by at least the amplitude of the cam element 34 vibrating due to the excitation, and restricts the protrusion of the component from the opening of the supply section As.The opening / closing operation of the shutter 37 is performed by a driving device (not shown), and the shutter 37 is placed in the closed state, the open state, and the intermediate state in accordance with a driving state of the driving device.

[0038] The bulk material feeding device 30 includes an excitation device provided in the feeder main body 31. The excitation device applies vibration to the cam member 34, so that a plurality of components are conveyed along the conveying path R. When the excitation device applies vibration to the cam member 34, the cam member 34 performs an elliptical motion in side view. As a result, a front-and-upward external force or a rear-and-upward external force is applied to a plurality of components on the conveying path R in accordance with a rotation direction of the elliptical motion of the cam member 34. As a result, the plurality of components are conveyed to the front or to the rear of the cam member 34.The bulk material feeding device 30 can vary the transport speed of the components to be conveyed, the extent of dispersion of the components, the transport direction and the like by controlling the frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to the cam member 34 and the rotation direction of the elliptical motion caused by the vibration.

[0039] The bulk material feeding device configured as described above receives a command for feeding components during the mounting operation from the component mounting device 10, for example, during a period from the completion of the current picking operation to the start of the next picking operation, and executes the feeding operation of the components. The feeding operation of the components is a process of conveying components to accommodate the components in the plurality of recesses 51. Specifically, the conveying operation includes a feeding operation in which the components positioned at the front end portion of the conveying path R move forward to the front end of the feeding area As, followed by a returning operation in which the components move back to the front end portion of the conveying path R.

[0040] If there is sufficient time before the start of the next picking operation, the feeding operation and the returning operation may be repeatedly performed in the conveying operation to cause the plurality of components to reciprocate in the front-back direction several times in the feeding area As. That is, in the feeding operation of the components in the bulk material feeding device 30, a pattern selected from a plurality of patterns may be selectively performed in consideration of circumstances such as the allowable time and the guarantee of the collectable amount. 1-3. Details of the State Detection Section 23

[0041] As described above, the state detection section 23 detects the feeding state of the plurality of components 92 in the feeding area As of the bulk material feeding device 30 based on image data D1 (see Fig. 4) obtained by the image capture of the plate camera 15. Specifically, the state recognition section 23 first executes the recognition processing of the feeding state based on image data D1 obtained by the image capture of the feeding area As, in a state in which the bulk material feeding device 30 feeds a plurality of components 92 to the feeding area As by vibration.

[0042] Fig. 4 shows an example of the image data D1. As described above, in the supply area As, a large number of components 92 are present in the bulk state. For example, there may be the component accommodated in the recess 51 in a normal posture, the component outside the recess 51, the components that touch each other or are stacked on top of each other, and the component in the horizontal posture. In the present embodiment, the state detection section 23 first calculates a state for each of the plurality of recesses 51.

[0043] This converts the multiple recesses 51 into receiving recesses (“OK” in Fig. 5) in which components 92 are accommodated in such a way that they can be collected, NG wells (“NG” in Fig. 5), in which components 92 are present in the circumference but cannot be collected, and empty cavities (“EMP” in Fig. 5) in which components 92 are not present in scope. Fig. Figure 5 shows the recording wells with diagonal lines, the NG wells with an X mark formed by diagonal lines, and the empty wells only with the outline, which is represented by a dashed line. As in Fig. 5, the state detection section 23 calculates the numbers (V1, V2, V3) of the states (OK, NG, EMP) of the plurality of wells 51.

[0044] Then, the state detection section 23 detects the current feeding state based on the numbers (V1, V2, V3) as described above. The feeding state may include the ratio of the number V1 of receiving wells to the total number of wells 51, the address of the receiving wells, the position of the collectable components 92 (the unique value assigned to each of the plurality of wells 51), and the posture of the component 92 in the receiving well (the angle of the collectable component 92). The ratio of the number V1 of receiving wells is used, for example, to switch various patterns in the feeding process. In the following description, the "number V1 of receiving wells" is also referred to as the "collectable amount V1" of the components 92. 1-4. Details of the feed control section 24

[0045] As described above, when the bulk material feeder 30 is provided in the component feeder 12, the feed control section 24 causes the feed operation of the bulk material feeder 30 to be executed at an appropriate execution timing. Various aspects can be employed for the execution timing of the feed operation. For example, different execution timings are set when priority is given to reducing the number of executions of the feed operation and when priority is given to reducing the number of executions of the PP cycle including the correction processing.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the supply control section 24 performs control that prioritizes reducing the number of times the supply operation is executed. Specifically, the supply control section 24 first determines whether the collectable amount V1 of the components 92 in the bulk material supply device 30 is lower than a reference value Vc. Specifically, the supply control section 24 obtains the collectable amount V1 included in the supply state detected by the state detection section 23 and updates the collectable amount V1 by subtracting the required amount in the PP cycle (for example, the required amount Ra for component type a) from the collectable amount V1 each time the PP cycle is executed.When the updated collectable amount V1 becomes lower than the reference value Vc, the feed control section 24 commands the bulk material feeder 30 to perform the feeding operation.

[0047] The reference value Vc can be set as needed. In the present embodiment, the reference value Vc is set to 1. That is, the feeding control section 24 commands the bulk material feeding device 30 to execute the feeding operation at the time when the collectable amount V1 becomes 0. In such a setting, when the required amount of the components 92 cannot be collected by the bulk material feeding device 30 during the execution of a certain PP cycle, the assembling control section 22 skips a part of the PP cycle and proceeds to the assembling process for the collected components 92. The assembling control section 22 executes the skipped part of the PP cycle (collecting process and assembling process) at a predetermined timing similar to the correction processing.

[0048] When the feed control section 24 commands the bulk material feeder 30 to perform the feeding operation as described above, the feed control section 24 sends the command after the picking operation of the bulk material feeder 30 is completed and the suction nozzle 134 is sufficiently raised. Thus, the feeding operation of the bulk material feeder 30 is performed in parallel with the assembly cycle of the PP cycle. 1-5. Assembly process of the component assembly device 10

[0049] Referring to Fig. 7 describes an assembly process of the component assembly device 10. Here, the component feeder 12 is provided with a belt feeder and the bulk material feeder 30, which are a plurality of feeders 122. After the bulk material feeder 30 is set into slots 121, the control device 20 performs calibration processing and detects the positions of the plurality of recesses 51 in the device.

[0050] In the calibration processing described above, the control device 20 first moves the plate camera 15 over the pair of markers 344 of the bulk material feeding device 30 and obtains image data by image acquisition of the plate camera 15. Furthermore, the control device 20 recognizes the position of the bulk material feeding device 30 in the device based on the positions of the pair of markers 344 included in the image data through image processing and the positions of the plate camera 15 when the image is captured. The control device 20 can obtain the coordinate values ​​of each well 51 based on a result of the calibration processing and arrangement information of the well 51.

[0051] In the mounting process, the plate transport device 11 of the component mounting device 10 first, as shown in Fig. 7, the control section 23 executes a loading operation of the plate 91 (S11). As a result, the plate 91 is loaded into the apparatus and positioned at a predetermined position in the apparatus. The supply control section 24 executes the supply operation from the bulk material supply device 30 after S11 or in parallel with S11 (S21). By executing the supply operation, a plurality of components 92 are accommodated in at least a part of the plurality of recesses 51 of the bulk material supply device 30. After the supply operation from the bulk material supply device 30 is completed, the state detection section 23 executes detection processing of the supply state of the components 92 (S22). As a result, the actual collectable amount V1 and the position of the collectable components 92 (the address of the accommodation recesses) are obtained as the supply state.

[0052] Next, the control device 20 executes the PP cycle. In the PP cycle, the process control section 41 executes the picking cycle, in which the picking process of picking up the components 92 using the plurality of suction nozzles 134 is repeated (S12). In this case, the mounting control section 22 causes the operation of the mounting head 133 in the picking process to sequentially position the mounting head 133 in accordance with the positions of the collectable components 92. In this case, the mounting control section 22 appropriately switches the coordinate value that is the center of the recess 51 or the coordinate value of the reference position of the component 92 as the position of the collectable component 92 and positions the suction nozzle 134.

[0053] Thereafter, the control device 20 executes the detection processing of the holding state of the components 92 held by the plurality of suction nozzles 134 (S13). Specifically, the control device 20 moves the mounting head 133 over the parts camera 14 and sends an image acquisition command to the parts camera 14. The control device 20 performs image processing on the image data obtained by the image acquisition of the parts camera 14 to detect the posture (position and angle) of the component 92 held by each of the plurality of suction nozzles 134. The result of the detection processing of the holding state (S13) is stored in the storage section 21 as an operation result indicating whether the picking error occurs in the picking operation.

[0054] Thereafter, the control device 20 executes the mounting cycle, in which the mounting process of mounting the components using the plurality of suction nozzles 134 is repeated (S14). In the mounting process of the mounting cycle (S14), the control device 20 causes the operation of the mounting head 133 to mount each of the components 92 at the mounting position determined by the control program M1. Furthermore, the mounting head 133 controls the operation of the mounting head 133 so that the suction nozzle 134 is positioned and angled relative to the mounting position based on the result of the recognition processing (S13).

[0055] The supply control section 24 executes the supply management process in parallel with the PP cycle, as described above. The supply management process includes setting the execution timing of the supply operation of the components 92 from the bulk material supply device 30, commanding the supply operation, detection processing of the supply state, and the like. For example, when the supply operation of the components 92 is executed, the supply operation from the bulk material supply device 30 is executed in a period from the completion of the pick-up cycle (S12) of the current PP cycle to the start of the next pick-up cycle (S12) of the PP cycle.

[0056] The control device 20 determines whether all PP cycles have been completed based on the control program M1 (S15). If all PP cycles have not been completed (S15: No), the PP cycle (S12 to S14) is executed. If all PP cycles have been completed (S15: Yes), the control device 20 executes an unloading operation of the disk 91 (S16). During the unloading operation of the disk 91, the disk transport device 11 releases the positioned disk 91 and unloads the disk 91 from the component mounter 10. 1-6. Feed management process from the component mounter 10

[0057] The feed management process from the component mounting apparatus 10 will be explained with reference to Fig. 8. The supply management process of the components 92 is executed before the execution of the PP cycle or in parallel with part of the steps during the execution of the assembly process. First, the control device 20 calculates the execution timing for the next supply process (S31). The control device 20 integrates the required quantity of the components 92 for each PP cycle to be executed in the execution order of the PP cycle and calculates the time at which the sum of the integrated value and the reference value Vc exceeds the current collectable quantity V1 as the execution timing of the next supply process.

[0058] For example, the control device 20 analyzes, as in Fig. 6, the control program M1 pre-processes and obtains the required quantity (Ra1, Rb1, ...) for component types in several PP cycles (PP1, PP2, ...). Fig. 6 shows the required amount Ra for component type (a) as the required amount Ra1, Ra2, ..., RaN in each PP cycle (PP1, PP2, ..., PPN). Then, when component type (a) is supplied from the bulk material supply device 30, the control device 20 integrates the required amount Ra during the execution of the first PP cycle (PP1), for example, and calculates the time point from which the sum of the integrated value (Ra1 + Ra2 + ...) and the reference value Vc exceeds the collectible amount V1 as the execution time point of the next supply operation.

[0059] Next, the control device 20 determines whether the required time TL for the assembly cycle, which is scheduled to run in parallel with the next feeding operation scheduled by S31, is shorter than the required time Ts for the feeding operation (S32). Here, as shown in Fig. 6, the required time Tt for each PP cycle can be obtained in advance as the sum of the required time TC for the collection cycle and the required time TL for the assembly cycle. Specifically, the required time Tt1 for the first PP cycle (PP1) corresponds to the sum of the required time TC1 for the collection cycle and the required time TL1 for the assembly cycle.

[0060] The required time TC for the picking cycle may vary according to the moving distance of the mounting head 133, depending on factors such as the quantity of the picking target components 92 and the installation position of the feeding device 122 being fed. Further, the required time TL for the mounting cycle may vary according to the moving distance of the mounting head 133, depending on factors such as the quantity and mounting positions of the plural components 92. The control device 20 analyzes the control program M1 to calculate various required times required in later processing. The required time Ts for the feeding operation may vary according to the pattern of the feeding operation, but the control device 20 may use a fixed value as the required time Ts for the feeding operation in the above determination (S32).

[0061] Here, as in the upper part of Fig. 9, when the scheduled next feeding operation SP is scheduled to be executed in parallel with the mounting cycle (L3) of the third PP cycle (PP3), the respective required times Ts and TL3 are compared. For example, if the required time Ts for the feeding operation SP is longer than the required time TL3 for the mounting cycle (L3) (S32: Yes), when the picking operation for component type (a) is included in the mounting cycle (C4) of the next fourth PP cycle (PP4), a waiting time Tw occurs for waiting for the completion of the feeding operation SP.

[0062] Then, the order adjustment section 25 executes the PP cycle adjustment process (S33). In the adjustment process, the order adjustment section 25 adjusts the execution order of the plurality of PP cycles included in the control program M1 under predetermined conditions, thereby preventing the occurrence of a wait time Tw as described above or shortening the wait time Tw. For example, the order adjustment section 25 may adjust to execute the third PP cycle (PP3) in which a wait time Tw occurs as described above, prior to the second PP cycle (PP2) due to the scheduled execution.

[0063] In the present embodiment, when adjusting the execution order of the PP cycle, the order adjusting section 25 adjusts the PP cycle to be later than the execution order specified by the control program M1. With this aspect, the order adjusting section 25 can treat the PP cycle, which is the adjustment target, similarly to the correction processing target and can simplify various subsequent operations. Furthermore, the "predetermined conditions" include conditions such as fixed or recommended execution orders among multiple PP cycles.

[0064] In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there is no predetermined condition as described above, and the order adjusting section 25 moves the PP cycle, which is the adjustment target, to the end of all PP cycles, as shown in Fig. 10 (S41). As a result, as shown in the lower part of Fig. As shown in Figure 9, the third PP cycle (PP3) is rescheduled to be executed at the end, similar to the correction processing. Next, the scheduled next feeding operation SP is scheduled to be executed in parallel with the mounting cycle of the PP cycle that was scheduled to be executed immediately after the moved PP cycle. The controller 20 determines whether the required time TL for the mounting cycle is shorter than the required time Ts for the feeding operation (S42).

[0065] For example, as in the lower part of Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, the feeding operation SP is scheduled to be executed in parallel with the mounting cycle (C4) of the fourth PP cycle (PP4). When the required time Ts for the feeding operation is shorter than the required time TL4 for the mounting cycle (C4) (S42: Yes), excess time Tx exists only for the difference, and no waiting time Tw occurs. When the required time Ts for the feeding operation SP is longer than the required time TL for the next candidate PP cycle (S42: No), and as long as the number of executions of the moving operation until the end (S41) does not exceed a predetermined number (S43: Yes), the next candidate PP cycle is set as the PP cycle that is the adjustment target, and the above operations (S41 and S42) are repeated.

[0066] The predetermined number described above is set to the maximum number of cycles from the next candidate PP cycle to the final PP cycle (PPN), and is appropriately set by the administrator or the like in consideration of the processing load or the like, or is set to a fixed value. When the number of executions of the move operation (S41) reaches the predetermined number (S43: No), if the move operation (S41) is executed multiple times, the order adjustment section 25 deletes the move operation (S41) of the PP cycle with the minimum waiting time Tw from the multiple PP cycles that have become the adjustment target, and completes the adjustment with a portion of the multiple PP cycles returned to the original state (S44).The order adjusting section 25 may complete the adjustment in a state in which the mounting operation (S41) is carried out up to the predetermined number without canceling the moving operation (S41).

[0067] When the number of executions of the moving operation (S41) reaches the predetermined number (S43: No) when the picking operation of any PP cycle is executed, a waiting time Tw occurs for waiting for the completion of the feeding operation SP. In the present embodiment, in such a case, the mounting control section 22 switches the picking target in the picking operation to the components 92 fed from the spare feeding device 61 (S45). As a result, the mounting control section 22 executes a plurality of PP cycles, adjusting the execution order, and when the feeding operation SP is executed at the scheduled execution time, the mounting control section 22 picks up the same type of components 92 fed from the spare feeding device 61 instead of entering a standby state.

[0068] Thus, it is possible to proceed to the mounting process without generating a waiting time Tw. However, since the picking cycle using the spare feeder 61 accompanies the movement of the mounting head 133 to the spare feeder 61, the required time TL for the picking cycle may increase. Here, the mounting control section 22 may compare the expected waiting time Tw with the extended time of the required time TL due to the use of the spare feeder 61, and may switch between waiting for the waiting time Tw as it is or taking out the components fed from the spare feeder 61 as the picking target. When no spare feeder 61 is provided or when switching to the spare feeder 61 is not permitted, the above-described switching process (S45) may be omitted.

[0069] The replacement feeding device 61 described above may be a bulk material feeding device or a belt feeding device, as long as the same type of components 92 as the bulk material feeding device 30 can be fed. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the replacement feeding device 61 is a belt feeding device that feeds and moves a carrier belt accommodating components 92 to feed the components 92. Although the total amount of components 92 that can be fed is reduced in the belt feeding device compared to the bulk material feeding device 30, the time required for the feeding operation to feed individual components 92 is short, and the components 92 can be fed in a stable posture. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the detection processing of the feeding state can be omitted.

[0070] Thereafter, after the switching operation (S45) or when the required time TL for the next candidate mounting cycle is shorter than the required time Ts for the feeding operation due to the moving operation (S41) (S42: Yes), after the final PP cycle (PPN), the cycle generation section 26 determines whether the adjusted multiple PP cycles include a common operation (S46). Determining the presence or absence of the described common operation is a determination as to whether the PP cycle in which the execution order is adjusted and other subsequent PP cycles include a picking operation and a mounting operation for the same type of components 92.The target of determining the presence or absence of the common operation (S46) may include the PP cycle which has already been moved to the end by the preceding adjustment operation and the correction processing target which is partially moved to the end with the execution of the assembly operation.

[0071] In particular, it is assumed that the three PP cycles (PP3, PP8 and PB12) are moved to the end by several moving operations (S41), as shown in the upper part of Fig. 11. Here, in the third PP cycle (PP3) and the eighth PP cycle (PP8), as shown in the lower part of Fig. 11, determines that there is a common operation (S46: Yes) because the picking operation and the assembling operation of the component (a) supplied from the bulk material supply device 30 are included as a picking target. The cycle generating section 26 moves the set of the picking operation and the assembling operation, as described above, included in the eighth PP cycle (PP8), to the third PP cycle. Thus, the cycle generating section 26 generates new PP cycles (PP31 and PP81) as shown in the lower part of Fig. 11 is shown (S47).

[0072] The control device 20 obtains the required quantity (Ra3 -> Ra3+Ra8, Ra8 -> 0) for each component (a) associated with the new PP cycles (PP31 and PP81). The cycle generation section 26 can further generate new PP cycles when a new PP cycle (PP81) and a subsequent PP cycle (PP12) include the common process (collection process and assembly process for the same type of components 92). With this PP cycle generation process (S47), as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 11, the movement distance of the mounting head 133 can be shortened in the new PP cycles (PP31 and PB81). As a result, the time required for the mounting process can be shortened by the shortening time TR, thereby improving the efficiency of the mounting process.

[0073] If the adjusted multiple PP cycles do not include a common operation (S46: No) or if the new PP cycles cannot be created without meeting predetermined conditions, the PP cycle creation process (S47) is not executed, and the PP cycle adjustment process (S33) is completed. The "predetermined conditions" described above include, for example, conditions such as a fixed or recommended execution order among multiple assembly operations, or restrictions on the quantity of collectable components 92 in a PP cycle based on the relationship with the number of suction nozzles 133.

[0074] After the PP cycle adjustment process (S33) described above is completed, or when it is determined that no waiting time Tw occurs (S32: No), the feed control section 24 executes the feed operation from the bulk material feeder 30 at the time when the calculated execution time is reached (S34). After the feed operation from the bulk material feeder 30 is completed, the state detection section 23 executes detection processing of the feed state of the components 92 (S35). The feed operation (S34) and the detection processing of the feed state (S35) described above are the same as S21 and S22, which are executed in parallel with the loading process (S11) of the disk 91, and therefore, their detailed description is omitted. 1-7. Effects of the configuration of the first embodiment

[0075] With the configuration of the component mounting device 10 and the component mounting method ( Fig. 7), the execution order of the multiple PP cycles is appropriately adjusted based on the required quantity and the collectable quantity V1 (S33). Accordingly, it is possible to prevent occurrences such as an insufficient collectable quantity V1 or the waiting time Tw for waiting for the completion of the feeding operation of the bulk material feeding device 30 during the execution of the PP cycle. As a result, a decrease in production efficiency can be prevented. 2. Second embodiment

[0076] A component mounting apparatus 10 and a component mounting method for performing an assembly process of the components 92 using a bulk material feeder 30 will be described with reference to the drawings. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of the feed management process. Since other configurations are essentially the same, their detailed descriptions are omitted. 2-1. Feed management process of the component mounter 10

[0077] As in Fig. 12, each process (S51 to S52, S54 to S55) in the supply management process of the second embodiment is substantially the same as each process (S31 to S32, S34 to S35) in the supply management process of the first embodiment, and the PP cycle adjustment process (S33 in Fig. 8) is omitted. In the supply management process, when the required time Ts for the supply process SP is longer than the required time TL for the mounting cycle (S52: Yes), the mounting control section 22 switches the picking target in the picking process to components 92 supplied from the spare feeder 61 (S53).

[0078] As a result, the mounting control section 22 executes a plurality of PP cycles in the order specified by the control program M1, and when the supply operation SP is executed at the scheduled execution time, the mounting control section 22 collects the same type of components 92 supplied from the spare supply device 61 instead of transitioning to a standby state. This makes it possible to transition to the mounting operation without generating a waiting time Tw. Furthermore, since the spare supply device 61 described above is a tape supply device, components 92 can be collected one by one by feeding and moving the carrier tape, and the time required for the supply operation can be shortened. Furthermore, since the tape supply device can supply components 92 in a stable posture, there is an advantage in that the detection processing of the supply state can be omitted.

[0079] Here, the mounting control section 22 switches to the spare feeder 30 (S53) depending on the result of the determination as to whether a waiting time Tw occurs (S52). On the other hand, the mounting control section 22 may compare the expected waiting time Tw with the extended time of the required time TL due to the use of the spare feeder 61, and may switch between waiting for the waiting time Tw as it is or taking out the components supplied from the spare feeder 61 as a pickup target. 2-2. Effects of the configuration of the second embodiment

[0080] Furthermore, since the configuration of the component mounting device 10 and the component mounting method ( Fig.12), when the feeding operation of the backup feeder 30 is required, the collection destination is switched to the components 92 fed from a backup belt feeder that can feed the same type of components as the bulk material feeder 30, the occurrence of a waiting time for the completion of the feeding operation of the bulk material feeder 30 can be prevented. As a result, a decrease in production efficiency can be prevented. 3. Modifications of the first and second embodiments

[0081] In the first and second embodiments, the bulk material supply device 30 supplies components 92 to be mounted on the board 91 by the component mounting device 10. In the first and second embodiments, a rectangular chip component is exemplified as the above-described component 92 when viewed from the thickness direction. On the other hand, the component 92 is used in a board processing device that performs a predetermined work on the board 91, such as a component mounting device 10, and various articles can be applied as long as the articles can be supplied in a state of being accommodated in a recess 51 in the bulk material supply device 30. For example, the bulk material supply device 30 can supply a solder ball formed in a spherical shape. List of reference symbols

[0082] 10: Component mounting device, 11: Plate transport device, 12: Component feeding device, 122: Feeding device, 13: Component transfer device, 20: Control device, 21: Storage section, 22: Assembly control section, 23: State detection section, 24: Feeding control section, 25: Sequence adjustment section, 26: Cycle generation section, 30: Bulk material feeding device, 61: Spare feeding device (belt feeding device), 91: Plate, 92: Component, M1: Control program

Claims

[1] Component mounting device, comprising: a mounting control section configured to execute a mounting operation based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, including a picking operation of components and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a board; a supply control section configured to cause, when the collectable amount of components in a bulk material supply device configured to supply a plurality of components in a bulk state is lower than a reference value, the bulk material supply device to perform a supply operation of the components in parallel with an assembling cycle in which the assembling operation is repeated a plurality of times; and a sequence adjustment section configured to, when a required time for the assembly cycle scheduled to be executed in parallel with the next feeding operation scheduled based on the current collectable amount is shorter than a required time for the feeding operation, adjust an execution order of the PP cycle including the assembly cycle. [2] The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the order adjusting section is configured, when adjusting the execution order of the PP cycle, to adjust the PP cycle to be later than the execution order set by the control program. [3] The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a cycle generation section configured to, when the PP cycle in which the execution order is adjusted and other subsequent PP cycles include the picking process and the mounting process for the same type of components, to generate a new PP cycle comprising the picking operation and the assembly operation for at least the same type of components from the several subsequent PP cycles. [4] The component mounting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reference value is set to 1. [5] The component mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a replacement feeder is provided which is configured to feed the same type of components as the bulk material feeder, and the assembly control section is configured to switch a picking destination to the components fed from the spare feeder when a waiting time for waiting for completion of the feeding operation of the components from the bulk material feeder occurs when the picking operation is executed. [6] The component mounting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the replacement feeding device is a tape feeding device configured to feed and move a carrier tape accommodating the components to feed the components. [7] Component mounting device, comprising: a component feeding device comprising a bulk material feeding device configured to feed a plurality of components in a bulk state, and a belt feeding device configured to feed and move a carrier belt accommodating the same type of components as the bulk material feeding device to feed the components; a mounting control section configured to execute a mounting operation based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, which includes a picking operation of the components and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a board; and a feed control section configured to cause, when the collectable amount of components in the bulk material feeder is lower than a reference value, the bulk material feeder to perform a feed operation of the components in parallel with the PP cycle, wherein the assembly control section is configured to switch a picking destination to the components fed from the belt feeder when a waiting time for waiting for completion of the feeding operation of the components from the bulk material feeder occurs when the picking operation is executed. [8] Component assembly method comprising: a mounting control section of executing a mounting process based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, which includes a picking process of components and a mounting process of mounting the components on a board; a supply control step of causing, when the collectable amount of components in a bulk material supply device configured to supply a plurality of components in a bulk state is lower than a reference value, the bulk material supply device to perform a supply operation of the components in parallel with an assembling cycle in which the assembling operation is repeated a plurality of times; and a sequence adjustment step of adjusting, when a required time for the assembly cycle scheduled to be executed in parallel with the next feeding operation scheduled based on the current collectable quantity is shorter than a required time for the feeding operation, an execution order of the PP cycle including the assembly cycle.

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