Inspection device

Abstract

To provide an inspection device capable of shortening a time required for inspection (tact time) by controlling the processing for carrying-in and imaging and processing for inspecting and counting of an inspection target by a different conveyance unit.SOLUTION: An inspection device 10 includes an imaging unit 20, a conveyance part 40, and a control unit 30. The conveyance part 40 includes first and second conveyance units 41 and 42. The actuation of each of the conveyance units can be individually controlled by the control unit 30. The first conveyance unit 41 is arranged in an imaging area and the second conveyance unit 42 is arranged in an inspecting and counting area (waiting area). The control unit 30 carries out another inspection target from the inspecting and counting area by the second conveyance unit 42, while imaging the inspection target 12 moved to the imaging area by the first conveyance unit 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of an object to be inspected. [Background technology]

[0002] An inspection device that inspects the appearance of a circuit board (inspected object) on which electronic components, etc. are mounted is configured to carry out the process of loading the circuit board into the inspection device, capturing images, inspecting, tallying, and removing the board, all using a single transport unit (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-010082 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with this type of inspection device, the board cannot be removed until the inspection and counting processes are completed, so inspection of the next board cannot be carried out, which means the next board has to wait, resulting in a problem of reduced throughput of the inspection device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and has an object to provide an inspection device that can shorten the time required for inspection (takt time) by configuring a transport section that transports objects to be inspected within the inspection device with multiple transport units arranged in series, and managing the process of loading and photographing substrates (objects to be inspected) and the process of inspection and counting using different transport units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect of the inspection apparatus of the present invention comprises an imaging section that acquires image data of an object to be inspected, a transport section that moves the object to be inspected, and a control section that controls operation of the imaging section and the transport section, wherein the transport section has at least two transport units connected in series in the direction in which the object to be inspected is moved, and the operation of each of the transport units can be individually controlled by the control section, at least one of the transport units is a first transport unit arranged in an imaging area where image data can be acquired by the imaging section, and at least one of the remaining transport units is a second transport unit arranged in a waiting area before or after the imaging area in the direction of movement, and when the control section is individually controlling the transport units, while the object to be inspected moved to the imaging area by the first transport unit is being imaged by the imaging section, the control section causes the second transport unit to transport another object to be inspected into or out of the waiting area.

[0007] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, a second aspect of the inspection apparatus of the present invention comprises an imaging section which acquires image data of an object to be inspected, a transport section which moves the object to be inspected, and a control section which controls operation of the imaging section and the transport section, wherein the transport section has at least two transport units connected in series in the direction in which the object to be inspected is moved, and the operation of each of the transport units can be individually controlled by the control section, and at least two of the transport units are a first transport unit and a second transport unit which are arranged in an imaging area where image data can be acquired by the imaging section, and when the control section is individually controlling the transport units, while the object to be inspected which is located on one of the first transport unit and the second transport unit is imaged by the imaging section, the control section moves another object to be inspected by the other of the first transport unit and the second transport unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, an inspection device can be provided that can shorten the time required for inspection (takt time) by managing the process of loading and imaging the substrate (inspected object) and the process of inspection and counting using different transport units. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of an inspection device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of a transport section according to the first embodiment of the inspection device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a flow of an inspection using a transport section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of a transport section according to a second embodiment of the inspection device. FIG. [Diagram 5] An explanatory diagram for explaining a control method of the conveying section in the second embodiment, where (a) shows the standard mode, (b) shows the case where imaging is performed with the first conveying unit in the two buffer mode, and (c) shows the case where imaging is performed with the second conveying unit in the two buffer mode. [Figure 6] 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of a transport section according to a third embodiment of the inspection device. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of an inspection device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. This inspection device 10 is a device that inspects an object 12 to be inspected using an object image obtained by imaging the object 12. The object 12 to be inspected is, for example, an electronic circuit board on which many electronic components are mounted. The inspection device 10 judges the quality of the mounting state of the electronic components based on the object image. This inspection is usually performed for a plurality of inspection items for each component. The inspection items are items that require a quality judgment. The inspection items include, for example, inspection items for component arrangement such as missing parts, misalignment, and polarity inversion of the parts themselves, and inspection items for connections between the parts and the board such as the soldering state and floating lead pins of the parts.

[0011] The inspection device 10 includes an inspection table 14 for holding the object under inspection 12, an imaging unit 20 for illuminating and imaging the object under inspection 12, an XY stage 16 for moving the imaging unit 20 relative to the inspection table 14, and a control unit 30 for controlling the imaging unit 20 and the XY stage 16 to inspect the object under inspection 12. For ease of explanation, as shown in Fig. 1, the surface of the inspection table 14 on which the object under inspection is placed is defined as the XY plane, and the direction perpendicular to the surface (i.e., the imaging direction by the first imaging section 21 constituting the imaging unit 20 (the optical axis direction of the optical system of the first imaging section 21)) is defined as the Z direction.

[0012] The imaging unit 20 is attached to a moving table (not shown) of the XY stage 16, and can be moved in the X and Y directions by the XY stage 16. The XY stage 16 is, for example, a so-called H-shaped XY stage. Therefore, the XY stage 16 includes a Y drive unit that moves the moving table in the Y direction along a Y direction guide extending in the Y direction, and two X direction guides and an X drive unit that support the Y direction guide at both ends and are configured to be able to move the moving table and the Y direction guide in the X direction. The XY stage 16 may further include a Z movement mechanism that moves the imaging unit 20 in the Z direction, or may further include a rotation mechanism that rotates the imaging unit 20. The inspection device 10 may further include an XY stage that can move the inspection table 14, and in this case, the XY stage 16 that moves the imaging unit 20 may be omitted. In addition, a linear motor or a ball screw can be used for the X drive unit and the Y drive unit. In addition, the XY stage 16 may be configured with one axis in the X direction and one axis in the Y direction.

[0013] The imaging unit 20 includes a first imaging section 21, which is a main camera that captures an image from a direction perpendicular to the inspection surface (substrate surface) of the object 12 to be inspected (Z-axis direction), an illumination unit 22, and a second imaging section 23, which is a side camera that captures an image from an oblique direction (at an angle different from the Z-axis) to the inspection surface (substrate surface) of the object 12 to be inspected. This is for improving the inspection accuracy by capturing and inspecting the object 12 to be inspected from two directions. In the inspection device 10 according to this embodiment, the first imaging section 21, the illumination unit 22, and the second imaging section 23 may be configured as an integrated imaging unit 20. In this integrated imaging unit 20, the relative positions of the first imaging section 21, the illumination unit 22, and the second imaging section 23 may be fixed, or each unit may be configured to be movable relative to each other. In addition, the first imaging section 21, the illumination unit 22, and the second imaging section 23 may be separate and configured to be movable separately. The imaging unit 20 may also be provided with a projection unit that projects a pattern onto the inspection surface of the object under inspection 12. For example, when the projection unit is configured to project a stripe pattern whose brightness changes according to a sine curve onto the object under inspection 12, the control unit 30 can create a height map of the object under inspection 12 by a PMP (Phase Measurement Profilometry) method from the image of the object under inspection 12 onto which the stripe pattern is projected.

[0014] The first imaging section 21 includes an imaging element that generates two-dimensional image data of the object, and an optical system (e.g., a lens) for forming an image on the imaging element. The first imaging section 21 is, for example, a CMOS camera. The maximum field of view of the first imaging section 21 may be smaller than the area of ​​the inspection table 14 where the object to be inspected is placed. In this case, the first imaging section 21 images the entire object to be inspected 12 by dividing it into a plurality of partial images. The control unit 30 controls the XY stage 16 so that the first imaging section 21 is moved to the next imaging position every time the first imaging section 21 images a partial image. The control unit 30 synthesizes the partial image data output from the first imaging section 21 to generate an entire image of the object to be inspected 12 (image data of the entire substrate surface).

[0015] The first imaging unit 21 may include an imaging element that generates one-dimensional image data, such as a line sensor, instead of the two-dimensional imaging element. In this case, the first imaging unit 21 scans the inspection object 12, thereby acquiring the entire image data of the inspection object 12.

[0016] The illumination unit 22 is configured to project illumination light for imaging by the first imaging section 21 and the second imaging section 23 onto the surface of the inspection object 12. The illumination unit 22 includes one or more light sources that emit light of a wavelength or wavelength range selected from the wavelength range detectable by the imaging elements of the first imaging section 21 and the second imaging section 23. The illumination light is not limited to visible light, and ultraviolet light, X-rays, etc. may also be used. When multiple light sources are provided, each light source is configured to project light of a different wavelength (e.g., red, blue, and green) onto the surface of the inspection object 12 at a different projection angle.

[0017] In the inspection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the illumination unit 22 is a side illumination source that projects illumination light from an oblique direction onto the inspection surface of the object 12 to be inspected, and in this embodiment, includes an upper light source 22a, a middle light source 22b, and a lower light source 22c. In the inspection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the side illumination sources 22a, 22b, and 22c are each a ring illumination source that surrounds the optical axis of the first imaging unit 21 and is configured to project illumination light obliquely onto the inspection surface of the object 12 to be inspected. Each of these side illumination sources 22a, 22b, and 22c may be configured by arranging a plurality of light sources in a circular ring shape. In addition, the upper light source 22a, the middle light source 22b, and the lower light source 22c, which are side illumination sources, are each configured to project illumination light at different angles onto the inspection surface.

[0018] Moreover, the second imaging section 23 is configured to capture an image from an oblique direction relative to the inspection surface (substrate surface) of the inspection object 12. Like the first imaging section 21, the second imaging section 23 is, for example, a CMOS camera.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the second imaging unit 23 is provided between the upper light source 22a and the middle light source 22b, but the arrangement of the second imaging unit 23 is not limited to this, and for example, the second imaging unit 23 may be provided outside the lower light source 22c.

[0020] The inspection table 14 is also provided with a transport section 40 that transports the objects 12 to be inspected, which have been delivered to the inspection device 10 from an upstream process, into an area where the imaging unit 20 performs imaging (hereinafter referred to as the "imaging area"), and after imaging, moves the objects 12 to an area where inspection and counting are performed (hereinafter referred to as the "inspection and counting area"), and transports the objects 12 to the next process after counting. The objects 12 to be inspected that have been moved to the inspection and counting area are in a state of waiting for the inspection and counting processes to be completed, so the inspection and counting area may also be called a waiting area. The transport section 40 is also provided with a clamp mechanism for fixing the objects 12 to be inspected when the imaging unit 20 performs imaging in the imaging area. The operation of the transport section 40 is controlled by the control unit 30. A detailed description of the transport section 40 will be given later.

[0021] The control unit 30 shown in Fig. 1 centrally controls the entire device, and is realized as hardware by any computer's CPU, coprocessors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or FPU (Floating-point Processing Unit / Floating-Point Unit), memory, and other LSIs, and as software by programs loaded into memory, but here we show functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these. Therefore, these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the control unit 30. The control unit 30 includes an inspection control unit 31 and a memory 35, which is a storage unit. The inspection control unit 31 includes a height measurement unit 32, an inspection data processing unit 33, and an inspection unit 34. The inspection device 10 also includes an input unit 36 ​​for receiving input from a user or another device, and an output unit 37 for outputting information related to the inspection, and the input unit 36 ​​and the output unit 37 are each connected to the control unit 30. The input unit 36 ​​includes, for example, input means such as a mouse or keyboard for receiving input from a user, and communication means for communicating with other devices. The output unit 37 includes known output means such as a display or a printer.

[0023] The inspection control unit 31 is configured to execute various control processes for the inspection based on the input from the input unit 36 ​​and the inspection-related information stored in the memory 35. The inspection-related information includes two-dimensional image data of the inspected object 12, a height map of the inspected object 12, and substrate inspection data. Prior to the inspection, the inspection data processing unit 33 creates substrate inspection data using the two-dimensional image data and height map of the inspected object 12 that is guaranteed to pass all inspection items. The inspection unit 34 executes the inspection based on the created substrate inspection data and the two-dimensional image data and height map of the inspected object 12 to be inspected.

[0024] The board inspection data is inspection data created for each type of board. The board inspection data is, so to speak, a collection of inspection data for each component mounted on the board. The inspection data for each component includes the inspection items required for that component, the inspection window which is the inspection area on the image for each inspection item, and the inspection information associated with this inspection window, which is the inspection standard for determining pass / fail for each inspection item. One or more inspection windows are set for each inspection item. For example, in an inspection item for determining whether the soldering of a component is pass / fail, the same number of inspection windows as the number of soldering areas of the component are usually set in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the soldering areas. In addition, for inspection items that use image data that has been subjected to a specified image processing on the image data of the object to be inspected (partial image data or image data of the entire board), the contents of the image processing are also included in the inspection data.

[0025] The inspection data processing unit 33 sets each item of the inspection data according to the board as a board inspection data creation process. For example, the inspection data processing unit 33 automatically sets the position and size of each inspection window for each inspection item so as to fit the component layout of the board. The inspection data processing unit 33 may be configured to accept user input for some items of the inspection data. For example, the inspection data processing unit 33 may be configured to accept tuning of the inspection criteria by the user. The inspection criteria may be set using height information.

[0026] The inspection control unit 31 performs imaging processing of the object 12 to be inspected as a preprocessing for creating substrate inspection data. The object 12 to be inspected passes all inspection items. As described above, the imaging processing is performed by controlling the relative movement between the imaging unit 20 and the inspection table 14 while illuminating the object 12 to be inspected by the illumination unit 22, and sequentially imaging partial images of the object 12 to be inspected by the first imaging unit 21 and the second imaging unit 23, and outputting the partial image data. A plurality of partial images are captured so that the entire object 12 to be inspected is covered. The inspection control unit 31 synthesizes the plurality of partial image data to generate substrate whole image data which is an image including the entire inspection surface of the object 12 to be inspected. The inspection control unit 31 stores the partial image data and the substrate whole image data in the memory 35.

[0027] The transport unit 40 provided in the inspection device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0028] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the conveying section 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the conveying section 40 is composed of a first conveying unit 41 and a second conveying unit 42 arranged in series from the entrance to the exit of the inspection device 10. Here, the first conveying unit 41 and the second conveying unit 42 can adopt a system combining a pulley and a belt (belt conveyor system) or a system composed of a pulley. For example, when the first conveying unit 41 and the second conveying unit 42 are conveying devices of the belt conveyor system, the first conveying unit 41 is composed of a first belt conveyer 41a that supports both ends of the test object 12 in the Y direction from below and moves the test object 12 placed on the upper surface of the belt from the entrance to the imaging area, and a first driving section 41b that drives the first belt conveyer 41a. The second transport unit 42 is made up of a second belt conveyor 42a that supports both ends in the Y direction of the object 12 transferred from the first transport unit 41 from below, moves the object 12 placed on the upper surface of the belt to an inspection and counting area, and further moves it to the outside from an exit, and a second drive section 42b that drives the second belt conveyor 42a. The first drive section 41b and the second drive section 42b are configured to operate independently in response to a command signal from the control unit 30.

[0029] The transport unit 40 is provided with a clamp mechanism in the imaging area, the clamp mechanism being composed of a fixed part 44 and a movable part 45. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the clamp mechanism is composed of the fixed part 44 which holds at least two points on each of both ends in the Y direction of the test object 12 located in the imaging area, and the movable part 45 which lifts the test object 12 from below and clamps the test object 12 together with the fixed part 44 to fix the test object 12. The clamp mechanism shown here is an example, and instead of the movable part 45, the first transport unit 41 may be moved upward to clamp the test object 12 between the fixed part 44 and the test object 12 to fix the test object 12. Alternatively, the clamp mechanism may be configured to provide a fixed part below the test object 12, and move a movable part arranged above the test object 12 downward to clamp the test object 12 together with the fixed part to fix the test object 12. Alternatively, instead of clamping the test object 12 between the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45 to fix the test object 12, the test object 12 may be fixed by suction.

[0030] Next, the inspection process of the inspection object 12 by the inspection apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] -When there is one transport unit- First, a case where the transport section 40 is composed of one transport unit will be described with reference to Fig. 3(a). As described above, in the inspection device 10 according to this embodiment, the transport section 40 is composed of two transport units (a first transport unit 41 and a second transport unit 42), but since the operation of the transport section 40 is performed by a command signal from the control unit 30, the two transport units 41 and 42 can be operated as a single transport unit as a whole by operating them as a single unit.

[0032] When the object 12 to be inspected is delivered to the inspection device 10 from the carry-in entrance, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 to carry the object 12 to an imaging area in the inspection device 10, and fixes the object 12 to be inspected by the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45 (step S101). Here, the imaging area is a range in which the imaging unit 20 can be moved by the XY stage 16 to image at least a part of the object 12 to be inspected. If the field of view (FOV) of the first imaging section 21 and the second imaging section 23 included in the imaging unit 20 is smaller than the object 12 to be inspected, the imaging unit 20 is moved by the XY stage 16 in this imaging area to image a plurality of partial images of the object 12 to be inspected, and the partial image data obtained are combined to obtain an entire image (entire substrate image data) of the object 12 to be inspected.

[0033] When the object 12 to be inspected is fixed in the imaging area by the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45, the control unit 30 moves the imaging unit 20 by the XY stage 16 to acquire partial image data of the object 12 to be inspected, and stores the data in the memory 35 (step S102). The control unit 30 repeats the imaging process by moving the imaging unit 20 until partial image data covering the entire object 12 to be inspected is acquired. In this way, when the entire image data of the object 12 to be inspected (image data of the entire substrate) is acquired as a plurality of partial image data, the acquired partial image data can be used to perform sequential inspection. Therefore, the control unit 30 reads out the acquired partial image data from the memory 35, and performs the inspection process using the read partial image data in parallel with the above-mentioned imaging process (step S103).

[0034] When the control unit 30 judges that all partial image data of the object 12 to be inspected has been acquired, it releases the object 12 from the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45, and drives the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 to move the object 12 to the inspection and tallying area (step S104). On the other hand, if a defect is found as a result of the inspection, a visual inspection or the like may be performed. When this visual inspection is performed, the object 12 to be inspected after the imaging process is not immediately carried out to the next process, but needs to wait once. Therefore, the object 12 to be inspected after the imaging process is made to wait in the inspection and tallying area (step S105). Note that if a visual inspection is not performed and the next subsequent process is ready, the object 12 is carried out without waiting. When the inspection process is completed, the control unit 30 performs a tallying process to output the results (step S106). The tallying results are output to the output unit 37, the memory 35, or an external storage device (not shown). As described above, the partial image data stored in the memory 35 is used to generate the entire substrate image data, which is then output to the output unit 37, the memory 35, or an external storage device. When the tallying process is completed and it is determined that there is no abnormality in the inspection results, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 to transport the inspected object 12 to the next process (step S107). Note that the tallying process may output the inspection results and the entire substrate image data of the inspected object 12. Therefore, in order to execute the imaging process and the inspection process in parallel, the memory 35 needs to have a capacity that can store at least all of the entire partial image data of the inspected object 12.

[0035] When the inspected object 12 is carried out to the next process, the control unit 30 causes the first and second transport units 41 and 42 to carry the next inspected object 12 into the imaging area (step S111), performs imaging processing (step S112) and performs inspection processing (step S113), and when the imaging processing is completed, the control unit 30 causes the first and second transport units 41 and 42 to move the inspected object 12 to the inspection and counting area (step S114) and makes the inspected object 12 wait (step S115). When the inspection processing is completed, the control unit 30 performs counting processing (step S116), and when it is determined that there is no abnormality in post-inspection processing such as visual judgment, the control unit 30 carries out the inspected object 12 to the next process by the first and second transport units 41 and 42 (step S117). The control unit 30 repeats the same processing for the subsequent inspected objects 12.

[0036] In this way, when the conveying section 40 has one conveying unit (in the case of this embodiment, two conveying units are operated together), the next inspected object 12 cannot be brought in until the inspected object 12 currently being inspected has been transported to the next process, so that the time required to inspect one inspected object 12 (takt time) is T1 from the start of loading to the end of unloading, as shown in Figure 3(a).

[0037] -When there are two transport units- Next, a case where the transport section 40 is composed of two transport units 41 and 42 arranged in series and operating independently will be described with reference to Fig. 3(b). Note that the inspection process is the same as when there is one transport unit.

[0038] When the object 12 to be inspected is delivered to the inspection device 10 through the carry-in entrance, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 to carry the object 12 to the imaging area in the inspection device 10, and fixes the object 12 to be inspected by the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45 (step S201). When the object 12 to be inspected is fixed in the imaging area, the control unit 30 moves the imaging unit 20 by the XY stage 16 to obtain partial image data of the object 12 to be inspected, and stores the data in the memory 35 (step S202). The control unit 30 repeats the imaging process until the entire partial image data of the object 12 to be inspected is obtained. The control unit 30 also reads out the obtained partial image data from the memory 35, and performs the inspection process using the read partial image data in parallel with the imaging process described above (step S203). Furthermore, when the control unit 30 determines that all partial image data of the object 12 have been acquired, it releases the object 12 from the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45, and operates the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 to move the object 12 to the inspection and counting area (step S204), and puts the object 12 in a standby state (step S205). When the control unit 30 finishes the inspection process, it performs a counting process to output the results (step S206). The counted results are output to the output unit 37, the memory 35, or an external storage device. When the control unit 30 determines that the object 12 is normal as a result of the counting process, it operates the second transport unit 42 to carry the object 12 to the next process (step S207).

[0039] On the other hand, when the imaging process of the currently inspected object 12 is completed, the object 12 is moved to the inspection and tallying area and is waiting. At this time, when the object 12 is waiting in the inspection and tallying area, the first transport unit 41 is not used. Therefore, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 to carry the next object 12 to be inspected into the imaging area before the inspection process of the currently inspected object 12 is completed (step S211), and when the inspection process of the currently inspected object 12 is completed, the control unit 30 executes the imaging process for the next object 12 to be inspected (step S212), and executes the inspection process in parallel with this imaging process (step S213). If the object 12 to be inspected is moved to the inspection and tallying area immediately after imaging, the imaging of the next object 12 to be inspected can be started without waiting for the inspection process of the previous object 12 to be completed. Furthermore, when the imaging process of the next object 12 to be inspected is completed, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 to move the next object 12 to be inspected to the inspection and counting area (step S214) on the condition that the previous object 12 to be inspected has been carried out, and places this object 12 in a standby state (step S215). Furthermore, when the inspection process is completed, the control unit 30 executes a counting process (step S216), and if it is determined as a result of the counting process that there is no abnormality in the object 12 to be inspected, it operates the second transport unit 42 to carry out the object 12 to the next process (step S217).

[0040] In this way, when the transport section 40 has two transport units, the inspection process can be started when the imaging process of the previous object 12 to be inspected is completed, and the previous object 12 to be inspected can be moved from the imaging area to the inspection and tallying area in parallel with the inspection process. Then, while the inspection process of the previous object 12 to be inspected is being performed, the next object 12 to be inspected can be carried in in parallel, and while the imaging process of the next object 12 to be inspected is being performed, the previous object 12 to be inspected can be carried out. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the time required from the start of carrying in the previous object 12 to the start of carrying in the next object 12 to be inspected is T2. This time T2 can be made shorter than the time (takt time) T1 required for inspection of one object 12 to be inspected when there is one transport unit. 3(b), the tallying process of the previous inspected object 12 and the imaging process of the next inspected object 12 can be performed in parallel, so that twice the time T2 required to inspect two inspected objects 12 is shorter than twice the time T1 required to inspect two inspected objects 12 in the case of one transport unit, thereby shortening the overall tact time. In addition, in such a configuration, when the inspection process of the next inspected object 12 and the tallying process of the previous inspected object 12 are performed simultaneously, it is desirable that the memory 35 has a capacity capable of storing partial image data covering the entire two inspected objects 12.

[0041] -When inspecting test objects 12 of different lengths- When inspecting objects 12 having different lengths in the X direction, the control unit 30 can be configured to operate the transport unit 40 as two transport units (hereinafter referred to as "two buffer mode") for the object 12 that fits within the inspection tally area (when the X direction length (length in the direction in which the object 12 is transported) La of the object 12 is shorter than the length L2 of the inspection tally area), and to operate the transport unit 40 as one transport unit (hereinafter referred to as "standard mode") for the object 12 that does not fit within the inspection tally area (when the X direction length La of the object 12 is longer than the length L2 of the inspection tally area). The length L1 in the X direction of the imaging area needs to be equal to or longer than the length of the largest object 12 among the objects 12 to be inspected. Since the above-mentioned board inspection data also includes the length of the object 12 to be inspected (length La in the X direction), the control unit 30 can determine the length of the object 12 to be inspected from the board inspection data of the object 12 to be inspected and decide whether to operate the transport unit 40 in the standard mode or the two-buffer mode. As a result, even if objects 12 to be inspected of different lengths are mixed, the control unit 30 can determine the operation mode of the transport unit 40, so that the time required for inspection for each object 12 to be inspected (takt time) can be optimized, and as a result, the throughput of the inspection device 10 can be improved.

[0042] -Modification of the first embodiment- As described above, if a defect is found in the object 12 as a result of the inspection and counting, a visual inspection may be performed. After the imaging process is completed, the object 12 is moved to the inspection and counting area by the transport unit 44. Therefore, an imaging unit other than the imaging unit 20 described above may be provided in the inspection and counting area of ​​the inspection device 10, and the control unit 30 may be configured to perform the visual inspection using this imaging unit.

[0043] In the above example, the imaging unit 20 is disposed on the entrance side as the imaging area, and the exit side is the inspection and tallying area where the objects to be inspected 12 wait. However, the entrance side (first conveyor unit 41 side) may be the waiting area where the objects to be inspected 12 wait, and the imaging unit 20 may be disposed on the exit side (second conveyor unit 42 side) as the imaging area where imaging, inspection, and tallying are performed. In this case, a third conveyor unit (not shown) may be disposed on the entrance side of the second conveyor unit 42, the second conveyor unit 42 side may be the imaging area, and the third conveyor unit side may be the inspection and tallying area. When the time required for the inspection by the inspection device 10 is longer than the time required for the process on the upstream side of the inspection device 10, the tact time can be shortened by providing a waiting area on the upstream side (entrance side) of the imaging area.

[0044] Alternatively, a third conveying unit (not shown) may be placed on the entrance side of the first conveying unit 41, with the first conveying unit 41 side being the imaging area and the second conveying unit side being the inspection and collection area, and the third conveying unit side being an inverting machine that inverts the object to be inspected 12.

[0045] Second embodiment A second embodiment of the transport section 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The transport section 40 according to the second embodiment is configured to have two transport units (a first transport unit 41 and a second transport unit 42) arranged in series from the entrance side to the exit side, similar to the first embodiment. A clamp mechanism consisting of a fixed part 44a and a movable part 45b is provided for the first transport unit 41, and a clamp mechanism consisting of a fixed part 44b and a movable part 45b is provided for the second transport unit 42.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the imaging area is set across the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42. The imaging unit 20 is configured to be movable from above the first transport unit 41 to above the second transport unit 42 by the XY stage 16. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the operation of the first and second transport units 41 and 42, and the fixation of the object 12 by the fixed part 44 and the movable part 45 can be switched and controlled by the control unit 30 depending on the length of the object 12 to be inspected, the time required for the imaging process, the inspection process, or the tallying process, or the status of the previous and subsequent steps of the inspection device 10. The control of the transport unit 40 by the control unit 30 will be described below with reference to FIG. 5. In the following description, the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 are described as having the same length in the X direction, but it is not necessary that they are the same length as described in the first embodiment. The process performed on one object 12 to be inspected is as described in the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 are simply depicted.

[0047] First, when the length in the X direction of the inspection object 12 is longer than the length of the effective area in the X direction of the first transport unit 41 or the second transport unit 42, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 in the standard mode. In this case, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the inspection object 12 is carried into the center of the imaging area and fixed by the fixed parts 44a, 44b and the movable parts 45a, 45b.

[0048] On the other hand, when the length of the object 12 in the X direction is equal to or less than the length of the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 in the X direction, the control unit 30 operates the first transport unit 41 and the second transport unit 42 in the two-buffer mode. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the first transport unit 41 side may be the imaging area and the second transport unit 42 side may be the waiting area (inspection and tallying area), or as shown in FIG. 5(c), the first transport unit 41 side may be the waiting area and the second transport unit 42 side may be the imaging area (inspection and tallying is also performed in this area). When the first transport unit 41 side is the imaging area, the object 12 is fixed by the fixed part 44a and the movable part 45a arranged on the first transport unit 41 side. When the second transport unit 42 side is the imaging area, the object 12 is fixed by the fixed part 44b and the movable part 45b arranged on the second transport unit 42 side.

[0049] As described in the first embodiment, when the inspection and counting process takes longer than the imaging process of the object to be inspected 12, the takt time for inspecting the object to be inspected 12 can be shortened by making the first transport unit 41 side the imaging area. On the other hand, when it is desired to improve the productivity of the process upstream of the inspection device 10, the takt time can be shortened by making the first transport unit 41 side the waiting area and the second transport unit 42 side the imaging area. The control unit 30 can switch between the standard mode and the two-buffer mode based on the length of the object to be inspected 12 obtained from the board inspection data and the time required for each process, and in the case of the two-buffer mode, it can select whether the imaging area is on the first transport unit 41 side or the second transport unit 42 side, thereby optimizing the takt time for inspection of each object to be inspected 12, and as a result, the throughput of the inspection device 10 can be improved.

[0050] (Third embodiment) The transport unit 40 according to the first and second embodiments described above is also effective for a so-called dual lane inspection device 10 in which two transport units 40a, 40b are provided side by side, as shown in FIG. 6. That is, each of the two transport units 40a, 40b has two lanes consisting of a first transport unit 41a, 41b and a second transport unit 42a, 42b. In this third embodiment, one imaging unit 20 may be provided in common for the two lanes, but as shown in FIG. 6, by providing an imaging unit 20 for each lane, a better effect can be obtained when the transport unit 40 is operated in a two-buffer mode. Specifically, by providing an imaging unit 20 for each lane, it is possible to perform loading and imaging processing, and inspection, counting, and carrying-out processing in each lane without generating a waiting time for imaging by the imaging unit 20, and it is possible to optimize the tact time for inspection of each inspected object 12, and also to improve the overall throughput of the inspection device 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 Inspection equipment 20 Imaging unit (imaging section) 30 Control unit (control section) 35 Memory 40 Conveyor 41 First transport unit 42 Second transport unit

Claims

1. an imaging unit for acquiring image data of the object to be inspected; A transport unit that moves the object to be inspected; A control unit that controls the operation of the imaging unit and the transport unit, the transport section has at least two transport units connected in series in a direction in which the object to be inspected is moved, The operation of each of the transport units can be individually controlled by the control unit, At least one of the transport units is a first transport unit disposed in an imaging area where image data can be acquired by the imaging unit, At least one of the remaining transport units is a second transport unit arranged in a standby area in front of or behind the imaging area in the moving direction, The control unit is When the transport units are individually controlled, While the object to be inspected, which has been moved to the imaging area by the first transport unit, is being imaged by the imaging section, another object to be inspected is carried into or out of the waiting area by the second transport unit. Inspection equipment.

2. The control unit is comparing a length of the object to be inspected in the direction of movement with a length of the transport unit in the direction of movement; when the length of the object to be inspected is longer than the length of any one of the transport units, controlling the operation of all of the transport units as one transport unit; When the length of the object to be inspected is equal to or shorter than the length of any one of the transport units, the operation of the transport units is individually controlled.

2. The inspection device according to claim 1.

3. When the waiting area is located behind the imaging area, an imaging unit for visual inspection is provided in the waiting area, The control unit acquires image data of the object to be inspected by the imaging unit for visual inspection when the object to be inspected is moved to the waiting area.

3. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the waiting area is located in front of the imaging area, a reversing machine is provided in the waiting area.

3. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The control unit has a memory having a capacity capable of storing an image of at least one of the entire objects to be inspected.

3. The inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. an imaging unit for acquiring image data of the object to be inspected; A transport unit that moves the object to be inspected; A control unit that controls the operation of the imaging unit and the transport unit, the transport section has at least two transport units connected in series in a direction in which the object to be inspected is moved, The operation of each of the transport units can be individually controlled by the control unit, Among the transport units, at least two transport units are a first transport unit and a second transport unit that are arranged in an imaging area where image data can be acquired by the imaging unit, The control unit is When the transport units are individually controlled, While the object to be inspected located on one of the first transport unit and the second transport unit is being imaged by the imaging unit, another object to be inspected is moved by the other of the first transport unit and the second transport unit. Inspection equipment.

7. The control unit selects a transport unit for imaging the object to be inspected from among the first transport unit and the second transport unit when the object to be inspected is carried in.

7. The inspection device according to claim 6.

8. The control unit is comparing a length of the object to be inspected in the moving direction with lengths of the first transport unit and the second transport unit in the moving direction; when the length of the object to be inspected is longer than the length of either the first transport unit or the second transport unit, controlling the operation of the first transport unit and the second transport unit as one transport unit; When the length of the object to be inspected is equal to or shorter than the length of the first transport unit and the second transport unit, the operation of the first transport unit and the second transport unit are individually controlled.

8. The inspection device according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The control unit has a memory having a capacity capable of storing an image of at least one of the entire objects to be inspected.

8. The inspection device according to claim 6 or 7.

Images