Automatic soldering system

Abstract

To improve productivity and production efficiency and to contribute to reduction of a production cost by easily and quickly correcting a wire without damaging it.SOLUTION: This automatic soldering system comprises: a bent state detection function unit Ed that detects the bent amount Ls and the bending direction Fs of the bent state Mr of a wire Wa; a bent state determination function unit Ej that determines that the bent amount Ls detected by the bent state detection function unit Ed is within a prescribed fist set range Zs; a correction condition setting function unit Ea that sets a correction direction Fn and a correction amount Cs for correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa on the basis of a determination result of the bent state determination function unit Ej; and a bent state correction function unit Em that corrects the bent state Mr of the wire Wa on the basis of the correction direction Fn and the correction amount Cs by gripping the wire Wa to be corrected by a chuck 2ic of a robot mechanism 2i and pressing the wire Wa to a prescribed bending corrector 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic soldering system suitable for use in automatically soldering a wire to a connection portion of a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when connecting wires (connection parts) such as wire harnesses to connection parts of workpieces such as electronic components, the connection is often made by soldering, and various automatic soldering systems that perform soldering automatically have been proposed. The present applicant has already proposed an automatic soldering system suitable for use in this type of soldering in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The automatic soldering system described in Patent Document 1 is intended to ensure the connection strength of the wire, improve connection quality, and eliminate poor connections (poor contact), as well as contribute to miniaturization and cost reduction without reducing production efficiency. Specifically, the system is configured with a robot mechanism having a rotation axis whose rotation can be controlled, an offset detection function unit that detects the amount of offset at the tip position of the wire relative to the central axis in the surface direction of the connection surface of the connected part when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface, and an arithmetic processing function unit that determines the corrected rotation angle of the rotation axis at which the tip position of the wire coincides with the rotation axis when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the surface based on the detection result of the offset detection function unit.The soldering process is equipped with a soldering head unit having a solder iron unit and a solder supply unit, and a robot mechanism unit that can move the soldering head unit in the X, Y, and Z directions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-184463 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the automatic soldering system described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has the following problems to be solved.

[0006] That is, in this type of automatic soldering system, wires such as wire harnesses to be soldered can be corrected without any problem if the amount of bending (a concept including not only a general bending state but also a broadly defined amount of misalignment at the tip of the wire) is within a specified range, but if the amount of bending exceeds a certain standard and becomes excessive, it is not easy to correct, and even if it is corrected (corrected), it is not necessarily possible to perform proper soldering. In the end, on an automated system line, if the amount of bending of the wire is excessive, it has to be treated as a defective product, which leads to reduced productivity and production efficiency, waste of wire, and increased production costs.

[0007] In this case, it is possible to straighten the excessively bent wire by passing it through a bend straightening device, but since the actual frequency with which excessive bends occur is relatively low, this is not necessarily the optimal measure from the standpoint of cost and straightening time.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic soldering system 1 that solves the problems existing in the background art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the automatic soldering system 1 of the present invention is characterized in that, when configuring the automatic soldering system 1 for automatically soldering a wire Wa... to a connection portion Aj... of a work A, it is provided with a bent state detection function unit Ed for detecting the bent amount Ls... and bent direction Fs... of the bent state Mr... of the wire Wa..., a bent state judgment function unit Ej for determining whether the bent amount Ls... detected by the bent state detection function unit Ed is within a predetermined first set range Zs, a correction condition setting function unit Ea for setting a correction direction Fn... and correction amount Cs... for correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa... based on the judgment result of the bent state judgment function unit Ej, and a bent state correction function unit Em for correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa... based on the correction direction Fn... and correction amount Cs... by gripping the wire Wa... to be corrected with a chuck portion 2ic of the robot mechanism 2i and pressing the wire Wa... against a predetermined bend correction device 3.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bent state detection function unit Ed can be provided with an image processing function unit Edv that photographs the wire Wa... from the tip side of the axis Rc... with the correction camera 4 and detects the amount of bending Ls... and the bending direction Fs... of the wire Wa... by image processing of the image data obtained by photographing. In this case, the correction camera 4 can simultaneously photograph one or more wires Wa... (Wa, Wb...). On the other hand, the bend correction device 3 can be configured with a rectangular frame body 3f, and can be provided with a function of pressing the wire Wa... in the bent state Mr against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f to correct the bent state Mr. In this case, the correction condition set by the correction condition setting function unit Ea can be set by one or more of the position where the wire Wa... is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, the time for pressing the wire Wa... against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, and the number of repetitions of the cycle of pressing the wire Wa... against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f. The bent state correction function unit Em may be provided with a bent state correction function unit Ec that corrects the offset amount Lsc with respect to the horizontal direction Dh by rotating and displacing the wire Wa about the axis Rc as a fulcrum when the bent amount Ls... detected by the bent state detection function unit Ed is within a second set range Zc set to a predetermined range less than the lower limit value Zsd of the first set range Zs. Furthermore, the bent state detection function unit Ed may be provided with a function of detecting the bent state Mr after correction by re-taking an image of the wire Wa... corrected by the bent state correction function unit Em with the correction camera 4. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The automatic soldering system 1 according to the present invention having such a configuration provides the following remarkable effects.

[0012] (1) The bend state detection function Ed detects the bend amount Ls and the bend direction Fs of the wire Wa, the bend state determination function Ej determines whether the detected bend amount Ls is within a predetermined first set range Zs, the correction condition setting function Ea sets the correction direction Fn and the correction amount Cs for correcting the bend state Mr of the wire Wa based on the result of the determination, and the bend state correction function Em corrects the bend state Mr of the wire Wa based on the correction direction Fn and the correction amount Cs by pressing the wire Wa to be corrected against a predetermined bend correction device 3. Therefore, even if the bend amount Ls of the wire Wa of a wire harness or the like becomes excessive beyond a certain standard, the wire Wa can be easily and quickly corrected without damaging it. This eliminates the need to process the wire Wa as a defective product, thereby improving productivity and production efficiency and contributing to reducing production costs.

[0013] (2) In a preferred embodiment, the bend state detection function unit Ed is provided with an image processing function unit Edv that photographs the wire Wa... from the tip side of the axis Rc... using a correction camera 4 and detects the amount of bending Ls... and the bending direction Fs... of the wire Wa... by image processing the image data obtained by photographing. Since the image can be detected two-dimensionally, even if the bend state Mr of the wire Wa... is excessively large and complex, it can be easily and reliably detected.

[0014] (3) In a preferred embodiment, the correction camera 4 can be used to simultaneously photograph one or more wires Wa... (Wa, Wb...). This makes it possible to detect the bending state Mr of multiple wires Wa... at one time. This allows the distribution of image data to improve processing efficiency, and also allows the image data for all wires Wa... used in one work A to be used at the same time, minimizing variation between each piece of data.

[0015] (4) In a preferred embodiment, the bend correction device 3 is constructed of a rectangular frame body 3f, and a function of pressing the wire Wa... in a bent state Mr against the inner edge 3fc of this frame body 3f to correct the bent state Mr can be provided. This can provide a correction function in any direction, up, down, left, or right, and can be achieved by simply adding a single part, which can contribute to cost reduction, as well as reducing problems such as breakdowns and facilitating maintenance.

[0016] (5) In a preferred embodiment, the correction conditions set by the correction condition setting function unit Ea can be set by one or more of the position at which the wire Wa... is pressed against the inner edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, the time for which the wire Wa... is pressed against the inner edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, and the number of repetitions of the cycle of pressing the wire Wa... against the inner edge 3fc of the frame body 3f and releasing the wire Wa.... This makes it possible to select or combine a variety of physical elements to set the conditions according to the type and diameter of the wire Wa..., thereby improving accuracy and precision. In particular, when used in combination with the bend correction function unit Ec, additional corrections become possible, which also contributes to ease of implementation from this viewpoint.

[0017] (6) In a preferred embodiment, when the amount of bending Ls... detected by the bending state detection function unit Ed is in a second set range Zc set to a predetermined range less than the lower limit value Zsd of the first set range Zs, the bending state correction function unit Ec is provided which corrects the offset amount Lsc relative to the horizontal direction Dh by rotating and displacing the wire Wa... about the axis Rc as a fulcrum. Even if a bending state Mr occurs in a wire Wa... such as a flexible lead wire, the deviation of the tip position Ws... of the wire Wa... relative to the connected portion Aj... of the work A can be effectively corrected. This ensures the connection strength in the soldered portion and reduces manufacturing variations, thereby improving the connection quality and eliminating poor connections (poor contact), and further standardizing the lead-out position and direction of the wire Wa... relative to the work A.

[0018] (7) In a preferred embodiment, if the bent state detection function unit Ed is provided with a function for detecting the bent state Mr after correction by re-photographing the wire corrected by the bent state correction function unit Em with the correction camera 4, the bent state Mr after correction can be quickly confirmed and correction processing can be performed within the takt time for transferring the wire Wa... to the next process, so that reliable correction can be performed by re-correcting, etc., if necessary. In particular, when correction is impossible due to the original abnormality factor, it can be processed as defective by the multiple check function, thereby improving reliability and further increasing the effectiveness of the correction function unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a functional explanatory diagram including a front view of a frame body of a bend correction device provided in an automatic soldering system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] A functional explanatory diagram including a cross-sectional plan view of the frame body of the bend corrector; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame body of the bend corrector; [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram of the wire to be repaired by the automatic soldering system; [Diagram 5] A schematic diagram of the automatic soldering system. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a wire rod transferred to a clamper of the automatic soldering system; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view of the wire transferred to the clamper of the automatic soldering system, seen from the tip side; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the wire held by the robot mechanism of the automatic soldering system and a repair camera; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view of the wire as seen from the tip side, showing the positional relationship between the wire held by the robot mechanism of the automatic soldering system and the repair camera; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a wire is held by a chuck portion of a robot mechanism provided in the automatic soldering system; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view for explaining a schematic configuration of a main part of the automatic soldering system; [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a wire held by a chuck part of a robot mechanism of the automatic soldering system is soldered; [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a state in which a wire is soldered to a connection part of a workpiece by the automatic soldering system; [Figure 14] Block diagram of the automatic soldering system. [Figure 15] A flowchart for explaining the conveying state of a wire in the automatic soldering system; [Figure 16] A flowchart for explaining the processing of wires for each soldering process in the automatic soldering system; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0021] First, the overall configuration of an automatic soldering system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0022] In addition, the exemplified automatic soldering system 1 is a work A, which is an intermediate attachment of a sensor module. 13 shows an intermediate assembly. As shown in FIG. 13, this intermediate assembly has four connected parts (connection terminals) Aj... on a printed circuit board Mp. Lead wires are exemplified as wires Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd soldered to the connected parts Aj.... As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, the wire Wa... has a configuration in which a part of a covering part Wt... at the tip is removed to expose a part of a conductor part Wm... at the tip side. Therefore, the tip of the conductor part Wm... is the tip position Ws... of the wire Wa.... In this way, if the wire Wa... includes at least a wire having a conductor part Wm... exposed by removing a part of a covering part Wt... at the tip, it can be implemented as an optimal configuration from the viewpoint of ensuring performance.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 5, the overall mechanical configuration of the automatic soldering system 1 has a work soldering line 11 installed in the center. This work soldering line 11 passes through four soldering processing units 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d in sequence from the upstream side. That is, it has a function of sequentially transporting pallets 14 on which work A is set, and a function of sequentially transporting each work A set on each pallet 14 while stopping it at each soldering processing unit 11a, 11b, etc. for a certain period of time.

[0024] Four soldering units 12, 12, 12, 12 corresponding to the soldering processing sections 11a, 11b, ... are sequentially arranged on the left side of the conveying direction Dm of the work soldering line 11. As shown in Fig. 12, each soldering unit 12 includes a soldering head section 21 having a soldering iron section 22 and a solder supply section 23, and this soldering head section 21 can be moved in the XYZ directions by a robot mechanism section (not shown). In Fig. 12, 24 indicates a positioning camera that photographs the vicinity of the tip of the soldering iron section 22.

[0025] On the other hand, four robot mechanisms 2, 2, 2.2 corresponding to the soldering processing units 11a, 11b... are sequentially arranged on the right side of the conveying direction Dm of the work soldering line 11. As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, one robot mechanism 2 is a six-axis industrial robot, and has a chuck unit 2c attached to the sixth axis rotation output unit 25 at its tip. This rotation output unit 25 becomes a rotation controllable rotation axis and functions as a bending state correction function unit Ec. The chuck unit 2c has a function of gripping the wire Wa (Wb...), and is configured so that when the wire Wa is gripped, the axis Rc of the wire Wa is on the same axis as the rotation axis of the rotation output unit 25, as shown in Fig. 10. With this configuration, the offset amount Lsc can be quickly and accurately corrected by simply controlling the rotation of the chuck unit 2c by the correction rotation angle Qc.

[0026] Further, on the right side of the robot mechanisms 2, 2, 2..., a wire rod conveying line 15 is provided for conveying the wire rods Wa... clamped by the clamper 6 in synchronization with the above-mentioned workpieces A... (pallets 14...). The clamper 6 has a function of clamping the four wire rods Wa, Wb, Wc, Wd used for one workpiece A. The illustrated clamper 6 has four U-shaped slits 6s, 6s... formed on the top surface of a block body 6m, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Note that, near the wire rod conveying line 15, a wire rod stocker 16 is provided in which a large number of wire rods Wa..., Wb..., Wc..., Wd... are stocked, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0027] 5, a work carry-in section 17 is provided upstream of the work soldering line 11, and a work introduction section 17s is provided for making the work A transported by the work carry-in section 17 stand by. A wire rod transfer robot mechanism 2i is installed near the work introduction section 17s, and a clamper standby section Xp is provided upstream of the wire rod transport line 15, so that the wire rods Wa, Wb... stocked in the wire rod stocker 16 can be sequentially transferred to the clamper 6 set in the standby section Xp by the robot mechanism 2i.

[0028] Further, on the downstream side of the work soldering line 11, there is provided a work unloading section 18 that unloads the work A after the soldering process from the work soldering line 11. 2p denotes a work unloading robot mechanism that unloads the work A after the soldering process.

[0029] On the other hand, the control system of the automatic soldering system 1 includes a system controller 30 shown in FIG. 14. The system controller 30 includes a system controller body 31, which includes a display 31d having a touch panel 31t. The system controller body 31 is connected to the positioning camera 24 and the correction camera 4 via interfaces 32 and 33, respectively, in relation to the present invention, and is connected to the robot mechanism 2 including the chuck portion 2c and various actuator groups 2o for driving each robot axis in the soldering processing portion 11a via an interface 34. The system controller body 31 is also connected to each soldering unit 12 via an interface 35. The robot mechanism 2p for removing the workpiece and the robot mechanism 2i for transferring the wire rod, the workpiece soldering line 11, the wire rod transport line 15, the workpiece carry-in portion 17, and the workpiece carry-out portion 18 are also connected to the system controller body 31 via the necessary interfaces.

[0030] The system controller 30 also has a computer function incorporating a CPU and an internal memory 36, etc. The internal memory 36 has a program area 36p that stores a comprehensive control program (software) for executing various arithmetic processing and various control processing (sequence control), as well as a data area 36d into which various data (databases) can be written.

[0031] The program area 36mp executes each function by storing a soldering sequence program Cpf for operating the automatic soldering system 1. In particular, the main functions related to the present invention include a bent state detection function Ed, a bent state determination function Ej, a correction condition setting function Ea, and a bent state correction function Em.

[0032] In this case, the bent state detection unit Ed has a function of detecting the bent amount Ls and the bent direction Fs of the bent state Mr of the wire Wa, and the bent state determination unit Ej has a function of determining whether the bent amount Ls detected by the bent state detection unit Ed is within a predetermined first set range Zs. The correction condition setting unit Ea has a function of setting a correction direction Fn and a correction amount Cs for correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa based on the determination result of the bent state determination unit Ej, and the bent state correction unit Em has a function of gripping the wire Wa to be corrected by the chuck unit 2c of the robot mechanism 2 and pressing the wire Wa against a predetermined bend correction device 3, thereby correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa based on the correction direction Fn and the correction amount Cs. Edv denotes an image processing function section which detects the amount of bending Ls and the bending direction Fs by image processing of image data captured by the camera 4, and Ec denotes a positioning control function section which positions the wire Wa... relative to the connection portions Aj....

[0033] Next, the essential configuration of an automatic soldering system 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0034] A bending state detection function unit Ed and a bending state correction function unit Em are disposed near the tip end of each robot mechanism 2 (four robot mechanisms are shown in the example) shown in Fig. 5. The peripheral configuration of the first robot mechanism 2 is shown in an extracted and enlarged view in Fig. 11. The other robot mechanisms 2, i.e., the second to fourth robot mechanisms 2 and their peripheral configurations are similar to those in Fig. 11. For this reason, the bending state detection function unit Ed and the bending state correction function unit Em in Fig. 5 are only given reference numerals for the first robot mechanism 2, and are not shown for the other robot mechanisms 2.

[0035] In Fig. 11, the bent state detection function unit Ed has a function of detecting the bent state Mr (see Figs. 1 and 2) of the wire Wa, and is equipped with a correction camera 4 that photographs the wire Wa from the tip side of the axis Rc. This correction camera 4 is installed near the tip of the robot mechanism 2. The positional relationship between the correction camera 4 and the wire Wa picked up from the clamper 6 is shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

[0036] The image data obtained by the photographing by the correction camera 4 is supplied to the above-mentioned system controller main body 31. As a result, image processing is performed by the image processing function unit Edv to detect the bending amount Ls and bending direction Fs of the wire Wa. If the image processing function unit Edv is provided as the bent state detection function unit Ed, which photographs the wire Wa from the tip side of the axis Rc by the correction camera 4 and detects the bending amount Ls and bending direction Fs of the wire Wa by image processing of the image data obtained by photographing, the image can be detected two-dimensionally, so that even if the bent state Mr of the wire Wa is excessively large and complicated, it can be detected easily and reliably.

[0037] On the other hand, the system controller 30 includes an image processing function unit Edv and a bent state determination function unit Ej, and detects the bent amount Ls and the bent direction Fs of the wire Wa by image processing of image data photographed by the correction camera 4 using the image processing function unit Edv. Then, the bent state determination function unit Ej performs a process of determining the degree of the bent state Mr of the obtained bent amount Ls.

[0038] An example of the judgment processing standard is shown in Figure 4. The figure shows five different types of bend conditions Mr... for wire Wa, where Wm0 is a straight conductor section with no bends, Wm1,Wm1 are conductor sections with relatively small bends, and Wm2,Wm2 are conductor sections with relatively large bends. Rc is the axis when there are no bends. As the judgment processing standard, the range in which the bend condition Mr is excessive is set as a first set range Zs, a predetermined range that is less than the lower limit Zsd of this first set range Zs is set as a second set range Zc, and a range that is smaller than the second set range Zc and does not fall within the second set range Zc is set as a range that does not require correction (normal range) Zo.

[0039] For this reason, in the illustrated example, the distance between the center of the tip position Ws of the conductor portion Wm and the axis Rc is detected as the bend amount Ls, and the bend state determination function unit Ej performs processing to determine whether this bend amount Ls is within the first set range Zs or the second set range Zc. At this time, if the bend amount Ls is within the correction-free range Zo, it is determined that correction is not required, and if the bend amount Ls is outside the first set range Zs, it is determined that the product is defective.

[0040] The bent state correction function unit Em also includes a bend correction device 3 installed near the correction camera 4. The illustrated bend correction device 3 is configured with a rectangular frame body 3f as shown in Fig. 3 by using a metal material such as stainless steel. This makes it possible to correct the bent state Mr by pressing the wire Wa in the bent state Mr against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0041] The illustrated frame body 3f includes frame parts 3fp and 3fq located on the left and right and frame parts 3fu and 3fd located above and below, and has an overall vertical dimension of about 100 mm, a horizontal dimension of about 60 mm, and a front-to-back thickness of about 2 mm. It is preferable to chamfer the corners of the inner peripheral edge 3fc so that the wire Wa is not damaged. In addition, in FIG. 3, 3m indicates a mounting part for installing and fixing the frame body 3f.

[0042] In this way, if the bend correction device 3 is constructed of a rectangular frame body 3f and is provided with a function of pressing the wire Wa in the bent state Mr against the inner edge 3fc of this frame body 3f to correct the bent state Mr, it can be given a correction function in any direction, up, down, left, or right, and this can be achieved by simply adding a single part, which can contribute to cost reduction, as well as reducing problems such as breakdowns and making maintenance easier.

[0043] As a result, the bent state correction function unit Em can grasp the target wire Wa with the chuck portion 2c of the robot mechanism 2 shown in Figure 11 in accordance with the correction amount Cs set in the system controller 30, and correct the bent state Mr by pressing the wire Wa in the bent state Mr against the inner edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0044] Therefore, the system controller 30 is provided with a correction condition setting function unit Ea. This correction condition setting function unit Ea has a function of setting at least a correction direction Fn and a correction amount Cs for correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa based on the judgment result of the bent state judgment function unit Ej. In this case, the correction direction Fn can be set in the opposite direction of 180° with respect to the bent direction Fs, as shown in FIG. 2. On the other hand, the correction amount Cs, which is the correction condition, can be set by one or more of the position where the wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, the time for which the wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, and the number of repetitions of the cycle from pressing the wire Wa against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f to releasing the wire Wa. The position where the wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f is the position (stroke) where the wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f and displaced to stop.

[0045] The correction amount Cs can be set by experiment or the like to find the optimum conditions, and can also be set by multiplying it by a certain coefficient k, for example, k=1.1-1.5, taking into account springback, if necessary, in accordance with the type and diameter of the wire Wa. Setting the correction amount Cs in this way makes it possible to select or combine a variety of physical elements in accordance with the type and diameter of the wire Wa, thereby improving accuracy and precision. In particular, when used in combination with the bend correction function Ec, additional correction becomes possible, which also contributes to ease of implementation from this viewpoint.

[0046] Next, the operation of the automatic soldering system 1 according to this embodiment will be described according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 with reference to the various figures.

[0047] First, in Fig. 5, the work A carried in by the work carry-in section 17 is set on the pallet 14 in the work introduction section 17s, which is the standby position (step S1). In addition, the first wire Wa is set (transferred) from the wire stocker 16 to the corresponding U-shaped slit 6s of the clamper 6 located in the clamper standby section Xp of the wire transport line 15 by the wire transfer robot mechanism 2i (step S2). This transfer process is similarly performed for the remaining three (generally N) wires Wb, Wc, and Wd (step S3). The state where the transfer is completed is shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0048] The wire Wa... illustrated in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 shows a state in which two wires Wb, Wd are bent. In Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, Ls indicates the bending amount, which is the distance between the position of the axis Rc where no bending occurs in the wire Wa and the center of the tip position Ws where bending occurs, and Lsc indicates the offset amount, which is the distance between the position of the axis Rc where no bending occurs in the wire Wb and the center of the tip position Ws where bending occurs, and the bending amount Ls is when it is located in the first set range Zs described above, and the offset amount Lsc is when it is located in the second set range Zc. Dj indicates the surface perpendicular direction to the connection surface Jf of the connected part Aj of the work A, and Dh indicates the horizontal direction, respectively.

[0049] On the other hand, when the transfer is completed, the clamper 6 is transferred to the position of the first robot mechanism 2 for the next process (step S4). Then, when the clamper 6 stops, the chuck portion 2c of the robot mechanism 2 picks up the first wire material Wa (step S5). Also, when picking of the wire material Wa is completed, the clamper 6 is transferred to the position of the second robot mechanism 2 for the next process (step S6). Then, when the clamper 6 stops, the chuck portion 2c of the robot mechanism 2 picks up the next wire material Wb (step S5). Thereafter, picking and transfer of the clamper 6 are performed similarly for the wire materials Wc and Wd, until all wire materials Wa...Wd are completed (step S7).

[0050] On the other hand, each wire Wa... picked up by the chuck portion 2c of each robot mechanism 2 is subjected to a predetermined processing step in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0051] First, the wire Wa picked up from the clamper 6 by the chuck unit 2c of the first robot mechanism 2 moves to a photographing position for the correction camera 4 (steps S11 and S12). Then, when the wire Wa moves to the photographing position, the correction camera 4 photographs the tip side of the wire Wa (step S13). FIGS. 8 and 9 show the positional relationship between the wire Wa and the correction camera 4. The photographed image data is provided to the system controller main body 31. As a result, the system controller 30 detects the bending state Mr of the wire Wa, that is, the bending amount Ls (Lsc) and the bending direction Fs, by image processing by the image processing function unit Edv, and the bending state judgment function unit Ej of the system controller 30 performs judgment processing for each detected bending amount Ls (step S14).

[0052] If the wire Wa is within the normal range (range not requiring correction) Zo as a result of the determination process, the soldering process is performed as is (steps S15, S23). That is, the wire Wa picked up by the chuck unit 2c is quickly transferred to a position facing the connected part Aj in the work A shown in FIG. 12, which is the corresponding position in the work A. Then, when the wire Wa is transferred to the position facing the connected part Aj, the positioning camera 24 shown in FIG. 12 photographs the vicinity of the tip position Ws of the wire Wa. As a result, the image data of the positioning camera 24 is given to the system controller main body 31, and the positioning control function unit Ec in the system controller 30 drives and controls the actuator group 2o of the robot mechanism 2, and performs positioning process by feedback control of the position of the wire Wa. As a result, when the tip position Ws of the wire Wa becomes a fixed position relative to the connected part Aj, the soldering unit 12 is operated and controlled to perform soldering process.

[0053] On the other hand, it is assumed that the turning amount Ls is within the first set range Zs in the determination process (step S14) (step S16). In this case, the system controller 30 determines a correction direction Fn and a correction amount Cs for correcting the turning state Mr (step S17). The correction direction Fn is a direction reversed by 180° with respect to the turning direction Fs, and the correction amount Cs can be easily determined from a data table or an arithmetic expression of the correction amount Cs set in the correction condition setting function unit Ea.

[0054] The obtained correction direction Fn and correction amount Cs are output to the robot mechanism 2, and the bent state correction function unit Em corrects the bent state Mr of the wire Wa picked up by the chuck unit 2c of the robot mechanism 2 (step S18). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, the wire Wa is moved to the bend corrector 3, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the wire Wa is accommodated inside the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the rectangular frame body 3f, and the bent wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc to perform the correction process.

[0055] In this case, the correction condition set by the correction condition setting function unit Ea is set by one or more of the position where the wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, the time for which the wire Wa is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f, and the number of repetitions of the cycle of pressing the wire Wa against the inner peripheral edge 3fc and releasing it, and therefore correction processing is performed based on this correction condition.

[0056] When the correction process is completed, the corrected wire Wa is moved to a photographing position for the correction camera 4 (steps S19, S12). Then, when the wire Wa is moved to the photographing position, the correction camera 4 photographs (re-photographs) the wire Wa from the tip side (step S13). The photographed image data is provided to the system controller 30, and the image processing function unit Edv performs image processing to detect the bend state Mr of the wire Wa, that is, the bend amount Ls (Lsc) and the bend direction Fs, and the bend state determination function unit Ej of the system controller 30 performs a determination process for each detected bend amount Ls (step S14). At this time, if it falls within the first set range Zs, the correction amount Cs is calculated again and correction processing is performed (steps S16-S19). If it falls within the normal range (range not requiring correction) Zo by the determination process, the soldering process is performed as it is (steps S15, S23).

[0057] On the other hand, it is assumed that the bending amount Ls and bending direction Fs of the wire Wa are within the second set range Zc after the correction process (step S20). In this case, it is determined to be an offset amount, and a required correction amount is obtained and a predetermined correction process is performed (step S21). In this case, the correction amount is the correction rotation angle Qc The offset Lsc and the bending direction Fs of the bent state Mr of the wire Wa shown in Figs. 8 and 9 are detected by the image processing function unit Fdv in the system controller 30, and the correction rotation angle Qc is calculated from the obtained bending direction Fs. Specifically, the correction rotation angle Qc for making the center position of the tip position Ws of the wire Wa coincide with the axis Rc when viewed from the surface perpendicular direction Dj is calculated from the XY coordinates of the bending direction Fs. For example, in the case of the wire Wa shown in Fig. 9, if the wire Wa is rotated downward by the correction rotation angle Qc by right rotation, the center position of the tip position Ws of the wire Wb and the axis Rc can be matched in the horizontal direction Dh, so that data related to the corresponding control signal may be transferred to the corresponding robot mechanism 2. These processes are performed within the tact in which the wire Wa is transferred to the soldering processing unit 11a. After the above correction process is completed, the soldering unit 12 is controlled to perform the above-mentioned soldering process (steps S22 and S23).

[0058] In this way, if the bent state correction function unit Em is provided with a bent state correction function unit Ec that corrects the offset amount Lsc relative to the horizontal direction Dh by rotating and displacing the wire Wa around the axis Rc as a fulcrum when the bent amount Ls detected by the bent state detection function unit Ed is within a second set range Zc set to a predetermined range that is less than the lower limit value Zsd of the first set range Zs, even if a bent state Mr occurs in the wire Wa, such as a flexible lead wire, the deviation of the tip position Ws of the wire Wa relative to the connected portion Aj of the work A can be effectively corrected, which has the advantage of ensuring the connection strength at the soldered portion and reducing manufacturing variations, thereby improving the connection quality and eliminating poor connections (poor contact), and even standardizing the lead-out position and direction of the wire Wa relative to the work A.

[0059] When the soldering process is completed, the work A is transferred to the next process by the work soldering line 11, and the soldering process is performed on the next wire Wb (step S24).

[0060] Although a series of processes for the wire Wa after picking up the clamper 6 has been described, the same processes are performed for the other wires Wb, Wc, and Wd in accordance with the flowchart of Fig. 16. When the soldering process for all the wires Wa... for the workpiece A is completed, the workpiece A is removed by the workpiece removal robot mechanism 2p and carried out from the workpiece carrying-out section 18 (step S8).

[0061] As described above, the automatic soldering system 1 according to the present embodiment has, in its basic form, a bent state detection function unit Ed that detects the bent amount Ls... and the bent direction Fs... of the bent state Mr... of the wire Wa..., a bent state determination function unit Ej that determines whether the bent amount Ls... detected by the bent state detection function unit Ed is within a predetermined first set range Zs, and correction conditions that set a correction direction Fn... and a correction amount Cs... for correcting the bent state Mr of the wire Wa... based on the determination result of the bent state determination function unit Ej. The setting function unit Ea and the bent state correction function unit Em, which holds the wire Wa to be corrected by the chuck unit 2ic of the robot mechanism 2i and presses the wire Wa against a predetermined bend correction device 3 to correct the bent state Mr of the wire Wa based on the correction direction Fn and correction amount Cs, allow easy and quick correction without damaging the wire Wa even if the bend amount Ls of the wire Wa of a wire harness or the like exceeds a certain standard. This eliminates the need to process the wire Wa as a defective product, improving productivity and production efficiency and contributing to reducing production costs.

[0062] Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and the detailed configuration, shape, material, quantity, numerical values, etc. can be changed, added, or deleted as desired without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0063] For example, the bend corrector 3 is configured with a rectangular frame body 3f, and the wire Wa... in the bent state Mr is pressed against the inner peripheral edge 3fc of the frame body 3f to correct the bent state Mr. In this example, the bend corrector 3 may be formed in various shapes, such as a single post body. In this case, "pressing" is a concept that includes hitting and moving the bend corrector 3. In addition, the bend state correcting function unit Em is provided with a bend state correcting function unit Ec that corrects the offset amount Lsc with respect to the horizontal direction Dh by rotating and displacing the wire Wa... about the axis Rc as a fulcrum when the bend amount Ls... detected by the bend state detecting function unit Ed is in the second set range Zc set to a predetermined range less than the lower limit Zsd of the first set range Zs, but it is optional whether or not to provide the bend state correcting function unit Ec. On the other hand, although the wire Wa... is exemplified as a lead wire, the wire Wa... includes various electric wires with different names such as wire harness, cable, electric wire, etc., and can also be applied to wires in mechanical systems and other fields as necessary. The robot mechanism 2... can be replaced with a mechanical element having a similar function, and does not necessarily mean a general robot mechanism. Similarly, soldering does not necessarily mean general soldering, as long as it has a function of welding (connecting) the wire Wa... and the connected part Aj.... Furthermore, although the case where it is executed by the system controller Cs having a computer function is shown, it can be replaced by a controller that can execute the same sequence control by combining other electronic circuits. In the embodiment, the case where each correction camera 4... takes an image for each soldering process for each wire Wa... is exemplified, but it is also possible to simultaneously take an image of multiple wires (in the example, four wires including Wa...Wd) attached to the clamper 6 in advance, and transfer each data obtained by image processing to each process for use. In this case, the bending state Mr of multiple wires Wa... can be detected at one time, so that the distribution of image data can improve the efficiency of processing, and since the image data for all the wires Wa... used for one work A can be used at once, the variation between each data can be minimized. [Industrial Applicability]

[0064] The automatic soldering system according to the present invention can be used when automatically soldering various wires such as wires and wire harnesses to connection portions of various workpieces in the manufacturing process of electronic components, electronic equipment, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1: automatic soldering system, 2...: robot mechanism, 2i: robot mechanism, 2ic: chuck section, 3: bend correction device, 3f: frame body, 3fc: inner peripheral edge of frame body, 4: correction camera, A: workpiece, Aj...: connected part of workpiece, Wa...: wire, Mr...: bent state, Fs...: bent direction, Fn...: correction direction, Ls...: bent amount, Lsc: offset amount, Dh: horizontal direction, Ed: bent state detection function section, Ej: bent state judgment function section, Ea: correction condition setting function section, Em: bent state correction function section, Ec: bent state correction function section, Zs: first setting range, Zsd: lower limit of first setting range, Zc: second setting range, Cs...: correction amount, Rc...: axis center

Claims

1. An automatic soldering system that automatically solders a wire to a connection portion of a workpiece, comprising: a bend state detection function unit that detects the amount and direction of bend in the wire; a bend state judgment function unit that determines whether the amount of bend detected by the bend state detection function unit is within a predetermined first set range; a correction condition setting function unit that sets a correction direction and amount of correction for correcting the bend state of the wire based on the judgment result of the bend state judgment function unit; and a bend state correction function unit that grasps the wire to be corrected with a chuck part of a robot mechanism and presses the wire against a predetermined bend correction device, thereby correcting the bend state of the wire based on the correction direction and the correction amount.

2. The automatic soldering system according to claim 1, characterized in that the bend state detection function unit is provided with an image processing function unit that photographs the wire from the tip side of the axis with a correction camera and detects the amount and direction of bending of the wire by image processing of the image data obtained by photographing.

3. 3. The automatic soldering system according to claim 2, wherein said repair camera photographs one or a plurality of said wires at the same time.

4. 2. The automatic soldering system according to claim 1, wherein the bend correction device is configured with a rectangular frame body and has a function of pressing the bent wire against the inner edge of the frame body to correct the bent state.

5. 5. The automatic soldering system according to claim 4, wherein the correction condition setting function unit sets as the correction conditions one or more of the position at which the wire is pressed against the inner edge of the frame body, the time for which the wire is pressed against the inner edge, and the number of times the cycle of pressing the wire against the inner edge and releasing it is repeated.

6. The automatic soldering system of claim 1, characterized in that the bend state correction function unit includes a bend state correction function unit that corrects the offset amount in the horizontal direction by rotating the wire around the axis as a fulcrum when the bend amount detected by the bend state detection function unit is within a second set range set to a predetermined range that is less than the lower limit value of the first set range.

7. 2. The automatic soldering system according to claim 1, wherein the bent state detection function unit has a function of detecting the bent state after correction by re-photographing the wire corrected by the bent state correction function unit with the correction camera.

Images