Information processing method, data structure of management information, and program

Abstract

To provide an information management method capable of increasing a possibility of reducing the stock of a work unit.SOLUTION: An information management method includes a step of reading management information (d) including information regarding multiple work units and a step of determining information showing a factory as key information and retrieving information corresponding to the key information from the management information (d). The management information (d) shows each of multiple factories including a factory A1 in association with at least one first work unit and a maintenance management company for performing maintenance work of the at least one first work unit, and further shows a second work unit in association with the factory A1 and a factory B2 correlated with a maintenance management company M1 via the maintenance management company M1. The second work unit is supplied to the factory A1 instead of the first work unit when maintenance work of the first work unit correlated with the factory A1 is performed by the maintenance management company M1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information management method for managing operational units used in a factory. [Background technology]

[0002] Manufacturing equipment such as component mounters that manufacture products are used with replaceable equipment elements that are selected and installed according to the product. Component mounters that manufacture mounted circuit boards with electronic circuit components attached to them are used with feeders, heads, nozzles, and other equipment elements that supply electronic circuit components. As the equipment elements are used for an extended period of time, the built-in components can wear out and become distorted, which can lead to malfunctions such as work errors.

[0003] Conventionally, there is known an equipment element repair management system that analyzes the trends of the conditions of equipment elements at a support center located away from a factory where a component mounter is installed, and determines whether or not maintenance of the equipment elements is required based on the analysis results (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The equipment element repair management system described in Patent Document 1 includes a repair instruction creation unit that creates repair work instructions that instruct repair work for equipment elements whose conditions after maintenance work have not improved from a predetermined state. This makes it possible to provide systematic services related to the maintenance and repair of equipment elements. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6754974 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the facility element repair management system of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that a maintenance management company that performs maintenance and repairs on the operation units, which are facility elements, may have to keep many operation units in stock.

[0006] For example, a user who receives the above-mentioned service and a maintenance management company that provides the service often make a contract for the maintenance and repair of the work units used in the production of mounted boards at the factory on a factory-by-factory basis. Therefore, the above-mentioned inventory-related issues are expected. In other words, when the work units to be repaired by the maintenance management company are assigned to the production plan of the factory, there are cases where the production at the user's factory is stopped or the production plan must be changed. In order to avoid such a situation, the maintenance management company needs to provide other work units to the user's factory instead of the work units to be repaired. Therefore, the maintenance management company needs to hold several other work units to be substituted, that is, replacement work units, for each factory. As a result, the more factories that receive services from the maintenance management company, the more work units the maintenance management company will have in stock.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an information management method that can increase the possibility of reducing inventory of task units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an information management method in which a computer performs processing using management information, the method including a first step of reading out from a recording medium the management information, the management information including information on a plurality of work units used in the production of mounting boards at a plurality of factories, and a second step of determining information indicating one or more of the plurality of factories as key information and searching for information corresponding to the key information from the management information, wherein the management information indicates each of the plurality of factories in association with one or more first work units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work on the one or more first work units, and further indicates a second work unit in association with a first factory and a second factory among the plurality of factories that are associated with the same first maintenance management company, the second work unit being a work unit that is supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when maintenance work on any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory is performed by the first maintenance management company.

[0009] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized by a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized by any combination of the system, the method, the integrated circuit, the computer program, and the recording medium. The recording medium may be a non-transitory recording medium. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The information management method of the present disclosure can increase the possibility of inventory reduction of an operational unit.

[0011] Further advantages and effects of one aspect of the present disclosure will become apparent from the specification and drawings. Such advantages and / or effects are provided by some of the embodiments and configurations described in the specification and drawings, but not all of the configurations are necessarily required. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an external view of the component mounter according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the main configuration of the component mounter in the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the head and the feeder in the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the information management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of head master data according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of factory master data according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of destination information according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of hierarchical structure master data according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the association between a factory, a maintenance management company, and a head, which is indicated by the management information stored in the storage unit, in the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a comparative example of management information different from the management information in the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the management information in the embodiment in comparison with the management information in the comparative example in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for more specifically explaining management information that is a comparative example to that in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the management information in the embodiment in comparison with the management information in the comparative example in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of the management information according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a database stored in a storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the maintenance terminal of a maintenance management company in the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by a manufacturer terminal of a manufacturing company in the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by a manufacturer terminal of a manufacturing company in the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the maintenance terminal of a maintenance management company in the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by a manufacturer terminal of a manufacturing company in the embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing login IDs and whether or not a terminal corresponding to the login ID can refer to information related to the head in the embodiment. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing operation of the search unit in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An information management method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is an information management method in which a computer performs processing using management information, the method including a first step of reading out from a recording medium the management information, the management information including information regarding a plurality of work units used in the production of mounting boards at a plurality of factories, and a second step of determining information indicating one or more of the plurality of factories as key information and searching for information corresponding to the key information from the management information, wherein the management information indicates each of the plurality of factories in association with one or more first work units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work on the one or more first work units, and further indicates a second work unit in association with a first factory and a second factory among the plurality of factories that are associated with the same first maintenance management company, the second work unit being a work unit supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when maintenance work on any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory is performed by the first maintenance management company. For example, the first work unit and the second work unit may be a head, a feeder, a nozzle, etc. used in a component mounter, and the maintenance work may be at least one of replacing and repairing the first work unit. Also, for example, the first work unit is an asset of a factory or a company that has the factory (e.g., a manufacturing company that manufactures or produces mounted boards), and the second work unit is an asset of a first maintenance management company. Also, the management information may indicate the second work unit in association with the first factory and the second factory via the first maintenance management company.

[0014] As a result, in the management information, the second work unit is associated with the first factory and the second factory. In other words, a dedicated second work unit is not associated with each factory, but the second work unit is associated with multiple factories. Therefore, whether the second work unit is used in the first factory or the second factory, the first maintenance management company can search for and refer to information about the second work unit from the management information using key information indicating the factories. As a result, since the second work unit can be shared between the first factory and the second factory, the first maintenance management company does not need to hold a dedicated second work unit for each factory, which increases the possibility of reducing inventory of the second work unit.

[0015] In the information management method according to the second aspect, in the second step, when one or more second work units are associated with the first factory in the management information and information indicating the first factory is determined as the key information, a supply destination for each of the one or more second work units associated with the first factory may be identified, and information regarding the second work unit for which the first factory is identified as the supply destination among the one or more second work units may be searched for and output from the management information. Note that the second aspect may be subordinate to the first aspect.

[0016] As a result, information on the second work unit supplied to the first factory, which is the supply destination, among one or more second work units associated with the first factory, is searched for and output by the key information indicating the first factory. That is, information on the second work unit mounted on a board processing apparatus such as a component mounter in the first factory is searched for. In addition, the key information indicating the first factory is determined, for example, by the login ID of a user who has access authority to the first factory. Therefore, even if the second work unit is an asset of the first maintenance management company, if the second work unit is mounted on a board processing apparatus in the first factory, the user who has access authority to the first factory can search for and refer to information on the second work unit using a terminal. In addition, the user may be a worker of the first factory or an employee of the manufacturing company that has the first factory.

[0017] In the information management method according to the third aspect, in the second step, when determining information indicating the first maintenance management company, the first factory, and the second factory as the key information, information on the second task unit associated with each of the first factory, the second factory, and the first maintenance management company may be searched for and output from the management information. For example, the key information indicating the first maintenance management company, the first factory, and the second factory is determined by a login ID of a user who has access rights to the first maintenance management company, the first factory, and the second factory. The third aspect may be subordinate to the first or second aspect.

[0018] This allows a user who has access rights to the first factory, the second factory, and the first maintenance company to search and refer to information related to the second task unit associated with them using a terminal. The user may be an employee of the first maintenance company.

[0019] In addition, in the information management method according to a fourth aspect, in the second step, when determining information indicating the first factory as the key information, a supply destination of a third work unit supplied from a second maintenance management company different from the first maintenance management company may be identified, and when identifying the first factory as the supply destination, information regarding the third work unit may be searched for and output from the management information. For example, the third work unit is an asset of a second maintenance management company other than the first maintenance management company that performs maintenance work on the first work unit in each of the first factory and the second factory. Note that the fourth aspect may be subordinate to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0020] As a result, a user with access rights to the first factory can use a terminal to search for and refer to information regarding the third work unit, even if the third work unit is the asset of a second maintenance management company different from the first maintenance management company, as long as the third work unit is installed in a substrate processing equipment in the first factory.

[0021] In addition, in the information management method according to a fifth aspect, the information management method may further include a third step of changing the destination of the first task unit indicated in the destination information from the first factory to a third factory when an event is detected, and the event may be an event in which the first task unit is moved from the first factory associated with the first task unit in the management information to the third factory belonging to a different group from the first factory. For example, the group is a company. The fifth aspect may be subordinate to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0022] As a result, when the first working unit is moved from the first factory to the third factory and loaded onto the substrate processing apparatus at the third factory, the supply destination of the first working unit is changed to the third factory. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage the supply destination of the first working unit, i.e., the factory's substrate processing apparatus in which the first working unit is loaded.

[0023] In addition, in the information management method according to the sixth aspect, in the second step, information indicating the third factory is determined as the key information, and when the third factory is identified as the changed destination of the first work unit based on the destination information, information regarding the first work unit may be searched and output from the management information. For example, the key information indicating the third factory is determined by the login ID of a user who has access authority to the third factory. Note that the sixth aspect may be subordinate to the fifth aspect.

[0024] As a result, a user with access rights to the third factory can use a terminal to search for and refer to information regarding the first work unit, even if the first work unit is an asset of the first factory or a manufacturing company that has the first factory, because the first work unit is installed in a substrate processing apparatus at the third factory.

[0025] The information management method according to the seventh aspect further includes a third step of changing the supply destination of the work unit indicated in the supply destination information based on the event information when the event information is acquired from the factory, and in the second step, the supply destination of the work unit is identified by referring to the supply destination information, and the event information may include at least one of the following: (1) information indicating the diagnosis result of the work unit by a maintenance device installed in the factory, (2) work information related to the change of the work unit attached to the substrate processing apparatus installed in the factory, (3) operation history information of the substrate processing apparatus installed in the factory, (4) information related to the change of the work unit based on the difference before and after the change of the production plan information of the mounted substrate, and (5) information related to the transaction of the work unit. Note that the seventh aspect may be subordinate to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

[0026] In this way, the supply destination indicated by the supply destination information is updated in response to the event information transmitted from the factory, and it is possible to appropriately manage which operating unit is installed in which substrate processing apparatus in which factory.

[0027] In the information management method according to the eighth aspect, the information on the transaction may be transaction history information generated by a transaction registration process performed by the payer or the receiver of the task unit when the task unit is traded. The eighth aspect may be dependent on the seventh aspect.

[0028] This allows the actual transaction status of the task unit to be appropriately reflected in the supply destination information.

[0029] A data structure of management information according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a data structure of management information including information on a plurality of work units used in the production of mounting boards at a plurality of factories, the management information indicating each of the plurality of factories in association with one or more first work units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work for the one or more first work units, and indicating a second work unit in further association with a first factory and a second factory among the plurality of factories that are associated with the same first maintenance management company, the second work unit being any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory. The management information is used in a process in which, when maintenance work on the first work unit is performed by the first maintenance management company, a computer reads out the management information stored on a recording medium, and when determining information indicating one or more factories among the multiple factories as key information, the computer searches for information regarding the one or more first work units associated with the key information from the management information, and when determining information indicating the first factory and the second factory as key information, the computer searches for information regarding the second work unit associated with the key information from the management information.

[0030] This makes it possible to achieve the same effects as the information management method according to the first aspect.

[0031] Furthermore, a program according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute processing using management information, the program causing the computer to execute a first step of reading from a recording medium the management information, the management information including information on a plurality of work units used in the production of mounting boards at a plurality of factories, and a second step of determining information indicating one or more of the plurality of factories as key information and searching for information corresponding to the key information from the management information, wherein the management information indicates each of the plurality of factories in association with one or more first work units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work on the one or more first work units, and further indicates a first factory and a second factory among the plurality of factories that are associated with the same first maintenance management company, a second work unit, which is a work unit supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when maintenance work on any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory is performed by the first maintenance management company.

[0032] This makes it possible to achieve the same effects as the information management method according to the first aspect.

[0033] The comprehensive or specific aspects of the above-mentioned information management method may be realized by a system, an apparatus, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized by any combination of the system, the apparatus, the integrated circuit, the computer program, or the recording medium. The recording medium may be a non-transitory recording medium.

[0034] Hereinafter, the embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0035] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in an independent claim showing a top concept are described as optional components.

[0036] In addition, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In addition, in each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0037] (Embodiment) [System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information management system according to the present embodiment.

[0038] The information management system 3000 in this embodiment includes a plurality of terminals installed in each business entity, and an information management device 300 connected to these terminals via a communication network Nt such as the Internet.

[0039] Specific examples of the above-mentioned business entities in this embodiment are a maintenance management company M1, a maintenance management company M2, a manufacturing company A, a manufacturing company B, and the like.

[0040] Manufacturing company A and manufacturing company B are companies that manufacture mounted boards. Each of manufacturing company A and manufacturing company B has one or more factories. For example, manufacturing company A has factories A1 and A2 that manufacture the above-mentioned mounted boards by mounting components on boards. Similarly, manufacturing company B has factories B1 and B2 that manufacture the above-mentioned mounted boards by mounting components on boards. Each of factories A1, A2, B1, and B2 has a production line L that mounts components on boards while transporting the boards. The production line L is composed of an arrangement of multiple board processing devices, and the multiple board processing devices include a component mounter as one board processing device. The component mounter includes a feeder that supplies components and a head that picks up the components supplied from the feeder and mounts them on the board. These feeders, heads, and the like are examples of work units. The multiple board processing devices may also include not only component mounters but also solder printing devices, inspection devices, and the like.

[0041] The above-mentioned terminal, a manufacturing company terminal 12, is installed in each of manufacturing companies A and B. Furthermore, the above-mentioned terminal, a factory terminal 13, is installed in each of factories A1 and A2 of manufacturing company A, and the above-mentioned terminal, a factory terminal 13, is installed in each of factories B1 and B2 of manufacturing company B.

[0042] The manufacturing company terminal 12 installed in manufacturing company A is operated, for example, by an employee of manufacturing company A. The factory terminal 13 installed in factory A1 of manufacturing company A is operated, for example, by a worker of factory A1, and the factory terminal 13 installed in factory A2 is operated, for example, by a worker of factory A2.

[0043] The manufacturing company terminal 12 installed in manufacturing company B is operated, for example, by an employee of manufacturing company B. The factory terminal 13 installed in factory B1 of manufacturing company B is operated, for example, by a worker of factory B1, and the factory terminal 13 installed in factory B2 is operated, for example, by a worker of factory B2.

[0044] In each of the manufacturing companies A and B, the manufacturing company terminal 12, the factory terminal 13, and the production line L may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0045] The maintenance management company M1 and the maintenance management company M2 are companies that perform maintenance work on the work units of the component mounter. The maintenance work is at least one of maintenance, replacement, and repair. The maintenance management company M1 and the maintenance management company M2 may also sell the work units. In this case, the maintenance management company M1 and the maintenance management company M2 can also be said to be sales companies. For example, the maintenance management company M1 sells the work units to the factories A1 and A2 of the manufacturing company A and performs maintenance work on those work units. The maintenance management company M2 sells the work units to the factories B1 and B2 of the manufacturing company B and performs maintenance work on those work units. Alternatively, the maintenance management company M1 may sell the work units to the factories A1 and A2 of the manufacturing company A and the factories B1 and B2 of the manufacturing company B and perform maintenance work on those work units.

[0046] Further, each of the maintenance management companies M1 and M2 exchanges a contract with any one of the business entities among the manufacturing company A, the factory A1, the factory A2, the manufacturing company B, the factory B1, and the factory B2. In the contract, it is stipulated that each of the maintenance management companies M1 and M2 sells a usable work unit to the business entity and performs maintenance work on the work unit. The work unit sold to the business entity is regarded as the asset of the business entity. For example, if the maintenance management company M1 exchanges the contract with the factory A1, it can be said that the maintenance management company M1 is in charge of maintenance for the factory A1. And, if the maintenance management company M1 is in charge of maintenance for each of the factories A1 and B2, the maintenance management company M1 can lend a work unit that can be used in both the factory A1 and the factory B2 to the factory A1 and the factory B2. In other words, the work unit is shared between the factory A1 and the factory B2. For example, if a work unit in factory A1 specified in the contract breaks down and needs to be repaired by maintenance company M1, maintenance company M1 will lend the shareable work unit to factory A1 instead of the work unit specified in the contract. Similarly, if a work unit in factory B2 specified in the contract breaks down and needs to be repaired by maintenance company M1, maintenance company M1 will lend the shareable work unit to factory B2 instead of the work unit specified in the contract.

[0047] Each of the maintenance management company M1 and the maintenance management company M2 is provided with the above-mentioned terminal, a maintenance terminal 11. The maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance management company M1 is operated, for example, by an employee of the maintenance management company M1, and the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance management company M2 is operated, for example, by an employee of the maintenance management company M2.

[0048] As described above, the information management system 3000 in this embodiment includes an information management device 300, two maintenance terminals 11, two manufacturing company terminals 12, and four factory terminals 13, which are connected to each other via a communication network Nt. Each of the two maintenance terminals 11, the two manufacturing company terminals 12, and the four factory terminals 13 is configured as a device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. These terminals access the information management device 300 using a login ID input to the terminal.

[0049] 1, two maintenance management companies and two manufacturing companies are shown, but the number of companies is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. For example, the information management system 3000 may include a manufacturing company terminal 12 installed in a manufacturing company C, and may include a factory terminal 13 installed in each of the factories C1 and C2 owned by the manufacturing company C. The number of terminals installed in each business entity is also not limited to one, and may be two or more.

[0050] [Component mounter] An example of a component mounter used in this embodiment will be described below.

[0051] FIG. 2 is an external view of the component mounter in this embodiment.

[0052] Component mounter 100 receives a circuit board (hereinafter simply referred to as board) 90 from the upstream side, mounts components such as electronic components on board 90, and sends board 90 with the components mounted thereon to the downstream side.

[0053] Specifically, component mounter 100 is equipped with, for example, two stages (front stage 110 and rear stage 120) that simultaneously and independently perform component mounting. Each of stages 110 and 120 is an orthogonal robot type mounting stage, and includes a component supply unit 115, a multi-placement head 112, an XY robot 113, and a component recognition camera 116. The rear stage 120 is equipped with a tray supply unit 117. Each component supply unit 115 is made up of an array of multiple feeders 114 that store component tapes.

[0054] Here, the component tape is, for example, a tape that stores a plurality of components of the same component type, one after the other, and is supplied wound on a reel, for example.

[0055] The multi-placement head 112 (hereinafter simply referred to as the head) is equipped with a suction nozzle (hereinafter simply referred to as the nozzle) and can pick up components from the above-mentioned feeder 114 and place them on the board 90. The XY robot 113 moves the head 112. The component recognition camera 116 is used to two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally inspect the suction state of the components picked up by the head 112. The tray supply unit 117 supplies tray components. Each of these stages mounts components on its own assigned board 90 in parallel with the other stages (for example, by independent mounting or alternating mounting).

[0056] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the main configuration of the component mounter 100. As shown in FIG.

[0057] The tray transport unit (not shown) is a moving table on which components taken out from the tray supply unit 117 are placed when the stage is equipped with the tray supply unit 117, and which transports the components to a position where they can be picked up by the head 112. The nozzle station 119 is a table on which replacement nozzles corresponding to component types of various shapes are placed.

[0058] Component recognition camera 116 is disposed near the center of component supply unit 115 in the arrangement direction of feeders 114. After head 112 picks up a component from component supply unit 115, it passes component recognition camera 116, moves to a mounting point on board 90, and repeats the operation of sequentially mounting all of the picked-up components. The mounting point is the position on the board where the component is to be mounted.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the head 112 and the feeder 114. As shown in FIG.

[0060] For example, up to ten nozzles 112a can be attached to this head 112. Head 112 equipped with ten nozzles 112a can pick up components simultaneously (i.e., in one up-and-down movement) from up to ten feeders 114.

[0061] The feeder 114 unwinds the component tape 50 from the reel 1, thereby supplying the components stored on the component tape 50 to a position where they can be picked up by the nozzle 112a.

[0062] Such a component mounter 100 moves the head 112 to the component supply unit 115 and has the head 112 pick up the components. Then, the component mounter 100 moves the head 112 over the component recognition camera 116 at a constant speed, and has the component recognition camera 116 take in images of all the components picked up by the head 112, allowing the pick-up positions of the components to be accurately detected. Furthermore, the component mounter 100 moves the head 112 to the board 90 and sequentially mounts all the picked-up components on the mounting points. The component mounter 100 mounts all the predetermined components on the board 90 by repeatedly performing the pick-up, movement, and mounting operations by the head 112 based on a production plan.

[0063] The following describes details of the information management device 300 and the information management system 3000 in the case where the working unit in this embodiment is the head 112.

[0064] [Configuration of information management device] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information management device 300. As shown in FIG.

[0065] The information management device 300 includes a management unit 301, a storage unit 302, a reading unit 303, a search unit 304, and an output unit 305, as shown in FIG.

[0066] The management unit 301, for example, acquires data or information via the above-mentioned communication network Nt, and stores various data or information in the storage unit 302 based on the data or information. Alternatively, the management unit 301 updates various data or information already stored in the storage unit 302. For example, when the management unit 301 acquires event information d31 from any of the manufacturing company terminals 12, the factory terminals 13, or the production line L, it updates the supply destination information d4 (described later) stored in the storage unit 302 in accordance with the event information d31.

[0067] The storage unit 302 is a recording medium for storing the management information d, the supply destination information d4, and the unit status information d5 as the various data or information described above. For example, the storage unit 302 is a hard disk drive, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a semiconductor memory. Note that such a storage unit 302 may be volatile or non-volatile. The management information d is also called master data, and includes head master data d1, factory master data d2, and hierarchical structure master data d3.

[0068] The head master data d1 is data for managing the heads 112 of the component mounter 100. Specifically, the head master data d1 indicates information about one or more heads 112 arranged in each of the factories A1, A2, B1, and B2.

[0069] The factory master data d2 indicates the relationship between a factory and the supplier of the head 112 supplied to that factory.

[0070] The hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates the hierarchical structure of each manufacturing company. Specifically, the hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates, for each manufacturing company, one or more factories owned by the manufacturing company, and further indicates, for each factory, one or more production lines L installed in the factory. Note that a manufacturing company can also be considered as a group consisting of one or more factories.

[0071] The supply destination information d4 indicates, for each head 112, the supply destination of that head 112.

[0072] The unit status information d5 is, for example, information indicating the status or diagnosis result of the head 112 which is a working unit. Such unit status information d5 is updated based on information transmitted from the manufacturer terminal 12 or the factory terminal 13. The unit status information d5 may be updated by the management unit 301.

[0073] The reading unit 303 reads data or information from the storage unit 302 in response to a request from the searching unit 304 , and outputs the data or information to the searching unit 304 .

[0074] For example, when the search unit 304 acquires a login ID from a terminal via the above-mentioned communication network Nt, it determines key information corresponding to the login ID. The terminal is the above-mentioned maintenance terminal 11, the manufacturing company terminal 12, or the factory terminal 13. Then, the search unit 304 searches for information corresponding to the key information from the data or information read by the reading unit 303, and outputs the searched information to the output unit 305 as a search result.

[0075] When the output unit 305 acquires the search results from the search unit 304, the output unit 305 outputs the search results to the terminal corresponding to the login ID described above via the communication network Nt described above. As a result, the search results are displayed on the terminal for reference.

[0076] [Various data or information] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the head master data d1.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 6, the head master data d1 indicates, for each head 112, a field name, a head serial number, a supplier code, and the like.

[0078] The field name is the name of the field in which information about the head 112 is stored.

[0079] The head serial number is a number for identifying the head 112, and is, for example, "H001."

[0080] The supplier code is a code assigned to a company (i.e., a supplier) that supplies the head 112 identified by the head serial number to a factory. In the example of FIG. 6(a), the supplier code "C00A0" indicates, for example, that the supplier of the head 112 is manufacturing company A. In other words, the supplier code "C00A0" indicates, for example, that the head 112 is an asset of manufacturing company A. The supplier code may also indicate that the supplier of the head 112 is manufacturing company B. Alternatively, the supplier code may indicate that the supplier of the head 112 is maintenance company M1 or maintenance company M2. In the example of FIG. 6(b), the supplier code "C00M1" indicates, for example, that the supplier of the head 112 is maintenance company M1. In other words, the supplier code "C00M1" indicates, for example, that the head 112 is an asset of maintenance company M1.

[0081] The head master data d1 shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6 is an example, and may include other information.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the factory master data d2.

[0083] The factory master data d2 indicates a correspondence between a factory code and a supplier code. The factory code is a code assigned to a factory, and the supplier code is a code assigned to a supplier as described above. For example, the factory master data d2 includes factory master data d21 and factory master data d22.

[0084] The factory master data d21, for example, indicates that the same supplier code is associated with the factory code of each of the factories of a plurality of different manufacturing companies. In the example of FIG. 7, the factory master data d21 indicates that the supplier code "C00M1" of the maintenance company M1 is associated with the factory code "C00A1" of the factory A1 and the factory code "C00B2" of the factory B2. In other words, the factory master data d21 indicates that the supplier of the head 112 to the factory A1 and the factory B2 is the maintenance company M1. In other words, the factory master data d21 indicates that the head 112, which is an asset of the maintenance company M1 that is the supplier, can be shared by the factory A1 and the factory B2.

[0085] The factory master data d21 also indicates that the maintenance manager for the factory A1 is the maintenance management company M1, and that the maintenance manager for the factory B2 is also the maintenance management company M1. In this way, the maintenance management company M1 is associated as the maintenance manager for the factory A1 of the manufacturing company A and the factory B2 of the manufacturing company B.

[0086] Here, for example, the management information d may include head master data d1 indicating "C00M1" as the supplier code, as shown in Fig. 6(b). In this case, the head master data d1 and the factory master data d21 cause the factories A1 and B2 to correspond to the head 112 having the head serial number "H002" indicated in the head master data d1 via the maintenance management company M1. Such a head 112 is shared by the factories A1 and B2 as an asset of the maintenance management company M1.

[0087] The factory master data d22, for example, indicates that the same supplier code is associated with each of the factory codes of a plurality of different factories owned by the same manufacturing company. In the example of Fig. 7, the factory master data d22 indicates that the supplier code "C00A0" of the manufacturing company A is associated with the factory code "C00A1" of the factory A1 and the factory code "C00A2" of the factory A2. In other words, the factory master data d22 indicates that the supplier of the head 112 to the factories A1 and A2 is the manufacturing company A. In other words, the factory master data d22 indicates that the head 112, which is an asset of the supplier, the manufacturing company A, can be shared by the factories A1 and A2.

[0088] Such factory master data d22 and the head master data d1 described above associate the factory with the head 112 via the supplier code. For example, in the example of FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 7, the factory A1 with the factory code "C00A1" is associated with the head 112 with the head serial number "H001" via the manufacturing company A with the supplier code "C00A0". The factory A2 with the factory code "C00A2" is also associated with the head 112 with the head serial number "H001" via the manufacturing company A with the supplier code "C00A0". In other words, the factory master data d2 and the head master data d1 indicate that the head 112 with the head serial number "H001" can be shared by the factory A1 and the factory A2. Also, as described above, the factory master data d21 indicates that the maintenance management company M1 is in charge of maintenance at the factory A1. Therefore, factory A1 is associated with head 112 with head serial number "H001" that was sold by maintenance management company M1 to manufacturing company A and is considered an asset of manufacturing company A according to a contract with maintenance management company M1.

[0089] The factory master data d2 shown in FIG. 7 is an example and is not limited thereto. For example, in the factory master data d22, the maintenance management company M1 may be associated with each of the factories A1 and A2. In this case, the factory master data d22 indicates that the head 112, which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 that is the supplier, can be shared between the factories A1 and A2 of the manufacturing company A. In addition, in the factory master data d22, the code of the factory, rather than the manufacturing company, may be indicated as the supplier code. In this case, the factory master data d22 indicates that the head 112, which is an asset of the factory, can be shared between the factories A1 and A2.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the supply destination information d4.

[0091] The destination information d4 indicates, for each head 112, the head serial number of the head 112 in association with a destination code assigned to the destination of the head 112. The destination is a factory having a mounter 100 on which the head 112 is mounted. In the example of FIG. 8, the destination information d4 indicates that the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H001" and "H002" are mounted on the mounter 100 of the factory A1 indicated by the destination code "C00A1". The destination information d4 also indicates that the heads 112 with head serial numbers not associated with a destination code are not mounted on the mounter 100 of any factory.

[0092] 8 is merely an example and is not limited thereto. For example, the supply destination information d4 may indicate a manufacturing company code as the supply destination code instead of a factory code.

[0093] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hierarchical structure master data d3.

[0094] The hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates the hierarchical structures of manufacturing company A and manufacturing company B, for example, as shown in FIG. 9. Specifically, the hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates that manufacturing company A has factories A1 and A2. The hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates that the factory A1 has production lines A11 and A12 as production lines L, respectively. The hierarchical structure master data d3 further indicates that the factory A2 has production line A21 as production line L, respectively. Similarly, the hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates that manufacturing company B has factories B1 and B2. The hierarchical structure master data d3 indicates that the factory B1 has production lines B11 and B12 as production lines L, respectively. The hierarchical structure master data d3 further indicates that the factory B2 has production line B21 as production line L, respectively.

[0095] In this way, the hierarchical structure master data d3 shows manufacturing companies in the first level, which is the top level in the hierarchical structure, the factories owned by the manufacturing companies in the second level, and the production lines L installed in the factories in the third level. In other words, the hierarchical structure master data d3 shows groups of manufacturing companies for each manufacturing company. The groups include the manufacturing companies, the factories owned by the manufacturing companies, and the production lines L installed in the factories.

[0096] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the association between the factory, the maintenance management company, and the head 112, which is indicated by the management information d stored in the storage unit 302. As shown in FIG.

[0097] For example, in management information d, as shown in Fig. 10, factory A1 is associated with maintenance company M1. Furthermore, factory A1 is associated with head "H001" and head "H003" that have been sold by maintenance company M1 to manufacturing company A and are considered assets of manufacturing company A. Note that head "H001" is head 112 having head serial number "H001", and head "H003" is head 112 having head serial number "H003". Similarly, hereinafter, head "head serial number" refers to head 112 having that head serial number.

[0098] That is, the factory A1 is associated with the maintenance management company M1 by the factory master data d21 shown in FIG. 7. Also, in the head master data d1 for the head "H001" and the head "H003", the manufacturing company A is associated with each of the heads "H001" and "H003" as the supplier of those heads 112. Furthermore, in the factory master data d22, the factory A1 is associated with the manufacturing company A that is the supplier. Such head master data d1 and factory master data d2 indicate that the heads "H001" and "H003" are assets of the manufacturing company A that is the supplier, and can be used at the factory A1. Furthermore, the factory master data d21 indicates that the maintenance work for the heads "H001" and "H003" that can be used at the factory A1 is performed by the maintenance management company M1.

[0099] Furthermore, in the management information d, as shown in FIG. 10, the maintenance management company M1 is associated with the factories A1 and B2, and the heads "H002" and "H004" are associated with the maintenance management company M1.

[0100] 7, the maintenance management company M1 is associated with each of the factories A1 and B2 as the supplier of the head 112 to the factories. Also, in the head master data d1 for the head "H002" and the head "H004", the maintenance management company M1 is associated with each of the heads "H002" and "H004" as the supplier of the heads 112. Such head master data d1 and factory master data d21 indicate that the heads "H002" and "H004" are assets of the maintenance management company M1, which is the supplier, and can be shared by the factories A1 and B2.

[0101] Furthermore, the supply destination information d4 associates the heads "H001" and "H002" with the supply destination, factory A1. In other words, it is shown that the heads "H001" and "H002" are mounted on the component mounter 100 of the factory A1. On the other hand, the supply destination information d4 does not associate the heads "H003" and "H004" with a supply destination. In other words, it is shown that the heads "H003" and "H004" are not mounted on the component mounter 100 of any factory.

[0102] As a result, a user having access authority to the factory A1 can search and refer to information on the head "H001", the head "H002", and the head "H003" from the management information d by accessing the information management device 300 using a login ID (for example, "ID1"). The user may be an employee of the manufacturing company A or a worker of the factory A1. That is, if the user is an employee of the manufacturing company A, the user operates the manufacturing company terminal 12 of the manufacturing company A, and if the user is a worker of the factory A1, the user operates the factory terminal 13 of the factory A1 to input the login ID "ID1" to the terminal. The search unit 304 of the information management device 300 determines key information indicating the factory A1 based on the login ID "ID1", and searches the management information d for information corresponding to the key information. Specifically, the search unit 304 searches the management information d for information on the head 112 that is the asset of the factory A1 indicated by the key information or the asset of the manufacturing company A that owns the factory A1, and the head 112 that is mounted on the mounter 100 of the factory A1. That is, the search unit 304 searches for information on the head "H001", the head "H002", and the head "H003". Here, the head "H002" is the asset of the maintenance management company M1, but is mounted on the mounter 100 of the factory A1, so information on the head "H002" is searched for. In addition, the head "H003" is not mounted on the mounter 100 of the factory A1, but is the asset of the factory A1 or the manufacturing company A, so information on the head "H003" is searched for. Then, the search unit 304 transmits the information obtained by the search to the terminal via the output unit 305.

[0103] On the other hand, a user having access authority to the factory A1 and the factory B2 can search and refer to information on not only the head "H001", the head "H002", and the head "H003" but also the head "H004" from the management information d by accessing the information management device 300 using a login ID (for example, "ID2"). The user is, for example, an employee of the maintenance management company M1. That is, the user operates the maintenance terminal 11 to input the login ID "ID2" to the maintenance terminal 11. The search unit 304 of the information management device 300 determines key information indicating the factory A1, the factory B2, and the maintenance management company M1 based on the login ID "ID2", and searches the management information d for information corresponding to the key information. That is, the search unit 304 searches for information on the head "H001" and the head "H003" associated with the factory A1, for which the maintenance management company M1 is in charge of maintenance, and the head "H002" and the head "H004" associated with the maintenance management company M1. If there is a head associated with factory B2, the search unit 304 also searches for information about the head. Then, the search unit 304 transmits the information obtained by the search to the maintenance terminal 11 via the output unit 305.

[0104] 10, head "H001" and head "H003" are an example of a first task unit, and head "H002" and head "H004" are an example of a second task unit. Also, in FIG. 10, the management information d shows head "H002" and head "H004" associated with factory A1 and factory B2 via maintenance management company M1, but head "H002" and head "H004" may be associated without the maintenance management company M1.

[0105] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a comparative example of management information different from the management information d in this embodiment.

[0106] In the management information of the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 11, each factory is associated with a plurality of heads 112. For example, the factory A1 is associated with a plurality of heads 112 that are sold by the maintenance company M1 to the manufacturing company A and are considered as assets of the manufacturing company A. The maintenance company M1 performs maintenance work on the plurality of heads 112 associated with the factory A1. The factory A1 is also associated with a plurality of heads 112 that are considered as assets of the maintenance company M1. These plurality of heads 112 are loan items provided to the factory A1 by the maintenance company M1. In other words, the factory A1 purchases, for example, 100 heads 112 as assets of the manufacturing company A, and also borrows five heads 112 from the maintenance company M1 as substitutes, spare parts, or replacement parts for the heads 112. The five heads 112 are assets of the maintenance company M1. In this way, in the management information of the comparative example, the heads 112 are associated with one factory, not with a plurality of factories. Therefore, for example, if a head 112 that is an asset of maintenance management company M1 is moved from the factory associated with that head 112 to another factory, maintenance management company M1 cannot manage that head 112. Therefore, maintenance management company M1 needs to hold multiple heads 112 as rental items for each factory, which may result in a large inventory of heads 112.

[0107] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the management information d in this embodiment in comparison with the management information in the comparative example in FIG.

[0108] In the management information d, as shown in FIG. 12, each factory is associated with a plurality of heads 112, and is also associated with a plurality of other heads 112 via a maintenance management company.

[0109] For example, factory A1 is associated with a number of heads 112 that have been sold by maintenance company M1 to manufacturing company A and are considered assets of manufacturing company A. Maintenance company M1 performs maintenance work on the number of heads 112 associated with the factory A1. Furthermore, factory A1 is associated with a number of heads 112 that are considered assets of maintenance company M1 via maintenance company M1, which is in charge of maintenance of factory A1. In other words, factory A1 can purchase, for example, 100 heads 112 as assets of manufacturing company A, and can also borrow five heads 112 from maintenance company M1 as substitutes, spare parts, or replacement parts for the heads 112. The five heads 112 are assets of maintenance company M1.

[0110] Similarly, factory B1 is associated with a plurality of heads 112 that have been sold by maintenance company M1 to manufacturing company B and are considered assets of manufacturing company B. Maintenance company M1 performs maintenance work on the plurality of heads 112 associated with the factory B1. Furthermore, factory B1 is associated with a plurality of heads 112 that are considered assets of maintenance company M1 via maintenance company M1, which is in charge of maintenance of factory B1. In other words, factory B1 can purchase, for example, 100 heads 112 as assets of manufacturing company B, and can also borrow five heads 112 from maintenance company M1 as substitutes, spare parts, or replacement parts for the heads 112. The five heads 112 are assets of maintenance company M1.

[0111] Thus, in the management information d in this embodiment, the maintenance company M1 is associated with the factory A1 of the manufacturing company A and the factory B1 of the manufacturing company B. Furthermore, the maintenance company M1 is associated with a plurality of heads 112 that are assets of the maintenance company M1 and can be provided to either the factory A1 or the factory B1. Therefore, whether the heads 112 are provided to the factory A1 or the factory B1, the maintenance company M1 can manage those heads 112. In other words, the heads 112 that are assets of the maintenance company M1 can be moved from the factory A1 to the factory B1, and conversely, can be moved from the factory B1 to the factory A1. That is, the heads 112 that are assets of the maintenance company M1 can be shared between the factory A1 and the factory B1. Therefore, the maintenance company M1 does not need to hold a head 112 dedicated to the factory A1 and a head 112 dedicated to the factory B1. Therefore, the inventory of the heads 112 held by the maintenance company M1 can be reduced.

[0112] In the example of Fig. 12, all of the heads 112 considered to be assets of the maintenance company M1 can be shared between the factory A1 and the factory B1, but one or more of those heads 112 may be associated with only one of the factory A1 and the factory B1, as in the example of Fig. 11. In other words, the multiple heads 112 considered to be assets of the maintenance company M1 and associated with the factory A1 or the factory B1 may include rental items exclusive to that factory.

[0113] FIG. 13 is a diagram for more specifically explaining management information that is a comparative example to that in FIG.

[0114] In the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 13, the maintenance company M1 enters into a contract with the manufacturing company A regarding the factory A1, and also enters into a contract with the manufacturing company B regarding the factory B1. Therefore, in the management information of the comparative example, the head "H001" which is an asset of the manufacturing company A is associated with the factory A1 as the head 112 to be maintained by the maintenance company M1. Furthermore, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance company is associated with the factory A1 as the replacement head 112 for the factory A1, etc. Similarly, in the management information of the comparative example, the head "H011" which is an asset of the manufacturing company B is associated with the factory B1 as the head 112 to be maintained by the maintenance company M1. Furthermore, the head "H014" which is an asset of the maintenance company M1 is associated with the factory B1 as the replacement head 112 for the factory B1, etc.

[0115] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining management information d in this embodiment in comparison with the management information in the comparative example of FIG.

[0116] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, maintenance company M1 enters into a contract with manufacturing company A regarding factory A1, and also enters into a contract with manufacturing company B regarding factory B1. Therefore, in the management information d in this embodiment, head "H001", which is an asset of manufacturing company A, is associated with factory A1 as head 112 to be maintained by maintenance company M1. Similarly, in the management information d in this embodiment, head "H011", which is an asset of manufacturing company B, is associated with factory B1 as head 112 to be maintained by maintenance company M1.

[0117] Here, in the management information d in this embodiment, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 is associated with both the factory A1 and the factory B1 as a replacement head 112 for the factory A1 and the factory B1. Therefore, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 can be made to be shared by the factory A1 and the factory B1. As a result, the number of heads 112 held as inventory at the maintenance management company M1 can be reduced from two to, for example, one. In other words, the amount of inventory can be reduced more than in the example of FIG. 13.

[0118] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of the management information d in this embodiment.

[0119] In the example of FIG. 15, the maintenance company M1 enters into a contract with the manufacturing company A regarding the factories A1 and A2. Therefore, in the management information d, the heads "H001" and "H011", which are assets of the manufacturing company A, are associated with the factories A1 and A2 as the head 112 to be maintained by the maintenance company M1. It can be said that such an association is indicated by the factory master data d22 and the head master data d1. Therefore, the heads "H001" and "H011" can be made to be shared by the factories A1 and A2.

[0120] Furthermore, in the management information d, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 is associated with both the factory A1 and the factory A2 as a replacement head 112 for the factory A1 and the factory A2. Therefore, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 can be shared by the factory A1 and the factory A2.

[0121] Similarly, maintenance company M1 enters into a contract with manufacturing company B regarding factories B1 and B2. Therefore, in the management information d, head "H021" and head "H031", which are assets of manufacturing company B, are associated with factories B1 and B2 as head 112 to be maintained by maintenance company M1. It can be said that such an association is indicated by the factory master data d22 and the head master data d1. Therefore, head "H021" and head "H031" can be made shared by factories B1 and B2.

[0122] Furthermore, in the management information d in this embodiment, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 is associated with both the factory B1 and the factory B2 as a replacement head 112 for the factory B1 and the factory B2. Therefore, the head "H004" which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1 can be shared by the factory B1 and the factory B2.

[0123] Furthermore, in the management information d, the maintenance management company M1 is associated with the factory A1, the factory A2, the factory B1, and the factory B2. Therefore, the head "H004", which is an asset of the maintenance management company M1, can be shared by the factory A1, the factory A2, the factory B1, and the factory B2.

[0124] This makes it possible to increase the number of shareable heads 112, and reduce the number of heads 112 in stock at each of the maintenance management company M1, the manufacturing company A, and the manufacturing company B.

[0125] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a database stored in storage unit 302 in this embodiment.

[0126] The database DB is shown, for example, as in FIG. 16, by the management information d, unit status information d5, and supply destination information d4 stored in the storage unit 302. That is, the database DB indicates, for each head 112, the head serial number, the supply source (i.e., asset), the supply destination (i.e., location), the line name, the stage number, the beam, and the status of the head 112. The head serial number and the supply source are indicated by the head master data d1. The supply destination is indicated by the supply destination information d4. The line name, the stage number, the beam, and the status are indicated, for example, by the unit status information d5. The line name is the name of the production line L on which the head 112 is mounted, and the stage number is a number assigned to the mounter 100 on which the head 112 is mounted in the production line L. The beam is, for example, the XY robot 113 on which the head 112 is mounted in the mounter 100. The status indicates a determination result obtained by determining whether the head 112 is malfunctioning from the operating status of the head 112. For example, the status "OK" indicates that the head 112 is operating well, and the status "bad" indicates that the condition of the head 112 has deteriorated based on the state in which the head 112 is operating well.

[0127] In addition, in the database DB, a head 112 having a head serial number associated with a blank supply destination, that is, a head 112 for which no supply destination is specified, is not mounted on a component mounter 100 in any factory.

[0128] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance management company M1.

[0129] The maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance company M1 accesses the information management device 300 via the communication network Nt. At this time, the information management device 300 acquires the login ID of the maintenance company M1 from the maintenance terminal 11. As a result, the search unit 304 of the information management device 300 executes a first search and a second search. In the first search, the search unit 304 first searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is considered to be the asset of the maintenance company M1. Furthermore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is considered to be the asset of the factory for which the maintenance company M1 is in charge of maintenance, that is, the asset of the manufacturing company that owns the factory. The factories for which the maintenance company M1 is in charge of maintenance are, for example, the factory A1, the factory A2, the factory B1, and the factory B2. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is associated with each of the "maintenance company M1", "manufacturing company A", and "manufacturing company B" as a supplier, and displays it on the maintenance terminal 11. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the heads 112 mounted on the component mounters 100 in the factories of the manufacturing companies A and B. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the heads 112 associated with "Factory A1", "Factory A2", "Factory B1", and "Factory B2" as the supply destinations, respectively, and displays the information on the maintenance terminal 11. As a result, a screen D11 shown in FIG. 17 is displayed on the maintenance terminal 11. On the screen D11, information on each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H001" to "H024" is displayed on the maintenance terminal 11, and information on each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H025" to "H028" is not displayed on the maintenance terminal 11.

[0130] In other words, in the first search, when the search unit 304 acquires the login ID of the maintenance company M1, it determines, as key information, one or more factories associated with the maintenance company M1 in the management information d and information indicating the maintenance company M1. The one or more factories are, for example, the factory A1, the factory A2, the factory B1, and the factory B2 for which the maintenance company M1 is in charge of maintenance, as described above. Then, the search unit 304 searches the management information d for information corresponding to the key information. In the first search, the search unit 304 searches the management information d for information on the head 112 associated with each of the factory A1, the factory A2, the factory B1, the factory B2, and the maintenance company M1. The information on the head 112 may be the head serial number of the head 112. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches, as information on the head 112, the head serial number associated with the supply destination code of those factories in the supply destination information d4. In the second search, in order to avoid duplication with the first search, the search unit 304 may search for head serial numbers associated with the respective destination codes of factory A1, factory A2, factory B1, and factory B2 in the destination information d4, among the other head serial numbers excluding the head serial numbers obtained by the first search, as information related to the head 112. Then, the search unit 304 outputs the searched head serial numbers and various information shown in association with these head serial numbers from the database DB to the maintenance terminal 11 via the output unit 305.

[0131] When the user operating the maintenance terminal 11 inputs the login ID of the maintenance management company M1, the user may select a manufacturing company or factory to be searched from among one or more manufacturing companies and one or more factories for which the user has access authority. In this case, only information related to the head 112 having the head serial number associated with the manufacturing company or factory to be searched from among the head serial numbers "H001" to "H024" shown in FIG. 17 is displayed on the maintenance terminal 11.

[0132] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturer A.

[0133] The manufacturing company terminal 12 of the manufacturing company A accesses the information management device 300 via the communication network Nt. At this time, the information management device 300 acquires the login ID of the manufacturing company A from the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, the search unit 304 of the information management device 300 executes a first search and a second search. In the first search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is considered to be an asset of the manufacturing company A. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 mounted on the component mounter 100 in each factory of the manufacturing company A. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 associated with "manufacturing company A" as the supply source and information on the head 112 associated with each of "factories A1" and "factories A2" as the supply destination, and displays the information on the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, the screen D12 shown in FIG. 18 is displayed on the manufacturing company terminal 12. On the screen D12, information relating to each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H001" to "H016" is displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12, but information relating to each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H017" to "H028" is not displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12.

[0134] In other words, in the first search, when the search unit 304 acquires the login ID of the manufacturing company A, it determines information indicating one or more factories associated with the manufacturing company A in the management information d (specifically, the hierarchical structure master data d3) as key information. The one or more factories are, for example, the factory A1 and the factory A2. Then, the search unit 304 searches the management information d for information corresponding to the key information. In the first search, the search unit 304 searches the management information d for information on the head 112 associated with each of the factory A1 and the factory A2 without the intervention of a maintenance management company. The information on the head 112 may be the head serial number of the head 112. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches the head serial number associated with the supply destination code of the factories in the supply destination information d4 as information on the head 112. In the second search, the search unit 304 may search for head serial numbers associated with the respective supply destination codes of the factories A1 and A2 in the supply destination information d4 as information related to the head 112, among the one or more other head serial numbers excluding the head serial numbers obtained by the first search, in order to avoid duplication with the first search. The one or more other head serial numbers may be, for example, head serial numbers of heads 112 that are assets of the maintenance management company M1 that is in charge of maintenance of the factories A1 and A2, or may include head serial numbers of heads 112 that are assets of the maintenance management company M2 that is not in charge of maintenance of the factories A1 and A2. The search unit 304 then outputs the head serial numbers found in the database DB and various information associated with the head serial numbers to the maintenance terminal 11 via the output unit 305.

[0135] When the user operating the manufacturing company terminal 12 inputs the login ID of manufacturing company A, the user may select a factory to be searched from among one or more factories for which the user has access authority. In this case, only information related to the head 112 having the head serial number associated with the factory to be searched, among the head serial numbers "H001" to "H024" shown in FIG. 17, is displayed on the maintenance terminal 11.

[0136] In the example of FIG. 18, the information management device 300 acquires the login ID of the manufacturing company A from the manufacturing company terminal 12, but may acquire the login ID of the factory A1 from the factory terminal 13. A user who inputs the login ID to the factory terminal 13 has access authority to only the factory A1 among the multiple factories owned by the manufacturing company A. In this case, the search unit 304 determines information indicating the factory A1 as key information based on the login ID. As a result, the search unit 304 searches the head serial number associated with the supply destination code of the factory A1 in the supply destination information d4 as information on the head 112. As a result, for example, on the screen D12, information on the heads 112 with the head serial numbers "H001" to "H004" and "H009" to "H012" is displayed on the factory terminal 13, and information on the heads 112 with the other head serial numbers is not displayed on the factory terminal 13.

[0137] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturer B. As shown in FIG.

[0138] The manufacturing company terminal 12 of the manufacturing company B accesses the information management device 300 via the communication network Nt. At this time, the information management device 300 acquires the login ID of the manufacturing company B from the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, the search unit 304 of the information management device 300 executes a first search and a second search. In the first search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is the asset of the manufacturing company B. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 mounted on the component mounter 100 in each factory of the manufacturing company B. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 associated with "manufacturing company B" as the supply source and information on the head 112 associated with each of "Factory B1" and "Factory B2" as the supply destination, and displays the information on the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, a screen D13 shown in FIG. 19 is displayed on the manufacturing company terminal 12. In screen D13, information regarding each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H018" and "H019" is displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12, and information regarding each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H01" to "H017" and "H020" to "H028" is not displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12.

[0139] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance management company M2.

[0140] The maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance company M2 accesses the information management device 300 via the communication network Nt. At this time, the information management device 300 acquires the login ID of the maintenance company M2 from the maintenance terminal 11. As a result, the search unit 304 of the information management device 300 executes a first search and a second search. In the first search, the search unit 304 first searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is considered to be the asset of the maintenance company M2. Furthermore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the asset of the factory for which the maintenance company M2 is responsible for maintenance, that is, the head 112 that is considered to be the asset of the manufacturing company that owns the factory. The factories for which the maintenance company M2 is responsible for maintenance are, for example, the factory C1 and the factory C2. Moreover, the factory C1 and the factory C2 are owned by the manufacturing company C. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the heads 112 associated with each of "maintenance management company M2" and "manufacturing company C" as the supply source, and displays it on the maintenance terminal 11. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the heads 112 mounted on the component mounters 100 in each factory of the manufacturing company C. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the heads 112 associated with each of "factories C1" and "factories C2" as the supply destination, and displays it on the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, a screen D14 shown in FIG. 20 is displayed on the maintenance terminal 11. On the screen D14, information on each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H025" to "H028" is displayed on the maintenance terminal 11, and information on each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H001" to "H024" is not displayed on the maintenance terminal 11.

[0141] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturer C.

[0142] The manufacturing company terminal 12 of the manufacturing company C accesses the information management device 300 via the communication network Nt. At this time, the information management device 300 acquires the login ID of the manufacturing company C from the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, the search unit 304 of the information management device 300 executes a first search and a second search. In the first search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is the asset of the manufacturing company C. In the second search, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 mounted on the component mounter 100 in each factory of the manufacturing company C. Therefore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 associated with "manufacturing company C" as the supply source and information on the head 112 associated with each of "factories C1" and "factories C2" as the supply destination, and displays the information on the manufacturing company terminal 12. As a result, a screen D15 shown in FIG. 21 is displayed on the manufacturing company terminal 12. In screen D15, information regarding each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H025" and "H026" is displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12, and information regarding each of the heads 112 with head serial numbers "H01" to "H024", "H027" and "H028" is not displayed on the manufacturer terminal 12.

[0143] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing login IDs and whether information related to the head 112 can be referenced by a terminal corresponding to the login ID. Note that a manufacturing company is shown as the supply destination in Fig. 22. The head 112 is mounted on a component mounter 100 installed in a factory owned by this manufacturing company.

[0144] For example, the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturing company A accesses the information management device 300 using the login ID of the manufacturing company A. This allows the manufacturer terminal 12 to refer to information about the head 112 associated with the asset "manufacturing company A." In other words, the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturing company A can refer to information about the head 112 if the head 112 is an asset of the manufacturing company A. Furthermore, the manufacturer terminal 12 can refer to information about the head 112 associated with the supply destination "manufacturing company A." In other words, the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturing company A can refer to information about the head 112 even if the head 112 is not an asset of the manufacturing company A, as long as the head 112 is mounted on the component mounter 100 in the factory of the manufacturing company A.

[0145] Furthermore, the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance company M1 accesses the information management device 300 using the login ID of the maintenance company M1. This allows the maintenance terminal 11 to refer to information about the head 112 associated with each of the assets "maintenance company M1" and "manufacturing company A". The maintenance company M1 is in charge of maintenance at the factory of the manufacturing company A. In other words, the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance company M1 can refer to information about the head 112 if it is an asset of the maintenance company M1 or an asset of the manufacturing company A. Furthermore, the maintenance terminal 11 can refer to information about the head 112 associated with the supply destination "manufacturing company A". In other words, the maintenance terminal 11 can refer to information about the head 112 if it is mounted on the component mounter 100 at the factory of the manufacturing company A, even if it is not an asset of the maintenance company M1 or an asset of the manufacturing company A.

[0146] Furthermore, the manufacturer terminal 12 of the manufacturing company C accesses the information management device 300 using the login ID of the manufacturing company C. This allows the manufacturing company terminal 12 to refer to information about the head 112 associated with the asset "manufacturing company C." In other words, the manufacturing company terminal 12 of the manufacturing company C can refer to information about the head 112 if the head 112 is an asset of the manufacturing company C. Furthermore, the manufacturing company terminal 12 can refer to information about the head 112 associated with the supply destination "manufacturing company C." In other words, the manufacturing company terminal 12 of the manufacturing company C can refer to information about the head 112 even if the head 112 is not an asset of the manufacturing company C, as long as the head 112 is mounted on the component mounter 100 in the factory of the manufacturing company C.

[0147] Furthermore, the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance company M2 accesses the information management device 300 using the login ID of the maintenance company M2. This allows the maintenance terminal 11 to refer to information about the head 112 associated with each of the assets "maintenance company M2" and "manufacturing company C". The maintenance company M2 is in charge of maintenance at the factory of the manufacturing company C. In other words, the maintenance terminal 11 of the maintenance company M2 can refer to information about the head 112 if it is an asset of the maintenance company M2 or an asset of the manufacturing company C. Furthermore, the maintenance terminal 11 can refer to information about the head 112 associated with the supply destination "manufacturing company C". In other words, the maintenance terminal 11 can refer to information about the head 112 if it is mounted on the component mounter 100 at the factory of the manufacturing company C, even if it is not an asset of the maintenance company M2 or an asset of the manufacturing company C.

[0148] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation of the search unit 304 in this embodiment.

[0149] The search unit 304 acquires a login ID from any terminal via the communication network Nt (step S1). Then, the search unit 304 reads out the management information d, the supply destination information d4, and the unit status information d5 from the storage unit 302 via the reading unit 303 (step S2). That is, the search unit 304 reads out the database DB composed of the management information d, the supply destination information d4, and the unit status information d5.

[0150] Next, the search unit 304 judges whether the login ID acquired in step S1 is the login ID of the manufacturing company (step S3). If the search unit 304 judges that the login ID acquired in step S1 is the login ID of the manufacturing company (Yes in step S3), it searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is the asset of the manufacturing company (step S4). Furthermore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 mounted on the mounter 100 in each factory of the manufacturing company (step S5). Then, the search unit 304 outputs the information on the head 112 obtained by the search in steps S4 and S5 as a search result to the terminal having the login ID via the output unit 305 (step S6).

[0151] On the other hand, when the search unit 304 determines that the login ID acquired in step S1 is not the login ID of the manufacturing company, that is, when it determines that the login ID is the login ID of the maintenance company (No in step S3), it searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is considered to be the asset of the maintenance company (step S11). Furthermore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 that is considered to be the asset of the manufacturing company that has a factory that the maintenance company is responsible for maintenance, that is, the asset of the manufacturing company that is the maintenance target (step S12). Furthermore, the search unit 304 searches the database DB for information on the head 112 mounted on the component mounter 100 in each factory of the manufacturing company (step S13). Then, the search unit 304 outputs the information on the head 112 obtained by the search in steps S11, S12, and S13 as a search result to the terminal having the login ID via the output unit 305 (step S6).

[0152] Thus, the information management method by the information management device 300 in this embodiment is a method in which a computer performs processing using the management information d. This information management method includes a first step (step S2) of reading out the management information d, including information on the multiple heads 112 used in the production of mounting boards at multiple factories, from the storage unit 302, and a second step (steps S3 to S6) of determining information indicating one or more factories among the multiple factories as key information and searching for information corresponding to the key information from the management information d. The management information d indicates each of the multiple factories in association with one or more first operation units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work for the one or more first operation units. Furthermore, the management information d indicates the second operation unit in further association with the first factory and the second factory that are associated with the same maintenance management company, the first maintenance management company, among the multiple factories. The second work unit is a work unit supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when the first maintenance company performs maintenance work on any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory. In the example of FIG. 10, the first factory and the second factory are factory A1 and factory B2, and the one or more first work units are head "H001" and head "H003". Also, in the example of FIG. 10, the first maintenance company is maintenance company M1, and the second work unit is head "H002" or head "H004".

[0153] As a result, in the management information d, the second work unit is associated with factory A1 and factory B2. In other words, a dedicated second work unit is not associated with each factory, but the second work unit is associated with multiple factories. Therefore, whether the second work unit is used in factory A1 or in factory B2, the maintenance management company M1 can search for and refer to information about the second work unit from the management information d using key information indicating those factories. As a result, since the second work unit can be shared between factory A1 and factory B2, the maintenance management company M1 does not need to hold a dedicated second work unit for each factory, which increases the possibility of reducing inventory of the second work unit.

[0154] In the second step, when one or more second work units are associated with the first factory in the management information d and information indicating the first factory is determined as key information, the search unit 304 identifies the supply destination of each of the one or more second work units associated with the first factory. The search unit 304 then searches the management information d for information on the second work units for which the first factory is identified as the supply destination, and outputs the information. In the example of FIG. 10, the head "H002" and the head "H004" are associated with the factory A1, which is the first factory, as one or more second work units. The search unit 304 then refers to the supply destination information d4 to identify the supply destination of the head "H002" and the head "H004", and searches the management information d for information on the head "H002" for which the factory A1 is identified as the supply destination.

[0155] As a result, information on the second work unit supplied to the destination factory A1, among one or more second work units associated with the factory A1, is searched for and output by the key information indicating the factory A1. That is, information on the second work unit mounted on a board processing apparatus such as the component mounter 100 of the factory A1 is searched for. In addition, the key information indicating the factory A1 is determined, for example, by the login ID of a user who has access authority to the factory A1. Therefore, even if the second work unit is an asset of the maintenance management company M1, if the second work unit is mounted on the component mounter 100 of the factory A1, the user who has access authority to the factory A1 can search for and refer to information on the second work unit using a terminal.

[0156] In the second step, when the search unit 304 determines information indicating the first maintenance company, the first factory, and the second factory as key information, the search unit 304 searches the management information d for information on the second task unit associated with each of the first factory, the second factory, and the first maintenance company, and outputs the information. In the example of Fig. 17, the first maintenance company is the maintenance company M1, the first factory is, for example, factory A1 and factory A2, and the second factory is, for example, factory B1 and factory B2.

[0157] This allows users who have access authority to Factory A1, Factory A2, Factory B1, Factory B2, and maintenance management company M1 to use their terminals to search for and refer to information regarding the second work units associated with them.

[0158] In the second step, when the search unit 304 determines information indicating the first factory as key information, it identifies the supply destination of the third work unit supplied from the second maintenance management company different from the first maintenance management company, and when it identifies the first factory as the supply destination, it searches for and outputs information about the third work unit from the management information d. In the example of FIG. 18, the first maintenance management company is the maintenance management company M1, and the second maintenance management company is the maintenance management company M2. In the example of FIG. 18, the third work unit is head "H026", head "H027", or head "H028". Here, when the search unit 304 determines information indicating the first factory (for example, factory A1) as key information, if it identifies factory A1 as the supply destination of those heads 112, it searches for and outputs information about the head 112.

[0159] As a result, a user with access rights to factory A1 can use a terminal to search for and refer to information regarding the third work unit, even if the third work unit is the asset of a maintenance management company M2 different from maintenance management company M1, as long as the third work unit is mounted on a component mounting machine 100 in factory A1.

[0160] Moreover, the management information d in this embodiment has the following data structure. The data structure is a data structure of the management information d that includes information on a plurality of work units used in the production of mounting boards in a plurality of factories. The management information d shows each of the plurality of factories in association with one or more first work units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work on the one or more first work units. Furthermore, as in the example of FIG. 10, the management information d shows a second work unit in association with the factory A1 and the factory B2 that are associated with the same maintenance management company, the maintenance management company M1, among the plurality of factories, via the maintenance management company M1. The second work unit is a work unit that is supplied to the factory A1 or the factory B2 instead of the first work unit when the maintenance management company M1 performs maintenance work on any one of the first work units among the one or more first work units associated with the factory A1 or the factory B2. The management information d is used in the following process: the computer reads out the management information d stored in the memory unit 302, and when determining information indicating one or more of the multiple factories as key information, the computer searches the management information d for information regarding one or more first work units associated with the key information, and when determining information indicating factory A1 and factory B2 as key information, the computer searches the management information d for information regarding second work units associated with the key information via maintenance management company M1.

[0161] [Head movement by event] Here, the movement of the head 112 between factories will be described.

[0162] For example, when the management unit 301 of the information management device 300 acquires event information d31 from a factory via the communication network Nt, the management unit 301 detects the event and updates the supply destination information d4 according to the event information d31. For example, when the head 112 is removed from the component mounter 100 in the factory, the factory transmits the event information d31 indicating the head serial number of the removed head 112 to the information management device 300. Alternatively, when the head 112 is mounted on the component mounter 100 in the factory, the factory transmits the event information d31 indicating the head serial number of the mounted head 112 to the information management device 300. When the management unit 301 acquires the event information d31, the management unit 301 identifies the head serial number indicated in the event information d31 from the supply destination information d4, and changes the supply destination associated with the head serial number in the supply destination information d4. For example, the management unit 301 changes the supply destination from the factory A1 to the factory C1. In addition, the event information d31 may be transmitted from the production line L located in the factory to the information management device 300 via the factory terminal 13 and the manufacturer terminal 12, or may be transmitted directly from the production line L or the factory terminal 13 to the information management device 300.

[0163] Therefore, the information management method in this embodiment includes a third step in which the management unit 301 changes the supply destination of the first work unit indicated in the supply destination information d4 from the first factory to the third factory when the management unit 301 detects an event. The event is an event in which the first work unit is moved from the first factory associated with the first work unit in the management information d to the third factory that belongs to a different group from the first factory. For example, in the example of FIG. 8, the first work unit is the head 112 having the head serial number "H001" that is considered to be an asset of the manufacturing company A, and the supply destination of the head 112 is changed, for example, from the factory A1 to the factory C1. The factory C1 is a factory owned by a manufacturing company C that is different from the manufacturing company A of the factory A1, and belongs to a different group from the factory A1.

[0164] As a result, when the first work unit is moved from factory A1 to factory C1 and mounted on the component mounter 100 in factory C1, the supply destination of the first work unit is changed to factory C1. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage the supply destination of the first work unit, i.e., the factory's component mounter 100 on which the first work unit is mounted.

[0165] In the second step of this embodiment, the search unit 304 determines information indicating the third factory as key information, and when the third factory is identified as the changed supply destination of the first work unit based on the supply destination information d4, the search unit 304 searches for and outputs information about the first work unit from the management information d. For example, as described above, the first work unit is the head 112 having the head serial number "H001" which is an asset of the manufacturing company A, and the third factory is the factory C1. Then, as shown in FIG. 22, when the search unit 304 acquires the login ID of the manufacturing company C or the factory C1, the search unit 304 determines, for example, key information indicating the factory C1. That is, when the search unit 304 acquires the login ID of a user who has access rights to the manufacturing company C or the factory C1, the search unit 304 determines key information indicating the factory C1. Then, when the search unit 304 identifies the factory C1 (i.e., the manufacturing company C) as the changed supply destination of the first work unit based on the supply destination information d4, the search unit 304 searches for and outputs information about the first work unit which is an asset of the manufacturing company A from the management information d.

[0166] As a result, a user with access rights to manufacturing company C or factory C1 can use a terminal to search for and refer to information regarding the first work unit, even if the first work unit is an asset of manufacturing company A, because the first work unit is mounted on the component mounter 100 in factory C1.

[0167] In this embodiment, when the management unit 301 acquires the event information d31 from the factory, the third step is included in which the supply destination of the work unit indicated in the supply destination information d4 is changed based on the event information d31. Then, in the second step, the search unit 304 identifies the supply destination of the work unit by referring to the supply destination information d4. Here, the event information d31 may include at least one of the following: (1) information indicating the diagnosis result of the work unit by a maintenance device installed in the factory; (2) work information related to the change of the work unit attached to the substrate processing apparatus installed in the factory; (3) operation history information of the substrate processing apparatus installed in the factory; (4) information related to the change of the work unit based on the difference before and after the change of the production plan information of the mounted substrate; and (5) information related to the transaction of the work unit. The maintenance device may or may not be included in the production line L. In addition, when the work unit is attached to the substrate processing apparatus, the diagnosis of the work unit is performed in advance by the maintenance device.

[0168] If the event information d31 acquired by the management unit 301 includes information (1) or (3), the management unit 301 can detect, for example, that a broken operation unit has been removed from a substrate processing apparatus in a factory and a new operation unit has been installed in the substrate processing apparatus in the factory based on the information (1) or (3). As a result, the management unit 301 can write the replacement of the operation unit in the supply destination information d4. If the event information d31 acquired by the management unit 301 includes information (4), the management unit 301 can detect, for example, that a operation unit that was installed in a substrate processing apparatus in a factory before a change in production plan information has been replaced with another operation unit after the change in production plan information. As a result, the management unit 301 can write the replacement of the operation unit in the supply destination information d4. If the event information d31 acquired by the management unit 301 includes information (5), the management unit 301 can detect the transaction of the operation unit based on the information (5). As a result, the management unit 301 can write the transaction result of that task unit into the supply destination information d4.

[0169] As a result, the supply destination indicated by the supply destination information d4 is updated in accordance with the event information d31 transmitted from the factory. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage which work unit is installed in which substrate processing apparatus of which factory. The information (1) may be reflected in, for example, the status of the database DB shown in FIG. 16, and the operation history information (3) may be reflected in the database DB. Furthermore, if the event information d31 acquired by the management unit 301 includes the information (1) and (3), the management unit 301 may write the information in the unit status information d5.

[0170] The transaction information in (5) may be transaction history information generated by a transaction registration process performed by the payer or receiver of the task unit when the task unit is traded. When a task unit that was installed in a substrate processing apparatus in a factory is taken over by a maintenance management company through a transaction, the management unit 301 deletes the supply destination code associated with the task unit in the supply destination information d4 and leaves it blank. The transaction also includes transactions of task units between manufacturing companies or factories.

[0171] This allows the actual transaction status of the task unit to be appropriately reflected in the supply destination information d4.

[0172] Although the information management device 300 and the information management method according to one or more aspects have been described based on the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as the modifications do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, modifications that a person skilled in the art may make to the above-mentioned embodiments may also be included in the present disclosure.

[0173] For example, in the above embodiment, the working unit is the head 112, but it may be the feeder 114 or the nozzle 112a. The working unit may also be a unit that is attached to a substrate processing apparatus other than the component mounter 100. The working unit may be an automated item that is attached to the feeder and automatically performs the task of supplying components to the feeder.

[0174] In the above embodiment, one or more components included in the information management device 300 may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for the components. One or more components may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory. Here, the software that realizes the search unit 304 of the above embodiment causes a computer to execute each step of the flowchart shown in FIG. 23, for example.

[0175] The following cases are also included in this disclosure:

[0176] (1) The one or more components may specifically be a computer system consisting of a microprocessor, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk unit, a display unit, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. A computer program is stored in the RAM or the hard disk unit. The one or more components achieve their functions by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program. Here, the computer program is composed of a combination of multiple instruction codes that indicate commands for a computer to achieve a specified function.

[0177] (2) The one or more components may be configured as one system LSI (Large Scale Integration). The system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple components on a single chip, and specifically, is a computer system including a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. A computer program is stored in the RAM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating in accordance with the computer program.

[0178] (3) The one or more components may be configured from a removable IC card or a single module. The IC card or module is a computer system configured from a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The IC card or module may include the above-mentioned ultra-multifunction LSI. The IC card or module achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to a computer program. This IC card or module may be tamper-resistant.

[0179] (4) The present disclosure may be embodied as any of the methods described above, a computer program for implementing these methods on a computer, or a digital signal comprising a computer program.

[0180] The present disclosure may also be a computer program or a digital signal recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), a semiconductor memory, etc. Also, the present disclosure may be a digital signal recorded on such a recording medium.

[0181] The present disclosure may also involve transmitting a computer program or a digital signal via a telecommunications line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, data broadcasting, or the like.

[0182] Furthermore, the program or digital signal may be recorded on a recording medium and transferred, or the program or digital signal may be transferred via a network or the like, so that the program or digital signal may be implemented by another independent computer system. [Industrial Applicability]

[0183] The present disclosure can be used, for example, in a system for managing operational units used in the production of mounting boards. [Explanation of symbols]

[0184] 1 reel 11 Maintenance terminal 12 Manufacturer terminal 13 Factory Terminal 50 component tape 90 Circuit Board (Substrate) 100 Component Mounting Machine 110 Front Sub-facility (Sub-facility) 112 Multi-mounting head (head) 112a Nozzle 113 XY Robot 114 Feeder 115 Parts Supply Department 116 Parts Recognition Camera 117 Tray supply section 120 Rear sub-equipment (sub-equipment) 300 Information management device 301 Management Department 302 Storage section 303 Reading section 304 Search Department 305 Output section 3000 Information Management System A, B, C manufacturing companies A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 factory d1 Head master data d2, d21, d22 Factory master data d3 Hierarchical structure master data d4 Supplier information d5 Unit status information d31 Event Information D11, D12, D13, D14, D15 screens DB Database M1, M2 Maintenance management company Nt Communication Network

Claims

1. An information management method in which a computer performs processing using management information, a first step of reading, from a recording medium, the management information including information on a plurality of operation units used in the production of mounting boards in a plurality of factories; a second step of determining information indicating one or more factories among the plurality of factories as key information, and searching the management information for information corresponding to the key information; The management information is each of the plurality of factories is associated with one or more first operation units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work for the one or more first operation units; a second operation unit is further associated with a first factory and a second factory associated with the first maintenance management company, which is the same maintenance management company, among the plurality of factories; The second working unit is a work unit that is supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when maintenance work for any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory is performed by the first maintenance management company; Information management method.

2. In the second step, In the case where one or more of the second work units are associated with the first factory in the management information and information indicating the first factory is determined as the key information, Identifying a supply destination for each of the one or more second operation units associated with the first factory; searching the management information for information on the second work unit for which the first factory is specified as the supply destination, among the one or more second work units, and outputting the information; The information management method according to claim 1 .

3. In the second step, When determining information indicating the first maintenance management company, the first factory, and the second factory as the key information, searching for and outputting information on the second operation unit associated with each of the first factory, the second factory, and the first maintenance management company from the management information; The information management method according to claim 1 .

4. In the second step, When determining information indicating the first factory as the key information, Identifying a supply destination of a third operation unit supplied from a second maintenance management company different from the first maintenance management company; When the first factory is specified as the supply destination, information regarding the third operation unit is searched for and output from the management information. The information management method according to claim 2.

5. The information management method further comprises: a third step of changing a supply destination of the first operation unit indicated in the supply destination information from the first factory to a third factory when an event is detected; The event is the first task unit is moved from the first factory, which is associated with the first task unit in the management information, to the third factory, which belongs to a different group from the first factory; The information management method according to claim 1 .

6. In the second step, When determining information indicating the third factory as the key information and identifying the third factory as the changed destination of the first work unit based on the destination information, retrieving information relating to the first task unit from the management information and outputting the information; The information management method according to claim 5.

7. The information management method further comprises: a third step of, when event information is acquired from a factory, changing a supply destination of the operation unit indicated in the supply destination information based on the event information; In the second step, Identifying a destination of the operation unit by referring to the destination information; The event information includes: (1) information indicating a diagnosis result of a work unit by a maintenance device installed in the factory; (2) work information relating to changes to work units attached to substrate processing apparatuses installed in the factory; (3) operation history information of the substrate processing apparatus installed in the factory; (4) information regarding a change in a work unit based on a difference before and after the change in the production plan information of the mounting board; and (5) information relating to a transaction of a work unit; 5. The information management method according to claim 2 or 4.

8. The information regarding the transaction is transaction history information generated by a transaction registration process performed by the payer or the receiver of the task unit when the task unit is traded. The information management method according to claim 7.

9. A data structure of management information including information on a plurality of operation units used in the production of mounting boards in a plurality of factories, The management information is each of the plurality of factories is associated with one or more first operation units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work for the one or more first operation units; a second operation unit is further associated with a first factory and a second factory associated with the first maintenance management company, which is the same maintenance management company, among the plurality of factories; The second working unit is a work unit that is supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when maintenance work for any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory is performed by the first maintenance management company; The computer Reading the management information stored in the recording medium; When determining information indicating one or more factories among the plurality of factories as key information, searching the management information for information regarding the one or more first operation units associated with the key information; When determining that the information indicating the first factory and the second factory is key information, information regarding the second work unit associated with the key information is searched for in the management information. A data structure of management information used in processing.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute a process using management information, a first step of reading, from a recording medium, the management information including information on a plurality of operation units used in the production of mounting boards in a plurality of factories; a second step of determining information indicating one or more factories among the plurality of factories as key information, and searching the management information for information corresponding to the key information; causing the computer to execute The management information is each of the plurality of factories is associated with one or more first operation units used in the production of mounting boards and a maintenance management company that performs maintenance work for the one or more first operation units; a second operation unit is further associated with a first factory and a second factory associated with the first maintenance management company, which is the same maintenance management company, among the plurality of factories; The second working unit is a work unit that is supplied to the first factory or the second factory in place of the first work unit when maintenance work for any one of the one or more first work units associated with the first factory or the second factory is performed by the first maintenance management company; program.

Images