Component mounting device and component mounting method

Abstract

To provide a component mounting device and a component mounting method that can simplify the configuration and reduce manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: A component mounting device includes two head moving mechanisms 14 arranged side by side in the transport direction of a substrate KB, and two mounting heads 15 moved by these two head moving mechanisms 14. The movable area of an upstream head 15P (upstream movable area RP) and the movable area of a downstream head 15Q (downstream movable area RQ) do not overlap, and a substrate transport unit 12 positions the substrate KB at a first position spanning the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ, and then moves and positions the substrate KB to a second position where an area on the substrate KB located between the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ (intermediate area R3) is within the downstream movable area RQ. The two mounting heads 15 mount components BH on the substrate KB positioned at the first position, and then mount components BH on the substrate KB positioned at the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a component mounting device and a component mounting method for mounting components on a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] A component mounting device that mounts components on a board includes a board transport unit that transports the board and a mounting head that is moved by a head moving mechanism, and the board transport unit positions the board at a predetermined position, and the mounting head picks up components supplied by a component supply unit and mounts them on the positioned board. Among such component mounting devices, a two-head type is known, in which two mounting heads are moved independently by two head moving mechanisms that are arranged side by side in the direction in which the board is transported by the board transport unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] In the two-head component mounting device described above, the movable areas of the two mounting heads that can be moved by the two head movement mechanisms are aligned in the board transport direction, but there is an area between these two movable areas where neither of the two mounting heads can move, and where component mounting is not possible. In this regard, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is configured so that the two head movement mechanisms (the Y-axis movable member and the X-axis guide member) can each move in the board transport direction, and this effectively eliminates the area where component mounting is not possible. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-243894 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the two head moving mechanisms are each movable in the substrate transport direction, the overall structure of the component mounting device becomes complicated, which raises the problem of increased manufacturing costs.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a component mounting device and a component mounting method that can simplify the configuration and reduce manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The component mounting device of the present disclosure comprises a substrate transport unit that transports and positions a substrate, an upstream head moving mechanism and a downstream head moving mechanism that are arranged side by side in the transport direction of the substrate by the substrate transport unit, an upstream head that is moved by the upstream head moving mechanism and mounts components on the substrate that has been positioned by the substrate transport unit, and a downstream head that is moved by the downstream head moving mechanism and mounts components on the substrate that has been positioned by the substrate transport unit, wherein an upstream movable area, which is the area where the upstream head is movable by the upstream head moving mechanism, and a downstream movable area, which is the area where the downstream head is movable by the downstream head moving mechanism, do not overlap, and the substrate transport unit positions the substrate at a first position that straddles the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area, and then moves and positions the substrate to a second position where an area on the substrate located between the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area is within the downstream movable area or within the upstream movable area, and the upstream head and the downstream head mount components on the substrate that has been positioned at the first position, and then mount components on the substrate that has been positioned at the second position.

[0008] A component mounting method according to the present disclosure is a component mounting method using a component mounting device comprising: a substrate transport section that transports and positions a substrate; an upstream head moving mechanism and a downstream head moving mechanism that are arranged side by side in a direction in which the substrate is transported by the substrate transport section; an upstream head that is moved by the upstream head moving mechanism and mounts components on the substrate that has been positioned by the substrate transport section; and a downstream head that is moved by the downstream head moving mechanism and mounts components on the substrate that has been positioned by the substrate transport section, wherein an upstream moving area, which is an area in which the upstream head is movable by the upstream head moving mechanism, and a downstream moving area, which is an area in which the downstream head is movable by the downstream head moving mechanism, do not overlap. The method includes a first substrate positioning step of positioning the substrate at a first position spanning the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area by the substrate transport unit; a first component mounting step of mounting components onto the substrate positioned at the first position by the upstream head and the downstream head; a second substrate positioning step of positioning the substrate at a second position where an area on the substrate located between the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area is within the downstream movable area or the upstream movable area after the first component mounting step; and a second component mounting step of mounting components onto the substrate positioned at the second position by the upstream head and the downstream head. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the configuration of the component mounting device can be simplified to reduce manufacturing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a board transport unit included in a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing an upstream area, a downstream area, and an intermediate area on a board positioned by the board transport unit. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams illustrating a first example of a procedure for a component mounting operation performed by a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams illustrating a first example of a procedure for a component mounting operation performed by a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10A, 10B, and 10C are diagrams illustrating a second example of a procedure for a component mounting operation performed by a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10A, 10B, and 10C are diagrams illustrating a second example of a procedure for a component mounting operation performed by a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1A is a plan view of a portion of a first modified example of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1B is a plan view of a portion of a second modified example of the component mounting device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 10] 1A is a plan view of a portion of a third modified example of a component mounting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1B is a plan view of a portion of a fourth modified example of the component mounting device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, a detailed description of embodiments specifically disclosing a component mounting device and a component mounting method according to the present disclosure will be provided. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figs. 1 and 2 show the component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The component mounting apparatus 1 is an apparatus that repeatedly performs a component mounting operation of mounting components BH onto a board KB carried in from an upstream process and carrying the board out to a downstream process.

[0013] 1 and 2, the component mounting device 1 has a board transport unit 12 on a base 11. The board transport unit 12 is composed of a pair of conveyors that transport the board KB horizontally. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the direction in which the board KB is transported by the board transport unit 12 (left-right direction as seen from the worker OP) is referred to as the X direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction (front-rear direction as seen from the worker OP) is referred to as the Y direction, and the up-down direction is referred to as the Z direction. The flow direction of the board KB by the board transport unit 12 is referred to as the direction from left to right as seen from the worker OP (left to right on the paper in FIG. 2), with the left side as seen from the worker OP referred to as the upstream side and the right side as seen from the worker OP referred to as the downstream side. In the front-rear direction, the side closer to the worker OP is referred to as the front, and the side farther from the worker OP is referred to as the rear.

[0014] 2, a plurality of tape feeders 13T are attached to each of the front and rear regions on the upstream side of base 11 and the front and rear regions on the downstream side. The plurality of tape feeders 13T in each of the front and rear regions on the upstream side of base 11 constitute an upstream component supply section 13P, and the plurality of tape feeders 13T in each of the front and rear regions on the downstream side of base 11 constitute a downstream component supply section 13Q. Each tape feeder 13T has a shape that extends in the Y direction as a whole, and has a supply port (component supply port 13K) for components BH at the end on the central side of base 11 (the side closer to board transport section 12).

[0015] 1 and 2, two head movement mechanisms 14 are provided on base 11. The two head movement mechanisms 14 are arranged side by side in the X direction, i.e., in the direction in which substrate KB is transported by substrate transport unit 12. Of the two head movement mechanisms 14, the one located upstream (on the left side of the paper in FIG. 2) is referred to as the "upstream head movement mechanism 14P," and the one located downstream is referred to as the "downstream head movement mechanism 14Q."

[0016] 1 and 2, the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q each include a fixed beam 21 fixed to the base 11 and a movable beam 22 that is movable relative to the fixed beam 21. The fixed beam 21 of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P is disposed at the left end of the base 11, and the fixed beam 21 of the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q is disposed at the right end of the base 11. Each of these fixed beams 21 extends in the Y direction across the substrate transport unit 12, and both ends thereof are fixed onto the base 11 (i.e., they are immovable relative to the base 11).

[0017] 1 and 2, the movable beam 22 extends in the X direction, and one of its two end portions in the X direction is slidably attached to the fixed beam 21. In detail, the upstream end of the movable beam 22 of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P is attached to the fixed beam 21, and the downstream end of the movable beam 22 of the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q is attached to the fixed beam 21. Each of the two movable beams 22 is movable in the Y direction along (guided by) the fixed beam 21, and moves in the Y direction while maintaining an orientation extending in the X direction.

[0018] 1 and 2, in each of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q, a Y-direction drive unit 23 is provided between the fixed beam 21 and the movable beam 22, and an X-direction drive unit 24 is provided between the movable beam 22 and the mounting head 15. The movable beam 22 moves in the Y direction relative to the fixed beam 21 by operation of the Y-direction drive unit 23, and the mounting head 15 moves in the X direction relative to the movable beam 22 by operation of the X-direction drive unit 24.

[0019] As described above, in this embodiment, the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q each include a fixed beam 21 as a fixed part extending in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate KB by the substrate transport unit 12, and a movable beam 22 as a movable part extending in the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate KB and guided by the fixed beam 21 to move in the extension direction (Y direction) of the fixed beam 21.

[0020] 1 and 2, each of the two head moving mechanisms 14 is provided with a mounting head 15. Of these two mounting heads 15, the upstream head 15P provided in the upstream head moving mechanism 14P is attached to a movable beam 22 of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and is guided by the movable beam 22 to be movable along the X-axis. The upstream head 15P is movable within a horizontal plane (XY plane) above the base 11 by movement of the movable beam 22 along the Y-axis relative to the fixed beam 21 of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and movement of the upstream head 15P itself along the X-axis relative to the movable beam 22.

[0021] Of the two mounting heads 15, the downstream head 15Q provided in the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q is attached to a movable beam 22 of the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q and is movable in the X direction while being guided by the movable beam 22. The downstream head 15Q is movable within a horizontal plane (XY plane) above the base 11 by the movement of the movable beam 22 along the Y axis relative to the fixed beam 21 of the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q and the movement of the downstream head 15Q itself along the X axis relative to the movable beam 22.

[0022] In this way, the component mounting device 1 in this embodiment is a two-head type component mounting device equipped with two mounting heads 15 that are moved by two head moving mechanisms 14 arranged side by side in the transport direction of the substrate KB.

[0023] As described above, each of the two mounting heads 15 is freely movable in the horizontal plane above the base 11, but the range of movement of each of the two mounting heads 15 is limited within a certain range by the mechanical limitations of the head movement mechanism 14 that moves that mounting head 15. Specifically, the range of movement of each mounting head 15 is limited to a rectangular area determined by the movable area of ​​the movable beam 22 relative to the fixed beam 21 of the head movement mechanism 14 to which that mounting head 15 is attached, and the movable area of ​​the mounting head 15 itself relative to the movable beam 22.

[0024] 3 is a plan view of the substrate transport unit 12, showing the upstream region, downstream region, and intermediate region on the substrate KB positioned by the substrate transport unit provided in the component mounting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the area in which the upstream head 15P can move is referred to as the "upstream movable area RP," and the area in which the downstream head 15Q can move is referred to as the "downstream movable area RQ" (FIGS. 2 and 3). The upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ do not overlap, and therefore, even if the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q move independently of each other, the mounting heads 15 do not interfere with each other, and the movable beams 22 do not interfere with each other.

[0025] As described above, in this embodiment, the upstream head 15P moved by the upstream head moving mechanism 14P provided on the upstream side in the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate KB can move only in the upstream movable area RP located on the upstream side in the transport direction of the substrate KB on the base 11. Furthermore, the downstream head 15Q moved by the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate KB can move only in the downstream movable area RQ located on the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate KB on the base 11.

[0026] 1, each of the two mounting heads 15 (upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q) has multiple nozzles 16. Each nozzle 16 extends downward from the mounting head 15 and is capable of moving up and down relative to the mounting head 15 and rotating about the Z axis (axis along the Z direction). A vacuum suction force can be generated at the bottom end of each nozzle 16.

[0027] 2, the upstream movable area RP includes the component supply ports 13K of the tape feeders 13T that constitute each of the two upstream component supply units 13P, one at the front and one at the rear. This allows the upstream head 15P to pick up components BH supplied by the tape feeders 13T of the upstream component supply unit 13P by suction with the nozzles 16. Furthermore, the downstream movable area RQ includes the component supply ports 13K of the tape feeders 13T that constitute each of the two downstream component supply units 13Q, one at the front and one at the rear. This allows the downstream head 15Q to pick up components BH supplied by the tape feeders 13T of the downstream component supply unit 13Q by suction with the nozzles 16.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the component mounting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows the control system of the component mounting device 1. The control device 30 included in the component mounting device 1 controls the following operations: conveyance of the board KB by the board conveyance unit 12; supply of the components BH by each tape feeder 13T constituting the upstream component supply unit 13P; supply of the components BH by each tape feeder 13T constituting the downstream component supply unit 13Q; movement of the upstream head 15P by the upstream head moving mechanism 14P (Y-direction drive unit 23 and X-direction drive unit 24); and movement of the downstream head 15Q by the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q (Y-direction drive unit 23 and X-direction drive unit 24). The control device 30 also controls the lifting and rotation of each nozzle 16 in each of the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q, and the generation of vacuum suction at the bottom of each nozzle 16.

[0029] As described above, in the component mounting device 1 of this embodiment, the upstream head 15P can be moved to the upstream movable area RP, and the downstream head 15Q can be moved to the downstream movable area RQ. Therefore, components BH can be mounted in the area of ​​the substrate KB positioned by the substrate transport unit 12 corresponding to the upstream movable area RP (hereinafter referred to as the "upstream area R1") and the area corresponding to the downstream movable area RQ (hereinafter referred to as the "downstream area R2"). However, neither the upstream head 15P nor the downstream head 15Q can be moved in the area between the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ. Therefore, the area between the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ is a component-mounting-disabled area RS where neither the upstream head 15P nor the downstream head 15Q can mount components BH on the substrate KB (FIG. 3). The area on the substrate KB corresponding to this component-mounting-disabled area RS, i.e., the intermediate area R3 between the upstream area R1 and the downstream area R2, is an area where components BH cannot be mounted when the substrate KB is positioned at that position.

[0030] When a component mounting operation is performed to mount components on a board KB using the component mounting device 1 configured as described above, the board KB is first transported by the board transport unit 12 and positioned at a position spanning the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ (hereinafter referred to as the "first position"). Then, after the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q mount components BH on the board KB positioned at the first position, the board KB is moved by the board transport unit 12 and positioned at a position where the intermediate region R3, which had been located between the upstream region R1 and the downstream region R2 on the board KB, is within the downstream movable area RQ (hereinafter referred to as the "second position"), and mounting of the components BH on the board KB continues.

[0031] That is, the procedure for component mounting work (component mounting method) performed by the component mounting device 1 in this embodiment includes a step of positioning the substrate KB at a first position spanning the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ by the substrate transport unit 12 (first substrate positioning step), a step of mounting components BH on the substrate KB positioned at the first position by the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q (first component mounting step), a step of positioning the substrate KB at a second position after the first component mounting step where the area on the substrate KB located between the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ (intermediate area R3) falls within the downstream movable area RQ (second substrate positioning step), and a step of mounting components BH on the substrate KB positioned at the second position by the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q (second component mounting step).

[0032] Here, a first example of specific operations in the procedure for the component mounting operation will be described. FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c) are diagrams illustrating a first example of the procedure for the component mounting operation performed by the component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c) are diagrams illustrating a first example of the procedure for the component mounting operation performed by the component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the first example, first, the substrate transport unit 12 carries in the substrate KB sent from the upstream process (arrow A shown in FIG. 5(a)), and positions the substrate KB at a first position that straddles the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ (first substrate positioning step in FIG. 5(a)).

[0033] Once the substrate KB is positioned at the first position, the control device 30 moves the two mounting heads 15 (upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q) independently to mount components BH in the upstream region R1 and downstream region R2 on the substrate KB (FIG. 5(b); first component mounting process). Specifically, the control device 30 causes the upstream head 15P to mount components BH in the upstream region R1 of the substrate KB, and causes the downstream head 15Q to mount components BH in the downstream region R2.

[0034] Here, the control device 30 controls the upstream head 15P to place components BH intensively in an area of ​​the upstream region R1 adjacent to the upstream side of the intermediate region R3 (referred to as the "adjacent region R1a"; the remaining area is referred to as the "main region R1b"). The dimension of the adjacent region R1a in the X direction is set to be larger than the dimension of the intermediate region R3 in the X direction.

[0035] When the control device 30 causes the upstream head 15P to perform the mounting operation of the component BH, the control device 30 causes the upstream head 15P to move back and forth between the tape feeder 13T of the upstream component supply unit 13P and the upstream region R1 of the board KB using the upstream head moving mechanism 14P, and causes the upstream head 15P to adsorb the component BH supplied by the tape feeder 13T onto the nozzle 16, and to release the adsorption of the component BH at a predetermined target mounting position set within the upstream region R1.

[0036] Furthermore, when the control device 30 causes the downstream head 15Q to perform the mounting operation of the component BH, the control device 30 causes the downstream head 15Q to move back and forth between the tape feeder 13T of the downstream component supply section 13Q and the downstream region R2 of the board KB using the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q, and causes the downstream head 15Q to perform the operation of adsorbing the component BH supplied by the tape feeder 13T onto the nozzle 16, and the operation of releasing the adsorption of the component BH at a predetermined target mounting position set within the downstream region R2.

[0037] In the first component mounting process, once all components BH to be mounted in the adjacent region R1a by the upstream head 15P have been mounted (FIG. 5(c)), the control device 30 stops the operation of the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q. Then, the substrate KB is moved downstream by the substrate transport unit 12 (arrow B shown in FIG. 6(a)), and the intermediate region R3 on the substrate KB is positioned at a second position within the downstream movable area RQ (FIG. 6(a); second substrate positioning process). Note that with the substrate KB positioned at the second position in this manner, the adjacent region R1a, where the mounting of components BH has already been completed in the first component mounting process, falls within the component mountable area RS.

[0038] Once the board KB has been positioned at the second position, the control device 30 causes the upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q to place components BH on the board KB (FIG. 6(b) - second component mounting process). At this time, the upstream head 15P places components BH in the main region R1b of the upstream region R1 on the board KB, and the downstream head 15Q places components BH in the downstream region R2 and intermediate region R3 on the board KB. If all of the mounting operations for components BH to be placed in the downstream region R2 have already been completed in the first component mounting process, the downstream head 15Q places components BH only in the intermediate region R3.

[0039] Through the second component mounting process, all components BH to be mounted in the upstream region R1 on the substrate KB are mounted, and all components BH to be mounted in the downstream region R2 and intermediate region R3 on the substrate KB are mounted. After this, the control device 30 causes the substrate transport unit 12 to move the substrate KB downstream (arrow C shown in FIG. 6(c)), and unloads the substrate KB from the component mounting device 1 (FIG. 6(c) substrate unloading process). This completes the component mounting work for one substrate KB.

[0040] Next, a second example of the specific operation of the above-mentioned component mounting procedure (component mounting method) will be described. FIGS. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) are diagrams illustrating a second example of the component mounting procedure performed by component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 8(a), 8(b), and 8(c) are diagrams illustrating a second example of the component mounting procedure performed by component mounting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the second example, first, substrate transport unit 12 carries in substrate KB sent from an upstream process (arrow A shown in FIG. 7(a)), and positions substrate KB at a first position that straddles upstream movable area RP and downstream movable area RQ (FIG. 7(a), first substrate positioning process).

[0041] Once the substrate KB has been positioned at the first position, the control device 30 moves the two mounting heads 15 (upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q) independently to mount components BH over the entire upstream region R1 and the entire downstream region R2 on the substrate KB (FIG. 7(b); first component mounting process). Specifically, the control device 30 causes the upstream head 15P to mount components BH over the upstream region R1 of the substrate KB, and causes the downstream head 15Q to mount components BH over the downstream region R2.

[0042] In the first component mounting process, once all components BH to be mounted in the upstream region R1 and downstream region R2 have been mounted (FIG. 7(c)), control device 30 stops the operation of upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q. Then, substrate transport unit 12 moves substrate KB downstream (arrow B in FIG. 8(a)), and substrate KB is positioned at a second position where intermediate region R3 on substrate KB is within downstream movable area RQ (FIG. 8(a); second substrate positioning process). Note that with substrate KB positioned at this second position, a portion of upstream region R1, where components BH have already been mounted in the first component mounting process, falls within component-mounting-prohibited area RS.

[0043] Once the board KB is positioned at the second position, the control device 30 causes the downstream head 15Q to mount components BH on the board KB (Figure 8(b) - second component mounting process). At this time, the downstream head 15Q mounts components BH only in the intermediate region R3. If there are no components BH to be mounted in the intermediate region R3 when the first component mounting process is completed, the second board positioning process and the second component mounting process are unnecessary.

[0044] When all of the components BH to be mounted in the intermediate region R3 on the board KB have been mounted in the second component mounting process, the control device 30 causes the board transport unit 12 to move the board KB downstream (arrow C shown in FIG. 8(c)), and unloads the board KB from the component mounting device 1 (FIG. 8(c) board unloading process). This completes the component mounting work for one board KB.

[0045] As described above, in the component mounting device 1 (component mounting method) of this embodiment, the substrate KB is positioned at a first position determined as a position straddling the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ, and components BH are mounted on the substrate KB. After that, the substrate KB is moved to a second position and the components BH are further mounted on the substrate KB. In the component mounting device 1 of this embodiment, when components BH are to be mounted in an area on the substrate KB positioned by the substrate transport unit 12, which corresponds to the component mountable area RS where neither the upstream head 15P nor the downstream head 15Q can move (intermediate area R3), the substrate KB is moved instead of moving the head moving mechanism 14 as in the conventional case, which simplifies the configuration and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0046] In the component mounting device 1 (component mounting method) of this embodiment, as described above, the upstream movable area RP, which is the movable area of ​​the upstream head 15P by the upstream head moving mechanism 14P, and the downstream movable area RQ, which is the movable area of ​​the downstream head 15Q by the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q, do not overlap, and even if the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q move independently of each other, there is no interference between the mounting heads 15 and the movable beams 22. Therefore, the two mounting heads 15 (upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q) can be moved freely to mount components BH independently of the operation of the other mounting head 15. Therefore, in a situation where two mounting heads 15 can simultaneously perform the mounting operation of components BH, the two mounting heads 15 can be operated in parallel to simultaneously mount components BH in two areas on the board KB (multiple components BH picked up by upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q are simultaneously mounted in parallel on one board KB positioned by board transport unit 12), thereby shortening the time required for component mounting work per board KB. Also, because the two mounting heads 15 can be moved independently of each other, the program controlling the operation of the two mounting heads 15 can also be simplified.

[0047] Furthermore, in the first example described above, it is preferable that the positioning positions (first position and second position) of the substrate KB by the substrate transport unit 12 and the order in which the two mounting heads 15 (upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q) mount components BH on the substrate KB be determined so that the total time required for the upstream head 15P to mount components BH on the substrate KB is approximately the same as the total time required for the downstream head 15Q to mount components BH on the substrate KB. As a result, when the two mounting heads 15 start their mounting operations simultaneously and in parallel at the same start time, the two mounting heads 15 will finish their mounting operations at approximately the same time, further increasing the time-saving effect achieved by the simultaneous and parallel mounting operations of the two mounting heads 15.

[0048] Furthermore, in the first and second board positioning steps, the upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q are preferably configured to start picking up components BH supplied by the component supply units (upstream component supply unit 13P and downstream component supply unit 13Q) before the board KB is positioned in the predetermined position by the board transport unit 12. This allows the mounting head 15 to have already finished picking up the components BH by the time the board KB is positioned. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the time until the board KB is positioned in the predetermined position by the board transport unit 12, thereby shortening the time required to mount components BH per board KB.

[0049] In the component mounting device 1 of this embodiment, the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and downstream head moving mechanism 14Q, which are aligned in the transport direction of the substrate KB, are configured so that the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ do not overlap, and various modifications are possible.

[0050] FIG. 9(a) is a plan view of a portion of a first modified example of a component mounting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the component mounting device 1A of the first modified example shown in FIG. 9(a) includes, in addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment (referred to as the basic embodiment), another fixed beam 21 extending in the Y direction is provided at the center of the base 11 in the X direction. In each of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q, both ends of the movable beam 22 are supported by the pair of fixed beams 21. In this first modified example, a Y-direction driving unit 23, which is a driving mechanism for the movable beam 22 relative to the fixed beam 21, is not provided between the added fixed beam 21 and the end of the movable beam 22. Therefore, the added fixed beam 21 functions only as a movement guide for the end of the movable beam 22.

[0051] 9(b) is a plan view of a portion of a second modified example of the component mounting device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the component mounting device 1B of the second modified example shown in FIG. 9(b), the fixed beams 21 of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q are disposed on the central side in the X direction of the base 11. A Y-direction driving unit 23 is provided between the fixed beam 21 and the end of the movable beam 22.

[0052] FIG. 10(a) is a plan view of a portion of a third modified example of the component mounting apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The component mounting apparatus 1C of the third modified example shown in FIG. 10(a) is based on the second modified example shown in FIG. 9(b), and adds another fixed beam 21 extending in the Y direction to the outer end of the base 11 in the X direction (the left end of the base 11 in the upstream head moving mechanism 14P, and the right end of the base 11 in the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q). In this third modified example, both ends of the movable beam 22 in each of the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q are supported by a pair of fixed beams 21. In this third modified example, no Y-direction driver 23 is provided between the added fixed beam 21 and the end of the movable beam 22. Therefore, the added fixed beam 21 functions only as a movement guide for the end of the movable beam 22.

[0053] Fig. 10(b) is a plan view of a portion of a fourth modified example of the component mounting device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The component mounting device 1D of the fourth modified example shown in Fig. 10(b) is based on the component mounting device 1A of the first modified example shown in Fig. 9(a) or the component mounting device 1C of the third modified example shown in Fig. 10(a), and has a Y-direction driving unit 23 provided between the ends of the added fixed beam 21 and movable beam 22. In this component mounting device 1D of the fourth modified example, each of the two movable beams 22 receives a driving force from both ends thereof to move in the Y direction.

[0054] The component mounting apparatuses 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D in the above four modified examples also provide the same effects as the component mounting apparatus 1 according to the basic embodiment described above, but unlike the component mounting apparatuses 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D in the modified examples, the component mounting apparatus 1 according to the basic embodiment does not have the fixed beam 21 located in the center of the X direction of the base 11. For this reason, it can be said that the component mounting apparatus 1 according to the basic embodiment is the most advantageous in terms of making it easier for the operator OP to observe the operation of the two mounting heads 15 (the operation of mounting components BH on the board KB) and to perform maintenance work on the mounting heads 15.

[0055] In the component mounting device 1 of the present embodiment, the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q, which are aligned in the transport direction of the substrate KB, each include a fixed beam 21 and a movable beam 22. However, they may each include only a fixed portion provided with a drive unit that moves the mounting head 15 along the X-axis and the Y-axis. For example, the upstream head moving mechanism 14P and the downstream head moving mechanism 14Q may each include only a fixed portion provided with a known planar linear motor. In this case, the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q may each include a movable portion, and the movable portion may receive driving forces from the drive unit along the X-axis and the Y-axis, thereby moving the upstream head 15P and the downstream head 15Q along the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively.

[0056] As explained above, in the component mounting device 1 (component mounting method) of this embodiment, the substrate KB is positioned at a first position determined as a position straddling the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ, and components BH are mounted on the substrate KB. Then, the substrate KB is moved to a second position and the components BH are mounted on the substrate KB. In the component mounting device 1 of this embodiment, when components BH are to be mounted in an area on the substrate KB positioned by the substrate transport unit 12, which corresponds to the component mountable area RS where neither the upstream head 15P nor the downstream head 15Q can be moved (intermediate area R3), the substrate KB is moved instead of moving the head moving mechanism 14 as in the conventional method, which simplifies the configuration and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0057] While the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, after the first component mounting process, in which the board KB is positioned at a first position, is completed, the board KB is moved and positioned so that the intermediate region R3 enters the downstream movable area RQ. However, the board KB may be moved and positioned so that the intermediate region R3 enters the upstream movable area RP. That is, it is only necessary that the board transport unit 12 positions the board KB at a first position spanning the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ, and then moves and positions the board KB to a second position where the region on the board KB located between the upstream movable area RP and the downstream movable area RQ (the intermediate region R3) is within the downstream movable area RQ or the upstream movable area RP.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, two mounting heads 15 (upstream head 15P and downstream head 15Q) simultaneously and in parallel mount components BH onto a board KB positioned by the board transport unit 12, but this simultaneous and parallel mounting of components BH is not an essential requirement for achieving the effects of the present disclosure. In other words, even if the two mounting heads 15 are in a situation where they can simultaneously mount components BH, they do not necessarily have to perform the mounting operation of components BH simultaneously and in parallel, and the mounting operation of components BH may be performed alternately or sequentially.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, the board transport unit 12 is configured with one set of conveyors (a pair of conveyors), but it may be configured with multiple sets of conveyors. In this case, in the first board positioning step and the second board positioning step, the board KB is positioned at the first position and the second position by these multiple sets of conveyors, respectively.

[0060] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the various embodiments described above may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] The present disclosure provides a component mounting device and a component mounting method that can simplify the configuration and reduce manufacturing costs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D Component placement equipment 11 Foundation 12 Substrate transport section 13P Upstream parts supply unit (parts supply unit) 13Q Downstream parts supply section (parts supply section) 14P Upstream head movement mechanism 14Q Downstream head movement mechanism 15P upstream head 15Q downstream head 21 Fixed beam (fixed part) 22 Movable beam (movable part) 23 Y-direction drive unit 24 X-direction drive unit R1 upstream region R2 downstream area R3 intermediate area RP upstream movable area RQ downstream movable area RS parts unmountable area BH parts KB board

Claims

1. a substrate transport unit that transports and positions the substrate; an upstream head moving mechanism and a downstream head moving mechanism arranged side by side in a transport direction of the substrate by the substrate transport unit; an upstream head that is moved by the upstream head moving mechanism and that places components on the substrate positioned by the substrate transport unit; a downstream head that is moved by the downstream head moving mechanism and that places components on the substrate positioned by the substrate transport unit; Equipped with an upstream movable area, which is an area where the upstream head can be moved by the upstream head moving mechanism, and a downstream movable area, which is an area where the downstream head can be moved by the downstream head moving mechanism, do not overlap; the substrate transport unit positions the substrate at a first position spanning the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area, and then moves and positions the substrate at a second position where an area on the substrate located between the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area is within the downstream movable area or the upstream movable area; the upstream head and the downstream head mount components onto the substrate positioned at the first position, and then mount components onto the substrate positioned at the second position; Parts mounting device.

2. the upstream head and the downstream head simultaneously and in parallel mount a plurality of components that are respectively sucked by the upstream head and the downstream head onto one of the substrates that has been positioned by the substrate transport unit; The component mounting device according to claim 1 .

3. a positioning position of the substrate by the substrate transport unit and an order of component mounting on the substrate by the upstream head and the downstream head are determined so that a total time required for the upstream head to mount components on the substrate is approximately the same as a total time required for the downstream head to mount components on the substrate. The component mounting device according to claim 1 .

4. a component supply unit that supplies components to the upstream head and the downstream head, and the upstream head and the downstream head each start picking up the components supplied by the component supply unit before the substrate is positioned at the first position or the second position by the substrate transport unit; The component mounting device according to claim 1 .

5. the upstream head moving mechanism and the downstream head moving mechanism each include a fixed part extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the substrate by the substrate transport unit, and a movable part extending in the transport direction of the substrate and guided by the fixed part to move in the direction in which the fixed part extends, the fixed part of the upstream head moving mechanism and the fixed part of the downstream head moving mechanism are both fixed to a base on which the substrate transport unit is provided, the upstream head is guided by the movable part of the upstream head moving mechanism and is movable in the transport direction of the substrate, and the downstream head is guided by the movable part of the downstream head moving mechanism and is movable in the transport direction of the substrate. The component mounting device according to claim 1 .

6. a substrate transport unit that transports and positions a substrate; an upstream head moving mechanism and a downstream head moving mechanism that are arranged side by side in a transport direction of the substrate by the substrate transport unit; an upstream head that is moved by the upstream head moving mechanism and mounts components on the substrate that has been positioned by the substrate transport unit; and a downstream head that is moved by the downstream head moving mechanism and mounts components on the substrate that has been positioned by the substrate transport unit, wherein an upstream movable area that is an area in which the upstream head is movable by the upstream head moving mechanism and a downstream movable area that is an area in which the downstream head is movable by the downstream head moving mechanism do not overlap, a first substrate positioning step of positioning the substrate at a first position spanning the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area by the substrate transport unit; a first component mounting step of mounting components onto the substrate positioned at the first position by the upstream head and the downstream head; a second substrate positioning step of positioning the substrate at a second position where an area on the substrate located between the upstream movable area and the downstream movable area is within the downstream movable area or the upstream movable area after the first component mounting step; a second component mounting step of mounting components onto the substrate positioned at the second position by the upstream head and the downstream head; having Parts mounting method.

7. the upstream head and the downstream head simultaneously and in parallel mount a plurality of components that are respectively sucked by the upstream head and the downstream head onto one of the substrates that has been positioned by the substrate transport unit; 7. The component mounting method according to claim 6.

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