Maintenance support system, maintenance support method, and maintenance support program

Abstract

To provide a maintenance support system, a maintenance support method and a maintenance support program capable of improving production efficiency by avoiding production stop due to maintenance.SOLUTION: The maintenance support method for the facility elements includes a monitoring step (ST2) of monitoring a state of the facility elements, a maintenance timing determination step (ST3) of determining a timing of maintenance of the facility elements based on a monitoring result, and a set-up plan creation step (ST8) of creating a set-up plan for changing the facility elements attached to the production facility based on current arrangement information of the facility elements and arrangement information for producing a new product. In the set-up plan creation process (ST8), the facility elements attached to the production facility can also be used for the production of the new product, but in a case where the maintenance timing is reached during the production of the new product, a set-up plan for replacing the facility elements with other facility elements is created.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a maintenance support system, a maintenance support method, and a maintenance support program that support the maintenance of equipment elements attached to production equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Production equipment, such as component mounting equipment, that produces products such as mounted boards is equipped with replaceable equipment elements, such as tape feeders or nozzles, depending on the type of product being produced. These equipment elements undergo maintenance at predetermined intervals determined by factors such as the period of use or the number of times they have been used. In factories equipped with multiple production facilities, the number of equipment elements used in production is enormous, and the maintenance intervals for each equipment element vary. Therefore, systems that support the maintenance of equipment elements have been proposed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a replacement assistance device that, when changing the product being produced, indicates as replacement targets those components that will not reach their maintenance deadline by the time the next production is completed. By having an operator change the component of the production equipment to the indicated component, it is possible to prevent maintenance stoppages during production or stoppages due to the occurrence of errors, thereby improving production efficiency. Furthermore, by repeatedly replacing components in this way, the maintenance deadlines for multiple components approach, allowing maintenance of multiple components to be performed in a concentrated manner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-37886 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The system described in Patent Document 1 can improve the efficiency of maintenance work by centralizing maintenance of multiple components. However, if the number of components requiring maintenance exceeds the number of resources available for maintenance work, there is a problem that the maintenance work cannot be completed in time and production is halted, leaving room for further improvement.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a maintenance support system, a maintenance support method, and a maintenance support program that can improve production efficiency by avoiding production stoppages due to maintenance.

[0007] The maintenance support system of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires monitoring results of the status of equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces a product and placement information that is information that associates the address of the production equipment with the equipment elements attached to that address, the placement information for producing the new product; a maintenance timing determination unit that determines the timing of maintenance of the equipment elements based on the monitoring results; and a setup plan creation unit that creates a setup plan for setup work based on the placement information for producing the new product and the maintenance timing determined by the maintenance timing determination unit.

[0008] The maintenance support method disclosed herein includes a monitoring step of monitoring the status of equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces a product, a maintenance timing determination step of determining the timing of maintenance for the equipment elements based on the monitoring results of the monitoring step, and a setup plan creation step of creating a setup plan for setup work based on layout information that associates the addresses of the production equipment with the equipment elements attached to those addresses, the layout information being for producing a new product, and the timing of maintenance determined by the maintenance timing determination step.

[0009] The maintenance support program disclosed herein is a maintenance support program executed by a computer, which acquires monitoring results of the status of equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces a product, and placement information that associates the address of the production equipment with the equipment elements attached to that address, and acquires the placement information for producing a new product, determines the timing of maintenance of the equipment elements based on the monitoring results, and creates a setup plan for setup work based on the placement information for producing the new product and the timing of maintenance determined based on the monitoring results.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, production stoppages due to maintenance can be avoided, thereby improving production efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a component mounting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a component mounting device included in a component mounting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the component mounting system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a production plan and a maintenance timing of a tape feeder in a component mounting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram of placement information used in a component mounting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram of placement information used in the component mounting system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is an explanatory diagram of placement information used in the component mounting system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a setup plan used in a component mounting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a maintenance support method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The configurations, shapes, etc. described below are examples for explanation purposes and can be modified as appropriate depending on the specifications of the component mounting system, management computer, plan creation device, component management device, and component mounting line. Corresponding elements in all drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals below, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In FIG. 2 and some of the following descriptions, two axes perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane are shown: an X-axis in the board transport direction (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2 ), and a Y-axis perpendicular to the board transport direction (a left-right direction in FIG. 2 ). In FIG. 2 and some of the following descriptions, a Z-axis (a vertical direction in FIG. 2 ) is shown as a height direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0013] First, the configuration of a component mounting system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a component mounting system 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0014] Component mounting system 1 has the function of producing mounted boards (products) by mounting components on boards, and the function of managing and maintaining the materials used in producing mounted boards. Component mounting system 1 is mainly composed of a management computer 2, a plan creation device 3, a material management area 4, and a component mounting line 5, which are interconnected via a communications network 6. Management computer 2 manages the production of mounted boards and creates various information used in production by production equipment. Plan creation device 3 acquires board information, component information, and the status of equipment elements for mounted boards produced in component mounting system 1, and creates production plans and setup plans for mounted boards.

[0015] The component management area 4 is equipped with a component management device 7 connected to the communication network 6, a maintenance work device 8 connected to the component management device 7, and a component warehouse 9. The component warehouse 9 stores components not being used in the current production of mounted boards, components awaiting maintenance work, and the like. The component management device 7 manages the location and status of components held by the component mounting system 1, such as components used in the production of mounted boards in the component mounting system 1 and components stored in the component warehouse 9, as well as the number of times they have been used. The maintenance work device 8 performs maintenance work on components such as nozzles, tape feeders, mounting heads, and screen masks, which will be described later. The maintenance work device 8 may be connected to the component management device 7 via the communication network 6.

[0016] In FIG. 1, component mounting line 5 includes line management device 10, printing device M1, and component mounting devices M2 and M3, each connected to management computer 2 via communication network 6. Printing device M1 performs solder printing work by printing a paste such as cream solder onto a board carried in from upstream by a printing work unit through a screen mask having openings corresponding to the electrodes formed on the board. The screen mask is created according to the type of mounted board (board type) to be produced and is attached to printing device M1 according to the mounted board produced on component mounting line 5. In other words, printing device M1, which prints paste onto a board through a mask (screen mask) having predetermined openings, is production equipment that produces mounted boards (products). The mask is an equipment element (component) attached to the production equipment.

[0017] Component mounting devices M2 and M3 produce mounted boards by performing component mounting work in which a component mounting work unit mounts components on a board on which paste has been printed by printing device M1. Line management device 10 manages the work between each device on component mounting line 5, and collects information such as the usage status of components used in printing device M1 and component mounting devices M2 and M3, and the number of errors.

[0018] The component mounting line 5 may further include inspection machines that inspect the printing state and component mounting state before and after the printing device M1 and the component mounting devices M2 and M3, and the line management device 10 may collect errors based on the inspection results of the inspection machines. The component mounting line 5 does not need to include two component mounting devices M2 and M3, and may include one or three or more.

[0019] Furthermore, the component mounting system 1 does not need to be equipped with a single component mounting line 5, and the component mounting system 1 may be configured to be equipped with multiple component mounting lines 5. When the component mounting system 1 is equipped with multiple component mounting lines 5, a line management device 10 may be provided for each component mounting line 5, or one line management device 10 common to the multiple component mounting lines 5 may be provided. In other words, the information collected by the line management device 10 may be stored in association with information identifying each device on each component mounting line 5.

[0020] 1, workers performing various tasks in the component management area 4, component mounting line 5, etc. carry mobile terminals 11. The mobile terminals 11 are equipped with a terminal-side communication unit 12 that wirelessly communicates with the management computer 2 and the component management device 7 to send and receive information, and a touch panel 13 that has display and input functions. The mobile terminal 11 displays the various pieces of information it receives and displays them on the touch panel 13. The mobile terminal 11 also transmits the various pieces of information input from the touch panel 13 to the management computer 2 and the component management device 7.

[0021] Next, the configuration of component mounting apparatuses M2 and M3 that mount components on a board will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of component mounting apparatuses M2 and M3 provided in component mounting system 1 of the present embodiment.

[0022] A board transport mechanism 15 is arranged along the X axis above the base 14. The board transport mechanism 15 transports the board P carried in from the upstream printing device M1 and positions it at a position for performing component mounting work. The board transport mechanism 15 also carries the board P downstream after component mounting work has been completed.

[0023] A support pin holding plate 15a with support pins 15b attached to its upper surface is disposed below the substrate P positioned in the substrate transport mechanism 15. By raising the support pin holding plate 15a using the support pin lifting drive unit 15c, the support pins 15b come into contact with the underside of the substrate P and hold the substrate P from below. The support pins 15b are configured to be detachable from the support pin holding plate 15a. The arrangement and number of the support pins 15b are changed depending on the mounted substrate to be produced.

[0024] 2, a component supply unit 16 is disposed to the side of the board transport mechanism 15 in the Y-axis direction. A plurality of detachable tape feeders 17 are attached to the component supply unit 16 in parallel along the X-axis. The tape feeders 17 feed the carrier tape 18 storing the components D at intervals in the tape feed direction, thereby supplying the components D to a component pick-up position by a mounting head, which will be described below. The carrier tape 18 is wound around a reel R and held by the component supply unit 16.

[0025] Each tape feeder 17 is assigned a feeder number that identifies it. A unique address is assigned to each position in component supply unit 16 where tape feeders 17 are attached. Tape feeders 17 attached to component mounting devices M2, M3 are identified and managed by the address and feeder number in component supply unit 16. When changing the type of mounted board (board type) produced on component mounting line 5, a setup operation is performed in which an operator changes the tape feeder 17 to be attached to component supply unit 16 and the carrier tape 18 to be attached to tape feeder 17 based on the placement information.

[0026] 2, above base 14 are arranged mounting head 19 and head moving mechanism 20 for moving removably attached mounting head 19 in horizontal directions (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction). Mounting head 19 is equipped with a plurality of suction units 19a, and a nozzle 19b for suctioning and holding a component D is removably attached to the bottom end of each suction unit 19a. Suction units 19a raise and lower nozzles 19b up and down along the Z-axis. Mounting head 19 picks up component D supplied to the component pick-up position of tape feeder 17 by nozzle 19b, and mounts component D at a mounting position on board P positioned by board transport mechanism 15.

[0027] Components such as support pins 15b, nozzles 19b, mounting heads 19, and tape feeders 17 (component supply devices) are selected as appropriate depending on the type of component D to be mounted on board P, the spacing between adjacent components D, the mounting accuracy, etc., and are attached to component mounting devices M2 and M3 for use. During setup work, workers replace or change the placement of support pins 15b, nozzles 19b, mounting heads 19, and tape feeders 17 based on the placement information.

[0028] When component mounting devices M2 and M3 repeatedly mount components D on board P, various errors occur, such as a supply error where tape feeder 17 cannot normally supply component D to the component removal position, a suction error where nozzle 19b cannot normally pick up component D, and a mounting error where component D is not normally mounted on the mounting position on board P. These various errors that occur during mounting work are collected as appropriate by line information collection unit 51a (see FIG. 3) provided in line management device 10, and stored as production status information 52a (see FIG. 3).

[0029] In this way, component mounting devices M2 and M3, which pick up components D supplied from tape feeder 17 (component supply device) using nozzles 19b attached to mounting head 19 and mount them on board P whose underside is supported by support pins 15b, are production equipment that produces products (mounted boards). Tape feeder 17, mounting head 19, nozzles 19b, and support pins 15b are equipment elements (members) attached to the production equipment.

[0030] Next, with reference to Fig. 3, a description will be given of the configuration of the control system of the component mounting system 1, focusing on the function of supporting the maintenance of equipment elements (components) attached to the production equipment (printing device M1, component mounting devices M2, M3). Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the component mounting system 1 of this embodiment.

[0031] The management computer 2 includes a management processing unit 21, a management memory unit 22, an input unit 23, a display unit 24, a communication unit 25, and a wireless communication unit 26. The plan creation device 3 includes a plan processing unit 31, a plan memory unit 32, an input unit 33, a display unit 34, and a communication unit 35. The component management device 7 includes a component management processing unit 41, a component memory unit 42, an input unit 43, a display unit 44, a communication unit 45, and a wireless communication unit 46. The line management device 10 includes a line control unit 51, a line memory unit 52, and a communication unit 53.

[0032] The input units 23, 33, 43 are input devices such as a keyboard, touch panel, mouse, etc., and are used for inputting operation commands and data. The display units 24, 34, 44 are display devices such as liquid crystal panels, and display various screens such as operation screens for operations using the input units 23, 33, 43, as well as various types of information. The communication units 25, 35, 45, 53 are communication interfaces, and exchange signals, information, etc. with other devices via the communication network 6. The wireless communication units 26, 46 wirelessly communicate with the terminal-side communication unit 12 of the mobile terminal 11 to exchange various types of information.

[0033] 3, the line control unit 51 is a computing device equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) function and has internal processing units such as a line information collection unit 51a. The line storage unit 52 is a storage device that stores production status information 52a and the like. The line information collection unit 51a collects information such as the usage period, usage frequency, number of uses, and number of errors (suction errors, supply errors, mounting errors, etc.) of the equipment elements (nozzle 19b, tape feeder 17, mounting head 19, support pins 15b, screen mask, etc.) attached to the printing device M1 and component mounting devices M2 and M3, associates it with information identifying the equipment elements, and stores it in the line storage unit 52 as production status information 52a. In other words, the line information collection unit 51a is a monitoring unit that monitors the status of the equipment elements attached to the production equipment.

[0034] 3, the component management processing unit 41 is a computing device with a CPU function, and has internal processing units such as a setup instruction unit 41a. The component storage unit 42 is a storage device, and stores component information 42a, setup plans 42b, etc. The component information 42a includes information identifying each of the equipment elements mounted on the printing device M1 and component mounting devices M2 and M3, the equipment elements undergoing maintenance work in the maintenance work device 8, and the equipment elements stored in the component warehouse 9, such as type, period of use, frequency of use, number of uses, and the timing of the next maintenance (when scheduled maintenance is performed). It contains information such as the current location, time, etc.

[0035] The component information 42a is updated when the current position is changed during setup work. The component information 42a is also updated based on the usage period, usage frequency, and number of uses collected by the line information collection unit 51a. The component information 42a is also updated with information such as the next scheduled maintenance time when maintenance work is completed. In this way, the component information 42a includes the maintenance time (scheduled maintenance time) determined based on at least one of the usage period, usage frequency, and number of uses of the equipment element. The setup plan 42b is transferred to and stored in the setup plan creation unit 31d, which will be described later. The setup instruction unit 41a instructs the setup work, which will be described later, based on the setup plan 42b.

[0036] 3, management processing unit 21 is a computing device with CPU functionality and includes placement information creation unit 21a. Management storage unit 22 is a storage device and stores board information 22a, component information 22b, placement information 22c, etc. Plan processing unit 31 is a computing device with CPU functionality and includes information acquisition unit 31a, maintenance timing determination unit 31b, placement information change unit 31c, and setup plan creation unit 31d. Plan storage unit 32 is a storage device and stores production plan 32a, monitoring results 32b, placement information 32c, component information 32d, setup plan 32e, etc.

[0037] The production plan 32a includes the board type of the mounted boards to be produced on the component mounting line 5, the number of boards to be produced, the scheduled production start time, the scheduled production end time, the scheduled setup start time, the scheduled setup end time, etc. The production plan 32a is created by the plan processing unit 31 based on information about the mounted boards to be produced, the printing work time per mounted board, the component mounting work time, etc. Alternatively, a production plan created by another device may be acquired and stored in the plan storage unit 32.

[0038] Fig. 4(a) is an explanatory diagram of a production plan in the component mounting system 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 4(b) is an explanatory diagram of the maintenance timing of the tape feeder 17 in the component mounting system 1 of this embodiment. Here, an example of a production plan 32a in the component mounting line 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 4(a).

[0039] Mounted boards of board type 1 are currently being produced on component mounting line 5. Then, at time T1, production of mounted boards of board type 1 ends, and in the setup work up to time T2 (setup 1), the equipment elements attached to printing device M1 and component mounting devices M2 and M3 (production equipment) are changed to a configuration for producing mounted boards of board type 2, which are the next new product. Then, mounted boards of board type 2 are produced from time T2 to time T3, and in the setup work from time T3 to time T4 (setup 2), the production equipment is changed to a configuration for producing mounted boards of board type 3, which are the new product after the next one. Then, mounted boards of board type 3 are scheduled to be produced from time T4 to time T5.

[0040] 3, board information 22a includes the type and mounting position of component D to be mounted on board P for each board type. Component information 22b includes the type, shape, size, etc. of component D to be mounted on the mounting board. Based on board information 22a, component information 22b, component information 42a stored in component storage unit 42, and production plan 32a stored in plan storage unit 32, which are stored in management storage unit 22, placement information creation unit 21a determines the placement of equipment elements to be attached to printing device M1 and component mounting devices M2 and M3 (production equipment) for each board type of mounted board produced on component mounting line 5, and stores the determined placement information in management storage unit 22 as placement information 22c. Placement information 22c includes current placement information of equipment elements attached to the production equipment and placement information for producing new products from the next time onward.

[0041] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of placement information used in component mounting system 1 of this embodiment. Here, with reference to FIG. 5A, an example of placement information 22c created by placement information creation unit 21a will be described. Here, placement information 22c of tape feeders 17 to be attached to component supply units 16 of component mounting devices M2 and M3, which was created by placement information creation unit 21a based on production plan 32a shown in FIG. 4(a), will be described. FIG. 5A shows placement information 22c for some addresses of component supply unit 16. Placement information 22c includes board type name 61 of the mounted board to be produced, and information 62 of component type names to be supplied for each address of component supply unit 16 and feeder numbers of tape feeders 17 to be attached.

[0042] In the placement information for the currently produced board type name 61 of "board type 1," a tape feeder with feeder number "F01" (hereinafter simply referred to as "feeder F01") that supplies a component with component type name "A" (hereinafter simply referred to as "component A") is attached to address name "01" (hereinafter simply referred to as "address 01"). In the placement information for board type 2, which is the next new product, feeder F02 that supplies component A attached to address 02 is replaced with feeder F07 that supplies component B. Also, feeder F04 that supplies component A attached to address 04 is replaced with feeder F08 that supplies component B.

[0043] 5A, in the placement information for board type 3, which is the new production after the next one, address 01 has the feeder F01 that supplies the mounted component A replaced with feeder F09 that supplies component C. Similarly, placement information creation unit 21a creates placement information 22c for the screen mask and the like to be mounted on printing device M1, and placement information 22c for the mounting head 19, nozzle 19b, support pin 15b, and the like to be mounted on component mounting devices M2 and M3.

[0044] 3, when a setup plan that takes maintenance timing into consideration is created, an information acquisition unit 31a of the plan processing unit 31 acquires various information necessary for creating the setup plan and stores it in the plan storage unit 32. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 31a acquires the latest status of multiple equipment elements attached to the production equipment (printing device M1, component mounting devices M2, M3) that produces the product (mounted board), which is included in production status information 52a collected by the line information collection unit 51a (monitoring unit) and stored in the line storage unit 52, and stores this information in the plan storage unit 32 as monitoring results 32b. To make.

[0045] Furthermore, the information acquiring unit 31a acquires placement information 22c that does not take into account the maintenance timing, which has been created by placement information creating unit 21a and stored in management storage unit 22, and stores the information as placement information 32c in plan storage unit 32. Hereinafter, the placement information that does not take into account the maintenance timing, which was included in placement information 22c, will be referred to as "original placement information." Furthermore, the information acquiring unit 31a acquires the latest component information 42a that includes the maintenance timing (regular maintenance timing) that is determined based on at least one of the usage period, usage frequency, and number of uses of the equipment element stored in component storage unit 42, and stores the information as component information 32d in plan storage unit 32.

[0046] 3, the maintenance timing determination unit 31b determines the timing of maintenance for each of a plurality of equipment elements that will be used in the production of new products from the next time onwards on the component mounting line 5, based on the monitoring results 32b, placement information 32c, and component information 32d. Specifically, the maintenance timing determination unit 31b determines the recommended timing of maintenance based on the number of errors that have occurred in the production equipment due to the equipment elements included in the monitoring results 32b. For example, the maintenance timing determination unit 31b determines the recommended timing of maintenance so that an equipment element with an increasing number of errors will undergo earlier maintenance.

[0047] The maintenance timing determination unit 31b then determines the earlier of the recommended maintenance timing and the regular maintenance timing (regular maintenance timing) determined by at least one of the period of use, frequency of use, and number of uses of the equipment element as the maintenance timing for that equipment element.

[0048] 4(b), for feeder F05, which is scheduled to be used in the production of mounted boards of board type 2, the next new product, the recommended maintenance time determined by the maintenance time determination unit 31b is between time T2 and time T3, and the scheduled maintenance time is between time T4 and time T5. Therefore, the maintenance time determination unit 31b determines the recommended maintenance time, which is earlier than the scheduled maintenance time, as the time for maintenance of feeder F05. In this way, the line information collection unit 51a (monitoring unit) monitors the number of errors that have occurred in the production equipment in relation to the equipment elements, and the maintenance time determination unit 31b determines the time for maintenance based on the number of errors that have occurred in the production equipment in relation to the equipment elements.

[0049] 3, the placement information change unit 31c updates the placement information 32c based on the original placement information included in the placement information 32c and the maintenance timing of the equipment element determined by the maintenance timing determination unit 31b. Specifically, when the original placement information specifies an equipment element that will be due for maintenance during the production of the next or subsequent new products, the placement information change unit 31c creates placement information (hereinafter simply referred to as "changed placement information") that has been changed to an equipment element that will not be due for maintenance during production, and updates the placement information 32c.

[0050] Here, an example of changed placement information created by placement information change unit 31c will be described with reference to Fig. 5B. Fig. 5B shows changed placement information created by placement information change unit 31c based on the current, next, and next-next original placement information shown in Fig. 5A and the maintenance timing determined by maintenance timing determination unit 31b. In the next original placement information (board type 2) shown in Fig. 5A, feeder F05 attached to address 05 is specified to be used continuously from the current production (board type 1).

[0051] However, the maintenance timing for feeder F05 has been determined by maintenance timing determination unit 31b to be the recommended maintenance timing between time T2 and time T3 during production of board type 2 (see FIG. 4(b)). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, placement information change unit 31c creates changed placement information to use feeder F10, which supplies component A to address 05, for the next production (board type 2) and the next production (board type 3).

[0052] 3, the setup plan creation unit 31d creates a setup plan 32e for a setup operation to change equipment elements to be attached to the production equipment based on the original placement information included in placement information 32c or, if there has been a change by placement information change unit 31c, the changed placement information, and the production plan 32a, and stores the setup plan 32e in the plan storage unit 32. That is, the setup plan creation unit 31d creates the setup plan 32e based on the current placement information, placement information for producing a new product, and the production plan 32a for the product.

[0053] An example of the setup plan 32e will now be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a setup plan used in the component mounting system 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 6 shows a part of the setup plan 32e for a setup operation (setup 1) for changing the product from board type 1 to board type 2, which was created by the setup plan creation unit 31d based on the changed arrangement information shown in Fig. 5B. In other words, this is the setup plan 32e for an operation related to the replacement of the tape feeder 17 among the setup operations. The setup plan 32e is created by the setup plan creation unit 31d each time a setup operation is performed in association with a change in the type of board to be produced.

[0054] The setup plan 32e is configured by arranging unit task information 70, which specifies the tasks that a worker should perform for each tape feeder 17 that is the target of the work, in the order of "task sequence" 71. Each unit task information 70 includes the following items: "task sequence" 71, "task type" 72, "feeder" 73, "current status" 74, "next production" 75, "component name" 76, "reel" 77, "number of components" 78, and "comments" 79.

[0055] In Fig. 6, "job type" 72 is information indicating the type of job performed in the setup job of the unit job information 70. In Fig. 6, the job types specified are "remove," which indicates the job of removing a tape feeder 17 attached to the component supply unit 16, and "attach," which indicates the job of attaching a new tape feeder 17 to the component supply unit 16. Other job types include "move," which removes the tape feeder 17 from the component supply unit 16 and then attaches it to another address. "Feeder" 73 is information indicating the feeder number that identifies the tape feeder 17 that is the target of the job. "Current status" 74 indicates the current state of the tape feeder 17 that is the target of the job in the setup job of the unit job information 70.

[0056] In FIG. 6, "next production" 75 indicates the state of the tape feeder 17 after the work is completed, which is the target of the setup work in the unit work information 70. For example, "reuse" indicates that the tape feeder 17 is stored in the material warehouse 9 or the like with the carrier tape 18 attached to it for use in the production after the next one. "storage" indicates that the carrier tape 18 is removed from the tape feeder 17 and stored separately in the material warehouse 9 or the like. "maintenance" indicates that maintenance work is being performed on the tape feeder 17. This shows:

[0057] "Component name" 76 indicates the name of the component D supplied from the tape feeder 17 that is the target of the work. "Reel" 77 indicates the identification number attached to the reel R that stores the carrier tape 18 that is attached to the tape feeder 17 that is the target of the work. "Number of components" 78 indicates the number of components that can be supplied from the tape feeder 17 that is the target of the work (the number of components stored on the carrier tape 18). "Comments" 79 indicates various instruction information that is required as an auxiliary part in the setup work. For example, the information displayed may include the location of the shelf in the material warehouse 9 where the tape feeder 17 and reel R are stored, and information that identifies the maintenance work device 8 that will perform the maintenance work.

[0058] 6, for example, unit task information 70 for which "task order" 71 is "1" (hereinafter simply referred to as "task order 1") indicates a task of removing ("task type" 72) feeder F02 ("feeder" 73) attached to address 02 ("current state" 74) of component supply unit 16 and moving it with carrier tape 18 attached ("next production" 75) to "shelf A1" ("comment" 79) in material warehouse 9. Unit task information 70 for task order 2 indicates a task ("task type" 72) of attaching "new" ("current state" 74) feeder F07 attached with carrier tape 18 containing component B ("component name" 76) stored on reel R07 ("reel" 77) to address 02 ("next production" 75) of component supply unit 16.

[0059] The unit work information 70 for work order 3 indicates an operation to remove feeder F04 attached to address 04 of the component supply unit 16, remove the carrier tape 18 ("next production" 75), and store them separately on "shelf A2" in the material warehouse 9. The unit work information 70 for work order 5 indicates an operation to remove feeder F05 attached to address 05 of the component supply unit 16, and move it to the maintenance work device 8 ("comment" 79) for maintenance work ("next production" 75). The unit work information 70 for work order 7 indicates an operation to remove feeder F11 attached to address 07 of the component supply unit 16, and move it to "shelf B3" in the material warehouse 9, which temporarily stores equipment elements awaiting maintenance work, for maintenance work.

[0060] 6, the unit task information 70 for task orders 5 and 6 indicates that, although feeder F05, which supplies component A, can continue to be used for the next production of board type 2, the setup task is to remove feeder F05, which is due for recommended maintenance during the production of board type 2, for maintenance work and to install another feeder F10, which supplies component A, instead. In other words, the setup plan creation unit 31d creates a setup plan 32e (unit task information 70 for task orders 5 and 6) in which an equipment element (feeder F05) attached to the production equipment can also be used for the production of a new product (mounted board of board type 2), but when the time for maintenance comes during the production of the new product, the setup plan creation unit 31d creates a setup plan 32e in which an equipment element (feeder F05) attached to the production equipment is replaced with another equipment element (feeder F10).

[0061] 3, the setup plan 32e created by the setup plan creation unit 31d is transferred to the material management device 7 and stored as a setup plan 42b. The setup instruction unit 41a sends an instruction to the mobile terminal 11 carried by the worker to display the setup work in order based on the setup plan 42b. When the worker inputs on the touch panel 13 of the mobile terminal 11 that he or she has completed the instructed work, this is sent to the material management device 7, and the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the next setup work. The setup instruction unit 41a instructs the worker to perform the work in order in the material management area 4 and the component mounting line 5 based on the setup plan 42b.

[0062] Specifically, the setup instruction unit 41a first instructs the worker in order to perform the preparation work in the material management area 4. For example, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the worker in order to take out the equipment elements to be used in the next production run from the shelves in the material warehouse 9, attach the carrier tape 18 to the tape feeder 17, and load the equipment elements onto a cart (not shown) to be used for transporting them. Next, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the worker to move the cart to the component mounting line 5.

[0063] Next, the setup instruction unit 41a sequentially instructs the work of removing the equipment elements from the production equipment, loading the removed equipment elements onto a cart, and attaching the equipment elements carried on the cart to the production equipment. Next, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the work of moving the cart to the material management area 4. Next, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the work of moving the equipment elements carried on the cart to shelves in the material warehouse 9 or to the maintenance work device 8.

[0064] For example, in the preparation work in the material management area 4, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the work of removing feeder F10 and reel R10 from the material warehouse 9, the work of attaching the carrier tape 18 stored on reel R10 to feeder F10, and the work of loading it onto a cart, based on the unit work information 70 of work order 6 shown in Fig. 6. Also, in the setup work on the component mounting line 5, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the work of removing feeder F05 from address 05 of the component supply unit 16 and the work of loading it onto a cart, based on the unit work information 70 of work order 5. Next, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the work of attaching feeder F10, which has been brought on a cart, to address 05 of the component supply unit 16, based on the unit work information 70 of work order 6.

[0065] Furthermore, in the work after the cart has been moved to the component management area 4, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs, based on the unit work information 70 of the work sequence 5, to move the feeder F05 carried on the cart to the maintenance work device 8. In this way, based on the setup plan 42b, the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the work of removing the equipment element (feeder F05) due for maintenance from the production equipment (address 05 of the component supply unit 16) and transporting it to the location where the maintenance work will be performed (maintenance work device 8). This allows the worker performing the setup work to perform the maintenance work without being particularly aware that it is part of the setup work.

[0066] In FIG. 3, the maintenance timing determination unit 31b determines the timing of maintenance based on errors (monitoring results 32b) related to equipment elements used in the production of mounted boards on the component mounting line 5, which errors are collected by the line information collection unit 51a, the layout information change unit 31c creates changed layout information (layout information 32c) for the next and subsequent times during the production of mounted boards, the setup plan creation unit 31d creates a setup plan 32e for producing the next new product, and the setup instruction unit 41a instructs the setup work based on the setup plan 42b transferred from the plan creation device 3.

[0067] In this way, setup work is instructed based on information about the production work currently being performed on the component mounting line 5. Therefore, after setup work such as preparatory work has begun based on the next setup plan 42b, errors may occur frequently, resulting in an equipment element requiring recommended maintenance during the next production run. Therefore, if there is an equipment element requiring maintenance and the setup instruction unit 41a has already instructed setup work for the next production run, the placement information change unit 31c does not change the next changed placement information, but creates changed placement information for the next run and thereafter.

[0068] 5C shows changed placement information created by placement information change unit 31c when it is determined that feeder F05 at address 05 of component supply unit 16 will need maintenance after a setup operation instruction for the next new product (board mounted on board type 2) has started. In this case, placement information change unit 31c does not change the placement information for the next product (board type 2) from the original placement information (FIG. 5A), but creates changed placement information for replacing feeder F05 at address 05 with feeder F10 the time after that (board type 3). This makes it possible to prevent a mismatch between setup plan 32e created by plan creation device 3 and setup plan 42b used in component management device 7.

[0069] Next, a maintenance support method (maintenance support program) for supporting the maintenance of multiple equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces products will be described with reference to the flow chart in Fig. 7. First, the management computer 2 determines whether it is time to issue a setup instruction based on the status of the component mounting line 5 (ST1: instruction determination step). If it is not time to issue a setup instruction (No in ST1), the line information collection unit 51a (monitoring unit) monitors the status of multiple equipment elements attached to the production equipment on the component mounting line 5 (ST2: monitoring step). In addition, the information acquisition unit 31a collects the number of errors (monitoring results 32b) that have occurred in the production equipment related to the equipment elements from the monitoring results (production status information 52a).

[0070] Next, the maintenance timing determination unit 31b determines the timing of maintenance for each of the multiple equipment elements based on the monitoring results 32b from the monitoring step (ST2) and the scheduled maintenance timings for the equipment elements included in the component information 32d (ST3: maintenance timing determination step). Next, the placement information change unit 31c determines whether or not there are any equipment elements that will be undergoing maintenance during the next or second-next production run (whether or not there are any equipment elements that are subject to replacement) (ST4). If there are any equipment elements that will be undergoing maintenance (Yes in ST4) and if instructions for setup work for the next production run have not yet begun (No in ST5), the placement information change unit 31c creates changed placement information (FIG. 5B) for the next and subsequent runs based on the original placement information (FIG. 5A) (ST6: next changed placement information creation step).

[0071] 7, if there is an equipment element that is undergoing maintenance (Yes in ST4) and an instruction for setup work for the next production has begun (Yes in ST5), the placement information change unit 31c creates changed placement information for the second and subsequent times (FIG. 5C) based on the original placement information (FIG. 5A) (ST7: second-next changed placement information creation step).If there is no equipment element that is undergoing maintenance (No in ST4), after the next changed placement information creation step (ST6) and after the second-next changed placement information creation step (ST7), the process returns to the instruction determination step (ST1), and it is determined whether it is time to issue a setup instruction.

[0072] If it is time for a setup instruction (Yes in ST1), the setup plan creation unit 31d creates a setup plan 32e for a setup operation to change the equipment elements installed in the production equipment based on the current layout information of the equipment elements installed in the production equipment, the layout information for producing a new product (layout information 22c), and the production plan 32a for the product (ST8: setup plan creation step). In the setup plan creation step (ST8), if the equipment elements installed in the production equipment can also be used to produce a new product, but it is time for maintenance during the production of the new product, a setup plan 32e is created to replace the equipment element with another equipment element (for example, work sequences 5 and 6 in FIG. 6).

[0073] In FIG. 7, the setup instruction unit 41a then instructs the setup work based on the setup plan 42b (the setup plan 32e transferred from the plan creation device 3) (ST9: setup instruction step). For example, in the setup instruction step (ST9), an instruction is given to remove an equipment element (feeder F05) due for maintenance from the production equipment and transport it to a location where the maintenance work will be performed (maintenance work device 8). When the setup instruction step (ST9) is completed, the process returns to the instruction judgment step (ST1), where it is judged whether it is time to issue a setup instruction. This makes it possible to avoid production stoppages due to maintenance and improve production efficiency.

[0074] In this way, if there is an equipment element due for maintenance (Yes in ST4) and the setup work for the next production has been instructed in the setup instruction process (ST9) (Yes in ST5), the next-to-next changed layout information creation process (ST7) creates layout information (changed layout information) for producing the next-to-next new product.

[0075] As described above, the component mounting system 1 of this embodiment is a maintenance support system that includes a maintenance timing determination unit 31b that determines the timing of maintenance for each of a plurality of equipment elements based on monitoring results 32b of the states of a plurality of equipment elements attached to the production equipment, and a setup plan creation unit 31d that creates a setup plan 32e for setup work to change the equipment elements attached to the production equipment based on current layout information of the equipment elements attached to the production equipment, layout information for producing a new product (layout information 22c), and a production plan 32a for the product.

[0076] The setup plan creation unit 31d then creates a setup plan 32e to replace an equipment element attached to the production equipment that can also be used to produce a new product but that requires maintenance during the production of the new product, thereby avoiding production stoppages due to maintenance and improving production efficiency.

[0077] In the present embodiment, internal setup work in which a worker performs work such as replacing components on the component mounting line 5 without prior preparation in the component management area 4 has been described as setup work, but the present disclosure is also applicable to external setup work in which a worker makes prior preparations in the component management area 4. For example, in a case where tape feeders 17 to be used in the next and subsequent production runs are arranged by external setup work on a spare cart that can hold multiple tape feeders 17 in parallel on its upper part, and the cart that was attached to the component supply unit 16 of the component mounting device M2, M3 is replaced with the spare cart by internal setup work, the present disclosure is also applicable to creating a setup plan 32e that replaces a tape feeder 17 that is due for maintenance during the production of a new product and that was arranged on the spare cart in the external setup work with another tape feeder 17 that is not due for maintenance.

[0078] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described using the terms "setup instruction (setup instruction section)" and "setup plan," the present invention is not limited to these terms. For example, a "setup instruction" is synonymous with a "preparation instruction" and a "pre-production preparation instruction." Furthermore, a "setup plan" is synonymous with a "preparation plan" and a "pre-production work plan." [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] The maintenance support system, maintenance support method, and maintenance support program disclosed herein have the effect of avoiding production stoppages due to maintenance and improving production efficiency, and are useful in the field of component mounting, where components are mounted on boards. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Component mounting system (maintenance support system) 2 Management Computer 3 Planning device 4. Materials Management Area 5. Component mounting line 6. Communication Networks 7. Material management device 8 Maintenance equipment 9 Parts storage 10 Line management device 11 Mobile devices 12 Terminal communication unit 13 Touch Panel 14 Foundation 15 Substrate transport mechanism 15a Lower support pin holding plate 15b Support pin (facility element) 15c Lower support pin lifting drive unit 16 Parts Supply Department 17 Tape feeder (equipment element) 18 Carrier tape 19 Mounting head (equipment element) 19a Adsorption unit 19b Nozzle (equipment element) 20 Head movement mechanism 21 Management Department 21a Placement Information Creation Department 22 Management storage unit 22a Board Information 22b Parts Information 22c Placement information 23 Input section 24 Display 25 Communications Department 26 Radio Communication Department 31 Planning Processing Section 31a Information acquisition section 31b Maintenance timing determination unit 31c Placement information change section 31d Production Planning Department 32 Planning Memory Section 32a Production Planning 32b Monitoring results 32c placement information 32d Material information 32e Setup Planning 33 Input section 34 Display section 35 Communications Department 41 Materials Management Department 41a Setup instruction section 42 Component memory section 42a Material information 42b Setup Planning 43 Input section 44 Display section 45 Communications Department 46 Radio Communication Department 51 Line control section 51a Line Information Collection Department 52 Line memory section 52a Production status information 53 Communications Department 61 Substrate type name 62 Information 70 Unit Work Information 71 “Work order” 72 "Work Type" 73 "Feeder" 74 "Current Situation" 75 "Next Production" 76 "Part Name" 77 "Reel" 78 "Number of parts" 79 "Comments" A,B,C,D parts M1 Printing equipment (production equipment) M2, M3 component mounting equipment (production equipment) P board R reel

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires the results of monitoring the status of equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces a product, and location information that associates the address of the production equipment with the equipment elements attached to the address, the location information being used to produce a new product; a maintenance timing determination unit that determines the timing of maintenance of the facility elements based on the monitoring results; a setup plan creation unit that creates a setup plan for setup work based on the arrangement information for producing the new product and the maintenance timing determined by the maintenance timing determination unit, Maintenance support system.

2. the setup plan creation unit creates the setup plan for a setup operation including an operation of removing an equipment element to be installed at an address indicated by the location information for producing the new product from the production equipment when the maintenance time determined by the maintenance time determination unit comes during the production of the new product. The maintenance support system according to claim 1 .

3. a setup instruction unit that instructs the setup work based on the setup plan, the setup instruction unit instructs an operation to remove the equipment element from the production equipment and transport it to a location where maintenance work will be performed; The maintenance support system according to claim 1 .

4. the maintenance timing determination unit determines the timing of the maintenance based on the number of errors that have occurred in the production equipment in relation to the equipment element. The maintenance support system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the maintenance timing determination unit determines a relatively earlier maintenance timing as the maintenance timing for the equipment element out of the maintenance timing determined based on the monitoring result and the maintenance timing determined based on at least one of the period of use, frequency of use, and number of uses of the equipment element; The maintenance support system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. the production facility is a component mounting device that picks up components supplied from a component supply device using a nozzle attached to a mounting head and mounts the components on a substrate whose underside is supported by support pins; the equipment element is at least one of the component supply device, the mounting head, the nozzle, and the support pin; The maintenance support system according to claim 1 .

7. the production equipment is a printing device that prints a paste on a substrate through a mask having a predetermined opening, The equipment element is the mask. The maintenance support system according to claim 1 .

8. a monitoring step of monitoring the status of equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces the product; a maintenance timing determination step of determining a timing for maintenance of the facility element based on the monitoring result in the monitoring step; and a setup plan creation step of creating a setup plan for setup work based on location information for producing a new product, the location information being information that associates addresses of the production equipment with equipment elements to be attached to the addresses, and the maintenance timing determined by the maintenance timing determination step. Maintenance support methods.

9. A maintenance support program executed by a computer, Obtaining the results of monitoring the status of equipment elements attached to production equipment that produces a product, and location information that associates the address of the production equipment with the equipment elements attached to the address, the location information being for producing a new product; determining the timing of maintenance of the equipment elements based on the monitoring results; creating a setup plan for setup work based on the allocation information for producing the new product and the maintenance timing determined based on the monitoring results; Maintenance assistance program.

Images