Reuse support device and its control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a reuse support device and its control method that can reduce the burden on workers required for the reuse of circuit boards, thereby shortening the work time required for reuse and improving work efficiency. [Solution] Detection information from various sensors provided on the circuit board is collected through communication with the circuit board. Based on the history of the collected detection information, the remaining lifespan of the circuit board is diagnosed. If the diagnosed remaining lifespan is below a threshold, the circuit board is to be discarded. If the diagnosed remaining lifespan is above the threshold, rework, which is a procedure to restore electrical components or mounting materials on the circuit board to a properly functioning state, is to be performed as appropriate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments relate to a resource support device for assisting in the reuse of a substrate on which electrical components are mounted and a control method therefor.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a printed circuit board is known as a substrate on which electrical components (including electronic components) are mounted. This printed circuit board includes a plate-shaped insulating base material and a plurality of conductive patterns (conductive paths) printed on the surface of this base material, and an electric circuit (including an electronic circuit) is configured by soldering and connecting these conductive patterns and each electrical component. This printed circuit board is mounted on an electric device.

[0003] The printed circuit board mounted on an electric device has a lifespan. If the use of a printed circuit board with a short remaining lifespan (so-called remaining life) continues, there is a possibility that the electric circuit on the printed circuit board will not function properly.

[0004] As a countermeasure, for an operating electric device, maintenance inspection by an operator is performed regularly or as needed. During this maintenance inspection, the operator determines the lifespan of the printed circuit board by referring to their own experience and manual materials, and performs the work of replacing a printed circuit board with a short remaining life with a new one.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The printed circuit boards (PCBs) of electrical equipment brought in for maintenance and inspection come in a wide variety of types. Accurately determining the lifespan of these PCBs is extremely difficult, and it places a significant burden on the technicians making the determination.

[0007] The objective of this embodiment is to provide a reuse support device and its control method that can reduce the burden on workers required for the reuse of circuit boards, thereby shortening the work time required for reuse and improving work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The reuse support device of the embodiment supports the reuse of a circuit board on which electrical components are mounted, and comprises: collection means for collecting detection information from various sensors provided on the circuit board by communication with the circuit board; diagnostic means for diagnosing the remaining lifespan of the circuit board based on the history of the collected detection information from the various sensors; and control means for specifying the disposal of the circuit board if the diagnosed remaining lifespan is less than a threshold, and appropriately specifying the execution of rework, which is a procedure to restore the electrical components or mounting materials on the circuit board to a normally functioning state, if the diagnosed remaining lifespan is equal to or greater than the threshold. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the external appearance of a printed circuit board according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the substrate information table in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the control of the controller in the same embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the through-holes of the substrate related to the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board 11, designed by the manufacturer's circuit board design department 1 is manufactured by the same manufacturer's circuit board manufacturing department 2, and an electrical device (including electronic equipment) 10 equipped with that printed circuit board 11 is shipped to the market as a product from the product shipping department 3.

[0011] As shown in Figure 2, the printed circuit board 11 includes a plate-shaped, insulating substrate 11a and a plurality of conductive patterns (conductive paths) P printed on the surface of the substrate 11a. Various electrical components (including electronic components) 12, 13a, 13b, 13c, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are attached to the substrate 11b and electrically connected (soldered) to each conductive pattern P by solder H, thereby forming an electrical circuit (including an electronic circuit) on the printed circuit board 11. Solder H is a mounting material used for mounting each electrical component.

[0012] The electrical component 12 is, for example, a DIP (Dual Inline Package) and has a number of lead pins 12a that are inserted and connected to through-holes in the substrate 11a. The through-holes are mounting materials for mounting each electrical component, similar to solder H, and are formed to penetrate the substrate 11a in the direction of its thickness.

[0013] Electrical component 13a is a temperature sensor that detects ambient temperature. Electrical component 13b is a humidity sensor that detects ambient humidity. Electrical component 13c is an acceleration sensor that detects vibration of the substrate 11a. Electrical components 14 and 15 are, for example, capacitors and transistors. Electrical component 16 is, for example, a chip resistor. Electrical component 17 is a communication module that transmits the detection signals from the temperature sensor 13a, humidity sensor 13b, and humidity sensor 13c to the communication unit 25 described later, and has a number of lead pins 17a that are inserted and connected to the through-holes of the substrate 11a. Character information 18, which represents the name, type, attributes, etc. of the printed circuit board 11 using letters and numbers, is printed in the gaps of the substrate 11a on which these electrical components are mounted.

[0014] The shipped electrical equipment 10 is brought by the user to the manufacturer's maintenance and inspection department 4 periodically or as needed, where it is inspected by the maintenance and inspection department 4's personnel. The maintenance and inspection department 4's personnel may also visit the user's location to inspect the electrical equipment 10. One of the tasks performed by the maintenance and inspection department 4's personnel is to diagnose the remaining lifespan of the printed circuit board 11 and, based on the diagnosis, to appropriately reuse the printed circuit board 11. A reuse support device 20 is located in or near the maintenance and inspection department 4 to assist with this reuse. Furthermore, the maintenance and inspection department 4 is equipped with a display 4a that functions as a notification means for the reuse support device 20.

[0015] The reuse support device 20 includes a controller 21 consisting of a computer and its peripheral circuits as the main control unit, and also includes an operating device 22, a transport unit 23, a branching unit 24, a communication unit 25, a storage unit (storage means) 26, an imaging unit (imaging means) 30, and an electrical inspection unit (electrical inspection means) 50, all of which are connected to the controller 21.

[0016] The transport unit 23 includes a transport path 23a that sequentially transports the printed circuit board 11 set in the reuse support device 20 to the imaging unit 30, the electrical inspection unit 50, and the branching unit 24, and then to the maintenance and inspection unit 4, and a transport path 23b that is located between the branching unit 24 on the transport path 23a and the board recovery unit 5 outside the reuse support device 20, and transports the printed circuit board 11 extracted at the branching unit 24 to the board recovery unit 5 for disposal.

[0017] The imaging unit 30 captures the appearance of the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a using an imaging unit 31 such as a CCD camera.

[0018] The electrical inspection unit 50 measures the electrical characteristics of the printed circuit board 11 on the conveyance path 23a using the measurement unit 51. The measurement unit 51 includes inspection lead terminals 51a, 51b capable of contacting each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11, and an imaging unit 51c such as a CCD camera that images the printed circuit board 11. While recognizing the image of the printed circuit board 11 imaged by the imaging unit 51c, the inspection lead terminals 51a, 51b are brought into contact with arbitrary positions of each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11, and the electrical resistance value between the respective contact positions of the inspection lead terminals 51a, 51b is acquired as the electrical characteristic.

[0019] The branch unit 24 extracts the printed circuit board 11 on the conveyance path 23a that has passed through the electrical inspection unit 50 according to an instruction from the controller 21, and sends it to the conveyance path 23b.

[0020] The communication unit 25 performs data communication (wireless communication or network communication) with the communication module 17 mounted on the printed circuit board 11 in the shipped electric device 10.

[0021] The storage unit 26 stores the board information table 26a in FIG. 3. The board information table 26a stores the board names of a plurality of printed circuit boards 11 manufactured by the board manufacturing unit 2, namely, 'printed circuit board P1', 'printed circuit board P2',...,'printed circuit board Pn', and a plurality of board identification information 'P001', 'P002',...,'P00n' for identifying each printed circuit board 11.

[0022] The board information table 26a stores various board information regarding the base materials 11a, conductive patterns P, through holes, etc. of each printed circuit board 11 in association with the board identification information of each printed circuit board 11, and stores the electrical component names of each electrical component mounted on each printed circuit board 11, such as 'capacitor', 'chip resistor', 'DIP',... and various information related to the specifications and costs of the mounting supplies of each electrical component in association with the board identification information of each printed circuit board 11. The cost of each electrical component is updated periodically or as appropriate when necessary.

[0023] The board information table 26a stores the history of detection information (temperature information history A1, A2...An, humidity information history B1, B2...Bn, acceleration information history C1, C2...Cn) of the temperature sensor 13a, humidity sensor 13, and acceleration sensor 13c of the printed circuit board 11, which is collected by the controller 21 via data communication of the communication unit 25, and associates it with the board identification information of each printed circuit board 11.

[0024] The board information table 26a stores electrical characteristic information for multiple specified locations in the initial state of each printed circuit board 11, such as 'Z1a, Z1b, ... Z1n', 'Z2a, Z2b, ... Z2n', to 'Zna, Znb, ... Znn', associated with each board identification information.

[0025] Of the electrical characteristic information "Z1a, Z1b, ... Z1n", electrical characteristic information "Z1a" is the electrical resistance value between two predetermined specified locations R1a, R1a on each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11 of the board named "Printed Circuit Board P1". Electrical characteristic information "Z1b" is the electrical resistance value between two predetermined specified locations R1b, R1b on each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11 of the board named "Printed Circuit Board P1". Electrical characteristic information "Z1n" is the electrical resistance value between two predetermined specified locations R1n, R1n on each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11 of the board named "Printed Circuit Board P1".

[0026] Similarly, among the electrical characteristic information "Z2a, Z2b, ... Z2n", electrical characteristic information "Z2a" is the electrical resistance value between two predetermined specified locations R2a, R2a on each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11 of the board named "Printed Circuit Board P2". Electrical characteristic information "Z2b" is the electrical resistance value between two predetermined specified locations R2b, R2b on each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11 of the board named "Printed Circuit Board P2". Electrical characteristic information "Z2n" is the electrical resistance value between two predetermined specified locations R2n, R2n on each conductive pattern P on the printed circuit board 11 of the board named "Printed Circuit Board P2".

[0027] [Description of Controller 21 Functions] The controller 21 includes the following means (1) to (4) as its main functions.

[0028] (1) A collection means that collects detection information from the temperature sensor 13a, humidity sensor 13b, and acceleration sensor 13c of the printed circuit board 11 by communication with the printed circuit board 11 via the communication unit 25 and stores it as history in the board information table 26a.

[0029] (2) A diagnostic means for diagnosing the remaining lifespan of the printed circuit board 11, so-called remaining lifespan, based on the history of detection information from the temperature sensor 13a, humidity sensor 13b, and acceleration sensor 13c collected above (history of each detection information in the board information table 26a).

[0030] (3) A control means that, if the remaining lifespan determined above is less than a threshold, determines that there is no remaining lifespan and specifies that the printed circuit board 11 should be discarded, and if the remaining lifespan determined above is equal to or greater than the threshold, determines that there is remaining lifespan and appropriately specifies that rework, which is a procedure to restore the electrical components or mounting materials on the printed circuit board 11 to a state in which they function normally.

[0031] (4) Recognition means for recognizing the board identification information of the printed circuit board 11 set in the reuse support device 20 based on an image captured by the imaging unit 30 or external input information obtained by operating the operating device 22.

[0032] Specifically, the diagnostic means reads at least the board information corresponding to the board identification information recognized by the recognition means, as well as the history of detection information from the temperature sensor 13a, humidity sensor 13b, and acceleration sensor 13c, from the board information table 26a of the storage unit 26. Based on the read board information and the history of detection information, it diagnoses the remaining lifespan of each through-hole in the printed circuit board 11 and the remaining lifespan of the insulation of the printed circuit board 11.

[0033] The above control means specifically includes the following means (11) to (25). (11) If the remaining lifespan diagnosed by the diagnostic means in (2) above is greater than or equal to a threshold, a first determination means determines whether or not there are any risk components in the set printed circuit board 11 that have the risk of having no remaining lifespan. Examples of risk components that have the risk of having no remaining lifespan include electrical components that deteriorate rapidly over time, such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors, electrical components that are mounted in surface contact with the substrate 11a, such as IC chips, and electrical components made of silicon that have little elongation in response to the expansion of the substrate 11a, which puts a load on the soldering part.

[0034] (12) If the first determination means determines that there are risk components, the first diagnostic means diagnoses the remaining lifespan of each electrical component on the set printed circuit board 11 due to aging deterioration, the remaining lifespan of each mounting material due to thermal fatigue, and the remaining lifespan of each mounting material due to vibration fatigue.

[0035] (13) If any of the “remaining life due to aging,” “remaining life due to thermal fatigue,” or “remaining life due to vibration fatigue” diagnosed by the first diagnostic means described above is below a threshold (i.e., there are components with no remaining life), a second diagnostic means determines, based on component information in the board information table 26a and network search information related to rework, which is a procedure to restore electrical components or mounting materials with remaining life below the threshold to a state in which they function normally, and the materials necessary for that rework (also called rework tools). Materials necessary for rework include electrical components, mounting materials, mounting tools, etc.

[0036] (14) A third determination means that determines whether there is an advantage in that the cost required to procure the supplies determined by the second determination means is less than the cost required to replace the printed circuit board 11, by obtaining the cost required to procure the supplies determined by the second determination means using the component information and network search information related to rework in the board information table 26a. The cost required to replace the printed circuit board 11 is included in the board information in the board information table 26a. This board information is updated periodically or as needed.

[0037] (15) If the third determination means determines that there is no benefit, the first designation means designates the set printed circuit board 11 as waste.

[0038] (16) If the third determination means determines that there is a benefit, a second designation means that specifies the execution of the rework determined by the second determination means in (13).

[0039] (17) After the rework is performed in accordance with the designation of the second designated means above, or when it is determined that there are no risk components, or when all of the diagnosed “remaining life due to aging deterioration,” “remaining life due to thermal fatigue,” and “remaining life due to vibration fatigue” are above the threshold (no components with remaining life remaining), the first inspection means inspects the electrical characteristics of the set printed circuit board 11 with the electrical inspection unit 50.

[0040] (18) If the electrical characteristics inspected by the first inspection means match the initial state electrical characteristics information stored in the board information table 26a, the first permit means permits the reuse of the set printed circuit board 11 based on the judgment that the electrical characteristics are acceptable.

[0041] (19) If the electrical characteristics inspected by the first inspection means do not match the initial state electrical characteristics information stored in the board information table 26a, the electrical characteristics are deemed unacceptable, and the identification means identifies the defective part of the printed circuit board 11 related to those electrical characteristics (the part that does not match the initial state electrical characteristics information).

[0042] (20) If a defective area can be identified by the above-mentioned identification means, a fourth determination means determines whether to perform rework, which is a procedure to restore the defective area to a state of normal function, and the supplies necessary for that rework, based on component information in the board information table 26a and network search information related to the rework.

[0043] (21) A fifth determination means that determines whether there is an advantage in that the cost required to procure the supplies determined by the fourth determination means is less than the cost required to replace the circuit board, based on the component information in the circuit board information table 26a and network search information related to rework.

[0044] (22) If the fifth determination means determines that there is no benefit, or if the identification means fails to identify a defective part, the third designation means designates the set printed circuit board 11 as waste.

[0045] (23) If the fifth determination means determines that there is a benefit, a fourth designation means that specifies the execution of the rework determined by the fourth determination means.

[0046] (24) A second inspection means that, after the rework is performed in accordance with the designation of the fourth designated means, inspects the electrical characteristics of the set printed circuit board 11 with the electrical inspection unit 50.

[0047] (25) A second permission means that, if the electrical characteristics inspected by the second inspection means match the initial state electrical characteristics information stored in the board information table 26a, determines that the electrical characteristics are acceptable and permits the reuse of the set printed circuit board 11.

[0048] [Description of Controller 21's Control] The control performed by controller 21 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0049] When the electrical equipment 10 is brought to the maintenance and inspection department 4, the workers in the maintenance and inspection department 4 remove the printed circuit board 11 from the electrical equipment 10 and set the removed printed circuit board 11 in the transport unit 23 of the reuse support device 20. Then, the workers instruct the reuse support device 20 to start operation by operating the control unit 22.

[0050] In response to this instruction to start the operation, the set printed circuit board 11 is sent to the imaging unit 30 via the transport path 23a, and the appearance of the printed circuit board 11 is imaged by the imaging unit 30.

[0051] The controller 21 recognizes the board identification information of the set printed circuit board 11, reads at least the board information and the history of detection information of the temperature sensor 13a, humidity sensor 13b, and acceleration sensor 13c corresponding to the recognized board identification information from the board information table 26a in the storage unit 26, and diagnoses the remaining lifespan of each through-hole in the printed circuit board 11 based on the various information read (S5; through-hole diagnosis). Note that the board identification information of the printed circuit board 11 may be input by a worker in the maintenance and inspection unit 4 by operating the control unit 22.

[0052] <Through-hole diagnosis> Figure 5 shows an example of a through-hole formed in the substrate 11a of a printed circuit board 11. The through-hole 40 is provided so as to penetrate the substrate 11a in the direction of its thickness. A copper conductive material 41 is attached to the inner wall (also called the inner circumferential surface) of the through-hole 40, and the conductive material 41 extends to the upper and lower edges of the through-hole 40, facing the front and back surfaces of the substrate 11a. The extended portion of the conductive material 41 facing the front surface of the substrate 11a and the extended portion of the conductive material 41 facing the back surface of the substrate 11a form a land portion X. As an example of through-hole disconnection, a crack 41a has occurred in the conductive material 41 on the inner wall of the through-hole 40.

[0053] Through-hole disconnections in the printed circuit board 11, caused by repeated temperature changes, are due to metal fatigue resulting from repeated strain on the inner wall of the through-hole 40 caused by the difference between the thermal expansion of the base material 11a and the thermal expansion of the conductive material 41. The strain γ generated per unit area of ​​the inner wall of the through-hole 40 is expressed by the following formula.

[0054]

number

[0055] N is the fracture life (cycle), Ye is the Young's modulus of the base material 11a, Yc is the Young's modulus of the conductive material 41, αe is the coefficient of thermal expansion, αc is the coefficient of thermal expansion of the conductive material 41, At is the land area, Ac is the cross-sectional area of ​​the through-hole 40, h is the thickness of the base material 11a, and ΔT is the temperature difference.

[0056] The remaining life N of the through-hole 40 can be diagnosed by using the following calculation with this strain γ. a and b are constants.

[0057]

number

[0058] If the remaining lifespan determined by this through-hole diagnosis falls below the threshold, the controller 21 determines that there is no remaining lifespan (NO in S2) and specifies that the set printed circuit board 11 should be discarded (S20). Following this specification, the controller 21 guides the printed circuit board 11 from the transport path 23a to the transport path 23b from the branching section 24 and sends it to the board recovery section 5, and displays the fact of disposal on the display 4a in the maintenance and inspection section 4. The printed circuit board 11 sent to the board recovery section 5 is discarded.

[0059] If the remaining lifespan determined by the through-hole diagnosis above is greater than or equal to the threshold, the controller 21, based on the judgment that there is remaining lifespan (YES in S2), diagnoses the remaining lifespan related to the insulation of the set printed circuit board 11 based on the various information read out above (S3; insulation lifespan diagnosis).

[0060] <Insulation Life Diagnosis> Ion migration is a major cause of insulation degradation in the printed circuit board 11. A common formula for predicting ion migration life is the following formula for calculating the acceleration coefficient AF. By obtaining the acceleration coefficient AF in advance under the input test conditions, it is possible to diagnose the remaining lifespan related to the insulation of the printed circuit board 11 under actual usage conditions. Ae is the electric field strength acceleration coefficient, At is the temperature acceleration coefficient, and Ah is the humidity acceleration coefficient. AF=Ae·At·Ah This equation can be expanded as shown below.

[0061]

number

[0062] Q is the activation energy, k is the Poltzmann coefficient, Etest is the voltage (electrolysis intensity) under accelerated testing conditions, Ttest is the temperature under accelerated testing conditions, Htest is the humidity under accelerated testing conditions, Euse is the voltage (electrolysis intensity) under actual usage conditions, Tuse is the temperature under actual usage conditions, and Huse is the humidity under actual usage conditions.

[0063] If the remaining life determined by this insulation life diagnosis falls below the threshold, the controller 21 determines that there is no remaining life (NO in S4) and specifies that the set printed circuit board 11 should be discarded (S20). Following this specification, the controller 21 guides the printed circuit board 11 from the transport path 23a to the transport path 23b from the branching section 24 and sends it to the board recovery section 5, and displays the fact of disposal on the display 4a in the maintenance and inspection section 4. The printed circuit board 11 sent to the board recovery section 5 is discarded.

[0064] If the remaining life determined by the above insulation life diagnosis is greater than or equal to the threshold, the controller 21, based on the judgment that there is remaining life (YES in S4), determines whether or not there are any risk components in any of the electrical components or mounting materials on the set printed circuit board 11 that have the risk of not having remaining life (S5; risk component determination).

[0065] In this risk component determination, if it is determined that a risk component is present (YES in S6), the controller 21 diagnoses the remaining lifespan of each electrical component on the set printed circuit board 11 due to aging deterioration, the remaining lifespan of each mounting component due to thermal fatigue, and the remaining lifespan of each mounting component due to vibration fatigue, based on the various information read out above (S7, S8, S9).

[0066] For example, the remaining lifespan of an aluminum electrolytic capacitor is primarily determined by the evaporation of electrolyte from the seal, and the evaporation rate is determined by temperature. The remaining lifespan L(h) of an aluminum electrolytic capacitor at the operating temperature can be calculated using Arrhenius's law, which is expressed by the following equation. The remaining lifespan L(h) is halved when the temperature rises by 10°C.

[0067]

number

[0068] Lo is the lifespan (h) of the electrolytic capacitor at its rated temperature, T1 is the rated temperature of the electrolytic capacitor (°C), and T2 is the case temperature of the electrolytic capacitor (°C).

[0069] Thermal fatigue of each mounting component refers to the remaining lifespan due to thermal fatigue of, for example, the solder joints, and can be estimated from the number of years of use and temperature history information. Remaining lifespan due to vibration fatigue of each mounting component refers to the remaining lifespan due to thermal fatigue of, for example, the solder joints, and can be estimated from the number of years of use and vibration history information.

[0070] For diagnosing the remaining lifespan of each mounting component due to thermal fatigue and vibration fatigue, the diagnostic method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-45343 can be used.

[0071] If any of the "remaining life due to aging," "remaining life due to thermal fatigue," or "remaining life due to vibration fatigue" is below a threshold (i.e., there are components with no remaining life), the controller 21, based on the judgment that there is no remaining life (YES in S10), determines, based on the component information in the board information table 26a and network search information related to rework, to restore the electrical component or mounting equipment with less than the threshold to a state where it can function normally, and the equipment necessary for that rework (also called rework tools) (S11).

[0072] Next, the controller 21 determines the cost required to procure the supplies determined above using the component information in the board information table 26a and network search information related to rework, and determines whether there is an advantage in that the determined cost is smaller than the cost required to replace the printed circuit board 11 (S12).

[0073] If it is determined that there is no benefit (NO in S13), the controller 21 designates the set printed circuit board 11 as waste (S20). Following this designation, the controller 21 guides the printed circuit board 11 from the transport path 23a to the transport path 23b from the branching section 24 and sends it to the board collection section 5, and displays the fact of disposal on the display 4a in the maintenance and inspection section 4. The printed circuit board 11 sent to the board collection section 5 is discarded.

[0074] If it determines that there is a benefit (YES in S13), the controller 21 specifies that a rework should be performed to restore the electrical components or mounting materials to a properly functioning state (S14). In response to this specification, the controller 21 sends the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a to the maintenance unit 4, and displays the fact that a rework should be performed, along with the information of the materials that were determined to be reworked, on the display 4a in the maintenance unit 4. The workers in the maintenance unit 4 perform the necessary rework on the printed circuit board 11 sent to the maintenance unit 4 according to this display.

[0075] After the rework is completed, the workers in the maintenance and inspection unit 4 set the reworked printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a at the location corresponding to the electrical inspection unit 50, and instruct the start of the electrical inspection using the control unit 22.

[0076] If the start of the electrical inspection is instructed, or if it is determined in S6 that there are no risk components (NO in S6), or if in S10 all of the "remaining life due to aging," "remaining life due to thermal fatigue," and "remaining life due to vibration fatigue" are above the threshold (NO in S10; no components with remaining life), the controller 21 inspects the electrical characteristics of the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a with the electrical inspection unit 50 (S15).

[0077] If the inspected electrical characteristics are satisfactory (YES in S16), the controller 21 permits the reuse of the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a (S17). In response to this permit, the controller 21 sends the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a to the maintenance unit 4, and the display 4a in the maintenance unit 4 indicates that reuse is permitted. The workers in the maintenance unit 4 reuse the printed circuit board 11 sent to the maintenance unit 4 in accordance with this indication.

[0078] If the inspected electrical characteristics are unacceptable (NO in S16), the controller 21 identifies the defective area of ​​the printed circuit board 11 related to those electrical characteristics (the area that does not match the initial electrical characteristic information) (S18).

[0079] If a defective part is identified (YES in S19), the controller 21 determines the rework procedure, which is a procedure to restore the defective part to a functioning state, and the supplies necessary for that rework, based on the component information in the board information table 26a and network search information related to the rework (S11).

[0080] Next, the controller 21 determines the cost required to procure the supplies determined above using the component information in the board information table 26a and network search information related to rework, and determines whether there is an advantage in that the determined cost is smaller than the cost required to replace the printed circuit board 11 (S12).

[0081] If it is determined that there is no benefit (NO in S13), or if the above-mentioned defective part cannot be identified (NO in S19), the controller 21 designates the set printed circuit board 11 as waste (S20). Following this designation, the controller 21 guides the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a from the branching section 24 to the transport path 23b and sends it to the board recovery section 5, and displays the fact of disposal on the indicator 4a in the maintenance and inspection section 4. The printed circuit board 11 sent to the board recovery section 5 is discarded.

[0082] If it determines that there is a benefit (YES in S13), the controller 21 specifies that a rework procedure, which is a procedure to repair the defective part to a state where it functions normally, should be performed (S14). In accordance with this specification, the controller 21 sends the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a to the maintenance and inspection unit 4, and displays on the display 4a in the maintenance and inspection unit 4 that a rework should be performed, along with the information of the item that was determined to be reworked. The workers in the maintenance and inspection unit 4 perform the necessary rework on the printed circuit board 11 sent to the maintenance and inspection unit 4 according to this display.

[0083] After the rework is completed, the workers in the maintenance and inspection unit 4 set the reworked printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a at the location corresponding to the electrical inspection unit 50, and instruct the start of the electrical inspection using the control unit 22.

[0084] In accordance with this start instruction, the controller 21 inspects the electrical characteristics of the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a using the electrical inspection unit 50 (S15).

[0085] If the inspected electrical characteristics are satisfactory (YES in S16), the controller 21 permits the reuse of the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a (S17). In response to this permit, the controller 21 sends the printed circuit board 11 on the transport path 23a to the maintenance unit 4, and the display 4a in the maintenance unit 4 indicates that reuse is permitted. The workers in the maintenance unit 4 reuse the printed circuit board 11 sent to the maintenance unit 4 in accordance with this indication.

[0086] If the inspected electrical characteristics fail again (NO in S16), the controller 21 determines that it is impossible to identify the faulty part (S18) and designates it for disposal (S20).

[0087] As described above, detection information from various sensors provided on the printed circuit board 11 is collected through communication with the printed circuit board 11. Based on the history of the collected detection information, the remaining lifespan of the printed circuit board 11 is diagnosed. If the diagnosed remaining lifespan is below a threshold, it is determined that there is no remaining lifespan, and the printed circuit board 11 is to be discarded. If the diagnosed remaining lifespan is above the threshold, it is determined that there is remaining lifespan, and rework, which is a procedure to restore the electrical components or mounting materials on the printed circuit board 11 to a properly functioning state, is to be performed as appropriate. This configuration eliminates the need for workers to make difficult judgments about whether or not a circuit board can be reused. Therefore, the burden on workers can be reduced. In turn, the working time required for rework can be reduced and work efficiency can be improved.

[0088] By performing rework as needed to restore electrical components or mounting materials to a properly functioning state, the feasibility of reusing the printed circuit board 11 can be greatly increased.

[0089] [Differentiation] In the above embodiment, a printed circuit board 11 was used as an example of a substrate on which electrical components are mounted. However, the same method can be applied to other substrates as long as electrical components are mounted on them, not just printed circuit boards 11.

[0090] For the identification of the printed circuit board 11, identification may be performed not only according to the character information captured by the imaging unit 30 and the input information from the operating device 22, but also according to the shape and size of the printed circuit board 11 as captured by the imaging unit 30.

[0091] Furthermore, the above embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 4...Maintenance and inspection section, 5...Circuit board recovery section, 10...Electrical equipment, 11...Printed circuit board (circuit board), 20...Reuse support device, 21...Controller, 23...Transportation unit, 24...Branching section, 30...Imaging section, 40...Through-hole, 50...Electrical inspection section.

Claims

1. A reuse support device that assists in the reuse of circuit boards on which electrical components are mounted, A collection means for collecting detection information from various sensors provided on the substrate by communication with the substrate, A diagnostic means for diagnosing the remaining lifespan of the substrate based on the history of detection information from the various sensors collected, A control means that specifies the disposal of the substrate if the diagnosed remaining lifespan is less than a threshold, and appropriately specifies the execution of rework, which is a procedure to restore the electrical components or mounting materials on the substrate to a properly functioning state, if the diagnosed remaining lifespan is equal to or greater than the threshold. A reuse support device equipped with the following features.

2. The substrate includes an insulating plate-shaped base material, a conductive pattern printed on the surface of the base material, through-holes formed in the thickness direction of the base material, and mounting supplies (solder) used for mounting (soldering) the electrical components. The various sensors include a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the substrate in its actual operating environment, a humidity sensor for detecting the humidity of the substrate in its actual operating environment, and an acceleration sensor for detecting vibrations of the substrate. The diagnostic means diagnoses the remaining lifespan of the through-holes and the remaining lifespan of the insulation of the substrate based on the history of detection information of the various sensors collected by the collection means. The reuse support device according to claim 1.

3. The control means is If the remaining lifespan diagnosed by the diagnostic means is greater than or equal to a threshold, a first determination means determines whether or not there is a risk component with no remaining lifespan among the electrical components and mounting materials on the substrate, If the first determination means determines that a risk component is present, the first diagnostic means diagnoses the remaining lifespan of the electrical component due to aging deterioration, the remaining lifespan of the mounting material due to thermal fatigue, and the remaining lifespan of the mounting material due to vibration fatigue, If any of the "remaining lifespan due to aging deterioration," "remaining lifespan due to thermal fatigue," or "remaining lifespan due to vibration fatigue" diagnosed by the first diagnostic means is below a threshold, a second diagnostic means determines rework, which is a procedure to restore electrical components or mounting materials with a remaining lifespan below that threshold to a state in which they function normally, and the materials necessary for that rework. A third determination means determines the cost required to procure the supplies determined by the second determination means, and determines whether there is an advantage in that the determined cost is less than the cost required to replace the circuit board, If the third determination means determines that there is no benefit, the first designation means designates the substrate as waste, If the third determination means determines that there is a benefit, the second designation means specifies the execution of the rework determined by the second determination means, After the rework is performed in accordance with the designation of the second designation means, or when it is determined that there are no risk components, or when all of the diagnosed "remaining life due to aging deterioration," "remaining life due to thermal fatigue," and "remaining life due to vibration fatigue" are above a threshold, the first inspection means inspects the electrical characteristics of the substrate, A first permission means that permits the reuse of the substrate on the condition that the electrical characteristics inspected by the first inspection means are satisfactory, including, The reuse support device according to claim 2.

4. The control means is If the electrical characteristics inspected by the first inspection means are unacceptable, the identification means identifies the defective part of the substrate related to those electrical characteristics, When the identification of the defective part by the aforementioned identification means is completed, a fourth determination means determines the rework procedure, which is a procedure to restore the defective part to a state of normal function, and the supplies necessary for the rework. A fifth determination means determines the cost required to procure the supplies determined by the fourth determination means, and determines whether there is an advantage in that the determined cost is less than the cost required to replace the circuit board, If the fifth determination means determines that there is no benefit, or if the identification means fails to identify the defective part, the third designation means designates the substrate as waste, If the fifth determination means determines that there is a benefit, the fourth designation means specifies the execution of the rework determined by the fourth determination means, A second inspection means for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the substrate after the rework is performed in accordance with the designation of the fourth designation means, A second permission means that permits the reuse of the substrate on the condition that the electrical characteristics inspected by the second inspection means are satisfactory, Further including, The reuse support device according to claim 3.

5. An imaging means for capturing images of the appearance of a circuit board to be set in the reuse support device, Recognition means for recognizing the substrate identification information of the substrate to be set based on an image captured by the imaging means or external input information, A storage means that stores board information relating to multiple boards in association with multiple board identification information, stores component information relating to electrical components mounted on each board and mounting supplies for those electrical components in association with each board identification information, stores the history of detection information of various sensors collected by the collection means in association with each board identification information, and stores initial electrical characteristic information of each board at a specified location in association with each board identification information. Furthermore, The diagnostic means reads from the storage means at least the history of substrate information and detection information corresponding to the substrate identification information recognized by the recognition means, and diagnoses the remaining lifespan of the through-holes and the remaining lifespan of the substrate's insulation based on the read substrate information and detection information history. The reuse support device according to claim 2.

6. A control method for a reuse support device that assists in the reuse of circuit boards on which electrical components are mounted, Detection information from various sensors provided on the substrate is collected through communication with the substrate. The remaining lifespan of the substrate is diagnosed based on the history of detection information from the various sensors collected. If the remaining lifespan determined by the diagnosis falls below a threshold, the disposal of the circuit board is specified; if the remaining lifespan determined by the diagnosis is equal to or greater than the threshold, the execution of rework, which is a procedure to restore the electrical components or mounting materials on the circuit board to a properly functioning state, is specified as appropriate. Control method for a reuse support device.

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