Equipment configuration creation support system and equipment configuration creation support method

Abstract

This invention provides an equipment configuration creation support system and method that can more effectively support the gradual replacement of equipment configurations in a production floor equipped with multiple component mounting lines. [Solution] The equipment configuration creation support method assists in creating equipment configurations for component mounting lines by simulating the production capacity of an existing equipment configuration of a production floor equipped with multiple component mounting lines (ST3), accepting an intermediate equipment configuration in which the equipment configuration of at least one component mounting line on the production floor has been modified (ST4), simulating the production capacity of the intermediate equipment configuration (ST5), accepting a final equipment configuration in which the equipment configuration of at least two component mounting lines on the production floor has been modified, simulating the production capacity of the final equipment configuration (ST7), and displaying the results of the simulations of the production capacity of the existing equipment configuration, the intermediate equipment configuration, and the final equipment configuration in a comparable manner (ST8).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an equipment configuration creation support system and an equipment configuration creation support method for supporting the creation of the equipment configuration of a component mounting line.

Background Art

[0002] On the production floor for producing mounting substrates, a plurality of component mounting lines are arranged. Since the production capacity of a component mounting line varies depending on the configuration of production equipment such as the component mounting devices to be arranged, a system for supporting the creation of an appropriate equipment configuration has been proposed. In Patent Document 1, an equipment configuration creation support system is disclosed that calculates the change cost for changing the equipment configuration of a component mounting line and the production costs before and after the change, and determines an equipment configuration that satisfies the cost reduction target.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a production floor that has been used for a long time, equipment configuration changes such as replacing a component mounting line are carried out for the purpose of measures against aging of production equipment and introduction of new technologies. In such equipment configuration changes, since it is risky to replace all the lines on the production floor with new lines at once, a step-by-step equipment configuration change in which some lines are replaced is carried out. In the prior art including Patent Document 1, although it is possible to support the creation of an equipment configuration that enables cost reduction in one component mounting line, it is not possible to more appropriately support the step-by-step change of the equipment configuration of the production floor, and there is room for further improvement.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide an equipment configuration creation support system and an equipment configuration creation support method that can more appropriately support the gradual replacement of equipment configurations in a production floor equipped with multiple component mounting lines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The facility configuration creation support system of this disclosure is a facility configuration creation support system that assists in creating a facility configuration of a component mounting line including a component mounting device, and comprises: a calculation unit that simulates the production capacity of the facility configuration of a production floor having a plurality of input component mounting lines, and a display unit that displays the results of the simulation, wherein the calculation unit performs at least the simulation of the production capacity of the existing facility configuration of the production floor, the simulation of the production capacity of an intermediate facility configuration obtained by changing the facility configuration of at least one component mounting line of the production floor, and the simulation of the production capacity of a final facility configuration obtained by changing the facility configuration of at least two component mounting lines of the production floor, and the display unit displays the results of the simulation of the production capacity of the existing facility configuration, the results of the simulation of the production capacity of the intermediate facility configuration, and the results of the simulation of the production capacity of the final facility configuration in a comparable manner.

[0007] The facility configuration creation support method of this disclosure is a facility configuration creation support method that supports the creation of a facility configuration for a component mounting line including a component mounting device, and includes simulating the production capacity of an existing facility configuration of a production floor having a plurality of component mounting lines, receiving an intermediate facility configuration obtained by changing the facility configuration of at least one of the component mounting lines of the production floor, simulating the production capacity of the intermediate facility configuration of the production floor, receiving a final facility configuration obtained by changing the facility configuration of at least two of the component mounting lines of the production floor, simulating the production capacity of the final facility configuration of the production floor, and displaying the simulation results of the production capacity of the existing facility configuration, the simulation results of the production capacity of the intermediate facility configuration, and the simulation results of the production capacity of the final facility configuration on a display unit in a comparable manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to better support the gradual replacement of equipment configurations in production floors equipped with multiple component mounting lines. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the configuration of a component mounting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of a component mounting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates an example of an equipment configuration setting screen displayed on the display unit of a management device (facility configuration creation support system) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the equipment configuration of an existing production floor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] (a)(b) An explanatory diagram showing an example of a modified production floor equipment configuration according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]This diagram illustrates an example of a simulation result display screen shown on the display unit of a management device (facility configuration creation support system) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] A flowchart of a facility configuration creation support method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] An embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The configurations, shapes, etc. described below are illustrative examples for illustrative purposes and can be modified as appropriate according to the specifications of the component mounting system, component mounting line, component mounting equipment, management equipment (facility configuration creation support system), etc. In the following, all corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals in all drawings, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0011] First, the configuration of the component mounting system 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. The component mounting system 1 consists of three component mounting lines L1 to L3 located on the production floor F, connected by a wired or wireless communication network 2 and managed by a management device 3. The component mounting lines L1 to L3 are located in the production area Ap on the production floor F. The component mounting lines L1 to L3 are configured by connecting production equipment including four component mounting devices M4 to M7. In other words, the production floor F is equipped with multiple component mounting lines L1 to L3, including component mounting devices M4 to M7.

[0012] The component mounting lines L1 to L3 have the function of producing mounted boards by sequentially transferring boards between production equipment and mounting components onto the boards using component mounting devices M4 to M7. Note that the component mounting lines L1 to L3 provided by the component mounting system 1 do not necessarily have to be three lines; there may be one, two, or four or more lines. The management device 3 has the function of a line management device that controls the production equipment of component mounting lines L1 to L3, as well as a system that assists in creating the equipment configuration of component mounting lines L1 to L3.

[0013] In Figure 1, a placement support device 4 is located in a preparation area As, which is separate from the production area Ap on the production floor F. The placement support device 4 is connected to a management device 3 via a communication network 2. The placement support device 4 is connected to replacement trolleys 5, which will be the target of the placement work described later. Multiple trolleys 5 in various states, such as before, during, or after the placement work is performed, are stored in the preparation area As. Note that workers on the production floor F may perform the placement work without using the placement support device 4.

[0014] The trolley 5 connected to the placement support device 4 performs placement work according to work instructions corresponding to the type of mounted circuit board (board type) to be produced in component mounting lines L1 to L3. As part of the placement work, the worker performs tasks such as removing multiple tape feeders 6 that supply the instructed components and reels that wind and store carrier tapes containing the components from the trolley 5, attaching them to the instructed positions on the trolley 5, and attaching carrier tapes to the tape feeders 6.

[0015] The trolley 5, located in the preparation area As which includes the trolley 5 connected to the placement work support device 4, can perform placement work in parallel with the production of mounted boards in the component mounting lines L1 to L3. Hereinafter, placement work for switching the type of mounted board outside of the component mounting lines L1 to L3, including placement work on the trolley 5, will be referred to as external setup work.

[0016] Next, referring to FIG. 1, the detailed configuration of the component mounting lines L1 to L3 will be described. The component mounting lines L1 to L3 have the same configuration. Hereinafter, the component mounting line L1 will be described. The component mounting line L1 includes production equipment such as a substrate supply device M1, a printing device M2, a printing inspection device M3, component mounting devices M4 to M7, an installation inspection device M8, a reflow device M9, and a substrate recovery device M10, which are connected in series from the upstream (left side of the paper) to the downstream (right side of the paper) in the substrate conveyance direction. The component mounting line L1 has a function of producing a mounted substrate on which components are mounted on the substrate. Note that the component mounting line L1 is a group of production equipment connected via the communication network 2, and the production equipment may not be physically connected to each other.

[0017] In FIG. 1, the substrate supply device M1 includes a storage unit such as a rack for storing a plurality of substrates, and supplies the substrate taken out from the storage unit to a downstream device by a conveyance conveyor. The printing device M2 conveys the substrate by a conveyance conveyor and prints paste-like solder on the substrate through a screen mask mounted on the printing work unit. The printing inspection device M3 conveys the substrate by a conveyance conveyor and inspects the state of the solder printed on the substrate by a printing inspection work unit including a solder inspection camera and various sensors.

[0018] The component mounting devices M4 to M7 convey the substrate by a conveyance conveyor, take out the components supplied by a component supply device such as a tape feeder 6 or a tray feeder by a nozzle mounted on the mounting head, and mount them on the substrate on which the solder is printed. Note that the component mounting line L1 is not limited to a configuration in which there are four component mounting devices M4 to M7, and the number of component mounting devices M4 to M7 may be one to three or five or more. A carriage 5 on which the tape feeder 6 is arranged is mounted on the component mounting devices M4 to M7.

[0019] When performing a setup change operation to change the type of mounting substrate (substrate type) to be produced, a carriage replacement operation is executed to replace the carriage 5 mounted on the component mounting apparatuses M4 to M7 with a replacement carriage 5 prepared by an external setup operation. Also, an internal setup operation to replace the tape feeder 6 mounted on the component mounting apparatuses M4 to M7 is executed. While the carriage replacement operation and the internal setup operation are being executed, the production of mounting substrates on the component mounting lines L1 to L3 is stopped.

[0020] In FIG. 1, the mounting inspection apparatus M8 conveys a substrate by a conveyance conveyor and inspects the state of components mounted on the substrate by a mounting inspection work unit including a mounting inspection camera. The reflow apparatus M9 conveys a substrate by a conveyance conveyor, heats the substrate carried into the apparatus by a substrate heating unit, melts and cures the solder on the substrate, and joins the electrode portions of the substrate and the components. The substrate recovery apparatus M10 includes a storage unit such as a rack for storing a plurality of substrates, receives the substrates unloaded by the upstream apparatus by a conveyance conveyor, and recovers them in the storage unit.

[0021] Note that the component mounting lines L1 to L3 are not limited to the above configuration. For example, the component mounting apparatuses M4 to M7 may be configured to include a plurality of mounting heads. Also, the component mounting apparatuses M4 to M7 may be configured as a dual lane that includes two conveyance conveyors at the front and rear and is capable of mounting components on two substrates. When the component mounting apparatuses M4 to M7 are of the dual lane type, a substrate sorting apparatus for sorting the received substrates to the front and rear conveyance conveyors is arranged upstream of the component mounting apparatus M4 on the component mounting lines L1 to L3, and a substrate sorting apparatus for unloading the substrates received from the front and rear conveyance conveyors to the downstream apparatus is arranged downstream of the component mounting apparatus M7.

[0022] Also, the component mounting lines L1 to L3 may be configured not to include the printing inspection apparatus M3 or the mounting inspection apparatus M8. Also, the component mounting lines L1 to L3 may be configured to include a post-reflow inspection apparatus for inspecting the state of components soldered to the substrate between the reflow apparatus M9 and the substrate recovery apparatus M10.

[0023] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the configuration of the control device 3 will be described. Here, among the multiple functions of the control device 3, the function as an equipment configuration creation support system that assists in creating the equipment configuration of the production equipment included in the component mounting lines L1 to L3, including the component mounting devices M4 to M7, will be described. The control device 3 comprises a processing unit 10, a storage unit 14, an input unit 21, a display unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0024] The input unit 21 is an input device such as a keyboard, touch panel, or mouse, and is used for inputting operation commands and data. The display unit 22 is a display device such as an LCD panel, which displays various data stored in the storage unit 14, as well as various information such as operation screens and input screens for operations performed by the input unit 21. The communication unit 23 is a communication interface that transmits and receives data between the production equipment (such as the board supply device M1, printing device M2, printing inspection device M3, component mounting devices M4-M7, mounting inspection device M8, reflow device M9, board recovery device M10, etc.) and the placement work support device 4 that make up the component mounting lines L1-L3 via the communication network 2.

[0025] In Figure 2, the processing unit 10 is an arithmetic unit such as a CPU. The processing unit 10 includes a performance data collection unit 11, a display processing unit 12, and an arithmetic unit 13 as internal processing units. The internal processing units may be composed of independent hardware assets or of a common CPU and programs for each information processing. The storage unit 14 is a storage device that stores various types of information. The storage unit 14 is implemented by, for example, flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage unit 14 stores information such as board information 15, production data 16, production performance information 17, floor information 18, simulated production plan information 19, and production capacity calculation results 20.

[0026] Furthermore, the management device 3 does not need to be composed of a single computer, but may be composed of multiple devices. In addition, all or part of the functions of the processing unit 10 and the storage unit 14 may be configured in the cloud.

[0027] In Figure 2, the substrate information 15 stores information about the configuration of the mounted substrate, such as the size of the substrate, the mounting position of components, and the types of components to be mounted, for each type of mounted substrate. The production data 16 stores information that identifies the screen mask to be mounted on the printing device M2, for each type of mounted substrate. Furthermore, the production data 16 stores information about the mounting heads and suction nozzles mounted on the component mounting devices M4 to M7, and the arrangement information of the tape feeder 6 on the trolley 5 (component arrangement information), for each type of mounted substrate. In other words, the production data 16 contains information that allows the production equipment (printing device M2, component mounting devices M4 to M7, etc.) to perform the production work of mounted substrates.

[0028] Furthermore, the production data 16 includes the ideal production time required to produce mounted circuit boards without production equipment stopping due to mounting errors, etc., which is calculated in advance through production planning simulations, as well as the setup time required for trolley replacement work and internal setup work.

[0029] In Figure 2, the performance data collection unit 11 periodically collects production data for component mounting work from multiple production equipment and line management computers (not shown) of component mounting lines L1 to L3 installed on the production floor F, and stores it in the storage unit 14 as production performance information 17. The production performance information 17 includes information such as the type of board 17a (information identifying the type of board), the number of boards produced 17b, and the production time 17c (production start date and time, production end date and time, setup changeover time, etc.) of the mounted boards produced. The production performance information 17 is linked to board information 15 and production data 16 based on the board type 17a. In other words, the production performance information 17 includes information related to the configuration of the mounted board (board type 17a).

[0030] In Figure 2, floor information 18 stores information about the configuration of production floor F and the equipment configuration of component mounting lines L1 to L3 located on production floor F. The equipment configuration of component mounting lines L1 to L3 includes information about the models of production equipment (printing machine M2, component mounting machines M4 to M7, etc.) and the equipment elements of the production equipment (tape feeder 6, tray feeder, mounting head, suction nozzle, etc.) located on component mounting lines L1 to L3.

[0031] Furthermore, floor information 18 includes existing equipment configuration 18a, which is the equipment configuration of an existing production floor F with a production record, as well as modified equipment configuration 18b, which is a modified version of the production equipment on production floor F. Modifications to the production equipment on production floor F include adding new component mounting lines L1-L3 to the existing production floor F, deleting existing component mounting lines L1-L3, replacing or deleting some of the production equipment on existing component mounting lines L1-L3, and adding new production equipment.

[0032] In Figure 2, the display processing unit 12 displays the equipment configuration setting screen, simulation result display screen, etc., described later, on the display unit 22 to support administrators and others in considering changes to the equipment configuration of the production floor F, which has multiple component mounting lines L1 to L3.

[0033] Here, with reference to Figure 3, an example of the equipment configuration setting screen 30 displayed on the display unit 22 by the display processing unit 12 based on the floor information 18 will be described. The equipment configuration setting screen 30 is used to set (input) the equipment configuration of the production floor F, for example, before simulating the production capacity of the production floor F. For example, the equipment configuration setting screen 30 is used to input an intermediate equipment configuration in which the equipment configuration of at least one component mounting line L1 to L3 of the existing production floor F has been changed, or to input the final equipment configuration in which the equipment configuration of at least two component mounting lines L1 to L3 of the existing production floor F has been changed.

[0034] Figure 3 illustrates an example of inputting an intermediate equipment configuration for changing one component mounting line (line L4) in an existing production floor F equipped with four component mounting lines (lines L1 to L4). The equipment configuration setting screen 30 is provided with a line selection area 31 and a line information display area 32. The line selection area 31 contains a line information setting frame 33, a floor name input field 34, an add line button 35, an existing floor display button 36, a setting execution button 37, and an exit button 38.

[0035] In Figure 3, the floor name input field 34 is used to enter the floor name (modified floor) of the production floor F to be created by changing the equipment configuration. When the administrator operates the input unit 21 and presses the existing floor display button 36, the equipment configuration of the existing production floor F is displayed in the line information setting frame 33 and the line information display area 32. When the line add button 35 is pressed, a new component mounting line is added to the line information setting frame 33. When the edit button in the line information setting frame 33 is pressed, the screen switches to the line settings screen, which is not shown in the figure. On the line settings screen, the equipment configuration of production equipment such as component mounting devices M4 to M7 to be placed on the component mounting line can be changed.

[0036] The line information setting frame 33 displays information such as the line name, the number of mounting devices (number of component mounting devices M4 to M7), and the number of stages for the currently configured component mounting lines (lines L1 to L4). The number of stages is the total number of stages in component mounting devices M4 to M7 that hold the circuit board and mount components onto the held circuit board. When the delete button corresponding to the line name is pressed in the line information setting frame 33, that component mounting line is deleted.

[0037] In Figure 3, a line information display frame 39 is located in the line information display area 32. The line information display frame 39 is provided with a line selection tab 39a, a line configuration display area 39b, and display feed buttons 39c and 39d. When either line selection tab 39a is selected, the information of the selected component mounting line is displayed in the line configuration display area 39b. When the display feed buttons 39c and 39d are pressed, the production equipment displayed in the line configuration display area 39b is changed to sequential feed.

[0038] In this example, the line configuration display section 39b shows the component mounting devices M4 to M7 of the component mounting line (line L4) on the new floor (changed floor) in the order in which they are connected. Component mounting devices M4 and M5 are component mounting devices of model "E1". Component mounting devices M6 and M7 are component mounting devices of model "E2". The component mounting device of model "E1" is a component mounting device with "2" stages, equipped with transport conveyors at the front and rear, and two mounting heads at the front and rear, respectively. The component mounting device of model "E2" is a component mounting device with "1" stage, equipped with transport conveyors at the front and rear, and one mounting head at the front and rear, respectively.

[0039] In Figure 3, the component mounting devices M4 to M7 displayed in the line configuration display section 39b show a table configuration display 39e showing the models of component supply devices mounted on the front and rear component supply sections, and a mounting head configuration display 39f showing the models of mounting heads mounted on the front and rear. In the table configuration display 39e, "c17" indicates a trolley 5 capable of carrying 17 tape feeders 6, "c30" indicates a trolley 5 capable of carrying 30 tape feeders 6, "f13" indicates a trolley 5 capable of carrying 13 tape feeders 6, and "t20" indicates a tray feeder capable of carrying 20 trays.

[0040] In the mounting head configuration display 39f, "H16" indicates a mounting head equipped with 16 suction nozzles, "H8" indicates a mounting head equipped with 8 suction nozzles, and "H3" indicates a mounting head equipped with 3 suction nozzles (hereinafter referred to as "mounting head H16," "mounting head H8," and "mounting head H3," respectively).

[0041] In Figure 3, when the execution button 37 is pressed, the display processing unit 12 stores the floor information of the new floor (changed floor) set on the equipment configuration setting screen 30 as the changed equipment configuration 18b in the storage unit 14. When the exit button 38 is pressed, the display processing unit 12 terminates the equipment configuration setting operation.

[0042] Here, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, an example of changing the equipment configuration of production floor F will be explained. Figure 4 shows the equipment configuration of the existing production floor F before the change (hereinafter referred to as "existing floor F0"). The existing floor F0 has four component mounting lines (hereinafter referred to as "existing lines L5 to L8") each equipped with four component mounting machines M11 to M14 connected in series. In existing lines L5 to L8, the three upstream component mounting machines M11 to M13 each have one stage and are fitted with two mounting heads H16. In existing lines L5 to L8, the downstream component mounting machine M14 has one stage and is fitted with one mounting head H8 and one mounting head H3.

[0043] Figure 5(a) shows the equipment configuration of production floor F (hereinafter referred to as "modified floor F1"), which is an intermediate configuration in which some of the equipment configuration has been changed from the existing floor F0. Modified floor F1 is located on a new component mounting line (hereinafter referred to as "new line L9") that replaces the existing lines L5 to L6, as well as the existing lines L7 and L8. Three new component mounting machines M15 to M17 are connected in series to the new line L9. Component mounting machine M15 has two stages and is equipped with four mounting heads H16. Component mounting machine M16 has one stage and is equipped with two mounting heads H16. Component mounting machine M17 has one stage and is equipped with one mounting head H8 and one mounting head H3.

[0044] Figure 5(b) shows the configuration of the final production floor F (hereinafter referred to as "modified floor F2"), which has some equipment configurations changed from modified floor F1. Modified floor F2 houses the new line L9, which was replaced in the intermediate configuration, and a new component mounting line (hereinafter referred to as "new line L10") that replaced the existing lines L7 to L8. Three new component mounting machines M18 to M20 are connected in series to new line L10. Component mounting machine M18 has two stages and is equipped with four mounting heads H16. Component mounting machine M19 has one stage and is equipped with two mounting heads H16. Component mounting machine M20 has one stage and is equipped with one mounting head H8 and one mounting head H3.

[0045] In Figure 2, the calculation unit 13 includes internal processing units such as an operating rate calculation unit 13a, an optimization processing unit 13b, and a production capacity calculation unit 13c. The operating rate calculation unit 13a calculates the operating rate 17d for the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of the production floor F based on the ideal production time and ideal setup time included in the production data 16, the number of mounted boards produced 17b and the production time 17c included in the production performance information 17, and stores it in the production performance information 17. Specifically, the operating rate calculation unit 13a calculates the operating rate 17d ((Σ ideal production time + Σ ideal setup time) / (Σ actual production time + Σ actual setup time)) based on the sum of the actual production time calculated from the production start date and time and production end date and time included in the production time 17c, the actual setup time included in the production time 17c, and the sum of the ideal production time and ideal setup time included in the production data 16.

[0046] The optimization processing unit 13b allocates the board type 17a to the modified component mounting lines L1 to L3 so that the boards of board type 17a produced in quantities of 17b in the existing equipment configuration 18a, as included in the production performance information 17, can be efficiently produced in the modified equipment configuration 18b. It then creates a simulated production plan and stores it in the storage unit 14 as simulated production plan information 19. For example, the simulated production plan information 19 includes information on the arrangement of the trolleys 5 attached to the component mounting devices M4 to M7 of the modified equipment configuration 18b, and information on setup change operations. In other words, the simulated production plan information 19 includes the number of external setup groups and the number of internal setup operations when producing boards of board type 17a produced in quantities of 17b in the existing equipment configuration 18a using the modified equipment configuration 18b.

[0047] In Figure 2, the production capacity calculation unit 13c calculates the production capacity for producing mounted boards of type 17a with a production quantity of 17b on the existing production floor F (existing floor F0) based on the board information 15, production data 16, production performance information 17, and existing equipment configuration 18a, by simulating the operation of the production equipment, and stores the production capacity calculation result 20 in the storage unit 14. Furthermore, the production capacity calculation unit 13c calculates the production capacity for producing mounted boards of type 17a with the same production quantity of 17b on the modified production floor F (modified floors F1, F2) based on the board information 15, production data 16, production performance information 17, production performance information 17, modified equipment configuration 18b, and simulated production plan information 19, by simulating the operation of the production equipment, and stores the production capacity calculation result 20 in the storage unit 14.

[0048] The production capacity calculation unit 13c predicts the production capacity of the existing production floor F (existing floor F0) by assuming that the production capacity will decrease by a utilization rate of 17d compared to the ideal production capacity. Similarly, the production capacity calculation unit 13c predicts the production capacity of the modified production floor F (modified floors F1, F2) by assuming that the production capacity will decrease by a utilization rate of 17d compared to the ideal production capacity. As part of the production capacity, for example, the production time required to produce a predetermined number of mounted boards 17b, the number of components that can be mounted on a board per unit time (e.g., 1 hour) (CPH), the cycle time required to produce one mounted board, and the CPH per unit area occupied by the production floor F are predicted.

[0049] In this way, the production capacity calculation unit 13c of the calculation unit 13 simulates the production capacity for each equipment configuration of the production floor F based on the production results (production results information 17) of the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of the production floor F. Furthermore, for the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a), the production capacity calculation unit 13c simulates the production capacity based on the number of mounted boards produced 17b, production time 17c, and operating rate 17d. Furthermore, for the changed equipment configuration (changed equipment configuration 18b), the production capacity calculation unit 13c simulates the production capacity based on information regarding the configuration of mounted boards (board type 17a, board information 15), the number of boards produced 17b, and the operating rate 17d.

[0050] Furthermore, the production capacity calculation unit 13c of the calculation unit 13 may predict (simulate) the production capacity for existing lines L7 to L8 based on the number of mounted boards produced 17b, production time 17c, and operating rate 17d included in the production performance information 17, even for the modified floor F1 where the equipment configuration has been changed. As a result, the production capacity calculation unit 13c can predict the production capacity even for component mounting lines that include component mounting devices M11 to M14 from other companies that do not have the information used for production capacity simulation, and the display processing unit 12 can display the production capacity on the display unit 22 in a comparable manner.

[0051] Next, referring to Figure 6, an example of the simulation result display screen 40 displayed on the display unit 22 by the display processing unit 12 based on the floor information 18, simulated production plan information 19, and production capacity calculation results 20 will be explained. The simulation result display screen 40 shows the results of the calculation unit 13 simulating production time (production capacity) for the existing floor F0 shown in Figure 4, the floor F1 with an intermediate configuration change shown in Figure 5(a), and the floor F2 with a final configuration change shown in Figure 5(b), under the condition of producing mounted boards of type 17a with a production quantity of 17b for 5 days included in the production performance information 17.

[0052] In Figure 6, the simulation results display screen 40 is provided with a simulation results display area 41 and a floor configuration display area 42. The simulation results display area 41 displays the simulation results of production time (production capacity) for each equipment configuration of the existing floor F0, the modified floor F1 (intermediate configuration), and the modified floor F2 (final configuration) included in the production capacity calculation results 20, in a bar graph for easy comparison.

[0053] In this example, the predicted production time on the existing floor F0 is "134 hours 10 minutes 44 seconds", the predicted production time on the intermediate configuration floor F1 is "121 hours 20 minutes 19 seconds", and the predicted production time on the final configuration floor F2 is "100 hours 50 minutes 55 seconds". Thus, from the display unit 22, it can be seen that by changing the equipment configuration step by step on the configuration floor F1 and then on the configuration floor F2, the production time is gradually shortened from the existing floor F0, and the production capacity is improved.

[0054] In Figure 6, the simulation results display area 41 shows the number of setup change groups and the number of trolley 5 changes for each of the change floors F1 and F2 included in the simulated production plan information 19. In this example, the setup change for change floor F1 is "3 groups", and the number of trolley 5 changes is "21". Similarly, the setup change for change floor F2 is "3 groups", and the number of trolley 5 changes is "7", showing that the number of trolley 5 changes is reduced compared to change floor F1.

[0055] In this way, the display processing unit 12 of the calculation unit 13 displays on the display unit 22 the simulation results of production capacity in the existing equipment configuration (existing floor F0), the simulation results of production capacity in the intermediate equipment configuration (changed floor F1), and the simulation results of production capacity in the final equipment configuration (changed floor F2) in a comparable manner. By displaying the simulation results of production capacity for the existing floor F0, the final changed floor F2, and the intermediate changed floor F1 in a comparable manner on the display unit 22 of the management device 3 (facility configuration creation support system), managers considering investments in new equipment can easily understand the prospects for replacing production floor F.

[0056] In Figure 6, the floor configuration display area 42 displays the layouts of the existing floor F0, the modified floor F1 (intermediate configuration), and the modified floor F2 (final configuration) included in the floor information 18. The floor configuration display area 42 also displays the relationship between the component mounting lines replaced by the change from the existing floor F0 to the modified floor F1, and the relationship between the component mounting lines replaced by the change from the modified floor F1 to the modified floor F2.

[0057] Specifically, arrows indicate that two of the four existing lines L5-L8 located on the existing floor F0, L5-L6, have been replaced by the new line L9 on the modified floor F1. Additionally, arrows indicate that the two remaining existing lines L7-L8 on the modified floor F1 have been replaced by the new line L10 on the modified floor F2.

[0058] In this way, the display processing unit 12 of the calculation unit 13 displays on the display unit 22 the layout of the production floor F (existing floor F0) in the existing equipment configuration, the layout of the production floor F (changed floor F1) in the intermediate equipment configuration, and the layout of the production floor F (changed floor F2) in the final equipment configuration, in a comparable manner. The display processing unit 12 of the calculation unit 13 also displays on the display unit 22 the relationship between the component mounting lines (existing lines L5~L8) in the existing equipment configuration and the component mounting lines (new lines L9~L10) with the changed equipment configuration.

[0059] The above explanation uses an example where only one intermediate-type change floor F1 is provided between the existing floor F0 and the final-type change floor F2. However, the intermediate-type change floor does not need to be limited to one stage. For example, there may be two or more intermediate-type change floors. In that case, the calculation unit 13 performs simulations of the production capacity in multiple intermediate-type equipment configurations (change floors), and the display unit 22 displays the results of the production capacity simulation in the existing equipment configuration (existing floor F0), the results of the production capacity simulations in multiple intermediate-type equipment configurations, and the results of the production capacity simulation in the final-type equipment configuration (change floor F2) in a comparable manner.

[0060] Next, following the flow in Figure 7 and referring to Figures 3 to 6, a method for supporting the creation of equipment configurations for component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8, new lines L9 to L10) including component mounting devices M11 to M20 will be explained. First, the calculation unit 13 acquires the equipment configuration of the existing production floor F (existing floor F0) (ST1). For example, the calculation unit 13 acquires the equipment configuration of the existing floor F0 (Figure 4) from production performance information 17 and floor information 18. Then, the performance collection unit 11 acquires production performance data for component mounting work from the component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8) of the existing production floor F (ST2).

[0061] Next, the calculation unit 13 simulates the production capacity of the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of the production floor F, which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8) (ST3).

[0062] Next, the display processing unit 12 displays the equipment configuration setting screen 30 (Figure 3) on the display unit 22 and accepts the equipment configuration of an intermediate form (modified floor F1) (Figure 5(a)) in which the equipment configuration of at least one component mounting line (existing lines L5~L6) on the production floor F (existing floor F0) has been changed (ST4). Next, the calculation unit 13 simulates the production capacity of the equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) of the intermediate form (modified floor F1) of the production floor F (ST5).

[0063] In Figure 7, the display processing unit 12 then displays the equipment configuration setting screen 30 (Figure 3) on the display unit 22 and accepts the final configuration (modified floor F2) (Figure 5(b)) in which the equipment configuration of at least two component mounting lines (existing lines L5~L8) on the production floor F (existing floor F0) has been changed (ST6). Next, the calculation unit 13 simulates the production capacity in the final configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) of the production floor F (modified floor F2) (ST7).

[0064] Next, the display processing unit 12 displays the simulation results of production capacity in the existing (existing floor F0) equipment configuration (production capacity calculation result 20), the simulation results of production capacity in the intermediate configuration (changed floor F1) equipment configuration (production capacity calculation result 20), and the simulation results of production capacity in the final configuration (changed floor F2) equipment configuration (production capacity calculation result 20) on the display unit 22 in a comparable manner (Figure 6) (ST8). This makes it possible to more appropriately support the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8).

[0065] As explained above, this disclosure discloses the following technical concepts.

[0066] (Technology 1) A system for creating equipment configurations (management device 3) that assists in creating equipment configurations for component mounting lines (existing lines L5-L8, new lines L9-L10) including component mounting devices M11-M20, A calculation unit 13 simulates the production capacity of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0, modified floors F1, F2) which has multiple input component mounting lines (existing lines L5~L8, new lines L9~L10), It includes a display unit 22 that displays the simulation results (production capacity calculation results 20), The calculation unit 13 performs at least the following simulations: simulation of the production capacity in the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of the production floor F (existing floor F0); simulation of the production capacity in the intermediate configuration (modified floor F1) (modified equipment configuration 18b) obtained by changing the equipment configuration of at least one component mounting line (existing lines L5-L6) of the production floor F; and simulation of the production capacity in the final configuration (modified floor F2) (modified equipment configuration 18b) obtained by changing the equipment configuration of at least two component mounting lines (existing lines L5-L8) of the production floor F. The display unit 22 is an equipment configuration creation support system (management device 3) that displays, in a comparative manner, the results of a production capacity simulation (production capacity calculation result 20) for the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a), the results of a production capacity simulation (production capacity calculation result 20) for an intermediate equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b), and the results of a production capacity simulation (production capacity calculation result 20) for the final equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b).

[0067] This will allow for more appropriate support for the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8).

[0068] (Technology 2) The calculation unit 13 is an equipment configuration creation support system (management device 3) as described in Technical 1, which simulates the production capacity of each equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a, changed equipment configuration 18b) of production floor F based on the production performance (production performance information 17) of the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of production floor F.

[0069] This makes it possible to more appropriately support the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8), based on the production performance of the existing floor F0.

[0070] (Technology 3) The production results (production results information 17) include at least information regarding the configuration of the mounted board (board type 17a), the number of boards produced 17b, and the production time 17c. The arithmetic unit 13 is, Based on the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a), a production capacity simulation was performed using the number of mounted circuit boards produced 17b and the production time 17c. In the modified equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b), the equipment configuration creation support system (management device 3) described in Technology 2 performs a simulation of production capacity based on information regarding the configuration of the mounted circuit board (circuit board type 17a) and the number of units to be produced 17b.

[0071] This makes it possible to more appropriately support the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8), based on the production performance of the existing floor F0.

[0072] (Technology 4) Production results (production results information 17) include at least the number of mounted circuit boards produced 17b and production time 17c. The arithmetic unit 13 is, Based on the number of mounted circuit boards produced (17b) and production time (17c), the operating rate (17d) of the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of production floor F was calculated. The equipment configuration creation support system (management device 3) described in Technology 2 simulates production capacity in the existing equipment configuration and the modified equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) based on the operating rate 17d.

[0073] This allows for more appropriate support for the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8), based on the utilization rate of existing floor F0 (17d).

[0074] (Technology 5) The calculation unit 13 performs simulations of production capacity in multiple intermediate equipment configurations (modified equipment configuration 18b), The display unit 22 displays, in a comparable manner, the results of a simulation of production capacity in the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) (production capacity calculation result 20), the results of a simulation of production capacity in multiple intermediate equipment configurations (production capacity calculation result 20), and the results of a simulation of production capacity in the final equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) (production capacity calculation result 20), as described in any one of the technologies 1 to 4, and is an equipment configuration creation support system (management device 3).

[0075] This allows for the display of simulation results of production capacity for multiple intermediate equipment configurations, thereby more appropriately supporting the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8).

[0076] (Technology 6) The display unit 22 is, A facility configuration creation support system (management device 3) described in any one of the technologies 1 to 5, which displays in a comparable manner the layout of production floor F (existing floor F0) in the existing facility configuration (existing facility configuration 18a), the layout of production floor F (modified floor F1) in an intermediate facility configuration (modified facility configuration 18b), and the layout of production floor F (modified floor F2) in the final facility configuration (modified facility configuration 18b).

[0077] This allows for the display of the production floor F layout, providing better support for the phased replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5-L8).

[0078] (Technology 7) The display unit 22 is, A system for creating equipment configurations, as described in Technology 6, that displays the relationship between existing equipment configurations for component mounting lines (existing lines L5-L8) and components mounting lines with modified equipment configurations (new lines L9-L10).

[0079] This allows us to display the correlation of replacements of component mounting lines on production floor F, and more appropriately support the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8).

[0080] (Technology 8) A method for creating equipment configurations that assists in creating equipment configurations for component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8, new lines L9 to L10) including component mounting devices M11 to M20, The production capacity of production floor F, which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8), was simulated (ST3) with the existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) of the existing floor F0. The equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) of an intermediate form (modified floor F1) in which the equipment configuration of at least one component mounting line (existing lines L5~L6) on production floor F has been changed is accepted (ST4). The production capacity of the intermediate equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) of production floor F was simulated (ST5), The final configuration (modified floor F2) of the modified equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) of at least two component mounting lines (existing lines L5~L8) on production floor F is accepted (ST6). The production capacity of the final equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) of production floor F was simulated (ST7), A method for supporting the creation of equipment configurations, which displays the results of a simulation of production capacity in an existing equipment configuration (existing equipment configuration 18a) (production capacity calculation result 20), the results of a simulation of production capacity in an intermediate equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) (production capacity calculation result 20), and the results of a simulation of production capacity in the final equipment configuration (modified equipment configuration 18b) (production capacity calculation result 20) on the display unit 22 in a comparable manner (ST8).

[0081] This will allow for more appropriate support for the gradual replacement of the equipment configuration of production floor F (existing floor F0), which has multiple component mounting lines (existing lines L5 to L8). [Industrial applicability]

[0082] The equipment configuration creation support system and equipment configuration creation support method of this disclosure have the effect of being able to more appropriately support the gradual replacement of equipment configurations in production floors equipped with multiple component mounting lines, and are useful in the field of mounting components onto substrates. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 3. Management device (equipment configuration creation support system) F Production Floor L1-L3 Component mounting lines L5~L8 Existing lines (component mounting lines) L9~L10 New line (component mounting line) M4-M7, M11-M20 component mounting equipment

Claims

1. A system for creating equipment configurations that assists in creating equipment configurations for component mounting lines, including component mounting equipment, A calculation unit that simulates the production capacity of the equipment configuration of a production floor equipped with multiple component mounting lines, The system includes a display unit for displaying the results of the simulation, The calculation unit performs at least the following: simulation of the production capacity in the existing equipment configuration of the production floor; simulation of the production capacity in an intermediate equipment configuration in which the equipment configuration of at least one component mounting line of the production floor has been modified; and simulation of the production capacity in the final equipment configuration in which the equipment configuration of at least two component mounting lines of the production floor has been modified. The display unit is a system for supporting the creation of equipment configurations, which displays the results of the simulation of production capacity in an existing equipment configuration, the results of the simulation of production capacity in an intermediate equipment configuration, and the results of the simulation of production capacity in the final equipment configuration in a comparable manner.

2. The equipment configuration creation support system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit performs the simulation of the production capacity of each of the equipment configurations on the production floor based on the production results of the existing equipment configurations on the production floor.

3. The aforementioned production results include, at a minimum, information regarding the configuration of the mounted circuit board, the number of boards produced, and the production time. The aforementioned arithmetic unit, In the existing equipment configuration, the production capacity is simulated based on the number of mounted boards produced and the production time. The equipment configuration creation support system according to claim 2, wherein, with the modified equipment configuration, the system performs the simulation of production capacity based on the information regarding the configuration of the mounted circuit board and the number of units to be produced.

4. The aforementioned production results include, at a minimum, the number of mounted circuit boards produced and the production time. The aforementioned arithmetic unit, Based on the number of mounted boards produced and the production time, the operating rate of the existing equipment configuration of the production floor is calculated. The equipment configuration creation support system according to claim 2, which performs the simulation of production capacity in the existing equipment configuration and the modified equipment configuration based on the operating rate.

5. The calculation unit performs the simulation of the production capacity in multiple intermediate configurations of the equipment, The equipment configuration creation support system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays, in a comparable manner, the results of the simulation of production capacity in the existing equipment configuration, the results of the simulation of production capacity in a plurality of intermediate equipment configurations, and the results of the simulation of production capacity in the final equipment configuration.

6. The aforementioned display unit is The equipment configuration creation support system according to claim 1, which displays in a comparable manner the layout of the production floor in an existing equipment configuration, the layout of the production floor in an intermediate equipment configuration, and the layout of the production floor in the final equipment configuration.

7. The aforementioned display unit is The equipment configuration creation support system according to claim 6, which displays the relationship between the existing equipment configuration of the component mounting line and the equipment configuration of the component mounting line with a modified equipment configuration.

8. A method for creating equipment configurations that assists in creating equipment configurations for component mounting lines, including component mounting equipment, The production capacity of the existing equipment configuration of the production floor equipped with multiple component mounting lines is simulated, The equipment configuration of at least one of the component mounting lines on the production floor is accepted in an intermediate form in which the equipment configuration has been changed. The production capacity of the equipment configuration in the intermediate form of the production floor is simulated, The final equipment configuration, which involves modifying the equipment configuration of at least two of the component mounting lines on the production floor, is accepted. The production capacity of the equipment configuration in the final form of the production floor is simulated, A method for supporting the creation of an equipment configuration, which displays on a display unit in a comparable manner the results of the simulation of production capacity in the existing equipment configuration, the results of the simulation of production capacity in an intermediate equipment configuration, and the results of the simulation of production capacity in the final equipment configuration.

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