Mounting system and component supply unit arrangement method

Abstract

To suppress deterioration in production efficiency by efficiently arranging a required component supply unit at replacement of a production job.SOLUTION: In a component mounting device, a supply available area 20A which is arranged so that a component supply unit can supply a component and a supply impossible area 20B which is arranged so that the component cannot supply are provided. In a state where a first component supply unit for supplying the component which is common to a plurality of production jobs provided in a predetermined production group is arranged in the supply available area, and a second component supply unit for supplying the component required for any one of production jobs in the production group is arranged in a scattered manner in the supply available area and the supply impossible area, the component mounting device is controlled so as to sequentially execute mounting processing based on each production job of the production group. A unit exchange device is controlled so that the second component supply unit is automatically exchanged between the supply available area and the supply impossible area for arranging the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch to the supply available area each timing when the production job is switched.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This specification discloses a mounting system and a method for arranging a component supply unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a mounting system equipped with a component mounter to which a cassette-type component supply unit (feeder) that supplies components is removably attached, a system equipped with an exchange device that automatically exchanges the component supply unit has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this system, the exchange time for each component supply unit is set based on the board production plan and the remaining amount of components in each component supply unit, and the exchange device is controlled to detach and automatically exchange the component supply unit at the exchange time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO2017 / 33268A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above mounting system, when the number of component supply units to be automatically replaced increases when switching production jobs, such as when changing the type of board, it takes a long time for the replacement device to automatically replace them, which delays the start of the mounting process and reduces the production efficiency of the entire system.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to suppress a decrease in production efficiency by more efficiently arranging required component supply units when switching production jobs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main object, the present disclosure has adopted the following means.

[0007] The mounting system disclosed herein is a mounting system comprising: a component mounter that executes a mounting process based on a production job, which picks up components supplied from a plurality of component supply units and mounts them on a board; and a unit exchange device that automatically exchanges the component supply units arranged in the component mounter, wherein the component mounter is provided with a supplyable area in which the component supply units are lined up so that they can supply components, and a non-supplyable area in which the component supply units are lined up so that they cannot supply components, and a first component supply unit for supplying components common to a plurality of production jobs of a specified production group is arranged in the supplyable area, and a second component supply unit for supplying components required for one of the production jobs of the production group is distributed and arranged in the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area, and the component mounter is controlled to sequentially execute mounting processes based on each production job of the production group, and the mounting system further comprises a control device that controls the unit exchange device to automatically exchange the second component supply unit between the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area each time the production job is switched, in order to place the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch in the supplyable area.

[0008] In the mounting system of the present disclosure, a first component supply unit for supplying components common to a plurality of production jobs of a given production group is placed in a supplyable area, and a second component supply unit for supplying components required for any of the production jobs is placed in a distributed manner between the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area, and mounting processes based on each production job of the production group are executed sequentially. In addition, the second component supply unit is automatically exchanged between the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area in order to place the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch in the supplyable area every time the production job is switched. This allows the number of component supply units to be automatically exchanged when the production job is switched to be reduced, since the first component supply unit common to a plurality of production jobs is left placed in the supplyable area, and the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch is placed in the supplyable area every time the production job is switched. In addition, since the second component supply unit is placed in a distributed manner between the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area, the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch can be quickly placed in the supplyable area. Therefore, when switching between production jobs, the necessary component supply units can be arranged more efficiently, and a decrease in production efficiency can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a component mounting system 10. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the outline of the configuration of a component mounter 20. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a feeder 30. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the outline of the configuration of a loader 50. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram relating to control of the component mounting system 10. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of feeder arrangement information 29. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of feeder arrangement information 29. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an implementation management processing routine. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an arrangement of feeders 30. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of feeder arrangement information 29B when an individual feeder is moved within a buffer area 20B. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a production group setting process routine. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a modified exchange robot 150. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Next, an embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a component mounting system 10 of this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a component mounter 20, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a feeder 30. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a loader 50, and Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram related to the control of the component mounting system 10. Note that the left-right direction in Fig. 1 is the X direction, the front-rear direction is the Y direction, and the up-down direction is the Z direction.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the component mounting system 10 includes a printer 12, a print inspection machine 14, a plurality of component mounters 20, a mounting inspection machine (not shown), a loader 50, a feeder storage 60, and a management device 80 (see FIG. 5). The printer 12 prints solder on a board S. The print inspection machine 14 inspects the state of the solder printed by the printer 12. The component mounters 20 are arranged in a line along the transport direction (X direction) of the board S, and mount components supplied from the feeders 30 on the board S. The mounting inspection machine inspects the mounting state of the components mounted by the component mounters 20. The loader 50 supplies necessary feeders 30 to the plurality of component mounters 20 and collects used feeders 30 from the component mounters 20. The feeder storage 60 stores feeders 30 to be used by the component mounters 20 and used feeders 30. The management device 80 manages the entire system. The printer 12, the print inspection machine 14, the multiple component mounters 20, and the mount inspection machine are arranged in this order in the conveying direction of the board S to form a production line. The feeder storage 60 is installed in this production line between the component mounter 20 on the most upstream side and the print inspection machine 14.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 2, the component mounter 20 includes a board transport device 21 that transports the board S in the X direction, a head 22 having a suction nozzle that picks up components, a head moving mechanism 23 that moves the head 22 in the XY directions, and a parts camera 25 that captures the components picked up by the suction nozzle from below. The component mounter 20 also includes a mounting control device 28 (see Fig. 5) that is composed of a known CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. and controls the entire device. The mounting control device 28 inputs images captured by the parts camera 25 and outputs drive signals to the board transport device 21, the head 22, the head moving mechanism 23, etc. The component mounter 20 also has two areas, an upper area and a lower area, in which a feeder 30 can be attached in the front. The upper area is a supply area 20A that can supply components to the head 22, and the lower area is a buffer area 20B that cannot supply components and can store the feeder 30. In the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B, a feeder table 40 is provided, which is L-shaped in side view and on which a predetermined number of feeders 30, such as several tens of feeders, are arranged. The feeder table 40 may be configured so that the number of feeders 30 arranged in the supply area 20A is greater than that in the buffer area 20B.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 3, the feeder 30 includes a tape reel 32 around which a tape is wound, a tape feed mechanism 33 that feeds the tape from the tape reel 32, a connector 35 having two positioning pins 34, a rail member 37 provided at the lower end, and a feeder control device 39 (see Fig. 5). As shown in Fig. 2, the feeder table 40 includes a plurality of slots 42 arranged in the X direction at intervals that allow the rail member 37 of the feeder 30 to be inserted, two positioning holes 44, and a connector 45 provided between the two positioning holes 44. When the rail member 37 of the feeder 30 is inserted into the slot 42 of the feeder table 40 and the two positioning pins 34 of the feeder 30 are inserted into the two positioning holes 44, the connector 35 and the connector 45 are connected. The feeder control device 39 is composed of a known CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and outputs a drive signal to the tape feed mechanism 33. Through the connection of the connectors 35 and 45, the feeder control device 39 is capable of communicating with a control unit (such as the mounting control device 28 or the management device 80) of the device to which the feeder 30 is attached.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the loader 50 is movable along an X-axis rail 18 provided in front of the multiple component mounters 20 and the feeder storage 60 in parallel with the board transport direction (X direction). Note that the X-axis rail 18 is not shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the loader 50 includes a loader movement mechanism 51, a feeder transfer mechanism 53, an encoder 57, and a loader control device 59. The loader movement mechanism 51 moves the loader 50 along the X-axis rail 18, and includes an X-axis motor 52a such as a servo motor that drives a drive belt, and a guide roller 52b that guides the movement of the loader 50 along the X-axis rail 18. The feeder transfer mechanism 53 transfers the feeder 30 to the component mounter 20 or the feeder storage 60, and includes a clamp unit 54 for clamping the feeder 30, and a Y-axis slider 55 for moving the clamp unit 54 in the front-rear direction (Y direction) along the Y-axis guide rail 55b by driving the Y-axis motor 55a. The feeder transfer mechanism 53 includes two Y-axis sliders 55, and can transfer multiple feeders 30 simultaneously using the multiple clamp units 54. Each Y-axis slider 55 can transfer, for example, two feeders 30 at a time. The feeder transfer mechanism 53 also includes a Z-axis motor 56a for moving the slide base 56, to which the clamp unit 54 and the Y-axis slider 55 are slidably attached, in the up-down direction (Z direction) along the Z-axis guide rail 56b. The encoder 57 detects the movement position of the loader 50 in the X direction. The loader control device 59 is composed of a known CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. The loader control device 59 receives a detection signal from the encoder 57, and outputs a drive signal to the loader moving mechanism 51 (X-axis motor 52a) and the feeder transfer mechanism 53 (clamp unit 54, Y-axis motor 55a, Z-axis motor 56a).

[0015] When automatic exchange of the feeder 30 is performed, the loader control device 59 first controls the X-axis motor 52a to move the loader 50 to the slot 42 of the component mounter 20 that is to perform the automatic exchange. When automatic exchange is performed between the supply area 20A, the loader control device 59 moves the slide base 56 (Y-axis slider 55) to the upper transfer area 50A, and when automatic exchange is performed between the buffer area 20B, the slide base 56 moves to the lower transfer area 50B. With the feeder 30 clamped by the clamp unit 54, the loader control device 59 moves the Y-axis slider 55 toward the component mounter 20 (rearward) to insert the feeder 30 (rail member 37) into the slot 42, releases the clamp, and attaches the feeder 30 to the feeder table 40. In addition, the loader control device 59 moves the Y-axis slider 55 toward the component mounter 20 side to clamp the feeder 30 attached to the feeder table 40 with the clamp section 54, and then moves the Y-axis slider 55 forward to remove the feeder 30 from the feeder table 40 and recover it into the loader 50.

[0016] The feeder storage 60 is provided with a feeder table having the same configuration as the feeder table 40 of the component mounter 20, and the feeder 30 can be attached and detached by a loader 50. The feeder storage 60 is also provided with a board transport device 62 that transports the board S in the X direction, and can receive the board S from the print inspection machine 14 and hand it over to the adjacent component mounter 20.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 5, the management device 80 is composed of a known CPU 80a, ROM 80b, HDD 80c, RAM 80d, etc., and includes a display 82 such as an LCD, and an input device 84 such as a keyboard and a mouse. The management device 80 stores information about the job (production job) of the board S and feeder arrangement information about the arrangement of the feeders 30 in the HDD 80c, RAM 80d, etc. The job specifies which component types and in what order are to be mounted on the board S by each mounter 20, and how many boards S mounted in this way are to be produced. The management device 80 is connected to the mounting control device 28, the loader control device 59, and the respective control devices of the printer 12 and the print inspection machine 14 so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. The management device 80 receives information about the mounting status of the mounter 20 and information about the attached and detached feeder 30 from the mounting control device 28, and receives information about the driving status of the loader 50 from the loader control device 59. When the management device 80 receives information about the feeder 30 attached to the feeder table 40 of the component mounter 20 or the feeder 30 removed from the feeder table 40 from the mounting control device 28, the management device 80 updates the feeder arrangement information of the component mounter 20. The management device 80 also outputs a drive signal to the board transport device 62 of the feeder storage 60 to cause the board transport device 62 to transport the board S. The management device 80 is also communicatively connected to the feeder control device 39 of the feeder 30 attached to the feeder table of the feeder storage 60 via the connectors 35, 45, and updates the feeder arrangement information of the feeder storage 60 when it acquires information about the feeder 30 attached to or removed from the feeder table.

[0018] Here, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the feeder arrangement information 29. Fig. 6 shows the feeder arrangement information 29A in the supply area 20A, and Fig. 7 shows the feeder arrangement information 29B in the buffer area 20B. The feeder arrangement information 29 includes position information indicating the slot position (number) in which each feeder 30 is arranged, feeder information such as a feeder ID (identification information), a component type, and a remaining amount of components, and job information of a job in which the feeder 30 is used. The slot position in the supply area 20A is called a supply position Sn, and the slot position in the buffer area 20B is called a buffer position Bn. In the case of a feeder 30 that is used in common by multiple jobs, job information of the multiple jobs (for example, J(1), J(2), J(3), J(4), etc. in Fig. 6) is registered. Here, for the feeders 30 arranged in the supply area 20A, slot positions (predetermined positions) in an arrangement suitable for mounting processing taking into account the mounting order of components and collection efficiency are determined, and the slot position is called an appropriate position Sa. In the supply area 20A, the feeder 30 is basically placed in its appropriate position Sa. On the other hand, in the buffer area 20B, such a position is not necessary, but information on the appropriate position Sa of each feeder 30 when placed in the supply area 20A is also registered in the feeder placement information 29B. Note that the supply position Sn and the buffer position Bn are assumed to be the same slot position at a position corresponding to the Z direction (up and down direction) without being shifted in the X direction. The mounting control device 28 stores the feeder placement information 29 of the component mounter 20 in a storage unit such as a RAM. In addition, the management device 80 stores the feeder placement information 29 of each component mounter 20 and the feeder placement information of the feeder storage 60 in a storage unit such as an HDD 80c or a RAM 80d.

[0019] Next, the operation of the component mounting system 10 thus configured will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a mounting management processing routine. In this routine, the CPU 80a of the management device 80 first sets the execution order n of the jobs in the production group to an initial value in the production group (S100), executes a feeder initial placement process for placing the feeders 30 required for each job in the production group (S110), and prepares for the mounting process. A production group is a group that has multiple jobs and can place the feeders 30 used in each job together in the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B. In this embodiment, one production group having four jobs J(1) to J(4) is exemplified. In this embodiment, a feeder 30 for supplying components common to all of the multiple jobs in the production group is called a common feeder, and a feeder 30 required individually for any job in the production group is called an individual feeder. For example, the feeders 30 at the supply positions S1 to S4 in Fig. 6 are common feeders for jobs J(1) to J(4), and the feeders 30 at the buffer positions B27 to B30 in Fig. 7 are individual feeders for job J(3). Note that some individual feeders may be used by two or more jobs.

[0020] In the feeder initial placement process of S110, the CPU 80a outputs an instruction to the loader control device 59 to place the common feeder of each job in the supply area 20A, and causes the loader 50 to place the common feeder in the supply area 20A. The common feeder is placed in the slot 42 corresponding to the appropriate position Sa in the supply area 20A. The CPU 80a also outputs an instruction to the loader control device 59 to place the individual feeder of the first job J(n) in the appropriate position Sa in the supply area 20A and the individual feeders of the other jobs in the buffer area 20B, and causes the loader 50 to place the individual feeders in the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B. The individual feeders may be placed before the common feeders. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the placement of the feeders 30, and the common feeders and the individual feeders are shown in different colors. FIG. 9A shows the placement of the feeders 30 when the feeder initial placement process is completed. As shown in the figure, common feeders for jobs J(1) to J(4) and individual feeders for the leading job J(1) are arranged in supply area 20A. Individual feeders for the other jobs J(2) to J(4) are arranged in buffer area 20B. In this embodiment, the common feeders are arranged in a grouped range (the range on the left side in the figure) in supply area 20A, and individual feeders for the leading job J(1) are arranged in the remaining range in supply area 20A.

[0021] After thus executing the feeder initial placement process of S110, the CPU 80a outputs an instruction to the mounting control device 28 to cause the mounter 20 to execute the mounting process of job J(n) (S120). In the case of the placement shown in FIG. 9A, the mounter 20 executes a mounting process for the number of boards S determined in job J(1), in which components for job J(1) are picked up by the suction nozzle of the head 22 from the common feeders for jobs J(1) to J(4) and the individual feeders for job J(1) and mounted on the boards S. During this mounting process, the CPU 80a determines whether or not there is an individual feeder that needs to be transferred within the buffer area 20B (S130). In this embodiment, the CPU 80a determines that transfer is necessary in the following two cases. The first case is when, among the individual feeders of each job in the buffer area 20B, the individual feeders of the job J(n+1) to be mounted next are not within the range corresponding to the lower side of the individual feeders of the job J(n) being mounted. The second case is when the individual feeders of the job J(n+1) are not located at the buffer position Bn corresponding to the appropriate position Sa immediately below the individual feeders when they are placed in the supply area 20A. In the example of FIG. 9A, the individual feeders of the next job J(2) are located in the range below the placement range of the individual feeders of the job J(1) being mounted, and are placed at the buffer position Bn corresponding to each appropriate position Sa. In that case, the CPU 80a determines in S130 that there are no individual feeders that need to be transferred, and skips S140. Next, the CPU 80a determines whether the mounting process of the job J(n) has been completed (S150), and if it determines that the mounting process has not been completed, returns to S130 and repeats the process.

[0022] Then, when the CPU 80a determines in S150 that the mounting process of the job J(n) is completed, it determines whether the process of the production group is completed (S160). When the CPU 80a determines in S150 and S160 that the mounting process of the job J(n) is completed and the process of the production group is not completed, that is, when the job is switched, it outputs an instruction to the loader control device 59 to replace the individual feeder of the job J(n) before the switch that has completed the mounting process with the individual feeder of the job J(n+1) after the switch (S170), and waits for the replacement to be completed (S180). The loader control device 59 controls the loader 50 based on the instruction to replace the individual feeder of the job J(n) with the individual feeder of the job J(n+1). In the example of FIG. 9, the individual feeder of the job J(1) before the switch is replaced with the individual feeder of the job J(2) after the switch (see FIG. 9B). As described above, the individual feeder after switching is arranged in the buffer area 20B at the buffer position Bn corresponding to the appropriate position Sa within the range corresponding to the lower side of the individual feeder before switching in the supply area 20A. Therefore, the loader 50 can automatically exchange the individual feeder before switching in the supply area 20A and the individual feeder after switching in the buffer area 20B so as to exchange them vertically. That is, the loader 50 can take out the individual feeder after switching from the buffer area 20B and quickly arrange it at the appropriate position Sa in the supply area 20A without moving in the X direction (left and right direction). In addition, the loader 50 only needs to exchange the individual feeder and does not need to exchange the common feeder, so that the number of feeders 30 to be automatically exchanged when switching jobs can be reduced, thereby shortening the time required for automatic exchange.

[0023] After replacing the individual feeders in this way, the CPU 80a updates the execution order n by incrementing it by a value of 1 (S190), returns to S120, and executes the mounting process of job J(n). Since the individual feeders were automatically replaced up and down in S170, the individual feeder of job J(1), whose mounting process has been completed, is placed below the individual feeder of job J(2) being mounted. In other words, since the individual feeder of job J(3) is not placed in a range below the placement range of the individual feeder of job J(2) being mounted, the CPU 80a determines in S130 that the individual feeder needs to be moved. For this reason, the CPU 80a outputs an instruction to the loader control device 59 to move the individual feeder of the next job J(n+1) (job J(3) in this case) to a buffer position Bn that corresponds to the appropriate position Sa and is in a range below the placement range of the individual feeder of job J(n) being mounted (job J(2) in this case) (S140). As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C, the individual feeders of job J(3) and job J(1) are transferred within the buffer area 20B. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the feeder arrangement information 29B when transferring the individual feeders within the buffer area 20B. FIG. 10A shows the state before the transfer, and FIG. 10B shows the state after the transfer. As shown in the figure, the individual feeders of job J(3) are transferred from the buffer positions B27-B30 to the buffer positions B31-B34 corresponding to the appropriate positions S31-S34. When the CPU 80a determines in S160 that the processing of the production group is completed while repeating these processes, it ends the mounting management process.

[0024] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of this disclosure will be clarified. The feeder 30 of this embodiment corresponds to a component supply unit, the component mounter 20 corresponds to a component mounter, the loader 50 corresponds to a unit exchange device, the supply area 20A corresponds to a supplyable area, the buffer area 20B corresponds to a non-supplyable area, the component mounting system 10 corresponds to a component mounting system, and the management device 80, the loader control device 59, and the mounting control device 28 correspond to a control device. In addition, by explaining the operation of the component mounting system 10, the arrangement method of the component supply unit of this disclosure is also clarified.

[0025] In the component mounting system 10 described above, the common feeders (first component supply units) of each job of the production group are arranged in the supply area 20A, and the individual feeders (second component supply units) of any job are distributed and arranged in the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B, and mounting processes based on each job are executed sequentially. Furthermore, every time a job is switched, the loader 50 is made to automatically exchange the individual feeders between the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B in order to arrange the individual feeders required for the job after the switch in the supply area 20A. Therefore, the loader 50 only needs to automatically exchange the individual feeders, and the number of feeders 30 to be automatically exchanged can be reduced. Furthermore, since the individual feeders of each job are distributed and arranged in the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B, the loader 50 can quickly arrange the individual feeders required for the job after the switch in the supply area 20A.

[0026] Furthermore, in the component mounting system 10, during the execution of the mounting process, the loader 50 is controlled so as to place the individual feeders of the job after the switch within the range of the buffer area 20B that is below the placement range of the individual feeders of the job in the supply area 20A. Therefore, the loader 50 can place the individual feeders of each job before and after the switch by simply swapping them in the vertical direction (Z direction), thereby suppressing the amount of movement in the X direction, and the individual feeders can be placed more efficiently.

[0027] Furthermore, in the component mounting system 10, the loader 50 is controlled so as to place the individual feeder of the post-switching job at the buffer position Bn in the buffer area 20B corresponding to the appropriate position Sa in the supply area 20A. Therefore, when the loader 50 takes out the individual feeder of the post-switching job from the buffer area 20B and places it at the appropriate position Sa in the supply area 20A, the loader 50 does not need to move in the X direction, and can place the individual feeder more efficiently.

[0028] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0029] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the individual feeders of the switched job are placed in a buffer position Bn that is within a range below the placement range in the supply area 20A of the individual feeders of the job being executed and that corresponds to the appropriate position Sa in the supply area 20A, but this is not limited to the above. As long as the buffer position Bn corresponds to the appropriate position Sa, it may be outside the range below the placement range of the individual feeders of the job being executed. Alternatively, the individual feeders of the switched job are not limited to the buffer position Bn that corresponds to the appropriate position Sa, and may be placed within a range below the placement range of the individual feeders of the job being executed.

[0030] In the embodiment, the individual feeders of the switched job are transferred during the execution of the mounting process, but the present invention is not limited to this and may not be transferred. However, in order to quickly replace the individual feeders, it is preferable to transfer them as in the embodiment.

[0031] In the embodiment, the feeder initial placement process is executed by the loader 50 in the mounting management process routine of Fig. 8, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a part or all of the feeder initial placement process may be executed by an operator. When the feeder initial placement process is executed in its entirety by an operator, S110 in Fig. 8 may be omitted, and the mounting management process routine may be started in a state in which the common feeders are placed by the operator in the supply area 20A and the individual feeders are distributed and placed in the supply area 20A and the buffer area 20B.

[0032] In the embodiment, the common feeder is a feeder 30 that supplies parts common to all of the multiple jobs of the production group, but is not limited to this and may be a feeder 30 that supplies parts common to some of the multiple jobs (two or more jobs). For example, if there is a surplus in the number of feeders 30 to be placed in the supply area 20A, a feeder 30 that supplies parts common to some of the jobs may be added to the common feeders.

[0033] Here, the management device 80 may perform the above-mentioned production group setting process as follows. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of a group setting process routine. In this routine, the CPU 80a first sets a set number k corresponding to the number of jobs contained in the group to an initial value (for example, value 1) (S200), acquires feeder information of the feeder 30 required for job Jk (S210), and acquires feeder information of the feeder 30 required for job J(k+1) (S220). Then, the feeder 30 having a common component type in each job is set as a common feeder, and the feeder 30 having other component types required for each job is set as an individual feeder (S230). Next, the total number of combinations of the common feeder and the individual feeder of each job that can be arranged in the supply area 20A and the total number of combinations of the individual feeder of each job that can be arranged in the buffer area 20B are calculated (S240). For example, when the set number k is a value of 1, there are combinations in which a common feeder for jobs J(1) and J(2) and an individual feeder for job J(1) are arranged in the supply area 20A, and combinations in which a common feeder for jobs J(1) and J(2) and an individual feeder for job J(2) are arranged. When the set number k is incremented to a value of 3, for example, there are combinations in which a common feeder for jobs J(1) to J(4) and an individual feeder for job J(1) are arranged in the supply area 20A (see FIG. 9A), and combinations in which a common feeder for jobs J(1) to J(4) and an individual feeder for job J(2) are arranged (see FIG. 9B). In addition, there are combinations in which individual feeders for jobs J(2) to J(4) are arranged in the buffer area 20B (see FIG. 9A), and combinations in which individual feeders for jobs J(1), J(3), and J(4) are arranged (see FIG. 9B). Therefore, in S240, the CPU 80a calculates the total number of feeders for each of these combinations.

[0034] Then, the CPU 80a judges whether the total number of combinations of the feeders 30 arranged in the supply area 20A is within the range that can be accommodated in the supply area 20A (S250) and whether the total number of combinations of the feeders 30 arranged in the buffer area 20B is within the range that can be accommodated in the buffer area 20B (S260). If it is judged to be within the range in both S250 and S260, the set number k is incremented by a value of 1 (S270), and the process returns to S220 and is repeated. On the other hand, if the CPU 80a judges negative in S250 or S260, it sets k jobs up to job Jk to one production group (S280). This allows the CPU 80a to set a production group having as many jobs as possible. If each production group has a large number of jobs, the number of production groups can be reduced to reduce the number of times the production group is switched. This reduces the number of times the initial placement process of the feeders 30 is executed when the production group is switched, and improves the production efficiency of the entire job. Then, the CPU 80a determines whether all jobs to be executed have been set to any production group (S290), and if it determines that they have not been set, it returns to S200 and repeats the process. For example, if one production group has been set up to job J(4), the initial value of the setting number k is set to 5 in S200, and job J5 is set to a new production group. Furthermore, if the CPU 80a determines in S290 that all jobs to be executed have been set to any production group, it ends the production group setting process routine.

[0035] In the embodiment, the buffer area 20B is arranged below the supply area 20A, and a lower range is exemplified as the range corresponding to the placement range of the individual feeders in the supply area 20A, but this is not limited to this, and the buffer area 20B may be arranged above the supply area 20A, and the individual feeders of the switched job may be arranged within a range above the placement range of the individual feeders in the supply area 20A, or at a buffer position Bn corresponding above the appropriate position Sa of the supply area 20A.

[0036] In the embodiment, the loader 50 that moves in the X direction is exemplified as the unit exchange device, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the modified example of FIG. 12, the feeder 30 is automatically exchanged by an exchange robot 150 including a vertical articulated robot arm 152 and a chuck 154 as an end effector attached to the tip of the robot arm 152. In this modified example, the component mounter 20 is not provided with a buffer area 20B. Although not shown, a feeder storehouse that stores the feeder 30 is arranged facing the front of the component mounter 20, and the exchange robot 150 is arranged between the feeder storehouse and the component mounter 20. This feeder storehouse also functions as the buffer area 20B of the component mounter 20 of the embodiment. The exchange robot 150 automatically exchanges the feeder 30 by swapping it between the supply area 20A of the component mounter 20 and the buffer area of ​​the feeder storehouse while reversing its direction. The exchange robot 150 and the feeder storage may be provided, for example, for every several (e.g., 2 to 3) component mounters 20. Alternatively, the exchange robot 150 may be configured to be able to run on rails laid in the X-axis direction. Note that the automatic exchange of the feeder 30 is not limited to the vertical articulated type, and a horizontal articulated robot, an orthogonal robot, or a parallel link robot may be used, or the feeder 30 may be automatically transported and automatically exchanged by an AGV (automated guided vehicle).

[0037] Here, the mounting system of the present disclosure may be configured as follows. In the mounting system of the present disclosure, the component mounter may be provided with the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area arranged vertically side by side, and the control device may control the unit exchange device to arrange the second component supply unit required for the post-switching production job within a range of the non-supplyable area corresponding to the arrangement range in the supplyable area of ​​the second component supply unit required for the production job during execution of a mounting process based on the production job. In this way, the unit exchange device can reduce the amount of movement in the direction of arrangement of the component supply units when automatically exchanging the second component supply unit required for the pre-switching production job with the second component supply unit required for the post-switching production job. This allows the component supply units to be arranged more efficiently when switching production jobs.

[0038] In the mounting system of the present disclosure, the component mounter may be configured such that the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area are arranged vertically side by side, a predetermined position in the supplyable area that is suitable for mounting processing is determined for each of the component supply units, and the control device may control the unit exchange device to place the second component supply unit required for the post-switching production job at a position in the non-supplyable area that corresponds to the predetermined position in the supplyable area during execution of mounting processing based on a production job. In this way, the unit exchange device does not need to move in the direction of the arrangement of the component supply units when taking out the second component supply unit required for the post-switching production job from the non-supplyable area and placing it at the predetermined position in the supplyable area, thereby making it possible to more efficiently place the component supply units.

[0039] The method of arranging component supply units disclosed herein is a method of arranging the component supply units in a mounting system including a component mounter that performs mounting processing based on a production job to pick up components supplied from a plurality of component supply units and mount them on a board, and a unit exchange device that automatically exchanges the component supply units arranged in the component mounter, wherein, when a first component supply unit for supplying components common to a plurality of production jobs of a specified production group is arranged in a supplyable area where components can be supplied, and a second component supply unit for supplying components required for any of the production jobs of the production group is distributed and arranged in the supplyable area and an unsupplyable area where components cannot be supplied, and the component mounter is caused to sequentially execute mounting processing based on each production job of the production group, the gist of the method is that, each time a production job is switched, the unit exchange device automatically exchanges the second component supply unit between the supplyable area and the unsupplyable area in order to place the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch in the supplyable area.

[0040] In the component supply unit arrangement method of the present disclosure, similarly to the above-described mounting system, when switching production jobs, the necessary component supply units can be arranged more efficiently to suppress a decrease in production efficiency. Note that, in this component supply unit arrangement method, various aspects of the above-described mounting system may be adopted, or steps may be added to realize each function of the above-described mounting system. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] The present invention can be used in the component mounting system manufacturing industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 component mounting system, 12 printing machine, 14 printing inspection machine, 18 X-axis rail, 20 component mounting machine, 20A supply area, 20B buffer area, 21 board transport device, 22 head, 23 head movement mechanism, 25 parts camera, 28 mounting control device, 29, 29A, 29B feeder arrangement information, 30 feeder, 32 tape reel, 33 tape feed mechanism, 34 positioning pin, 35 connector, 37 rail member, 39 feeder control device, 40 feeder table, 42 slot, 44 positioning hole, 45 connector, 50 loader, 50A upper transfer area, 50B lower transfer area, 51 loader movement mechanism, 52a X-axis motor, 52b guide roller, 53 feeder transfer mechanism, 54 clamp section, 55 Y-axis slider, 55a Y-axis motor, 55b Y-axis guide rail, 56 Slide base, 56a Z-axis motor, 56b Z-axis guide rail, 57 Encoder, 59 Loader control device, 60 Feeder storage, 62 Board transport device, 80 Management device, 80a CPU, 80b ROM, 80c HDD, 80d RAM, 82 Display, 84 Input device, 150 Exchange robot, 152 Robot arm, 154 Chuck, S Board.

Claims

1. A mounting system comprising: a component mounter that executes a mounting process of picking up components supplied from a plurality of component supply units and mounting them on a board based on a production job; a unit exchange device that automatically exchanges the component supply units arranged in the component mounter; and a control device that controls the unit exchange device, The component mounter is provided with a supplyable area in which the component supply units are arranged so as to be able to supply components, and a non-supplyable area in which the component supply units are arranged so as not to be able to supply components, The control device controls the unit exchange device to, before starting execution of mounting processing for a plurality of production jobs, fixedly place in the supplyable area a first component supply unit for supplying components common to the plurality of production jobs, and place in the supplyable area a second component supply unit for supplying components required only for each individual production job among components required for a production job executed first, and place in the non-supplyable area the second component supply unit among components required for a plurality of production jobs to be produced second or later, and automatically exchange only the second component supply unit between the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area every time a production job performing the mounting processing is switched, and place the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch in the supplyable area. Implementation system.

2. A mounting system comprising: a component mounter that executes a mounting process of picking up components supplied from a plurality of component supply units and mounting the components on a board based on a production job; a unit exchange device that automatically exchanges the component supply units arranged on the component mounter; and a control device that controls the unit exchange device, The component mounter is provided with a supplyable area in which the component supply units are arranged so as to be able to supply components, and a non-supplyable area in which the component supply units are arranged so as not to be able to supply components, the control device controls the unit exchange device to fixally arrange a first component supply unit for supplying components common to a plurality of production jobs in a concentrated range of the supplyable area, and to preliminarily arrange in the non-supplyable area a second component supply unit for supplying components required only for an individual production job among the components required for the plurality of production jobs to be produced next or thereafter, and to automatically exchange only the second component supply unit between the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area every time a production job for performing the mounting process is switched, and to arrange the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch in the supplyable area; the component mounter is provided with the supplyable area and the non-supplyable area vertically aligned, and a predetermined position in the supplyable area that is suitable for mounting processing is determined for each of the component supply units, The control device, during execution of mounting processing based on a production job, determines whether or not the second component supply unit required for the switched production job, which is arranged in the supply-disabled area, is not arranged in a position within the supply-disabled area that is below the second component supply unit of the production job being mounted and corresponds to a predetermined position in the arrangement suitable for the mounting processing, and if it determines that the second component supply unit needs to be moved, controls the unit exchange device to move the second component supply unit to a position within the supply-disabled area that corresponds to the predetermined position. Implementation system.

3. A method for arranging the component supply units in a mounting system including a component mounter that executes a mounting process of picking up components supplied from a plurality of component supply units and mounting the components on a board based on a production job, a unit exchange device that automatically exchanges the component supply units arranged in the component mounter, and a control device that controls the unit exchange device, comprising: The component mounter is provided with a supplyable area in which the component supply units are arranged so as to be able to supply components, and a non-supplyable area in which the component supply units are arranged so as not to be able to supply components, Before starting to execute mounting processing for a plurality of production jobs, the control device fixes and places in the supplyable area a first component supply unit for supplying components common to the plurality of production jobs, and places in the supplyable area a second component supply unit for supplying components required only for each individual production job among the components required for the production job executed first, and places in the supplyable area the second component supply unit among the components required for the plurality of production jobs to be produced second or later, and automatically exchanges only the second component supply unit between the supplyable area and the supplyable area using the unit exchange device every time a production job for performing the mounting processing is switched, and places in the supplyable area the second component supply unit required for the production job after the switch. How parts supply units are arranged.

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