Job switching method and mounting line

Abstract

In this job switching method, when jobs are switched, first job switching is performed with respect to a first mounter group of a most-upstream mounter to a predetermined mounter downstream among a plurality of mounters forming a mounting line, and second job switching is performed with respect to a second mounter group downstream of the predetermined mounter. In the first job switching, after production of a first type of substrates by all the mounters of the first mounter group is finished and retooling on a specific mounter of at least the first mounter group is finished, the jobs are switched so that production of a second type of substrates is started. On the other hand, in the second job switching, in parallel with the production of the first type of substrates by a downstream mounter of the second mounter group, retooling is performed on an upstream mounter in which production of the first type of substrates has been finished, and, after the retooling is finished, the jobs are switched so that production of the second type of substrates is started.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses a job switching method and an assembly line. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a mounting line of this type has been proposed in which a plurality of mounting machines that mount components onto boards are lined up, and when production of one type of board ends and the type of board to be produced changes, a changeover is performed according to a continuous changeover production mode (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The continuous changeover production mode is a mode in which a changeover from production of a first type of board to production of a second type of board is performed in an upstream mounting machine in parallel with production of the first type of board in a downstream mounting machine. The changeover is performed in order, starting with the upstream mounting machine, immediately after production of the first type of board is completed, and as soon as the changeover is completed, mounting of components onto the next, second type of board begins. Therefore, on the mounting line, there is a period in which component mounting for production of the board before the changeover, the changeover, and component mounting for production of the board after the changeover are performed in parallel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-111087 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there are cases where such continuous changeover is not possible. For example, when specific combination components are mounted on separate mounting machines, the other component to be mounted on one mounting machine may not be determined until one of the combination components is mounted on the other mounting machine. An example of a combination component is an LED and a current-limiting resistor that limits the current applied to the LED. Not all LEDs emit a uniform amount of light; variations in light output occur due to manufacturing factors and other factors. Even in such situations, the resistance value of the current-limiting resistor is changed depending on the class of LED to ensure a uniform light output. In such cases, the continuous changeover described above cannot be performed because the other component (current-limiting resistor) cannot be determined until one of the combination components (the LED), which is often mounted on a downstream mounting machine, is mounted on one mounting machine. This prevents the other component from being mounted on the other mounting machine. Furthermore, even if one component (LED) is mounted by a mounting machine upstream of the other component (current-limiting resistor), production of the board cannot be guaranteed until the other component is actually set on the downstream mounting machine. To be absolutely sure, production should begin only after both components of the combined components have been confirmed. In such a case, it would be possible to wait until production of the first type of board is completed on all mounting machines that make up the mounting line before changing over, and once the changeover is complete, to send the second type of board to the most upstream mounting machine and start production of the second type of board, but this would result in a significant delay in the production of the second type of board.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to switch jobs as efficiently as possible even when it is not possible to perform continuous setup changes in all of the mounting machines that make up a mounting line. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0007] The job switching method of the present disclosure includes: A job switching method in a mounting line in which a plurality of mounting machines that mount components on boards are lined up in a board conveyance direction, comprising: When switching from a job for producing a first type of board to a job for producing a second type of board, a first job switching is performed for a first group of mounting machines from the most upstream mounting machine among the multiple mounting machines constituting the mounting line to a predetermined downstream mounting machine, such that production of the second type of board will start after all mounting machines in the first group of mounting machines have finished mounting components onto the first type of board and after changeover has been completed in at least a specific mounting machine in the first group of mounting machines; and a second job switching is performed for a second group of mounting machines downstream of the predetermined mounting machine, such that changeover is performed in an upstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines that has finished mounting components onto the first type of board in parallel with a downstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines mounting components onto the first type of board, and after the changeover has been completed, production of the second type of board will start. The gist of this is as follows.

[0008] In the job switching method disclosed herein, a first job switching is performed for a first group of mounting machines, ranging from the most upstream mounting machine to a specified downstream mounting machine among multiple mounting machines that make up a mounting line, and a second job switching is performed for a second group of mounting machines that are downstream of the specified mounting machine. The first job switching switches jobs so that production of the second type of boards begins after all mounting machines in the first group have finished mounting components onto the first type of board and after a changeover has been completed at at least a specific mounting machine in the first group of mounting machines. Meanwhile, the second job switching switches jobs so that production of the second type of boards begins after a changeover is completed at an upstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines that has finished mounting components onto the first type of board, while a downstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines mounts components onto the first type of board. As a result, even if the second job switching cannot be applied to all of the mounting machines that make up the mounting line, by applying the second job switching to some of the mounting machines, it is possible to switch jobs more efficiently than if the first job switching were applied to all of the mounting machines that make up the mounting line.

[0009] In the production line of the present disclosure, by switching jobs in the same manner as the job switching method of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the job switching method of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a component mounting line. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a component mounter. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the component mounting line. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of feeder possession information. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a switching mode setting process. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a job switching process. [Figure 7]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a setup change support process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of combined part information. [Figure 9] 9A to 9C are explanatory diagrams showing the batch job switching process. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams showing the batch job switching process. [Figure 11] 11A to 11C are explanatory diagrams showing seamless job switching. [Figure 12] 12A to 12C are explanatory diagrams showing how mounters that perform batch job switching and mounters that perform seamless job switching are determined. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of the component mounting line 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a component mounter 10. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the component mounting line 1. In Figs. 1 and 2, the left-right direction is the X-axis direction, the front-rear direction is the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis direction.

[0013] The component mounting line 1 of this embodiment produces boards S on which components are mounted, and as shown in FIG. 1 , includes a plurality of (eight) component mounters 10 (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H) arranged along the conveyance direction of the boards S, and a management device 50 that manages the entire line. A board supply device 2 for supplying boards S to the component mounter 10A is installed adjacent to the component mounter 10A at the most upstream side of the component mounting line 1, on the opposite side from the downstream component mounter 10B. A board ID (e.g., a barcode) for identifying the type of board S is attached to the surface of the board S, and the type of board S to be produced is recognized by the management device 50 by reading the board ID with a reader 60 (e.g., a barcode reader).

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, each mounter 10 includes a feeder 30, a board transport device 21, a head 22, and a head moving device 23.

[0015] The feeders 30 are detachably mounted on a feeder table installed in front of the component mounter 10. The feeder table is provided with a plurality of slots into which the feeders 30 are respectively inserted, and the feeders 30 are mounted in the plurality of slots so as to be aligned in the X-axis direction. The feeder 30 is, for example, a tape feeder including a carrier tape in which components are housed in a plurality of cavities formed at predetermined intervals, a reel around which the carrier tape is wound, and a tape feeding device that unwinds and feeds the carrier tape from the reel.

[0016] The board transport device 21 transports the board S from the board transport device 21 of the upstream component mounter 10 and transports the board S to the board transport device 21 of the downstream component mounter 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the board transport device 21 is a belt conveyor device and includes a pair of front and rear conveyor belts 21a that are each stretched over a pair of rollers and arranged at a predetermined distance in the front-to-back (Y-axis direction) direction, and a belt drive device that drives the conveyor belts 21a in a circular motion. One of the pair of conveyor belts 21a is movable toward and away from the other. The board transport device 21 can transport a variety of boards S of different sizes by adjusting the distance between the pair of conveyor belts 21a.

[0017] The head 22 includes a holder to which a suction nozzle (collection member) is detachably attached, and an elevator that raises and lowers the holder. Negative pressure is supplied to the suction nozzle from a negative pressure source via an electromagnetic valve, and the suction nozzle is able to pick up (collect) components by the negative pressure.

[0018] The head moving device 23 moves the head 22 back and forth and left and right (in the X and Y axis directions). This head moving device 23 has a Y-axis slider that moves back and forth (in the Y axis direction) when driven by a Y-axis motor, and an X-axis slider that moves left and right (in the X axis direction) relative to the Y-axis slider when driven by an X-axis motor. The head 22 is attached to the X-axis slider, and moves back and forth and left and right (in the X and Y axis directions) when driven by the X and Y-axis motors.

[0019] The component mounter 10 also includes a mark camera 25, a parts camera 26, and a nozzle stocker 27. The mark camera 25 captures an image of a reference mark attached to the board S from above in order to detect the position of the board S. The parts camera 26 captures an image of a component picked up by the suction nozzle from below in order to detect suction errors or suction deviations. The nozzle stocker 27 stocks multiple types of suction nozzles that can be attached to the holder of the head 22.

[0020] 3, the control device 40 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU 41, and in addition to the CPU 41, includes a ROM 42, a RAM 43, a storage device 44 (such as a hard disk drive or a solid state drive), and an input / output interface. The control device 40 receives detection signals from position sensors provided in the head moving device 23 for detecting the positions of the head 22 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and receives image signals captured by the parts camera 26 and the mark camera 25. The control device 40 also outputs control signals to the feeder 30, the substrate transport device 21, the head moving device 23, the parts camera 26, the mark camera 25, etc.

[0021] The management device 50 is a general-purpose computer including a CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, and storage device 54 (e.g., a hard disk drive or solid-state drive), and is communicatively connected to the control device 40 of each mounter 10. The management device 50 is also connected to an input device 55 such as a mouse and keyboard, a display device 56 that displays various information, and a reader 60. The storage device 54 stores various information necessary for production, such as feeder ownership information, job information, and status information, in addition to a production schedule. This information is managed for each mounter 10. The production schedule is a schedule that determines which components are to be mounted on which boards S and in what order in each mounter 10, and how many boards S (products) mounted in this manner are to be produced. The feeder ownership information is information related to the feeders 30 held by each mounter 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the feeder holding information includes feeder information such as the feeder ID, component type, and remaining component count, as well as position information such as the device (location) holding the feeder 30 (component) and the mounting position (slot number) of the feeder 30. Job information is information related to the production job to be executed by each mounter 10. This job information includes the type of board to be produced, the type of component to be mounted, the mounting position for each component, and the set position (component set information) of the component (feeder 30) to be set in each mounter 10. The component set information indicates the planned mounting position (planned slot) of the feeder 30 that contains the component, and is managed for each mounter 10. Status information is information indicating the operating status of each mounter 10. This status information includes statuses such as in production, during setup, and error occurrence.

[0022] The management device 50 is communicably connected to the control device 40 of each mounter 10 via a wire, and exchanges various information with each mounter 10. The management device 50 receives operating status from each mounter 10 and updates the status information to the latest information. The management device 50 is also communicably connected to the feeders 30 attached to the feeder table of each mounter 10 via the control device 40. When a feeder 30 is removed from or attached to a mounter 10, the management device 50 receives the attachment / detachment status from the corresponding mounter 10 and updates the feeder holding information to the latest information.

[0023] Next, the operation of the component mounting line 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. The control device 40 of each component mounter 10 receives a production job from the management device 50 and performs a mounting process to mount components on the board S in accordance with the received production job. That is, in the mounting process, the CPU 41 first controls the head moving device 23 to move the head 22 above the component supply position of the feeder 30. Next, the CPU 41 controls the elevator device to lower the suction nozzle so that the component is picked up by the suction nozzle. Next, the CPU 41 controls the head moving device 23 to move the component picked up by the suction nozzle above the part camera 26, and the part camera 26 captures an image of the component. After capturing the image, the CPU 41 processes the captured image of the component to measure the amount of suction deviation of the component and corrects the mounting position of the component on the board S. The CPU 41 then controls the head moving device 23 to move the component picked up by the suction nozzle above the corrected mounting position, and controls the elevator device to lower the suction nozzle so that the component is mounted on the board S.

[0024] Next, an operation when changing the type of board S to be produced will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a job switching mode setting process executed by the CPU 51 of the management device 50. This process is executed when the type of board S to be produced is changed. The change in the type of board S to be produced is recognized by the management device 50 when the operator uses the reader 60 to read the board ID attached to the next board S to be produced.

[0025] In the job switching mode setting process, the CPU 51 of the management device 50 first determines whether or not there are specific combination components among the components to be mounted in the current production (S100), and whether or not there are specific combination components among the components to be mounted in the next production (S110, S120). If the CPU 51 determines that there are no specific combination components among the components to be mounted in either the current production or the next production ("NO" in S100 and "NO" in S120), it sets the job switching mode to the seamless job switching mode in all mounters 10 on the component mounting line 1 (S130), and ends the job switching mode setting process.

[0026] When the CPU 51 determines that there is a specific combination component among the components to be mounted in the current production but that there is no specific combination component among the components to be mounted in the next production ("YES" in S100 and "NO" in S110), it sets the job switching modes of the component mounting machines 10 from the most upstream component mounting machine 10 on the component mounting line 1 to the most downstream component mounting machine 10 in which combined components are set in the current production to the batch job switching mode (S140). Then, the CPU 51 sets the job switching modes of the remaining component mounting machines 10 on the component mounting line 1 to the seamless job switching mode (S170), and ends the job switching mode setting process.

[0027] When the CPU 51 determines that there is no specific combination component among the components to be mounted in the current production but that there is a specific combination component among the components to be mounted in the next production ("NO" in S100 and "YES" in S120), it sets the job switching modes for the component mounting machines 10 from the most upstream component mounting machine 10 on the component mounting line 1 to the most downstream component mounting machine 10 to which combined components will be set in the next production to the batch job switching mode (S150). Then, the CPU 51 sets the job switching mode for the remaining component mounting machines 10 on the component mounting line 1 to the seamless job switching mode (S170), and ends the job switching mode setting process.

[0028] When the CPU 51 determines that a specific combination component is included among the components to be mounted in both the current production and the next production ("YES" in S100 and "YES" in S110), it sets the job switching mode for all mounters 10 on the component mounting line 1, from the most upstream mounter 10 to which the combination component is set in the current production and the most downstream mounter 10 to which the combination component will be set in the next production, to the batch job switching mode (S160). Then, the CPU 51 sets the job switching mode for the remaining mounters 10 on the component mounting line 1 to the seamless job switching mode (S170), and ends the job switching mode setting process.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, if the components to be mounted in neither the current production nor the next production include a specific combination component, job switching of all mounters 10 on the component mounting line 1 is performed using seamless job switching (second job switching). On the other hand, if the components to be mounted in either the current production or the next production include a specific combination component, job switching of some mounters 10, including the most upstream mounter 10 to the mounter 10 on which the combination component is set, is performed using batch job switching mode (first job switching), and job switching of the remaining mounters 10 is performed using seamless job switching mode (second job switching). The batch job switching mode (first job switching) is a mode in which production of the next production (second type) board S is not started until all mounters 10 set in batch job switching mode have finished mounting components on the current production (first type) board S and the setup change has been completed. Furthermore, the seamless job switching mode (second job switching) is a mode in which, when an upstream component mounting machine 10 among multiple component mounting machines 10 for which the seamless job switching mode is set has finished mounting components on the currently produced board S and transports the board S to a downstream component mounting machine 10, the downstream component mounting machine 10 performs a setup change in parallel with mounting components on the currently produced board S, and as soon as the setup change is completed, production of the next produced board S begins.

[0030] Here, an example of a specific combination component is an LED and a current-limiting resistor for limiting the current applied to the LED. Not all LEDs emit a uniform amount of light; variations in light output occur due to manufacturing factors and other factors. To achieve a uniform light output even in such a situation, in this embodiment, the resistance value of the current-limiting resistor is changed depending on the class of the LED. In this case, during a changeover, the other component (the required resistance value of the current-limiting resistor) cannot be determined until a feeder 30 containing one of the combination components (an LED) is set in one mounter 10, and the feeder 30 containing the other component cannot be set in the other mounter 10. Therefore, when specific combination components are set in different mounters 10, changeover may not be possible starting from the upstream component. For example, when setting the other component (current-limiting resistor) in a mounter 10 upstream of one of the components (LED), at least a portion of the setup work (setting the other component) in the upstream mounter 10 must be performed after the setup work (setting the one component) in the downstream mounter 10. Therefore, seamless job switching, which performs setup work sequentially from the upstream mounter 10 to the mounter 10 on which these combined components are set, cannot be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, job switching is performed simultaneously from the most upstream mounter 10A to the mounter 10 on which a specific combined component is set. However, if job switching were performed in the batch job switching mode for all mounters 10, the start of the next production run would be significantly delayed. For this reason, in this embodiment, the batch job switching mode is limited to only the necessary mounters 10, and job switching for the remaining mounters 10 is performed in the seamless job switching mode, thereby achieving the most efficient job switching possible.

[0031] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of job switching processing executed by the control device 40. This processing is executed for each mounter 10.

[0032] When job switching processing is executed, the CPU 41 of the control device 40 first determines whether or not flag F has a value of 0 (S200). If it determines that flag F has a value of 0, it determines whether or not the board type will be changed from the board S of the current production to the board S of the next production (S210). This determination can be made based on information that indicates that the board type will be changed (board type change information) obtained from the management device 50 when the board ID attached to the board S of the next production is read by the reader 60. If the CPU 41 determines that the board type will be changed, it sets flag F to a value of 1 and sets the remaining board count value N to the remaining board number Nm at the time of obtaining the board type change (S220). The remaining board number Nm at the time of obtaining the board type change is the remaining number of boards S to be produced in the current production until the board type is changed. This remaining board number Nm at the time of obtaining the board type change differs for each mounter 10, and is set to a number obtained by subtracting 1 from the order number counted downstream from the most upstream mounter 10A. For example, in the second mounter 10B adjacent to the most upstream mounter 10A downstream, the remaining number of boards at the time of board type change acquisition is 1. If the CPU 41 determines in S200 that flag F is not 0 but 1, flag F has already been set to 1, and so the process proceeds to S230.

[0033] Next, the CPU 41 determines whether the remaining board count value N is equal to or greater than 1, i.e., whether any boards S to be produced in the current production remain (S230). If the CPU 41 determines that the remaining board count value N is equal to or greater than 1, it carries in a board S from the board supply device 2 or the upstream component mounter 10, mounts components on the board, and then carries it out downstream (S240-S260), decrements the remaining board count value N by 1 (S270), and ends the job switching process. The CPU 41 repeats the process of carrying in boards S for the current production and mounting components on the carried-in boards S, while decrementing the remaining board count value N by 1, until the remaining board count value N becomes less than 1.

[0034] When the CPU 41 determines in S230 that the remaining component count value is less than 1, it performs a setup change (S280) and waits for the setup change to be completed (S290). The setup change includes operations such as adjusting the spacing between the pair of conveyor belts 21a of the board transport device 21 to correspond to the width of the boards S for the next production, setting the feeders 30 containing the components to be mounted on the boards S for the next production on the feeder tables of the corresponding component mounters 10, and setting the suction nozzles to be used in the next production in the nozzle stockers 27.

[0035] When the CPU 41 determines that the setup change has been completed, it determines whether the job switching mode set in its own machine (the mounter 10 that is executing this job switching process) is the batch job switching mode (S300). This determination can be made by acquiring the job switching mode set by the switching mode setting process from the management device 50 via communication. When the CPU 41 determines that the job switching mode set in its own machine is not the batch job switching mode but the seamless job switching mode, as soon as the setup change in its own machine is completed, it loads the next board S to be produced from the upstream side and starts production (S320), sets the value of flag F to 0 (S330), and ends the job switching process. In the seamless job switching mode, in the component mounting machines 10 (second mounting machine group) for which the seamless job switching mode is set, the upstream component mounting machine 10 finishes mounting components on the board S for the current production and transports it to the downstream component mounting machine 10, and then the upstream component mounting machine 10 performs a setup change in parallel with the downstream component mounting machine 10 mounting components on the board S for the current production, and as soon as the setup change is completed, the board S for the next production is transported in and production begins.

[0036] On the other hand, when the CPU 41 determines that the job switching mode is the batch job switching mode, it waits for the setup change of the other mounters 10 set to the batch job switching mode (component mounters 10 other than the mounter 10 executing this job switching process) to be completed (S310). Then, when the CPU 41 determines that the setup change of the other mounters set to the batch job switching mode has been completed, it loads the next board S to be produced from the upstream side and starts production (S320), sets the flag F to the value 0 (S330), and ends the job switching process. In the batch job switching mode, the production of the next board S to be produced does not start until all mounters 10 (first mounter group) set to the batch job switching mode have completed mounting components on the board S for the current production and have completed the setup change.

[0037] Next, a setup change support process for guiding the operator through the work to be performed during the setup change executed in S280 of the job switching process will be described. Examples of the work to be performed by the operator during the setup change include setting the feeder 30 containing the components to be mounted on the board S in the next production run on the feeder table of the component mounter 10, and setting the suction nozzle to be used for suctioning the components in the next production run in the nozzle stocker 27. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the setup change support process executed by the management device 50. This process is executed when a setup change occurs in any of the component mounters 10 on the component mounting line 1.

[0038] When the setup change support process is executed, the CPU 51 of the management device 50 first displays setup change guidance on the display device 56 (S400). The setup change guidance display includes information about the mounter 10 to be setup change target, information about the components to be set in the mounter 10, the position (slot number) to set the components (feeders 30), and information about the suction nozzle to be set in the nozzle stocker 27. Next, the CPU 51 determines whether the job switching mode of the mounter 10 to be setup change target is the batch job switching mode (S410). If the CPU 51 determines that the job switching mode of the mounter 10 to be setup change target is the batch job switching mode, it determines that the components to be set in the mounter 10 to be setup change target include a specific combination component, and waits until one of the combination components is set (S420). If the CPU 51 determines that one of the combination components has been set, it selects the type of the other combination component from among multiple components (S430). In this embodiment, one combination component is an LED, and the other combination component is a current-limiting resistor. The process of S430 is performed by selecting a current-limiting resistor with a resistance value corresponding to the installed LED from among multiple current-limiting resistors with different resistance values, in order to maintain a uniform light intensity even when the LED lot or other factors are changed. Specifically, the current-limiting resistor is selected by previously determining and storing a table that lists the relationship between the LED class and the resistance value of the current-limiting resistor. When an LED is selected, the corresponding current-limiting resistor is retrieved from the table. An example of this table is shown in FIG. 8. The CPU 51 then displays a guide on the display device 56 to guide the user to set the other combination component (S440), and the changeover support process ends.

[0039] 9A to 9C and 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams showing the state of batch job switching. FIGS. 11A to 11C are explanatory diagrams showing the state of seamless job switching. During the production of a first type A board, the CPU 51 of the management device 50 recognizes that the board type will be changed when the board ID attached to the second type B board is read by the reader 60 (see FIG. 9A). Upon recognizing the change in board type, the CPU 51 sets the component mounters from the most upstream mounter 10A to the mounters 10B and 10C in which a specific combined component (LED-A and Resister-A) is set in the current production and the most downstream mounter 10C among the mounters 10B and 10C in which the specific combined component will be set in the next production to batch job switching mode (see the dashed lines in FIGS. 9B and 9C). When the batch job switching mode is set in multiple mounters 10A, 10B, and 10C, production of the second type B boards will not start until all mounters 10A, 10B, and 10C for which the batch job switching mode is set have finished mounting components on the last board S of the current production and the setup change has been completed. In this embodiment, the setup change is performed by an operator, and the operator's work is supported by the setup change support process. That is, when a specific combination component is included in the components to be set in the mounters 10 during the setup change, the CPU 51 first guides the mounter 10A to which one combination component (LED) should be set. Then, after one combination component (LED-B) has been set, the CPU 51 selects the other combination component (Register-B) and guides the mounter 10C to which the selected combination component and the selected combination component should be set. The other combination component (feeder 30) is set in the component mounter 10C, and when the setup change is completed in all component mounters 10A, 10B, 10C in the batch job switching mode (see FIG. 10B), the second type B board is brought in and the next production run begins (see FIG. 10C).

[0040] Furthermore, the CPU 51 sets the mounters 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, and 10H that were not set to the batch job switching mode to the seamless job switching mode (see the dashed line in FIG. 10C). The setup changeover for the mounters 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, and 10H that are set to the seamless job switching mode is performed immediately upon completion of component mounting on the last first-type A board, starting with the upstream mounter 10D. Then, as soon as the setup changeover is completed, the second-type B board is carried in and the next production run begins (see FIGS. 11A to 11C). This allows component mounting on the first-type A board before the setup changeover, the setup changeover, and component mounting on the second-type B board after the setup changeover to be performed in parallel, thereby enabling efficient job switching and improving production efficiency.

[0041] 9A to 9C, 10A to 10C, and 11A to 11C, when the other component (current-limiting resistor) is set in a mounter 10 upstream of one component (LED), the job switching mode is set to the batch job switching mode from the most upstream mounter 10A to the mounter 10 on which the combined component (one component) is set. On the other hand, when the other component (current-limiting resistor) is set in a mounter 10 downstream of one component (LED), the job switching mode may be set to the batch job switching mode from the most upstream mounter 10A to the mounter 10 on which the combined component (other component) is set. In the latter case, the one component (LED) that is set first is set in the upstream mounter 10, and the other component (current-limiting resistor) that is set later is set in the downstream mounter 10, so that setup changes can be performed in order from the upstream side. However, because production of the board S cannot be guaranteed until the other component is actually set in the downstream mounter 10, to be sure, production should begin after both components of the combined components have been confirmed. Even in the latter case, it is for this reason that the batch job switching mode is applied to the multiple mounters 10 on which the combined components are set. However, when the other component (current limiting resistor) is set in a mounter 10 downstream of one component (LED), the job switching mode of all mounters 10 on the component mounting line 1 may be set to seamless job switching mode.

[0042] 12A to 12C are explanatory diagrams showing how to determine which mounters 10 perform batch job switching and which perform seamless job switching. As shown in the figures, the batch job switching mode is set for the most upstream mounters 10A, through the most downstream mounters 10G among the mounters 10B and 10C in which a specific combination of components to be used in the current production is set and the mounters 10D and 10G in which a specific combination of components to be used in the next production is set. In this way, by setting the range of the batch job switching mode as needed, it is possible to appropriately switch jobs of mounters 10 containing specific combinations of components, while switching jobs of the remaining mounters in seamless job switching mode, thereby enabling efficient job switching.

[0043] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. The component mounters 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, and 10H of this embodiment correspond to the multiple mounters of the present disclosure, the batch job switching mode corresponds to the first job switching, and the seamless job switching mode corresponds to the second job switching.

[0044] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0045] For example, in the above-described embodiment, in the batch job switching mode, production of the next production board S is started when component mounting on the last board S of the current production is completed and the setup change is completed in all mounters 10 for which the batch job switching mode is set. However, as long as at least a specific combination of components has been set in the mounters 10 to which it should be set, production of the next production board S may be started as soon as the setup change is completed in order, starting with the most upstream mounter 10A.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the CPU 51 sets the job switching mode of the component mounters 10 from the most upstream component mounter 10A to those in which specific combination components are set for components to be mounted in the current production or the next production to the batch job switching mode, and sets the job switching mode of the remaining component mounters 10 to the seamless job switching mode. However, the CPU 51 may set either the batch job switching mode or the seamless job switching mode for each component mounter 10 based on other conditions. Also, the operator may select the job switching mode to be set for each component mounter 10.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, during setup changeover, an operator sets the components (feeders 30) to be mounted on the board S in each component mounter 10, but some of the components may be set in each component mounter 10 by an automatic conveying device.

[0048] As described above, a first job switching is performed on a first group of mounting machines, from the most upstream mounting machine to a predetermined downstream mounting machine among the multiple mounting machines that make up the mounting line, and a second job switching is performed on a second group of mounting machines that are downstream of the predetermined mounting machine. The first job switching switches jobs so that production of the second type of boards begins after all mounting machines in the first group have finished mounting components onto the first type of board and after a changeover has been completed at at least a specific mounting machine in the first group of mounting machines. On the other hand, the second job switching switches jobs so that production of the second type of boards begins after a changeover is completed at an upstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines that has finished mounting components onto the first type of board, in parallel with a downstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines mounting components onto the first type of board. As a result, even if the second job switching cannot be applied to all mounting machines that make up the mounting line, applying the second job switching to some mounting machines enables more efficient job switching than applying the first job switching to all mounting machines that make up the mounting line.

[0049] In the job switching method disclosed herein, the components to be mounted on the first type of board or the second type of board may include a specific combination component, and the specified mounting machine may be the most downstream mounting machine among multiple mounting machines that mount the combination component. In this way, even if one of the specific combination components cannot be determined unless the other component is set in the mounting machine, job switching can be performed appropriately by first job switching. Furthermore, job switching can be performed efficiently by applying second job switching to mounting machines downstream of the specified mounting machine. In this case, the first job switching may be performed such that production of the second type of board begins after all mounting machines in the first mounting machine group have completed mounting of components on the first type of board and after setup changeovers have been completed in at least multiple mounting machines in the first mounting machine group that mount the combination component as the specific mounting machine. Furthermore, in these cases, both the components to be mounted on the first type of board and the components to be mounted on the second type of board may include the combination component, and the specified mounting machine may be the mounting machine located most downstream among multiple mounting machines that mount combination components on the first type of board and multiple mounting machines that mount combination components on the second type of board. Even when both the components to be mounted on the first type of board and the components to be mounted on the second type of board include a specific combination component, job switching can be performed appropriately by first job switching. Furthermore, in these cases, when one of the combination components is set in one of the multiple mounting machines that mount the combination component, guidance may be provided on the type of the other component to be set in the other mounting machine. This facilitates the set-up of the combination component.

[0050] The present disclosure is not limited to the form of a job switching method, but may also be in the form of a mounting line in which a plurality of mounting machines are arranged in the board transport direction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0051] The present disclosure is applicable to the mounting line manufacturing industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 component mounting line, 2 board supply device, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H component mounting machine, 21 board transport device, 21a conveyor belt, 22 head, 23 head moving device, 25 mark camera, 26 parts camera, 27 nozzle stocker, 30 feeder, 40 control device, 41 CPU, 42 ROM, 43 RAM, 44 storage device, 50 management device, 51 CPU, 52 ROM, 53 RAM, 54 storage device, 55 input device, 56 display device, 60 reader, S board.

Claims

1. A job switching method in a mounting line in which a plurality of mounting machines that mount components on boards are lined up in a board conveyance direction, comprising: When switching from a job for producing a first type of board to a job for producing a second type of board, a first job switching is performed for a first group of mounting machines from the most upstream mounting machine among the multiple mounting machines constituting the mounting line to a predetermined downstream mounting machine, such that production of the second type of board will start after all mounting machines in the first group of mounting machines have completed mounting of components onto the first type of board and after a setup change has been completed at at least a specific mounting machine in the first group of mounting machines; and a second job switching is performed for a second group of mounting machines downstream of the predetermined mounting machine, such that a setup change is performed at an upstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines that has completed mounting of components onto the first type of board in parallel with a downstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines mounting components onto the first type of board, and after the setup change is completed, production of the second type of board will start. How to switch jobs.

2. 2. The job switching method according to claim 1, The components mounted on the first type of substrate or the second type of substrate include specific combination components, the predetermined mounting machine is the mounting machine located most downstream among a plurality of mounting machines that respectively mount the combination components; How to switch jobs.

3. 3. The job switching method according to claim 2, the first job switching switches jobs so that production of the second type of board is started after all of the mounting machines in the first mounting machine group have completed mounting of components onto the first type of board and after changeover has been completed in at least a plurality of mounting machines in the first mounting machine group that respectively mount the combined components as the specific mounting machines. How to switch jobs.

4. 4. The job switching method according to claim 2 or 3, the combined component is included in both the component mounted on the first type of substrate and the component mounted on the second type of substrate; the predetermined mounting machine is the mounting machine located most downstream among a plurality of mounting machines that mount combination components on the first type of board and a plurality of mounting machines that mount combination components on the second type of board; How to switch jobs.

5. 5. The job switching method according to claim 2, further comprising: In the changeover of the combination components, when one of the combination components is set in one of the mounting machines that mount the combination components, guidance is given as to the type of the other component that should be set in the other mounting machine. How to switch jobs.

6. A mounting line in which a plurality of mounters that mount components on boards are lined up in the conveyance direction of the boards, When switching from a job for producing a first type of board to a job for producing a second type of board, a first job switching is performed for a first group of mounting machines from the most upstream mounting machine among the multiple mounting machines constituting the mounting line to a predetermined downstream mounting machine, such that production of the second type of board will start after all mounting machines in the first group of mounting machines have completed mounting of components onto the first type of board and after a setup change has been completed at at least a specific mounting machine in the first group of mounting machines; and a second job switching is performed for a second group of mounting machines downstream of the predetermined mounting machine, such that a setup change is performed at an upstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines that has completed mounting of components onto the first type of board in parallel with a downstream mounting machine in the second group of mounting machines mounting components onto the first type of board, and after the setup change is completed, production of the second type of board will start. Mounting line.

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