Component mounting system, component mounting method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

In this invention, a component mounting device comprises a first transport lane for transporting a first substrate to a posttreatment device via a first mounting position, a second transport lane for transporting a second substrate to the posttreatment device via a second mounting position, and a head unit configured to selectively perform a first mounting operation for mounting a component on the first substrate on the first mounting position and a second mounting operation for mounting a component on the second substrate on the second mounting position. If a first time when pretreatment is performed on the first substrate by a pretreatment device is earlier than a second time when pretreatment is performed on the second substrate by the pretreatment device, the head unit preferentially performs the first mounting operation. If the second time is earlier than the first time, the head unit preferentially performs the second mounting operation.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a component mounting technique that includes a first carrier lane and a second carrier lane and that allows component mounting on the first carrier lane and component mounting on the second carrier lane to be performed alternately. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a component mounting system equipped with a printing device, a component mounting device, and a reflow oven. The printing device prints a bonding material such as solder onto a board (corresponding to an example of the "pre-processing step" of the present invention). The component mounting device receives the printed board from the printing device and mounts components on the board (component mounting step). The reflow oven receives the board with components mounted from the component mounting device and performs a reflow process (corresponding to an example of the "post-processing step" of the present invention). Boards with components mounted are produced by a component mounting system that combines these devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-54045 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The component mounting apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a first transport lane and a second transport lane and is configured to perform alternate mounting. This component mounting apparatus alternately mounts components on boards transported by the first transport lane and boards transported by the second transport lane according to the order of components being carried in from the printing apparatus. Therefore, the following problems may occur. The carry-in order is affected by production upstream of the component mounting apparatus in the board transport direction, i.e., the progress of the printing process. For this reason, as shown in columns (a) to (c) of FIG. 6 (described later), it cannot necessarily be said that the board carried in first to the component mounting apparatus (reference symbol B2 in FIG. 6) has started printing before the board carried in next (reference symbol B1 in FIG. 6). Therefore, in the component mounting system, the time from printing to carrying out the board to the reflow oven may vary greatly. As a result, for example, if printing on a previously loaded board (B2) is performed after printing on a subsequently loaded board (B1), the bonding material on the previously loaded board (B2) may not dry sufficiently, which may result in poor quality. Note that the above-mentioned production time variation is not limited to component mounting systems equipped with a printing device as an upstream device (pre-processing device) of a component mounting device. In other words, the above-mentioned problem is common to all component mounting systems equipped with pre-processing devices that perform predetermined processing on boards before component mounting.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to suppress variation in the time required from pre-processing to transporting to a post-processing device (hereinafter referred to as "production time") in component mounting technology in which components are mounted on a board using a component mounting device capable of so-called alternating mounting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a component mounting system that mounts components on a first substrate and a second substrate and transports the first substrate and the second substrate on which the components are mounted toward a post-processing device, the component mounting system including: a pre-processing device that performs pre-processing on the first substrate and the second substrate before the components are mounted; and a component mounting device that mounts components on the first substrate and the second substrate that have been pre-processed by the pre-processing device, the component mounting device including a first transport lane that transports the first substrate and the second substrate toward the post-processing device via a first mounting position; a second transport lane that transports the first substrate and the second substrate toward the post-processing device via a second mounting position; a head unit that is configured to be able to selectively perform a first mounting operation that mounts components on the first substrate at the first mounting position; and a second mounting operation that mounts components on the second substrate at the second mounting position; a control unit that controls the head unit; and The control unit is configured to receive production control information that defines the procedure for mounting components on the first board and the second board from the host computer, and to cause the head unit to execute the first mounting operation and the second mounting operation based on the production control information, and to compare the first time and the second time with the time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit, which acquires time information regarding the first time and the second time from the preprocessing device via the host computer; When a first time when the pre-processing is performed on the first substrate by the pre-processing device is earlier than a second time when the pre-processing is performed on the second substrate by the pre-processing device, the head unit executes the first mounting operation with priority, and when the second time is earlier than the first time, the head unit executes the second mounting operation with priority. and a priority determination unit that controls the priority determination unit to It is characterized by the following.

[0008] In addition, the present invention 2 An aspect is a component mounting method, By pretreatment device a pretreatment step of applying pretreatment to the first substrate and the second substrate; Receives production control information that defines the procedure for mounting components on the first board and the second board from the host computer, and performs the following operations based on the production control information. The component mounting method includes a component mounting step of mounting components on the first and second substrates that have been subjected to pre-processing, and a post-processing step of performing post-processing on the first and second substrates on which the components have been mounted, wherein the component mounting step includes a first time when the pre-processing is performed on the first substrate, a second time when the pre-processing is performed on the second substrate, and acquiring time information relating to the first time from the preprocessing device via a host computer; and comparing the first time and the second time based on the time information; The method is characterized by comprising: a step of executing a first mounting process of mounting a component on a first board at a first mounting position prior to a second mounting process of mounting a component on a second board at a second mounting position when the first time is earlier than the second time; and a step of executing the second mounting process prior to the first mounting process when the second time is earlier than the first time.

[0009] In addition, the present invention 3An embodiment is a program for mounting components on a first board and a second board using the component mounting system, the program including: The time information is sent from the pre-processing device via the host computer. a time information acquisition step; a step of comparing the first time and the second time based on the time information acquired in the time information acquisition step; The method is characterized in that a computer is caused to realize a first mounting process in which, when the first time is earlier than the second time, the first mounting operation is executed with priority over the second mounting operation, and a second mounting process in which, when the second time is earlier than the first time, the second mounting operation is executed with priority over the first mounting operation.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention 4 An embodiment is a non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0013] In the invention configured as described above, when two boards are present in the component mounting device, priority is given to mounting components on the board that was pre-processed first, regardless of the order in which the boards were carried into the component mounting device. In other words, components are mounted on the board that was pre-processed earlier. As a result, the time required from pre-processing to being carried out to the post-processing device, i.e., the variation in production time, is reduced.

[0014] Here, the component mounting device may be provided with a control unit for preferentially executing the first mounting operation or the second mounting operation. That is, the control unit provided in the component mounting device may control the head unit so that the first mounting operation by the head unit is preferentially executed when the first time is earlier than the second time, and the second mounting operation by the head unit is preferentially executed when the second time is earlier than the first time. This allows the priority switching of mounting operations in the component mounting device to be performed smoothly and quickly.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to execute the priority switching, the control unit may be configured to have a time information acquisition unit that acquires time information regarding the first time and the second time from the preprocessing device, and a priority determination unit that compares the first time and the second time based on the time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit and prioritizes the first mounting operation or the second mounting operation according to the comparison result. By acquiring the time information directly from the preprocessing device in this way, the control unit can prepare for the priority switching early.

[0016] The time information may be obtained directly from the preprocessing device (directly by the computer of the component mounting device) or via a host computer. This host computer provides production control information to the component mounting device that specifies the procedure for mounting components on the first and second boards. Based on this production control information, the control unit of the component mounting device causes the head unit to execute the first mounting operation and the second mounting operation. This host computer may be used to provide the time information to the control unit of the preprocessing device. In other words, the time information is provided from the preprocessing device to the control unit via the host computer simultaneously with or independently of the production control information. Meanwhile, by receiving the production control information and time information in this manner, the control unit can mount components in accordance with the production control information while appropriately performing priority switching.

[0017] Furthermore, the host computer may be configured to acquire time information from the preprocessing device and change the production control information based on the first time and the second time. Then, the component mounting device operates in accordance with the changed production control information, thereby ensuring that the priority switching is performed appropriately and reliably.

[0018] Alternatively, the first time may be the time when pre-processing is first performed on the first substrate, and the second time may be the time when pre-processing is first performed on the second substrate. For example, when the pre-processing device is a printing device that performs a printing process to print a bonding material on the first substrate and the second substrate as pre-processing, the first time may be the start time of the printing process on the first substrate, and the second time may be the start time of the printing process on the second substrate. Alternatively, the end of the printing process may be used as the reference instead of the start time. In other words, the first time may be the end time of the printing process on the first substrate, and the second time may be the end time of the printing process on the second substrate. By unifying the first time and the second time in this way, variations in production time can be suppressed with high precision.

[0019] The preprocessing device may also be configured to include multiple printing devices that perform a printing process to print bonding material on the first and second substrates, and to perform the preprocessing process by sequentially performing the printing processes using the multiple printing devices. In this case, the first time and the second time are preferably the start time of the printing process on the first and second substrates by the printing device that performs the printing process first, or the end time of the printing process on the first and second substrates by the printing device that performs the printing process first. By standardizing the first time and the second time in this way, variations in production time can be accurately suppressed even when printing processes (preprocessing) are performed using multiple printing devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] In the invention configured as described above, regardless of the order in which boards are brought into the component mounting device, priority is given to mounting components on boards that have been pre-processed first. This reduces variations in production time. As a result, it is possible to produce high-quality component-mounted boards. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. [Figure 2]2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a component mounting device provided in the component mounting system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the component mounting device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing an alternate mounting operation in the component mounting apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an alternate mounting operation when two boards are simultaneously carried into a first transport lane and a second transport lane from a printing device. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an alternate mounting operation when two boards are carried in from a printing device onto a first transport lane and a second transport lane at different times. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a second embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a third embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a fourth embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. The component mounting system 1 includes a printing device 100, three component mounting devices 200, and a reflow furnace 300, all arranged in series in the X direction (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1), which is the board transport direction. These components are controlled collectively by a host computer 400 to produce boards on which components are mounted. The host computer 400 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 401 that controls arithmetic processing, as well as a memory 402 that stores various information. The host computer 400 also includes a reading unit 420 that accesses a computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium RMa, such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and reads a control program from the recording medium RMa. The host computer 400 then issues appropriate commands to the respective control units 110, 210, and 310 of the printing apparatus 100, component mounting apparatus 200, and reflow furnace 300 in accordance with the control program thus read. Of these commands, the command output to the control unit 210 is a production program (corresponding to an example of "production control information" of the present invention) that defines the procedure for mounting components on a board. This production program is created by the CPU 201 of the host computer 400, which functions as a production program creation unit. Meanwhile, upon receiving the above commands, the respective control units 110, 210, and 310 control the operation of the corresponding units of the printing apparatus 100, component mounting apparatus 200, and reflow furnace 300 in accordance with the commands to perform predetermined processing.

[0023] The host computer 400 also has a display 430 that displays information to the operator as appropriate, as well as an input unit 440 such as a keyboard and mouse. Note that the configuration and operation of the reflow furnace 300 are the same as in the conventional example, so a description of the reflow furnace 300 will be omitted here. On the other hand, the printing apparatus 100 and the component mounting apparatus 200 have the following features to reduce variations in production time.

[0024] The printing apparatus 100 prints a bonding material on the top surface of a substrate carried into the apparatus (printing process). The basic configuration and operation are the same as those of the conventional example. However, in this embodiment, the priority of the mounting operation, which will be described in detail later, is switched based on the time information when the printing process is performed on the substrate by the printing apparatus 100. To achieve this function, the control unit 110 of the printing apparatus 100 performs the following operation. That is, the control unit 110 of the printing apparatus 100 acquires a substrate ID that identifies the substrate carried in. The control unit 110 also acquires the time when the printing process started (hereinafter referred to as the "production start time"). Then, at the start of printing or before the end of printing, the control unit 110 creates information associating the substrate ID with the production start time as production start time information and transmits it to the component mounting apparatus 200 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1. Note that this transmission is performed by a communication unit (not shown) provided in the control units 110 and 210. This also applies to communications between the printing apparatus 100, the component mounting apparatus 200, the reflow furnace 300, and the host computer 400.

[0025] In this embodiment, three component mounting apparatuses 200 are installed in the component mounting system 1. These component mounting apparatuses 200 correspond to an embodiment of the "component mounting apparatus" according to the present invention, and all have the same configuration. The configuration and operation of the component mounting apparatus 200 adjacent to the printing apparatus 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

[0026] Fig. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a component mounting device installed in the component mounting system shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the Z direction is the vertical direction, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and in particular, the X direction indicates the transport direction of the substrate B.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the component mounting apparatus 200 includes a component supply unit 2a provided on one side in the Y direction and a component supply unit 2b provided on the other side in the Y direction. In each of the component supply units 2a and 2b, a plurality of mounting locations 20 are arranged in the X direction, and a feeder 21 is detachably attached to each mounting location 20. In this manner, in each of the component supply units 2a and 2b, a plurality of feeders 21 are attached and arranged in the X direction. The plurality of feeders 21 then supply components E to component removal units 22 at the respective tips. The components E include small electronic components such as semiconductor integrated circuit devices, transistors, capacitors, and resistors.

[0028] The component mounting apparatus 200 also includes a first conveyor lane 3a and a second conveyor lane 3b arranged in parallel between the component supply unit 2a and the component supply unit 2b. Of the first and second conveyor lanes 3a and 3b, which are adjacent in the Y direction, the first conveyor lane 3a is located on the component supply unit 2a side, and the second conveyor lane 3b is located on the component supply unit 2b side. Each of the conveyor lanes 3a and 3b is composed of a conveyor unit 31, a conveyor unit 32, and a conveyor unit 33, which are arranged in this order in the X direction, which is the board transport direction. The conveyor units 31, 32, and 33 support the board B substantially horizontally while transporting it in the X direction. Each of the conveyor units 31, 32, and 33 includes a pair of conveyors 35, 35 spaced apart in the Y direction, and the distance between the conveyors 35, 35 in the Y direction can be changed according to the width of the board B in the Y direction.

[0029] In this first transport lane 3a, when a printed board B is transported from the printing device 100, the conveyor unit 31 transports the board B from the upstream side in the X direction (the left side in FIG. 2). The conveyor unit 32 receives the board B from the conveyor unit 31 and transports it to and holds it at a predetermined first mounting position A1 (the position of the board B in FIG. 1). Furthermore, when the head units 4a and 4b (described later) complete mounting of components E on the board B at the first mounting position A1, the conveyor unit 32 transports the board B from the first mounting position A1 to the downstream side in the X direction, and the conveyor unit 33 receives the board B from the conveyor unit 32 and transports it downstream in the X direction (the right side in FIG. 2). In this way, the first transport lane 3a transports the board B transported from the printing device 100 to the reflow furnace 300 via the first mounting position A1.

[0030] The second transport lane 3b is also configured similarly to the first transport lane 3a, and transports the board B transported in from the printing device 100 towards the reflow furnace 300 via the second mounting position A2. In order to distinguish between the board B on which components E are mounted at the first mounting position A1 on the first transport lane 3a and the board B on which components E are mounted at the second mounting position A2 on the second transport lane 3b, the former will be referred to as the "first board B1" and the latter will be referred to as the "second board B2" as appropriate.

[0031] The component mounting apparatus 200 further includes a head unit 4a provided corresponding to the component supply unit 2a and a head unit 4b provided corresponding to the component supply unit 2b. The component mounting apparatus 200 also includes support beams 5a and 5b extending in the X direction to support the head units 4a and 4b, respectively. Each of the support beams 5a and 5b has a ball screw 51 extending in the X direction and an X-axis motor 52 that rotates the ball screw 51. The support beam 5a drives the head unit 4a, which is attached to the nut 511 of the ball screw 51, in the X direction by rotating the ball screw 51 using the X-axis motor 52, and the support beam 5b drives the head unit 4b, which is attached to the nut 511 of the ball screw 51, in the X direction by rotating the ball screw 51 using the X-axis motor 52.

[0032] Furthermore, the support beams 5a and 5b can be moved in the Y direction along the Y-axis rail 54 by a Y-axis motor 53 (linear motor). That is, field coils are attached to both ends of the support beams 5a and 5b as movers of the linear motor. Meanwhile, on the Y-axis rail 54, multiple permanent magnets are arranged along the Y direction and function as stators of the linear motor. When current is supplied to the mover of the support beam 5a, the support beam 5a moves in the Y direction together with the head unit 4a, and when current is supplied to the mover of the support beam 5b, the support beam 5b moves in the Y direction together with the head unit 4b. In this way, the head unit 4a and the head unit 4b can move in the X and Y directions above the first and second carrier lanes 3a and 3b, respectively.

[0033] Each of head unit 4a and head unit 4b has eight mounting heads 41 lined up in the X direction, and each mounting head 41 uses a nozzle N (not shown) detachably attached to the bottom end of the mounting head 41 to pick up and hold components E. Of head units 4a and 4b, the mounting head 41 of head unit 4a on the component supply unit 2a side picks up components E supplied by component supply unit 2a and mounts them on board B, while the mounting head 41 of head unit 4b on the component supply unit 2b side picks up components E supplied by component supply unit 2b and mounts them on board B.

[0034] Note that the head units 4a and 4b perform the following operations to mount the component E on the board B. To remove the component E from the component removal unit 22, the head units 4a and 4b hold the nozzle N, which generates negative pressure, in contact with the component E, stationary for a predetermined suction time, and then raise the nozzle N at a predetermined ascending speed. Next, the head units 4a and 4b transport the component E above the board B by moving the nozzle N horizontally at a predetermined transport speed while holding the component E on the nozzle N. Then, the head units 4a and 4b lower the nozzle N at a predetermined descending speed, stationary for a predetermined placement time with the component E in contact with the board B, and then raise the nozzle N while releasing the negative pressure on the nozzle N. At this time, the suction time, ascending speed, transport speed, descending speed, and placement time are included in advance in a production program as mounting operation conditions, and the control unit 210 controls each unit of the component mounting apparatus 200 in accordance with the production program.

[0035] Furthermore, a nozzle changer 6 is disposed between the first conveyor lane 3a and the component supply unit 2a, and between the second conveyor lane 3b and the component supply unit 2b. The nozzle changer 6 performs nozzle changes to change the nozzles attached to the head units 4a and 4b by removing and storing nozzles from the mounting head 41, or by attaching stored nozzles to the mounting head 41. Of the two nozzle changers 6, the nozzle changer 6 on the component supply unit 2a side performs nozzle changes for head unit 4a, and the nozzle changer 6 on the component supply unit 2b side performs nozzle changes for head unit 4b.

[0036] The component mounting apparatus 200 configured in this manner repeats alternate mounting to sequentially manufacture boards B on which components E are mounted, and transport them to the reflow furnace 300. This alternate mounting is a process in which the mounting lane used to mount components E on boards B positioned at the mounting position is alternately switched between the first transport lane 3a and the second transport lane 3b. In other words, the component mounting apparatus 200 can alternately perform component mounting (first mounting operation) on the first board B1 on the first mounting position A1 of the first transport lane (mounting lane) 3a and component mounting (second mounting operation) on the second board B2 on the second mounting position A2 of the second transport lane (mounting lane) 3b.

[0037] Here, the above-mentioned problems occur in conventional technology that employs a so-called FIFO (first-in, first-out) method in which the first mounting operation and the second mounting operation are performed in accordance with the carry-in order of the board B. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 210 of the component mounting apparatus 200 is configured as follows, and alternate mounting is performed according to the procedure shown in FIG.

[0038] 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the component mounting apparatus shown in FIG. 2. The control unit 210 of the component mounting apparatus 200 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit 211, which is a processor including a CPU and RAM, and a storage unit 212 including an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and the like. The control unit 210 further has a drive control unit 213 that controls the drive system (first conveyor lane 3a, second conveyor lane 3b, X-axis motor 52, Y-axis motor 53, etc.) of the component mounting apparatus 200, an imaging control unit 214 that controls the imaging system (component recognition camera, etc.) of the component mounting apparatus 200, and a reading unit 215 that reads out a control program for controlling each unit of the component mounting apparatus 200 from a recording medium RMb. Similar to the recording medium RMa, the recording medium RMb is also configured as a CD, DVD, USB memory, etc.

[0039] The storage unit 212 stores a control program read from the recording medium RMb, a production program provided by the host computer 400, and production start time information sent from the printing apparatus 100. The arithmetic processing unit 211 then executes component mounting by controlling the drive control unit 213 and the imaging control unit 214 in accordance with the control program read from the storage unit 212. In particular, when performing alternate mounting, the arithmetic processing unit 211 controls each unit of the component mounting apparatus 200 according to the procedure shown in Fig. 4. Alternate mounting executed in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 4 to 6.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the alternating mounting operation in the component mounting apparatus shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the alternating mounting operation when two boards are simultaneously loaded from the printing device into the first and second transport lanes, respectively. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating the alternating mounting operation when two boards are loaded from the printing device into the first and second transport lanes, respectively, at different times. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the vertical axis represents the time axis. The ellipses indicate the production start times of the first board B1 and the second board B2. These figures illustrate a case in which the production start time of the first board B1 is earlier than the production start time of the second board B2. The alternating mounting operation will be described with reference to this case. In FIGS. 5 and 6, to clearly indicate the mounting lanes and the boards on which components are to be mounted, the transport lanes corresponding to the mounting lanes are dotted, and the boards on which components are to be mounted are hatched.

[0041] As shown in columns (a) and (b) of FIG. 5 and columns (a) and (b) of FIG. 6, the timing of printing the bonding material on the substrate B in the printing apparatus 100 may differ. In this example, the first substrate B1 is printed at an earlier production start time than the second substrate B2. Therefore, in the prior art, control is performed under the assumption that the first substrate B1 is carried into the component mounting apparatus 200 before the second substrate B2. In other words, sufficient consideration is not given to the simultaneous carriage of the first substrate B1 and the second substrate B2 (column (c) of FIG. 5) or the carriage of the second substrate B2 into the component mounting apparatus 200 before the first substrate B1 (column (c) of FIG. 6). As a result, component mounting on the first substrate B1 (first mounting operation) is postponed, resulting in problems such as increased production time and an increase in work-in-progress.

[0042] 4 is performed on the assumption that board B has been carried into at least one of the first transport lane 3a and the second transport lane 3. In other words, the mounting lane is reviewed each time one group of components E (a group of components held by head units 4a and 4b) is mounted in the mounting lane corresponding to the production start time of board B. More specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 211, which functions as the "time information acquisition unit" and "priority determination unit" of the present invention, controls each unit of component mounting apparatus 200 to operate as follows.

[0043] In step S1, the calculation processing unit 211 determines whether the current mounting lane is set to the first carrier lane 3a. When performing alternate mounting, a board B is present in one of the first carrier lane 3a and the second carrier lane 3b, and component mounting is performed on that board B. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mounting lane determination process will be explained separately: a mounting lane determination process (steps S2a to S6a) that is performed when the first carrier lane 3a is set as the mounting lane, as shown in section (d) of FIG. 5 and section (e) of FIG. 6; and a mounting lane determination process (steps S2b to S6b) that is performed when the second carrier lane 3b is currently set as the mounting lane, as shown in section (e) of FIG. 5 and sections (d) and (f) of FIG. 6.

[0044] If the determination in step S1 is "YES," the arithmetic processing unit 211 detects the presence or absence of a board in the second transport lane 3b opposite the mounting lane, i.e., the second board B2 (step S2a). Here, the presence or absence of the second board B2 can be detected directly by a sensor (not shown) provided near the second mounting position A2. Alternatively, the presence or absence of board B may be obtained indirectly by other means, such as by tracking the transport operation of board B through the transport lanes 3a and 3b or by receiving production start time information from the printing device 100.

[0045] Based on this detection result, when the arithmetic processing unit 211 detects that the second board B2 is present on the second transportation lane 3b ("YES" in step S3a), it acquires the production start times of the first board B1 located at the first mounting position A1 and the second board B2 located at the second mounting position A2 (step S4a), as shown in section (d) of FIG. 5 and section (e) of FIG. 6. More specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 211 reads out the production start times corresponding to the board IDs of the first board B1 and the second board B2. The production start times of the boards B1 and B2 acquired in this way are referred to as the "first time T1" and the "second time T2," respectively.

[0046] The calculation processing unit 211 compares the first time T1 and second time T2 thus obtained. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, if the first time T1 is earlier than the second time T2 and printing has started on the first board B1 before printing on the second board B2 ("NO" in step S5a), the mounting lane remains the first carrier lane 3a. Conversely, if the second time T2 is earlier than the first time T1 and printing has started on the second board B2 before printing on the first board B1 ("YES" in step S5a), the calculation processing unit 211 switches the mounting lane from the first carrier lane 3a to the second carrier lane 3b (step S6a).

[0047] On the other hand, if the second transport lane 3b is currently set as the mounting lane, that is, if step S1 returns "NO," the arithmetic processing unit 211 executes steps S2b to S6b. That is, the arithmetic processing unit 211 directly or indirectly detects the presence or absence of a board in the first transport lane 3a opposite the mounting lane, that is, the first board B1, by the same means as in step S2a (step S2b).

[0048] Based on this detection result, the calculation processing unit 211 detects that the first board B1 is present on the first transport lane 3a ("YES" in step S3b), and then obtains the production start times, i.e., the first time T1 and the second time T2, of the first board B1 located at the first mounting position A1 and the second board B2 located at the second mounting position A2, as shown in column (d) of Figure 6, in the same manner as in step S4a above (step S4b).

[0049] The calculation processing unit 211 compares the first time T1 and second time T2 thus obtained. Then, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, if the first time T1 is earlier than the second time T2 and printing has started on the first board B1 before printing on the second board B2 ("YES" in step S5b), the calculation processing unit 211 switches the mounting lane from the second transport lane 3b to the first transport lane 3a (step S6b). Conversely, if the second time T2 is earlier than the first time T1 and printing has started on the second board B2 before printing on the first board B1 ("NO" in step S5b), the mounting lane remains the second transport lane 3b.

[0050] Once the mounting lane is determined by executing steps S2a to S6a and S2b to S6b described above, the arithmetic processing unit 211 controls each unit of the apparatus so that the group of components held by the head units 4a and 4b, i.e., one group of components E, are mounted onto the boards B on the mounting lane (step S7). In other words, if the printing process for the first board B1 starts earlier than the second board B2, component mounting onto the first board B1 (first mounting operation, first mounting step) is performed with priority, even if the first board B1 is carried in at the same time as the second board B2 as shown in FIG. 5 or is carried in later than the second board B2 as shown in FIG. 6. Conversely, if the printing process for the second board B2 starts earlier than the first board B1, component mounting onto the second board B2 (second mounting operation, second mounting step) is performed with priority.

[0051] The above-described determination of the mounting lane and component mounting for one group are repeated until mounting of all components E on board B on the mounting lane is completed (determined as "YES" in step S8). In other words, while determining as "NO" in step S8, the arithmetic processing unit 211 returns to step S1 and repeats the series of processes.

[0052] Although the above description has been given of the alternating mounting in the component mounting apparatus 200 adjacent to the printing apparatus 100, the alternating mounting shown in FIG. 4 is also performed in other component mounting apparatuses 200.

[0053] As described above, in this embodiment, priority is given to mounting components E on boards B that have been printed earlier, regardless of the order in which boards B are carried into component mounting apparatus 200. Therefore, as shown by the dashed lines in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, the order in which boards B are carried into component mounting apparatus 200 does not affect the production time of boards B on which components E are mounted, and this can be effectively reduced. As a result, boards B on which components E are mounted can be produced with excellent quality. Furthermore, because boards B can be carried out into reflow furnace 300 in the order in which they were printed, the number of work-in-progress items can be reduced.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 and the printing process performed on the board B in the printing apparatus 100 correspond to examples of the "pre-processing apparatus" and "pre-processing" of the present invention. The reflow furnace 300 and the reflow process performed on the board B on which components have been mounted in the reflow furnace 300 correspond to examples of the "post-processing apparatus" and "post-processing" of the present invention. The operations shown in (d) of FIG. 5 and (e) of FIG. 6 correspond to examples of the "first mounting operation" and "first mounting step" of the present invention, and the operations shown in (c) of FIG. 5 correspond to examples of the "second mounting operation" and "second mounting step" of the present invention. The step of selectively performing these operations corresponds to an example of the "selection and execution step" of the present invention. Steps S4a and S4b correspond to an example of the "time information acquisition step" of the present invention. Step S7 corresponds to an example of the "component mounting step" of the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a second embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the manner in which production start time information is assigned to the component mounting apparatus 200. In other words, whereas in the first embodiment, the production start time information is sent directly from the printing apparatus 100 to each component mounting apparatus 200, in the second embodiment, it is sent indirectly. As indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 7 , the production start time information is sent from the printing apparatus 100 to the host computer 400 and stored in memory 420. The host computer 400 then reads the production start time information from memory 420 depending on the operating status of each device and transmits it to each component mounting apparatus 200, either together with the production program (production control information) or independently. Meanwhile, by receiving the production program and production start time information in this manner, the control unit 210 performs component mounting in accordance with the production program while appropriately switching priorities.

[0056] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a third embodiment of a component mounting system according to the present invention. This third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the manner in which production start time information is used. Specifically, in the third embodiment, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 8, production start time information is transmitted from the printing apparatus 100 to the host computer 400 and stored in memory 420. The host computer 400 reads the production start time information from memory 420 according to the operating status of each device and modifies the production program (production control information) to achieve alternate mounting corresponding to the production start time information (this corresponds to an example of the "modification process" of the present invention). The modified production program is then provided to each component mounting apparatus 200 from the host computer 400, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 8. Meanwhile, upon receiving the production program reflecting the production start time information, the control unit 210 performs component mounting while appropriately performing priority switching.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, three component mounting apparatuses 200 are provided, but the present invention can also be applied to a component mounting system having one, two, or four or more component mounting apparatuses 200.

[0058] In addition, in the above embodiment, the start time of the print process is used as the first time and the second time, but any time during the print process may be set as the first time and the second time. For example, the end time of the print process may be set as the first time and the second time.

[0059] In the above embodiment, one printing apparatus 100 is provided as the preprocessing apparatus. However, the number of printing apparatuses 100 is not limited to one and may be multiple. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, two printing apparatuses 100 may be provided as preprocessing apparatuses, and the "preprocessing" of the present invention may be configured to perform printing processes sequentially using these printing apparatuses 100 (fourth embodiment). In this case, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 9, production start time information may be provided to each mounting apparatus 200, which associates the start time of printing on board B by the printing apparatus 100A that performs printing first with the board ID of that board B. Of course, as in the second embodiment, the production start time information from the printing apparatus 100A may be provided to each mounting apparatus 200 via the host computer 400. As in the third embodiment, the production program may be changed based on the production start time information from the printing apparatus 100A, and the changed production program may then be provided to each mounting apparatus 200.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a component mounting system 1 equipped with the printing device 100 as a pre-processing device, but the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a component mounting system 1 equipped with, as a pre-processing device, an application device that applies bonding material in multiple spots as a pre-processing before mounting chip components on a substrate.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the component mounting system 1 equipped with the reflow furnace 300 as a post-processing device, but the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a component mounting system in which an inspection device is arranged as a post-processing device at the position of the reflow furnace 300. [Industrial Applicability]

[0062] The present invention can be applied to any component mounting technology that includes a first carrier lane and a second carrier lane and that allows component mounting on the first carrier lane and component mounting on the second carrier lane to be performed alternately. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1...Component mounting system 3a...First transport lane 3b...Second transport lane 4a, 4b...Head unit 100, 100A...Printing device (pre-processing device) 210...Control unit 200...Component mounting device 300...Reflow oven (post-processing device) 400...host computer 420...(control) program A1: First mounting position A2: Second mounting position B1...First board B2: Second board E...Parts RMa, RMb...recording media T1…1st time T2…Second time

Claims

1. A component mounting system that mounts components on a first substrate and a second substrate, and transports the first substrate and the second substrate on which the components are mounted to a post-processing device, a pre-processing device that performs pre-processing on the first substrate and the second substrate before the components are mounted thereon; a component mounting device that mounts components onto the first substrate and the second substrate that have been subjected to the preprocessing by the preprocessing device, The component mounting device a first conveyance lane that conveys the workpiece toward the post-processing device via a first mounting position; a second conveyance lane that conveys the workpieces toward the post-processing device via a second mounting position; a head unit configured to be able to selectively execute a first mounting operation of mounting a component on the first substrate at the first mounting position and a second mounting operation of mounting a component on the second substrate at the second mounting position; a control unit that controls the head unit, The control unit a controller configured to receive production control information defining a procedure for mounting the components onto the first substrate and the second substrate from a host computer, and to cause the head unit to execute the first mounting operation and the second mounting operation based on the production control information; a time information acquiring unit that acquires, from the preprocessing device via the host computer, time information relating to a first time when the preprocessing is performed on the first substrate by the preprocessing device and a second time when the preprocessing is performed on the second substrate by the preprocessing device; a priority determination unit that compares the first time and the second time based on the time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit, and controls the head unit to prioritize execution of the first mounting operation when the first time is earlier than the second time, and to prioritize execution of the second mounting operation when the second time is earlier than the first time. A component mounting system characterized by:

2. 2. The component mounting system according to claim 1, the first time is the time when the pretreatment is first applied to the first substrate; The second time is the time when the pretreatment is first applied to the second substrate. Component mounting system.

3. 2. The component mounting system according to claim 1, the pretreatment device is a printing device that performs a printing process of printing a bonding material on the first substrate and the second substrate as the pretreatment, the first time is a start time of the printing process on the first substrate, The second time is a start time of the printing process on the second substrate. Component mounting system.

4. 2. The component mounting system according to claim 1, the pretreatment device is a printing device that performs a printing process of printing a bonding material on the first substrate and the second substrate as the pretreatment, the first time is an end time of the printing process on the first substrate, The second time is the end time of the printing process on the second substrate. Component mounting system.

5. 2. The component mounting system according to claim 1, the pre-processing device includes a plurality of printing devices that perform a printing process of printing a bonding material on the first substrate and the second substrate, and executes the pre-processing by sequentially performing the printing processes by the plurality of printing devices; The first time and the second time are a start time of the printing process on the first substrate and the second substrate by the printing device that first executes the printing process, or is the end time of the printing process on the first substrate and the second substrate by the printing device that first executes the printing process. Component mounting system.

6. a pretreatment step of applying pretreatment to the first substrate and the second substrate using a pretreatment device; a component mounting process of receiving production control information defining a procedure for mounting components onto the first board and the second board from a host computer, and mounting components onto the first board and the second board that have been subjected to the pre-processing based on the production control information; a post-processing step of performing post-processing on the first substrate and the second substrate on which the components are mounted, The component mounting step includes: acquiring, from the pretreatment device via the host computer, time information relating to a first time when the pretreatment is applied to the first substrate and a second time when the pretreatment is applied to the second substrate in the pretreatment step; comparing the first time and the second time based on the time information; a step of executing a first mounting step of mounting a component on the first board at a first mounting position prior to a second mounting step of mounting a component on the second board at a second mounting position when the first time is earlier than the second time; a step of executing the second mounting process with priority over the first mounting process when the second time is earlier than the first time; A component mounting method comprising:

7. 2. A program for mounting components on the first board and the second board using the component mounting system according to claim 1, a time information acquiring step of acquiring time information relating to the first time and the second time from the preprocessing device via the host computer; a step of comparing the first time and the second time based on the time information acquired in the time information acquisition step; a first mounting process of executing the first mounting operation with priority over the second mounting operation when the first time is earlier than the second time; a second mounting process of executing the second mounting operation with priority over the first mounting operation when the second time is earlier than the first time; A program that enables a computer to achieve this.

8. A non-transitory recording medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

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