Placement head and placement machine for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier

Abstract

To provide a placement head and a placement machine for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier.SOLUTION: The placement head has: a chassis; a first rotor assembly mounted to be rotatable relative to the chassis about a first axis of rotation, the first rotor assembly having a first quantity of first handling devices; and a second rotor assembly mounted to be rotatable relative to the chassis about a second axis of rotation, the second rotor assembly having a second quantity of second handling devices. Each handling device includes: a sleeve to which a component holding device for temporarily picking up a component can be attached; and a drive device which includes a linear drive device for moving the sleeve along its longitudinal axis and a rotary drive device for rotating the sleeve about its longitudinal axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the technical field of component placement technology. In particular, the present invention relates to a placement head for a placement machine for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier, the placement head being rotatable about a rotation axis and having a plurality of handling devices configured to temporarily grasp electronic components by component holding devices. The present invention also relates to a placement machine equipped with such a placement head and a method for placing components on a component carrier using such a placement head. [Background technology]

[0002] Due to the increasing miniaturization of electronic assemblies, there are high demands for component placement accuracy in modern placement devices or machines. Due to high price pressures in the electronics industry, placement machines also need to have high placement speeds so that electronic assemblies can be produced quickly and therefore inexpensively.

[0003] High placement speeds can be achieved using sophisticated placement machines that place surface-mounted devices (SMDs) onto component carriers using the so-called "collect & place" principle. In a "collect & place" process cycle, a placement head, having multiple component-holding devices that each pick up and hold a component, first picks up multiple components from a component supply system, often referred to as a "feeder," having multiple component supply devices. The picked-up components are then transferred by the placement head to a placement area where the component carriers to be assembled are located. There, the transferred components are placed, one by one, onto the upper side of the component carriers, so that component connections located on the underside of the components come into contact with corresponding connection surfaces or connection pads formed on the upper side of the component carriers. At the end of the process cycle, the placement head is then moved again toward the collection area where the component supply system is located. A new process cycle can then begin by again picking up additional electronic components.

[0004] To avoid the need to move the entire placement head along the z-direction perpendicular to the placement plane when picking up components from the component supply system or placing them on the component carrier, the so-called holding devices of the placement heads are displaceable relative to the chassis of the placement heads along the z-direction. For example, linear motors can be used for such z-displacement. In this case, a common linear drive can typically be provided for the holding devices, which is sequentially engaged with multiple sleeves, onto each of which a component holding device is removably fixed. To enable the components to be placed in the correct angular position on the component carrier to be assembled, the sleeves or holding devices are typically rotatable about their respective longitudinal axes.

[0005] As mentioned above, the collection and placement process cycle includes the following four process stages: (1) collecting parts; (2) transferring the part; (3) placing the component on a component carrier; and (4) Replacing the placement head. By optimizing process steps (1) and (3), the placement speed of the placement machine can be most effectively increased.

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a cylindrical turret head (a so-called "turret placement head") that has two cylindrical rotor assemblies that can rotate independently of each other in separate angular steps around a common rotation axis and are oriented perpendicular to the surface of the component carrier to be assembled during assembly. Eight component-holding devices in the form of suction nozzles are attached to each rotor assembly. Furthermore, two so-called z-drives are assigned to each rotor assembly, allowing two of the eight suction nozzles to move relative to the housing of the cylindrical turret head along a z-axis oriented parallel to the common rotation axis. The distance between the first suction nozzle of the first rotor and the second suction nozzle of the second rotor can be set by individually changing the rotation angle of one rotor relative to the other. If this distance corresponds to the distance between two electronic components to be collected that are supplied by the component supply system, these two components can be simultaneously removed from the component supply system. This clearly contributes to increasing the efficiency of component collection. In order to (further) increase the placement speed, the aforementioned process step (3), in which components are thus placed on the associated component carriers, is of particular importance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-164881 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-038358 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-122754 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-273582 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to increase the placement speed of a placement machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a placement head for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier is described. The placement head includes: (a) a chassis; (b) a first rotor assembly rotatably mounted relative to the chassis about a first axis of rotation and having a first number of first manipulating devices; and (c) a second rotor assembly rotatably mounted relative to the chassis about a second axis of rotation and having a second number of second manipulating devices. Each (first and second) manipulating device includes: (i) a sleeve to which a component holding device for temporarily picking up components can be attached; and (ii) a drive device having a linear drive for moving the sleeve along its longitudinal axis and a rotary drive for rotating the sleeve about its longitudinal axis.

[0011] The placement head described above is based on the recognition that the process during placement of components on a component carrier can be parallelized (in time) by individually actuating each sleeve of the placement head. This allows for a significant increase in the placement speed of the placement head, where the term "placement speed" refers to the number of components that can be picked up by the placement head from a component supply system and placed on a component carrier to be assembled within a given time period.

[0012] For example, two or more components can be picked up simultaneously by a component supply system including multiple component supply devices positioned adjacent to one another if appropriate setting of the relative rotation angle between the two rotor assemblies ensures that the distance between the two or more included manipulation devices is precisely the same as the distance between the component collection locations of the component supply devices provided in the multiple component pickup processes. When at least a first manipulation device of a first rotor assembly and a second manipulation device of a second rotor assembly are included in the component pickup process, almost any distance can be set between the two manipulation devices.

[0013] Accordingly, two or more components can also be placed on the component carrier simultaneously. Here again (in addition to the obviously necessary proper positioning of the entire placement head), it is only necessary to ensure that the relative rotation angle between the two rotor assemblies ensures a relative spacing between (i) at least a first manipulating device of a first rotor assembly and (ii) at least a second manipulating device of a second rotor assembly, where this relative spacing exactly corresponds to the distance between the associated placement positions on the component carrier.

[0014] It should be noted that, if the geometric dimensions of the two rotor assemblies are appropriate, it is also possible to simultaneously remove two or more components from the various component supply devices of the component supply system with a cylindrical turret head described in the introduction and known from US Pat. No. 5,529,499. The component collection positions of the component supply system are usually located on a fixed spatial grid that can accommodate the geometric shapes of the two rotor assemblies. In contrast, the various placement positions on the component carrier to be assembled generally do not lie on a fixed grid. However, to be able to simultaneously place at least two components at their appropriate points, it must be possible, on the one hand, to continuously adjust the relative rotation angle between the two rotor assemblies and, on the other hand, to individually actuate the included sleeves or component holding devices. Only then, in particular, can the sleeve be displaced along and rotated around its longitudinal axis independently of the current rotational angle position of the rotor assembly in question. The ability to operate all sleeves individually according to the invention is therefore advantageous not only because it allows multiple components to be picked up simultaneously from the component supply system, but also because it allows multiple components to be placed simultaneously on the component carrier at placement positions that are spaced apart from one another.

[0015] Preferably, all of the first operating devices are arranged on a first circumference at a first radial distance from the first axis of rotation, and similarly, all of the second operating devices are arranged on a second circumference at a second radial distance from the second axis of rotation.

[0016] In this document, the term "electronic component" or "component" can be understood to mean any element that can be placed, attached, or mounted on a component carrier. The term "component" can include packaged components and, in particular, unpackaged components or chips. These include two- or multi-pole SMT components or other highly integrated components of different shapes, such as flat, round, or ball grid arrays, bare dies, flip chips, or individual parts, such as semiconductor chips on a semiconductor wafer, which can be further processed into finished components, in particular after structuring and cutting the wafer. However, in this document, the term "electronic component" also includes electronically inert or passive components, such as electrical plugs or connectors, heat sinks, shielding elements, housing parts, etc., that can be placed on a carrier.

[0017] In this document, the term "component carrier" is understood to mean any type of medium on which a component can be placed, in particular a substrate or a printed circuit board. The medium on which a component can be placed, in particular a printed circuit board, can be rigid or flexible. It can also have both at least one first rigid area and at least one second flexible area. The medium on which the component can be placed can also be a temporary carrier on which an unpackaged chip is mounted, for example, for fabricating the component by the so-called "embedded wafer-level packaging (eWLP)" process. Such a temporary carrier can be an adhesive foil stretched on a frame in a known manner. The adhesive foil can be a heat-releasable foil (so-called thermal release foil), allowing the bonded chip to be removed from the (previous) adhesive film in a simple manner using thermal energy.

[0018] In this document, the term "sleeve" may be understood to mean any type of (elongated) coupling structure, which is used in a manner known for conventional placement heads (without using the "pneumatic functionality" described herein) to attach a component-holding device, such as a jawed gripper or a suction nozzle, to the placement head and to move this component-holding device along the z-axis relative to the placement head chassis. If the component-holding device is a suction nozzle, the above-mentioned negative pressure, generated by the vacuum-generating unit, is delivered to the surface of the associated component via air channels inside the suction nozzle.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second rotation axes are parallel. This has the advantage that the sleeves of all operating devices lie in a common plane. This applies both when all sleeves of the first operating device are in the same longitudinal position relative to the first rotation axis and when all sleeves of the second operating device are in the same longitudinal position relative to the second rotation axis. In this context, "longitudinal position" refers to a specific coordinate in a cylindrical coordinate system, in which each rotation axis is always the axis of a cylinder.

[0020] When the placement heads operate with parallel axes of rotation, the placement heads can be oriented or positioned such that this common plane lies parallel to the placement plane, and therefore all manipulation devices are at least approximately the same distance from the placement plane. In particular, this distance is independent of the current rotation angle of the rotor assembly rotation in question. Advantageously, the actuation of the drive device for each manipulation device can therefore be the same for all rotation angles of the rotor assembly, both when picking up a part and when placing it.

[0021] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are a common axis of rotation, which means that the two axes of rotation are collinear.

[0022] The use of a common rotation axis means that the two rotor assemblies are arranged concentrically with one another, so that the described placement head can be constructed in a compact and relatively simple manner.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first axis of rotation is offset relative to the second axis of rotation, which means that the two rotor assemblies are arranged non-concentrically relative to each other.

[0024] In particular, the inner rotor assembly of two rotor assemblies can be positioned eccentrically relative to the other outer rotor assembly. This means that for each (relative) angular position of the two rotor assemblies, there is at least one first operating device that is particularly closely spaced from at least one second operating device. Opposite this (relative) angular position, there is then another first operating device that is particularly far away from at least another second operating device. This eccentricity allows for simultaneous pick-up or placement of two components that are particularly close to each other when there is a first (relative) angular position between the two rotor assemblies. When there is a second (relative) angular position between the two rotor assemblies, two components that are particularly far away from each other can be simultaneously picked up or placed. This means that a particularly large distance range is provided for simultaneous component placement (pick-up or placement) compared to a concentric rotor configuration. A high degree of flexibility is thus achieved for the described placement head with regard to the assembly of various circuit board layouts on various component carriers.

[0025] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the placement head further comprises (a) a first motor for rotating the first rotor assembly and (b) a second motor for rotating the second rotor assembly. The two motors are thereby controlled independently of each other, and thus the first rotor assembly can rotate independently of the second rotor assembly. This has the advantage that multiple different distances can be set between the first and second manipulation devices, even when using different motor settings or motor positions. This allows, for example, simultaneous pick-up or collection of (at least) two electronic components for multiple distances between (at least) two corresponding component collection locations of a component supply system comprising (at least) two component supply devices.

[0026] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the first motor is configured to rotate the first rotor assembly continuously or at least quasi-continuously. Alternatively, or in combination, the second motor is configured to rotate the second rotor assembly continuously or at least quasi-continuously. As a result, the aforementioned distance between the first and second manipulation devices can be set to any value within a specified distance range. The specified distance range depends on the geometry of the placement head. This includes, in particular, (i) the first radial distance of the first manipulation device from the first axis of rotation, (ii) the second radial distance of the second manipulation device from the second axis of rotation, and (iii) any offset between the first and second axes of rotation.

[0027] The term "quasi-continuous" may be understood to mean a rotation angle that is significantly, in particular ten times smaller, preferably hundred times smaller, more preferably thousand times smaller than the angular distance between two adjacent first operating devices or two adjacent second operating devices. Such small rotation angles can be achieved, for example, by means of a step motor, where one step corresponds to one such small rotation angle or one such small change in the rotation angle.

[0028] The described functionality of continuous or quasi-continuous rotation need not only be used when two components are placed simultaneously at any distance (within the aforementioned specified distance range). This functionality can also be advantageously used when simultaneously picking components if the components in question are delivered to their collection position with a certain positioning tolerance. For example, this can be the case when the components are transferred to the collection position in a so-called component pocket of the component belt, where the component pocket is somewhat larger than the component. The usually obtained somewhat small positioning tolerance can be compensated for, if necessary, by corresponding fine adjustments in the angular position of the first rotor assembly and / or the second rotor assembly. For this purpose, the exact position of the component still located in the component pocket can be determined in a known manner by a camera and a downstream image evaluation unit. Furthermore, the aforementioned functionality of continuous or quasi-continuous rotation of at least one rotor assembly can also be used to compensate for (i) possible undesired positional deviations of the component supply device relative to the (chassis of) the placement machine and / or (ii) undesired positional deviations of the component pocket relative to the associated component supply device.

[0029] In some embodiments, fine adjustment of the spacing between two or more component-holding devices is achieved by using so-called eccentric component-holding devices and / or eccentric sleeves. The distance between the tips of the various component-holding devices can then be adjusted, i.e., by independent, appropriate rotation of the associated sleeves. Such fine adjustment can be particularly advantageous when three or four components are simultaneously picked up by the component-feeding system and / or placed on the component carrier from a predetermined position.

[0030] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the first quantity of the first operating device is the same as the second quantity of the second operating device, so that there is always a pair of two operating devices, a first operating device and a second operating device, which can be used to pick up two parts at the same time and to put down two parts at the same time.

[0031] It is clear that the "multiple output capability" of a placement head increases as the number of manipulation devices increases, where the descriptive term "multiple output capability" refers to the maximum number of components that can be picked up by the placement head and transported together to the placement area.

[0032] The first quantity and / or the second quantity of manipulation devices may be at least 4, preferably at least 6, more preferably at least 8. Depending on the respective requirements of the placement operation, a good compromise between the complexity of the placement head and its "multiple output capability" can be achieved, so that the aforementioned configurations of the placement head with 2 times 8 (2 x 8) manipulation devices, 2 x 10 manipulation devices or 2 x 16 manipulation devices have proven advantageous in practice.

[0033] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first operating devices are arranged on a first circumference at a first radial distance from the first axis of rotation, where the circumferential distance along the first circumference between two adjacent first operating devices is different from the further circumferential distance along the first circumference between two adjacent further first operating devices. Alternatively, or in combination, the second operating devices are arranged on a second circumference at a second radial distance from the second axis of rotation, where the circumferential distance along the second circumference between two adjacent second operating devices is different from the further circumferential distance along the second circumference between two adjacent further second operating devices.

[0034] The previously mentioned non-equidistant spacing between different pairs of adjacent operating devices for one and the same rotor assembly provides the advantage that not only two parts but four parts can be simultaneously removed or collected from one part supply system having at least four part supply devices, preferably in the form of belt conveyors, arranged at defined, possibly non-equidistant, distances from one another.

[0035] The first rotor assembly and / or the second rotor assembly are preferably configured such that there are only two different circumferential distances, i.e., a first distance and a second distance. In other words, the different distances can alternate. For example, for the first rotor assembly, this means that along the first circumference, (i) the distance between the first first operating device and the second first operating device is the first distance, (ii) the distance between the second first operating device and the third first operating device is the second distance, (iii) the distance between the third first operating device and the fourth first operating device is again the first distance, and so on.

[0036] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the placement head further comprises a camera mounted on the chassis and configured to detect the picked-up component.

[0037] In so-called "pick and place" placement operations, a camera moving with the placement head advantageously allows component measurements to be performed (as short as possible and therefore quickly) during the movement of the placement head from the component supply system to the placement area where the component carriers to be assembled are found, thus avoiding the need to detour around so-called stationary cameras and increasing the placement speed of each placement machine.

[0038] For the sake of completeness alone, it should be said that the meaning and purpose of such component measurements is to determine the exact position and angular position of the picked-up component relative to each component holding device. Generally, knowledge of the physical position and angular position is particularly required in known methods in order to place the picked-up component on the component carrier in the correct orientation, after requiring compensation in the positioning of the entire placement head and in the rotation of the sleeve.

[0039] It should be noted that during the aforementioned lateral movement of the placement head, multiple picked-up components may be detected, rather than just a single component. During this lateral movement, the first rotor assembly and / or the second rotor assembly in particular may rotate so that multiple components are successively within the detection range of the camera. If the camera's field of view is wide enough, components on both rotor assemblies may also be detected.

[0040] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the camera is movably mounted relative to the chassis, the mobility of the camera being achieved, for example, by a suitable swivel mechanism.

[0041] When positioned in a first position relative to the chassis, the movable camera can detect a picked-up component as long as it is within its detection range. In a second position, the camera can be positioned outside the range of sleeve movement and therefore does not interfere with component pick-up or placement.

[0042] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the placement head further comprises a further camera (stationarily) mounted on the chassis and configured to detect further picked-up parts. The first camera is preferably assigned to the first rotor assembly, meaning that the first camera can detect parts held by the first manipulation devices or their sleeves. Similarly, a further camera can be (dedicated to) the second rotor assembly.

[0043] The use of an additional camera has the advantage that the camera's field of view can be reduced compared to a camera system using only one camera. As a result, the camera system can be configured to be more compact or smaller in size. Another advantage of the aforementioned second camera is that it can detect multiple parts, even over a relatively short travel path, typically with a relatively short travel time for the placement head. This can result in a further increase in placement speed.

[0044] Of course, the second camera can also be movably mounted relative to the chassis, which provides the same advantages for the second camera as discussed above with respect to the first camera.

[0045] Depending on the specific application, all cameras described in this document can be designed as matrix cameras with a 2D sensor chip, or as line scan cameras with a 1D sensor chip. In the case of line scan cameras, acquiring a 2D image requires relative motion between the part and the camera, in a known manner.

[0046] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the placement head further comprises a data processing unit connected downstream of the camera or further camera and configured to carry out an evaluation of the images taken of each individual component.

[0047] Such a mobile data processing unit can significantly reduce the requirements for data transmission between (i) the target placement head or camera and (ii) a master data processing device that can handle the superordinate control of the entire placement operation: it is no longer necessary to transmit the complete image data from each recorded image, but only information regarding the physical and angular position of the target picked-up part is required, and thus the positioning system for the complete placement head and the drive devices for the individual manipulation devices of the placement head can be appropriately controlled.

[0048] It is noted that in other embodiments, the overall machine control as well as the aforementioned evaluation of the images captured by the camera and / or further camera may be performed by a stationary data processing unit or one mounted directly or indirectly on the chassis of the placement machine. The data processing unit for evaluating the images may be implemented by software and / or hardware in a data processing device, which controls the overall operation of the placement machine and is often referred to as a machine computer.

[0049] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the placement head for each first operating device and / or each second operating device further comprises a component sensor for detecting (i) the presence of a component and / or (ii) the relative position between the picked-up component and the associated sleeve that picks it up.

[0050] The component sensor is preferably a simple optically and / or electronically optoelectronic component, for example a (laser) light barrier comprising a (laser) diode and a photodiode, which when detected is located between the (laser) diode and the photodiode.

[0051] The above-described configuration of the placement head, in which each manipulation device is assigned its own component sensor, has the advantage that (i) component location recognition and / or (ii) component presence check can be performed simultaneously for all picked components. In such component presence check, process errors in which a component is not picked up by mistake can be recognized, and incorrect placement can be avoided by automatic or manual repositioning of the component in question.

[0052] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a placement machine for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier is described. The placement machine includes (a) a frame-based structure, (b) a positioning system including a stationary component and a movable component, the stationary component being mounted on the frame-based structure, and (c) a placement head of the type described above, the chassis of which is mounted on the movable component of the positioning system.

[0053] The placement machine described above recognizes that the distance between the two operating devices or sleeves of the placement head described above, one from the first rotor assembly and the other from the second rotor assembly, can be freely set by selecting an appropriate relative rotation angle between the two rotor assemblies within a predetermined distance range to perform a particularly effective and rapid placement process. Using the placement head described above, it is possible to both (a) simultaneously pick up two electronic components, each of which is provided at a collection position, and (b) simultaneously place the two picked-up electronic components on a component carrier to be assembled. The two electronic components can be placed on the component carrier to be assembled with high precision in the x-y placement plane and at precise angular positions on predetermined connection pads.

[0054] In order to be able to place electronic components in any position on the component carrier to be assembled, the positioning system is preferably a so-called surface positioning system, with which the placement head can move freely within a predetermined positioning range in the aforementioned xy-plane oriented perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotor or to the z-direction. However, it should be noted that instead of a surface positioning system, a simple linear positioning system can also be used, as long as the component carrier to be assembled with multiple electronic components can be simultaneously displaced perpendicular to the movement direction of the linear positioning system during the placement process.

[0055] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the placement machine further comprises a component supply system having (i) a first component supply device by which electronic components are supplied to a first collection location, and (ii) a second component supply device by which electronic components are supplied to a second collection location, the two collection locations being spaced apart from each other so that the placement head can simultaneously collect the first electronic component from the first collection location and the second electronic component from the second collection location.

[0056] When the two component supply devices are so-called belt conveyors that sequentially transport packaged electronic components to their collection positions, the distance between the two collection positions is at least approximately established. However, because electronic components typically have a certain amount of play in the pickup pockets formed on each belt, there may be a slight deviation in the actual position of the component collected from the designated component collection position. Compensation for such deviations can be easily and effectively performed using the aforementioned placement head, where the distance between the first sleeve of the first block and the second sleeve of the second block can be freely adjusted. Therefore, in all cases, the first component can be collected using the first sleeve, or the second component can be collected using the second sleeve simultaneously.

[0057] However, the placement head described herein can also be advantageously used in placement machines with component supply systems that include at least two component supply devices, each designed as a so-called bulk material conveyor. With such a bulk material conveyor, components are simply provided individually within a specific collection area; the exact location of the electronic components to be collected within the collection area is not specified. For example, if the exact location of the electronic components to be collected is determined by an appropriate vision or image recognition system, the placement head described herein can be configured so that the distance between a given first sleeve in a first block and a given second sleeve in a second block is exactly the same as the distance between two specific components provided in different collection areas. Therefore, even in the case of a bulk material conveyor, simultaneous pickup of two electronic components can be ensured in a simple and reliable manner, thereby achieving a significant increase in placement speed.

[0058] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier by the above-described placement machine and / or by the above-described placement head is described, the method including the steps of: (a) picking up a first electronic component from a first collection location using a first component holding device attached to a first sleeve of a first rotor assembly of the placement head; (b) picking up a second electronic component from a second collection location using a second component holding device attached to a second sleeve of a second rotor assembly of the placement head; (c) transferring the two picked-up electronic components to a placement area where a component carrier to be assembled is located; (d) placing the transferred first electronic component on the component carrier at a first placement location; and (e) placing the transferred second electronic component on the component carrier at a second placement location.

[0059] The above-described placement process is based on the recognition that, using the placement head described above, it is possible to both (i) simultaneously pick up two electronic components provided at different collection locations and (ii) simultaneously place two picked-up electronic components at predetermined locations on a component carrier to be assembled. The collection location for each electronic component is provided by the type of component supply system that provides the electronic components at each collection location or within a designated collection area. The mounting location for each component is specified by connection contacts or connection pads on the component carrier in a known manner. The same applies to the angular position of the electronic component to be placed. As already mentioned above, the angular position must be set by appropriate controls for the placement head or the respective rotary drives to ensure reliable contact between the electrical connections of each component and the electrical connection contacts formed on the component carrier.

[0060] The aforementioned "dual turret placement head" allows for flexible adaptation of the placement sequence, i.e., which components are placed in which chronological order and at which positions on the component carrier, with adjustments being made with respect to one or more of the following objectives: (a) optimizing placement speed, (b) minimizing energy consumption, (c) maximizing accuracy, and (d) minimizing wear on the placement head and / or the entire placement machine.

[0061] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first electronic component and the second electronic component are picked up simultaneously. Alternatively, or in combination, the transferred first electronic component and the transferred second electronic component are placed simultaneously.

[0062] The aforementioned parallelization in time of collecting or picking up at least two parts from the part supply system and / or the aforementioned parallelization in time of placing at least two parts on the part carrier to be assembled has the advantage that the entire placement process can be accelerated.

[0063] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of (a) picking up a further first electronic component from a further first collecting position using a further first component holding device attached to a further first sleeve of the first rotor assembly, (b) picking up a further second electronic component from a further second collecting position using a further second component holding device attached to a further second sleeve of the second rotor assembly, (c) transferring the two picked up further electronic components together with the two picked up further electronic components to a placement area, (d) placing the transferred further first electronic component at a further first mounting position on a component carrier, and (e) placing the transferred further second electronic component at a further second mounting position on the component carrier. The further first electronic component and / or the further second electronic component are then picked up simultaneously with the picking up of the first electronic component and the second electronic component. Alternatively, or in combination with this, the placement of the transferred further first electronic component and / or the placement of the transferred further second electronic component occurs simultaneously with the placement of the transferred first electronic component and the transferred second electronic component.

[0064] The aforementioned simultaneous pick-up and / or simultaneous placement of three or four parts significantly increases the placement speed of the corresponding placement machine, in particular because it is no longer necessary to move the entire placement head between pick-up operations for three or four different parts. The same applies to the aforementioned simultaneous placement of three or four different parts.

[0065] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the sleeve and / or the component holding device attached to the sleeve with at least one handling device are configured eccentrically with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary drive of the at least one handling device. The method further comprises the step of operating the rotary drive of the at least one handling device such that a distance between (i) a tip of the component holding device and (ii) a tip of another component holding device assigned to another handling device of the first rotor assembly or the second rotor assembly is varied. In this context, the term "eccentric" may in particular mean that a tip of the associated component holding device is at least slightly outside the rotation axis of the associated rotary drive due to the corresponding shape of the sleeve and / or component holding device.

[0066] Targeted actuation of the rotary drive can be advantageous because it allows fine adjustment of the spacing between the tips of two or more component holding devices. Such fine adjustment can be particularly advantageous when three or four components are simultaneously picked up by the component feeding system and / or placed on the component carrier from a predetermined location.

[0067] Instead of just one manipulation device, preference is given to two or more manipulation devices with the aforementioned "eccentricity functionality," thereby expanding the aforementioned range of fine adjustment for the distance between the tips of two or more component-holding devices.

[0068] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for automatically placing electronic components on a component carrier by the placement machine described above and / or by the placement head described above is described, the method comprising the steps of (a) picking up electronic components from a collection location using a first component holding device and a second component holding device, (b) transferring the picked-up electronic components to a placement area where a component carrier to be assembled is located, and (c) placing the transferred electronic components in attachment locations on the component carrier.

[0069] The above-described method is based on the recognition that very large electronic components can also be placed using the above-described placement machine and / or using the above-described placement head. In this context, the term "electronic component" should be interpreted very broadly. As already mentioned above, the term "electronic component" as used in this document also includes electrically inactive or passive components such as electrical plugs or connectors, heat sinks, shielding elements, housing parts, etc. that can be placed on a carrier.

[0070] The use of two holding devices to pick up or hold a single (large) part has the advantage of being able to apply a greater overall holding force that is strong enough to reliably hold heavier parts. Two part holding devices, preferably designed as suction grippers, can place two smaller parts in another process cycle, significantly expanding the range of different parts that can be manipulated or processed using the placement head described above.

[0071] It may be advantageous if the optical detection of the components picked up by the (at least) two component holding devices is performed using cameras that are stationarily mounted on a frame base structure of the placement machine, in which case the detection is performed on the path of the component from its collection position to its placement position, where this path extends over or through the detection area of ​​the stationary camera.

[0072] According to one embodiment of the present invention, two component holding devices are assigned to each sleeve of the first rotor assembly. Alternatively, two component holding devices are assigned to each sleeve of the second rotor assembly. Picking up components by (at least) two component holding devices of the same rotor assembly has the advantage that the relative spacing between the two component holding devices always remains the same. This allows for the rotation of the rotor assembly in question, for example, on its path from the component collection area to the placement area, even when (large) components are held by two component holding devices.

[0073] Depending on the size of the parts, the two part-holding devices can be directly adjacent to each other or can be spaced far apart. Particularly large parts can also be picked up or held by three or even more part-holding devices.

[0074] According to a further embodiment of the invention, one of the two component holding devices is assigned to a sleeve of the first rotor assembly, and the other of the two component holding devices is assigned to a sleeve of the second rotor assembly, which has the advantage that any distance between the two component holding devices picking up components can be set by specifically adjusting the relative rotation angle between the two rotor assemblies, within a distance range predetermined by the overall geometry of the placement head.

[0075] It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to different objects of the invention. In particular, some embodiments of the present invention are described using device claims, and other embodiments of the present invention are described using procedural claims. However, it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this application that, unless expressly stated otherwise, any combination of features belonging to different types of objects of the present invention is possible in addition to combinations of features belonging to one type of object of the present invention.

[0076] Further advantages and features of the present invention will arise from the following illustrative description of the presently preferred embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0077] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a placement machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of the basic structure of a placement head according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a top view of a placement head. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the operation device. [Figure 5a] FIG. 10 illustrates the geometry of the placement head for a given spacing between two component feeding devices of the component feeding system. [Figure 5b] FIG. 10 illustrates the geometry of the placement head for a given spacing between two component feeding devices of the component feeding system. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 shows a placement head equipped with two cameras for measuring the physical and angular position of the part being picked up. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0078] It should be noted that in the following detailed description, features or components of various embodiments that are identical or at least functionally identical to corresponding features or components of another embodiment are provided with the same reference numeral or with a reference numeral that is identical in the last two digits of the reference symbol of the corresponding identical or at least functionally identical feature or component. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, features or components that have already been described based on the previously described embodiment will not be described in detail any more at a subsequent time.

[0079] It should further be noted that the embodiments described below represent only a limited selection of possible variations of embodiments of the present invention, and in particular the features of the individual embodiments can be combined appropriately, so that those skilled in the art will see that many different embodiments are clearly disclosed with respect to the embodiments explicitly described herein.

[0080] FIG. 1 shows a placement machine 100 having a frame base structure 102 on which two parallel linear guides 103 are mounted. The two linear guides 103 carry transverse support arms 104, which themselves have linear guides 105 on which carrier elements 106 are displaceably mounted. The two linear guides 103 extend along the y direction, and the linear guide 105 extends along the x direction. A placement head 130 is disposed on the carrier elements 106. The linear guides 103, transverse support arms 104, linear guides 105, and carrier elements 106 constitute a positioning system for the placement machine 100, with the linear guides 103 forming the stationary components of the positioning system and the carrier elements 106 forming the movable components of the positioning system.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the placement head 130 has two rotor assemblies that are concentrically arranged with respect to one another and that can be rotated relative to the chassis 132 of the placement head 130 about a common axis of rotation oriented along the z-direction. The z-direction is indicated in FIG. 1 using a straight double arrow. Rotational motion is indicated in FIG. 1 using a curved double arrow. Each of the two rotor assemblies has multiple manipulation devices arranged circumferentially at a fixed radial distance from the axis of rotation. Each manipulation device can be used to pick up, hold, and place components on a component carrier while the placement head 130 is moving.

[0082] The radial distance of the manipulating devices of one (inner) rotor assembly is smaller than the radial distance of the manipulating devices of the other (outer) rotor assembly. These characteristic structural features of the placement head 130 are not shown in Figure 1 for clarity. Only two component holding devices 134 designed as suction nozzles can be seen, which are removably attached in a known manner to the sleeves of the two manipulating devices of the outer rotor assembly.

[0083] The placement machine 100 also includes a component supply system 110, shown diagrammatically, which includes at least two component supply devices 112. The component supply devices 112 provide electronic components (not shown) at a plurality of collection locations 112a for a so-called "pick and place" placement process, where components of the same or different types can be supplied by the different supply devices 112.

[0084] The placement machine 100 also includes a conveyor belt 115 that can be used to guide component carriers 190 into the placement area of ​​the placement machine 100. The component holding devices 134 can be positioned parallel to the xy plane throughout the placement area by appropriate translation of the placement head 130 and by appropriate rotational movement of the outer rotor assembly.

[0085] Furthermore, the placement machine 100 has a master data processing device 101. A processing program can be run on the placement machine 100 in order for the placement machine 100 to place the electronic components 195 on the component carrier 190, so that all components of the placement machine 100 work in precise coordination to contribute to the error-free and rapid placement of the components 195 on the component carrier 190.

[0086] A so-called circuit board camera 120 is further fixed to the carrier element 106, which is provided for detecting at least one marking 192 placed on the component carrier 190. In this way, the exact position of the component carrier 190 introduced into the placement area can be determined by measuring the position of the at least one marking 192 within the field of view of the circuit board camera 120.

[0087] It should be pointed out that the parts 195 may also be detected by a stationary camera (not shown) on its way to the part carrier 190. Such a stationary camera is stationarily positioned on the frame-based structure 102 and is attached directly or indirectly to the frame-based structure 102.

[0088] 2 shows a perspective view of the basic structure of a placement head 130 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The placement head has two rotor assemblies, a first rotor assembly 240 and a second rotor assembly 250. The two rotor assemblies 240, 250 are arranged concentrically with each other and are rotatable about an axis of rotation (not shown).

[0089] A plurality of first operating devices are attached to a first cylindrical body of first rotor assembly 240 and are designated by reference numerals 242a, 242b, 242c, 242d, 242e, 242f, 242g, and 242h. Operating devices 242a-h are located on a first circumference 244, which is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2. Similarly, a plurality of second operating devices are attached to a second cylindrical body of second rotor assembly 250 and are designated by reference numerals 252a, 252b, 252c, 252d, 252e, 252f, 252g, and 252h. Operating devices 252a-h are located on a second circumference 254, which is also shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2.

[0090] All of the operating devices 242a-h and 252a-h have, inter alia, a sleeve (not shown in more detail in FIG. 2 for clarity) and a drive device (also not shown in more detail). The sleeve is configured in a known manner so that a component holding device designed as a suction nozzle can be removably attached to temporarily pick up a component. The drive device has (i) a linear drive for moving the sleeve along its longitudinal axis and (ii) a rotary drive for rotating the sleeve around its longitudinal axis. The drive device can thus displace the suction nozzle along its longitudinal axis, or in the z-direction, and rotate it around its longitudinal axis. These two movements are necessary, in a known manner, to pick up an electronic component and subsequently place it in the correct position on the component carrier to be assembled. The configuration of the operating device is explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0091] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the placement head 130. The common axis of rotation 336 is labeled with reference numeral 336. In this FIG. 3, the two concentrically arranged rotor assemblies 240, 250, along with their operating devices 242a-h and 252a-h, are particularly visible. The "radial distance" between (i) the first circumference 244 of the outer first rotor assembly 240 and (ii) the second circumference 254 of the inner second rotor assembly 250 is designated by "c" in FIG. 3.

[0092] Due to the concentric configuration of the two rotor assemblies 240, 250 with their numerous operating devices, the placement head 130 can also be specifically called a "dual turret placement head." The English term "turret" is translated into German as "Werkzeugrevolver" (revolver head).

[0093] The first and second rotor assemblies 240 and 250, driven by the first and second motors 341 and 351, respectively, can rotate about the rotation axis 336 as desired and independently of each other. Considering (i) the so-called XY positioning of the entire placement head 130 in the coordinate system of the placement machine and (ii) the rotational or angular positions of the two rotor assemblies 240, 250, at least two of the manipulation devices can be positioned so that their distance a corresponds exactly to the distance between the collection positions of two adjacent component supply devices of the component supply system. In FIG. 3, these are the manipulation devices 242b or 242g of the first manipulation devices 242a-h and (ii) the manipulation devices 252b or 252g of the second manipulation devices 252a-h. Such positioning, adapted to the spatial structure of the component supply system, is advantageous because it allows two components to be picked up simultaneously. Naturally, this also applies if the distance a corresponds to a multiple of the distance between the two adjacent collection positions.

[0094] If the distance b between two operating devices of one and the same rotor assembly, which are second operating devices 252b and 252g in Figure 3, corresponds to a multiple of the distance between two adjacent collection positions, four components can be picked up simultaneously from the corresponding component supply system. As a result, the process of picking up multiple components can be accelerated compared to picking up components sequentially, and the placement speed of the placement head will increase accordingly.

[0095] The same therefore applies to the process of placing components on the component carrier. However, it should be noted that the placement locations of the various components are typically not on a uniform grid. This spacing of placement locations, which is typically different for each placement operation, can be provided for at least two components by appropriately setting the relative rotation angle between the two rotor assemblies. As a result, at least two components can be placed simultaneously using the aforementioned placement head 130, which results in further acceleration in the placement process compared to sequential placement of the components.

[0096] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the (first) operating device 442. The second operating devices 252a-h shown in the previous two figures 2 and 3 are constructed in exactly the same way.

[0097] The operating device 442 comprises a drive consisting of a linear drive 445 and a rotary drive 446. The rotary drive 446 can be displaced along the z-direction by the linear drive 445 on the linear guide 442-1. The rotary drive 446 is coupled to a sleeve 447 which rotates along its longitudinal direction when the rotary drive 446 is actuated. The longitudinal axis of the sleeve 447 also extends along the z-direction.

[0098] A component holding device designed as a suction gripper can be attached in a known manner to the front end of the sleeve 447. This is identified in FIG. 4 by the reference numeral 448. The component can then be held in front of the suction gripper 448 by using an air vacuum, also in a known manner. To generate this vacuum, a vacuum generating unit (not shown) is provided, which transmits the generated negative pressure via air hose 442-2 to the suction channels of the suction gripper. The vacuum generating unit can be a known central unit, which "distributes" the negative pressure to the individual suction grippers of the various operating devices via appropriate air switching valves.

[0099] The manipulation device 442 further comprises two encoders. The first encoder detects the current z-position of the sleeve 447 or of the attached suction gripper 448. This encoder is identified by the reference numeral 442-3 in Figure 4. The second encoder detects the current rotation angle of the sleeve or of the part picked up by the suction gripper 448.

[0100] According to the embodiment shown herein, the manipulation device 442 further comprises a part sensor 449. Given that the linear drive 445 is in its upper position, the linear drive 445 can be set such that the picked-up part is within the detection range of the part sensor 449.

[0101] According to the embodiment shown herein, the component sensor 449 and a downstream evaluation unit (not shown) are configured to detect (i) the presence of a component and / or (ii) the relative position between the component to be picked up and the sleeve that picks it up. The component sensor is a light barrier comprising (i) a light emitting diode or laser diode and (ii) a photodiode. When a component is detected, it is located between the diode and the photodiode.

[0102] 5a and 5b show two different placement head geometries relative to the spatial and physical configuration of a component supply system 510. As is clear from these two figures, the component supply system 510 has multiple component supply devices 551 arranged immediately next to each other. According to the embodiment shown here, all component supply devices have a width a, which is shown on the left side in FIG. 5b using a double arrow. Each component collection location is indicated by a cross in both FIGS. 5a and 5b and is labeled with reference numeral 553. Each component collection location 553 is located in the center of the component supply device 551. Therefore, the distance between two adjacent component collection locations 553 is also the aforementioned width a.

[0103] A dual turret placement head having 2 x 12 manipulation devices is shown in Figure 5a. The 12 first manipulation devices 542 assigned to the outer first rotor assembly are on a first circumference 244, which are spaced a first radial distance R1 from the common axis of rotation 336. The 12 second manipulation devices 552 assigned to the inner second rotor assembly are on a second circumference 254, which are spaced a second radial distance R2 from the common axis of rotation 336.

[0104] As can be seen in Figure 5a, both the first and second operating devices 542, 552 are not equidistantly spaced from one another on their respective circumferences 244 and 254. In particular, along the periphery of the relevant circumference, some pairs of adjacent operating devices are spaced a relatively small distance apart, while other pairs of adjacent operating devices are spaced a relatively large distance apart. According to the embodiment shown here, the short and long distances alternate along the periphery. This applies to both rotor assemblies.

[0105] The radial distances R1 and R2, and the different peripheral distances between two adjacent manipulation devices on the two circumferences 244 and 254, are selected so that when the physical positions of the placement head and the angular positions of the two rotor assemblies are properly configured, four components can be simultaneously removed from the component supply system 510. This is evident in Figure 5a by the four intended manipulation devices "covering" four corresponding collection locations.

[0106] A dual turret placement head having 2×10 manipulation devices is shown in FIG. 5b, where the first manipulation device is also identified by reference numeral 542 and the second manipulation device is identified by reference numeral 552.

[0107] The distribution of the manipulation devices along the periphery is not perfectly equidistant even in the placement head according to Fig. 5b, but together with the two radial distances R1 and R2, the distribution still allows four manipulation devices to pick up parts simultaneously.

[0108] 6 shows a perspective view of the placement head 130 equipped with two cameras for measuring the physical and angular position of a picked-up part. The first camera 662 is configured and positioned to detect a part held by the first manipulation device 542 from below. The second camera 664 is configured and positioned to detect a part held by the second manipulation device 552 from below.

[0109] As the two rotor assemblies rotate, all components held by the operating devices move successively through the detection areas of the first camera 662 and the second camera 664. This detection of the held components occurs while the components are being transferred from the component supply system to the placement area, as previously described. As soon as the placement head 130 reaches the placement area, the two cameras 662 and 664 are folded by a pivoting mechanism (not shown). Therefore, all components can be moved downwards without being obstructed by the cameras and thus placed on the component carrier to be assembled by activating the linear drive 445 shown in FIG. 4. The two cameras 662 and 664 are also in the "folded" position when components are picked up, so that the components can be picked up unhindered in the area of ​​the component supply system 510.

[0110] Although not part of the description of FIG. 6, it should be noted that at least one of the two cameras 662, 664, or a holder for at least one of the two cameras 662, 664, can be attached to or integrated into the support bearing of the inner rotor assembly.

[0111] Further information regarding features and / or advantages of possible embodiments of the present invention is provided below.

[0112] For optically clear detection of the component, a height sensor (not shown, e.g. a light barrier or so-called light curtain) can first be used to detect the component position. Based on this information, the linear drive can be appropriately activated to bring the component or component surface relevant for detection into the focus of the camera.

[0113] Depending on the specific application and especially the optical properties of the component (surface), different illumination lights with different spectral characteristics can be used for component detection. The light colors blue, blue and red, or even white have also been shown to be suitable for reliable optical component detection.

[0114] Two or more image recordings of a part using different lighting settings can also be taken during the placement operation. This can be done during a short period of time when the part in question is in a fixed position within the camera's detection range, since the rotor assembly in question is at rest during this time period. Alternatively, the two images can be taken while the part is moving, moving through the camera's detection field. The two image recordings can be evaluated together, for example, to reliably detect the part's tilt. The camera can also be a so-called multiple field-of-view (MFOV) camera. In this case, a large camera image can be generated by stitching together various small individual recordings, each showing a (usually overlapping) section of the part. Such "stitching" can be used advantageously, especially for large parts.

[0115] Image recording can be synchronized with the rotational movement of the rotor assembly of interest, for example by means of a synchronized light flash, which, in the case of a stationary camera, is emitted by a light emitter located in or on the camera and received by a suitable light receiver on the moving part of the placement head.

[0116] Regular cleaning of the camera also ensures that high quality images are captured. Such cleaning can be performed by a cleaning nozzle, an air pulse blown from an empty suction nozzle, and / or a special cleaning tool picked up by the operating device.

[0117] It should be noted that the term "having or including" does not exclude other elements, and the term "one or a" does not exclude a plurality. Elements described with respect to different illustrated embodiments may also be combined. It should also be noted that reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 100 placement machines 101 Master Data Processing Device 102 Frame-based structure 103 Linear guide 104 Transverse Support Arm 105 Linear Guide 106 Career Elements 110 Parts Supply System 112 Parts supply device 112a Collection location 115 Conveyor Belt 120 Circuit Board Camera 130 Placement Head 132 chassis 134 Part holding device / suction nozzle 190 Parts carrier 192 Marking 195 parts 240 First rotor assembly 242a~h First operating device 244 First Circumference 250 Second rotor assembly 252a~h Second operating device 254 Second Circumference 336 (Common) Rotation Axis 341 First Motor 351 Second Motor 442 First operating device 445 Linear Drive 446 Rotary Drive Unit 447 Sleeve 448 Part holding device / suction gripper 449 Parts Sensor 442-1 Linear Guide 442-2 Air Hose 442-3 Optical Encoder 510 Parts Supply System 551 Parts Supply Device 553 Parts collection location 542 First operating device 552 Second operating device 662 Camera 1 664 Second Camera a) Spacing between the first and second operating devices / wider part supply devices / spacing between adjacent collection positions b. Spacing between the second operating devices c Radial distance between the first and second circumferences R1 First radial distance R2 2nd radial distance

Claims

1. A placement head (130) for automatically placing electronic components (195) on a component carrier (190), said placement head (130) comprising: a chassis (132); a first rotor assembly (240) rotatably mounted relative to the chassis (132) about a first axis of rotation (336) and having a first number of first operating devices (242a-h); a second rotor assembly (250) rotatably mounted relative to the chassis (132) about a second axis of rotation (336) and having a second number of second operating devices (252a-h); Equipped with Each of the operation devices (242a-h, 252a-h, 442) a sleeve (447) on which a component holding device (448) for temporarily picking up an electronic component (195) can be mounted; A driving device (445, 446) comprising: (i) a linear drive (445) for moving said sleeve (447) along the longitudinal axis of said sleeve (447); (ii) a rotary drive (446) for rotating said sleeve (447) about its longitudinal axis; and drive devices (445, 446) for individually operating each sleeve of the placement head (130) with a linear drive and a rotational drive, thereby enabling two electronic components to be placed on the component carrier at the same time, wherein a first electronic component is placed by a first operation device (242a-h) and a second electronic component is placed by a second operation device (252a-h), and the relative rotation angle between the first rotor assembly (240) and the second rotor assembly (250) determines the relative spacing between the first operation device (242a-h) and the second operation device (252a-h). A placement head (130).

2. The placement head (130) of claim 1, wherein the first axis of rotation (336) and the second axis of rotation (336) are parallel to one another.

3. The placement head (130) of claim 2, wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation lie on a common axis of rotation (336).

4. The placement head (130) of claim 2, wherein the first axis of rotation is offset relative to the second axis of rotation.

5. The placement head (130) a first motor (341) for rotating the first rotor assembly (240); a second motor (351) for rotating the second rotor assembly (250); Furthermore, 5. The placement head (130) of claim 1, wherein the two first and second motors (341, 351) are controllable independently of each other, and therefore the first rotor assembly (240) is rotatable independently of the second rotor assembly (250).

6. the first motor (341) is configured to rotate the first rotor assembly (240) continuously or at least quasi-continuously; and / or The placement head (130) of claim 5, wherein the second motor (351) is configured to rotate the second rotor assembly (250) continuously or at least quasi-continuously.

7. The placement head (130) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first quantity of the first manipulation devices (242a-h) is the same as the second quantity of the second manipulation devices (252a-h).

8. the first operating devices (242a-h) are arranged on a first circumference (244) at a first radial distance (R1) from the first axis of rotation (336), and a circumferential distance along the first circumference (244) between two adjacent first operating devices (242a-h) is different from a further circumferential distance along the first circumference (244) between two further adjacent first operating devices (242a-h); and / or 8. The placement head (130) of claim 1, wherein the second manipulation devices (252a-h) are arranged on a second circumference (254) at a second radial distance (R2) from the second axis of rotation (336), and a circumferential distance along the second circumference (254) between two adjacent second manipulation devices (252a-h) is different from a further circumferential distance along the second circumference (254) between two further adjacent second manipulation devices (252a-h).

9. The placement head (130) of any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a camera (662) attached to the chassis (132) and configured to detect a picked-up electronic component (195).

10. The placement head (130) of claim 9, wherein the camera (662) is movably mounted to the chassis (132).

11. The placement head (130) of claim 10, further comprising an additional camera (664) mounted to the chassis (132) and configured to detect additional picked-up electronic components (195).

12. 12. The placement head (130) of claim 9, further comprising a data processing unit connected downstream of the camera (662) or the further camera (664) and configured to perform an evaluation of the captured images of each individual electronic component (195).

13. For each of the first operation devices (242a-h) and / or each of the second operation devices (252a-h), 13. The placement head (130) of claim 1, further comprising a component sensor (449) for detecting the presence of the electronic component (195) and / or detecting the relative position between the picked-up electronic component (195) and the associated sleeve (447) that picks up the electronic component (195).

14. A placement machine (100) for automatically placing electronic components (195) on a component carrier (190), said placement machine (100) comprising: a frame-based structure (102); a positioning system (103, 104, 105, 106) comprising a stationary component and a movable component, the stationary component being attached to the frame base structure (102); 14. A placement head (130) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the chassis (132) of the placement head (130) is attached to the moveable components of the positioning system (103, 104, 105, 106); A placement machine (100) comprising:

15. The placement machine (100) A parts supply system (110, 510), a first component supply device (112), wherein the electronic components (195) are supplied to a first collection position (553) by the first component supply device (112); a second component supply device (112), wherein the electronic components (195) are supplied to a second collection location (553) by the second component supply device (112); A component supply system (110, 510) having Furthermore, 15. The placement machine (100) of claim 14, wherein the first and second collection positions (553) are spaced apart from each other so that the placement head (130) can simultaneously collect a first electronic component (195) from the first collection position (553) and a second electronic component (195) from the second collection position (553).

Images