Component placement machine and component placement method

Abstract

This component mounting machine is provided with: a mounting control unit for executing a mounting process on the basis of a control program in which a PP cycle execution order including a picking-up operation of a component and a mounting operation for mounting the component to a substrate is set; a supply control unit for causing a bulk feeder, which supplies a plurality of components in a bulk state, to execute a supply operation for the components at a predetermined execution timing; and a timing setting unit for setting an execution timing of the supply operation, on the basis of the current number of pickable components and a required time for the supply operation, such that the difference between the number of pickable components in the bulk feeder and a necessary number of components to be picked up from the bulk feeder in a PP cycle scheduled to be executed is not less than a reference value and such that a waiting time for waiting for the end of the supply operation, before the picking-up operation is executed, is minimum.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a component mounting machine and a component mounting method. [Background technology]

[0002] A component mounting machine performs a mounting process in which components supplied by a feeder or the like are mounted onto a board. As shown in Patent Document 1, one type of feeder supplies components in a bulk state, with the components scattered in a supply area from which a suction nozzle can pick up the components. During the mounting process, the component mounting machine performs image processing to recognize the state of component supply by the bulk feeder, and controls the component suction operation using the suction nozzle based on the results of the image processing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-114084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a placement process, if the number of components that can be picked up by a bulk feeder falls below the number required for the picking operation, some of the planned placement operations may not be executed or it may be necessary to wait for the bulk feeder's supply operation, which may result in a decrease in production efficiency. Thus, when performing a placement process using a bulk feeder, it is desirable to take into account the fact that the number of components that can be picked up by the bulk feeder is indefinite and to control the supply operation so that it is executed at an appropriate execution timing.

[0005] An object of the present specification is to provide a component mounting machine and a component mounting method that can suppress a decrease in production efficiency in a mounting process using a bulk feeder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This specification discloses a component mounting machine that includes: a mounting control unit that executes mounting processing based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, including a component picking operation and a mounting operation to mount the components on a board; a supply control unit that causes a bulk feeder that supplies a plurality of the components in bulk to execute a component supply operation at a predetermined execution timing; and a timing setting unit that sets the execution timing of the supply operation based on the current number of components that can be picked up from the bulk feeder in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of components that can be picked up from the bulk feeder so that the difference between the required number of components to be picked up from the bulk feeder in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of components that can be picked up from the bulk feeder is not less than a reference value, and so that the waiting time for the supply operation to finish before executing the picking operation is minimized.

[0007] This specification discloses a component mounting method comprising: a mounting control step of executing a mounting process based on a control program in which an execution order of a PP cycle is set, the control program including a component picking operation and a mounting operation of mounting the components on a board; a supply control step of causing a bulk feeder that supplies a plurality of the components in bulk to execute the component supply operation at a predetermined execution timing; and a timing setting step of setting the execution timing of the supply operation based on the current number of components that can be picked up from the bulk feeder in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of components that can be picked up from the bulk feeder so that the difference between the required number of components to be picked up from the bulk feeder in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of components that can be picked up from the bulk feeder is not less than a reference value, and so that the waiting time for waiting for the supply operation to finish before executing the picking operation is minimized. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] With this component mounting machine and component mounting method, the timing of the bulk feeder's supply operation is appropriately set based on the required number and the available number of components. This prevents a shortage of the available number of components when executing the PP cycle and reduces the need to wait for the bulk feeder's supply operation to complete. As a result, a decrease in production efficiency can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a component mounting machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a component supply area in the bulk feeder. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a component mounting machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing image data of an image of a supply region. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing the results of a supply state recognition process for the image data in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a table showing a control program and analysis results for each PP cycle. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a mounting process performed by a component mounting machine. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a component supply management process performed by a component mounting machine. [Figure 9] 10 is a timing chart showing the relationship between a PP cycle to be executed and candidate execution timings of a supply operation. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the standby time in the PP cycle of the component mounting machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following describes, with reference to the drawings, a component mounting machine and a component mounting method that executes a component mounting process using bulk feeder 30. Bulk feeder 30 is equipped in component mounting machine 10 that mounts components on board 91, for example, and supplies components in a bulk state (loose, with each component having an irregular posture).

[0011] 1. Configuration of component placement machine 10 The component mounting machine 10 constitutes a production line for producing substrate products together with a plurality of types of substrate-related operation machines including, for example, other component mounting machines 10. The substrate-related operation machines that make up the production line may include a printing machine, an inspection device, a reflow oven, and the like.

[0012] 1-1. Substrate transport device 1, the component mounting machine 10 includes a board transport device 11. The board transport device 11 sequentially transports boards 91 in a transport direction and positions the boards 91 at predetermined positions within the machine.

[0013] 1-2. Parts supply device 12 The component mounting machine 10 is equipped with a component supply device 12. The component supply device 12 supplies components to be mounted on the board 91. The component supply device 12 is equipped with a feeder 122 for each of a plurality of slots 121. The feeder 122 may be, for example, a tape feeder that feeds and moves a carrier tape containing a large number of components to supply the components so that they can be picked. The feeder 122 may also be a bulk feeder 30 that supplies components stored in a bulk state so that they can be picked. Details of the bulk feeder 30 will be described later.

[0014] 1-3. Parts transfer device 13 The component mounting machine 10 includes a component transfer device 13. The component transfer device 13 transfers components supplied by the component supply device 12 to predetermined mounting positions on the board 91. The component transfer device 13 includes a head drive device 131, a movable table 132, a mounting head 133, and a suction nozzle 134. The head drive device 131 moves the movable table 132 in horizontal directions (X and Y directions) using a linear motion mechanism. The mounting head 133 is detachably fixed to the movable table 132 by a clamp member (not shown), and is provided so as to be movable horizontally within the machine.

[0015] The mounting head 133 supports a plurality of suction nozzles 134 that are rotatable and movable up and down. The suction nozzles 134 are holding members that pick up and hold components supplied by the feeder 122. The suction nozzles 134 use supplied negative pressure air to pick up the components supplied by the feeder 122. A chuck or the like that grips and holds components can be used as the holding member attached to the mounting head 133.

[0016] 1-4. Component camera 14, board camera 15 The component mounting machine 10 is equipped with a component camera 14 and a board camera 15. The component camera 14 and the board camera 15 are digital imaging devices having imaging elements such as CMOS. The component camera 14 and the board camera 15 capture images based on control signals and send image data acquired by the images. The component camera 14 is configured to be able to capture images of the components held by the suction nozzle 134 from below. The board camera 15 is mounted on a moving stage 132 so as to be movable horizontally integrally with the mounting head 133. The board camera 15 is configured to be able to capture images of the board 91 from above.

[0017] Furthermore, in addition to capturing an image of the surface of the board 91, the board camera 15 can also capture an image of various devices within the movable range of the movable stage 132. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the board camera 15 can capture an image of the supply area As to which the bulk feeder 30 supplies components and the reference mark 344 provided on the upper part of the bulk feeder 30 within the camera's field of view. In this way, the board camera 15 can be used to capture images of different objects in order to obtain image data to be used for various image processing.

[0018] 1-5.Control device 20 As shown in Fig. 1, the component mounting machine 10 includes a control device 20. The control device 20 is mainly composed of a CPU, various memories, and a control circuit. As shown in Fig. 3, the control device 20 includes a storage unit 21. The storage unit 21 is composed of an optical drive device such as a hard disk drive, or a flash memory. The storage unit 21 of the control device 20 stores various data such as a control program M1 used to control the mounting process.

[0019] 6, the control program M1 indicates the placement positions, placement angles, and component types of components to be placed on the board 91 in the planned placement order during the placement process. Here, the placement process includes a process of repeating a PP cycle (pick-and-place cycle) including a pickup cycle and a placement cycle multiple times. The above-mentioned "pick-up cycle" refers to a process of repeating a pickup operation multiple times in which components supplied by the component supply device 12 are picked up by the suction nozzle 134.

[0020] The above-mentioned "placement cycle" refers to a process of repeating a plurality of times a placement operation in which a picked component is placed at a predetermined placement angle in a predetermined placement position on the board 91. In this way, the control program M1 has preset therein an execution order (PP1, PP2, ...) of a PP cycle made up of a plurality of picking operations and placement operations grouped in consideration of the number of suction nozzles 134 supported by the placement head 133, the movement distance of the placement head 133, etc.

[0021] The control device 20 includes a placement control unit 22. The placement control unit 22 executes placement processing (placement control steps) based on a control program M1 in which the execution order of the PP cycle is set. The placement control unit 22 executes processing to recognize the holding state of components held by each of the multiple holding members (suction nozzles 134). Specifically, the placement control unit 22 processes image data acquired by image capture by the component camera 14, and recognizes the position and angle of each component relative to the reference position of the placement head 133. Note that the placement control unit 22 may also process image data acquired by, in addition to the component camera 14, a head camera unit, for example, integrally provided on the placement head 133, capturing an image of the component from the side, below, or above.

[0022] During the placement process, the placement control unit 22 controls the operation of the placement head 133 based on information output from various sensors, image processing results, the control program M1, etc. This controls the positions and angles of the multiple suction nozzles 134 supported by the placement head 133. As a result, the components held by the suction nozzles 134 are placed at the predetermined placement positions and at the predetermined placement angles instructed by the control program M1.

[0023] The control device 20 includes a state recognition unit 23. The state recognition unit 23 recognizes the supply state of multiple components in the supply area As of the bulk feeder 30 based on image data D1 (see FIG. 4) acquired by imaging with a camera (in this embodiment, the board camera 15). The supply state recognition process includes a process of recognizing whether or not there are any components that can be picked up in the supply area As, and, if there are any components that can be picked up, a process of recognizing the position and angle of the components. Then, the placement control unit 22 controls the operation of the placement head 133 in the picking operation based on the results of the supply state recognition process. The recognition process performed by the state recognition unit 23 will be described in detail below.

[0024] The control device 20 includes a supply control unit 24. The supply control unit 24 controls the supply of components by the component supply device 12. If the component supply device 12 is equipped with a bulk feeder 30, the supply control unit 24 controls the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 to be performed at the execution timing set by a timing setting unit 27 (described later) during the execution of the mounting process (supply control step).

[0025] The control device 20 includes a timing setting unit 27. The timing setting unit 27 sets the execution timing of the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 so that the difference between the required number of components 92 to be picked from the bulk feeder 30 in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of components 92 that can be picked from the bulk feeder 30 does not fall below a reference value (timing setting step). The setting of the execution timing by the timing setting unit 27 will be described in detail later.

[0026] 2. Configuration of Bulk Feeder 30 Bulk feeder 30 is installed in component mounting machine 10 and functions as part of component supply device 12. Bulk feeder 30 supplies components stored in a bulk state that is not aligned like a carrier tape. Therefore, unlike tape feeders, bulk feeder 30 does not use carrier tape, which has the advantage of eliminating the need to load carrier tape and collect used tape.

[0027] Some bulk feeders 30 supply components in irregular positions to a planar supply area As. However, if the components are so close together in the supply area As that they touch each other, or if they are piled up (overlapping vertically), or if the components are positioned horizontally with their widths aligned vertically, the component mounting machine 10 cannot pick these components. Therefore, to increase the percentage of components that can be picked, some bulk feeders 30 supply components in an aligned state in the supply area As. In this embodiment, a bulk feeder 30 of the aligned type will be described as an example.

[0028] When bulk feeder 30 is set in slot 121 of component supply device 12, it is supplied with power via a connector and is capable of communicating with control device 20. Bulk feeder 30 has a feeder body 31 formed in a flat, box-like shape. A component case that stores multiple components in bulk is detachably attached to feeder body 31. Bulk feeder 30 also has a track member 34 that is mounted so as to be vibrable relative to feeder body 31. Track member 34 forms a conveying path R along which the multiple components are conveyed, and a supplying area As that communicates with conveying path R and opens upward so that the multiple components can be picked up.

[0029] The track member 34 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2) of the feeder body 31. A pair of side walls 341 that protrude upward is formed on both edges of the track member 34 in the width direction (top-bottom direction in FIG. 2). The pair of side walls 341, together with a tip portion 342 of the track member 34, surrounds the periphery of the conveying path R and prevents leakage of parts being conveyed along the conveying path R. A pair of circular reference marks 344 that indicate the reference position of the supply area As are provided on the upper surface of the tip portion 342, one on the left and one on the right.

[0030] In this embodiment, an alignment member 50 is replaceably attached to the track member 34. The alignment member 50 has a plurality of cavities 51 that individually accommodate a plurality of components. Specifically, the cavities 51 are arranged in a zigzag pattern in the supply area As, with adjacent rows staggered in the conveying direction. For example, the alignment member 50 has a total of 64 cavities 51, with eight cavities 51 regularly arranged in the conveying direction and eight cavities 51 regularly arranged in the width direction of the conveying path R. Each of the cavities 51 opens upward and accommodates a component with its thickness direction aligned vertically. The cavities 51 may also be arranged in a matrix.

[0031] The opening of the cavity 51 is set to a dimension slightly larger than the outer shape of the part when viewed from above. The depth of the cavity 51 is set according to the type of part (shape, mass, etc.). One of various types of track members 34 is attached to the track member 34, selected based on the type of part, the required number of cavities 51, and functionality.

[0032] Here, the "supply area As" of the track member 34 is an area where components are supplied in bulk and where components can be picked up by suction nozzles 134 supported by mounting heads 133. The "transport path R" of the track member 34 is a path along which components circulated from the component case side to the track member 34 are transported to the supply area As. A cover 36 that covers the top of the transport path R is fixed to the track member 34.

[0033] The bulk feeder 30 is provided with a shutter 37 that is disposed above the track member 34 and that can close the opening of the supply area As. The bulk feeder 30 can prevent components from flying out or foreign objects from entering the supply area As by opening and closing the shutter 37. The shutter 37 can be switched between an open state, a closed state, and an intermediate state by opening and closing the shutter 37. The closed state of the shutter 37 is a state in which the shutter 37 contacts the track member 34 and completely closes the opening of the supply area As. In this state, the shutter 37 is located behind the pair of reference marks 344 on the track member 34 on the feeder body 31, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 2, making it possible to view and capture an image of the pair of reference marks 344 when viewed from above.

[0034] The open state of the shutter 37 refers to a state in which the opening of the supply area As is not blocked and the main range of the supply area As (the range where multiple cavities 51 are provided in this embodiment) is exposed. At this time, the suction nozzle 134 can perform a component pick-up operation on any of the cavities 51. The intermediate state of the shutter 37 refers to a state between the closed state and the open state, in which the shutter 37 is spaced apart from the track member 34 by at least the amplitude of the track member 34 vibrating due to excitation and prevents components from jumping out of the opening of the supply area As. The shutter 37 is opened and closed by a drive device (not shown), and is set to the closed state, open state, or intermediate state depending on the drive state of the drive device.

[0035] Bulk feeder 30 includes a vibration device (not shown) mounted on feeder body 31. The vibration device applies vibration to track member 34 so that multiple parts are transported along transport path R. When the vibration device applies vibration to track member 34, track member 34 moves in an elliptical motion when viewed from the side. As a result, multiple parts on transport path R are subjected to a forward and upward external force or a backward and upward external force depending on the rotation direction of the elliptical motion of track member 34. As a result, multiple parts are transported to the front or rear of track member 34. Bulk feeder 30 can vary the transport speed, degree of dispersion, and transport direction of the transported parts by controlling the frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to track member 34 and the rotation direction of the elliptical motion caused by the vibration.

[0036] The bulk feeder configured as described above receives a command to supply components during the period from the end of the current picking operation to the start of the next picking operation while the component mounting machine 10 is performing the mounting process, and executes the component supply operation. The component supply operation is an operation of transporting components so that the components are accommodated in the multiple cavities 51. Specifically, the transport operation includes a feed operation in which a component located at the front end of the transport path R advances to the front end of the supply area As, and then a return operation in which the component retreats to the front end of the transport path R again.

[0037] If there is sufficient time before the start of the next collection operation, the transport operation may be configured to repeatedly execute the forward and return operations so that multiple parts are moved back and forth multiple times in the supply area As. In other words, the bulk feeder 30 can selectively execute one of multiple patterns for supplying parts, taking into consideration factors such as the allowable time and the number of parts that can be collected.

[0038] 3. Details of the state recognition unit 23 As described above, the state recognition unit 23 recognizes the supply state of the plurality of components 92 in the supply area As of the bulk feeder 30 based on the image data D1 (see FIG. 4) acquired by imaging with the board camera 15. More specifically, the state recognition unit 23 first performs a supply state recognition process based on the image data D1 acquired by imaging the supply area As in a state in which the bulk feeder 30 has conveyed the plurality of components 92 to the supply area As by vibration.

[0039] 4 is an example of image data D1. As such, there are many bulk components 92 in the supply area As, and some of them may be housed in the cavities 51 in the normal position, some may be outside the cavities 51, some may be in contact with each other or piled up, and some may be lying down. In this embodiment, the state recognition unit 23 first determines the state of each of the multiple cavities 51.

[0040] As a result, the multiple cavities 51 are classified into accommodating cavities that accommodate components 92 so that they can be picked ("OK" in FIG. 5), NG cavities that cannot be picked even though components 92 are present around them ("NG" in FIG. 5), and empty cavities that do not have components 92 present around them ("EMP" in FIG. 5). In FIG. 5, accommodating cavities are indicated by diagonal lines, NG cavities are indicated by diagonal X marks, and empty cavities are indicated only by dashed outlines. The state recognition unit 23 calculates the number (V1, V2, V3) of the states (OK, NG, EMP) of the multiple cavities 51 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] The status recognition unit 23 then recognizes the current supply status based on the above numbers (V1, V2, V3). This supply status may include the ratio of the number of containing cavities V1 to the total number of cavities 51, the addresses of the containing cavities (unique values ​​assigned to each of multiple cavities 51) as the locations of the pickable components 92, and the orientations of the components 92 in the containing cavities (the angles of the pickable components 92). Note that the ratio of the number of containing cavities V1 is used, for example, to switch between various patterns in the supply operation. Hereinafter, the "number of containing cavities V1" will also be referred to as the "pickable number V1" of components 92.

[0042] 4. Details of timing setting unit 27 Here, as described above, when the component supply device 12 is equipped with the bulk feeder 30, the supply control unit 24 controls the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 so that it is executed at the execution timing set by the timing setting unit 27 (supply control step). Various aspects can be adopted for the execution timing of the supply operation. For example, the execution timing set differs depending on whether priority is given to reducing the number of executions of the supply operation or to reducing the number of executions of the PP cycle including the recovery process for attempting the mounting operation again.

[0043] In this embodiment, the timing setting unit 27 sets the execution timing with a priority on shortening the time required for the mounting process. Specifically, the timing setting unit 27 controls the supply operation so that a waiting time for the completion of the supply operation does not occur, or, if a waiting time occurs, the waiting time is short. In this embodiment, when a supply operation is executed after the completion of a picking operation that targets components 92 supplied by the bulk feeder 30, the waiting time Tw is the time from when the next picking operation that targets the same components 92 becomes executable regardless of the progress of the supply operation to when the supply operation ends.

[0044] The timing setting unit 27 sets the execution timing so that the difference between the required number of components 92 to be picked up from the bulk feeder 30 in the PP cycle to be executed (for example, the required number Ra of component type a) and the number V1 of components 92 that can be picked up from the bulk feeder 30 does not become less than a reference value Vc. In detail, the timing setting unit 27 first adds up the required number of components 92 for each PP cycle to be executed in the order in which the PP cycles are executed, and determines the time when the sum of the added value and the reference value Vc exceeds the current number V1 that can be picked up as the execution limit at which the next supply operation should be executed at the latest.

[0045] The timing setting unit 27 acquires the collectable number V1 included in the supply state recognized by the state recognition unit 23, and updates the collectable number V1 each time a PP cycle is executed by subtracting the required number for that PP cycle. Furthermore, the timing setting unit 27 sets the execution timing so that when a supply operation is executed at any timing between the present and the execution limit, the waiting time Tw for waiting for the completion of the supply operation before executing the collection operation is minimized. At this time, the timing setting unit 27 sets the execution timing of the supply operation based on the current collectable number V1 and the required time Ts for the supply operation.

[0046] In this embodiment, the timing setting unit 27 sets the end of a picking operation that picks components 92 supplied by the bulk feeder 30 from among multiple PP cycles scheduled to be executed as a candidate execution timing, and sets one or more of the candidate execution timings. In this case, the following application modes may be adopted as a method for applying one of the candidates. In a first application mode, when there are multiple candidates that can be set as the execution timing, the timing setting unit 27 prioritizes the candidate that has the shortest waiting time that may occur if the supply operation is executed using each candidate. This is a mode in which the waiting time is shortened, thereby shortening the time required for the placement process.

[0047] In a second application mode, when there are multiple candidates that can be set as the execution timing, the timing setting unit 27 prioritizes the candidate that minimizes the number of items that can be collected when the supply operation is performed as the execution timing. This reduces the number of times the supply operation is performed, thereby reducing the chance of waiting time and, as a result, shortening the time required for the mounting process. In a third application mode, the timing setting unit 27 selects one of the multiple candidates based on a preset weighting of both the waiting time and the number of items that can be collected for each of the above candidates, and sets it as the execution timing. This is an embodiment that aims to improve the efficiency of the mounting process by taking into account the number of items that can be collected, for example, when there is only a small difference in the waiting time between the candidates.

[0048] When the timing setting unit 27 sets the timing for executing the supply operation as described above, the supply control unit 24 commands the bulk feeder 30 to execute the supply operation when the mounting process has progressed to the execution timing. The reference value Vc can be set appropriately. For example, the reference value Vc is set to a value greater than or equal to one and equal to or less than the number of suction nozzles 134 supported by the mounting head 133.

[0049] Furthermore, when instructing the bulk feeder 30 to execute the supply operation as described above, the supply control unit 24 sends the command after the picking operation from the bulk feeder 30 is completed and the suction nozzle 134 has risen sufficiently. As a result, the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 is executed in parallel with the mounting cycle of the PP cycle.

[0050] 5. Mounting process by component mounting machine 10 The mounting process by the component mounting machine 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Here, it is assumed that the component supply device 12 is equipped with a plurality of feeders 122, namely, tape feeders and bulk feeders 30. After the bulk feeders 30 are set in the slots 121, the control device 20 executes a calibration process to recognize the positions of the plurality of cavities 51 within the machine.

[0051] In the above calibration process, the control device 20 first moves the substrate camera 15 above the pair of reference marks 344 on the bulk feeder 30 and acquires image data by capturing an image with the substrate camera 15. Then, the control device 20 recognizes the position of the bulk feeder 30 within the machine based on the positions of the pair of reference marks 344 included in the image data and the position of the substrate camera 15 at the time of capturing the image through image processing. The control device 20 can acquire the coordinate values ​​of each of the cavities 51 based on the results of the calibration process and the arrangement information of the cavities 51.

[0052] In the mounting process, first, the board transport device 11 of the component mounting machine 10 executes a board 91 loading process (S11), as shown in FIG. 7. This loads the board 91 into the machine and positions it at a predetermined position within the machine. After S11, or in parallel with S11, the supply control unit 24 causes the bulk feeder 30 to execute a supply operation (supply control step, S21). By executing the supply operation, a state is created in which multiple components 92 are accommodated in at least some of the multiple cavities 51 of the bulk feeder 30. After the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 is completed, the state recognition unit 23 executes a process to recognize the supply state of the components 92 (S22). This acquires the current pickable number V1 and the positions (addresses of the accommodation cavities) of the pickable components 92 as the supply state.

[0053] Next, the control device 20 executes a PP cycle. In the PP cycle, the placement control unit 22 executes a pickup cycle in which multiple suction nozzles 134 are used to repeatedly pick up components 92 (S12). At this time, the placement control unit 22 controls the operation of the placement head 133 in the pickup operation so that the placement head 133 is sequentially positioned according to the positions of the pickable components 92. At this time, the placement control unit 22 positions the suction nozzles 134 by appropriately switching between the coordinate values ​​of the center of the cavity 51 and the coordinate values ​​of the reference position of the components 92 as the positions of the pickable components 92.

[0054] Next, the placement control unit 22 executes a process for recognizing the holding state of the components 92 held by each of the plurality of suction nozzles 134 (S13). Specifically, the placement control unit 22 moves the placement head 133 above the component camera 14 and sends an image capture command to the component camera 14. The placement control unit 22 processes the image data acquired by the component camera 14, and recognizes the orientation (position and angle) of the components 92 held by each of the plurality of suction nozzles 134. The result of the holding state recognition process (S13) is recorded in the memory unit 21 as an operation result indicating whether or not a picking error occurred in the picking operation.

[0055] Thereafter, the placement control unit 22 executes a placement cycle (S14) in which the placement operation of placing components using the multiple suction nozzles 134 is repeated. In the placement operation of this placement cycle (S14), the placement control unit 22 controls the operation of the placement head 133 so that the components 92 are placed at the placement positions specified by the control program M1. Furthermore, the placement control unit 22 controls the operation of the placement head 133 so that the suction nozzles 134 are positioned and angled relative to the placement positions based on the results of the recognition process (S13).

[0056] Furthermore, the supply control unit 24 executes a supply management process in parallel with the above-described PP cycle. The supply management process includes setting the execution timing of the supply operation of the components 92 by the bulk feeder 30, issuing a command for the supply operation, and recognizing the supply status. For example, when the supply operation of the components 92 is executed, the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 is executed in the period from the end of the collection cycle (S12) of the current PP cycle to the start of the collection cycle (S12) of the next PP cycle.

[0057] The control device 20 determines whether all PP cycles have been completed based on the control program M1 (S15). If all PP cycles have not been completed (S15: No), the placement control unit 22 executes the PP cycle (S12-S14) as a placement control step. If all PP cycles have been completed (S15: Yes), the control device 20 executes the unloading process of the board 91 (S16). In the unloading process of the board 91, the board transport device 11 unclamps the positioned board 91 and unloads the board 91 out of the component mounting machine 10.

[0058] 6. Supply management process by component placement machine 10 The supply management process by the component mounting machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The supply management process for components 92 is executed before the execution of a PP cycle or in parallel with some of the processes during the mounting process. First, the timing setting unit 27 determines the execution timing of the next supply operation (S31). The timing setting unit 27 adds up the required number of components 92 for each PP cycle to be executed in the order of execution of the PP cycle, and determines the time when the sum of the added value and a reference value Vc exceeds the current number V1 that can be picked up, as the execution limit for when the next supply operation should be executed at the latest, as the provisional execution timing.

[0059] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the control device 20 analyzes the control program M1 in advance and obtains the required quantities (Ra1, Rb1, ...) of component types in multiple PP cycles (PP1, PP2, ...). Fig. 6 shows the required quantities Ra of component type (a) as required quantities Ra1, Ra2, ..., RaN in each PP cycle (PP1, PP2, ..., PPN). When component type (a) is supplied by the bulk feeder 30, the control device 20 accumulates the required quantities Ra during execution of, for example, the first PP cycle (PP1), as shown in Fig. 9, and obtains the accumulated value (Ra1 + Ra2 + ...).

[0060] Furthermore, the control device 20 calculates the difference between the current collectable number V1 and the integrated value as the collectable numbers V11-V14 after the collection operations of multiple PP cycles (PP1-PP4). The timing setting unit 27 determines the execution timing of the next supply operation when the difference between the collectable numbers V11-V14 after the above collection operations and the required numbers Ra2, Ra3, Ra4, and Ra5 for the next PP cycle becomes less than the reference value Vc. Here, assuming that the collectable number falls below the reference value Vc during the collection operation of the fifth PP cycle (PP5), the execution limit is before the start of the collection operation of the fifth PP cycle (PP5), and therefore the end of the collection operation of the fourth PP cycle (PP4).

[0061] Next, the timing setting unit 27 extracts candidates for the execution timing of the supply operation (S32). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the timing setting unit 27 sets the end time of the picking operation for picking up the components 92 supplied by the bulk feeder 30 as the execution timing candidates H1-H4 among the multiple PP cycles (PP1-PP4) from the current time to the execution limit. Next, when there are multiple candidates H1-H4 that can be set as the execution timing, the timing setting unit 27 calculates the waiting times Tw1-Tw4 that may occur when the supply operation is executed at each of the candidates H1-H4 (S33). Note that when there is only one candidate that can be set as the execution timing, the timing setting unit 27 may omit the waiting time calculation process (S33).

[0062] 9, each of the waiting times Tw1-Tw4 corresponds to the difference between the required time for the supply operation SP and the required time for the mounting operations L1-L4 of each PP cycle. The timing setting unit 27 determines whether the calculated waiting times Tw1-Tw4 include 0 (S34). If the calculated waiting times Tw1-Tw4 do not include 0 (S34: No), the timing setting unit 27 sets the candidate with the shortest waiting time Tw as the execution timing (S35).

[0063] On the other hand, if the calculated waiting times Tw1-Tw4 include 0 (S34: No), there is a candidate in which the required time for the picking operation is longer than the required time for the supply operation SP, so the timing setting unit 27 sets candidate H with waiting time Tw=0 as the execution timing (S36). At this time, if there are multiple candidates with waiting time Tw=0, the candidate with the smallest number of components V11-V14 that can be picked, i.e., the candidate that is later in the execution order, is given priority as the execution timing. This is because there are enough pickable components 92 in the supply area As of the bulk feeder 30, so these are consumed to reduce the number of times the supply operation is performed throughout the entire mounting process.

[0064] After the timing setting steps (S31-S36) by timing setting unit 27 are completed as described above, supply control unit 24 causes bulk feeder 30 to execute a supply operation when the set execution timing is reached (supply control step, S37). After the supply operation by bulk feeder 30 is completed, status recognition unit 23 executes a process of recognizing the supply status of components 92 (S38). The supply operation (S37) and the supply status recognition process (S38) described above are similar to S21 and S22 executed in parallel with the carry-in process (S11) of board 91, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] 7. Effects of the Configuration of the Embodiment According to the configuration of the component mounting machine 10 and the component mounting method (FIG. 7), the timing of the supply operation of the bulk feeder 30 is appropriately set based on the required number and the available number V1 (S35, S36). This prevents the available number V1 from being insufficient when the PP cycle is executed, and prevents the occurrence of a waiting time Tw for the bulk feeder 30 to complete the supply operation. As a result, a decrease in production efficiency can be prevented.

[0066] 8. Modifications of the embodiment 8-1. Bulk feeder 30 supply target In the embodiment, bulk feeder 30 supplies components 92 to be mounted on board 91 by component mounting machine 10. In the embodiment, a chip component that is rectangular when viewed in the thickness direction is exemplified as the component 92. However, component 92 is used in a substrate-related operation machine that performs a predetermined operation on board 91, such as component mounting machine 10, and various items can be applied as long as they can be supplied in a state accommodated in cavity 51 by bulk feeder 30. For example, bulk feeder 30 may supply solder balls that are formed into a spherical shape.

[0067] 8-2. Candidates for standby time and timing of supply operation Here, as described above, the standby time is the time required to wait for the completion of a supply operation after the supply operation is executed. In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, as shown in FIG. 10, the supply operation is assumed to start at the end (B1) of the collection cycle of the PP cycle, and if the supply operation is not completed by the scheduled start time of the collection cycle of the next PP cycle, a standby time Tw occurs. However, as shown in FIG. 10, for example, if multiple component types (a, b, ...) are collected in a collection cycle, it is acceptable to start the supply operation for the bulk feeder 30 that supplies component type (a) at the end (B2) of the collection operation of component type (a).

[0068] Furthermore, if a collection operation targeting component type (a) is included in the collection cycle of the next or subsequent PP cycle, for example, if the first collection operation targeting component type (a) is not the first in the collection cycle, the collection cycle cannot be started, and a waiting time Twx occurs while waiting for the supply operation SP to finish. In contrast, if the collection operation targeting component type (a) is not the first in the collection cycle, a collection operation targeting component type (d) can be executed first, and if the supply operation SP has not finished when the collection operation targeting component type (a) starts, a waiting time Twy occurs.

[0069] As described above, the waiting time Tw can be calculated more accurately by taking into account the execution order of the picking operations for the component types supplied by the bulk feeder 30 included in the picking cycle. Similarly, in the embodiment, the candidate timing for the supply operation is the end of the picking cycle (B1), but it may also be the end of the picking operation for the component type (a) supplied by the bulk feeder 30 (B2). This calculation method allows for more optimal setting of the execution timing of the supply operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10: component mounting machine, 11: board transport device, 12: component supply device, 122: feeder, 13: component transfer device, 20: control device, 21: memory unit, 22: mounting control unit, 23: status recognition unit, 24: supply control unit, 27: timing setting unit, 30: bulk feeder, 91: board, 92: component, M1: control program

Claims

1. a placement control unit that executes placement processing based on a control program in which an execution sequence of a PP cycle, including a component picking operation and a placement operation for placing the component on a board, is set; a supply control unit that causes a bulk feeder that supplies the plurality of components in a bulk state to execute a supply operation of the components at a predetermined execution timing; a timing setting unit that sets the execution timing of the supply operation based on the current number of parts that can be collected and the required time for the supply operation so that the difference between the required number of parts to be collected from the bulk feeder in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of parts that can be collected from the bulk feeder does not fall below a reference value, and so that the waiting time for waiting for the completion of the supply operation before executing the collection operation is minimized; A component placement machine comprising:

2. 2. The component mounting machine according to claim 1, wherein the timing setting unit selects an end time of the picking operation for picking the components supplied by the bulk feeder among the plurality of PP cycles to be executed as a candidate for the execution timing, and sets one of the one or more candidates as the execution timing.

3. 3. The component mounting machine according to claim 2, wherein, when there are a plurality of candidates that can be set as the execution timing, the timing setting unit preferentially sets as the execution timing a candidate that has a shortest waiting time that may occur when the supply operation is performed with each of the candidates.

4. 4. The component mounting machine according to claim 2, wherein when there are multiple candidates that can be set as the execution timing, the timing setting unit preferentially sets the candidate that minimizes the number of items that can be collected when the supply operation is performed as the execution timing.

5. A component mounting machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the supply operation is executed after the completion of the collection operation in which the component supplied by the bulk feeder is the collection target, the timing setting unit sets the waiting time to the period from when the next collection operation in which the same component is the collection target becomes executable regardless of the progress of the supply operation to the completion of the supply operation.

6. a mounting control step of executing a mounting process based on a control program in which an execution sequence of a PP cycle including a component picking operation and a mounting operation of mounting the component on a board is set; a supply control step of causing a bulk feeder that supplies the plurality of components in a bulk state to execute a supply operation of the components at a predetermined execution timing; a timing setting step of setting the execution timing of the supply operation based on the current number of parts that can be collected and the time required for the supply operation so that the difference between the required number of parts to be collected from the bulk feeder in the PP cycle to be executed and the number of parts that can be collected from the bulk feeder does not fall below a reference value, and so that the waiting time for waiting for the completion of the supply operation before executing the collection operation is minimized; A component mounting method comprising:

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