Component mounting device and component mounting method

Abstract

To improve the production capacity of a substrate.SOLUTION: A component mounting device comprises: first and second conveyance lanes L1, L2; first and second component supply units 24A, 24B; first and second head units 26A, 26B; and a control part 4. The control part 4 executes parallel mounting of mounting a component on a substrate P at an upstream side work position W1 of the first conveyance lane L1 by the first head unit 26A for the upstream side work position W1, and mounting the component on the substrate P at the upstream side work position W1 of the second conveyance lane L2 by the second head unit 26B, and executes intersection mounting of mounting the component on the substrate P2 at a downstream side work position W2 of the first conveyance lane L1 by the second head unit 26B for the downstream side work position W2, and mounting the component of the substrate P at the downstream side work position W2 of the second conveyance lane L2 by the first head unit 26A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a component mounting device that includes two parallel transport lanes along which boards are transported, and two head units that mount (place) components on boards transported along each transport lane. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of such a component mounting device is the component mounting device disclosed in Patent Document 1. This component mounting device includes first and second transport lanes that transport boards independently of each other, a first component supply unit disposed outside the first transport lane, a second component supply unit disposed outside the second transport lane, a first head unit that mounts components supplied by the first component supply unit onto boards in the first transport lane, and a second head unit that mounts components supplied by the second component supply unit onto boards in the second transport lane.

[0003] In this component mounting device, boards are transported by a first transport lane and a second transport lane, and components are mounted on the boards by both the first head unit and the second head unit in the order of transport. However, when a predetermined priority board is transported, components are preferentially mounted on this priority board by both the first head unit and the second head unit. This efficiently improves the production capacity for boards on the two transport lanes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-103316 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the component mounting device of Patent Document 1, the first and second transport lanes each have one work position for the board, i.e., one position where the board is placed during component mounting. With the board positioned at this work position, components are mounted on the board by both the first and second head units.

[0006] In recent years, a type of component mounting device has been developed (sometimes referred to as a dual lane, dual stage type) in which two work positions adjacent to each other in the substrate transport direction are set in a first transport lane, and similarly, two work positions adjacent to each other in the substrate transport direction are set in a second transport lane, and while a substrate is placed at each work position, components are mounted on the substrate using the first head unit and / or the second head unit.

[0007] In this type of component mounting device, as with the component mounting device of Patent Document 1, it is desirable to be able to efficiently improve the production capacity for boards on the two conveying lanes, but Patent Document 1 does not mention a configuration in which two work positions are set on each conveying lane, or a method (configuration) that can improve production capacity in such a configuration.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a component mounting device and a component mounting method that contribute to improving the production capacity of boards that are placed at multiple work positions set up on each of multiple conveying lanes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a component mounting device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first transport lane which is a transport lane along which a board is transported, and which has an upstream work position and a downstream work position set therein; a second transport lane which is a transport lane arranged parallel to the first transport lane and which transports boards independently of the first transport lane, and which has an upstream work position and a downstream work position set therein; a first component supply unit arranged outside the first transport lane; a second component supply unit arranged outside the second transport lane; a first head unit which holds components supplied by the first component supply unit and mounts them on a board; a second head unit which holds components supplied by the second component supply unit and mounts them on a board; and a control unit that controls the drive unit, wherein the control unit, for the upstream work position, performs parallel mounting by having the first head unit mount components onto a board that is to be placed at the upstream work position of the first transport lane and the second head unit mount components onto a board that is to be placed at the upstream work position of the second transport lane, while for the downstream work position, the control unit performs parallel mounting by having the second head unit mount components onto a board that is to be placed at the downstream work position of the first transport lane and the first head unit mount components onto a board that is to be placed at the downstream work position of the second transport lane.

[0010] This component mounting device effectively reduces the idle period of the first head unit or the second head unit. That is, for example, when boards are simultaneously delivered to the upstream work positions of each transport lane, the first head unit can simultaneously mount components on the board positioned at the upstream work position of the first transport lane and the second head unit can simultaneously mount components on the board positioned at the upstream work position of the second transport lane. Even if there is a time difference between the delivery of the board to the upstream work position of the first transport lane and the delivery of the board to the upstream work position of the second transport lane, each head unit can simultaneously start mounting components at the timing when the board is delivered to the upstream work position of each transport lane. This reduces the idle period of the first head unit and the second head unit. Therefore, this component mounting device contributes to improving the production capacity of boards placed at the upstream work positions and downstream work positions set on each of the two transport lanes.

[0011] When a component mounting method in which the parallel mounting is performed on a board placed at the upstream work position and the cross mounting is performed on a board placed at the downstream work position is defined as a first mounting method, and the control unit is defined as a subordinate control unit, the component mounting device may further include a subordinate control unit that selects either the first mounting method or a second mounting method as the component mounting method to be performed by the subordinate control unit based on production conditions of the board, and the subordinate control unit is configured to perform the component mounting method selected by the subordinate control unit from the first mounting method or the second mounting method, and the second mounting method may be a component mounting method in which the first head unit mounts components on a board placed at the upstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane, and the second head unit mounts components on a board placed at the downstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane.

[0012] For example, the upper control unit is configured to select the second mounting method when, assuming that components are to be mounted on a board placed at the downstream work position based on the first mounting method, any one of the following conditions is satisfied: a first condition that the first head unit or the second head unit interferes with a component previously mounted at the upstream work position; a second condition that the first head unit or the second head unit cannot pick up a component in relation to the arrangement of components supplied by the first component supply unit or the second component supply unit; and a third condition that the first head unit or the second head unit cannot mount a component on a board in relation to the movable area of ​​the first head unit or the second head unit.

[0013] This component mounting device makes it possible to improve the production capacity of boards while satisfying the constraints imposed by the production conditions of the boards.

[0014] In this case, if none of the first to third conditions is satisfied, the upper control unit may be configured to calculate the cycle time when the first mounting method and the second mounting method are executed, and select the component mounting method having the shortest cycle time from the first mounting method and the second mounting method.

[0015] According to this configuration, the component mounting method with the shortest cycle time is selected from the first mounting method and the second mounting method, making it possible to select a component mounting method with high reliability in improving board production capacity.

[0016] On the other hand, a component mounting method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first transport lane that is a transport lane along which a board is transported, and that has an upstream work position and a downstream work position set therein; a second transport lane that is arranged parallel to the first transport lane and transports boards independently of the first transport lane, and that has an upstream work position and a downstream work position set therein; a first component supply unit that is arranged outside the first transport lane; a second component supply unit that is arranged outside the second transport lane; a first head unit that holds components supplied by the first component supply unit and mounts them on a board; and a second head unit that holds components supplied by the second component supply unit and mounts them on a board. and performing parallel mounting at the upstream work position by using the first head unit to mount components onto a board placed at the upstream work position of the first transport lane and the second head unit to mount components onto a board placed at the upstream work position of the second transport lane, while performing cross mounting at the downstream work position by using the second head unit to mount components onto a board placed at the downstream work position of the first transport lane and the first head unit to mount components onto a board placed at the downstream work position of the second transport lane.

[0017] This component mounting method effectively reduces the idle period of the first head unit or the second head unit. That is, for example, when boards are simultaneously delivered to the upstream work positions of each transport lane, the first head unit can simultaneously mount components on the board positioned at the upstream work position of the first transport lane and the second head unit can simultaneously mount components on the board positioned at the upstream work position of the second transport lane. Even if there is a time difference between the delivery of the board to the upstream work position of the first transport lane and the delivery of the board to the upstream work position of the second transport lane, each head unit can simultaneously mount components at the timing when the board is delivered to the upstream work position of each transport lane. This reduces the idle period of the first head unit and the second head unit. Therefore, this component mounting device contributes to improving the production capacity of boards placed at the upstream work positions and downstream work positions set on each of the two transport lanes.

[0018] In this case, a component mounting method in which the parallel mounting is performed on a board placed at the upstream work position and the cross mounting is performed on a board placed at the downstream work position is defined as a first mounting method, and a component mounting method in which components are mounted by the first head unit on a board placed at the upstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane, while components are mounted by the second head unit on a board placed at the downstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane is defined as a second mounting method. Either the first mounting method or the second mounting method may be selected based on the production conditions of the board, and components may be mounted on the board based on the selected component mounting method.

[0019] For example, assuming that a component is to be mounted on a board based on the first mounting method, the second mounting method may be selected if any one of the following conditions is satisfied: a first condition that a component on a board placed at the downstream work position that was previously mounted at the upstream work position interferes with the first head unit or the second head unit during the cross-mounting; a second condition that the first head unit or the second head unit cannot pick up a component in relation to the component supply position by the first component supply unit or the second component supply unit; and a third condition that a component cannot be mounted at the target position in relation to the movable range of the first head unit or the second head unit.

[0020] This component mounting method makes it possible to improve the production capacity of boards while satisfying the constraints imposed by the production conditions of the boards.

[0021] In this case, if none of the first to third conditions are met, the cycle time when the first mounting method and the second mounting method are executed may be calculated, and the component mounting method with the shortest cycle time may be selected.

[0022] According to this method, the component mounting method with the shortest cycle time is selected from the first mounting method and the second mounting method, making it possible to select a component mounting method with high reliability in improving board production capacity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to improve the production capacity of boards to be placed at a plurality of work positions set on each of a plurality of transport lanes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the component mounting apparatus. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the device body for explaining a first component mounting method. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the device body for explaining a second component mounting method. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a component mounting method selection process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the device body illustrating constraints in selecting the first mounting method. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing mounting control by the control unit in the first mounting method (mounting control for boards on the first transportation lane). [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing mounting control by the control unit in the first mounting method (mounting control for boards on the second transportation lane). [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the device main body showing the operation of the first mounting method when boards are simultaneously carried into the upstream work position (first case). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the device main body showing the operation of the second mounting method when substrates are simultaneously carried into the upstream work position (first case). [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the device main body showing the operation of the first mounting method when boards are carried into the upstream work position with a time lag (second case). [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the device main body showing the operation of the second mounting method when boards are carried into the upstream work position with a time lag (second case). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0026] [Overall configuration of component mounting equipment] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an apparatus main body 2 of a component mounting apparatus 1. The component mounting apparatus 1 is an apparatus that produces component-mounted boards in which components (Surface Mount Devices) are mounted (carried) on a substrate P such as a printed wiring board, and includes the apparatus main body 2, a control unit 4 (see Fig. 2), and a management apparatus 100 (see Fig. 2) shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, directional relationships are shown using XY Cartesian coordinates that are orthogonal to each other on a horizontal plane.

[0027] The device main body 2 comprises a main body frame 20 made of a metal structure, two board transport conveyors (a first board transport conveyor 21 and a second board transport conveyor 22) each provided on this main body frame 20, two component supply units 24 (a first component supply unit 24A and a second component supply unit 24B), two head units 26 (a first head unit 26A and a second head unit 26B), and two component recognition cameras 40.

[0028] The first board transport conveyor 21 is disposed on the Y1 side of the main frame 20, and the second board transport conveyor 22 is disposed on the Y2 side of the main frame 20, and extend parallel to each other in the X direction. The board P is carried in from outside the machine (X1 side) to a predetermined work position by each board transport conveyor 21, 22, and after component mounting processing is performed, it is carried out from the work position to outside the machine (X2 side).

[0029] More specifically, each of the board transport conveyors 21, 22 includes an upstream conveyor 21A, 22A and a downstream conveyor 21B, 22B, and the board P is carried from outside the machine to an upstream work position W1 by the upstream conveyor 21A, 22A, undergoes component mounting processing at work position W1, and then is transferred from the upstream conveyor 21A, 22A to the downstream conveyor 21B, 22B. The board P is then carried to a downstream work position W2 by the downstream conveyor 21B, 22B, undergoes component mounting processing at work position W2, and then is carried out of the machine from work position W2 by the downstream conveyor 21B, 22B.

[0030] Each of the conveyors 21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B is a belt-type conveyor, and includes a pair of conveyor belts that move in the X direction, and a conveyor drive motor 23 (see FIG. 2) that drives the conveyor belts. Each of the board transport conveyors 21 and 22 (21A, 21B, 22A, and 22B) is configured so that the distance between the conveyor belts can be changed, thereby enabling the production of boards P of different sizes. Although not shown, each of the work positions W1 and W2 is equipped with a clamping mechanism, and during the component mounting process, the board P is positioned at each of the work positions W1 and W2 by the clamping mechanism.

[0031] In this example, a first transport lane L1 is formed for transporting the board P by a first board transport conveyor 21, and a second transport lane L2 is formed for transporting the board P by a second board transport conveyor 22. An upstream work position W1 and a downstream work position W2 are set for each of the transport lanes L1, L2. In the following description, the upstream work position W1 may be referred to as the "upstream work position W1," and the downstream work position may be referred to as the "downstream work position W2."

[0032] In this example, the board transport conveyors 21, 22 that form each transport lane L1, L2 are provided with upstream conveyors 21A, 22A and downstream conveyors 21B, 22B as described above, but the board transport conveyors 21, 22 may each be a single conveyor.

[0033] The first component supply unit 24A and the second component supply unit 24B are unit areas that supply components to be mounted on the board P. The first component supply unit 24A is provided on the outer side (Y1 side) of the first transport lane L1 (first board transport conveyor 21), and the second component supply unit 24B is provided on the outer side (Y2 side) of the second transport lane L2 (second board transport conveyor 22). Each component supply unit 24A, 24B is equipped with a plurality of feeders 24F arranged side by side. The feeders 24F are, for example, tape feeders that supply chip-like components. The component supply unit 24 may also be equipped with feeders 24F other than tape feeders, such as stick feeders or tray feeders. The first component supply unit 24A corresponds to the "first component supply section" of the present invention, and the second component supply unit 24B corresponds to the "second component supply section" of the present invention.

[0034] The first head unit 26A and the second head unit 26B are units that pick up components from the feeder 24F, move them to work positions W1 and W2, and mount the components on the substrate P. Each of the head units 26A and 26B is provided so as to be movable in the X direction and the Y direction independently of each other by a head unit drive mechanism 30 (corresponding to the "drive unit" of the present invention).

[0035] The head unit drive mechanism 30 includes a pair of fixed rails 34 each extending in the Y direction and fixed to the main body frame 20, a first beam 32 and a second beam 33 each extending in the X direction and movably supported on the fixed rails 34, a ball screw shaft 39A threadedly engaged with the first beam 32 and rotatably driven by a Y-axis motor 37A, and a ball screw shaft 39B threadedly engaged with the second beam 33 and rotatably driven by a Y-axis motor 37B. The head unit drive mechanism 30 also includes a fixed rail (not shown) fixed to the first beam 32 and supporting the first head unit 26A movably in the X direction, a fixed rail (not shown) fixed to the second beam 33 and supporting the second head unit 26B movably in the X direction, a ball screw shaft 38A threadedly engaged with the first head unit 26A and rotatably driven by the X-axis motor 36A, and a ball screw shaft 38B threadedly engaged with the second head unit 26B and rotatably driven by the X-axis motor 36B.

[0036] That is, the head unit drive mechanism 30 moves the first head unit 26A in the X direction along the first beam 32 via the ball screw shaft 38A using the X-axis motor 36A, and moves the second head unit 26B in the X direction along the second beam 33 via the ball screw shaft 38B using the X-axis motor 36B. The head unit drive mechanism 30 also moves the first beam 32 in the Y direction via the ball screw shaft 39A using the Y-axis motor 37A, and moves the second beam 33 in the Y direction via the ball screw shaft 39B using the Y-axis motor 37B. With this configuration, the first head unit 26A and the second head unit 26B move in the X and Y directions within a certain range in the space above the main body frame 20.

[0037] The first head unit 26A is disposed on the Y2 side of the first beam 32, and the second head unit 26B is disposed on the Y1 side of the second beam 33. In other words, the head units 26A and 26B are disposed inside both the beams 32 and 33.

[0038] Each of the head units 26A, 26B is equipped with a plurality of mounting heads 27 that are axially oriented and extend in the vertical direction, and a head drive mechanism that drives these mounting heads 27. In this example, each of the head units 26A, 26B is an inline type in which the plurality of mounting heads 27 are arranged in a line along the X direction, but it may also be a rotary type in which the plurality of mounting heads 27 are arranged along a circle.

[0039] The head drive mechanism includes an elevation drive mechanism that raises and lowers each mounting head 27 individually using a Z-axis motor 28 (see FIG. 2), and a rotation drive mechanism that rotates each mounting head 27 around its central axis (in the R direction) using an R-axis motor 29. A nozzle for suctioning components is provided at the tip of each mounting head 27. Negative pressure and positive pressure are selectively supplied to each nozzle. This allows each mounting head 27 to suck and hold components and release (mount) the components onto the board P.

[0040] The component recognition cameras 40 are cameras that capture images of components sucked and held by the mounting heads 27 of each head unit 26A, 26B from below, and are integrated with lighting devices such as LED lighting, and each have a camera body equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS. The component recognition cameras 40 are disposed facing upward between the first component supply unit 24A and the first transport lane L1, and between the second component supply unit 24B and the second transport lane L2.

[0041] [Control system of component mounting device 1] 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the component mounting apparatus 1. As described above, the component mounting apparatus 1 is equipped with the control unit 4, as well as a display / input unit 5 equipped with a display unit that displays various information related to the component mounting process and the like and an input unit that receives input operations for various commands to the control unit 4, and a management device 100.

[0042] The control unit 4 includes an arithmetic processing unit 51, a memory unit 52, a motor control unit 53, an image processing unit 54, and a communication unit 55. The arithmetic processing unit 51 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, peripheral circuits, and the like, and controls the operation of each component of the device main body 2 by the CPU executing a control program stored in the ROM.

[0043] The memory unit 52 stores various programs executed in the component mounting process and various data such as board data referenced when the programs are executed. The board data is data such as the type of board, the type, size, and mounting coordinates of the components to be mounted on the board. The various programs also include a mounting program consisting of multiple sequence data. When the arithmetic processing unit 51 executes this mounting program, each component of the component mounting device 1 operates and components are mounted on the board P. The mounting program is generated by the management device 100 and stored in the memory unit 52 before the board P is produced.

[0044] The motor control unit 53 controls each motor, such as the X-axis motors 36A and 36B, the Y-axis motors 37A and 37B, the Z-axis motor 28, and the R-axis motor 29, based on commands from the arithmetic processing unit 51. The image processing unit 54 generates a digital image of the component based on the image signal output from the component recognition camera 40. The arithmetic processing unit 51 executes processes such as recognizing the state of component suction by the mounting head 27 based on this digital image. The communication unit 55 comprehensively controls communications with external devices connected to the component mounting apparatus 1. A management device 100 is connected to this communication unit 55.

[0045] The management device 100 is provided, for example, at a location away from the component mounting device 1, and generates the mounting program to be executed by the component mounting device 1, as well as storing various historical data of the component mounting process executed by the component mounting device 1.

[0046] The management device 100 includes an arithmetic processing unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a communication unit 103. The arithmetic processing unit 101 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, peripheral circuits, etc. Prior to the production of a substrate P, the arithmetic processing unit 101 executes a predetermined optimization program based on the substrate data of the substrate P, thereby generating a mounting program that will shorten as much as possible the time required from the start to the end of production of one lot of substrates P (cycle time), for example. The mounting program generated by the management device 100 is transmitted to the control unit 4 via the communication unit 103 before the production of the substrate P, and is stored in the storage unit 52.

[0047] The memory unit 102 stores various programs and various data referenced when the programs are executed. The various data include the board data and machine data. The machine data is data related to the configuration of each part of the device main body 2, and includes head data, which is data related to each head unit 26A, 26B used in the component mounting process, and feeder data, which is data related to each component supply unit 24A, 24B. The head data is information such as the type, size, arrangement, and lifting stroke of the mounting head 27, and the feeder data is information such as the type and arrangement of the feeder 24F in each component supply unit 24A, 24B.

[0048] In this example, the control unit 4 corresponds to the "lower control unit" of the present invention, and the management device 100 corresponds to the "higher control unit" of the present invention. The control unit 4 may be configured to have both the functions of the "lower control unit" and the "higher control unit."

[0049] [Selection of component mounting method and generation of mounting program] The component mounting method of this component mounting device 1 is a so-called asynchronous transport mounting method in which boards P are transported independently between the transport lanes L1 and L2, and component mounting processing is performed sequentially on each board P. In this example, a first mounting method and a second mounting method are applied as this asynchronous transport mounting method, and one of the methods is selected based on the board data, machine data, etc. of the boards P produced on each of the transport lanes L1 and L2.

[0050] 3 is a schematic plan view of the device main body 2 illustrating the first mounting method. In the first mounting method, at the upstream work position W1, the first head unit 26A mounts components onto the board P arranged at the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1, and the second head unit 26B mounts components onto the board P arranged at the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2 (this corresponds to "parallel mounting" in the present invention). At the downstream work position W2, the second head unit 26B mounts components onto the board P arranged at the downstream work position W2 of the first transport lane L1, and the first head unit 26A mounts components onto the board P arranged at the downstream work position W2 of the second transport lane L2 (this corresponds to "cross mounting" in the present invention).

[0051] In this case, the first head unit 26A picks up only the components supplied by the first component supply unit 24A, and the second head unit 26B picks up only the components supplied by the second component supply unit 24B. Note that in Fig. 3, the mounting of components by the first head unit 26A is indicated by white arrows, and the mounting of components by the second head unit 26B is indicated by black arrows. The same applies to Figs. 4 and 6 to 10, which will be described later.

[0052] 4 is a schematic plan view of the device main body 2 illustrating the second mounting method. In the second mounting method, for the upstream work position W1, the first head unit 26A mounts components onto the board P placed at the upstream work position W1 of both transport lanes L1, L2, and the second head unit 26B mounts components onto the board P placed at the downstream work position W2 of both transport lanes L1, L2.

[0053] In the second mounting method, the first head unit 26A also picks up only the components supplied by the first component supply unit 24A, and the second head unit 26B picks up only the components supplied by the second component supply unit 24B.

[0054] Both the first component mounting method and the second component mounting method are asynchronous transport mounting methods that can efficiently perform component mounting processing, but as will be described later, the first mounting method can reduce the idle period of each head unit 26A, 26B more than the second mounting method. Therefore, in this example, the first mounting method is selected preferentially, and the second mounting method is selected only when it is determined that the first implementation method is not suitable due to the production conditions of the board P, or when it is determined that the second mounting style will have a shorter cycle time than the first mounting method.

[0055] The selection of this component mounting method is performed by the management device 100 (arithmetic processing unit 101) based on the board data and machine data of the boards P produced on each of the transportation lanes L1 and L2. The process of selecting this component mounting method will be described below.

[0056] 5 is a flowchart showing the component mounting method selection process performed by the arithmetic processing unit 101. This component mounting method selection process is performed together with the mounting program generation process. First, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines in each process of steps S1 to S5 whether or not there are physical constraints on the selection of the first mounting method, based on the production conditions of each board P produced on each of the transportation lanes L1 and L2. The production conditions of the board P include the board data of the board P to be produced, the head data of each head unit 26A and 26B used in the component mounting process on that board P, and the feeder data of each component supply unit 24A and 24B.

[0057] Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 101 first determines whether or not there are any restrictions due to component size when selecting the first mounting method based on the board data and head data (step S1). If the determination is Yes, the arithmetic processing unit 101 proceeds to step 17, selects the second mounting method as the component mounting method, and executes an optimization process described later, thereby terminating the selection process of the component mounting method.

[0058] 6(a), if the components to be mounted on the board P produced in the second transport lane L2 include a component C that can only be mounted by the mounting head 27 of the second head unit 26B and has a component height that is higher than the tip height of the mounting head 27 of the first head unit 26A, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines Yes in the process of step S1. This is because if the component C is mounted on the board P at the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2, the mounting head 27 of the first head unit 26A will interfere with the component C during component mounting processing on the board P at the downstream work position W2. In such a case, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines Yes in the process of step S1, selects the second mounting method in the process of step S17, and executes the optimization process. The optimization process is a process of generating a mounting program that shortens as much as possible the cycle time for the boards P produced on each of the transport lanes L1 and L2 based on the second mounting method by executing a predetermined optimization program based on the board data of the boards P produced on each of the transport lanes L1 and L2. The cycle time is, for example, the time required from the start to the end of production of one lot of boards P (cycle time).

[0059] If the answer is No in step S1, the calculation processing unit 101 determines, based on the board data and feeder data, whether there are any restrictions on the component supply position when selecting the first mounting method, that is, whether there are any components that cannot be picked by the first head unit 26A or the second head unit 26B in relation to the component supply position (step S3).

[0060] 6(b), if the components to be mounted on the board P at the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2 are supplied only by the first component supply unit 24A, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines "Yes" in the process of step S3. This is because, in the first mounting method, the second head unit 26B mounts components on the board P at the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2, and the second head unit 26B cannot access the first component supply unit 24A. Specifically, if a tray feeder is provided only in the first component supply unit 24A as the feeder 24F, and package components such as BGAs (Ball Grid Arrays) supplied by the tray feeder need to be mounted on the board P at the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines "Yes" in step S1 and proceeds to step S17.

[0061] If the answer to step S3 is No, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines whether or not there are any restrictions due to component mounting coordinates when selecting the first mounting method, based on the board data, head data, and feeder data (step S5).

[0062] For example, as shown in FIG. 6(c), if there is a mounting coordinate Pc (target position) for a board P produced on the second transport lane L2 where component mounting by the first head unit 26A is possible at the upstream work position W1 but not possible at the downstream work position W2, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines "Yes" in the processing of step S5. Such a case can occur due to the relationship between the position of the feeder 24F that supplies the component to be mounted at the component mounting coordinate Pc and the position of the mounting head 27 that picks up the component (positioning in the first head unit 26A). In such a case, the arithmetic processing unit 101 determines "Yes" in step S5 and proceeds to step S17.

[0063] If step S5 returns No, i.e., if it is determined that the first mounting method can be selected, the arithmetic processing unit 101 executes optimization processing of the mounting programs for both the first mounting method and the second mounting method based on the board data of the boards P produced on each of the transport lanes L1 and L2 (step S7). That is, by executing a predetermined optimization program based on the board data, a mounting program is generated for each method that shortens the cycle time of the boards P produced on each of the transport lanes L1 and L2 as much as possible.

[0064] Next, the calculation processing unit 101 calculates the cycle time based on the mounting programs for each method generated in step S7, and compares the results (step S9) to determine whether the cycle time of the first mounting method is shorter than the cycle time of the second mounting method (step S11). If the answer is Yes, the calculation processing unit 101 selects the first mounting method as the component mounting method (step S13), and if the answer is No, it selects the second mounting method (step S15). Thereafter, the component mounting method selection process ends.

[0065] When the component mounting method selection process is completed, the arithmetic processing unit 101 transmits a production program for the component mounting method (first mounting method or second mounting method) selected in the process of step S13 or step S15, specifically the mounting program generated in step S7 or the mounting program generated in the process of step S17, to the control unit 4. As a result, the mounting program for the board P is stored in the storage unit 52. Note that the mounting program may be configured to be generated by the arithmetic processing unit 101 based on the results of the component mounting method selection process after the process.

[0066] [Component mounting process control] Next, the control of component mounting by the control unit 4 will be described using the first mounting method as an example with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing mounting control for the board P on the first carrier lane L1, and Figure 8 is a flowchart showing mounting control for the board P on the second carrier lane L2.

[0067] When the board P is carried into the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1 (FIG. 7(a)), the control unit 4 (arithmetic processing unit 51) determines whether the first head unit 26A is currently performing component mounting processing on the board P in the second transport lane L2 (step S21). If the determination is Yes, the control unit 4 waits for the component mounting processing to finish, and when the component mounting processing finishes (No in step S21), the control unit 4 executes component mounting processing on the board P at the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1 using the first head unit 26A (step S23). In this case, the control unit 4 executes the component mounting processing based on a mounting program generated by the management device 100. This also applies to the component mounting processing in steps S33, S43, and S53 described below.

[0068] When the board P is carried into the downstream work position W2 of the first transport lane L1 (FIG. 7(b)), the control unit 4 determines whether the first head unit 26A or the second head unit 26B is currently performing component mounting processing on the board P in the second transport lane L2 (step S31). If the determination is Yes, the control unit 4 waits for the component mounting processing to finish, and when the component mounting processing finishes (No in step S31), the control unit 4 causes the second head unit 26B to perform component mounting processing on the board P at the downstream work position W2 of the first transport lane L1 (step S33).

[0069] Furthermore, when the board P is carried into the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2 (FIG. 8(a)), the control unit 4 determines whether the second head unit 26A is currently performing component mounting processing on the board P on the first transport lane L1 (step S41). If the determination is Yes, the control unit 4 waits for the component mounting processing to finish, and when the component mounting processing finishes (No in step S41), the control unit 4 causes the second head unit 26B to perform component mounting processing on the board P at the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2 (step S43).

[0070] Furthermore, when the board P is carried into the downstream work position W2 of the second transport lane L2 (FIG. 8(b)), the control unit 4 determines whether the first head unit 26A or the second head unit 26B is currently performing component mounting processing on the board P on the first transport lane L1 (step S51). If the determination is Yes, the control unit 4 waits for the component mounting processing to finish, and when the component mounting processing finishes (No in step S51), the control unit 4 causes the first head unit 26A to perform component mounting processing on the board P at the downstream work position W2 of the second transport lane L2 (step S53).

[0071] [Component mounting process operation based on each component mounting method] Next, the operation of the component mounting process based on each component mounting method (first mounting method and second mounting method) will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 12. Figures 9 and 10 show the operation (referred to as the first case) when boards P are simultaneously carried into the upstream work positions W1 of each transport lane L1 and L2, while Figures 11 and 12 show the operation (referred to as the second case) when boards P are carried into each upstream work position W1 with a time lag. In this example, the board P on the first transport lane L1 (referred to as board P1 as appropriate) is smaller in size and the component mounting process time is shorter than the board P on the second transport lane L2 (referred to as board P2 as appropriate).

[0072] Note that the symbol T in each figure is a pie chart showing the progress rate of component mounting processing for each board P, with the black portion indicating the progress rate. In this example, the boards P in each transport lane L1, L2 undergo 50% processing at the upstream work position W1, and the remaining 50% processing at the downstream work position W2, with the overall processing being 100%.

[0073] 1) Operation of the first implementation method in the first case (a) to (e) in Figure 9 show the progress of the component mounting process for each board P1, P2 in chronological order in the case of the first mounting method, and Figure 9(a) shows the time when boards P1, P2 are simultaneously transported to the upstream work position W1 of each transport lane L1.

[0074] When the substrates P1 and P2 are transported to each upstream work position W1, as shown in the same figure, component mounting processing by the first head unit 26A for the substrate P1 in the first transport lane L1 and component mounting processing by the second head unit 26B for the substrate P2 in the second transport lane L2 begin almost simultaneously.

[0075] Because the mounting process time for the board P1 is shorter than that for the board P2, the board P1 in the first transport lane L1 is transported from the upstream work position W1 to the downstream work position W2 before the board P2. Synchronously, the following board P1 is transported to the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1. That is, substantially simultaneously with the transport of the preceding board P1 (referred to as the preceding board P1) to the downstream work position W2, the following board P1 (referred to as the following board P1) is transported to the upstream work position W1. When the preceding board P1 is transported to the downstream work position W2, the second head unit 26B starts component mounting on the board P1, and when the following board P1 is transported to the upstream work position W1, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting on the board P1. Therefore, in the first transport lane L1, the component mounting process for the preceding board P1 and the component mounting process for the following board P1 are performed in parallel, as shown in FIG. 9B. During this time, in the second transport lane L2, as shown in the same figure, the substrate P2 (referred to as the preceding substrate P2) is transported toward the downstream working position W2, and the following substrate P1 (referred to as the following substrate P2) is transported toward the upstream working position W1.

[0076] 9(c), in the second transport lane L2, the preceding board P2 is carried into the downstream work position W2, and the succeeding board P2 is carried into the upstream work position W1, almost simultaneously. As shown in the figure, at this point, the second head unit 26B is still mounting components on the preceding board P1 in the first transport lane L1, and the first head unit 26A is still mounting components on the succeeding board P1. Therefore, each board P2 in the second transport lane L2 is in a waiting state (standby state) for processing.

[0077] The component mounting process for each board P1 in the first transport lane L1 is completed approximately simultaneously. Once the component mounting process for each board P1 is completed, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting on the preceding board P2 at the downstream work position W2 in the second transport lane L2, and the second head unit 26B starts component mounting on the following board P2 at the upstream work position W1 approximately simultaneously. Therefore, in the second transport lane L2, as shown in FIG. 9(d), the component mounting process for the preceding board P2 and the component mounting process for the following board P2 are performed in parallel. During this time, in the first transport lane L1, the preceding board P1 is transported from the downstream work position W2 to the outside of the machine. Simultaneously, the following board P1 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and a new following board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1.

[0078] 9(e), in the first carrier lane L1, the succeeding board P1 is carried into the downstream work position W2, and the new succeeding board P1 is carried into the upstream work position W1 at approximately the same time. As shown in the figure, at this point, the first head unit 26A is continuing component mounting processing on the preceding board P2 in the second carrier lane L2, and the second head unit 26B is continuing component mounting processing on the succeeding board P2. Therefore, each board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 is in a processing waiting state, and when component mounting processing on each board P2 in the second carrier lane L2 is completed, mounting processing on each board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 begins approximately simultaneously.

[0079] Thereafter, the operations shown in FIGS. 9(c) to 9(e) are repeated to progress the component mounting process on the boards P1 and P2 on the respective transportation lanes L1 and L2.

[0080] 2) Operation of the second implementation method in the first case (a) to (f) in Figure 10 show the progress of the component mounting process for each board P1, P2 in chronological order in the case of the second mounting method, and Figure 10(a) shows the time when boards P1 and P2 are simultaneously transported to the upstream work position W1 of each transport lane L1.

[0081] When boards P1 and P2 are carried into each upstream work position W1, as shown in the drawing, first, component mounting processing by the first head unit 26A is started only for board P1 in the first transport lane L1, while board P2 in the second transport lane L2 waits for processing. Note that board P1 is given priority because the component mounting processing time is shorter than that for board P2.

[0082] When the component mounting process on the board P1 on the first carrier lane L1 is completed, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting process on the board P2 on the second carrier lane L2. Then, as shown in Fig. 10(b), during the component mounting process on this board P2, the board P1 (preceding board P1) on the first carrier lane L1 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and the succeeding board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1, and these boards P1 are carried into the work positions W1 and W2 on the first carrier lane L1 at approximately the same time.

[0083] Each substrate P1 remains in a standby state until the first head unit 26A has completed component mounting processing on the substrate P2. During this time, the second head unit 26B remains idle. Once component mounting processing on the substrate P2 has been completed, as shown in FIG. 10(c), component mounting processing on the preceding substrate P1 in the first transport lane L1 by the second head unit 26B and component mounting processing on the following substrate P1 by the first head unit 26A begin almost simultaneously. Therefore, in the first transport lane L1, component mounting processing on the preceding substrate P1 and component mounting processing on the following substrate P1 are performed in parallel.

[0084] As shown in the same figure, during the component mounting process on each board P1, the board P2 (preceding board P2) on the second transport lane L2 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and the succeeding board P2 is transported toward the upstream work position W1, and as shown in Figure 10(d), these boards P2 are transported into the work positions W1 and W2 almost simultaneously.

[0085] As shown in the figure, at this point, the second head unit 26B is still mounting components on the preceding board P1 in the first transport lane L1, and the first head unit 26A is still mounting components on the following board P1. Therefore, each board P2 in the second transport lane L2 is in a waiting state for processing.

[0086] The component mounting process for the preceding board P1 and the following board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 is completed almost simultaneously. When this component mounting process is completed, the component mounting process for the preceding board P2 in the second carrier lane L2 by the second head unit 26B and the component mounting process for the following board P2 by the first head unit 26A are started almost simultaneously. Therefore, in the second carrier lane L2, the component mounting process for the preceding board P2 and the component mounting process for the following board P2 are performed in parallel.

[0087] 10(e), while the components are being mounted on each board P2, the preceding board P in the first transport lane L1 is transported out of the machine. Simultaneously, the succeeding board P1 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and the new succeeding board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1.

[0088] 10(f), in the first carrier lane L1, the succeeding board P1 is carried into the downstream work position W2, and a new succeeding board P1 is carried into the upstream work position W1 at approximately the same time. As shown in the figure, at this point, the first head unit 26A is continuing component mounting processing on the preceding board P2 in the second carrier lane L2, and the second head unit 26B is continuing component mounting processing on the succeeding board P2. Therefore, each board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 is in a processing waiting state, and when the component mounting processing on each board P2 in the second carrier lane L2 is completed, the component mounting processing on each board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 begins approximately simultaneously.

[0089] Thereafter, the operations shown in FIGS. 10(c) to 10(f) are repeated to progress the component mounting process on the boards P1 and P2 on the respective transportation lanes L1 and L2.

[0090] 3) Operation of the first implementation method in the second case (a) to (f) in Figure 11 show the progress of the component mounting process for each board P1 and P2 in chronological order in the case of the first mounting method, and Figure 11(a) shows the time when board P1 is transported to the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1 and board P2 is being transported toward the upstream work position W1 in the second transport lane L2.

[0091] When the board P1 is carried into the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting processing on the board P1 on the first transport lane L1, as shown in the figure. After that, when the board P2 is carried into the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2, the second head unit 26B starts component mounting processing on the board P2 from that point on, as shown by the dashed arrow (black) in the figure.

[0092] When the component mounting process on the board P1 on the first carrier lane L1 is completed, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the board P1 (preceding board P1) is transported toward the downstream work position W2, while the subsequent board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1. Then, as shown in FIG. 9(c), the subsequent board P1 is transported into the upstream work position W1 at approximately the same time as the preceding board P1 is transported into the downstream work position W2. Once the subsequent board P1 is transported into the upstream work position W1, the first head unit 26A begins component mounting on the board P1, as indicated by the dashed arrow (white) in the figure. At this point, as shown in the figure, the second head unit 26B is still performing component mounting on the preceding board P2 on the second carrier lane L2. Therefore, the preceding board P1 on the first carrier lane L1 is in a waiting state for processing.

[0093] 11(d), when the component mounting process on the preceding board P2 in the second carrier lane L2 is completed, the second head unit 26B starts component mounting process on the preceding board P1 that was on standby in the first carrier lane L1. During this time, the board P2 (preceding board P2) in the second carrier lane L2 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and the following board P2 is transported toward the upstream work position W1.

[0094] 11(e), in the second transport lane L2, the preceding board P2 is carried into the downstream work position W2 and the following board P2 is carried into the upstream work position W1 at approximately the same time. As shown in the figure, at this point, the second head unit 26B is still mounting components on the preceding board P1 in the first transport lane L1, and the first head unit 26A is still mounting components on the following board P1. Therefore, each board P2 in the second transport lane L2 is waiting to be processed.

[0095] 11(f), when the component mounting process on the preceding board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 is completed, the component mounting process on the preceding board P2 in the second carrier lane L2 by the first head unit 26A and the component mounting process on the subsequent board P2 by the second head unit 26B are started almost simultaneously. Therefore, in the second carrier lane L2, the component mounting process on the preceding board P2 and the component mounting process on the subsequent board P2 are performed in parallel. During this time, in the first carrier lane L1, the preceding board P1 is transported from the downstream work position W2 to the outside of the machine. Simultaneously, the subsequent board P1 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and a new subsequent board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1.

[0096] Thereafter, the operations shown in FIGS. 11(d) to 11(f) are repeated to progress the component mounting process on the boards P1 and P2 on the transportation lanes L1 and L2.

[0097] 4) Operation of the second implementation method in the second case (a) to (f) in Figure 12 show the progress of the component mounting process for each board P1 and P2 in chronological order in the case of the second mounting method, and Figure 12(a) shows the time when board P1 is transported to the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1 and board P2 is being transported toward the upstream work position W1 in the second transport lane L2.

[0098] When the board P1 is carried into the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting processing on the board P1 on the first transport lane L1, as shown in the figure. After that, the board P2 is carried into the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2, but at this point, the board P2 is in a waiting state for processing.

[0099] 12(b), when the component mounting process for the board P1 in the first carrier lane L1 is completed, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting process for the board P2 waiting to be processed in the second carrier lane L2. During this component mounting process, the board P1 (preceding board P1) in the first carrier lane L1 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and the succeeding board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1.

[0100] 12(c) shows the point in time when the preceding board P1 on the first transport lane L1 is carried into the downstream work position W2 and the succeeding board P1 is carried into the upstream work position W1. At this point, as shown in the figure, the first head unit 26A is still mounting components on the board P2 at the upstream work position W1 on the second transport lane L2. Therefore, all of the boards P1 on the first transport lane L1 are waiting for processing. The preceding board P1 is in a waiting state because the head units 26A and 26B would interfere with each other if components were to be mounted on the preceding board P1.

[0101] 12(d), when the component mounting process for the board P1 (preceding board P1) in the second carrier lane L2 is completed, the second head unit 26B starts component mounting process for the preceding board P1 in the first carrier lane L1, and at almost the same time, the first head unit 26A starts component mounting process for the following board P1. Therefore, in the first carrier lane L1, the component mounting process for the preceding board P1 and the component mounting process for the following board P1 are carried out in parallel.

[0102] During this component mounting process, the board P2 (preceding board P2) on the second carrier lane L2 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and the following board P2 is transported toward the upstream work position W1. As shown in FIG. 12(e), the following board P2 is transported into the upstream work position W1 at approximately the same time as the preceding board P2 is transported into the downstream work position W2. At this point, as shown in the same figure, the component mounting process by the head units 26A and 26B is still ongoing for each board P1 on the first carrier lane L1. Therefore, each board P2 on the second carrier lane L2 is in a waiting state for processing.

[0103] 12(f), when the component mounting process for each of the boards P1 and P2 in the first carrier lane L1 is completed, the component mounting process for the preceding board P2 in the second carrier lane L2 by the second head unit 26B and the component mounting process for the following board P2 by the first head unit 26A are started almost simultaneously. Therefore, in the second carrier lane L2, the component mounting process for the preceding board P2 and the component mounting process for the following board P2 are carried out in parallel.

[0104] As shown in the figure, while components are being mounted on each board P2 in the second transport lane L2, the preceding board P1 is transported from the downstream work position W2 to the outside of the machine in the first transport lane L1. Simultaneously, the succeeding board P1 is transported toward the downstream work position W2, and a new succeeding board P1 is transported toward the upstream work position W1.

[0105] Thereafter, according to the second mounting method, the operations shown in FIGS. 12(d) to 12(f) are repeated to proceed with the component mounting process on the boards P1 and P2 on the respective transportation lanes L1 and L2.

[0106] [effect] As described above, the component mounting apparatus 1 performs component mounting processing using either the first mounting method or the second mounting method. According to these component mounting methods, when a board P1 is carried into the upstream work position W1 and the downstream work position W2 of the first transport lane L1 and a board P2 is being transported in the second transport lane L2 (FIGS. 9(b), 10(c), 11(d), and 12(d)), components are mounted on one of the two boards P1 by the first head unit 26A, and components are mounted on the other board P1 by the second head unit 26B. Similarly, when a board P2 is simultaneously carried into the upstream work position W1 and the downstream work position W2 of the second transport lane L2, and the board P1 is being transported in the first transport lane L1 (FIGS. 9(d), 10(e), 11(f), and 12(f)), components are mounted on one of the two boards P2 by the first head unit 26A, and components are mounted on the other board P2 by the second head unit 26B. Therefore, the component mounting process is efficiently performed by the two head units 26A and 26B.

[0107] In particular, with this component mounting apparatus 1, the first mounting method is preferentially selected as the component mounting method, except in cases where there are constraints such as those described using Figures 6(a) to 6(c). With this first mounting method, the idle period of the first head unit 26A and the second head unit 26B is reduced compared to the second mounting method. That is, when boards P1 and P2 are simultaneously carried into the upstream work position W1 of each of the transport lanes L1 and L2 (the first case above), the component mounting process by the first head unit 26A on the board P1 at the upstream work position W1 on the first transport lane L1 and the component mounting process by the second head unit 26B on the board P2 at the upstream work position W1 on the second transport lane L2 are started almost simultaneously (Figure 9(a)). Furthermore, even if there is a time difference between the transport of substrate P1 to the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1 and the transport of substrate P2 to the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2 (the second case above), component mounting processing by the first head unit 26A and component mounting processing by the second head unit 26B are each started at the time when substrates P1 and P2 are each transported to their respective upstream work positions W1 (Figure 11(a)).

[0108] In contrast, in the second mounting method, when boards P1 and P2 are simultaneously carried into the upstream work position W1 of each transport lane L1 and L2 (first case above), board P2 on the second transport lane L2 is placed in a waiting state for processing (FIG. 10(a)). In other words, the second head unit 26B is placed in an idle state. Also, when there is a time difference between the carrying of board P1 into the upstream work position W1 of the first transport lane L1 and the carrying of board P2 into the upstream work position W1 of the second transport lane L2 (second case above), board P2, which is carried in later, is placed in a waiting state for processing until the component mounting process for board P1, which was carried in earlier, is completed (FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b)). In other words, the second head unit 26B is placed in an idle state.

[0109] Therefore, according to the first mounting method, the idle period of the first head unit or the second head unit is reduced compared to the second implementation method, and is effective in asynchronous transport mounting methods in which situations like the first and second cases are likely to occur, and therefore, according to this component mounting device 1, it greatly contributes to improving the production capacity of the substrates P placed at the upstream work position W1 and downstream work position W2 set on each of the two transport lanes L1, L2.

[0110] Furthermore, in this component mounting device 1, when the selection of the first mounting method is limited based on the production conditions of the board P, the component mounting process is performed on the board P based on the second mounting method. Therefore, the component mounting process can be performed using a component mounting method that is suitable for the production conditions of the board P.

[0111] Moreover, even if the first mounting method is possible, the first mounting method is not selected across the board, but the cycle time for each mounting method is calculated in advance, and the component mounting method with the shortest cycle time is finally selected, and the component mounting process is performed based on that component mounting method. Therefore, with this component mounting device 1, the selected component mounting method is highly reliable, which also contributes to improving the production capacity of the board P.

[0112] The component mounting apparatus 1 described above and the component mounting method performed by this component mounting apparatus 1 are examples of preferred embodiments of the component mounting apparatus and component mounting method according to the present invention, and the specific configurations and methods can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1. Component mounting equipment 4 Control section (lower control section) 21 First board transport conveyor 22 Second board transport conveyor 24A 1st parts supply unit (1st parts supply section) 24B Second parts supply unit (Second parts supply section) 26A First head unit 26B Second head unit 30 Head unit drive mechanism (drive unit) 51 Processing unit 52 Storage section 53 Motor control unit 54 Image processing section 55 Communications Department 100 Management device (upper control unit) L1 First transport lane L2 Second transport lane

Claims

1. a first transport lane along which the substrate is transported, the first transport lane having an upstream work position and a downstream work position; a second transport lane that is arranged parallel to the first transport lane and transports substrates independently of the first transport lane, and that has an upstream work position and a downstream work position set therein; a first component supply unit disposed outside the first conveying lane; a second component supply unit disposed outside the second conveying lane; a first head unit that holds the components supplied by the first component supply unit and mounts them on a substrate; a second head unit that holds the components supplied by the second component supply unit and mounts them on a substrate; a driving unit that independently drives the first head unit and the second head unit; a control unit that controls the drive unit, The control unit At the upstream work position, parallel mounting is performed in which the first head unit mounts components onto a board placed at the upstream work position of the first transport lane, and the second head unit mounts components onto a board placed at the upstream work position of the second transport lane, while A component mounting device characterized in that, at the downstream work position, the second head unit mounts components onto a board that is placed at the downstream work position of the first transport lane, and the first head unit mounts components onto a board that is placed at the downstream work position of the second transport lane, thereby performing cross mounting.

2. 2. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 1, When a component mounting method in which the parallel mounting is performed on a board arranged at the upstream work position and the cross mounting is performed on a board arranged at the downstream work position is defined as a first mounting method, and the control unit is defined as a subordinate control unit, The component mounting device further includes a host control unit that selects either the first mounting method or a second mounting method as the component mounting method to be executed by the lower control unit based on production conditions of the board, the lower control unit is configured to execute a component mounting method selected by the upper control unit from the first mounting method or the second mounting method, the second mounting method is a component mounting method in which components are mounted by the first head unit onto a board placed at the upstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane, while components are mounted by the second head unit onto a board placed at the downstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane.

3. 3. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 2, When it is assumed that components are mounted on a board based on the first mounting method, the upper control unit: a first condition that a component on a board arranged at the downstream work position and previously mounted at the upstream work position interferes with the first head unit or the second head unit during the cross-mounting; a second condition that the first head unit or the second head unit cannot pick up a component in relation to a component supply position by the first component supply unit or the second component supply unit; and A component mounting device characterized in that the second mounting method is selected when any one of the third conditions is met, that is, a component cannot be mounted at a target position in relation to the movable area of ​​the first head unit or the second head unit.

4. 4. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 3, When none of the first to third conditions is satisfied, the upper control unit calculates the cycle time when the first mounting method and the second mounting method are executed, and selects the component mounting method with the shortest cycle time.

5. a first transport lane that is a transport lane along which a board is transported, the first transport lane having an upstream work position and a downstream work position; a second transport lane that is arranged parallel to the first transport lane and transports boards independently of the first transport lane, the second transport lane having an upstream work position and a downstream work position; a first component supply unit arranged outside the first transport lane; a second component supply unit arranged outside the second transport lane; a first head unit that holds components supplied by the first component supply unit and mounts them on a board; and a second head unit that holds components supplied by the second component supply unit and mounts them on a board, At the upstream work position, parallel mounting is performed in which the first head unit mounts components onto a board placed at the upstream work position of the first transport lane, and the second head unit mounts components onto a board placed at the upstream work position of the second transport lane, while a component mounting method characterized in that, for the downstream work position, a cross mounting is performed in which the second head unit mounts components onto a board that is placed at the downstream work position of the first transport lane, and the first head unit mounts components onto a board that is placed at the downstream work position of the second transport lane.

6. 6. The component mounting method according to claim 5, a component mounting method in which the parallel mounting is performed on a board arranged at the upstream work position and the cross mounting is performed on a board arranged at the downstream work position is defined as a first mounting method; When a component mounting method in which components are mounted by the first head unit onto a board arranged at the upstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane, and components are mounted by the second head unit onto a board arranged at the downstream work position of each of the first transport lane and the second transport lane is defined as a second mounting method, A component mounting method comprising: selecting either the first mounting method or the second mounting method based on production conditions of the board; and mounting components on the board based on the selected component mounting method.

7. 7. The component mounting method according to claim 6, Assuming that components are mounted on a board based on the first mounting method, a first condition that a component on a board arranged at the downstream work position and previously mounted at the upstream work position interferes with the first head unit or the second head unit during the cross-mounting; a second condition that the first head unit or the second head unit cannot pick up a component in relation to a component supply position by the first component supply unit or the second component supply unit; and A component mounting method characterized by selecting the second mounting method when any one of the third conditions is satisfied, that is, a component cannot be mounted at a target position in relation to the movable area of ​​the first head unit or the second head unit.

8. 8. The component mounting method according to claim 7, When none of the first to third conditions is satisfied, a component mounting method is characterized in that the cycle time when the first mounting method and the second mounting method are respectively executed is calculated, and the component mounting method with the shortest cycle time is selected.

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