Nozzle inspection machine and nozzle inspection method

Abstract

This nozzle inspection machine comprises a flow rate measuring unit and a determining unit. The flow rate measuring unit is configured to apply a previously set first pressure to the proximal end of a suction nozzle while the distal end of the nozzle body is open, thereby measuring a first flow rate of a fluid that flows through the suction nozzle, and is configured to apply a previously set second pressure to the proximal end of the suction nozzle while the distal end of the nozzle body is closed, thereby measuring a second flow rate of the fluid flowing through the suction nozzle. The determining unit determines the quality of the suction nozzle on the basis of a difference value between the first flow rate and the second flow rate which have been measured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a technology for inspecting a suction nozzle used for mounting an electronic component on a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] In a component mounter that mounts electronic components on a substrate, an electronic component may be sucked by a suction nozzle, and the sucked electronic component may be moved onto the substrate for mounting. In this type of component mounter, dust and dirt adhere to the suction nozzle due to use, and the suction performance of the suction nozzle deteriorates. Therefore, the suction nozzle is periodically removed from the component mounter and maintenance (for example, cleaning treatment) is performed. The maintained suction nozzle is inspected for the quality of its suction performance, and the suction nozzle determined to have good suction performance is mounted on the component mounter. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for inspecting whether a suction nozzle is good or not.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, an error may occur in determining whether a suction nozzle is good or not, and a suction nozzle with low suction ability may be determined to be normal. When a suction nozzle with low suction ability is mounted on the component mounter, the electronic component cannot be properly sucked by the suction nozzle, resulting in a situation where the electronic component cannot be mounted on the substrate.

[0005] This specification discloses a technology for improving the determination accuracy of determining the suction ability of a suction nozzle and suppressing the occurrence of misjudgment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] This specification discloses a nozzle inspection machine for determining the quality of an adsorption nozzle. The adsorption nozzle comprises a cylindrical casing and a nozzle body housed within the casing, and is configured to adsorb a component to the tip of the nozzle body. The nozzle inspection machine includes a flow rate measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of fluid flowing through the nozzle and a determination unit for determining the quality of the adsorption nozzle. The flow rate measuring unit is configured to measure a first flow rate of fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle by applying a preset first pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle with the tip of the nozzle body open, and to measure a second flow rate of fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle by applying a preset second pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle with the tip of the nozzle body closed. The determination unit determines the quality of the adsorption nozzle based on the difference between the measured first flow rate and the second flow rate.

[0007] The inspection machine described above can improve the accuracy of its judgment and suppress the occurrence of misjudgments.

[0008] This specification also discloses a method for determining the quality of an adsorption nozzle, which comprises a cylindrical casing and a nozzle body housed within the casing, and is configured to adsorb a part at the tip of the nozzle body. This method comprises: a first measurement step of measuring a first flow rate of fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle by applying a preset first pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle with the tip of the nozzle body open; a second measurement step of measuring a second flow rate of fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle by applying a preset second pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle with the tip of the nozzle body closed; and a determination step of determining the quality of the adsorption nozzle based on the difference between the measured first flow rate and the second flow rate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of the nozzle inspection machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the nozzle inspection machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the suction nozzle. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the washing pallet. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a partial side view of the washing pallet. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the flow rate measurement station. [Figure 7] This is a side view of the flow rate measurement station. [Figure 8] This figure shows the flow rate measurement status of the adsorption nozzle in the washing pallet. [Figure 9] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the flow rate measurement station (with the tip of the suction nozzle open). [Figure 10] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the flow rate measurement station (with the tip of the suction nozzle closed). [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the state of airflow through an adsorption nozzle during flow rate measurement performed with the tip of the adsorption nozzle open. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the state of airflow through an adsorption nozzle during flow rate measurement performed with the nozzle tip closed. [Figure 13] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system for a nozzle inspection machine. [Figure 14] A flowchart illustrating an example of a process for determining the quality of an adsorption nozzle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The nozzle inspection machine 10 according to the embodiment will be described below. The nozzle inspection machine 10 performs maintenance and inspection of suction nozzles 40 used in component mounting machines. First, the suction nozzles 40 that are subject to inspection by the nozzle inspection machine 10 will be described.

[0011] As shown in Figure 3, the suction nozzle 40 comprises a casing 42, a nozzle body 44 that is movable axially relative to the casing 42, and a pin 46 that maintains the casing 42 and the nozzle body 44 in a connected state. The casing 42 is a cylindrical member with a through hole extending in the axial direction. A flange portion is formed at the tip of the casing 42, and a mounting hole for attaching the pin 46 is formed at the base end of the casing 42. The mounting hole penetrates the casing 42 radially.

[0012] The nozzle body 44 is a cylindrical component with an air passage 44b formed inside through which air flows. The air passage 44b extends from the tip 44a to the base of the nozzle body 44. By generating negative pressure in the air passage 44b when a component is in contact with the tip 44a of the nozzle body 44, the component can be attracted to the tip 44a of the nozzle body 44. The nozzle body 44 is positioned within a through-hole in the casing 42 and is movable axially relative to the casing 42. The outer diameter of the nozzle body 44 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole in the casing 42. As a result, a small gap is formed between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42. Therefore, when negative pressure is generated in the air passage 44b, a small amount of air flows into the air passage 44b from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42. Also, when the nozzle body 44 moves axially relative to the casing 42, the outer surface of the nozzle body 44 slides against the inner surface of the casing 42. A mounting hole (not shown) is formed at the base end of the nozzle body 44. The mounting hole penetrates the nozzle body 44 radially and extends axially through the nozzle body 44. The pin 46 is inserted into the mounting hole of the casing 42 and into the mounting hole of the nozzle body 44. This allows the nozzle body 44 to move axially relative to the casing 42 while maintaining a connected state between the casing 42 and the nozzle body 44.

[0013] As is clear from the above description, the magnitude of the adsorption force of the adsorption nozzle 40 is determined by the negative pressure generated in the air flow path 44b. When dust or dirt adheres to the air flow path 44b of the adsorption nozzle 40, the flow path resistance of the air flow path 44b increases, and the adsorption force of the adsorption nozzle 40 decreases. Therefore, the suction force of the adsorption nozzle 40 gradually decreases as the usage time elapses, and maintenance processing (in this embodiment, cleaning processing) of the adsorption nozzle 40 becomes necessary.

[0014] Further, since the nozzle body 44 slides with respect to the casing 42, the sliding surface wears as the usage time elapses, and the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 also increases. When the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 increases, when a negative pressure is applied to the air flow path 44b, the amount of air flowing into the air flow path 44b from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 also increases. As a result, the suction force of the adsorption nozzle 40 decreases. In this case, operations such as replacing the nozzle body 44 or the casing 42 are necessary.

[0015] In a component mounter, a plurality of adsorption nozzles 40 are accommodated in a nozzle station, and the adsorption nozzles 40 accommodated in the nozzle station are used for mounting components on a substrate. The nozzle station is detachable from the component mounter. When maintenance of the adsorption nozzle 40 becomes necessary, the entire nozzle station is put into the nozzle inspection machine 10.

[0016] Next, the cleaning process of the adsorption nozzle 40 and the nozzle inspection machine 10 for inspecting the adsorption force of the adsorption nozzle 40 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nozzle inspection machine 10 includes a cleaning and drying unit 12, a cleaning pallet 14, a fixed table 16, a flow rate measurement station 20, and a head 30.

[0017] A nozzle station for accommodating the adsorption nozzle 40 to be maintained is installed on the fixed table 16. That is, the nozzle station used in the component mounter is removed from the component mounter and installed on the fixed table 16. The installation of the nozzle station is performed by an operator.

[0018] The head 30 includes a movable base 32, a nozzle gripping unit (nozzle picker) 34 fixed to the movable base 32, and a flow rate measuring unit 36. The movable base 32 is movable in the X and Y directions by a head moving device 33 (shown in Figure 13), and can be moved above the fixed base 16, the washing pallet 14, and the flow rate measuring station 20. The nozzle gripping unit 34 is capable of gripping the suction nozzle 40, and can pick up the suction nozzle 40 housed in the nozzle station or washing pallet 14, or place the gripped suction nozzle 40 on the washing pallet 14, etc. Therefore, by the cooperation of the head moving device 33 and the nozzle gripping unit 34, the suction nozzle 40 can be transferred from the nozzle station on the fixed base 16 to the washing pallet 14, and the suction nozzle 40 can also be transferred between the washing pallet 14 and the flow rate measuring station 20.

[0019] The flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​is equipped with a flow rate measuring instrument that measures the airflow rate flowing inside it. When negative pressure is generated in the air passage 44b of the suction nozzle 40, it measures the airflow rate flowing out from the base end of the air passage 44b of the suction nozzle 40 to the flow rate measuring unit 36. In other words, the flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​is equipped with a nozzle connecting part 36a (shown in Figures 8 and 10) to which the base end of the suction nozzle 40 is connected, and a negative pressure pump 38 as a negative pressure source. As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the negative pressure pump 38 operates with the nozzle connecting part 36a connected to the base end of the suction nozzle 40, generating negative pressure in the air passage 44b. As a result, air flows from the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 into the air passage 44b, and the air that has flowed into the air passage 44b flows from the base end of the suction nozzle 40 to the flow rate measuring unit 36. The flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​measures the airflow rate of the air that has flowed from the base end of the suction nozzle 40 to the flow rate measuring unit 36.

[0020] The cleaning pallet 14 is configured to hold multiple suction nozzles 40. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cleaning pallet 14 comprises a pallet body 13 and a shutter 15 positioned on the upper surface of the pallet body 13. Multiple through holes 15a are formed in the shutter 15, and through holes corresponding to the through holes 15a of the shutter 15 are also formed in the pallet body 13. The shutter 15 is slidable relative to the pallet body 13 and can move between a first position where the entire through holes 15a of the shutter 15 and the entire through holes of the pallet body 13 coincide, and a second position where the through holes 15a of the shutter 15 and the entire through holes of the pallet body 13 partially coincide. The shutter 15 is biased from the first position to the second position by a biasing means (e.g., a spring) not shown. When the shutter 15 is in the first position, the suction nozzles 40 can be inserted into both the through holes 15a of the shutter 15 and the through holes of the pallet body 13. Furthermore, with the suction nozzle 40 inserted into the through-hole 15a of the shutter 15 and the through-hole of the pallet body 13, the shutter 15 is moved from the first position to the second position by a biasing means, causing the suction nozzle 40 to be clamped between the shutter 15 and the pallet body 13. As a result, the suction nozzle 40 is firmly held on the washing pallet 14. The washing pallet 14 on which the suction nozzle 40 is placed is then moved together with the washing pallet 14 to the washing and drying unit 12 by a moving device (not shown). The washing and drying unit 12 washes the suction nozzle 40 placed on the washing pallet 14 and dries the washed suction nozzle 40. Once the washing and drying of the suction nozzle 40 is completed in the washing and drying unit 12, the suction nozzle 40 is moved together with the washing pallet 14 to its original position (the position shown in Figures 1 and 2) by a moving device (not shown).

[0021] The flow rate measurement station 20, like the cleaning pallet 14, is capable of holding multiple suction nozzles 40. Specifically, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the flow rate measurement station 20 comprises a station body 24, a shutter 22 positioned on the upper surface of the station body 24, and a contact plate 26 positioned below the station body 24. Multiple through holes 22a are formed in the shutter 22, and through holes corresponding to the through holes 22a of the shutter 22 are also formed in the station body 24. In the flow rate measurement station 20, as with the cleaning pallet 14, the suction nozzles 40 can be inserted into both the through holes 22a of the shutter 22 and the through holes of the station body 24, and are firmly held in place by the biasing force acting on the shutter 22. The contact plate 26 is movable vertically relative to the station body 24 by an actuator (not shown). In other words, the contact plate 26 is movable between a position in contact with the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 held by the flow rate measuring station 20 (the position shown in Figure 9) and a position away from the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 held by the flow rate measuring station 20 (the position shown in Figure 10). The contact plate 26 is made of a sealing material (for example, polyurethane) that can seal the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40. As a result, when the contact plate 26 comes into contact with the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40, the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 is sealed by the contact plate 26.

[0022] Next, the configuration of the control system of the nozzle inspection machine 10 will be described. As shown in Figure 13, the nozzle inspection machine 10 is controlled by a control device 50. The control device 50 is composed of a computer equipped with a CPU and memory, and functions as a calculation unit 52 that determines whether the suction nozzle 40 is good or bad, and a storage unit 54 that stores various information. A head moving device 33, a nozzle gripping unit (nozzle picker) 34, a negative pressure pump 38, and a flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​are connected to the control device 50. The control device 50 moves the nozzle gripping unit 34 and the flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​to the desired position by driving the head moving device 33, and controls the gripping and release of the suction nozzle 40 by controlling the nozzle gripping unit 34. The control device 50 also applies negative pressure to the suction nozzle 40 by operating the negative pressure pump 38. The flow rate of air flowing through the suction nozzle 40 is detected by the flow rate measuring unit 36, and the detected flow rate value is input from the flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​to the control device 50.

[0023] Next, the operation of the nozzle inspection machine 10 when performing cleaning and suction force testing on the suction nozzle 40 will be described. In order to perform cleaning on the suction nozzle 40, the operator first places the suction nozzle 40 to be cleaned (i.e., the nozzle station housing the suction nozzle 40) on the fixed stand 16. For example, a suction nozzle 40 that has been used in a component mounting machine and requires maintenance is removed from the component mounting machine along with the nozzle station and placed on the fixed stand 16 along with the nozzle station.

[0024] When the nozzle station is installed on the fixed base 16, the control device 50 transfers the suction nozzles 40 housed in the nozzle station to the washing pallet 14 (S10). Specifically, the control device 50 grasps the suction nozzles 40 housed in the nozzle station with the nozzle gripping portion 34 of the head 30, moves the head 30 above the washing pallet 14 while gripping the suction nozzles 40, and inserts the grasped suction nozzles 40 into the through-holes 15a of the washing pallet 14. In this way, the suction nozzles 40 are transferred from the nozzle station to the washing pallet 14. If multiple suction nozzles 40 are housed in the nozzle station, all of the suction nozzles 40 housed in the nozzle station are transferred to the washing pallet 14.

[0025] When the suction nozzle 40 is transferred to the washing pallet 14, the control device 50 washes the suction nozzle 4 that has been transferred to the washing pallet 14 (S12). That is, the control device 50 moves the washing pallet 14 on which the suction nozzle 40 is placed to the washing and drying unit 12, where the washing and drying unit 12 washes and dries the suction nozzle 40. When the washing and drying of the suction nozzle 40 is completed, the control device 50 moves the washing pallet 14 back to its original position (the position shown in Figures 1 and 2).

[0026] Next, the control device 50 performs a first flow rate measurement test on the suction nozzle 40 held in the cleaning pallet 14 (S14). Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the control device 50 first connects the nozzle connecting portion 36a of the flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​to the base end of the suction nozzle 40 held in the cleaning pallet 14. Then, it operates the negative pressure pump 38 to apply a preset suction pressure (an example of the first pressure) to the air passage 44b of the suction nozzle 40. At this time, the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 held in the cleaning pallet 14 is not closed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11, air flows from the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 into the air passage 44b (flow rate Q1), and air also flows into the air passage 44b from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 (flow rate Q2). Consequently, air with a flow rate of Q1 + flow rate Q2 flows out from the base end of the suction nozzle 40 to the flow rate measuring unit 36. The flow rate (Q1 + Q2) of air flowing out from the base end of the suction nozzle 40 is detected by the flow rate measuring unit 36. The air flow rate (Q1 + Q2) detected by the flow rate measuring unit 36 ​​is input to the control device 50 and stored in the storage unit 54 of the control device 50. If multiple suction nozzles 40 are housed in the washing pallet 14, the air flow rate (Q1 + Q2) is measured for each of the multiple suction nozzles 40.

[0027] Next, the control device 50 transfers the suction nozzle 40, which is held in the cleaning pallet 14, to the flow rate measuring station 20 (S16). The transfer of the suction nozzle 40 in S16 can be performed using the same procedure as the transfer of the suction nozzle 40 in S10.

[0028] Next, the control device 50 performs a second flow rate measurement test on the suction nozzle 40 held in the flow rate measurement station 20 (S18). Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the control device 50 first moves the contact plate 26 upward and brings the contact plate 26 into contact with the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40. This seals the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 with the contact plate 26. Next, the nozzle connecting portion 36a of the flow rate measurement unit 36 ​​is connected to the base end of the suction nozzle 40 held in the flow rate measurement station 20. Then, the negative pressure pump 38 is activated to apply a preset suction pressure (an example of a second pressure) to the air passage 44b of the suction nozzle 40. The suction pressure applied to the air passage 44b in S18 may be the same as the suction pressure applied to the air passage 44b in S14, or it may be a different value.

[0029] Here, the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 held in the flow rate measuring station 20 is sealed by the contact plate 26. Therefore, as shown in Figure 12, air does not flow from the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 into the air passage 44b, but air flows into the air passage 44b from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 (flow rate Q2'). Consequently, air at flow rate Q2' flows out from the base end of the suction nozzle 40 to the flow rate measuring unit 36. The flow rate Q2' of the air flowing out from the base end of the suction nozzle 40 is detected by the flow rate measuring unit 36, input to the control device 50, and stored in the storage unit 54. If the flow rate measuring station 20 houses multiple suction nozzles 40, the air flow rate Q2' is measured for each of the multiple suction nozzles 40.

[0030] Next, the control device 50 determines the quality of the suction nozzle 40 based on the difference {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'} between the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured in S14 and the airflow rate Q2' measured in S18 (S20). As already explained, the suction force of the suction nozzle 40 is generated by applying negative pressure to the airflow path 44b. Therefore, whether the suction force of the suction nozzle 40 is appropriate (i.e., whether the suction nozzle 40 is good or bad) can be determined by whether the magnitude of the negative pressure generated in the airflow path 44b is appropriate, and also by whether the airflow rate flowing through the suction nozzle 40 (airflow path 44b) when negative pressure is applied to the airflow path 44b is within an appropriate range. Therefore, ideally, the quality of the suction nozzle 40 can be determined based on the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured in S14. However, the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured in S14 includes not only the airflow rate Q1 flowing from the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40, but also the airflow rate Q2 flowing from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42. The airflow rate Q2 flowing from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 is affected by variations in the size of the gap due to manufacturing tolerances of the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42, and variations in the amount of wear on the sliding surfaces of the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42. As a result, the airflow rate Q2 flowing from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 will vary considerably from one suction nozzle 40 to another. Therefore, judging the quality of the suction nozzle 40 based on the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured in S14 may lead to misjudgments. For example, even if the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured in S14 is within an appropriate range, if the flow rate Q2 is greater than an appropriate value, the flow rate Q1, which has the greatest impact on the suction force of the suction nozzle 40, will be smaller than an appropriate value, resulting in insufficient suction force. Therefore, the control device 50 determines the quality of the adsorption nozzle 40 based on whether the difference value {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'} between the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured in S14 and the airflow rate Q2' measured in S18 falls within a preset flow rate range (first flow rate range). By using the difference value {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'}, the influence of variations in the airflow rate flowing from the gap between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42 can be reduced, and the quality of the adsorption nozzle 40 can be determined with high accuracy.The quality of the suction nozzle 40, as determined in S20, is output from the control device 50 to a display device (not shown) and displayed on the display device. This allows the operator to be notified of the quality of the suction nozzle 40.

[0031] As described above, in the nozzle inspection machine 10 of this embodiment, the quality of the suction nozzle 40 is determined based on the difference between the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured when the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 is not closed and the airflow rate Q2' measured when the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 is closed {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'}. Therefore, the accuracy of the quality determination of the suction nozzle 40 can be improved, and the occurrence of misjudgments can be suppressed. This prevents defective suction nozzles 40 from being mistakenly used in component mounting machines, and suppresses the occurrence of component suction failures.

[0032] Furthermore, in the nozzle inspection machine 10 of this embodiment, a first flow rate measurement inspection is performed on the washing pallet 14, and a second flow rate measurement inspection is performed on the flow rate measurement station 20. Therefore, the first and second flow rate measurement inspections can be performed in parallel. This makes it possible to efficiently inspect a large number of suction nozzles 40.

[0033] In contrast to the above embodiment, the first and second flow rate measurement tests may be performed at the washing pallet, or at the flow rate measurement station 20. Furthermore, multiple flow rate measurement units may be provided, allowing the first and second flow rate measurement tests to be performed simultaneously at multiple locations.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the quality of the suction nozzle 40 was determined by whether the difference value {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'} between the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) measured with the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 not closed and the airflow rate Q2' measured with the tip 44a of the suction nozzle 40 closed falls within a preset flow rate range (first flow rate range). However, the technology disclosed herein is not limited to such examples. For example, in addition to determining the quality of the suction nozzle 40 based on the above-described difference value {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'}, the quality of the suction nozzle 40 may be further determined by whether the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) falls within a preset flow rate range (second flow rate range), or by whether the airflow rate Q2' falls within a preset flow rate range (third flow rate range). By performing multiple types of determinations in this way, the condition of the suction nozzle 40 can be accurately diagnosed. For example, if a defect is determined based on the difference value {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'}, there is a high probability that an abnormality has occurred in the nozzle body 44. If a defect is determined based on the airflow rate Q2', there is a high probability that an abnormality has occurred in the sliding part between the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42. If a defect is determined based on the airflow rate (Q1+Q2), there is a high probability that an abnormality has occurred in both the nozzle body 44 and the casing 42. Therefore, by performing multiple types of checks, the location of the defect in the suction nozzle 40 can be identified, and appropriate action (e.g., repair, parts replacement, disposal, etc.) can be taken for the suction nozzle 40. When performing multiple types of checks, the display when a defect is determined based on the difference value {(Q1+Q2)-Q2'} (an example of a first output), when a defect is determined based on the airflow rate (Q1+Q2) (an example of a second output), and when a defect is determined based on the airflow rate Q2' (an example of a third output) may be displayed in a manner that allows for distinction between them. By changing the display format, operators can easily determine which type of judgment resulted in the anomaly.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the airflow rate generated by applying suction pressure (negative pressure) to the air passage 44b of the adsorption nozzle 40 was measured, but the technology disclosed herein is not limited to such examples. The quality of the adsorption nozzle 40 may also be determined by measuring the airflow rate generated by applying positive pressure to the air passage 44b of the adsorption nozzle 40.

[0036] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives itself constitutes technical usefulness.

Claims

1. A nozzle inspection machine for determining the quality of a suction nozzle, comprising a cylindrical casing and a nozzle body housed within the casing, wherein the nozzle body is configured to adsorb a component at its tip, A flow rate measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of fluid flowing through a nozzle, wherein the flow rate measuring unit is: The nozzle is configured to measure a first flow rate of fluid flowing through the suction nozzle by applying a preset first pressure to the base end of the suction nozzle while the tip of the nozzle body is open, The flow rate measuring unit is configured to measure a second flow rate of the fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle by applying a preset second pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle while the tip of the nozzle body is closed, A determination unit that determines the quality of the adsorption nozzle based on the difference between the measured first flow rate and the second flow rate, A nozzle inspection machine equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the aforementioned suction nozzle, The nozzle inspection machine according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate measuring unit measures the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle that has been cleaned in the cleaning unit.

3. The system further includes a flow rate measuring station on which one or more of the adsorption nozzles cleaned in the cleaning unit are placed. The flow rate measuring station is, A station body on which one or more of the aforementioned suction nozzles are placed, A holding member that holds one or more of the suction nozzles placed on the station body, The station body includes a sealing member that contacts one or more of the suction nozzles held in the station body and seals the tip of the nozzle body of the suction nozzle, The nozzle inspection machine according to claim 2, wherein the flow rate measuring unit measures the second flow rate while the suction nozzle is held in the flow rate measuring station.

4. The system further includes a cleaning pallet on which one or more of the suction nozzles to be cleaned in the cleaning unit are placed. The nozzle inspection machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flow rate measuring unit measures the first flow rate while the suction nozzle is placed on the cleaning pallet.

5. The determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the adsorption nozzle when the difference between the first flow rate and the second flow rate does not fall within a preset first flow rate range. The nozzle inspection machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an output unit capable of outputting a first output when the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the suction nozzle, a second output when the measured first flow rate does not fall within a preset second flow rate range, and a third output when the measured second flow rate does not fall within a preset third flow rate range.

6. A method for determining the quality of a suction nozzle comprising a cylindrical casing and a nozzle body housed within the casing, wherein the nozzle body is configured to adsorb a component at its tip, A first measurement step involves applying a preset first pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle while the tip of the nozzle body is open, thereby measuring a first flow rate of the fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle. A second measurement step involves measuring the second flow rate of the fluid flowing through the adsorption nozzle by applying a preset second pressure to the base end of the adsorption nozzle while the tip of the nozzle body is closed, A determination step of determining the quality of the adsorption nozzle based on the difference between the measured first flow rate and the second flow rate, A nozzle quality determination method comprising the above.

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