Feeder replacement
The described method for feeder module replacement in SMT placement machines uses a storage-equipped replacement unit to proactively replace depleted feeders, minimizing downtime and costs by optimizing feeder placement and reducing the need for multiple handling machines.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ASMPT GMBH & CO KG
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-20
AI Technical Summary
Existing automated feeder replacement systems in SMT placement machines are inflexible, costly, and prone to machine downtime due to simultaneous depletion of multiple feeders, which cannot be efficiently managed with a reasonable number of automated handling machines.
A method involving a replacement unit with storage for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules, allowing for the proactive movement of a second feeder module to a priority slot before the first is completely depleted, minimizing downtime by optimizing feeder module replacement and reducing the need for additional handling machines.
This approach reduces machine downtime and operational costs by enabling efficient feeder module replacement with a single handling machine, enhancing system robustness and flexibility, and optimizing feeder placement for uninterrupted SMT operations.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for supplying SMT components in a feeder module to a placement machine during SMT placement operation, and a method for replacing a feeder module that has been used up in a placement machine during SMT placement operation.
Background Art
[0002] The present invention generally relates to the technical field of equipping component carriers such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), substrates, or workpieces with electronic components in a so-called surface mounting technology (SMT) process.
[0003] The manufacture of electronic sub-assemblies is usually carried out by a so-called placement machine, whereby electronic components are automatically removed from a component supply device and placed on a component carrier such as a printed circuit board. The movement of the components from the component supply device to their respective placement positions is performed by a component handling device, such as a so-called placement head. In most cases, such movement of components is generally performed by a single handling device called a placement head.
[0004] The most common packaging for small electronic components uses a carrier tape, sometimes called a "belt," which forms small pockets. Each pocket contains one component. Only one type of component is placed within each carrier tape. To save space and facilitate transport, carrier tapes are traditionally wound onto a spool and formed as a reel. Typically, the tape reel is housed in a feeder module (usually simply called a "feeder") which includes a drive mechanism for driving the tape forward, such as a motor-driven pinwheel that engages with holes provided along the length of the carrier tape, and a pickup area or window that provides access to the components. The feeder can be removably inserted into a placement machine. The placement machine has several parallel slots or tracks, each configured to removably receive a feeder. In this way, multiple different feeders can be mounted on the placement machine, and each feeder can supply a specific component to the placement machine.
[0005] Recently, cartridge systems have been proposed in which reels are placed in a passive cartridge module or cassette, which may conveniently be a relatively inexpensive plastic container or envelope of a defined shape that can be easily held by a robot, loaded at a central filling station, and then linked to a supply module that includes a drive means for advancing the tape reel. Alternatively, if the placement machine itself is equipped with a tape drive mechanism, the cartridge module can be inserted directly into the placement machine along its slots. An example of cartridge and feeder placement is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. In such a system, a feeder unit may be used to drive the carrier tape placed in the cartridge unit so that components placed in the pockets of the carrier tape are moved to a picking area accessible to the placement head of the placement machine. The picking area may be located within the cartridge or within the feeder, depending on the specific design.
[0006] For the placement machine to operate, it is necessary to be able to supply the feeder (and / or cartridge, depending on the setup) containing each carrier tape to the placement machine.
[0007] Such retooling (i.e., installing different feeders / cartridges) is currently a manual process that requires a high level of manpower.
[0008] In today's standard manual replenishment method, known as "splicing," the carrier tape from which the placement machine extracts components is manually connected to a new tape. In this process, the old tape is unwound from the reel, connected (spliced) to the new carrier tape, and wound onto the new reel.
[0009] This process allows for replenishment before it becomes necessary. Refilling does not need to be done at a precise time, but within a given period. This period is calculated and monitored by software such as Siplace Line Monitor. This ensures a certain degree of decoupling in the process and creates a continuous order status for the replenishment or refilling process. In this way, peaks and lulls in load can be balanced to some extent.
[0010] In recent years, considerable effort has been made to automate the replenishment and replacement of materials.
[0011] Patent Document 2 can be cited as specific background technology. As described in this document, an external exchange device may be provided for moving a feeder, which includes both supply capacity and material storage, between a storage location and an operating location, and the exchange device is operable to move along the production line in a manner parallel to the direction of workpiece throughput for one or more placement machines. The exchange device is operable to move along rails mounted along the production line and is supported by the rails (for this reason the device is sometimes called a “rail guide vehicle”). Such an approach has several advantages; for example, using rails mounted on the machine, the exchange device is held in a fixed vertical position relative to the placement machine, thus avoiding any problems that may arise due to defects in the floor surface, and furthermore, a high level of positioning accuracy along the production line is possible. One advantage of such a system is that the rail guide vehicle can be powered directly and potentially continuously from the placement machine. However, there are also several disadvantages associated with such a system. For example, a dedicated exchange device must be used on each side of the production line, which may limit how close adjacent lines can be placed. The system described lacks flexibility and, for example, cannot manage cartridge-based supply systems. The system is known to be relatively slow and expensive due to the need for specialized equipment on each production line.
[0012] It is recognized that a more flexible and potentially less expensive solution may be to equip automated guided vehicles (AGVs) with feeder / cartridge changing mechanisms. As is well known in the art, AGVs are small, mobile robotic devices that are typically able to move across floors by a wheeled chassis and possess at least some degree of autonomy. AGVs are available from many manufacturers (and therefore relatively inexpensive, and production line operators may already own suitable AGVs) and usually feature a superplatform that can carry job-specific equipment.
[0013] This approach enables automated replenishment or automatic replenishment by feeder exchange, rather than the manual splicing method described above. In such an automated process, the tape and reels are stored and transported within the feeder. The automated handling system directly processes the feeder with the reels located within it. In contrast to the manual splicing method, which handles the reels and tape separately, the automated process simplifies the process by allowing processing using a fixed, defined feeder interface. A key component of the automated handling system is an exchange mechanism that can operate to move the feeder between the placement machine and another storage location.
[0014] To refill the material in the placement machine, an automated handling system / exchange mechanism pulls the feeder out of the track within the machine, and a new feeder replaces the old one in the same slot. To ensure that all components of the tape are used, the slot must only be refilled when all components of the feeder have been removed by the placement machine. This means that advanced refilling (possible with a manual splicing process) in the same track is no longer possible.
[0015] In such automated processes, there are two main causes of machine downtime when retrieval cannot be performed. i) First, while the feeder on a truck is being replaced, components cannot be retrieved from the feeder associated with the truck. These downtimes can be minimized by replacing the feeders more quickly. ii) In addition, downtime can occur if the automated handling system fails to change feeders on the track at the appropriate time, i.e., too late, causing feeder components to run out before replacement. This can occur, for example, when multiple feeders (placement machines or a production line containing one or more placement machines) are used up simultaneously. In this case, assuming there is only one automated handling system on the line, feeders can only be changed one at a time. Providing additional automated handling machines on the line may reduce this type of downtime, but this problem can still occur if three or more feeders are used up simultaneously. In addition, providing additional automated handling machines significantly increases costs for the production line operators.
[0016] Various efforts are being made to minimize downtime caused by the use of automated processes. For example, Patent Document 3, as well as Patent Documents 4 and 5 by the present applicant, describe a method for placing a new or replacement feeder (second feeder) on a spare track within the same placement machine. After the components of the first feeder are depleted, the machine can retrieve components from the second feeder. This type of method can significantly reduce downtime and, when properly implemented, can prevent machine shutdowns.
[0017] This method is schematically shown in Figures 1A to 1F.
[0018] Figure 1A shows a placement machine 1 with a placement head 2 that can operate to retrieve components from feeder modules placed in any slot of the placement machine 2. Five slots are shown here, but in reality, there are usually more slots. Of these five, three slots 3A, 3B, and 3C are “priority slots” properly positioned for efficient placement operations, while slots 4A and 4B are “reserve slots” that are not properly positioned, and therefore, retrieving components from feeder modules in such reserve slots leads to inefficiencies in the placement operation. For example, if workpieces (not shown) undergoing a placement operation are moving through the placement machine 1 in the transport direction T, the placement positions of these workpieces within the placement machine 1 may be close to slots 3A-3C, so retrieving them from the feeders in reserve slots 4A and 4B requires additional movement of the placement head 2 between the feeder module and the workpiece, and associated additional travel time.
[0019] The position of the placement head 2 adjacent to slot 3C indicates that a pull is currently taking place from the feeder module placed in that slot, namely the first feeder module "A". Here, the first feeder module A has sufficient components, meaning that the placement operation has not depleted its components to the extent that replenishment is necessary or desirable.
[0020] Figure 1B shows the initiation of a replenishment operation, triggered when the first feeder module A reaches a predetermined shortage level indicated by a diagonal line across the first feeder module A. At this point, the mobile robot 5 is sent to the placement machine 2 and positioned in close proximity to slots 3A-C, 4A, and B. The mobile robot 5 includes a storage unit 6 for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules. The storage unit 6 is movable along axis X relative to the base of the mobile robot 5, and axis X is approximately parallel to the transport direction T when the mobile robot 5 is positioned to engage with the placement machine 1. This relative movement allows the storage unit 6, and thus the held feeder modules, to be positioned parallel to the transport direction T relative to slots 3A-C, 4A, and 4B, if necessary.
[0021] It should be noted that there are other possibilities for achieving such alignment between the held feeder module and slots 3A-C, 4A, and 4B. For example, the mobile robot 5 itself can move precisely along the X-axis, in which case relative movement of the storage 6 is not required. Alternatively, an exchange mechanism (see below) can be provided that allows the feeder module to be moved parallel to the X-axis during movement between the storage 6 and the placement machine 1.
[0022] As shown in Figure 1B, the storage 6 includes multiple, in this case three, storage slots 7A-C, each storage slot 7A-C configured to releasably receive a feeder module in use. As shown, a second feeder module B is received in storage slot 7B, and this second feeder module B includes the same type of components as the first feeder module A. The storage 6 is aligned with the placement machine 1 so that storage slot 7B aligns with a spare slot, in this case 4B. If necessary, the storage 6 is moved along the X-axis to achieve such alignment (not shown). During this stage, the picking by the placement head 2 continues from the first feeder module A.
[0023] As shown in Figure 1C, the second feeder module B is then moved from storage slot 7B to spare slot 4B by the exchange mechanism 8. The exchange mechanism 8, although not shown in detail in the figure, includes a mechanical interface that allows the feeder module to be moved horizontally and perpendicular to the X-axis between the storage 6 and the placement machine 1 by engaging with a profiled section of the feeder module, for example. A simple type of exchange mechanism 8 may include, for example, a paddle that can engage with a recess provided in the feeder module, the paddle being mounted on a drive belt that can be driven in either direction, and thus allowing the feeder module to be pushed or pulled linearly between the storage 6 and the placement machine 1. Exemplary exchange mechanisms are described, for example, in Patent Documents 6, 7, and 8. The exchange mechanism 8 can be located on the mobile robot 5, on the placement machine 1, or as a separate unit. During this stage, retrieval by the placement head 2 continues from the first feeder module A until the first feeder module A is completely used up.
[0024] As shown in Figure 1D, when the first feeder module A is completely used up (as indicated by the two intersecting lines on feeder module A), the placement head 2 begins to retrieve components from the second feeder module B in the spare slot 4B.
[0025] As shown in Figure 1E, the mobile robot 5 is then sent to the placement machine 1. The storage 6 is moved along the X-axis so that an empty storage slot, in this case 7B, is aligned with slot 3C. During this stage, the placement head 2 continues to retrieve from the second feeder module B.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1F, next, the exchange mechanism 8 moves the empty first feeder module A from the slot 3C to the storage slot 7B. During this stage, the picking by the placement head 2 continues from the second feeder module B.
[0027] During the steps shown in FIGS. 1D to 1F, it can be seen that the placement head 2 picks from the second feeder module B while it is in the spare slot 4B. This is a drawback of such a method. Usually, the feeder modules arranged in each slot are carefully selected to optimize the placement speed. Thus, for example, components arranged in large numbers on the board can be arranged in slots slightly away from the nominal "home" position of the placement head, thereby minimizing the movement time of the placement head 2. Instead, if the feeder module is arranged in the spare slot, clearly its position may not be so optimized.
[0028] This lack of optimization can be corrected by moving the second feeder module B to the optimal slot, i.e., the original position of the first feeder module A (here the slot 3C) after the first feeder module A becomes empty. This is schematically shown in FIGS. 1G to 1J. As will be clear from the following description, this movement requires downtime and the components associated with the feeder module cannot be picked. There is at least some flexibility as to when the movement is performed, so it may be possible to execute this at a relatively convenient time to reduce the impact on throughput, but still this downtime cannot be avoided.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 1G, the storage 6 moves left along the X axis as shown until the empty storage slot, here 7C, is aligned with the spare slot 4B. During this stage, the picking by the placement head 2 continues from the second feeder module B.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 1H, next, the exchange mechanism 8 moves the second feeder module B to the slot 7C of the storage 6. During this stage, no extraction is performed.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 1I, the storage 6 moves to the right along the X-axis as shown until the storage slot 7C is aligned with the slot 3C. Next, the exchange mechanism 8 can move the second feeder module B to the slot 3C. During this stage, no extraction is performed.
[0032] Finally, as shown in FIG. 1J, the placement head 2 can resume extraction from the second feeder module B in the slot 3C. The mobile robot 5 can move freely as needed and will eventually deliver the emptied first feeder module A to a collection station (not shown) for refilling.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0033] <e
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Patent Document 3
Patent Document 4
Patent Document 5
Patent Document 6
Patent Document 7
Patent Document 8
Summary of the Invention
[0034] The present invention aims to provide an automated replenishment system and method that can still be managed by using an economically reasonable number of automated handling machines or exchange units, while minimizing downtime. [Means for solving the problem]
[0035] According to the present invention, this objective is achieved by a novel procedure for replacing a worn-out feeder module and thus supplying the SMT components within the feeder module to the placement machine.
[0036] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for supplying SMT components in a feeder module to a placement machine during an SMT placement operation, wherein the placement machine has a plurality of slots, each slot configured to releasably accept a feeder module in use, and a first feeder module containing a plurality of SMT components to be used up during the SMT placement operation is accepted in a first slot of the plurality of slots, and the method is, i) A step of providing a replacement unit, wherein the replacement unit comprises storage for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules, and the storage comprises a second feeder module containing SMT components of the same type as the first feeder module. ii) The step of moving the first feeder module out of the first slot to storage before the SMT components of the first feeder module are completely used up, iii) The step of moving the second feeder module from storage to the first slot, iv) The step of moving the first feeder module from storage to the second slot of the multiple slots of the placement machine. Includes.
[0037] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for replacing a feeder module that has been depleted in a placement machine during an SMT placement operation, wherein the placement machine has a plurality of slots, each slot configured to releasably receive a feeder module in use, and a first feeder module containing a plurality of SMT components that will be depleted during the SMT placement operation has been received in a first slot of the plurality of slots, and the method is as follows: i) A step of providing a replacement unit, the replacement unit is The step of providing a storage for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules, wherein the storage comprises a second feeder module containing SMT components of the same type as the first feeder module, ii) The step of moving the first feeder module out of the first slot to storage before the SMT components of the first feeder module are completely used up, iii) The step of moving the second feeder module from storage to the first slot, iv) The step of moving the first feeder module from storage to the second slot of the multiple slots of the placement machine. Includes.
[0038] Other specific aspects and features of the present invention are described in the appended claims.
[0039] For the purposes of this invention, the term "feeder module" means any of the following: a) A feeder, i.e., a single module that carries a component tape reel and a drive means for advancing the tape reel, or b) A cartridge module that carries a tape reel but does not carry a drive mechanism, for direct engagement with a separate supply module or a deployment machine that includes tape drive means.
[0040] As used herein, the term “mobile robot” includes automated guided vehicles (AGVs), rail guided vehicles (RGVs), which are mobile robots that are transported by or can move along rails adjacent to a deployment machine, as described above, and autonomous intelligent vehicles (AIVs).
[0041] Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings (not to scale). [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0042] [Figure 1A] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1B] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1C] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1D] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1E] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1F] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1G] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1H] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1I] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 1J] This diagram schematically shows the steps of a known feeder module replacement method. [Figure 2A] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2B] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2C] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2D] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2E] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2F] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2G] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2H] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2I] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Figure 2J] This figure schematically shows the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0043] Figures 2A to 2J schematically illustrate the steps of the feeder module replacement method according to the present invention. These steps utilize the same apparatus as shown and described above with reference to Figures 1A to 1J, and therefore, for brevity, the relevant reference numbers are retained.
[0044] Figure 2A shows a placement machine 1 with a placement head 2 that can operate to retrieve components from feeder modules placed in any slot of the placement machine 2. Five slots are shown here, but in reality, there are usually more slots. Of these five, three slots 3A, 3B, and 3C are “priority slots” properly positioned for efficient placement operations, while slots 4A and 4B are “reserve slots” that are not properly positioned, and therefore, retrieving components from feeder modules in such reserve slots leads to inefficiencies in the placement operation. For example, if workpieces (not shown) undergoing a placement operation are moving through the placement machine 1 in the transport direction T, the placement positions of these workpieces within the placement machine 1 may be close to slots 3A-3C, so retrieving them from feeder modules in reserve slots 4A and 4B requires additional movement of the placement head 2 between the feeder module and the workpiece, and associated additional travel time.
[0045] The position of the placement head 2 adjacent to slot 3C indicates that a pull is currently taking place from the feeder module placed in that slot, namely the first feeder module "A". Here, the first feeder module A has sufficient components, meaning that the placement operation has not depleted its components to the extent that replenishment is necessary or desirable.
[0046] Figure 2B shows the start of a replenishment operation triggered when the first feeder module A reaches a predetermined level of depletion, indicated by a diagonal line across the first feeder module A. There are various ways in which the predetermined level of depletion for feeder module A can be determined. For example, i) The runout time of the first feeder module A can be determined, after which the SMT components of the first feeder module A are completely used up. Then, a predefined shortage level can be defined as a shortage level that occurs after a predefined sub-range of the determined runout time. For example, if the predefined shortage level is set to occur 70% of the runout time, and the runout time of the feeder module is determined to be 10 minutes, then the predefined shortage level will occur after 7 minutes. At this point, a replenishment operation is triggered. The runout time of feeder module A can be determined, for example, by knowing the initial number of SMT components held by feeder module A and analyzing the use of those SMT components during the placement operation, by counting the number of SMT components taken out, or by analyzing the number of SMT components required to place each workpiece and counting the number of placed workpieces, or ii) The number of SMT components remaining in the first feeder module A may be determined, and a predefined shortage level is set when the number of remaining SMT components held by feeder module A falls below a set number. In this case as well, the number of SMT components remaining in the first feeder module A may be determined by knowing the initial number of SMT components held by feeder module A and analyzing the use of those SMT components during the placement operation, by counting the number of SMT components removed, or by analyzing the number of SMT components required to place each workpiece and counting the number of placed workpieces. The replenishment operation is initiated when the determined number of SMT components remaining in the first feeder module falls below a threshold.
[0047] At this point, the mobile robot 5, which is the replacement unit used in this embodiment, is sent to the placement machine 2 and positioned in close proximity to slots 3A-C, 4A, and 4B. The mobile robot 5 includes a storage 6 for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules. The storage 6 is movable along axis X relative to the base of the mobile robot 5, and axis X is approximately parallel to the transport direction T when the mobile robot 5 is positioned to engage with the placement machine 1. This relative movement allows the storage 6, and thus the held feeder modules, to be positioned parallel to the transport direction T relative to slots 3A-C, 4A, and 4B, if necessary.
[0048] It should be noted that there are other possibilities for achieving such alignment between the held feeder module and slots 3A-C, 4A, and 4B. For example, if the mobile robot 5 itself can move precisely along the X-axis, relative movement of the storage 6 is not necessary. Alternatively, an exchange mechanism (see below) could be provided that allows the feeder module to be moved parallel to the X-axis during movement between the storage 6 and the placement machine 1.
[0049] As shown in Figure 2B, the storage 6 includes a plurality of storage slots, in this case three, 7A-C, each storage slot 7A-C configured to releasably accept a feeder module in use. As shown, a second feeder module B is accepted in storage slot 7B, and this second feeder module B includes the same type of components as the first feeder module A. The storage 6 is aligned with the placement machine 1, and an empty storage slot, in this case storage slot 7C, is aligned with slot 3C where the first feeder module A is placed. If necessary, the storage 6 is moved along the X-axis to achieve such alignment (not shown). During this stage, the picking by the placement head 2 continues from the first feeder module A.
[0050] As shown in Figure 2C, the first feeder module A is then moved from slot 3C to storage slot 7C by the exchange mechanism 8. The exchange mechanism 8, although not shown in detail in the figure, includes a mechanical interface that allows the feeder module to be moved horizontally and perpendicular to the X-axis between the storage 6 and the placement machine 1 by engaging with a profiled section of the feeder module, for example. A simple type of exchange mechanism 8 may include, for example, a paddle that can engage with a recess provided in the feeder module, the paddle being mounted on a drive belt that can be driven in either direction, and thus allowing the feeder module to be pushed or pulled linearly between the storage 6 and the placement machine 1. Exemplary exchange mechanisms are described, for example, in Patent Documents 6, 7, and 8. The exchange mechanism 8 can be placed on the mobile robot 5, on the placement machine 1, or as a separate unit. During this stage, removal by the placement head 2 is not possible.
[0051] As shown in Figure 2D, storage 6 is moved along the X-axis, and storage slot 7B, which holds the full second feeder module B, is aligned with the now empty slot 3C. During this stage, the placement head 2 cannot remove the contents.
[0052] As shown in Figure 2E, the exchange mechanism 8 then moves the full second feeder module B from storage slot 7B to slot 3C. During this stage, the placement head 2 cannot remove the module until the second feeder module B has been completely moved into slot 3C.
[0053] As shown in Figure 2F, the storage 6 is moved along the X-axis, and the storage slot 7C holding the partially depleted first feeder module A is aligned with a spare slot, in this case 4B, which provides slightly more economical retrieval than the other spare slot 4A. During this stage, if necessary, retrieval by the placement head 2 can continue from the second feeder module B.
[0054] As shown in Figure 2G, the exchange mechanism 8 then moves the partially used first feeder module A from storage slot 7C to spare slot 4B. During this stage, the placement head 2 continues to retrieve from the second feeder module B.
[0055] As shown in Figure 2H, the placement head 2 can resume taking from the first feeder module A in the spare slot 4B. The mobile robot 5 can move freely as needed.
[0056] As shown in Figure 2I, once the first feeder module A is completely used up (as indicated by the two intersecting lines of feeder module A), the placement head 2 can resume drawing from the second feeder module B in slot 3C.
[0057] Finally, as shown in Figure 2J, the mobile robot 5 is moved to a position close to the placement machine 1, and the storage 6 moves along the X-axis, aligning an empty storage slot, in this case 7C, with the spare slot 4B. The exchange mechanism 8 then moves the empty first feeder module A from the spare slot 4B to the storage slot 7C. During this stage, the placement head 2 continues to pick up from the second feeder module B. The mobile robot 5 is free to move as needed and will eventually deliver the now empty first feeder module A to a collection station (not shown) for refilling. This step can be performed at a convenient time, and there is no urgency to collect the empty first feeder module A, as the second feeder module B still has a good level of fill. This means that the mobile robot 5 can perform other, perhaps more urgent, operations in the meantime.
[0058] This method offers several advantages compared to the previous method shown in Figure 1. • Mobile robots can perform refilling tasks before the feeder module components run out. This can reduce time dependency and lower the performance requirements of the replenishment process. Simulations show that for a smartphone customer with a line of 11 placement machines, two robots are needed to perform all replenishment tasks in time using the previous method where feeder modules are replaced on time. Using this method, the number of robots can be reduced to one. Reducing time dependency makes the replenishment process more robust against failures in automated handling and production flows. An example of such a machine failure is when two feeder module replacement events occur in a short period of time, requiring prediction to determine which feeder module should be replaced first. However, failures such as pick errors can cause predictions to be inaccurate. This could lead to a mobile robot being sent to the wrong location, resulting in a prolonged machine downtime. The same applies to failures that affect the replenishment process, such as the presence of a human operator in the aisle. • Reducing the time dependency lowers the accuracy of predicting feeder module replacement events. • Mobile robots are freed from the line, and more spare tracks are used on the line, so mobile robots gain more blocks of "idle time" that can be used to support other line tasks, switchovers, battery charging, etc. • Compared to the previous method, the period during which the track is unavailable is shorter.
[0059] The embodiments described above are illustrative, and other possibilities and alternatives within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, several steps can be combined. For instance, the mobile robot can move a partially depleted first feeder module to a spare slot, and at the same time, or immediately before or after, retrieve any empty feeder modules that may be present in other spare slots, such as those that became empty during the previous replenishment operation.
[0060] In the above embodiment, the exchange unit comprises a mobile robot including storage. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other types of exchange units, each including storage, can be used. For example, exchange units are known that are at least temporarily held in a placement machine. Such an exchange unit is placed in the placement machine by a mobile robot, which can move while the exchange unit performs the necessary transfer of feeder modules, or can move along the side of the placement machine as needed (e.g., a so-called "rail-guided vehicle"), or is simply positioned beside the placement machine, optionally by a human operator (similar to a well-known changeover table). In all cases, the exchange mechanism may be provided as part of the exchange unit, or as part of the placement machine, or as a separate unit. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0061] 1 Deployment Machine 2 Positioned heads 3A~C Priority Slots 4A, B Spare slots 5 Mobile Robots 6 storage 7A~C Storage Slots 8 Exchange mechanism 9 Storage conveyor A First feeder module B. Second feeder module T Transport direction X horizontal axis
Claims
1. A method for supplying SMT components in a feeder module to a placement machine during an SMT placement operation, wherein the placement machine has a plurality of slots, each slot configured to releasably receive a feeder module in use, and a first slot among the plurality of slots receives a first feeder module containing a plurality of SMT components to be used up during the SMT placement operation, and the method is, i) Providing a replacement unit, wherein the replacement unit comprises storage for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules, and the storage comprises a second feeder module including an SMT component of the same type as the first feeder module. ii) Initiating a replenishment operation, which includes moving the first feeder module from the first slot to the storage before the SMT components of the first feeder module are completely used up; iii) The step of continuing the replenishment operation by moving the second feeder module from the storage to the first slot, iv) The step of moving the first feeder module from the storage to a second slot among the plurality of slots of the placement machine, A method that includes this.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step i) includes the step of moving a feeder module from one of the plurality of slots of the placement machine to the storage and providing an exchange mechanism operable to move a feeder module from the storage to one of the plurality of slots of the placement machine, and in steps ii), iii), and iv), the first and second feeder modules are moved by the exchange mechanism.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the storage comprises a plurality of storage slots, each storage slot configured to releasably accept a feeder module in use, and the exchange mechanism is operable to move a feeder module from one of the plurality of slots of the placement machine to a storage slot, and to move a feeder module from a storage slot to one of the plurality of slots of the placement machine.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the replacement unit comprises the replacement mechanism.
5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the placement machine is equipped with the exchange mechanism.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein step iii) includes using the placement head of the placement machine to remove an SMT component from the second feeder module in the first slot.
7. v) The step of using the placement head of the placement machine to remove the SMT component from the first feeder module in the second slot. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.
8. vi) When the SMT components of the first feeder module are completely used up, the step of using the placement head of the placement machine to retrieve SMT components from the second feeder module in the first slot. The method according to claim 7, including the method described in claim 7.
9. vii) The step of moving the completely used first feeder module from the second slot to the storage. The method according to claim 8, including the method described in claim 8.
10. The method according to claim 1, comprising: step ii) determining a runout time for the first feeder module, which is the time it takes for the SMT components of the first feeder module to be completely depleted; and initiating the replenishment operation when the first feeder module reaches a predetermined depletion level that occurs after a predetermined subrange of the determined runout time.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein step ii) includes the steps of determining the number of SMT components remaining in the first feeder module and starting the replenishment operation when the determined number of SMT components remaining in the first feeder module falls below a threshold.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the replacement unit comprises a mobile robot.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the mobile robot comprises one of the group consisting of an automated guided vehicle, a rail guided vehicle, and an autonomous intelligent vehicle.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the feeder module comprises a feeder.
15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the feeder module comprises a cartridge module.
16. A method for replacing a feeder module in a placement machine during an SMT placement operation, wherein the placement machine has a plurality of slots, each slot configured to releasably receive a feeder module in use, and a first feeder module containing a plurality of SMT components that will be used up during the SMT placement operation is received in a first slot of the plurality of slots, and the method is, i) A step of providing a replacement unit, wherein the replacement unit is The system includes storage for temporarily holding at least two feeder modules, wherein the storage includes a second feeder module that includes an SMT component of the same type as the first feeder module. The steps to be provided, ii) The step of moving the first feeder module from the first slot to the storage before the SMT components of the first feeder module are completely used up, iii) The step of moving the second feeder module from the storage to the first slot, iv) The step of moving the first feeder module from the storage to a second slot among the plurality of slots of the placement machine, A method that includes this.