Component mounting machine

Abstract

Component mounters mount electronic components on substrates. This component mounter comprises: an imaging device that images an electronic component; a light source that emits light to the electronic component when the electronic component is imaged by the imaging device; an adjustment member comprising an imaging surface for brightness adjustment; and an adjustment unit which, when the imaging surface irradiated with the light from the light source is imaged by the imaging device, adjusts, on the basis of the brightness of the imaging surface detected from the captured image of the imaging surface, the amount of light emitted from the light source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to a component mounter for mounting electronic components on a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] In a component mounter for mounting electronic components on a substrate, an imaging device used for imaging the electronic components is installed in the component mounter. For example, the component mounter disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-6767 includes an imaging device for imaging the back surface of an electronic component and a light source for illuminating the back surface of the electronic component during imaging.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] When the component mounter disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-6767 images an imaging target (for example, the back surface of an electronic component) with an imaging device, it irradiates the imaging target with light from a light source to illuminate the imaging target. If the light irradiated from the light source is too weak or too strong, the imaging target cannot be imaged appropriately. For example, when the amount of light from the light source decays due to deterioration of the light source or the like, and the amount of light from the light source is not appropriate, an operator has to perform an operation to adjust the light source.

[0004] This specification discloses a technique for efficiently adjusting the amount of light of a light source used during imaging.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The component mounter disclosed in this specification mounts electronic components on a substrate. The component mounter includes an imaging device for imaging the electronic components, a light source for irradiating light on the electronic components when imaging the electronic components with the imaging device, an adjustment member having an imaging surface for brightness adjustment, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the amount of light irradiated from the light source based on the brightness of the imaging surface detected from the captured image of the imaging surface when the imaging device captures an image of the imaging surface irradiated with light from the light source.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the schematic configuration of a component mounting machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the control system of a component mounting machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating an example of a process for adjusting a light source using brightness adjustment components. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0008] The component mounting machine disclosed herein includes an adjustment member for adjusting brightness and an adjustment unit that adjusts the light intensity of a light source based on the brightness detected from an image captured by the adjustment member. This allows for automatic adjustment of the light intensity of the light source without the need for human intervention. Therefore, the light intensity of the light source can be adjusted efficiently.

[0009] In the component mounting machine disclosed herein, the adjustment unit may adjust the amount of light emitted from the light source so that the brightness of the imaging surface detected from the captured image falls within a predetermined range. With such a configuration, the amount of light from the light source can be appropriately adjusted.

[0010] In the component mounting machine disclosed herein, the adjustment member may be configured to be movable between a standby position set within the component mounting machine and an imaging position that can be imaged by the imaging device. With such a configuration, the adjustment member is placed in the standby position when operations other than adjustment by the adjustment unit are performed (for example, during the execution of a mounting operation), and is placed in the imaging position when adjustment is performed. By having the adjustment member always located within the component mounting machine in this way, the light intensity of the light source can be adjusted at an appropriate timing. Furthermore, even if the adjustment member is always located within the component mounting machine, it is placed in the standby position when other operations are performed, so other operations can be executed favorably.

[0011] The component mounting machine disclosed herein may further include a nozzle for adsorbing electronic components. The imaging device may be configured to image the back surface of the electronic component adsorbed by the nozzle. The adjustment member may be configured to be adsorbed by the nozzle, and the imaging surface of the adjustment member adsorbed by the nozzle may be imageable by the imaging device. With such a configuration, the amount of light from the light source for the imaging device that images the back surface of the electronic component can be appropriately adjusted. [Examples]

[0012] Referring to the drawings, a component mounting machine 10 according to an embodiment will be described. The component mounting machine 10 is a device for mounting electronic components 4 onto a circuit board 2. The component mounting machine 10 is also called an electronic component mounting device or a chip mounter. Typically, the component mounting machine 10 is installed together with other circuit board work machines such as a solder printing machine and a circuit board inspection machine to form a series of mounting lines.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the component mounting machine 10 includes a plurality of component feeders 12, a feeder holding unit 14, a mounting head 16, a head moving device 18, a substrate conveyor 20, an imaging unit 30, a parts storage unit 50, a control device 26, and a touch panel 24. A management device 8 configured to communicate with the component mounting machine 10 is located outside the component mounting machine 10.

[0014] Each component feeder 12 contains multiple electronic components 4. The component feeders 12 are detachably attached to the feeder holder 14 and supply the electronic components 4 to the mounting head 16. The specific configuration of the component feeders 12 is not particularly limited. Each component feeder 12 may be, for example, a tape-type feeder that supplies multiple electronic components 4 contained on a tape, a tray-type feeder that supplies multiple electronic components 4 contained on a tray, or a bulk-type feeder that supplies multiple electronic components 4 randomly contained in a container.

[0015] The feeder holder 14 has multiple slots, and a component feeder 12 can be detachably installed in each of the multiple slots. The feeder holder 14 may be fixed to the component mounting machine 10, or it may be detachable from the component mounting machine 10.

[0016] The mounting head 16 has a nozzle 6 for attracting electronic components 4. The nozzle 6 is detachably attached to the mounting head 16. The mounting head 16 is capable of moving the nozzle 6 in the Z direction (here, the vertical direction), bringing the nozzle 6 closer to and further away from the component feeder 12 and the circuit board 2. The mounting head 16 can attract electronic components 4 from the component feeder 12 using the nozzle 6 and mount the electronic components 4 attracted by the nozzle 6 onto the circuit board 2. Note that the mounting head 16 is not limited to having a single nozzle 6, but may have multiple nozzles 6.

[0017] The head moving device 18 moves the mounting head 16 between the parts feeder 12 and the circuit board 2. In this embodiment, the head moving device 18 is an XY robot that moves the moving base 18a in the X and Y directions, and the mounting head 16 is fixed to the moving base 18a. However, the mounting head 16 is not limited to being fixed to the moving base 18a, and may be detachably attached to the moving base 18a.

[0018] The circuit board conveyor 20 is a device for loading, positioning, and unloading circuit boards 2. In this embodiment, the circuit board conveyor 20 includes a pair of belt conveyors and a support device (not shown) that supports the circuit boards 2 from below.

[0019] The imaging unit 30 is positioned between the component feeder 12 and the substrate conveyor 20 (specifically, the substrate conveyor 20 installed on the component feeder 12 side of the pair of substrate conveyors 20). As shown in Figure 3, the imaging unit 30 includes a camera 32 and a light source 34. The camera 32 is positioned so that its shooting direction faces upward, and it images the nozzle 6 from below while it is holding the electronic component 4. That is, when the nozzle 6 holds the electronic component 4, the camera 32 photographs the underside of the electronic component 4 held by the nozzle 6. For example, a CCD camera is used for the camera 32. The light source 34 is made up of LEDs and illuminates the underside (image surface) of the electronic component 4 held by the nozzle 6. The image data of the image captured by the imaging unit 30 is stored in the memory (not shown) of the control device 26.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the parts storage section 50 is located between the parts feeder 12 and the substrate conveyor 20 (specifically, the substrate conveyor 20 installed on the parts feeder 12 side of the pair of substrate conveyors 20). The parts storage section 50 houses a brightness adjustment part 52. The brightness adjustment part 52 is plate-shaped and configured to be adsorbed by the nozzle 6. In this embodiment, the brightness adjustment part 52 has approximately the same dimensions and mass as the electronic component 4. The brightness adjustment part 52 is used to adjust the brightness of the image captured by the imaging unit 30. The brightness adjustment part 52 has a brightness adjustment imaging surface on its lower surface. The imaging unit 30 images the brightness adjustment imaging surface, and the amount of light from the light source 34 is adjusted so that the brightness of the image is appropriate. Specifically, a gray sheet is attached to the lower surface of the brightness adjustment part 52. The gray value (i.e., the contrast between white and black) is measured from the image captured of the gray sheet, and the amount of light from the light source 34 is adjusted based on the measured gray value.

[0021] Note that, in this embodiment, the luminance adjustment part 52 is housed in the part storage part 50 installed between the part feeder 12 and the substrate conveyor 20, but it is not limited to such a configuration. The luminance adjustment part 52 may be arranged (housed) at any position within the component mounter 10 as long as it is at a position where it can be adsorbed by the nozzle 6 (that is, a position accessible by the mounting head 16).

[0022] The control device 26 is configured using a computer including a CPU and a storage device. The control device 26 controls the operations of each part of the component mounter 10 based on the production program transmitted from the management device 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 26 is connected to the head movement device 18, the substrate conveyor 20, the touch panel 24, and the imaging unit 30, and controls each of the head movement device 18, the substrate conveyor 20, the touch panel 24, and the imaging unit 30. The touch panel 24 is a display device that provides various information of the component mounter 10 to the operator and is an input device that receives instructions and information from the operator.

[0023] Next, the process of adjusting the light source 34 using the luminance adjustment part 52 will be described. The process of adjusting the light source 34 is performed, for example, before the component mounter 10 starts executing the mounting process according to the production program. Note that the process of adjusting the light source 34 may be executed at any timing desired by the operator.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, first, the control device 26 adsorbs the upper surface of the luminance adjustment part 52 with the nozzle 6 (S12). Specifically, with the nozzle 6 mounted on the mounting head 16, the control device 26 moves the moving base 18a so that the nozzle 6 is disposed above the luminance adjustment part 52 housed in the part storage part 50. Then, the control device 26 moves the nozzle 6 downward to adsorb the upper surface of the luminance adjustment part 52.

[0025] Next, the control device 26 uses the imaging unit 30 to image the lower surface of the brightness adjustment part 52 (i.e., the imaging surface for brightness adjustment) (S14). Specifically, the control device 26 moves the moving base 18a so that the brightness adjustment part 52 is positioned above the imaging unit 30. Then, the control device 26 uses the imaging unit 30 to image the lower surface of the brightness adjustment part 52. The lower surface of the brightness adjustment part 52 is provided with an imaging surface to which a gray sheet is attached. The imaging unit 30 images the imaging surface of the brightness adjustment part 52. The captured image data is stored in the memory (not shown) of the control device 26.

[0026] Next, the control device 26 measures the gray value of the captured image (S16) and determines whether the measured gray value is within a predetermined range (S18). The predetermined range is set so that the brightness of the captured image is within an appropriate range and is stored in the memory of the control device 26 (not shown). If the measured gray value is within the predetermined range (YES in step S18), the control device 26 determines that the light intensity of the light source 34 is appropriate. In this case, there is no need to change the light intensity of the light source 34, so the process is terminated.

[0027] On the other hand, if the measured gray value is outside the predetermined range (NO in step S18), the control device 26 determines that the light intensity of the light source 34 is inappropriate and changes the current value to the light source 34 (S20). Specifically, if the measured gray value is smaller than the predetermined range, the control device 26 determines that the light intensity of the light source 34 is low and increases the current value to the light source 34. One example of a case where the measured gray value is smaller than the predetermined range is when the light source 34 deteriorates over time and the light intensity from the light source 34 decreases. On the other hand, if the measured gray value is larger than the predetermined range, the control device 26 determines that the light intensity of the light source 34 is high and decreases the current value to the light source 34. One example of a case where the measured gray value is larger than the predetermined range is when the current value that was set (before replacement) is inappropriate due to the replacement of the light source 34.

[0028] When the current value supplied to the light source 34 is changed, the control device 26 returns to the process in step S14 and again images the lower surface of the brightness adjustment part 52 with the imaging unit 30. Then, the processes in steps S14 to S20 are repeated. In this way, the light intensity of the light source 34 is appropriately adjusted by repeating the processes in steps S14 to S20 until the measured gray value falls within a predetermined range. In this embodiment, the light intensity of the light source 34 is adjusted by changing the current value supplied to the light source 34, but the system is not limited to this configuration. As long as the light intensity of the light source 34 can be adjusted, for example, the voltage value supplied to the light source 34 may be changed.

[0029] In this embodiment, the light intensity of the light source 34 is adjusted using a brightness adjustment part 52 located inside the component mounting machine 10. Conventionally, when adjusting the light intensity of the light source of the imaging unit 30, an operator had to remove the light source from the component mounting machine 10 and perform the adjustment work outside the machine. In the component mounting machine 10 of this embodiment, the light intensity of the light source 34 can be adjusted automatically without operator intervention. Therefore, the adjustment of the light source 34 of the imaging unit 30 can be performed efficiently.

[0030] In this embodiment, the light intensity of the light source 34 was adjusted using a brightness adjustment part 52 for the imaging unit 30 that images the underside of the electronic component 4, but the configuration is not limited to this. The light intensity of the light source can be adjusted in the same way for any imaging unit installed in the component mounting machine 10. For example, the same method can be applied to the imaging unit that images the top surface of the electronic component 4 (hereinafter also referred to as the marking imaging unit). Specifically, a brightness adjustment sheet with a gray sheet is placed (housed) inside the component mounting machine 10, and the brightness adjustment sheet is moved to a position where it can be imaged by the marking imaging unit (for example, on the substrate conveyor belt 20). Then, the brightness adjustment sheet is imaged by the marking imaging unit, and the light intensity of the light source of the marking imaging unit is adjusted based on the imaged screen. In this way, the light intensity of the light source can also be adjusted for the marking imaging unit.

[0031] The following points should be noted regarding the component mounting machine 10 described in the embodiment. The camera 32 in the embodiment is an example of an "imaging device," the brightness adjustment part 52 is an example of an "adjustment member," and the control device 26 is an example of an "adjustment unit."

[0032] The specific examples of the technologies disclosed herein have been described in detail above, but 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 described above. Furthermore, the technical elements described herein or in the 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. In addition, the technologies illustrated herein or in the drawings achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives constitutes technical usefulness in itself.

Claims

1. A component mounting machine for mounting electronic components onto a circuit board, An imaging device for imaging the aforementioned electronic component, When the imaging device images the electronic component, a light source is provided to irradiate the electronic component with light, An adjustment member equipped with an imaging surface for brightness adjustment, An adjustment unit that performs the adjustment process, The system comprises a nozzle for adsorbing the aforementioned electronic component, The adjustment process involves capturing an image of the imaging surface illuminated by light from the light source using the imaging device, and adjusting the amount of light emitted from the light source based on the brightness of the imaging surface detected from the captured image of the imaging surface. The adjustment member is configured to be movable between a standby position set within the component mounting machine and an imaging position that can be captured by the imaging device. The adjustment unit is capable of performing the adjustment process at any time desired by the operator. The imaging device is configured to image the back surface of the electronic component that is adsorbed onto the nozzle. A component mounting machine wherein the adjustment member is configured to be adsorbed onto the nozzle, and the imaging surface of the adjustment member adsorbed onto the nozzle is capable of being imaged by the imaging device.

2. The component mounting machine according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the amount of light irradiated from the light source so that the brightness of the imaging surface detected from the captured image falls within a predetermined range.

Images