Mounting device and mounting assistance method

Abstract

A component mounting device (1020) comprises: a head (1160) that mounts, on a substrate (1200), a component supplied from a component supply unit (31); an arrangement unit that arranges a plurality of feeders included in the component supply unit (31) side by side in a predetermined direction; and one or more antennas (314) configured to be able to communicate with a tag (315t) of a case (315) attached to the feeders. The one or more antennas (314) are provided over the component supply unit (31).

Description

Mounting device and mounting support method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mounting apparatus and a mounting support method.

[0002] Conventionally, component supply devices are known that remove components from a container and supply the components to a mounting device. The component supply devices must supply components to the mounting device according to the production from among a wide variety of components. Therefore, it is desirable for the component supply devices to acquire information about the components contained in the container.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an RF tag reading system that includes a reader having an antenna that receives signals from RF (Radio Frequency) tags attached to managed items, and a control device that acquires information about the RF tags from the received signals. The control device can acquire information about the managed items based on the received signals.

[0004] For example, if an RF tag is attached to a container that contains parts and is attached to a feeder, the technology of Patent Document 1 can be used to read the RF tag via the feeder to obtain information about the parts contained in the container.

[0005] JP 2010-102530 A

[0006] However, since the feeder has a metal housing, when reading an RF tag through a feeder having a metal housing using the technology of Patent Document 1, the feeder needs to be modified, for example, by providing a transparent window that allows radio waves to pass through, which makes the feeder configuration complicated. Therefore, it is desirable to obtain information about the target object with a simpler configuration.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a mounting device and a mounting support method that can acquire information about an object with a simpler configuration.

[0008] A mounting device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a head that mounts components supplied from a component supply unit onto a substrate, an arrangement unit that arranges multiple feeders provided by the component supply unit in a predetermined direction, and one or more receiving units that are configured to be able to communicate with tags of first component containers attached to the feeders, and the one or more receiving units are provided above the component supply unit.

[0009] An implementation support method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for identifying the position of a component container in the implementation section in a mounting device that includes a head that mounts components supplied from a component supply unit onto a board, an implementation section that arranges multiple feeders of the component supply unit in a predetermined direction, and one or more receiving sections that are configured to be able to communicate with tags of component containers attached to the feeders, wherein the one or more receiving sections are provided above the component supply unit, and the implementation support method identifies the position of the component container in the implementation section based on the strength of radio waves received by the one or more receiving sections from the tags of the component containers.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to realize a mounting device or the like that can acquire information about an object with a simpler configuration.

[0011] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a component mounting line according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a component mounting system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a dolly according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of tape cassettes in a temporary storage area according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a feeder according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of tags and antennas provided on multiple objects according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a part of a tape cassette according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a tape cassette supplying device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a component mounting system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing arrangements of antennas and tags used in verification according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the reception strength distribution of radio waves for each antenna according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the component mounting system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing an antenna according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a component mounting device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a dolly according to the second embodiment and its periphery. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a bogie according to a modification of the second embodiment.

[0012] A mounting device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a head that mounts components supplied from a component supply unit onto a substrate, an arrangement unit that arranges a plurality of feeders provided in the component supply unit in a predetermined direction, and one or more receiving units that are configured to be able to communicate with tags of first component containers attached to the feeders, and the one or more receiving units are provided above the component supply unit.

[0013] This allows the receiver to be located above the component supply unit, making it possible to read tag information without going through the feeder. This means that there is no need to provide a transparent window or the like in the feeder. Therefore, the mounting device can obtain information about the target object with a simpler configuration.

[0014] Also, for example, a mounting device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure may be a mounting device according to the first aspect, which is provided with a protective cover part that is arranged above the component supply unit and separates the movable range of the head from the component supply unit, and the one or more receiving parts may be attached to the protective cover part.

[0015] As a result, for example, if a protective cover is provided on the mounting device, the receiving unit can be attached to the protective cover. In other words, there is no need to add a configuration for attaching the receiving unit to the mounting device. Therefore, the mounting device can acquire information about the target object with an even simpler configuration.

[0016] Furthermore, for example, a mounting device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure may be a mounting device according to the second aspect, in which one side of the feeder that forms the bonding surface with one side of the first component holder on which the tag is provided may be provided so as to protrude from the protective cover portion in a plan view.

[0017] This configuration makes it possible to obtain information about the target object with a simpler configuration while minimizing the deterioration of workability, and also reduces the risk of the protective cover getting in the way when attaching the first component holder to the feeder.

[0018] Furthermore, for example, a mounting device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure may be the mounting device according to the second or third aspect, wherein the component supply unit holds a plurality of the feeders together and is provided on a cart section that is detachable at a predetermined position on the device main body, and the protective cover section is provided on the cart section.

[0019] As a result, for example, if the protective cover is provided on the carriage, the receiving unit can be attached to the protective cover. In other words, there is no need to add a configuration for attaching the receiving unit to the carriage. Therefore, the mounting device can acquire information about the target object with an even simpler configuration.

[0020] Also, for example, a mounting device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure may be a mounting device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the first component holder is provided above the feeder.

[0021] This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the feeder from interfering with communication between the receiver and the tag.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, a mounting device according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure may be the mounting device according to the fifth aspect, wherein a holding area for holding a second component holder is provided below the component supply unit, and the one or more receiving units are further configured to be able to communicate with a tag of the second component holder held in the holding area.

[0023] For example, if a common receiver is used to receive both the first and second component holders, the configuration of the mounting device can be simplified compared to when a separate receiver is provided for each holder.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, a mounting device according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure may be a mounting device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and the number of the one or more receiving units may be less than the number of first component holders that can be arranged in the arrangement section.

[0025] This allows the number of receiving units to be reduced, further simplifying the configuration of the mounting device.

[0026] Furthermore, an eighth aspect of the present disclosure provides an implementation support method for identifying the position of a component container in the implementation section in a mounting device that includes a head that mounts components supplied from a component supply unit onto a board, an implementation section that arranges a plurality of feeders of the component supply unit in a predetermined direction, and one or more receiving sections that are configured to be able to communicate with tags of component containers attached to the feeders, wherein the one or more receiving sections are provided above the component supply unit, and the implementation support method identifies the position of the component container in the implementation section based on the strength of radio waves received by the one or more receiving sections from the tags of the component containers.

[0027] This provides the same effects as the above mounting device.

[0028] These general or specific aspects may be realized as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or as any combination of the system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium. The program may be pre-stored in the recording medium, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet.

[0029] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in independent claims are described as optional components.

[0031] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales of the figures do not necessarily match. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0032] In this specification and the drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis represent the three axes of a right-handed three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The Z-axis direction is parallel to the height direction of the component mounting system.

[0033] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as "same," terms indicating the shapes of elements such as "U-shaped" and "L-shaped," as well as numerical values ​​and numerical ranges, are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about several percent (or about 10%).

[0034] Furthermore, in this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" do not refer to the number or order of components unless otherwise specified, but are used for the purpose of avoiding confusion and distinguishing between components of the same type.

[0035] First Embodiment A component mounting system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A to 11. FIG.

[0036] [1-1. Configuration of Component Mounting System] First, the configuration of a component mounting system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1A to Fig. 8. Fig. 1A is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a component mounting line according to this embodiment. Fig. 1B is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a component mounting system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1A, the component mounting system 10 includes multiple production devices (M1-M7) that make up a component mounting line. Each of the multiple production devices includes at least one component mounting device 20 (see FIG. 1B). The component mounting line mounts components on mounting targets such as boards to produce circuit boards (boards on which components are mounted). Specifically, the component mounting line includes a board supply device M1, a board transfer device M2, a printing device M3, component mounting devices M4 and M5 (two component mounting devices 20 connected in series), a reflow device M6, and a board removal device M7, and these multiple production devices (M1-M7) are connected in series. Each of the multiple production devices (M1-M7) is connected to a management device via a communication network. The multiple production devices (M1-M7) can use known equipment used in known component mounting lines.

[0038] When a component mounting line begins producing circuit boards, it is necessary to replenish materials such as components to be mounted on the boards. Furthermore, the operating units used by the production devices (M1 to M7) may need to be changed. Therefore, the component mounting system 10 includes a supply device that supplies either operating units or materials to the production devices (M1 to M7). As shown in FIG. 1B , the component mounting system 10 includes a tape cassette supply device 40. The tape cassette supply device 40 is an example of a supply device. The component mounting system 10 is an example of a mounting system.

[0039] The component mounting device 20 is a device that mounts components supplied by a component supply unit 31 provided on a carriage 30 onto a mounting target such as a substrate 50. Specifically, the component mounting device 20 includes a component mounting device main body 20a (device main body) and a carriage 30. The component mounting device main body 20a includes a head 21 that picks up components (not shown) (components supplied from the component supply unit 31) on the component supply unit 31 of the carriage 30 and transfers and mounts them onto the substrate 50, a substrate transport unit 22 that transports the substrate 50 on which the components have been mounted by the head 21 to a downstream reflow device (e.g., reflow device M6 shown in FIG. 1A ), and a positioning device 23 that positions the carriage 30. The component mounting device 20 is an example of a mounting device. The component supply unit 31 is an example of a working unit.

[0040] The carriage 30 is positioned by the positioning device 23 and is connected to the component mounting apparatus main body 20a. The carriage 30 includes a component supply unit 31 having a feeder (see FIGS. 2 and 4) described below and the like, a first tape cassette support portion 70 (see FIG. 2) that detachably holds a plurality of tape cassettes 60 that store rolls of carrier tape, and a feeder support portion 75 (see FIG. 2) that detachably holds the feeders (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The feeder support portions 75 are arranged in the X-axis direction so as to form pairs with the respective first tape cassette support portions 70. The carriage 30 is configured to be able to arrange a plurality of feeders in the X-axis direction, each of which is fitted with a component container (a case 315 or a tape cassette 60 (e.g., a roll 80 shown in FIG. 6)) that contains components.

[0041] The X-axis direction is an example of a predetermined direction, the carriage 30 is an example of a carriage portion, and the feeder support portion 75 and the first tape cassette support portion 70 are examples of a placement portion.

[0042] The tape cassette supply device 40 is an example of a supply device that supplies the tape cassette 60 to the first tape cassette support portion 70 of the dolly 30 or retrieves the tape cassette 60 from the first tape cassette support portion 70. In other words, the tape cassette 60 is an example of a member that is supplied to the supply device, and the holding portion that holds the tape cassette 60, which is provided in the tape cassette supply device 40, is an example of an arrangement portion.

[0043] Furthermore, the tape cassette supply device 40 can transfer the tape cassette 60 from the tape cassette supply device 40 to the temporary storage area. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the tape cassettes 60 in the temporary storage area 700 according to this embodiment. Note that, for convenience, the tags 615t are shown in solid lines in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the temporary storage area 700 is arranged, for example, on the production floor (floor) on which the component mounting apparatus 20 is arranged, and is configured to include an arrangement unit that temporarily arranges and arranges the tape cassettes 60 and the like.

[0044] For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , an antenna stand 701 is disposed in a temporary storage area 700. The antenna stand 701 is configured to be able to hold materials to be supplied to the production devices (M1 to M7) or materials recovered from the production devices (M1 to M7). Specifically, the antenna stand 701 is capable of holding tape cassettes 60. The antenna stand 701 is also provided with one or more antennas 702 configured to be able to receive wireless signals from tags 615t provided on the multiple tape cassettes 60. The antenna stand 701 may hold the tape cassettes 60 so that the tags 615t of the tape cassettes 60 are positioned above the antenna 702. A cover may be provided on the antenna 702 (e.g., between the antenna 702 and the held tape cassette 60). The cover may be configured without including a metal material. The antenna stand 701 is an example of an arrangement unit, and the antenna 702 is an example of one or more receiving units.

[0045] The supply device (tape cassette supply device 40) may be capable of supplying or retrieving at least one of the case 315, the cassette feeder 311 (or a bulk feeder, described later), etc., instead of or together with the tape cassette 60. The printing device M3 uses a printing mask having a pattern formation area in which a plurality of openings are formed, to print a pattern of solder on a mounting target such as a circuit board. For example, the supply device may be capable of supplying or retrieving a printing mask (not shown). In this case, the supply device is configured to be able to transfer at least one of the case 315, the cassette feeder 311 (or a bulk feeder, described later), the printing mask (not shown), etc. to the temporary storage area 700. As described above, the objects transferred to the temporary storage area 700 are not limited to tape cassettes 60, but may also be cases 315, cassette feeders 311 (or bulk feeders, which will be described later), printing masks, boards 50 before components are mounted, circuit boards (either finished or in-progress), automated items 318 (see FIG. 2 ) for setting tape components in feeders, etc. The temporary storage area 700 may be located within a component mounting line (e.g., a device having a storage function that constitutes the component mounting line) or outside the component mounting line (e.g., a device having a storage function that is not physically connected to the component mounting line). When the temporary storage area 700 is located within a component mounting line, the distance traveled by a supply device when supplying components to the production devices (M1 to M7) is short, thereby reducing the time required to supply components.

[0046] Next, details of the dolly 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the dolly 30 according to this embodiment. Note that Fig. 2 illustrates only the cassette feeders 311 at both ends in the X-axis direction out of the multiple cassette feeders 311, and only the tape cassettes 60 at both ends in the X-axis direction out of the multiple tape cassettes 60.

[0047] 2, the carriage 30 has a component supply unit 31, a plurality of first tape cassette support parts 70, a plurality of feeder support parts 75, and a carriage body 32 that supports these. The component supply unit 31 is equipped with a cassette feeder 311 that supplies components stored in a tape cassette 60. The component mounting device 20 is also capable of using a bulk feeder (see FIG. 4) that is held by the feeder support part 75 in the same way as the cassette feeder 311 and supplies bulk components stored in a case 315.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette feeder 311 holds an automated item 318 for loading a carrier tape into the cassette feeder 311 .

[0049] Note that drawing the carrier tape into the cassette feeder 311 is an example of loading the tape cassette 60 (component container) into a feeder. In the following description, the cassette feeder 311 and the bulk feeder will also be simply referred to as "feeders."

[0050] The feeder may be provided with a tag (for example, the RFID tag 317 in FIG. 4) that stores information about the feeder.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the bulk feeder 317 according to this embodiment.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4 , a case 315 for storing bulk components is attached to the bulk feeder 317. The case 315 is held on the top surface of the bulk feeder 317. The case 315 is provided with a tag 315t that stores information about the components stored in the case 315. The information about the components includes, for example, the type, size, and shape of the components stored in the case 315. The bulk feeder 317 is provided with a tag 317t that stores information about the feeder. The tag 315t may also include information about the feeder to which the case 315 is attached. The information about the feeder includes the type of the feeder, identification information that uniquely identifies the feeder, the size, and the like. The case 315 is an example of a component container.

[0053] It is preferable that the antenna 314 is disposed directly below the tag 317t when the bulk feeder 317 shown in FIG. 4 is disposed in the disposing section.

[0054] Next, an antenna that receives radio signals from tags attached to multiple objects in the component mounting system 10 configured as described above will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of tags and antennas attached to multiple objects according to this embodiment. The tags (e.g., tag 315t) are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction. The number of antennas (e.g., antenna 314) is less than the number of tags attached to the multiple objects.

[0055] Here, the feeder held by the feeder support portion 75 is an example of an object. The tape cassette 60 placed in the tape cassette supply device 40 or the first tape cassette support portion 70 is an example of an object. A member placed on an antenna stand provided in the temporary storage area is an example of an object. The case 315 held by the feeder support portion 75 via the bulk feeder 317 is an example of an object.

[0056] Referring again to FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, an antenna 314 for reading information on tags (e.g., at least one of tags 315t and 317t) shown in FIG. 4 is disposed on the feeder support portion 75. The antenna 314 is configured to be able to communicate with tags on multiple objects, including at least one of multiple cases 315 and multiple feeders, disposed in the holding area 75a, which holds multiple feeders arranged in the X-axis direction. The antenna 314 is disposed so that the information can be read from below the feeder. One or more antennas 314 are disposed. Note that the multiple feeders referred to here may include multiple cassette feeders 311 and bulk feeders 317, or may include both cassette feeders 311 and bulk feeders 317.

[0057] In this embodiment, the number of antennas 314 is less than the number of feeders or cases 315 that can be arranged in holding area 75a. In other words, the number of antennas 314 is less than the number of slots (e.g., feeder support portions 75) that can be arranged in holding area 75a. Note that holding area 75a is an area where multiple feeder support portions 75 are provided.

[0058] In this embodiment, an antenna 614 for reading information from the tag 615t shown in Fig. 6 is disposed on the first tape cassette support portion 70. The antenna 614 is configured to be able to communicate with tags of multiple objects, which are the multiple tape cassettes 60 disposed in the holding area 70a. The number of antennas 614 is less than the number of tape cassettes 60 that can be disposed in the holding area 70a. It can also be said that the number of antennas 614 is less than the number of slots (e.g., first tape cassette support portions 70) disposed in the holding area 70a.

[0059] The antenna 314 has a plate-shaped substrate 314a. An antenna pattern 314b, which is a wiring, is formed on the substrate 314a. The antenna pattern 314b is a meandering conductor pattern, but is not limited to this. In the example of FIG. 2, one antenna pattern 314b is formed on one antenna 314. This makes it possible to suppress signal interference within the substrate 314a, thereby improving communication quality. The antenna pattern 314b or the antenna 314 is an example of a receiving unit.

[0060] The antenna 614 has a plate-shaped substrate 614a. An antenna pattern 614b, which is a wiring, is formed on the substrate 614a. The antenna pattern 614b is a meandering conductor pattern, but is not limited to this. The antenna pattern 614b or the antenna 614 is an example of a receiving unit.

[0061] It is sufficient that the antenna 314 is capable of communicating with at least one of the tags 315t provided on the case 315 and the tag 317t provided on the bulk feeder 317. The antenna 314 may also be capable of communicating with a tag (not shown) provided on the cassette feeder 311 and a tag (not shown) provided on the automated item 318 held in the cassette feeder 311. The antenna 614 may also be capable of communicating with a tag (not shown) provided on the automated item 318 held in the cassette feeder 311. The following mainly describes an example in which the antenna 314 communicates with the tag 315t provided on the case 315.

[0062] 5, the arrangement interval P1 between adjacent antennas 314 is greater than the arrangement interval P2 between tags 315t. The arrangement intervals between cassette feeders 311 and between cases 315 are the same as the arrangement interval P2 between tags 315t. The antennas 314 are arranged at equal intervals, for example, but are not limited to this.

[0063] If the placement intervals P1 and P2 are not equal, the placement intervals P1 and P2 may be the average value of a plurality of placement intervals, or may be the median, mode, maximum value, minimum value, or the like.

[0064] The RFID reading unit 24 is connected to each of the multiple antennas 314 and performs wireless communication with the tags 315t via the multiple antennas 314. The RFID reading unit 24, for example, transmits omnidirectional radio waves to the tags 315t. The radio waves are received by each of the multiple tags 315t. The RFID reading unit 24 can also receive radio waves from each of the multiple tags 315t. The RFID reading unit 24 is realized by a reader device. The RFID reading unit 24 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0065] In this way, since the number of antennas 314 is smaller than the number of tags 315t, the number of connection terminals required for the RFID reading unit 24 can be reduced compared to when the number of antennas 314 and tags 315t is the same. This prevents the RFID reading unit 24 from becoming larger. Furthermore, since the number of wires connecting the antennas 314 and the RFID reading unit 24 can be reduced, the wiring is prevented from becoming complicated.

[0066] If the number of antennas 314 is less than the number of cases 315 that can be placed in the holding area 75a, it is necessary to identify the position of the case 315 (tag 315t) from which the radio waves received by one or more antennas 314 were transmitted. For example, this is because it is necessary to determine whether the component housed in the attached case 315 is the component corresponding to the attached position. The identification of the position of each case 315 will be described later.

[0067] Referring again to Figure 2, the cassette feeder 311 pulls out the carrier tape from the tape cassette 60 (first tape cassette 61 or second tape cassette 65) held by the first tape cassette support portion 70, and transports the components stored on the carrier tape to a position for removal by the head 21.

[0068] The first tape cassette 61 is supported by a first tape cassette support portion 70 formed in the holding area 70a. The roll 80 of the first tape cassette 61 is an example of a first component housing.

[0069] The second tape cassette 65 is supported by a first tape cassette support portion 70 formed above the holding area 70a (on the positive side of the Z axis). The roll body 80 of the second tape cassette 65 is an example of a second component housing.

[0070] In the example of FIG. 2, the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65 are held below the cassette feeder 311, but this is not limiting.

[0071] In this embodiment, the antenna 614 is arranged in both the holding area 70a, which holds a plurality of first tape cassettes 61 lined up in the X-axis direction, and the holding area 70b, which holds a plurality of second tape cassettes 65 lined up in the X-axis direction. The antenna 614 arranged in the holding area 70a is configured to be able to communicate with a tag 615t of the first tape cassette 61 shown in FIG. 6 , which will be described later. The antenna 614 arranged in the holding area 70b is configured to be able to communicate with a tag 615t of the second tape cassette 65 shown in FIG. 6 . The antenna 614 is arranged so that the information can be read from below the tape cassette 60, but may also be arranged so that the information can be read from above the tape cassette 60. For example, the antenna 614 may be arranged below the tape cassette 60, or above the tape cassette 60.

[0072] The first tape cassette support portion 70 (an example of a first arrangement portion) provided in the holding area 70a and the first tape cassette support portion 70 (an example of a second arrangement portion) provided in the holding area 70b hold the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65 such that the tag 615t (first tag) provided on the first tape cassette 61 and the tag 615t (second tag) provided on the second tape cassette 65 are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The first tag is provided on the bottom surface (first side surface) of the first tape cassette 61, and the second tag is provided on the bottom surface (second side surface) of the second tape cassette 65. For example, the first tape cassette support section 70 provided in the holding area 70a and the first tape cassette support section 70 provided in the holding area 70b are configured to be able to arrange the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65 so that the vertical positions of the first side surface and the second side surface are different from each other. For example, it can also be said that a tag 615t is provided on the side surface of the component container (e.g., tape cassette 60), and the first component container (e.g., first tape cassette 61) and the second component container (e.g., second tape cassette 65) are held in the first arrangement section and the second arrangement section so that the positions of the side surfaces are different.

[0073] In this case, the positions of the first tape cassette 61 (e.g., the roll 80) and the second tape cassette 65 (e.g., the roll 80) in the X-axis direction may be identified based on radio signals via radio waves received from each of the first tag and the second tag by one or more antennas 614 (hereinafter also simply referred to as based on radio waves). Specifically, the position of the first tape cassette 61 (e.g., the roll 80) in the X-axis direction may be identified based on radio waves received from each of the first tags by one or more antennas 614 (an example of a first receiving unit) provided in the holding area 70a, and the position of the second tape cassette 65 (e.g., the roll 80) in the X-axis direction may be identified based on radio waves received from each of the second tags by one or more antennas 614 (an example of a second receiving unit) provided in the holding area 70b. Furthermore, each of the one or more antennas 614 may be capable of communicating with a tag 315t of a case 315 attached to each of one or more feeders (e.g., bulk feeder 317) arranged in holding area 75a. The position of case 315 in the X-axis direction may be identified based on the distribution of reception intensity of radio waves acquired by one or more antennas 614 from tag 315t of one or more cases 315.

[0074] It should be noted that, for example, the number of the one or more first receiving units is less than the number of first component containers that can be arranged in the first arrangement section, and the number of the one or more second receiving units is less than the number of second component containers that can be arranged in the second arrangement section. For example, the holding areas 70a, 70b that hold the tape cassettes 60 (e.g., rolls 80) are divided into a plurality of sections (e.g., holding areas 70a and 70b), and an antenna 614 is provided individually corresponding to each section, and it can also be said that the number of antennas 614 provided is less than the number of tape cassettes 60 that can be held in each section.

[0075] The positions of the antennas 314 and 614 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 2, but may be located, for example, between the cassette feeder 311 and the tape cassette 60 in the vertical direction.

[0076] Comparing the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65, they have roughly the same basic structure but differ in size. The second tape cassette 65 is smaller than the first tape cassette 61. The structures of the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65 will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the tape cassette 60 according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 shows the tape cassette 60 with the cover body 622 (see FIG. 2) removed.

[0077] 6, the tape cassette 60 includes a storage section 62 and a tape feeding section 63. The tape feeding section 63 is a section that feeds the leading end of the carrier tape stored in the storage section 62 to the component supply unit 31.

[0078] The tape cassette 60 has a flat outer shape with its thickness oriented in the X-axis direction. An upper surface 611 of the tape cassette 60 is formed parallel to the XY plane, and a base end surface 612 in the negative Y-axis direction is formed parallel to the XZ plane.

[0079] The storage unit 62 stores a roll 80 around which carrier tape is wound. Specifically, the storage unit 62 has a frame 621 on which the roll 80 is set and a pair of cover bodies 622 (see FIG. 2 ), and the pair of cover bodies 622 are attached to the frame body 621 so as to sandwich the frame body 621 in the X-axis direction. A tag 615t is provided on the side of the storage unit 62. The storage unit 62 is also called a cassette.

[0080] Above the frame body 621, a gripped portion 625 is provided via the tape feeding portion 63.

[0081] The gripped portion 625 is a portion that is gripped by the tape cassette supplying device 40. In other words, when the tape cassette 60 is supplied to the first tape cassette support portion 70 by the tape cassette supplying device 40 or when the tape cassette 60 is removed from the first tape cassette support portion 70, the gripped portion 625 is gripped by the holding portion 43 (see FIG. 7 ) of the tape cassette supplying device 40. The gripped portion 625 has L-shaped notches formed on both sides in the Y-axis direction, and the holding portions 43 of the tape cassette supplying device 40 are adapted to be inserted into these notches.

[0082] A tag 626 that stores various information is provided on the top surface 611 of the frame body 621. The information stored in the tag 626 includes information about the components stored in the carrier tape that forms the roll body 80 or information about the tape cassette 60. The information about the components includes the type and size of the components. The information about the tape cassette 60 includes the type and size of the tape cassette 60. The information stored in the tag 626 is readable by an antenna 423 (see FIG. 7 ) provided in the holder 43. The information stored in the tag 626 may be the same as or different from the information stored in the tag 615t.

[0083] Next, the tape cassette supplying device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the tape cassette supplying device 40 according to this embodiment. Fig. 7(a) shows the schematic configuration of the tape cassette supplying device 40 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 7(b) shows an enlarged view of the tape cassette 60 housed in the tape cassette supplying device 40. Note that Fig. 7 also shows the holding portion 43.

[0084] 7A, the tape cassette supply device 40 is a mobile device that is transported on a floor surface by a transport vehicle 490, such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle), and supplies and collects tape cassettes 60 to and from the component mounting devices 20. In other words, the tape cassette supply device 40 is a device that moves between a plurality of component mounting devices 20 by the transport vehicle 490 and transfers the tape cassette 60 to each component mounting device 20.

[0085] The tape cassette supply device 40 is transported by a transport vehicle 490 and connected to the end of the component mounting device 20 in the negative Y-axis direction (see FIG. 1B ). Therefore, in the connected state, the tape cassette supply device 40 and the component mounting device 20 are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction. The tape cassette supply device 40 supplies the component mounting device 20 with a storage unit 62 that stores a roll 80.

[0086] Inside the tape cassette supply device 40, there are a support section 42 that supports the tape cassette 60, a holding section 43 that holds the tape cassette 60 supported by the support section 42, and a support section moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the support section 42.

[0087] The support section 42 has a plurality of second tape cassette support sections 421 that individually support each tape cassette 60, and a mounting base 422 on which the plurality of second tape cassette support sections 421 are placed. Each second tape cassette support section 421 is a slot that extends in the Y-axis direction, and is arranged along the X-axis direction relative to the mounting base 422. In the connected state, each second tape cassette support section 421 faces each first tape cassette support section 70 of the dolly 30 in the Y-axis direction. In other words, the Y-axis direction is an example of the facing direction.

[0088] The holding unit 43 is also provided with antennas 423 for reading information from tags 626 of the tape cassettes 60 held by the holding unit 43. The number of antennas 423 is less than the number of tape cassettes 60 (i.e., tags 626) that can be held by the holding unit 43.

[0089] The area where the holding unit 43 is provided is an example of the arrangement unit. In other words, the arrangement unit and the antenna 423 (an example of a receiving unit) may be provided in the tape cassette supplying device 40. Furthermore, together with the antenna 423, or instead of the antenna 423, an antenna for reading information from the tag 615t of the tape cassette 60 may be provided in the tape cassette supplying device 40 or the transport vehicle 490.

[0090] In the above, an example has been described in which the component mounting system 10 includes a tape cassette supplying device 40 that supplies and collects tape cassettes 60 to and from the component mounting device 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A supplying device that supplies and collects cassette feeders 311 (or bulk feeders 317) or cases 315 to and from the component mounting device 20 may be provided in addition to or instead of the tape cassette supplying device 40. This supplying device, like the tape cassette supplying device 40, is provided with one or more antennas, the number of which is less than the number of cassette feeders 311 (or bulk feeders 317) or cases 315 that the supplying device can hold. The one or more antennas can read information from all of the tags on the cassette feeders 311 (or bulk feeders 317) or cases 315, the number of which exceeds the number of antennas. This supplying device is also configured to be able to transfer cassette feeders 311 (or bulk feeders 317) or cases 315 to and from a temporary storage area. That is, the antenna provided at the temporary storage location can read information from the tag on the cassette feeder 311 or the case 315. Also, the antenna 702 provided at the temporary storage location 700 may be able to read information from a tag (not shown) provided on the automated item 318 held in the cassette feeder 311.

[0091] Next, the functional configuration of the component mounting system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the component mounting system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0092] As shown in Fig. 8, the component mounting system 10 includes a component mounting device 20, a floor control device 11, and a host system 12. Note that Fig. 10 shows a block diagram of a case where only a cassette feeder 311 is provided as a feeder.

[0093] The component mounting device 20 has an RFID reading unit 24 connected to the antenna 314, a cart control unit 25, and an equipment control unit 26 (NCIO: Numerical Control Input / Output). Note that the antenna 614 connected to the RFID reading unit 24 is not shown in FIG. 8.

[0094] The carriage control unit 25 is a control device that controls each component of the carriage 30 connected to the component mounting device main body 20a of the component mounting device 20. The carriage control unit 25 may, for example, control the component supply unit 31 to supply components. The carriage control unit 25 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and each function is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory.

[0095] The equipment control unit 26 is a control device that controls each component of the component mounting device 20. The equipment control unit 26 controls, for example, each component of the component mounting device 20 except for the carriage 30. The component mounting device 20 controls the operation of the head 21, the board transport unit 22, etc. The equipment control unit 26 has a CPU, memory, etc., and each function is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory.

[0096] The floor control device 11 is a control device that is separate from the component mounting devices 20 and is located on the same floor as the component mounting devices 20. There are multiple component mounting devices 20 on the floor, and the floor control device 11 monitors and controls the multiple component mounting systems 10. The floor control device 11 is connected to the component mounting devices 20 (e.g., equipment control unit 26) so that it can communicate with them. The upper system 12 has a CPU, memory, etc., and each function is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory.

[0097] The host system 12 is a control device that is installed in a location different from the floor where the component mounting device 20 is installed. The host system 12 is installed, for example, in a remote location different from the building (e.g., a factory) where the component mounting device 20 is installed, and is connected to the floor control device 11 so as to be able to communicate (e.g., wirelessly). The host system 12 has a CPU, memory, etc., and each function is realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory.

[0098] Any of the above control devices performs a first process to identify the positions of multiple objects held in the holding area 70a or the like in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, any of the above control devices performs a second process to determine whether an appropriate component container corresponding to an object (cassette feeder 311 or tape cassette 60) placed in the first tape cassette support unit 70, feeder support unit 75, or the like (based on information from the tag 315t, etc., whose position has been identified) is held in the holding area 70a or the like. The processing unit that performs the first process is referred to as the first processing unit, and the processing unit that performs the second process is referred to as the second processing unit. The functions of the first processing unit may be provided in the component mounting device 20. Alternatively, the functions of the first processing unit may be provided in the component mounting device 20, and the functions of the second processing unit may be provided outside the component mounting device 20. The functions of the second processing unit may be provided in a device (e.g., the upper system 12) located in an area different from the floor on which the component mounting device 20 is installed. The following describes an example in which the equipment control unit 26 functions as both the first processing unit and the second processing unit.

[0099] [1-2. Method for Identifying the Position of an Object] Next, an example of identifying the position of an object in the X-axis direction using radio waves received from each of the tags 315t, etc. will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the antenna 314 and the tag 315t used in verification according to this embodiment.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 9, four antennas 314 (ant1 to ant4) are arranged, and above them, 15 tags 315t are arranged at predetermined intervals from the antennas 314 via spacers 315s.

[0101] Under these conditions, signals are output in sequence from the four antennas 314 using radio waves, and when the tag 315 t receives the radio wave signals, it returns the radio wave signals to the RFID reader 24 via the antennas 314 .

[0102] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the distribution of radio wave reception strength (signal strength) for each antenna 314 according to this embodiment. Fig. 10 shows the distribution of radio wave reception strength received under the conditions shown in Fig. 9, with the horizontal axis representing the tag 315t number (1 to 15) and the vertical axis representing reception strength (RSSI).

[0103] The radio waves from the tag 315t contain identification information for identifying the tag 315t. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, the RFID reader 24 can obtain information indicating the reception strength of the radio waves from the tag 315t having which identification information (e.g., which number) based on the radio waves received from the tag 315t. At this point, it is not known which tag 315t has which identification information and which position in the slot is located.

[0104] Therefore, the equipment control unit 26 uses the first learning model to identify the position of the case 315 in the X-axis direction (i.e., which slot is occupied by the tag 315t with which identification information). The first learning model is a machine learning model that uses the reception strength of radio waves received by each of one or more antennas 314 (four antennas 314 in this case) from the tag 315t of the target object (the case 315 in this case) as input information, and learns information about the position in the X-axis direction (a predetermined direction) of the managed object in which the tag 315t is installed as correct answer data. The information about the position in the X-axis direction includes, for example, information indicating the position of the slot (e.g., an address).

[0105] The equipment control unit 26 identifies which feeder support 75 (which slot) of the multiple feeder support 75 the case 315 attached to transmitted the wireless signal received by the antenna 314 from, based on the reception intensity distribution shown in Fig. 10. The equipment control unit 26 inputs the reception intensity distribution shown in Fig. 10 into a trained model that has been trained by supervised learning using the position of the feeder support 75 as correct answer data, and identifies the output obtained as the position of the case 315 that transmitted the wireless signal. The reception intensity distribution shown in Fig. 10 is an example of information based on signal intensity.

[0106] In addition, in the trained model, position determination thresholds, weight parameters, etc. can be set by learning to associate the reception strength distribution of the radio signal received by antenna 314 with the slot position at which the object that transmitted the radio signal (e.g., case 315) is set.

[0107] By using the above method, even if the number of antennas 314 is less than the number of cases 315, the positions at which cases 315 are attached can be identified with high accuracy.

[0108] Although one trained model may be generated, it is more preferable to generate multiple trained models according to the type of holding area 75a. The type of holding area 75a is the number of slots, but may also be, for example, the length of holding area 75a in the X-axis direction or the width of the slots. In this case, for example, the reception intensity distribution shown in FIG. 10 is acquired for each number of slots, and a trained model is generated for each number of slots. The equipment control unit 26 acquires information indicating the number of slots in holding area 75a, determines one trained model according to the acquired information indicating the number of slots, and identifies the position of tag 315t (position of case 315) using the determined trained model.

[0109] 2, the antenna 314 is described as being provided below the cassette feeder 311, but it may also be provided above the cassette feeder 311. Furthermore, if the feeder is a bulk feeder 317, the antenna 314 may be provided below the bulk feeder 317 or above the case 315. In this case, when receiving radio waves from the tag 315t of the case 315, multiple trained models may be generated according to the number of components in the case 315. This is because, if the components housed in the case 315 contain metal, the signal strength of the radio waves received by the antenna 314 changes depending on the number of components in the case 315.

[0110] For example, when the number of parts in the case 315 is a first number (e.g., the maximum number), a first learning model, which is a trained model, may be generated by the method described above based on the distribution of the reception intensity of radio waves acquired from the tag 315t, and when the number of parts in the case 315 is a second number (e.g., half the maximum number) that is less than the first number, a second learning model, which is a trained model, may be generated by the method described above based on the distribution of the reception intensity of radio waves acquired from the tag 315t. The generation of the first learning model and the second learning model is performed, for example, by the equipment control unit 26.

[0111] The equipment control unit 26 may switch between the first learning model and the second learning model depending on the number of parts stored in the case 315 attached to the bulk feeder 317 arranged in the placement unit. Note that three or more learned models may be generated depending on the number of parts in the case 315.

[0112] It is preferable that multiple trained models (third trained models) be generated depending on at least one of the number of objects placed in the placement unit (holding area 75a, holding areas 70a and 70b, the area where holding unit 43 is provided, support unit 42, and antenna stand 701 of temporary storage area 700) and the positions at which the objects are attached. Specifically, multiple trained models may be generated depending on at least one of the number of cases 315 placed in holding area 75a and the positions at which the cases 315 are attached. This is because if the proportion of the area occupied by the cases 315 relative to holding area 75a changes or if the positions of the areas occupied by the cases 315 change, the signal strength of the radio waves received by antenna 314 changes. In this case, the equipment control unit 26 may switch between the first trained model and the third trained model depending on at least one of the number and positions of the cases 315 held in the multiple bulk feeders 317 placed in the placement unit. Here, the third trained model is trained using as input information information based on the reception strength (third signal strength) of radio waves obtained when at least one of the number and position of cases 315 held in multiple bulk feeders 317 arranged in the placement section is different from at least one of the number and position when radio waves of the reception strength included in the input information used when training the first trained model are received.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, multiple trained models (fourth trained models) may be generated depending on at least one of the number and positions of feeders (cassette feeders 311 or bulk feeders 317) placed in the placement unit (the holding area 75a or the antenna stand 701 in the temporary storage area 700). Specifically, multiple trained models may be generated depending on at least one of the number and positions of bulk feeders 317 placed in the holding area 75a. This is because the signal strength of the radio waves received by the antenna 314 changes when the ratio of the area occupied by the task unit to the holding area 75a or the position of the area occupied by the feeder changes. In this case, the equipment control unit 26 may switch between the first trained model and the fourth trained model depending on at least one of the number and positions of the task units placed in the placement unit. Here, the fourth trained model is trained using as input information information based on the reception strength (fourth signal strength) of radio waves acquired when at least one of the number and position of task units placed in the placement section is different from at least one of the number and position when radio waves of the reception strength included in the input information used when training the first trained model were received.

[0114] [1-3. Operation of Component Mounting System] Next, the operation of the component mounting system 10 configured as above will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation (mounting support method) of the component mounting system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0115] 11, the RFID reader 24 starts tag detection (S10). Specifically, the RFID reader 24 sequentially transmits radio waves to each antenna 314 and receives radio waves transmitted from the tag 315t in response to the transmitted radio waves.

[0116] Next, the RFID reading unit 24 acquires the reception strength (RSSI) for each antenna 314 from the received radio waves (S20). The RFID reading unit 24 acquires the reception strength for each antenna 314 and each tag 315t. For example, if there are four antennas 314 and 15 tags 315t, 60 reception strengths are acquired. The RFID reading unit 24 outputs the acquired reception strengths to the equipment control unit 26 via the cart control unit 25.

[0117] Next, the equipment control unit 26 determines the tag position using the machine learning model (S30). As described above, the equipment control unit 26 reads out a trained model that has been trained in advance, and determines the output of the trained model obtained by inputting coordinates on the three coordinate axes of the principal component analysis corresponding to the reception strength into the read trained model as the tag position of the tag 315t. The tag position is the position in the X-axis direction (slot position) within the holding area 75a.

[0118] Next, the equipment control unit 26 associates the tag information contained in the radio waves from the tag 315t with the position in the X-axis direction (slot position) within the holding area 75a (S40), thereby identifying the position (slot) of the case 315 in which the tag 315t was attached that transmitted the signal.

[0119] Next, based on the position of the case 315 identified in step S30, the equipment control unit 26 determines whether an appropriate case 315 corresponding to the position is held in the holding area 75a. That is, the equipment control unit 26 performs component matching to determine whether the type of component indicated in the tag information of the tag 315t of the case 315 identified in step S30 matches the type of component that should have been placed at the position (S50). Information indicating the type of component that should have been placed may be obtained, for example, from the floor control device 11 or the higher-level system 12, or may be stored in the component mounting device 20. In addition, the information may be obtained, for example, from a production plan.

[0120] Next, the equipment control unit 26 executes a production determination as to whether or not to start production (S60). That is, production has not been performed until step S50, and production is started based on the determination result of step S60. For example, the equipment control unit 26 determines to start production if the part types match in the part comparison, and determines not to start production if the part types do not match in the part comparison.

[0121] Next, the equipment control unit 26 notifies the host system 12 of the determination result of step S60 (S70). The equipment control unit 26 may also issue a notification in accordance with the determination result of step S60. This allows a worker on the floor or the like to be notified that the component types do not match, enabling a prompt response when the case 315 is attached by mistake.

[0122] Note that the component matching (S50) and production judgment (S60) according to the first embodiment may be performed by the host system 12. In this case, the equipment control unit 26 notifies the host system 12 of the result of step S40. By separating the processing unit that determines the position (S30) and associates the determined position with tag information (S40) from the processing unit that executes the component matching (S50) and production judgment (S60) processes, the load on each processing unit is reduced. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the equipment control unit 26, and as a result, to reduce the cost of the component mounting device 20. Here, separation means that multiple processes are distributed and processed using different information processing devices.

[0123] (Modification of First Embodiment) A component mounting system according to this modification will be described below with reference to Fig. 12. Note that the following description will focus on differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of content that is the same as or similar to the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0124] Fig. 12 is a diagram schematically showing an antenna 316 according to this modification, in which only the upper portion of the carriage 30a is shown.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 12, in the component mounting system according to this modification, the shape of an antenna 316 is different from that of the antenna 314 according to the first embodiment.

[0126] The antenna 316 has a substrate 316a that is elongated in the X-axis direction. A plurality of antenna patterns 316b, which are wiring, are formed on the substrate 316a. In other words, the plurality of antenna patterns 316b are formed on one substrate 316a.

[0127] This allows the cost of the antenna 316 to be reduced compared to when one antenna is formed on one substrate.

[0128] A switch may be provided on the substrate 316a, and the switch may switch the connection between the multiple antenna patterns 316b and the RFID reading unit 24. This allows the amount of wiring connecting the antenna 316 and the RFID reading unit 24 to be reduced.

[0129] The same applies to the antennas 423 and 614 according to embodiment 1. That is, the antennas 423 and 614 may be realized by a single substrate on which a plurality of meandering antenna patterns are formed.

[0130] (Embodiment 2) [2-1. Configuration of Component Mounting Apparatus] The configuration of a component mounting apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13 and 14. The following description will focus on differences from embodiment 1. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a component mounting apparatus 1020 according to this embodiment. The component mounting apparatus 1020 according to this embodiment differs from the component mounting apparatus 20 according to embodiment 1 in that the antenna 314 is arranged above the case 315. The component mounting system 10 according to embodiment 1 may be provided with the component mounting apparatus 1020 instead of the component mounting apparatus 20.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 13, the component mounting device 1020 includes a component mounting device main body 1110 (device main body), a substrate transport unit 1120, a cart 1130, an X-axis movement mechanism 1140, a Y-axis movement mechanism 1150, a head 1160, a protective cover unit 1170, and an antenna 314.

[0132] The board transport unit 1120 is disposed along the X-axis (along the transport direction of the board 1200) near the center of the component mounting device main body 1110. The board transport unit 1120 transports the board 1200 carried in from the upstream side in the direction along the X-axis, and positions and holds the board 1200 on a mounting stage set for performing the component mounting operation.

[0133] The carriage 1130 is a carriage that is connected to the component mounting apparatus main body 1110 of the component mounting apparatus 1020. The carriage 1130 is, for example, detachable from a predetermined position on the component mounting apparatus main body 1110. The carriage 1130 is equipped with a component supply unit 31 having bulk feeders 317 that align and supply bulk components housed in cases 315. The component supply unit 31 arranges multiple bulk feeders 317 in a predetermined direction (X-axis direction). For example, the carriage 1130 can hold multiple bulk feeders 317 all at once. The carriage 1130 is configured to be able to arrange multiple cases 315, which are component containers that house components, in the X-axis direction. It can also be said that the carriage 1130 has an arrangement unit that can arrange multiple cases 315 in the X-axis direction. The carriage 1130 may have a configuration that allows a plurality of cassette feeders 311 and tape cassettes 60 to be arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. Here, "detachable" means that the carriage 1130 can be connected to the component mounting device main body 1110 and the connection between the component mounting device main body 1110 and the carriage 1130 can be released without destroying the component mounting device main body 1110 and the carriage 1130.

[0134] A Y-axis movement mechanism 1150 equipped with a linear drive mechanism is disposed in the Y-axis direction at the end in the positive X-axis direction on the top surface of the component mounting device main body 1110, and two X-axis movement mechanisms 1140, similarly equipped with linear drive mechanisms, are coupled to the Y-axis movement mechanism 1150 so as to be freely movable in the Y-axis direction. A head 1160 is attached to each of the two X-axis movement mechanisms 1140 so as to be freely movable in the X-axis direction.

[0135] The head 1160 mounts (mounts) components supplied from a bulk feeder 317 arranged on the carriage 1130 onto the board 1200 .

[0136] The head 1160 is equipped with component suction nozzles 1160a that can individually move up and down and that pick up and hold components. The head 1160 has a Z-axis lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the component suction nozzles 1160a, and a θ-axis rotation mechanism that rotates the component suction nozzles 1160a around the nozzle axis.

[0137] The protective cover 1170 is a cover provided to ensure the safety of the worker during work by preventing the worker from coming into contact with moving parts such as the head 1160. The protective cover 1170 is provided above the component supply unit 31 so as to separate the movable range of the head 1160 from the component supply unit 31.

[0138] The protective cover part 1170 has a shape that follows the shape of the bulk feeder 317 to which the case 315 is attached. Specifically, the protective cover part 1170 has a first part 1170a that covers the head 1160 side of the bulk feeder 317, and a second part 1170b that covers the bulk feeder 317 and is provided on the positive side of the Z axis from the first part 1170a. The second part 1170b is inclined, for example, along the top surface of the case 315. The second part 1170b is inclined so as to face the top surface of the case 315. The antenna 314 is provided on the second part 1170b.

[0139] Furthermore, one side surface 317a of bulk feeder 317, which is the bonding surface with one side surface 315b of case 315 on which tag 315t is provided, is provided at a position protruding from protective cover portion 1170 in a plan view. For example, in a plan view, the area of ​​the portion of case 315 that does not overlap with second portion 1170b is larger than the area of ​​the portion that overlaps with second portion 1170b. Also, for example, antenna 314 and tag 315t may be positioned so as not to overlap each other in a plan view.

[0140] 14 is a perspective view showing the carriage 1130 and its surroundings according to this embodiment, in which one bulk feeder 317 is attached.

[0141] 14 , protective cover part 1170 has a plate-like portion extending along the X-axis direction, and is provided above case 315. Furthermore, antenna 314 is disposed, for example, on the lower surface (surface on the negative Z-axis side) of protective cover part 1170.

[0142] Referring again to FIG. 13, the case 315 is provided on top of the bulk feeder 317 .

[0143] The antenna 314 is provided above the component supply unit 31. In this embodiment, the antenna 314 is attached to the protective cover 1170. For example, no metal member such as the bulk feeder 317 is disposed between the antenna 314 and the case 315. The antenna 314 is also connected to the RFID reader 24 (see FIG. 8 ).

[0144] The antenna 314 is an antenna for communicating with the tags 315t, etc., in order to read information from the tags 315t, etc. One or more antennas 314 are provided. In the present embodiment, a plurality of antennas 314 are provided. The spacing between adjacent antennas 314 (corresponding to the spacing P2 in the first embodiment) may be the same as the spacing between the tags 315t (corresponding to the spacing P1 in the first embodiment), or the spacing between the antennas 314 may be greater. For example, the number of the one or more antennas 314 may be the same as the number of cases 315 that can be arranged in the component supply unit 31 (i.e., the number of bulk feeders 317), or may be less than the number of cases 315.

[0145] A holding area (for example, holding area 70a shown in FIG. 2) for holding tape cassettes 60 may be provided below the component supply unit 31. One or more antennas 314 may be configured to be able to communicate with a tag 615t of a tape cassette 60 held in the holding area. In other words, the tags 315t and 615t may each be able to communicate with an antenna 314 provided above.

[0146] The antenna 314 may be capable of reading information from a tag provided on the bulk feeder 317 instead of the tag 315t on the case 315 or in addition to the tag 315t.

[0147] The operation (mounting support method) of a component mounting system including the component mounting apparatus 1020 according to the present embodiment may be the same as that of the component mounting apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment. For example, when the number of antennas 314 is the same as the number of cases 315, the positions of the cases 315 may be identified by the method shown in FIG. 11 of the first embodiment. For example, in the component mounting apparatus 1020, one or more antennas 314 are provided above the component supply unit 31, and the mounting support method may acquire the reception strength of radio waves received from the tag 315t by the one or more antennas 314 provided above the component supply unit 31, and identify the position of each object (e.g., the case 315 or the bulk feeder 317) in a predetermined direction based on the acquired reception strength of each object.

[0148] (Modification of Second Embodiment) A component mounting system according to this modification will be described below with reference to Fig. 15. Note that the following description will focus on differences from the second embodiment, and descriptions of content that is the same as or similar to the second embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0149] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows a carriage 1130a according to this modification.

[0150] 15 , the dolly 1130a may include a holder 1180 that holds the antenna 314. The holder 1180 holds the antenna 314 so that it can receive radio waves from the tag 315t from above the case 315. The holder 1180 holds the antenna 314 so that, for example, in a plan view, at least a portion of the antenna 314 overlaps with the case 315.

[0151] In this way, one or more antennas 314 are provided on the carriage 1130a. Also, the carriage 1130a is provided with a holding unit 1180. Although not shown in Fig. 15, the carriage 1130a is provided with a fixing mechanism for fixing the holding unit 1180 to the main body of the carriage 1130a.

[0152] (Other Embodiments) Although the component mounting system etc. according to one or more aspects has been described above based on the embodiments etc., the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments etc. As long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that a person skilled in the art can conceive of to the present embodiment and forms constructed by combining components in different embodiments may also be included in the present disclosure.

[0153] For example, in the above embodiment and the like, an example was described in which the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65 are different in size, but this is not limitative and they may have the same size.

[0154] Furthermore, the antenna 314 according to the second embodiment may be applied to the cart 30 according to the first embodiment. For example, the antenna 314 may receive radio waves from the tag of the bulk feeder 317 or the case 315 and the tag 615t or 626 of the tape cassette 60, respectively, to identify the positions of the bulk feeder 317 or the case 315 and the tape cassette 60 in the X-axis direction.

[0155] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and the like, an example has been described in which the first tape cassette 61 and the second tape cassette 65 are different in size, but this is not limitative and they may have the same size.

[0156] In this specification, placing the case 315 on the carriage 30 or the like via the bulk feeder 317 is also included in placing the object on the placement section.

[0157] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the mounting object is a substrate, but this is not limited to this, and any object on which a component can be mounted may be used, for example, other components on which a component can be mounted.

[0158] In the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0159] The order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and other orders may be used. Some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps, or some of the steps may not be executed.

[0160] The division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or time-shared by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0161] Furthermore, each control device according to the above embodiments may be realized as a single device or may be realized by multiple devices. When each control device is realized by multiple devices, the components of each control device may be distributed in any manner among the multiple devices. When each control device is realized by multiple devices, the communication method between the multiple devices is not particularly limited, and may be wireless communication or wired communication. Furthermore, wireless communication and wired communication may be combined between the devices.

[0162] Furthermore, these general or specific aspects may be realized in a system.

[0163] Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in the mounting support method shown in FIG.

[0164] Furthermore, for example, the program may be a program to be executed by a computer. Another aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. For example, such a program may be recorded on a recording medium and distributed or circulated. For example, the distributed program may be installed in a device having another processor, and the program may be executed by the processor, thereby causing the device to perform each of the above processes.

[0165] The present disclosure is useful for a component mounting apparatus for producing mounted boards by mounting components on a board, or a supply apparatus for supplying objects to a component mounting apparatus.

[0166] 10 Component mounting system (mounting system) 11 Floor control device 12 Upper system 20, 1020, M4, M5 Component mounting device (mounting device) 20a, 1110 Component mounting device main body (device main body) 21, 1160 Head 22, 1120 Board transport section 23 Positioning device 24 RFID reading section (acquisition section) 25 Carriage control section 26 Equipment control section (first processing section, second processing section) 30, 30a, 1130, 1130a Carriage (carriage section) 31 Component supply unit 32 Carriage main body 40 Tape cassette supply device (supply device) 42 Support section 43, 1180 Holding section 50, 314a, 316a, 614a, 1200 Board 60 Tape cassette (component container) 61 First tape cassette 62 Storage section 63 Tape feeding section 65 Second tape cassette 70 First tape cassette support section (arrangement section) 70a, 70b, 75a Holding area 75 Feeder support section 80 Roll body 311 Cassette feeder 314, 316, 614, 702 Antenna 314b, 316b, 614b Antenna pattern (receiving section) 315 Case (component container) 315b, 317a One side surface 315s Spacer 315t, 317t, 615t, 626 Tag 317 Bulk feeder 318 Automation item 421 Second tape cassette support section 422 Placement table 423 Antenna (receiving section) 490 Transport vehicle 611 Top surface 612 Base end surface 621 Frame body 622 Cover body 625 Grasped part 700 Temporary storage area 701 Antenna stand 1140 X-axis movement mechanism 1150 Y-axis movement mechanism 1160a Component suction nozzle 1170 Protective cover part 1170a First part 1170b Second part M1 Board supply device M2 Board transfer device M3 Printing device M6 Reflow device M7 Board recovery device P1, P2 Arrangement interval

Claims

1. A mounting device comprising: a head which mounts components supplied from a component supply unit onto a board; an arrangement unit which arranges a plurality of feeders provided in the component supply unit in a predetermined direction; and one or more receiving units which are configured to be able to communicate with tags of first component containers attached to the feeders, the one or more receiving units being provided above the component supply unit.

2. The mounting device according to claim 1, further comprising a protective cover section disposed above the component supply unit and separating the movable range of the head from the component supply unit, and the one or more receiving sections are attached to the protective cover section.

3. The mounting device according to claim 2, wherein one side of the feeder which is a joining surface with the side of the first component container on which the tag is provided is provided so as to protrude from the protective cover portion in a plan view.

4. The mounting device according to claim 2, wherein the component supply unit holds a plurality of the feeders together and is provided on a carriage that can be attached and detached to a predetermined position on the device body, and the protective cover is provided on the carriage.

5. The mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first component holder is provided above the feeder.

6. The mounting device described in claim 5, wherein a holding area for holding a second component container is provided below the component supply unit, and the one or more receiving units are further configured to be able to communicate with a tag of the second component container held in the holding area.

7. A mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of said one or more receiving units is less than the number of said first component receptacles that can be arranged in said arrangement section.

8. A mounting support method for identifying a position of a component container in the placement section in a mounting device comprising: a head for mounting components supplied from a component supply unit onto a board; a placement section for arranging a plurality of feeders of the component supply unit in a predetermined direction; and one or more receiving sections configured to be able to communicate with tags of component containers attached to the feeders, wherein the one or more receiving sections are provided above the component supply unit; and the mounting support method identifies the position of the component container in the placement section based on the strength of radio waves received by the one or more receiving sections from the tags of the component containers.

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