Bulk feeder and mounting assistance device

Abstract

This bulk feeder is provided with: a plurality of cavities that are capable of accommodating parts; and marks that are imparted to, out of bottom faces of the cavities, designated regions that are to be hidden by the parts accommodated in the cavities.

Description

Bulk feeder and placement assist device

[0001] The present invention relates to a bulk feeder and a mounting assist device.

[0002] The bulk feeder is equipped to a component mounting machine that mounts components on a board and is used to supply bulk components in a supply area (see Patent Document 1). The mounting support device supports the mounting process by the component mounting machine using the bulk feeder. During the mounting process, the component mounting machine performs image processing to recognize the state of component supply by the bulk feeder, and controls the component picking operation using a suction nozzle based on the results of the image processing.

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 095219

[0004] The image processing for recognizing the supply status includes determining whether or not parts are accommodated in the multiple cavities formed in the supply area of ​​the bulk feeder so that they can be picked up. If there is an incorrect determination in this image processing, it can lead to a mistake in the picking operation, and even if the parts are picked up successfully, it can affect the subsequent processing.

[0005] The present specification aims to provide a bulk feeder suitable for image processing to recognize the supply state, and to provide a mounting assistance device that supports the mounting process by improving the accuracy of the image processing.

[0006] This specification discloses a bulk feeder having a plurality of cavities capable of accommodating parts, and a mark attached to a specified area of ​​the bottom surface of the cavity that is hidden by the part accommodated in the cavity.

[0007] This specification discloses an attachment assistance device that is applied to a component attachment machine that picks up components from a component supply device equipped with the above-mentioned bulk feeder and attaches the components to a board, and that is equipped with a state recognition unit that performs image processing on image data obtained by capturing an image of a supply area in which a plurality of cavities are formed, and recognizes the supply state of the components in the supply area.

[0008] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 1" to "the bulk feeder according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 3 as originally filed, the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 1" to "the bulk feeder according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 4 as originally filed, and the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 1" to "the bulk feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 4" in claim 4 as originally filed. This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 6" to "the bulk feeder according to any one of claims 6 to 8" in claim 9 as originally filed, the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 6" to "the bulk feeder according to any one of claims 6 to 9" in claim 10 as originally filed, and the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 6" to "the bulk feeder according to any one of claims 6 to 10" in claim 11 as originally filed. This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 11" in claim 13 as originally filed to "the bulk feeder according to claim 11 or 12," and the technical idea of ​​changing "the bulk feeder according to claim 6" in claim 14 as originally filed to "the bulk feeder according to any one of claims 6 to 13."

[0009] With this configuration, image processing can be performed to recognize the supply status using the mark on the bottom surface of the cavity, thereby improving the accuracy of the image processing. This prevents errors in the picking operation by the component mounting machine, and as a result, maintains high productivity in the component mounting machine.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing a component mounting machine. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing a part of a bulk feeder including a supply area. FIG. 5 is a plan view seen from direction III of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a view showing a first aspect of a cavity with a mark. FIG. 7 is a view showing a second aspect of a cavity with a mark. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a component mounting machine to which a mounting assistance device is applied. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a supply state recognition process. FIG. 10 is a view showing image data of an image of a supply area. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing image data on which a blob generation process has been executed. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a first aspect of a candidate blob extraction process. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing recognized components before and after a blob removal process. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing recognized components and marks based on foreign matter in a cavity. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a second aspect of a candidate blob extraction process. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a cavity validity determination.

[0011] 1. First Embodiment of Placement Assistance Device 1-1. Overview of Bulk Feeder 30 and Placement Assistance Device 50 The bulk feeder 30 is equipped to a component mounting machine 10 that mounts components on a board 91, and is used to supply bulk components in a supply area As (see FIG. 3). The placement assistance device 50 assists the component mounting machine 10 in performing a placement process using the bulk feeder 30. In this embodiment, the placement assistance device 50 is incorporated into the control device 20 of the component mounting machine 10. The placement assistance device 50 improves the accuracy of image processing that recognizes the supply status of components supplied by the bulk feeder 30, thereby reducing the occurrence of errors in the picking operation during the placement process.

[0012] The component mounting machine 10 described above performs a mounting process for mounting components on a board 91 as a predetermined substrate-related operation. The component mounting machine 10 is installed along with other substrate-related operation machines in the transport direction of the board 91 to form a production line. Each of the multiple substrate-related operation machines is communicably connected to a host computer 60 (see FIG. 5 ) that controls the production line as a whole. The production line includes, for example, multiple substrate-related operation machines, such as a printing machine, the component mounting machine 10, a reflow oven, and an inspection machine.

[0013] 1, the component mounting machine 10 includes a board transport device 11. The board transport device 11 sequentially transports the boards 91 in a transport direction and positions the boards 91 at predetermined positions within the machine.

[0014] 1-2-2. Component Supply Device 12 The component mounting machine 10 is equipped with a component supply device 12. The component supply device 12 supplies components to be mounted on the board 91. The component supply device 12 has feeders 122 set in multiple slots 121. For example, a tape feeder that feeds and moves a carrier tape containing a large number of components to supply the components so that they can be picked is used as the feeder 122. Furthermore, a bulk feeder 30 that supplies components stored in a bulk state so that they can be picked is used as the feeder 122. Details of the bulk feeder 30 will be described later.

[0015] 1-2-3. Component Transfer Device 13 The component mounting machine 10 is equipped with a component transfer device 13. The component transfer device 13 transfers components supplied by the component supply device 12 to predetermined mounting positions on the board 91. The component transfer device 13 is equipped with a head drive device 131, a movable table 132, a mounting head 133, and a suction nozzle 134. The head drive device 131 moves the movable table 132 in horizontal directions (X and Y directions) using a linear motion mechanism. The mounting head 133 is detachably fixed to the movable table 132 by a clamp member (not shown) and is provided so as to be movable horizontally within the machine.

[0016] The mounting head 133 supports a plurality of suction nozzles 134 that are rotatable and movable up and down. The suction nozzles 134 are holding members that pick up and hold components supplied by the feeder 122. The suction nozzles 134 use supplied negative pressure air to pick up the components supplied by the feeder 122. A chuck or the like that grips and holds components can be used as the holding member attached to the mounting head 133.

[0017] 1-2-4. Component Camera 14, Board Camera 15 The component mounting machine 10 is equipped with a component camera 14 and a board camera 15. The component camera 14 and the board camera 15 are digital imaging devices having imaging elements such as CMOS. The component camera 14 and the board camera 15 capture images based on control signals and send image data acquired by the images. The component camera 14 is configured to be able to capture images of components held by the suction nozzle 134 from below. The board camera 15 is mounted on a moving stage 132 so as to be movable horizontally integrally with the mounting head 133. The board camera 15 is configured to be able to capture images of the board 91 from above.

[0018] Furthermore, in addition to capturing an image of the surface of the circuit board 91, the board camera 15 can also capture an image of various devices within the movable range of the movable stage 132. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the board camera 15 can capture an image of the supply area As to which the bulk feeder 30 supplies components and the reference mark 49 provided on the upper part of the bulk feeder 30 within the camera's field of view. In this way, the board camera 15 can be used to capture images of different objects in order to obtain image data to be used for various image processing.

[0019] 1-2-5. Control Device 20 As shown in FIG. 1, the component mounting machine 10 includes a control device 20. The control device 20 is primarily composed of a CPU, various memories, and control circuits. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 20 also includes a storage unit 21. The storage unit 21 is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk drive or flash memory. The storage unit 21 of the control device 20 stores various data such as a control program M1 used to control the mounting process, component data M2, and cavity information M3.

[0020] The control program M1 indicates the placement positions, placement angles, and component types of components to be placed on the board 91 in the planned placement order during the placement process. The placement process includes a process of repeating a PP cycle (pick-and-place cycle), which includes a pickup cycle and a placement cycle, multiple times. The "pick-up cycle" refers to a process of repeating a pickup operation, in which components supplied by the component supply device 12 are picked up by the suction nozzle 134, multiple times.

[0021] The above-mentioned "placement cycle" refers to a process of repeating a plurality of times a placement operation in which a picked component is placed at a predetermined placement angle in a predetermined placement position on the board 91. In this way, the control program M1 presets the execution order of a PP cycle, which is made up of a plurality of grouped picking and placement operations, taking into consideration the number of suction nozzles 134 supported by the placement head 133, the movement distance of the placement head 133, etc.

[0022] The part data M2 includes shape data for each type of part. The "shape data" includes at least one of the outer edge shape of the part, the shape of the feature part of the part, and the dimensions of the part. The "outer edge shape" of a part corresponds to the shape of the outer edge when the inside of the part and the background are separated using the outer edge as a boundary.

[0023] The "shape of the characteristic part" of a part corresponds to the boundary shape of the characteristic part on the exterior due to the part's shape, pattern, color, etc. The characteristic part of a part may be a corner, bump, terminal, lead, etc. of the part. In addition to the shape data, the part data M2 may also include, for example, the maximum allowable movement speed (acceleration) for each part, the pick-up position (for example, the position where the part comes into contact with the suction nozzle 134), etc.

[0024] The cavity information M3 is information about the cavities 45 formed in the supply area As of the bulk feeder 30 and which individually accommodate components, associated with the identification information (ID) of the bulk feeder 30. The cavity information M3 may include the shape (including the length of each side and depth), position, orientation, and type of corresponding component of the cavity 45 in the supply area As. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cavity information M3 includes the initial state of the mark Kr affixed to the bottom surface of each of the multiple cavities 45. Details of the process using the cavity information M3 will be described later.

[0025] The control device 20 executes a process for recognizing the holding state of the components held by each of the multiple holding members (suction nozzles 134). Specifically, the control device 20 processes image data acquired by imaging with the component camera 14, and recognizes the position and angle of each component relative to the reference position of the mounting head 133. Note that in addition to the component camera 14, the control device 20 may also process image data acquired by, for example, a head camera unit integrally provided on the mounting head 133 capturing an image of the component from the side, below, or above.

[0026] In the mounting process, the control device 20 controls the mounting operation by the mounting head 133 so that the component is mounted on the board 91 in a predetermined orientation. At this time, the control device 20 controls the mounting operation based on the recognized holding state of the component. In other words, the control device 20 corrects the position of the mounting head 133 and the angle of the suction nozzle 134 about the Q axis so as to correct any positional and angular deviations of the component held by the suction nozzle 134 relative to the Q axis (the axis of rotation of the suction nozzle 134). As a result, the component held by the suction nozzle 134 is mounted at a predetermined mounting position and angle instructed by the control program M1.

[0027] 1-3. Configuration of Bulk Feeder 30 The bulk feeder 30 is set in the component mounting machine 10 and functions as part of the component supply device 12. The bulk feeder 30 supplies components housed in component cases in a bulk state (loose, with each component in an irregular position) that is not packaged like a carrier tape. Therefore, unlike tape feeders, the bulk feeder 30 does not use carrier tape, which has the advantage of eliminating the need to load carrier tape and collect used tape.

[0028] Some bulk feeders 30 supply components in irregular positions to the planar supply area As. However, if the components are so close together in the supply area As that they touch each other, or if they are piled up (overlapping vertically), or if the components are positioned horizontally so that their widths are vertical, the component mounting machine 10 cannot pick these components. Therefore, to increase the percentage of components that can be picked, some bulk feeders 30 supply components in an aligned state in the supply area As. In this embodiment, a bulk feeder 30 that aligns components will be described as an example.

[0029] 1-3-1. Track unit 40 The bulk feeder 30 has a track unit 40 attached to a flat, box-shaped feeder body 31 so that the track unit 40 can be vibrated and detached from the feeder body 31. A connector 311 and two positioning pins 312 are provided at the front (right end in FIG. 2 ) of the feeder body 31. When the feeder body 31 is set in the slot 121 of the component supply device 12, it is supplied with power via the connector 311 and is capable of communicating with the control device 20 of the component mounting machine 10.

[0030] The track unit 40 is vibrated by the vibration device 35. The track unit 40 is formed with a transport path R along which a plurality of parts are transported, and a supply area As that is connected to the transport path R and opens upward so that a plurality of parts can be picked up. The track unit 40 is formed to extend in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in FIG. 3 ) of the feeder body 31. A pair of side walls 46 that protrude upward are formed on both edges of the track unit 40 in the width direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3 ). The pair of side walls 46, together with a tip end 47 of the track unit 40, surround the periphery of the transport path R and are wall members that prevent parts transported on the transport path R from leaking out.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3 , multiple cavities 45 are formed in the supply area As of the track unit 40. Each of the multiple cavities 45 opens upward and accommodates components with their thickness direction aligned vertically. In this embodiment, the multiple cavities 45 are arranged in a staggered pattern. Here, the "supply area As" of the track unit 40 refers to an area where components are supplied in bulk and where components can be picked up by suction nozzles 134 supported by the mounting head 133. The "transport path R" of the track unit 40 refers to a path along which components circulated from the component case to the track unit 40 are transported to the supply area As.

[0032] The vibration device 35 also applies vibration to the track unit 40 so that the multiple parts are transported along the transport path R. When the track unit 40 vibrates, a forward and upward external force or a backward and upward external force is applied to the parts. As a result, the multiple parts are transported to the front or rear of the track unit 40. The bulk feeder 30 controls the operation of the vibration device 35 using the feeder control device 36 to transport the parts and supply them to the supply area As. When the parts are stored in the multiple cavities 45 through the supply operation, the suction nozzle 134 is ready to pick up the parts.

[0033] A shutter 48 capable of closing the opening of the supply area As is provided on the upper part of the track unit 40. When the track unit 40 is attached to the feeder body 31, the shutter 48 is in a state where its opening and closing operation is controlled by a shutter drive device (not shown). By opening and closing the shutter 48, the bulk feeder 30 can prevent parts from flying out and foreign objects from entering the supply area As.

[0034] 1-3-2. Mark Kr on Cavity 45 As described above, the bulk feeder 30 has a plurality of cavities 45 capable of accommodating components. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bulk feeder 30 has a mark Kr affixed to a specified area Rd on the bottom surface of each cavity 45 that is hidden by the components accommodated in the cavity 45, as shown in FIG. 4A. The mark Kr is used in image processing to recognize the supply status of components 92 in the supply area As.

[0035] The "prescribed area Rd" is set based on the area within which the outer edges of components placed in the cavity 45 in the correct orientation can be located. Specifically, as shown by the dashed or dotted lines on the right and bottom sides of FIG. 4A , assuming components 92A-92D placed so that they are tightly fitted to the corners of the cavity 45, the area enclosed by extension lines L1-L4 passing through the outer edges of these components 92A-92D corresponds to the prescribed area Rd. The prescribed area Rd is an area that cannot be seen from above as long as the component 92 is placed in the cavity 45 in the correct orientation (i.e., the thickness direction is vertical) (see the right and bottom sides of FIG. 4A and the right side of FIG. 4B ). Taking into account tolerances, the prescribed area Rd may be set to an area narrower than the area enclosed by the extension lines L1-L4.

[0036] The mark Kr used in image processing may take various forms. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, one mark Kr is placed at the center of the specified region Rd. Alternatively, the mark Kr may be circular. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4B, multiple marks Kr may be placed within the specified region Rd. As shown in FIG. 4B, three marks Kr may be placed in a staggered pattern, or two marks Kr may be placed on diagonal corners of the specified region Rd.

[0037] Furthermore, the mark Kr may be formed in any shape, such as a polygonal or elliptical shape, in addition to a circular shape. The mark Kr is formed, for example, by applying white paint to the bottom surface of the cavity 45. The mark Kr may have various colors or patterns. In this embodiment, the mark Kr is set to a brightness that is higher than the brightness of the body 93 of the component 92 in the image data that has been subjected to image processing. This is to prevent the mark Kr from being converted to black together with the body 93 when black-and-white binarization is performed in the image processing.

[0038] In addition to applying paint to the bottom surface of the cavity 45, various other methods may be used for the mark Kr as long as the mark Kr is visible from above when the component 92 is not housed in the cavity 45. For example, the mark Kr may be provided by forming a recess of a predetermined shape in the bottom surface of the cavity 45 and applying paint to the recess. This configuration prevents contact between the mark Kr and the housed component 92, and prevents peeling of the mark Kr for a long period of time.

[0039] 1-4. Configuration of the Mounting Support Device 50 The configuration of the mounting support device 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 11. The mounting support device 50 supports the component supply status recognition process executed by the control device 20 of the component mounting machine 10 during the mounting process. The supply status recognition process includes image processing, which includes determining whether the components supplied to the supply area As of the bulk feeder 30 are suitable for the component mounting machine 10 to pick up.

[0040] Specifically, the control device 20 processes image data D1 (see FIG. 7) acquired by imaging with a camera (in this embodiment, the board camera 15), recognizes whether there are any components in the supply area As that are suitable for the picking operation, and if there are any components that are suitable for the picking operation, recognizes the position and angle of those components. Then, the control device 20 controls the operation of the mounting head 133 in the picking operation based on the results of the supply status recognition process.

[0041] In the above-mentioned suitability assessment, if there is an erroneous judgment in the image processing, such as misidentifying part of multiple parts as one part or misidentifying a foreign object as part of a part, the position and orientation of the recognized part (hereinafter also referred to as "recognized part") will differ from the actual one, which may cause an error in the picking operation. Furthermore, even if the part is successfully picked, there is a risk that this will affect subsequent processes, such as the part transfer operation and mounting operation.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, the placement assist device 50 incorporated in the control device 20 of the component placement machine 10 employs a configuration that can improve the accuracy of the image processing included in the component supply state recognition process (see FIG. 6 ). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the placement assist device 50 includes a state recognition unit 51. The placement assist device 50 may further include an acquisition unit 52, a determination unit 53, and a notification unit 54.

[0043] 6, in the supply state recognition process, the mounting support device 50 acquires image data D1 captured by the board camera 15 (S11). The state recognition unit 51 executes a recognition process (S20) using the image data D1. The determination unit 53 executes a determination process (S30) as to whether the part is suitable for the collection operation.

[0044] 1-4-1. State Recognition Unit 51 and Acquisition Unit 52 The state recognition unit 51 performs image processing on image data D1 acquired by capturing an image of the supply area As, in which multiple cavities 45 are formed, each accommodating multiple components 92 individually, to acquire information about the recognized components 80. In this embodiment, blob analysis is used as a method for recognizing the components 92 scattered in the supply area As as recognized components 80.

[0045] Specifically, the state recognition unit 51 first executes a generation step (S21) of generating a plurality of blobs 70 from the image data D1. Specifically, the state recognition unit 51 binarizes the image data D1 using a predetermined threshold value, coloring each pixel white if its brightness value is higher than the threshold value and black if its brightness value is equal to or lower than the threshold value. FIG. 8 shows an enlarged portion of the binarized image data D1, with the pre-processing cavity 45 indicated by a dashed line. The blobs 70 correspond to closed white regions in the binarized image data D1.

[0046] Here, the component 92 has a rectangular body 93 as the component main body, and a pair of electrodes 94 provided at both ends of the body 93. The mark Kr is set to a brightness higher than the brightness of the body 93 in the image data D1. In image processing, the state recognition unit 51 performs binarization processing on the image data D1 using a threshold value set higher than the brightness of the body 93 and lower than the brightness of the mark Kr and the electrode parts 94.

[0047] As a result, the generated blob 70 includes a mark blob 76 corresponding to the mark Kr attached to the bottom surface of the cavity 45 that does not contain a component 92. The image processing by the state recognition unit 51 includes a recognition process that recognizes whether or not the mark Kr attached to each of the multiple cavities 45 has been recognized based on the presence or absence of the mark blob 76 (whether or not it has been detected).

[0048] However, the apparent shape of the mark Kr affixed to each cavity 45 may change due to partial peeling or the adhesion of foreign matter as the bulk feeder 30 repeatedly supplies components 92. Changes in the apparent shape of the mark Kr can reduce the accuracy of the recognition process. Therefore, the acquisition unit 52 acquires the initial state of the mark Kr affixed to each of the multiple cavities 45 based on the initial image data Dn acquired by capturing an image of the supply area As after the components 92 have been removed from the supply area As.

[0049] The initial image data Dn is obtained, for example, by capturing an image with the board camera 15 after the bulk feeder 30 is installed in the component supply device 12 and before the supply operation of the first component 92 is performed. Alternatively, the initial image data Dn may be obtained, for example, by capturing an image of the supply area As with a dedicated camera in an off-site setup area where the track unit 40 is set on the bulk feeder 30.

[0050] The acquisition unit 52 acquires the current state of the apparent shape of the mark Kr for each of the multiple cavities 45 as an initial state by performing image processing similar to that performed in the step of generating the blob 70. The acquisition unit 52 records the acquired initial state in the cavity information M3. The state recognition unit 51 then performs recognition processing of the mark Kr based on the initial state in the image processing. That is, the state recognition unit 51 may detect, for example, a mark blob 76 corresponding to the mark Kr in the initial state at the center of the bottom of the cavity 45. This configuration makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the accuracy of the recognition processing in response to changes in the mark Kr over time.

[0051] Note that the blob 70 may represent, for example, a pair of electrode portions 94 formed at both ends of the component 92 in the longitudinal direction, or may represent the entire component 92 including the body 93. These may differ depending on the type of component 92 (including the color and gloss of the body 93 and electrode portions 94) and the threshold used for binarization. In this embodiment, the recognition process (S20) recognizes the component 92 using one or more blobs 70. Note that the mounting assistance device 50 can determine how the blob 70 is formed based on the component data M2.

[0052] However, the blobs 70 in the binarized image data D1 may include, for example, components 92 that are not housed in the cavities 45 or foreign objects 89 (see FIG. 7 ). If these defective blobs 72, 73 are mistakenly recognized as part of the components 92, the accuracy of the recognition process will decrease. Therefore, the state recognition unit 51 extracts candidate blobs 71 that are suitable for the recognition process from among the multiple blobs 70 (S22). In other words, this extraction step is a process of removing blobs 70 (72, 73) that are unsuitable for the recognition process.

[0053] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the state recognition unit 51 extracts candidate blobs 71 included in the appropriate area (S41). The "appropriate area" is an area that can be expected to contain blobs 70 of a component 92 accommodated in a normal orientation, and is set mainly to an area having the same shape as the cavity 45, taking into account a tolerance. The state recognition unit 51 extracts, as candidate blobs 71, blobs 70 included in the appropriate area set based on the cavity information M3. As a result, blobs 70 located outside the cavity 45 are removed, as shown in Fig. 10A.

[0054] During the picking operation by the component mounting machine 10, the suction nozzle 134 is pressed against and contacts the component 92 accommodated in the cavity 45 to pick it up. At this time, the component 92 is pressed against the bottom surface of the cavity 45, and as shown on the left side of Fig. 10B, metal pieces that have fallen off the electrode portions 94 of the component 92 may adhere to the bottom surface of the cavity 45 as foreign matter 89. If the above picking operation is repeated, it is expected that tiny foreign matter 89 will gradually accumulate.

[0055] As a result, in the blob 70 generation step (S21), multiple foreign matter 89 are generated as blobs 70 (failed blobs 73), as shown on the right side of Fig. 10B. In particular, since the foreign matter 89 attached as described above adheres to the area where the electrode portion 94 of the component 92 accommodated in the cavity 45 is located, if the recognition component 80 is configured using the failed blob 73 as the candidate blob 71, there is a risk that the component 80 will be mistakenly recognized as being a recoverable component.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, taking such circumstances into consideration, a configuration is adopted in which extraction processing of candidate blobs 71 using marks Kr is performed to prevent erroneous recognition of the recognized components 80. In detail, the state recognition unit 51 determines whether or not the marks Kr have been recognized in the image processing for each of the multiple cavities 45 (S42). In other words, the state recognition unit 51 determines whether or not a mark blob 76 has been detected in the image data D1 in the region where the cavity 45 indicated by the cavity information M3 is located.

[0057] If the mark Kr is recognized for the predetermined cavity 45 (S42: Yes), the state recognition unit 51 determines that the cavity 45 does not contain a component 92. The state recognition unit 51 determines that all of the blobs 70 located inside the predetermined cavity 45 cannot be candidate blobs 71, and removes the blobs 70 included in the appropriate region together with the mark blob 76 (S43). If the mark Kr is not recognized for the predetermined cavity 45 (S42: No), the state recognition unit 51 extracts the blobs 70 included in the appropriate region as candidate blobs 71 (S44).

[0058] The state recognition unit 51 performs the above determination (S42) and, if necessary, removal processing (S43) for all cavities 45. Note that, in a case where a plurality of marks Kr are affixed to a cavity 45, the state recognition unit 51 may determine that no component 92 is housed in the corresponding cavity 45 when a mark blob 76 corresponding to at least one mark Kr is detected in the image processing.

[0059] By performing the above-described process (S22), for example, it is possible to remove defective blobs 72 corresponding to closed regions of the component 92 that are not housed in the cavity 45 and defective blobs 73 corresponding to foreign matter 89 located inside or outside the cavity 45, and to prevent them from being used in subsequent processes. Note that in the extraction step (S22), depending on the relationship with subsequent processes, the extraction using the blob 70 and the appropriate region (S41) and the extraction using the mark blob 76 (S42-S44) as described above may be omitted, and a mode may be adopted in which candidate blobs 71 corresponding to at least a portion of the closed region of the component 92 are simply extracted from the multiple blobs 70 (allowing that some of them may contain defective blobs), instead.

[0060] Next, the state recognition unit 51 executes a recognition step (S23) of recognizing a rectangular area including one or more candidate blobs 71 as a component 92 in the image data D1. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10A, the state recognition unit 51 recognizes a rectangular area circumscribing one or more candidate blobs 71 as a component 92 in the image data D1. As a result, for example, a recognized component 80 formed by a pair of candidate blobs 71 or a recognized component 80 formed by one candidate blob 71 is acquired.

[0061] The state recognition unit 51 also recognizes information necessary for subsequent processing, such as the reference position, angle (supply angle), shape (including the lengths of the short and long sides), and area (corresponding to the number of pixels contained in the rectangular area) in the supply area As for each of the multiple recognized components 80. Through this processing, the state recognition unit 51 recognizes the supply state of the components 92 in the supply area As and stores the recognition results in the memory unit 21.

[0062] The above-described recognition process (S20) is premised on the assumption that the component mounting machine 10 targets only components 92 that are properly accommodated in the cavities 45. Therefore, if the bulk feeder 30 is a type that does not have a cavity 45 in the supply area As, the state recognition unit 51 may extract candidate blobs 71 from the multiple blobs 70 based on conditions such as having an area within a certain range and a blob shape that is close to a rectangle, and obtain the position and shape of the recognized component 80 in the supply area As.

[0063] The determination unit 53 determines (S30) whether the component 92 (recognized component 80) recognized in the recognition process (S20) is suitable for the picking operation by the component mounting machine 10 based on the supply state of the component 92. Here, even if the recognized component 80 is recognized in the recognition process (S20) using a candidate blob 71 corresponding to at least a portion of the closed region of the component 92, the recognized component 80 may not be suitable for the picking operation.

[0064] One possible cause of this is that two components 92 are housed in the cavity 45 in an abnormal position, with their longitudinal directions aligned vertically. In such a case, it is possible that the electrodes of each component 92 are mistakenly recognized as the electrodes of a single component 92, resulting in the recognition of the recognized component 80. Furthermore, if the process of removing blobs 70 inside and outside the cavity 45 is omitted in the recognition process (S20), it is possible that the defective blob 73 corresponding to the foreign matter 89 is mistakenly recognized as part of the component 92, resulting in the recognition of the recognized component 80.

[0065] The determination unit 53 first determines whether the blob 70 is good or bad (S31). Various methods can be used to determine whether the blob 70 is good or bad. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11 , if the ratio of the area of ​​one or more candidate blobs 71 included in the rectangular region to the area of ​​the recognition component 80 does not exceed a preset threshold (S51: No), the determination unit 53 determines that the candidate blob 71 is a bad blob 73 and that the recognition component 80 is not suitable for the collection operation (S54).

[0066] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned area ratio is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S51: Yes), the determination unit 53 determines (S52) whether or not the mark blob 76 is included in the rectangular region of the recognition component 80. Here, if the process of extracting the candidate blob 71 using the mark Kr and removing the blobs 70 included in the appropriate region together with the mark blob 76 is omitted in the previous candidate blob extraction process (S22), misidentification of the recognition component 80 can be prevented by performing the quality determination (S31) of the blob 70 using the mark Kr.

[0067] Specifically, the determination unit 53 determines whether the mark Kr was recognized in the mark Kr recognition process included in the image processing for each of the multiple cavities 45 (S52). That is, the determination unit 53 determines whether the mark blob 76 was detected in the image data D1 in the area where the cavity 45 indicated by the cavity information M3 is located. If the mark Kr is not recognized for a specific cavity 45 (S52: Yes), the determination unit 53 determines that the mark Kr was hidden by the contained component 92 and the mark blob 76 was not generated, as shown in FIG. 10A. The determination unit 53 determines that the candidate blob 71 used to recognize the recognized component 80 is "good: corresponds to at least a partial closed area of ​​the component 92" (S53).

[0068] On the other hand, if the mark Kr is recognized for a predetermined cavity 45 (S52: No), the determination unit 53 determines that the mark Kr is visible from above, as shown in Fig. 10B, and therefore no component 92 actually exists that corresponds to the recognized component 80. The determination unit 53 determines that the candidate blob 71 used to recognize the recognized component 80 is "bad: contains a bad blob and does not correspond to the closed region of the component 92" (S54). The recognized component 80 determined in this way is excluded from the subsequent determination process.

[0069] Here, if the recognized component 80 is recognized as described above, but the mark Kr is recognized, and it is determined that the component 92 is not actually present, it is assumed that metal pieces peeled off from the electrode portion 94 of the component 92 have accumulated to a certain extent as foreign matter 89 on the bottom surface of the cavity 45. Even in this state, there is no problem in supplying the component 92, but the blob 70 is generated, which may affect the recognition process of the component 92. Therefore, the notification unit 54 may externally notify information including the need for maintenance under predetermined conditions.

[0070] Specifically, when the component 92 and the mark Kr are recognized inside the cavity 45 during the supply state recognition process by the state recognition unit 51 (S52: No), the notification unit 54 determines that the cavity 45 is a target cavity requiring maintenance. Whether or not the cavity is a target cavity is recorded in the cavity information M3. Then, the notification unit 54 issues a notification to the outside when the ratio of the target cavities to the total number of the multiple cavities 45 exceeds a preset threshold (S55).

[0071] With this configuration, when the amount of foreign matter adhering inside the cavity 45 reaches a certain level, the notification unit 54 notifies, for example, the host computer 60 or a terminal carried by the operator, that the time for maintenance of the bulk feeder 30 is approaching. As a result, maintenance of the bulk feeder 30 is promoted at an appropriate time. As described above, if the defective blobs 73 in the cavity 45 are removed using the mark Kr in the process of extracting the candidate blobs 71 (S22), the determination (S52) using the mark Kr in the pass / fail determination (S31) of the blobs 70 and the notification process (S55) may be omitted.

[0072] Next, the determination unit 53 determines whether the recognition component 80 is a component 92 that has been supplied in a pickable state in the supply area As (S32). Specifically, the determination unit 53 determines whether the recognition component 80 is suitable for the picking operation based on whether at least one of the position, angle, shape, and area of ​​the recognition component 80 is within a range that can be assumed if the recognition component 80 is accommodated in a normal orientation.

[0073] The judgment process (S30), which includes the pass / fail judgment of the blob (S31) and the pass / fail judgment of the recognized component 80 (S32), is sequentially performed for all recognized components 80 recognized by the state recognition unit 51. As a result, the mounting assistance device 50 obtains a judgment result as to whether each of the multiple recognized components 80 is suitable for the picking operation. This judgment result is stored as information indicating whether each of the multiple cavities 45 contains a pickable component 92. In addition, the pickable component 92 is associated with information such as its reference position (center position) and supply angle.

[0074] 1-5. Mounting Process by Component Mounting Machine 10 The mounting process by the component mounting machine 10 will now be described. Here, it is assumed that the component supply device 12 is equipped with a bulk feeder 30. After the bulk feeder 30 is set in the slot 121, the control device 20 executes a calibration process to recognize the positions of the multiple cavities 45 within the machine. In the calibration process, the control device 20 first moves the board camera 15 to above the reference mark 49 of the bulk feeder 30 and acquires image data by capturing an image with the board camera 15.

[0075] The control device 20 then recognizes the position of the bulk feeder 30 within the machine based on the positions of the pair of reference marks 49 included in the image data through image processing and the position of the board camera 15 at the time of image capture. The control device 20 can acquire coordinate values ​​of each cavity 45 based on the results of the calibration process and cavity information M3 indicating the arrangement of the cavities 45. Note that the acquisition unit 52 of the mounting assistance device 50 may acquire the initial state of the mark Kr affixed to each of the multiple cavities 45 using the image data used in the calibration process.

[0076] In the mounting process, first, the board transport device 11 of the component mounting machine 10 executes a loading process for the board 91. As a result, the board 91 is loaded into the machine and positioned at a predetermined position within the machine. After or in parallel with the loading process for the board 91, the control device 20 causes the bulk feeder 30 to execute a supply operation. As a result of the execution of the supply operation, a state is created in which a plurality of components 92 are accommodated in at least some of the plurality of cavities 45 of the bulk feeder 30. After the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 is completed, the mounting assistance device 50 executes a process to recognize the supply status of the components 92.

[0077] This acquires specific information (such as the address of the cavity 45) about the cavity 45 that currently contains the pickable component 92 in a pickable state, as well as the reference position and supply angle of the pickable component 92 (the component 92 suitable for the picking operation). Next, the control device 20 executes a PP cycle. In the PP cycle, the control device 20 executes a picking cycle in which the control device 20 repeatedly picks up components 92 using multiple suction nozzles 134. At this time, the control device 20 controls the operation of the mounting head 133 in the picking operation so that the mounting head 133 is sequentially positioned according to the reference positions of the pickable components 92. At this time, the control device 20 determines the angle of the suction nozzle 134 according to the supply angle of the pickable component 92.

[0078] Next, the control device 20 executes a process for recognizing the holding state of the components 92 held by each of the plurality of suction nozzles 134. Specifically, the control device 20 moves the mounting head 133 above the component camera 14 and sends an image capture command to the component camera 14. The control device 20 processes the image data acquired by the component camera 14, and recognizes the orientation (position and angle) of the components 92 held by each of the plurality of suction nozzles 134. The result of the holding state recognition process is recorded in the memory unit 21 as an operation result indicating whether or not a picking error occurred in the picking operation.

[0079] Thereafter, the control device 20 executes a mounting cycle in which the mounting operation of mounting components using the multiple suction nozzles 134 is repeated. In the mounting operation of this mounting cycle, the control device 20 controls the operation of the mounting head 133 so that the components 92 are mounted at the mounting positions specified by the control program M1. Furthermore, the control device 20 controls the operation of the mounting head 133 so that the suction nozzles 134 are positioned and angled relative to the mounting positions based on the results of the recognition process.

[0080] The control device 20 also executes a supply management process for the components 92 in parallel with the above-described PP cycle. The supply management process includes setting the execution timing of the supply operation of the components 92 by the bulk feeder 30, issuing a command for the supply operation, and recognizing the supply status. For example, when a supply operation of the components 92 is executed, the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 is executed during the period from the end of the collection cycle of the current PP cycle to the start of the collection cycle of the next PP cycle. When the supply operation by the bulk feeder 30 is executed, the mounting assistance device 50 executes the above-described supply status recognition process again.

[0081] When all PP cycles based on the control program M1 have been completed, the control device 20 executes the unloading process of the board 91. In the unloading process of the board 91, the board transport device 11 unclamps the positioned board 91 and unloads the board 91 from the component mounting machine 10.

[0082] 1-6. Effects of the Configuration of the Embodiment The configuration of the bulk feeder 30 and the mounting support device 50 as described above allows image processing to be performed to recognize the supply status using the mark Kr affixed to the bottom surface of the cavity 45. This improves the accuracy of the image processing. This prevents errors from occurring during the picking operation by the component mounting machine 10, and as a result, the component mounting machine 10 can maintain high productivity.

[0083] 2. Second Embodiment of Placement Assist Device In the first embodiment, the placement assist device 50 assists the bulk feeder 30 in recognizing the supply status of components 92 during placement by the component placement machine 10. However, instead of or in addition to assisting in the supply status recognition process, the placement assist device may assist the placement process by determining the validity of multiple cavities 45 and by performing a process to prompt maintenance as needed.

[0084] In the second embodiment, the determination unit 53 determines the validity of the picking operation for each of the cavities 45 based on the picking error detected in the picking operation of the component 92 from the supply area As by the component mounting machine 10 and the result of the recognition process of the mark Kr in the image data D1. The above-mentioned "pickup error" includes a state in which the suction nozzle 134 attempting the picking operation does not properly hold the component 92, and is detected, for example, in the recognition process of the holding state.

[0085] Furthermore, the "effectiveness" of the cavity 45 for the picking operation is an index showing whether the cavity 45 has sufficient functionality to properly supply components 92 so that the picking operation of the component mounting machine 10 can be performed normally. For example, depending on the shape and size of the components 92, the cavity 45 may be clogged with multiple components 92. In such a case, the cavity 45 temporarily loses its ability to accommodate components 92 in the correct orientation, and is therefore deemed ineffective for the mounting operation.

[0086] The validity of each of the multiple cavities 45 is recorded as additional information in the cavity information M3, for example. When the component mounting machine 10 executes the supply state recognition process, it treats the cavity 45 that is determined to be invalid as not existing, and can skip the processes related to the blobs 70 located inside that cavity 45 (such as the process of extracting candidate blobs 71 and the process of recognizing the component).

[0087] When a picking error is detected during the placement process, the placement support device 50 executes a process for determining the validity of the cavity 45 as shown in Fig. 12. Note that in the second embodiment, the various processes using the mark Kr in the recognition process for the supply state of the component 92 exemplified in the first embodiment are omitted. The placement support device 50 first acquires image data D1 when the recognition component 80 that was intended to be picked during the picking operation in which the picking error was detected was generated (S61).

[0088] Next, the determination unit 53 identifies the cavity 45 for which a sampling operation was attempted and for which a sampling error was detected in the acquired image data D1, and executes a recognition process for the mark Kr (S62). This recognition process for the mark Kr is substantially the same as that included in the image processing exemplified in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Through the recognition process for the mark Kr, the determination unit 53 obtains a processing result indicating whether the mark Kr affixed to the cavity 45 is hidden by the component 92 and cannot be recognized, or whether the component 92 is not present and the mark Kr can be recognized.

[0089] Next, if the mark Kr is not recognized in the mark Kr recognition process (S63: No), the determination unit 53 determines that the cavity 45 is ineffective for the collection operation (S64). In other words, since the mark Kr was not recognized, it is assumed that one or more components 92 exist in the cavity 45 so as to obscure the mark Kr, but because they are not accommodated in the correct orientation, they are not picked up, resulting in a collection error. Therefore, the determination unit 53 determines that the cavity 45 is ineffective (does not have the intended accommodation function) and sets it as an ineffective cavity. This updates the cavity information M3. Furthermore, if the mark 63 is recognized (S63: Yes), the process of setting the ineffective cavity (S64) by the determination unit 53 is omitted.

[0090] The determination unit 53 may set the cavity 45 as an invalid cavity if, in addition to the mark Kr not being recognized, a predetermined condition is satisfied in the invalid cavity setting process (S64). The setting condition may be, for example, a predetermined number of consecutive sampling errors detected in sampling operations from a predetermined cavity 45. In other words, if a sampling error occurs in the same cavity 45 and the mark Kr is not recognized in any of the recognition processes, the determination unit 53 sets the cavity 45 as an invalid cavity.

[0091] This is because even if a collection error occurs and the mark Kr is not recognized, possibly causing a clog, the clog may be cleared by vibrating the track unit 40 during the subsequent supply operation of components 92 in the bulk feeder 30. In addition to the supply operation of components 92, the bulk feeder 30 may be capable of performing a maintenance operation in which a stronger vibration is applied to the track unit 40 than during the supply operation in order to clear the clog in the cavity 45. If this is expected to clear the clog, the effectiveness of the cavity 45 may be appropriately set by adding the above-mentioned predetermined condition.

[0092] Here, if the number of ineffective cavities 45 increases, the maximum number of parts that can be supplied in one supply operation will decrease, which may lead to a decrease in productivity. Therefore, the notification unit 54 may externally notify information including whether maintenance of the bulk feeder 30 is required, as necessary.

[0093] Specifically, the cavity 45 set as an ineffective cavity as described above is determined to be a target cavity requiring maintenance, and this is recorded in the cavity information M3. Then, if the ratio of the target cavities to the total number of the multiple cavities 45 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold (S65: Yes), the notification unit 54 issues a notification to the outside (S66). On the other hand, if the ratio is less than the threshold (S65: No), the notification process to the outside (S66) is omitted.

[0094] With this configuration, when a cavities 45 becomes clogged or the like and the proportion of ineffective cavities exceeds a certain level, the notification unit 54 notifies, for example, the host computer 60 or a terminal carried by an operator, that the time for maintenance to clear the clog is approaching. This encourages the operator to perform maintenance such as clearing the clogged cavities 45, and prevents a decline in productivity.

[0095] 3. Modifications of the Embodiments In the first and second embodiments, the placement assist device 50 is configured to be incorporated into the control device 20 of the component placement machine 10. However, part or all of the placement assist device 50 may be incorporated into the host computer 60 or other external device. For example, the placement assist device 50 may be incorporated into the host computer 60 or may be a dedicated device installed on the production line.

[0096] 10: Component mounting machine, 12: Component supply device, 13: Component transfer device, 131: Head drive device, 132: Moving table, 133: Mounting head, 134: Suction nozzle, 14: Component camera, 15: Board camera, 20: Control device, 21: Memory unit, 30: Bulk feeder, 31: Feeder body, 40: Track unit, 45: Cavity, 48: Shutter, 50: Mounting support device, 51: Status recognition unit, 52: Acquisition unit, 53: Determination unit, 54: Notification unit, 60: Host computer, 70: Blob, 71: Candidate blob, 72, 73: Defective blob, 76: Mark blob, 80: Recognized component, 89: Foreign object, 91: Board, 92: Component, As: Supply area, R: Conveyance path, M1: control program, M2: component data, M3: cavity information, D1: image data, Dn: initial image data, Rd: specified area, Kr: mark

Claims

1. A bulk feeder comprising: a plurality of cavities capable of accommodating parts; and a mark provided in a specified area of ​​the bottom surface of each of the cavities that is hidden by the parts accommodated in the cavity.

2. The bulk feeder according to claim 1, wherein the specified area is set based on an area in which an outer edge of the part may be located when received in the cavity in a normal orientation.

3. The bulk feeder according to claim 1, wherein the mark is located at the center of the specified area.

4. The bulk feeder according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said marks are arranged within said specified area.

5. The bulk feeder of claim 1, wherein said mark is circular.

6. A mounting assistance device applied to a component mounting machine which picks up components from a component supply device equipped with a bulk feeder as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and mounts the components on a board, comprising a state recognition unit which performs image processing on image data acquired by imaging a supply area in which a plurality of cavities are formed, and recognizes the supply state of the components in the supply area.

7. The mounting assistance device according to claim 6, wherein the state recognition unit determines that the component is not housed in the cavity in which the mark has been recognized in the image processing.

8. The mounting assistance device as described in claim 6, wherein the marks are arranged in a plurality of positions within the specified area, and the state recognition unit determines that the component is not contained in the cavity in which at least one of the marks is recognized in the image processing.

9. The mounting assistance device described in claim 6, wherein the component has a rectangular component body and a pair of electrode portions provided at both ends of the component body, the mark is set to a brightness higher than the brightness of the component body in the image data, and the state recognition unit generates a plurality of blobs by binarizing the image data using a threshold value set to be higher than the brightness of the component body and lower than the brightness of the mark and the electrode portions in the image processing, and recognizes the component in the supply area based on the plurality of blobs.

10. The mounting assistance device described in claim 6, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires an initial state of the marks affixed to each of the multiple cavities based on initial image data acquired by imaging the supply area with the component removed from the supply area, and the state recognition unit performs recognition processing of the marks based on the initial state in the image processing.

11. The mounting assistance device described in claim 6, further comprising a judgment unit that judges whether or not the picking operation is valid for each of the multiple cavities based on a picking error detected in the component picking operation of the component from the supply area by the component mounting machine and the result of the recognition process of the mark in the image data.

12. The mounting assistance device of claim 11, wherein the determination unit determines that the cavity is not valid for the collection operation when the mark of the cavity for which the collection operation in which the collection error was detected was attempted is not recognized in the mark recognition process.

13. The mounting assistance device of claim 11, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the collection operation from a specified cavity is valid when a collection error is detected consecutively a specified number of times in the collection operation from a specified cavity.

14. The mounting assistance device of claim 6, further comprising an alarm unit which, when the component and the mark are recognized inside the cavity during the supply status recognition process by the status recognition unit, determines that the cavity is a target cavity requiring maintenance, and issues an alarm to the outside when the ratio of the target cavities to the total number of the plurality of cavities exceeds a preset threshold value.

Images