Component suction determination device and component suction determination method

Abstract

Provided is a component suction determination device for determining whether a component is held by suction on a suction nozzle for mounting a component on a substrate, the component suction determination device comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring a first height of the suction nozzle before a component suctioning operation and a second height of the suction nozzle after the component suctioning operation; a determination unit for determining a threshold by adding a predetermined value to the first height; and a judgement unit for determining whether a component is held by suction on the suction nozzle on the basis of the second height and the threshold, and outputting a determination result.

Description

Component adsorption determination device and component adsorption determination method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a component adsorption determination device and a component adsorption determination method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a component mounting device that determines the suction state of an electronic component that has been supplied to a component supply position and picked up by the tip of a suction nozzle. The component mounting device detects changes in blocking of a passing area through which the suction nozzle passes as it moves up and down, where the blocking or unblocking of the passing area occurs as the suction nozzle moves up and down, calculates the suction state of the electronic component relative to the suction nozzle based on the change in blocking of the passing area, and determines that the suction state of the electronic component is an error if the suction state of the electronic component does not correspond to a normal suction state.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-319854

[0004] The present disclosure has been devised in consideration of the above-described conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a component suction determination device and a component suction determination method that can determine with higher accuracy whether a component is being picked up by a suction nozzle.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a component suction determination device that determines whether a component is being picked up by a suction nozzle that places a component on a board, the component suction determination device including: an acquisition unit that acquires a first height of the suction nozzle before the component is picked up and a second height of the suction nozzle after the component is picked up; a determination unit that determines a threshold value by adding a predetermined value to the first height; and a determination unit that determines whether the component is being picked up by the suction nozzle based on the second height and the threshold value, and outputs the result of the determination.

[0006] The present disclosure also provides a component suction determination method performed by a computer to determine whether a component has been picked up by a suction nozzle that places a component on a board, the component suction determination method acquiring a first height of the suction nozzle before the component is picked up and a second height of the suction nozzle after the component is picked up, adding a predetermined value to the first height to determine a threshold value, determining whether a component has been picked up by the suction nozzle based on the second height and the threshold value, and outputting the result of the determination.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to determine with higher accuracy whether a component is being picked up by a suction nozzle.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a mounting machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a partial configuration of a mounting machine according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of a mounting machine; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of measurement of a suction nozzle by a measurement system; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a comparison of the amount of received light when a component is being picked up and when a component is not being picked up; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example of measurement when a component is being picked up; FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a timing table showing the order of measurement of reference values ​​for a suction nozzle and the order of component pick-up determination; FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an example of component pick-up determination processing for a suction nozzle; FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of another example 1 of the measurement system; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of another example 2 of the measurement system;

[0009] (Background to the present disclosure) Conventionally, there are component mounting devices (hereinafter referred to as "mounters") that use a transmission optical sensor to detect an electronic component (hereinafter referred to as a "component") picked up at the tip of a suction nozzle and determine whether the component is properly picked up. The mounter disclosed in Patent Document 1 calculates the inclination of the component with respect to the suction nozzle based on the amount of change in the optical output of the transmission optical sensor when the suction nozzle is raised and lowered after picking up the component, and determines whether the component is properly picked up based on the calculated inclination of the component.

[0010] However, in the production of mounting boards with components mounted thereon, even if there is a deviation in the component pickup position or pickup posture relative to the suction nozzle, resulting in an error in the component placement position relative to the board, the component may be reflowed in the correct position during reflow. Therefore, there has been a demand for technology that can more accurately determine whether a component is being picked up by the suction nozzle, even if there is a deviation in the component pickup position or pickup posture relative to the suction nozzle during the component placement process on the board.

[0011] Furthermore, in recent years, components have become increasingly smaller. Mounting machines determine whether a component is being picked up by a suction nozzle based on the component height, including tolerances, that are pre-registered in the component mounting device. However, the smaller the component, the more susceptible the component pickup determination results using the pre-recorded component height are to being affected by individual differences in the suction nozzle, changes in the height of the suction nozzle due to aging, and other factors, which can reduce the accuracy of the component pickup determination.

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, detailed descriptions will be given of embodiments that specifically disclose the configuration and operation of a component adsorption determination device and a component adsorption determination method according to the present disclosure. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is done to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0013] In the following drawings, the X and Y directions are directions that are perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a height direction (up and down direction) that is perpendicular to the X and Y directions.

[0014] First Embodiment First, the internal configuration of a mounting machine 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the mounting machine 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a partial configuration of the mounting machine 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of the mounting machine 100. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of measurement of a suction nozzle 15 by a measurement system 14.

[0015] 1, one mounting machine is connected to the management computer 31, but multiple machines may be connected at the same time. Also, in FIG. 1, the X-axis rail 10A, the Y-axis rail 10B, the component supply unit 12, and the board rail 16 are not shown.

[0016] The mounting machine 100 according to the first embodiment drives each of a pair of board rails 16 to load a board 13. The mounting machine 100 drives a head 11 equipped with one or more suction nozzles 15, and uses each of the suction nozzles 15 to pick up components P supplied by a component supply unit 12. After the mounting machine 100 picks up the components P with the suction nozzles 15, it moves the head 11 above the board 13, transports the components P onto the board 13, and then mounts the components P at each component mounting position on the board 13. The mounting machine 100 mounts all of the components P to be mounted on the board 13 to produce a mounted board, and then drives each of the pair of board rails 16 to transport the produced mounted board out.

[0017] The mounting machine 100 is configured to include a head 11, a component supply unit 12, a measurement system 14, one or more suction nozzles 15, a pair of board rails 16, a processor 17, a mounting operation control unit 18, a memory 19, and an output unit 20. Note that the communication unit 21 is not a required component and may be omitted. Furthermore, when the mounting machine 100 is configured to include the communication unit 21, it may be communicably connected to a management computer 31 (i.e., an external device) and be able to send and receive data.

[0018] Each of the pair of X-axis rails 10A is coupled to a Y-axis rail 10B and supports the Y-axis rail 10B so that it can move freely in the X and -X directions. The Y-axis rail 10B is coupled to the head 11 and supports the head 11 so that it can move freely in the Y and -Y directions. Each of the pair of X-axis rails 10A and the Y-axis rail 10B constitute a movement mechanism that moves the head 11.

[0019] The head 11 is controlled by a movement mechanism to be driven (moved) in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. The head 11 is coupled to a Y-axis rail 10B and transports components P between the component supply unit 12 and a predetermined component mounting position on the board 13.

[0020] The head 11 is equipped with one or more suction nozzles 15. The suction nozzles 15 are raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction (lifting direction) between the height at which the component P is transported and the height at which the component P is mounted on the board 13 by the processor 17. The head 11 causes each of the suction nozzles 15 to pick up and release the component P by the processor 17. The head 11 picks up the component P supplied by the component supply unit 12 with the tip of the suction nozzle 15, transports the component P to a predetermined component mounting position on the board 13, and then releases the suction state of the component P to mount the component P on the board 13.

[0021] Here, after suctioning a component P, the head 11 moves so that the component P sucked onto the tip of the suction nozzle 15 is positioned between the component supply unit 12 and the board 13 and passes through the light beam 14B emitted from the light source 14A. Based on the amount of light blocked by the light beam 14B (i.e., the amount of variation in the amount of light received), the mounting machine 100 measures the tip height of each suction nozzle 15 or the height of the component P sucked onto each suction nozzle 15, and determines the suction state of the component P. That is, the light beam 14B is irradiated onto the position where the suction nozzle 15 passes. At least a portion of the light beam 14B is blocked by the passage of the suction nozzle 15.

[0022] The component supply unit 12 is controlled by the processor 17 to supply the components P to be mounted on the board 13. The component supply unit 12 may be capable of simultaneously supplying a plurality of different types of components P. The arrangement of the component supply unit 12 shown in FIG. 2 is an example and is not limited to this.

[0023] The measurement system 14 includes a light source 14A, a slit 14C, a photoelectric conversion element 14D, and a current-voltage conversion unit 14E. The slit 14C has a slit hole 141C and is disposed on the surface facing the light source 14A. The positions of the measurement system 14 shown in each of FIGS. 1 to 4 are merely examples and are not limiting, as long as the measurement system 14 is disposed so as to be able to measure the shape of the tip portion of each suction nozzle 15 provided on the head 11 one by one. For example, the measurement system 14 may be disposed as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, or as shown in FIG. 10.

[0024] The photoelectric conversion element 14D, which is an example of a light receiving element, converts light (light beam 14B) irradiated from a light source 14A, such as a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as "LED") or a laser diode (hereinafter referred to as "LD"), that passes through a slit hole 141C of the slit 14C into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal to the current-voltage converter 14E. The current-voltage converter 14E converts the electrical signal (current) output from the photoelectric conversion element 14D into a voltage and outputs the converted value (hereinafter referred to as an "IV conversion value") to a determination unit 17A (an example of an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a determination unit) in the processor 17. The current-voltage converter 14E outputs the IV conversion value to the determination unit 17A at a predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle on the order of kHz).

[0025] The slit 14C is positioned so that the slit hole 141C, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, is located at a position (height) where the shape of the tip of the suction nozzle 15 can be measured. Specifically, the placement height of the slit hole 141C of the slit 14C relative to the suction nozzle 15 is determined based on the thickness of the component P in the Z direction and the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 attached to the head 11. Note that the shape of the slit hole 141C is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape. For example, the shape of the slit hole 141C may be elliptical.

[0026] In this disclosure, the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 and the suction height of the component P are the minimum heights of the suction nozzle 15 in the height direction in which the head 11 moves up and down.

[0027] The processor 17 is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as "CPU"), a digital signal processor (hereinafter referred to as "DSP"), or a field programmable gate array (hereinafter referred to as "FPGA"), and controls the operation of each unit of the processor 17. The processor 17 cooperates with the memory 19 to comprehensively perform various processes and controls. Specifically, the processor 17 references programs and data stored in the memory 19 and executes the programs to realize the functions of each unit. Note that each unit referred to here is a determination unit 17A.

[0028] The determination unit 17A calculates the position information of each suction nozzle 15 provided to the head 11 based on the speed information and position information of the head 11 output from the mounting operation control unit 18, and identifies the suction nozzle 15 corresponding to the IV conversion value output from the current-voltage conversion unit 14E and acquires the IV conversion value corresponding to the identified suction nozzle 15. The determination unit 17A performs suction determination as to whether or not a component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15 based on the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 when no component is being picked up, and the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 when a component is being picked up or the suction height of the component P. The determination unit 17A outputs the suction determination result to the mounting operation control unit 18 and the output unit 20.

[0029] Furthermore, the determination unit 17A may determine whether or not a component P has been taken back to the component supply unit 12 without being placed on the board 13, by comparing the height of the tip of the suction nozzle 15 when the component is not yet being picked up as it moves from the board 13 (mounting area) toward the component supply unit 12 (suction area). When the determination unit 17A executes a component P take-back determination, it outputs the result of the component P take-back determination to the mounting operation control unit 18 and the output unit 20.

[0030] The mounting operation control unit 18 controls the mounting operation of the component P executed by the head 11. Specifically, the mounting operation control unit 18 moves the head 11 between the component supply unit 12 and a predetermined component mounting position on the board 13, and controls the suction of the suction nozzles 15 to perform the suction operation of the component P at the component supply unit 12 and the mounting operation (suction release operation) of the component P at the predetermined component mounting position on the board 13. The mounting operation control unit 18 outputs speed information and position information of the head 11 to the processor 17. Note that the mounting operation control unit 18 may also output position information of each suction nozzle 15 to the processor 17.

[0031] The memory 19 includes, for example, a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as "RAM") serving as a work memory used when executing each process of the processor 17, and a read only memory (hereinafter referred to as "ROM") for storing programs and data that define the operation of the processor 17. The RAM temporarily stores data or information generated or acquired by the processor 17. The ROM stores programs that define the operation of the processor 17. The memory 19 stores a reference value 19A and a threshold value 19B used for various determinations performed by the determination unit 17A (i.e., component pickup determination or component P return determination). The memory 19 also stores production data for producing the mounting board to be produced, as well as the number and arrangement information of the pickup nozzles 15 provided on the head 11.

[0032] The production data here refers to information used to produce mounting boards by the mounting machine 100. The production data includes, for example, the size of the board 13, the size (thickness) of the component P, the shape of the component P, information about each suction nozzle 15, the number of boards 13 produced, etc. Note that the production data does not need to be limited to the data for the items described above.

[0033] The reference value 19A is the minimum height of the tip of the suction nozzle 15 when no component is being picked up, and is recorded for each suction nozzle 15. The determination unit 17A measures the minimum value of the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 when no component P is being picked up and the suction nozzle 15 moves from the origin position of the board 13 or head 11 towards the component supply unit 12, based on the IV conversion value output from the measurement system 14. The determination unit 17A acquires the measured minimum value of the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 as the reference value 19A of this suction nozzle 15 and records it in memory 19.

[0034] The threshold value 19B is set based on the latest reference value 19A for each suction nozzle 15 and a predetermined value α corresponding to the size or thickness of the component P, and the threshold value for determining whether the component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15 is recorded for each suction nozzle 15. Specifically, the threshold value 19B is calculated by adding the predetermined value α to the height (reference value 19A) of the suction nozzle 15. The predetermined value α is a value that reduces the IV conversion value corresponding to the height of the suction nozzle 15, and is set to a value that is smaller than the size (thickness) of the component P in the height direction and larger than the magnitude of vibration in the height direction when the head 11 is driven. The predetermined value α may be set to a different value for each component P picked up by the suction nozzle 15.

[0035] The output unit 20 is configured using a display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, etc. The output unit 20 outputs a screen (not shown) or a sound indicating the result of the pickup determination for the component P or the result of the take-home determination for the component P output from the determination unit 17A.

[0036] The communication unit 21 is connected to the management computer 31 wirelessly or via a wired connection to transmit and receive data. The communication unit 21 transmits the result of the component P pickup determination or the result of the component P take-home determination output from the determination unit 17A to the management computer 31. The communication unit 21 also acquires production data for the board 13 or production data for each component P transmitted from the management computer 31 and outputs the data to the processor 17. Note that the wireless communication referred to here refers to communication via a wireless local area network (LAN) such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0037] The component P pickup determination process or the component P take-home determination process may be executed by the management computer 31. In such a case, the mounting machine 100 associates the IV conversion value used in the component P pickup determination process or the component P take-home determination process with the speed information and position information of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15, and transmits them to the management computer 31. The management computer 31 determines the reference value 19A and the threshold value 19B based on the IV conversion value and the speed information and position information of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15 transmitted from the mounting machine 100, executes the component P pickup determination process or the component P take-home determination process, and transmits the results of the component P pickup determination process or the component P take-home determination process to the mounting machine 100. The mounting machine 100 controls the mounting operation control unit 18 based on the results of the component pickup determination process or the component P take-home determination process, and outputs the results of the component P pickup determination process or the component P take-home determination process to the output unit 20.

[0038] The control computer 31 is, for example, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"), a notebook PC, or a tablet terminal, and is operated by an operator. The control computer 31 is communicably connected to one or more mounting machines, and generates production information related to the production process of the mounting board that has been input or set in advance by the operator, as well as execution commands for executing the production process, and transmits these to each mounting machine.

[0039] The management computer 31 may include a processor (not shown) and a memory (not shown), and may execute a component suction determination for the suction nozzle 15 or a component P take-home determination based on various information or data transmitted from the mounting machine 100. In such a case, the processor (not shown) of the management computer 31 realizes the function of the processor 17 of the mounting machine 100, and the memory (not shown) of the management computer 31 realizes the function of the memory 19 of the mounting machine 100, and the management computer 31 transmits the result of the component suction determination or the component P take-home determination to the mounting machine 100.

[0040] Next, the IV (current-voltage) conversion process executed by the current-voltage converter 14E will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a comparison of the amount of light received by the light beam 14B when a component is being picked up and when a component is not being picked up. Note that in Fig. 5, the head 11 is not shown for ease of understanding.

[0041] The slit 141C is positioned at a height that allows the light beam 14B to be blocked by the tip of the suction nozzle 15 and the component P sucked onto the tip of the suction nozzle 15. The photoelectric conversion element 14D outputs a current corresponding to the amount of light (light intensity) of the light beam 14B that has passed through the slit 141C to the current-voltage conversion unit 14E. The current-voltage conversion unit 14E converts the current output from the photoelectric conversion element 14D into a voltage value corresponding to the amount of light (light intensity) of the light beam 14B, and outputs the voltage value to the determination unit 17A.

[0042] The vertical axis of each of the IV conversion graphs Op1 and Op2 represents the IV conversion value output from the current-voltage converter 14E. The horizontal axis of each of the IV conversion graphs Op1 and Op2 represents time. The IV conversion values ​​of each of the IV conversion graphs Op1 and Op2 decrease in proportion to the amount of light ray 14B blocked.

[0043] The IV conversion graph Op01 shows the time series change in the IV conversion value (output) when the suction nozzle 15 passes between the light source 14A and the slit 141C when not picking up a component. The minimum value Op01A is the minimum value of the IV conversion value of the IV conversion graph Op01, i.e., the reference value of the suction nozzle 15.

[0044] The IV conversion graph Op02 shows the time series change in the IV conversion value (output) when the suction nozzle 15 passes between the light source 14A and the slit 141C during component suction. The minimum value Op02A is the minimum value of the IV conversion value of the IV conversion graph Op02, i.e., the reference value of the suction nozzle 15. When the suction nozzle 15 picks up a component P, the amount of light shading of the light beam 14B increases, and the IV conversion value decreases in the IV conversion graph Op02.

[0045] The determination unit 17A sets a threshold value based on the minimum value Op01A of the IV conversion graph Op01 and a predetermined value α. Specifically, the determination unit 17A sets the IV conversion value obtained by adding the predetermined value α to the minimum value Op01A as the threshold value used for component pickup determination. The determination unit 17A performs component pickup determination for the suction nozzle 15 by comparing the minimum value Op02A of the IV conversion graph Op02 with the threshold value.

[0046] Next, the process of measuring the reference value when a component is not being picked up will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of measuring the reference value when a component is not being picked up. Fig. 6 shows the head 11 moving from the board 13, which is the mounting area for the component P, toward the component supply unit 12, which is the pickup area for the component P, as viewed in the Z direction from the board 13 side.

[0047] The head 11 shown below includes, as an example, eight suction nozzles 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, and 158. In the following description, suction nozzle 151 may be referred to as "nozzle 1," suction nozzle 152 as "nozzle 2," suction nozzle 153 as "nozzle 3," suction nozzle 154 as "nozzle 4," suction nozzle 155 as "nozzle 5," suction nozzle 156 as "nozzle 6," suction nozzle 157 as "nozzle 7," and suction nozzle 158 as "nozzle 8."

[0048] The eight suction nozzles 151 to 158 shown in FIG. 6 pass between the light source 14A and the slit 14C in the order of “Nozzle 1,” “Nozzle 2,” “Nozzle 3,” “Nozzle 4,” “Nozzle 5,” “Nozzle 6,” “Nozzle 7,” and “Nozzle 8.”

[0049] The IV conversion graph Op1 shows the time series changes in the IV conversion values ​​(output) obtained while the head 11 moves once from the board 13 to the component supply unit 12. The determination unit 17A sets the time periods during which each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 passes between the light source 14A and the slit 14C, based on the speed information and position information of the head 11 output from the mounting operation control unit 18, or the position information of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158. The determination unit 17A measures the minimum value of the IV conversion values ​​of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 (i.e., the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 = the reference value) based on each of the set time periods and the IV conversion values ​​output from the current-voltage conversion unit 14E.

[0050] For example, the determination unit 17A sets "Nozzle 1" to time zone T11, "Nozzle 2" to time zone T12, "Nozzle 3" to time zone T13, "Nozzle 4" to time zone T14, "Nozzle 5" to time zone T15, "Nozzle 6" to time zone T16, "Nozzle 7" to time zone T17, and "Nozzle 8" to time zone T18 based on the speed information and position information of the head 11, or the position information of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158. The determination unit 17A obtains the minimum value (=reference value) of the IV conversion value indicating the tip height of the corresponding suction nozzle in each of the time zones T11 to T18 based on the IV conversion graph Op1 of the suction nozzles, and records this in memory 19.

[0051] Next, the process of measuring the reference value during component pickup will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of measurement during component pickup. Fig. 7 shows the head 11 moving from the component supply unit 12, which is the pickup area for components P, toward the board 13, which is the mounting area for components P, as viewed in the Z direction from the board 13 side.

[0052] The eight suction nozzles 151 to 158 shown in FIG. 7 pass between the light source 14A and the slit 14C in the order of “Nozzle 8”, “Nozzle 7”, “Nozzle 6”, “Nozzle 5”, “Nozzle 4”, “Nozzle 3”, “Nozzle 2”, and “Nozzle 1”.

[0053] The IV conversion graph Op2 shows the time series changes in the IV conversion values ​​(output) obtained while the head 11 moves once from the component supply unit 12 to the board 13. The determination unit 17A sets a time period during which each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 passes between the light source 14A and the slit 14C, based on the speed information and position information of the head 11 output from the mounting operation control unit 18, or the position information of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158. The determination unit 17A measures the minimum value of the IV conversion values ​​of the suction nozzles 151 to 158, that is, the tip heights of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 or the suction heights of the components P, based on each of the set time periods and the IV conversion values ​​output from the current-voltage conversion unit 14E.

[0054] For example, based on the speed information and position information of the head 11 or the position information of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158, the determination unit 17A sets the time periods during which the suction nozzles 151 to 158 pass between the light source 14A and the slit 14C as follows: time period T21 for "Nozzle 8," time period T22 for "Nozzle 7," time period T23 for "Nozzle 6," time period T24 for "Nozzle 5," time period T25 for "Nozzle 4," time period T26 for "Nozzle 3," time period T27 for "Nozzle 2," and time period T28 for "Nozzle 1." The determination unit 17A acquires the minimum value of the IV conversion value of the corresponding suction nozzle in each of the time periods T21 to T28 based on the IV conversion graph Op2 of the suction nozzles, and performs component suction determination based on the tip height or the suction height of the component P of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 based on the acquired minimum IV conversion value, and the reference value and threshold value for each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 recorded in the memory 19.

[0055] Next, the timing for measuring the reference values ​​and the timing for determining whether or not a component is being picked up will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows a timing table TB1 that indicates the order in which the reference values ​​are measured and the order in which the component is being picked up by the pickup nozzles 151 to 158. The timing table TB1 shown in Fig. 8 corresponds to the IV conversion graphs Op1 and Op2 shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0056] As shown in timing table TB1, after placing the components P picked up by the suction nozzles 151 to 158 on the board 13, the determination unit 17A moves toward the component supply unit 12 and measures the reference values ​​of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 corresponding to the period of time (time period T11 to time period T18) while moving toward the component supply unit 12. After moving to the component supply unit 12, the determination unit 17A picks up the components P supplied by the component supply unit 12 with each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 and moves toward the board 13. The determination unit 17A obtains the minimum values ​​of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 corresponding to the period of time (time period T21 to time period T28) while moving toward the board 13, and performs component suction determination for the suction nozzles 151 to 158.

[0057] The mounting machine 100 repeatedly executes the series of operations shown in the timing table TB1 from the start of mounting the component P on the board 13 until the completion of mounting of the component P. When the mounting machine 100 acquires a control command to start mounting the component P on the board 13, it skips the component mounting process, starts moving toward the component supply unit 12, and measures the reference values ​​of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 corresponding to time zones T11 to T18.

[0058] Next, an example of component adsorption determination processing for the suction nozzles 151 to 152 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of component adsorption determination processing for the suction nozzles 151 to 152. Note that Fig. 9 only describes an example of component adsorption determination processing for "Nozzle 1" and "Nozzle 2," and component adsorption determination processing for the other suction nozzles is omitted.

[0059] The IV conversion graph Op11 shows the time series change in the IV conversion value corresponding to "Nozzle 1" when no component is being picked up. The determination unit 17A records the minimum value Op1A of "Nozzle 1" in the memory 19 as the reference value for "Nozzle 1," and also calculates a threshold value Th1 by adding a predetermined value α based on the size (thickness) of the component P to be picked up by "Nozzle 1" to the minimum value Op1A (reference value) of "Nozzle 1," and records the calculated threshold value Th1 in the memory 19.

[0060] The IV conversion graph Op21 shows the time-series change in the IV conversion value corresponding to "Nozzle 1" during component pickup. The determination unit 17A compares the minimum value Op2A of "Nozzle 1" with the threshold value Th1, and determines whether or not a component P is being picked up by "Nozzle 1" based on whether or not the minimum value Op2A of "Nozzle 1" is equal to or less than the threshold value Th1, and outputs the component pickup determination result to the mounting operation control unit 18 and the output unit 20.

[0061] The IV conversion graph Op12 shows the time series change in the IV conversion value corresponding to "nozzle 2" when no component is being picked up. The determination unit 17A records the minimum value Op1B of "nozzle 2" in the memory 19 as the reference value for "nozzle 2," and also calculates a threshold value Th2 by adding a predetermined value α based on the size (thickness) of the component P to be picked up by "nozzle 2" to the minimum value Op1B (reference value) of "nozzle 2," and records the calculated threshold value Th2 in the memory 19.

[0062] The IV conversion graph Op22 shows the time-series change in the IV conversion value corresponding to "nozzle 2" during component pickup. The determination unit 17A compares the minimum value Op2B of "nozzle 2" with the threshold value Th2, and determines whether or not a component P is being picked up by "nozzle 2" based on whether or not the minimum value Op2B of "nozzle 2" is equal to or less than the threshold value Th2, and outputs the component pickup determination result to the mounting operation control unit 18 and the output unit 20.

[0063] As described above, the mounter 100 according to the first embodiment can perform component pickup determination with high accuracy by comparing a threshold value set using the minimum IV conversion value (reference value) with the minimum IV conversion value of the suction nozzle 15 during component pickup, even when there are individual differences among the suction nozzles 15 due to variations in the tip height at which the component P is picked up due to manufacturing errors, aging, etc., or changes or variations in the shape of the tip. Furthermore, by setting a threshold value based on the tip height of each suction nozzle 15, the mounter 100 according to the first embodiment can more effectively suppress a decrease in the accuracy of component pickup determination due to individual differences among the suction nozzles 15, even when the thickness or size of the component P is small. Furthermore, by comparing a threshold value based on the minimum IV conversion value (reference value) with the minimum IV conversion value, the mounter 100 according to the first embodiment can more easily perform component pickup determination for the component P, regardless of the pickup position or posture of the component P relative to the suction nozzle 15.

[0064] Next, another example of the arrangement of the measurement system 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the arrangement of the measurement system 14.

[0065] 10, the head 11 has eight suction nozzles 151 to 158 arranged in two rows in the direction of movement of the head 11 and four rows in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the head 11. When the suction nozzles 151 to 158 are arranged in this manner, the measurement system 14 is arranged so that the suction nozzles 151 to 158 of the head 11 that move between the board 13 and the component supply unit 12, or the suction nozzles 151 to 158 that are suctioning components P, pass through the light beam 14B one by one.

[0066] As a result, even if the head 11 has multiple suction nozzles 151 to 158, the mounting machine 100 can obtain the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 or the suction height of the component P for each suction nozzle 15, and can perform component suction determination for each suction nozzle 15.

[0067] Next, another example of the arrangement of the measurement system 14 when the mounting machine 100 is equipped with the rotary head 11A will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of the arrangement of the measurement system 14. Note that, for ease of understanding, Fig. 11 describes an example in which the rotary head 11A is equipped with eight suction nozzles 151 to 158.

[0068] The rotary head 11A has a plurality of suction nozzles 151 to 158 arranged along the circumference of concentric circles, and is controlled by the mounting operation control unit 18 to rotate the plurality of suction nozzles 151 to 158 in a predetermined direction to adjust the suction position or mounting position of the component P of each suction nozzle 151 to 158.

[0069] When the mounting machine 100 is equipped with the rotary head 11A, the measurement system 14 is provided on the movement path of the rotary head 11A, that is, between the board 13 and the component supply unit 12. Specifically, the light source 14A and the slit 14C of the measurement system 14 are arranged so that the suction nozzles 151 to 158 that are rotated in a predetermined direction, or the suction nozzles 151 to 158 that are suctioning components P, pass through the light beam 14B one by one.

[0070] The rotary head 11A rotates the plurality of suction nozzles 151 to 158 arranged along the circumference of a concentric circle in a predetermined direction at a position on the movement path where the measurement system 14 is provided, under the control of the mounting operation control unit 18. This allows the determination unit 17A to measure the plurality of suction nozzles 151 to 158 provided on the rotary head 11A when a component is not being picked up or when a component is being picked up.

[0071] As a result, even when the head 11 is realized by a rotary head 11A, the mounting machine 100 can obtain the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 or the suction height of the component P for each suction nozzle 15, and can perform component suction determination for each suction nozzle 15.

[0072] Next, another example of the arrangement of the measurement system 14 when the mounting machine 100 is equipped with the rotary head 11A will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of the arrangement of the measurement system 14. Note that, for ease of understanding, Fig. 12 describes an example in which the rotary head 11A is equipped with eight suction nozzles 151 to 158.

[0073] 12, the measurement system 14 is provided integrally with the rotary head 11A. The light source 14A and the slit 14C of the measurement system 14 are arranged so that the suction nozzles 151 to 158 that are rotated in a predetermined direction, or the suction nozzles 151 to 158 that are suctioning components P, pass through the light beam 14B one by one.

[0074] On the component supply unit 12, the rotary head 11A measures the reference values ​​of each of the suction nozzles 151-158 and picks up each component P with each of the suction nozzles 151-158 under the control of the mounting operation control unit 18. The rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151-158 when a component is not yet picked up or when a component is being picked up in a predetermined direction (e.g., counterclockwise) relative to the position of the light beam 14B of the measurement system 14. This allows the determination unit 17A to measure the multiple suction nozzles 151-158 provided on the rotary head 11A when a component is not yet picked up or when a component is being picked up.

[0075] As a result, even when the head 11 is realized by a rotary head 11A, the mounting machine 100 can obtain the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 or the suction height of the component P for each suction nozzle 15, and can perform component suction determination appropriate for each suction nozzle 15.

[0076] Next, with reference to Figures 13 and 14, a measurement example of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 provided on the rotary head 11A in another example arrangement of the measurement system 14 shown in Figure 12 will be described. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a measurement example of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 of the rotary head 11A when no component is being picked up. Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating a measurement example of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 of the rotary head 11A when a component is being picked up.

[0077] 13 and 14, for ease of understanding, only the numbers "1" to "8" corresponding to "nozzle 1" to "nozzle 8" (i.e., suction nozzles 151 to 158) are shown, and the reference symbols are omitted. Also, in FIGS. 13 and 14, only the suction nozzles 151 to 158 and the light beam 14B are shown, and other components such as the rotary head 11A are omitted.

[0078] 13, only "Nozzle 1" of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 is picking up a component P. The rotary head 11A is irradiating a light beam 14B between "Nozzle 2" and "Nozzle 3," and rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 13, that is, counterclockwise.

[0079] The rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise to measure the tip height of each of the suction nozzles 152 to 158 by passing through the position of the light beam 14B, and causes the suction nozzles 151 to 158 to pick up the component P at a position below the paper surface.

[0080] During time period T41, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the reference value of "nozzle 2" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and performs suction with "nozzle 1" of the component P. The rotary head 11A records the measured reference value, which is the nozzle tip height of "nozzle 2," in the memory 19.

[0081] During time period T42, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the reference value of "nozzle 3" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and performs suction with "nozzle 2" of the component P. The rotary head 11A records the measured reference value, which is the nozzle tip height of "nozzle 3," in the memory 19.

[0082] Similarly, during each of time periods T43 to T46, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the reference values ​​of "Nozzle 4" to "Nozzle 7" that have passed through the light beam 14B, and picks up the component P using "Nozzle 3" to "Nozzle 6" whose reference values ​​have been measured.

[0083] During time period T47, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the reference value of "nozzle 8" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and performs suction of the component P by "nozzle 7." The rotary head 11A records the measured reference value, which is the nozzle tip height of "nozzle 8," in the memory 19.

[0084] During time period T48, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the height of the component P being picked up by "nozzle 1" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and picks up the component P using "nozzle 8." The rotary head 11A compares the height of the component P with the threshold value for "nozzle 1" stored in memory 19 to determine whether "nozzle 1" is able to pick up the component.

[0085] 14, of the suction nozzles 151 to 158, "nozzle 2" to "nozzle 8" are suctioning components P. The rotary head 11A is irradiating a light beam 14B between "nozzle 2" and "nozzle 3," and rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 14, that is, counterclockwise.

[0086] The rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise to measure the tip height of each of the suction nozzles 152 to 158 by passing through the position of the light beam 14B, and performs mounting of the component P at a position below the paper surface using the suction nozzles 151 to 158.

[0087] During time period T51, rotary head 11A rotates suction nozzles 151-158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the height of component P picked up by "nozzle 2" that has passed through light beam 14B, and places component P using "nozzle 1" based on the result of component suction determination. Rotary head 11A performs component suction determination for "nozzle 2" by comparing the height of component P with the threshold value for "nozzle 2" stored in memory 19.

[0088] During time period T52, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151-158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the height of the component P picked up by "Nozzle 3" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and places the component P using "Nozzle 2" based on the result of the component suction determination. The rotary head 11A performs component suction determination for "Nozzle 3" by comparing the height of the component P with the threshold value for "Nozzle 3" stored in memory 19.

[0089] Similarly, during each of time periods T53 to T56, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the height of the component P being picked up by "Nozzle 4" to "Nozzle 7" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and places the component P using "Nozzle 3" to "Nozzle 6" based on the results of the component suction determination.

[0090] During time period T57, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151-158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the height of the component P picked up by "nozzle 8" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and places the component P using "nozzle 7" based on the result of the component suction determination. The rotary head 11A performs component suction determination for "nozzle 8" by comparing the height of the component P with the threshold value for "nozzle 8" stored in memory 19.

[0091] During time period T58, the rotary head 11A rotates the suction nozzles 151 to 158 counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, measures the reference value of "nozzle 1" that has passed through the light beam 14B, and performs suction of the component P by "nozzle 8." The rotary head 11A records the measured reference value, which is the nozzle tip height of "nozzle 1," in the memory 19.

[0092] Next, the timing for measuring the reference values ​​and the timing for determining whether or not a component is being picked up will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 shows a timing table TB2 that indicates the order in which the reference values ​​are measured and the order in which the component is being picked up for the pickup nozzles 151 to 158 in the rotary head 11A. The timing table TB2 shown in Fig. 15 corresponds to the measurement example of the pickup nozzles 151 to 158 shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

[0093] As shown in timing table TB2, the determination unit 17A places the component P picked up by the suction nozzles 151 to 158 on the board 13, and then moves to the component supply unit 12. The determination unit 17A measures the reference values ​​of the suction nozzles 152 to 158 on the component supply unit 12, and picks up the component P using the suction nozzles 151 to 158 whose reference values ​​have been measured (time periods T41 to T48). Note that the determination unit 17A performs a component suction determination for "Nozzle 1," whose reference value and nozzle tip height after picking up the component P have both been measured, during time period T48. After the suction nozzles 151 to 158 pick up the component P, the determination unit 17A moves from the component supply unit 12 toward the board 13. The determination unit 17A performs a component suction determination for the suction nozzles 152 to 158 on the board 13, and places the component P based on the component suction determination results (time periods T51 to T58). The determination unit 17A measures the reference value of "nozzle 1" on which component P has already been mounted during time period T58.

[0094] The mounting machine 100 repeatedly executes a series of operations shown in the timing table TB2 from the start of mounting the component P on the board 13 until the mounting of the component P is completed.

[0095] Next, an example of an operation procedure of the mounting machine 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 16 and Fig. 17. Fig. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a reference value measurement procedure of the mounting machine 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an object measurement procedure of the mounting machine 100 according to embodiment 1.

[0096] The mounting machine 100 repeatedly performs a reference value measurement process (step St10) for measuring the reference values ​​of N (N: integer greater than or equal to 1) suction nozzles 15 equipped on the head 11 of the mounting machine 100, a suction process (not shown) for suctioning components P using the N suction nozzles 15 after the reference value measurement process, an object measurement process (step St20) for measuring the heights of the components P that are the objects of the N suction nozzles 15, and a mounting process (not shown) for mounting components P using the N suction nozzles 15 after the object measurement process, until all components P are mounted on the board 13.

[0097] The processor 17 repeatedly executes the processes of steps St12 to St18 until the measurement of the reference values ​​of the N suction nozzles 15 and the determination of whether each of the N suction nozzles 15 has taken away the component P are completed (St11).

[0098] The processor 17 acquires information about the Mth suction nozzle 15 to be measured (St12), and measures the reference value of the Mth suction nozzle 15 (M: an integer satisfying 1≦M≦N) that has not yet picked up a component, based on the IV conversion value output from the current-voltage converter 14E (St13). The information about the suction nozzle 15 acquired here includes, for example, the position information or movement speed of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15, and information such as the size or thickness of the component P to be picked up by the Mth suction nozzle 15.

[0099] The processor 17 references the reference value 19A stored in the memory 19, obtains the reference value of the last measured suction nozzle 15, i.e., the Mth suction nozzle 15 immediately before, and calculates the difference between the reference value of the Mth suction nozzle 15 measured in step St13 and the reference value of the Mth suction nozzle 15 immediately before (St14). The processor 17 then determines whether the calculated difference is equal to or greater than a threshold value (i.e., determines whether to take back the component P) (St15). The threshold value here is a threshold value for determining whether to take back the component P, and is determined based on the size or thickness of the component P last picked up by the Mth suction nozzle 15.

[0100] If the processor 17 determines in the processing of step St15 that the difference is not equal to or greater than the threshold value (NO in St15), it determines that the Mth suction nozzle 15 has not brought back the component P. The processor 17 records in the memory 19 the measured reference value of the Mth suction nozzle 15 and a threshold value determined based on the size or thickness of the component P to be picked up by the Mth suction nozzle 15 (St16). Note that when recording the reference value and threshold value of the suction nozzle 15, the processor 17 may delete the reference value and threshold value of the previous Mth suction nozzle 15 that were used to determine whether the component P had been brought back.

[0101] On the other hand, if the processor 17 determines in the processing of step St15 that the difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value (St15, YES), it determines that an abnormality (i.e., the Mth suction nozzle 15 has brought back the component P) has been detected (St17). The processor 17 reflects the operation performed when the abnormality is detected in the mounting operation (St18). As the operation performed when the abnormality is detected, the processor 17 omits the suction operation of the Mth suction nozzle 15 to pick up the component P, and executes a discarding operation to discard the component P that the Mth suction nozzle 15 has brought back. Note that the processor 17 may omit the suction operation of the Mth suction nozzle 15 to pick up the component P after executing the discarding operation to discard the component P that the Mth suction nozzle 15 has brought back.

[0102] After the reference value measurement process (step St10) is completed, the mounting machine 100 performs suction of the component P by each of the Mth suction nozzles 15, and then proceeds to the object measurement process (step St20).

[0103] The processor 17 repeatedly executes the processes of steps St22 to St28 until it has completed measuring the tip heights of the N suction nozzles 15 that have already picked up the target components and determining whether each of the N suction nozzles 15 has picked up a component (St21).

[0104] The processor 17 acquires information about the Mth suction nozzle 15 to be measured (St22), and measures the suction height (minimum value of the IV conversion value) of the component P being picked up by the Mth suction nozzle 15 that has already picked up a component, based on the IV conversion value output from the current-voltage converter 14E (St23). The information about the suction nozzle 15 acquired here includes, for example, the position information or movement speed of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15, and information such as the size or thickness of the component P to be picked up by the Mth suction nozzle 15.

[0105] The processor 17 references the reference value 19A stored in the memory 19 to obtain the reference value of the Mth suction nozzle 15, and sets a threshold value to be used for component suction determination based on the reference value of the Mth suction nozzle 15 and the predetermined value α corresponding to the component P (St24). The processor 17 determines whether the IV conversion value corresponding to the suction height of the component P of the Mth suction nozzle 15 is equal to or less than the threshold value (i.e., performs component suction determination) (St25). Note that the predetermined value α here may be determined based on the size or thickness of the component P being picked up by the Mth suction nozzle 15.

[0106] If the processor 17 determines in the processing of step St25 that the IV conversion value is equal to or less than the threshold value (St25, YES), it determines that the Mth suction nozzle 15 is suctioning a component P (i.e., "component present") (St26). In other words, the processor 17 determines that the component P is being suctioned by the suction nozzle 15 after the suction operation of the component P.

[0107] On the other hand, if the processor 17 determines in the processing of step St25 that the IV conversion value is not equal to or less than the threshold value (St25, NO), it determines that the Mth suction nozzle 15 has not picked up a component P (i.e., "no component present") (St27). That is, the processor 17 determines that the component P has not been picked up by the suction nozzle 15 after the component P pickup operation. The processor 17 reflects the operation performed when it was determined that "no component present" was present in the mounting operation (St28). As an operation performed when it was determined that "no component present," the processor 17 may omit the mounting operation of the component P by the Mth suction nozzle 15 or perform an emergency stop on the operation of the mounting machine 100.

[0108] After the object measurement process (step St20) is completed, the mounting machine 100 performs mounting of components P onto the board 13 using each of the Mth suction nozzles 15, and if it determines that mounting of all components P onto the board 13 has not been completed, it proceeds to the reference value measurement process (step St10).

[0109] As described above, the mounter 100 according to the first embodiment can perform component pickup determination by comparing a threshold value set using the minimum IV conversion value (reference value) of the suction nozzle 15 when not picking up a component with the minimum IV conversion value of the suction nozzle 15 when picking up a component. This makes it possible to more easily perform component pickup determination regardless of individual differences in, for example, the length of the suction nozzle 15 or the tip shape of the suction nozzle 15. Furthermore, the mounter 100 according to the first embodiment can more easily perform component pickup determination regardless of the pickup position or pickup posture of the component P by the suction nozzle 15. Furthermore, by setting a threshold value based on the tip height of each suction nozzle 15, the mounter 100 according to the first embodiment can more effectively prevent a decrease in the accuracy of component pickup determination due to individual differences in the suction nozzle 15, even when the thickness or size of the component P is small.

[0110] In the above-described example of the operation procedure of the mounting machine 100, steps St18 and St28 are not essential and may be omitted. Furthermore, if the determination of whether to take the component P home is omitted in the example of the operation procedure of the mounting machine 100, the processor 17 omits the processing of steps St14 to St15.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above-described example of the operation procedure of the mounting machine 100, if a rotary head 11A is provided instead of the head 11, the mounting machine 100 executes the reference value measurement process (step St10) and the object measurement process (step St20) substantially in parallel. In this case, the mounting machine 100 measures the reference value of the Mth suction nozzle out of the N suction nozzles 15 in the reference value measurement process (step St10), and measures the height of the object of the (M+1)th suction nozzle out of the N suction nozzles 15 (i.e., the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 or the suction height of the component P) in the object measurement process (step St20). In other words, if the suction nozzle 15 measured in the reference value measurement process (step St10) is the Nth nozzle, the suction nozzle 15 measured in the object measurement process (step St20) will be the first suction nozzle 15.

[0112] Next, an operation procedure when the control computer 31 executes the above-mentioned component pickup determination or component P take-home determination will be described.

[0113] In the reference value measurement process (step St10), the management computer 31 acquires IV conversion value data and speed or position information of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15 from the processor 17 and the mounting operation control unit 18 via the communication unit 21 (St12), and then measures the reference value of each suction nozzle 15 (step St13) and determines whether each suction nozzle 15 has brought back the component P (steps St14 to St15). If the management computer 31 determines that the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold value as a result of the determination of whether each suction nozzle 15 has brought back the component P (YES in step St15), it determines and records the reference value and threshold value of each suction nozzle 15 (step St16). If the management computer 31 determines that the difference is not greater than or equal to the threshold value as a result of the determination of whether each suction nozzle 15 has brought back the component P (NO in step St15), it detects an abnormality (i.e., the component P has been brought back) and sends it to the mounting machine 100 (St17). Based on the notification of the abnormality sent from the management computer 31, the mounting machine 100 executes a mounting operation corresponding to the detection of the abnormality (i.e., taking away the component P) (step St18).

[0114] Furthermore, in the object measurement process (step St20), the management computer 31 acquires IV conversion value data and speed or position information of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15 from the processor 17 and the mounting operation control unit 18 via the communication unit 21 (St22), measures the suction height of the component P of each suction nozzle 15 (step St23), sets a threshold value (step St24), and performs component suction determination (step St25). If the control computer 31 determines, as a result of the component suction determination for each suction nozzle 15, that the suction height of the component P of the suction nozzle 15 is equal to or less than the threshold value (step St25, YES), it determines that the component P is being picked up by each suction nozzle 15 (step St26), and if the control computer 31 determines, as a result of the component suction determination for each suction nozzle 15, that the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 (i.e., the suction height of the component P) is not equal to or less than the threshold value (step St25, NO), it determines that the component P is not being picked up by each suction nozzle 15 (step St27) and sends this to the mounting machine 100 (St27). Based on the notification sent from the control computer 31, the mounting machine 100 performs a mounting operation corresponding to the detection of the non-sucking of the component P (step St28).

[0115] As described above, the management computer 31 can execute a component suction determination of the suction nozzle 15 or a component take-home determination for the component P placement control executed by at least one mounting machine 100. Note that, when the management computer 31 is communicably connected to a plurality of mounting machines, it may execute a component suction determination of the suction nozzle 15 or a component take-home determination for the component placement control executed by each of the plurality of mounting machines.

[0116] Second Embodiment The mounting machine 100 according to the first embodiment has been described as an example in which the measurement system 14 is used to measure the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 and the suction height of the component P. The mounting machine 100A according to the second embodiment will be described as an example in which the camera 22C is used instead of the measurement system 14 to measure the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 and the suction height of the component P.

[0117] The mounting machine 100A according to the second embodiment has a configuration substantially similar to that of the mounting machine 100 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following description of the mounting machine 100A according to the second embodiment, the same components as those in the mounting machine 100 according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0118] A mounting machine 100A according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the mounting machine 100A according to embodiment 2. Note that the component supply unit 12 and the pair of board rails 16 are not shown in the mounting machine 100A shown in Fig. 18.

[0119] The mounting machine 100A is configured to include a head 11, a component supply unit 12, an imaging system 22, one or more suction nozzles 15, a pair of board rails 16, a processor 17B, a mounting operation control unit 18, a memory 19, and an output unit 20. Note that the communication unit 21 is not a required component and may be omitted. Furthermore, when the mounting machine 100A is configured to include the communication unit 21, it may be communicably connected to a management computer 31 (i.e., an external device) and be able to send and receive data.

[0120] The processor 17B is configured using, for example, a CPU, DSP, or FPGA, and controls the operation of each unit of the processor 17B. The processor 17B performs various processes and controls in cooperation with the memory 19. Specifically, the processor 17B references the programs and data stored in the memory 19 and executes the programs to realize the functions of each unit. Note that each unit referred to here is the determination unit 17C.

[0121] The determination unit 17C calculates the position information of each suction nozzle 15 provided to the head 11 based on the speed information and position information of the head 11 or suction nozzle 15 output from the mounting operation control unit 18, and identifies the corresponding suction nozzle 15 from the two-dimensional image data output from the camera 22C. The determination unit 17C generates at least one black-and-white image by binarizing at least one piece of two-dimensional image data captured by the suction nozzle 15, and measures the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 or the suction height of the component P by reading out the pixels included in the generated black-and-white image in a predetermined order.

[0122] The determination unit 17C performs a suction determination as to whether or not a component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15, based on the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 when no component is being picked up, and the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 when a component is being picked up or the suction height of the component P. The determination unit 17C outputs the suction determination result to the mounting operation control unit 18 and the output unit 20.

[0123] Furthermore, the determination unit 17C may determine whether or not a component P has been taken home by comparing the height of the tip of the suction nozzle 15 when the component is not being picked up as it moves from the board 13 (mounting area) toward the component supply unit 12 (suction area). When the determination unit 17C determines whether or not a component P has been taken home, it outputs the result of the determination to the mounting operation control unit 18 and the output unit 20.

[0124] The imaging system 22 includes a light 22A and a camera 22C. The position of the measurement system 14 shown in FIG. 19 is an example and is not limited to this. The imaging system 22 may be positioned so as to be able to capture an image of the shape of the tip portion of each of the suction nozzles 15 provided on the head 11. Furthermore, if the mounting machine 100A includes a rotary head 11A instead of the head 11, the imaging system 22 may be provided on the movement path of the rotary head 11A or integral with the rotary head 11A, similar to the measurement system 14 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , and may be positioned so as to be able to capture an image of the shape of the tip portion of each of the suction nozzles 15 provided on the rotary head 11A.

[0125] The illumination 22A is, for example, an LED or an LD, and emits light rays 22B from a direction opposite to the imaging direction of the camera 22C that images the suction nozzle 15, which is the imaging target, to illuminate the suction nozzle 15. This allows the camera 22C to image the suction nozzle 15 in a backlit state.

[0126] The camera 22C includes at least an image sensor (not shown) and a lens (not shown). The image sensor is a solid-state imaging element including a Si photodiode and, for example, a charged-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and converts an optical image formed on the imaging surface into an electrical signal. The camera 22C transmits the converted electrical signal (two-dimensional image data) to the processor 17B.

[0127] Next, an example of capturing an image of the suction nozzle 15 by the camera 22C will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of capturing an image of the suction nozzle 15 according to the second embodiment.

[0128] The camera 22C is positioned at a position where it can capture an image of the tip portion of each of the suction nozzles 15 provided on the head 11. The camera 22C has a depth of field and an angle of view that enable it to capture an image of the tip portion of each of the suction nozzles 151 to 158 moving between the board 13 (mounting area) and the component supply unit 12 (suction area). Specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 19, the camera 22C has a depth of field that enables it to capture an image of the suction nozzle 151, which is captured at the closest imaging distance L1, and the suction nozzle 158, which is captured at the farthest imaging distance L2.

[0129] Next, a measurement example of the suction nozzle 15 by the camera 22C will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating a measurement example of the suction nozzle 15 according to embodiment 2. Note that the two-dimensional image data IMG1 shown in Fig. 20 shows an example in which the suction nozzle 15 is imaged while suctioning a component.

[0130] The camera 22C captures an image of the suction nozzle 15 of the head 11 moving between the board 13 and the component supply unit 12. The camera 22C outputs the captured two-dimensional image data IMG1 to the determination unit 17C of the processor 17B.

[0131] The determination unit 17C extracts two-dimensional image data IMG1 in which the suction nozzle 15 to be measured is captured from the plurality of two-dimensional image data output from the camera 22C, based on the speed information and position information of the head 11 or the suction nozzle 15 output from the mounting operation control unit 18. Note that, depending on the size of the angle of view of the camera 22C, the determination unit 17C may extract each of the plurality of two-dimensional image data in which the suction nozzle 15 is captured when measuring one suction nozzle 15.

[0132] The determination unit 17C performs binarization processing on the extracted two-dimensional image data IMG1 to convert it into a black-and-white image IMG2. The determination unit 17C reads pixel data from the black-and-white image IMG2 in the column direction (toward the right side of the paper) starting from the origin position Pt0. After reading one column of pixel data, the determination unit 17C reads the pixel data for one column above in the row direction (upward of the paper). The determination unit 17C reads the pixel data for each column and detects pixels (black pixels in this case) on which the suction nozzle 15 or the component P is displayed. The determination unit 17C measures the lowest point Pt21, which is the position of the lowest point Pt21 on which the detected pixel (black pixel) on which the suction nozzle 15 or the component P is displayed, based on the number of rows on which the lowest point Pt21 is detected. When the determination unit 17C has measured the lowest point Pt21, it stops reading the pixel data. In this way, the determination unit 17C (an example of an acquisition unit) scans multiple pixels included in the black-and-white image IMG2 in the column direction (a predetermined direction) to detect pixels in which the component P is depicted. The determination unit 17C acquires the height (second height) of the suction nozzle 15 after suction of the component P based on the row that includes the pixel in which the component P is depicted. More specifically, the determination unit 17C scans multiple pixels included in the black-and-white image IMG2 in the row direction (the direction in which the component P is suctioned) and in the column direction. This allows the determination unit 17C to more efficiently detect the position (pixel) at which the suction nozzle 15 has the lowest suction height of the component P.

[0133] 20, the determination unit 17C measures the reference value of the suction nozzle 15 based on the coordinates of the lowest point Pt11 of the suction nozzle 15 when no component is mounted. The determination unit 17C sets the threshold value Th3 based on the height of the lowest point Pt11, which is the reference value of the suction nozzle 15 stored in the memory 19, and a predetermined value α corresponding to the size (thickness) of the component P. The determination unit 17C performs component suction determination of the suction nozzle 15 based on a comparison between the threshold value Th3 and the height of the lowest point Pt21, which is the suction height of the component P of the suction nozzle 15 after suction.

[0134] As described above, the mounting machine 100A can perform component suction determination for each suction nozzle 15 by binarizing the two-dimensional image data captured by the camera 22C.

[0135] Furthermore, the control computer 31 may determine whether to pick up a component or whether to take away the component P based on the two-dimensional image data captured by the camera 22C.

[0136] The above description has been given of an example of determining whether a component picked up by the suction nozzle 15 of the mounting machine 100, 100A is being picked up, but the use of the technology disclosed herein is not limited to this and may be diverted or applied to other uses. For example, the technology disclosed herein may be used to determine whether a robot hand is picking up or suctioning an object when the robot hand is picking up or suctioning an object.

[0137] (Additional Notes) The above description of each embodiment discloses the following techniques.

[0138] (Technology 1) A component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) that determines whether a component P is being picked up by a suction nozzle 15 that places the component P on a board 13 includes: an acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) that acquires a first height (reference value) of the suction nozzle 15 before the component P is picked up, and a second height (suction height of the component P) of the suction nozzle 15 after the component P is picked up; a determination unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) that adds a predetermined value α to the first height (reference value) to determine a threshold value (e.g., threshold values ​​Th1, Th2, etc. shown in FIG. 9 ) for determining whether the component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15; and a determination unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) that determines whether the component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15 based on the second height and the threshold value, and outputs the determination result. A component adsorption determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31).

[0139] With this configuration, the component pickup determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can perform component pickup determination by comparing a threshold value set using the minimum value (reference value) of the IV conversion value of the tip height of the suction nozzle 15 when a component is not being picked up with the minimum value of the IV conversion value of the suction nozzle 15 when a component is being picked up, making it possible to more easily perform component pickup determination regardless of individual differences in, for example, the length of the suction nozzle 15 or the tip shape of the suction nozzle 15. Furthermore, the component pickup determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can more easily perform component pickup determination regardless of the pickup position or pickup posture of the component P by the suction nozzle 15.

[0140] (Technology 2) The acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) acquires displacement data (IV conversion value) of the light intensity of light beam 14B that is irradiated onto the passage position of the suction nozzle 15 (for example, between the board 13 and the component supply unit 12, or along the rotational trajectory of the suction nozzle 15 due to the rotation of the rotary head 11A) and is at least partially blocked by the passage of the suction nozzle, acquires the first height (reference value) based on the light intensity (IV conversion value) of light beam 14B when the suction nozzle 15 passes before the suction operation of the component P, and acquires the second height based on the light intensity (IV conversion value) of light beam 14B when the suction nozzle 15 passes after the suction operation of the component P.

[0141] With this configuration, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can perform component suction determination with higher accuracy, regardless of individual differences in the suction nozzle 15 or the suction position or suction posture of the component P. Because the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can measure the height of the suction nozzle 15 or the component P based on the magnitude of the IV conversion value, it can further reduce the processing load required for component suction determination.

[0142] (Technology 3) The component suction determination device (mounter 100, 100A or management computer 31) described in (Technology 2) is configured such that the acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) acquires the first height (reference value) based on the minimum value (e.g., minimum values ​​Op1A and Op1B shown in FIG. 9 ) of the light intensity (IV conversion value) when the suction nozzle 15 passes before the suction operation of the component P, and acquires the second height based on the minimum value (e.g., minimum values ​​Op2A and Op2B shown in FIG. 9 ) of the light intensity (IV conversion value) when the suction nozzle 15 passes after the suction operation of the component P.

[0143] With this configuration, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can perform component suction determination with higher accuracy, regardless of individual differences in the suction nozzle 15 or the suction position or suction posture of the component P. Because the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can measure the height of the suction nozzle 15 or the component P based on the magnitude of the IV conversion value, it can further reduce the processing load required for component suction determination.

[0144] (Technology 4) The component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) described in (Technology 1) is configured such that the acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) acquires first image data (two-dimensional image data) of the suction nozzle 15 before the suction operation of the component P and second image data (two-dimensional image data) of the suction nozzle 15 after the suction operation of the component P, acquires the first height (reference value) based on the first image data (two-dimensional image data), and acquires the second height based on the second image data (two-dimensional image data).

[0145] This configuration allows the component suction determination device (mounters 100, 100A or management computer 31) to perform component suction determination with higher accuracy.

[0146] (Technology 5) The component adsorption determination device (mounter 100, 100A or management computer 31) described in (Technology 4) is characterized in that the acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) binarizes the first image data (two-dimensional image data) and the second image data (two-dimensional image data), acquires the first height (reference value) based on the binarized first image data (black and white image), and acquires the second height based on the binarized second image data (black and white image).

[0147] With this configuration, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can perform component suction determination with higher accuracy by binarizing, regardless of individual differences in the suction nozzle 15 or the suction position or suction posture of the component P.

[0148] (Technology 6) The component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) described in (Technology 4) or (Technology 5) wherein the acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) scans a plurality of pixels included in the first image data (two-dimensional image data or black-and-white image) and the second image data (two-dimensional image data or black-and-white image) in a predetermined direction to detect pixels in which the suction nozzle 15 or the component P is shown, and acquires the first height (reference value) and the second height (tip height) based on the row in which the pixel is included.

[0149] With this configuration, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can more easily measure the height of the lowest point of component P picked up by suction nozzle 15 by binarization, regardless of individual differences between suction nozzles 15 or the pickup position or pickup posture of component P. Furthermore, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can more efficiently detect the lowest point of component P picked up by suction nozzle 15.

[0150] (Technology 7) The component adsorption determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) described in (Technology 6) is characterized in that the acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) scans a plurality of pixels included in the first image data (two-dimensional image data or black-and-white image) and the second image data (two-dimensional image data or black-and-white image) in a column direction toward the adsorption direction (Z direction) of the component P.

[0151] With this configuration, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can more efficiently detect the tip (lowest point) of the suction nozzle 15 or the lowest point of the picked-up component P by scanning the pixels included in the two-dimensional image data, in which the suction nozzle 15 or the component P is shown, row by row in the Z direction.

[0152] (Technology 8) The component suction determination device described in (Technology 4) in which the first image data (two-dimensional image data) and the second image data (two-dimensional image data) are captured by a camera 22C that receives light rays 22B irradiated onto a passing position of the suction nozzle 15 (for example, between the board 13 and the component supply unit 12, or the rotation trajectory of the suction nozzle 15 due to the rotation of the rotary head 11A) and captures an image, the first image data (two-dimensional image data) is at least one piece of image data captured when the suction nozzle 15 passes before the suction operation of the component P, and the second image data (two-dimensional image data) is at least one piece of image data captured when the suction nozzle 15 passes after the suction operation of the component P.

[0153] With this configuration, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can capture an image of the suction nozzle 15 or component P in a backlit state, and can therefore more easily measure the height of the lowest point of the suction nozzle 15 or component P regardless of individual differences between suction nozzles 15 or the suction position or suction posture of the component P. Furthermore, the component suction determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can more efficiently detect the lowest point of the suction nozzle 15 or component P.

[0154] (Technology 9) The component suction determination device (mounter 100, 100A or management computer 31) described in (Technology 1) further includes a recording unit (memory 19, 32A) that records the first height (reference value), wherein the acquisition unit (processor 17, 17B, 31A) acquires a third height (reference value) of the suction nozzle 15 after the component P has been mounted on the board 13, and the determination unit determines whether the component P has been picked up by the suction nozzle 15 based on a comparison between the first height (reference value) and the third height (reference value), and outputs the result of the determination.

[0155] With this configuration, the component adsorption determination device (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) can determine whether or not the component P has been taken home after mounting the component P.

[0156] (Technology 10) A component suction determination method performed by a computer (mounting machine 100, 100A or management computer 31) that determines whether a component P is being picked up by a suction nozzle 15 that places the component P on a board 13, the component suction determination method comprising the steps of: acquiring a first height (reference value) of the suction nozzle 15 before the component P is picked up, and a second height of the suction nozzle 15 after the component P is picked up; adding a predetermined value α to the first height to determine a threshold value (e.g., threshold values ​​Th1, Th2, etc. shown in FIG. 9 ) for determining whether the component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15; and determining whether the component P is being picked up by the suction nozzle 15 based on the second height and the threshold value, and outputting the result of the determination.

[0157] With this configuration, the computer (mounter 100, 100A or management computer 31) can perform component pickup determination by comparing a threshold value set using the minimum value (reference value) of the IV conversion value of the suction nozzle 15 when no component is being picked up with the minimum value of the IV conversion value of the suction nozzle 15 when a component is being picked up, making it possible to more easily perform component pickup determination regardless of individual differences in, for example, the length of the suction nozzle 15 or the tip shape of the suction nozzle 15. Furthermore, the component pickup determination device (mounter 100, 100A or management computer 31) can more easily perform component pickup determination regardless of the pickup position or pickup posture of the component P by the suction nozzle 15.

[0158] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the various embodiments described above may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0159] The present disclosure is useful as a component suction determination device and a component suction determination method that determine with higher accuracy whether a component is being picked up by a suction nozzle.

[0160] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Head 11A Rotary head 12 Component supply unit 13 Board 14 Measurement system 14A Light source 14B, 22B Light beam 14C Slit 14D Photoelectric conversion element 14E Current-voltage conversion unit 15 Suction nozzle 17, 17B Processor 17A, 17C Determination unit 18 Mounting operation control unit 19 Memory 19A Reference value 19B Threshold value 20 Output unit 21 Communication unit 22 Imaging system 22A Lighting 22C Camera 31 Management computer 100, 100A Mounting machine 141C Slit hole IMG1 Two-dimensional image data IMG2 Black-and-white image Op01, Op02, Op1, Op2, Op11, Op12, Op21, Op22 IV conversion graph P Component Pt0 Home position TB1, TB2 Timing table

Claims

1. A component adsorption determination device that determines whether a component has been picked up by a suction nozzle that places a component on a board, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires a first height of the suction nozzle before the component is picked up, and a second height of the suction nozzle after the component is picked up; a determination unit that determines a threshold by adding a predetermined value to the first height; and a determination unit that determines whether the component has been picked up by the suction nozzle based on the second height and the threshold, and outputs a result of the determination.

2. The component suction determination device described in claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires displacement data of the light intensity of a light beam that is irradiated at the passing position of the suction nozzle and at least a portion of which is blocked by the passage of the suction nozzle, acquires the first height based on the light intensity of the light beam when the suction nozzle passes before the suction nozzle picks up the component, and acquires the second height based on the light intensity of the light beam when the suction nozzle passes after the suction nozzle picks up the component.

3. The component suction determination device described in claim 2, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the first height based on the minimum value of the light intensity when the suction nozzle passes before the component suction operation, and acquires the second height based on the minimum value of the light intensity when the suction nozzle passes after the component suction operation.

4. The component suction determination device described in claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires first image data in which the suction nozzle is imaged before the component suction operation and second image data in which the suction nozzle is imaged after the component suction operation, acquires the first height based on the first image data, and acquires the second height based on the second image data.

5. The component adsorption determination device according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition unit binarizes the first image data and the second image data, acquires the first height based on the binarized first image data, and acquires the second height based on the binarized second image data.

6. The component suction determination device according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition unit scans a plurality of pixels contained in the first image data and the second image data in a predetermined direction to detect pixels in which the suction nozzle or the component is depicted, and acquires the first height and the second height based on the row in which the pixel is included.

7. The component adsorption determination device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined direction is a column direction of the first image data and the second image data, and the acquisition unit scans a plurality of pixels included in the first image data and the second image data in the column direction toward the component adsorption direction.

8. A component suction determination device as described in claim 4, wherein the first image data and the second image data are captured by a camera that receives light irradiated to the passing position of the suction nozzle and captures the image, the first image data is at least one image data captured when the suction nozzle passes before the suction operation of the component, and the second image data is at least one image data captured when the suction nozzle passes after the suction operation of the component.

9. A component suction determination device as described in claim 1, further comprising a recording unit which records the first height, wherein the acquisition unit acquires a third height of the suction nozzle after the component has been mounted on the board, and the determination unit further determines whether the component has been picked up by the suction nozzle after the component has been mounted on the board based on a comparison between the first height and the third height.

10. A component suction determination method performed by a computer to determine whether a component has been picked up by a suction nozzle that places a component on a board, the method comprising: acquiring a first height of the suction nozzle before the component is picked up and a second height of the suction nozzle after the component is picked up; determining a threshold value by adding a predetermined value to the first height; determining whether the component has been picked up by the suction nozzle based on the second height and the threshold value, and outputting the result of the determination.

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