Resin molding device, method for producing resin molded article, and program

Abstract

A resin molding device according to the present invention includes: a photographing unit for photographing an image of a resin material supplied onto a target object; a molding mechanism for molding a resin molded article using the resin material supplied onto the target object; and a control unit for acquiring the image and controlling the operation of the molding mechanism. The control unit calculates, in each of a plurality of blocks included in the image, the percentage occupied by a region in which the resin material is present or a region in which the resin material is not present, and determines whether or not molding using the resin material by the molding mechanism is possible on the basis of the degree of similarity between a plurality of percentages respectively calculated for the plurality of blocks and a plurality of reference ratios respectively set in advance for the plurality of blocks.

Description

Resin molding device, method of manufacturing resin molded product, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin molding apparatus, a method for manufacturing a resin molded product, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a compression molding device in which granular resin is spread evenly on a sheet of film, and the sheet of film on which the resin has been spread is transported to a press section, where a workpiece is compression molded using the resin spread on the sheet of film.

[0003] JP 2019-136942 A

[0004] In a compression molding apparatus such as that described in Patent Document 1, the appearance of the molded workpiece is affected by how the resin spread on the film is distributed. That is, depending on the distribution of the resin on the film, molding defects may occur. For example, molding defects may occur if the resin material is significantly unevenly distributed on the film.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a resin molding device, a method for manufacturing a resin molded product, and a program that can appropriately determine the scattering state of resin material supplied onto an object to be used in molding a resin molded product, and appropriately prevent the occurrence of molding defects.

[0006] A resin molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an imaging unit, a molding mechanism, and a control unit. The imaging unit captures an image of the resin material supplied onto an object. The molding mechanism uses the resin material supplied onto the object to mold a resin molded product. The control unit acquires the image and controls the operation of the molding mechanism. The control unit calculates the occupancy ratio of areas where the resin material is present or not present in each of multiple blocks included in the image. The control unit determines whether or not molding using the resin material can be performed by the molding mechanism based on the similarity between the multiple occupancy ratios calculated for each of the multiple blocks and multiple reference ratios previously set for each of the multiple blocks.

[0007] A method for manufacturing a resin molded product according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the above-mentioned resin molding apparatus, and includes the steps of placing a resin material in a molding die and clamping the molding die in which the resin material has been placed.

[0008] A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a computer connected to a molding mechanism that molds a resin molded product to perform the following steps: acquiring an image of resin material supplied onto an object; calculating the occupancy ratio of areas where resin material is present or not present in each of a plurality of blocks contained in the image; and determining whether molding using the resin material by the molding mechanism is possible based on the similarity between the calculated occupancy ratios for each of the plurality of blocks and a plurality of reference ratios that are preset for each of the plurality of blocks.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine the scattering state of resin material supplied onto an object to be used in molding a resin molded product, and to appropriately prevent the occurrence of molding defects.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a resin molding apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the periphery of a resin material supply mechanism; Fig. 3 is a view for explaining an image capturing state by an image capturing unit; Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the resin molding apparatus; Fig. 5 is a view for explaining blocks set in an image; Fig. 6 is a view comparing graphs of an occupancy ratio and a standard ratio; Fig. 7 is another view comparing graphs of an occupancy ratio and a standard ratio.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, each drawing is drawn in a schematic manner with objects appropriately omitted or exaggerated.

[0012] 1. Configuration of Resin Molding Apparatus FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a resin molding apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The resin molding apparatus 100 resin molds an object to be molded. In the description here, a substrate W1 on which electronic components such as semiconductor chips are mounted is exemplified as the object to be molded. The resin molding apparatus 100 resin-seals the substrate W1 using a resin material P to produce a substrate W2 that will be a resin molded product. Although not limited to this, here, the component mounting surface of the substrate W1 on which electronic components are mounted is resin-sealed.

[0013] Examples of the substrate W1 include semiconductor substrates such as silicon wafers, lead frames, printed wiring boards, metal substrates, resin substrates, glass substrates, ceramic substrates, etc. The substrate may be a carrier used in FOWLP (Fan Out Wafer Level Packaging) or FOPLP (Fan Out Panel Level Packaging). The substrate may or may not already have wiring applied thereto.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , the resin molding apparatus 100 includes a master module M1, a mold module M2, and a resin module M3. The mold module M2 includes a molding mechanism 5. The molding mechanism 5 performs resin molding, which processes a substrate W1 into a substrate W2 by encapsulating electronic components on the substrate W1 with resin using a resin material P. The master module M1 supplies the substrate W1, which is the object to be molded, to the molding mechanism 5 and retrieves and stores the molded substrate W2 (resin molded product) from the molding mechanism 5. The resin module M3 supplies the resin material P to the molding mechanism 5. The modules M1 to M3 are connected in this order as an integrated device, but each of the modules M1 to M3 is detachable and replaceable with another module. While two modules M2 are shown in FIG. 1 , there may be only one module M2, or three or more modules M2 may be provided. The same applies to the modules M1 and M3; the number of modules M1 to M3 can be increased or decreased.

[0015] The resin molding apparatus 100 further includes a control unit 10 and a storage unit 12. The control unit 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and the like. The CPU executes a program 15 stored in the storage unit 12 and / or the ROM to control the operation of each unit in the modules M1 to M3. The control unit 10 is connected to various mechanisms, such as the molding mechanism 5, included in the modules M1 to M3 and controls the cooperative operation of these mechanisms. The storage unit 12 includes any type of storage medium, such as a hard disk or flash memory, and may be configured by combining multiple types of storage media. The control unit 10 may be configured as a single unit, or may be configured as multiple units distributed within or outside the modules M1 to M3. The storage unit 12 may also be configured as a single unit, or may be configured as multiple units distributed within or outside the modules M1 to M3.

[0016] In the example of FIG. 1 , the program 15 is stored in the storage unit 12. The program 15 may be provided to the resin molding apparatus 100 using a non-transitory storage medium 16 that readably stores the program 15. The storage medium 16 is, for example, a portable memory. Examples of portable memories include a CD-ROM, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, an SD card, a micro SD card, and a CompactFlash (registered trademark). When the storage medium 16 is a portable memory, the CPU of the control unit 10 may read the program 15 from the storage medium 16 using a reading device (not shown). The read program 15 is written to the storage unit 12. Furthermore, the program 15 may be provided to the resin molding apparatus 100 by a communication unit (not shown) of the resin molding apparatus 100 communicating with an external device. In this case, the CPU of the control unit 10 acquires the program 15 through the communication unit. The acquired program 15 is written to the storage unit 12. The number of CPUs included in the control unit 10 is not limited to one and may be two or more. When the control unit 10 has a plurality of CPUs, the CPUs may cooperate to execute the operations of the modules M1 to M3.

[0017] The resin molding apparatus 100 also includes an input device, a display device, etc. as a user interface (UI) device 14. The UI device 14 can be realized as, for example, a touch panel.

[0018] The master module M1 includes a supply mechanism 1, a storage unit 2, a receiver 3, and a transport mechanism 4. The supply mechanism 1 supplies a substrate W1 onto the receiver 3. The storage unit 2 stores a substrate W2. The receiver 3 moves in the Y direction between a position corresponding to the supply mechanism 1 and a position corresponding to the storage unit 2. The transport mechanism 4 is movable in the X, Y, and Z directions within the master module M1 and the mold module M2. The transport mechanism 4 holds the substrate W1 on the receiver 3, transports it to the mold module M2, and hands it over to the molding mechanism 5. The transport mechanism 4 also retrieves the substrate W2 from the molding mechanism 5, transports it to the master module M1, and places it on the receiver 3. The substrate W2 is then stored in the storage unit 2. The X and Y directions correspond to the left-right and up-down directions in FIG. 1 , respectively. The Z direction corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 .

[0019] The molding mechanism 5 manufactures the substrate W2 by compression molding. Here, a granular resin material P is used. Note that compression molding may use other forms of the resin material P, such as a liquid resin material P. An example in which a granular resin material P is used is shown below. The molding mechanism 5 includes a molding die 50 and a mold clamping mechanism 53. The molding die 50 includes an upper die 52 (first die) and a lower die 51 (second die) facing the upper die 52. The upper die 52 is capable of holding the substrate W1 on its underside. The substrate W1 is held with its component mounting surface facing downward. The lower die 51 includes a bottom member and a frame-shaped side member. The bottom member is disposed inside the frame-shaped side member. This forms a concave cavity 51A. The bottom member forms the bottom surface of the cavity 51A, and the side member forms the side surface of the cavity 51A.

[0020] Resin material P is placed in cavity 51A in a scattered state on film 73, as described below. A heating device (not shown) heats the resin material P in cavity 51A. While the heating device is heating the resin material P, mold clamping mechanism 53 clamps the upper mold 52 and the lower mold 51 to close cavity 51A, thereby hardening the resin material P in cavity 51A. This seals the component mounting surface of substrate W1 held by upper mold 52 with resin material P. Thereafter, mold clamping mechanism 53 opens upper mold 52 and lower mold 51, and substrate W2 is removed from molding die 50. In this embodiment, resin material P is thermosetting, but it may also be thermoplastic. If resin material P is thermoplastic, during resin molding, resin material P is heated and melted, and then cooled to harden the resin material P.

[0021] The resin module M3 includes a movable table 6, a storage unit 7, and a supply mechanism 8. The movable table 6 is movable in the X and Y directions within the resin module M3. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the periphery of the supply mechanism 8. As shown in FIG. 2, a film 73 supplied from a film supply mechanism (not shown) is laid on the movable table 6, and a frame 72 is placed on the film 73. This forms the storage unit 7, which has a space 71 with the film 73 as its bottom and the frame 72 as its side. The film 73 is a release film. The space 71 is open upward and has a shape and size corresponding to the cavity 51A of the lower mold 51. In this embodiment, the frame 72 and the space 71 are rectangular. A resin material P is supplied from the supply mechanism 8 into the space 71 of the storage unit 7. The resin material P is supplied from above so as to be scattered into the space 71.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 , the supply mechanism 8 includes a storage unit 80, a conveying path 81, and a vibration mechanism 82. The storage unit 80 temporarily stores the resin material P. The conveying path 81 is connected to the storage unit 80 and serves as a conveying path for the resin material P flowing out of the storage unit 80. The conveying path 81 has a discharge port 85. The vibration mechanism 82 vibrates the storage unit 80 and the conveying path 81 to send out the resin material P from the storage unit 80 and further convey it along the conveying path 81 toward the discharge port 85. After reaching the discharge port 85, the resin material P falls through the discharge port 85 and is stored in the storage unit 7. While the vibration mechanism 82 is operating, the moving table 6 moves relative to the discharge port 85 in the X and Y directions. This allows the resin material P to be evenly distributed in the storage unit 7. The Y direction is perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2 . The X direction is the left-right direction.

[0023] The supply mechanism 8 further includes a weighing mechanism 83, which supplies a preset target amount of resin material P into the storage unit 7. For example, the weighing mechanism 83 weighs the weight of the resin material P in the storage unit 80 and the conveying path 81. The control unit 10 controls the vibration mechanism 82 based on the weighing result by the weighing mechanism 83 so that the amount of resin material P supplied into the storage unit 7 becomes the target amount.

[0024] 1 , the resin module M3 further includes a photographing unit 20 and a transport mechanism 9. The photographing unit 20 photographs an image of the resin material P supplied onto the film 73 by the supply mechanism 8. In other words, the photographing unit 20 photographs the resin material P scattered in the storage unit 7, scattered on the film 73. The image generated by the photographing unit 20 is transmitted to the control unit 10 and stored in the memory unit 12 as appropriate.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the state of image capture by the image capture unit 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the image capture unit 20 captures an image of the resin material P in the storage unit 7 from above, for example, with the moving table 6 positioned below the image capture unit 20. The image capture unit 20 includes one or more camera modules 21. The camera module 21 includes an image sensor such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The image capture unit 20 also includes a light source 22 disposed above the camera module 21. Note that a backlight may be disposed instead of the light source 22. That is, a light source, a light guide plate, and the like may be disposed behind the subject as viewed from the camera module 21, in other words, below the film 73.

[0026] 1 , the transport mechanism 9 is movable in the X, Y, and Z directions within the mold module M2 and the resin module M3. The transport mechanism 9 transports the film 73 carrying the resin material P to the mold module M2. The film 73 carrying the resin material P is then placed in the cavity 51A of the lower mold 51 of the molding mechanism 5. After the resin material P is scattered on the film 73, the resin material P is photographed by the photographing unit 20 and then set in the cavity 51A, so that the position of the resin material P on the film 73 does not move significantly. In other words, the scattered state of the resin material P on the film 73 does not change significantly from the time the resin material P is scattered until it is set in the cavity 51A.

[0027] [2. Suppression of molding defects in resin molded products] As described above, in the molding mechanism 5, the resin material P is used to mold the substrate W1. As described above, the resin material P, which is contained in the lower mold 51 in a state where it is scattered on the film 73, is melted by a heating device. During mold clamping, the molten resin material covers the component mounting surface of the substrate W1 held by the upper mold 52. In this state, the temperature of the resin material P rises. This hardens the resin material P, forming a resin layer that seals the component mounting surface of the substrate W1. As a result, the substrate W2 having the resin layer is manufactured. The film 73 is peeled off from the substrate W2.

[0028] According to the molding process described above, the appearance of the substrate W2 after molding is affected by how the resin material P is scattered on the film 73. That is, depending on the state of scattering of the resin material P on the film 73, there is a risk of molding defects occurring in the substrate W2. Note that molding defects here include, for example, large variations in the thickness of the resin layer on one substrate W2. In addition, various molding defects that occur depending on the state of scattering of the resin material P are considered, such as chips flowing on the component mounting surface.

[0029] In order to prevent molding defects such as those described above, in the resin molding apparatus 100, the photographing unit 20 takes an image of the state of the resin material P scattered on the film 73. Then, based on this image, the control unit 10 determines whether the state of the resin material P scattered on the film 73 is appropriate, and accordingly determines whether resin molding can be performed. In other words, if the scattered state of the resin material P indicates that molding defects are likely to occur, resin molding is refrained from, and the occurrence of molding defects is appropriately prevented. The specific processing will be described below.

[0030] 4 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation procedure of the resin molding apparatus 100. The process shown in this flowchart is executed by the control unit 10.

[0031] First, in step S1, the control unit 10 controls the supply mechanism 8 to supply a target amount of resin material P into the storage unit 7. This control is performed while the storage unit 7 is located below the discharge port 85 of the supply mechanism 8. The control unit 10 moves the moving table 6 to position the storage unit 7 below the discharge port 85. In this state, the control unit 10 vibrates the vibration mechanism 82 to supply the resin material P into the storage unit 7 while measuring the amount of resin material P supplied by the measuring mechanism 83. The vibration and measurement are continued until the amount of resin material P supplied reaches the target amount, and then the vibration and measurement are stopped. The control unit 10 also vibrates the vibration mechanism 82 while moving the moving table 6 so that the resin material P is evenly dispersed within the storage unit 7.

[0032] In the following step S2, the control unit 10 moves the movable table 6 to position the storage unit 7 storing the resin material P below the camera module 21. Then, in this state, the photographing unit 20 performs photographing. The photographing unit 20 photographs the resin material P supplied into the frame 72 from above. This generates an image (hereinafter referred to as the original image) showing the resin material P scattered on the film 73. The control unit 10 acquires the original image from the photographing unit 20.

[0033] In the next step S3, the control unit 10 performs gradation processing and binarization on the original image. As an example, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the camera module 21 is a monochrome camera and the original image is a grayscale image. In this case, for example, in the gradation processing, each pixel in the original image is classified into 256 levels [0 (dark) - 255 (light)]. White pixels are assigned "255" and black pixels are assigned "0." In the binarization, each pixel is classified as "white (1)" or "black (0)." For example, pixels whose values ​​assigned by the gradation processing are equal to or greater than a threshold X1 (e.g., 200) are assigned "white," and pixels whose values ​​assigned by the gradation processing are less than the threshold X1 are assigned "black." As a result, each pixel value in the original image is converted to a binary value, and the original image is converted into a binarized image.

[0034] The threshold value X1 used for binarization can be set appropriately by the user. For example, the user determines an appropriate threshold value X1 based on the color of the resin material P, the color of the film 73, the color of the movable table 6 below the film 73, the light intensity of the light source 22, etc., and inputs the determined value by operating the UI device 14. The control unit 10 sets the threshold value X1 based on the user's input. The threshold value X1 is stored in the storage unit 12. The user's input may be the threshold value X1 itself or information for specifying the threshold value X1. The information for specifying the threshold value X1 may be, for example, information specifying a specific pixel in an image prepared for testing. When the user specifies a specific pixel, the pixel value of the pixel may be set as the threshold value X1.

[0035] In the following step S4, the control unit 10 sets a plurality of blocks T1 to T18 within the shooting range (entire field of view) A1 of the original image. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the blocks T1 to T18 included in the original image. A rectangular area A2 included within the shooting range A1 corresponds to the space within the frame 72, i.e., the space 71 in which the resin material P is contained within the container 7. The blocks T1 to T18 are defined in a lattice pattern within the area A2.

[0036] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 identifies the position of region A2 within the imaging range A1 and further sets blocks T1 to T18 by dividing this region A2. The method for identifying the position of region A2 is not particularly limited. For example, if the positional relationship between the camera module 21 and the frame 72 is constant during imaging, the position of region A2 can be set in advance. Alternatively, image processing such as edge detection of the frame 72 may be performed on the original image to separate region A2 within the frame 72, where the resin material P is placed, from the background and automatically detect it. The position of region A2 may be identified in step S3. In this case, the gradation processing and binarization in step S3 may be performed only on the image within region A2. The method for dividing region A2 is also not particularly limited. For example, the control unit 10 can equally divide region A2, as shown in the example of FIG. 5, so that the number of blocks is a predetermined number. The control unit 10 can set parameters such as the number of divisions for setting blocks T1 to T18 based on user input.

[0037] In the next step S5, the control unit 10 calculates the occupancy ratio for each of the plurality of blocks T1 to T18. In this embodiment, the occupancy ratio is the ratio of the area where the resin material P exists to the area of ​​each block included in the original image or the binarized image.

[0038] By the binarization in step S3, different values ​​of "white" and "black" are assigned to pixels in the area within region A2 where resin material P is present and pixels in the area where resin material P is not present. Furthermore, the area within region A2 where resin material P is not present is the area in the original image where film 73 (or, if film 73 is transparent, the movable table 6 below it) is reflected. Here, for example, assume that resin material P is a blackish color (or a deep or dark color) and film 73 or movable table 6 is a lighter or brighter color. In this case, "black" is assigned by binarization to pixels in the area where resin material P is present, and "white" is assigned to pixels in the area where resin material P is not present.

[0039] In step S5, the control unit 10 counts the number of pixels in each block that have been assigned "black" through binarization. Then, the control unit 10 calculates the ratio of the number of pixels assigned "black" to the total number of pixels in the block as the occupation ratio. If the resin material P is a lighter or brighter color than the film 73 or the moving table 6, the occupation ratio in this embodiment can be calculated by dividing the number of pixels assigned "white" by the total number of pixels.

[0040] The above occupancy ratios are calculated for each of the multiple blocks T1 to T18. Therefore, step S5 calculates a set of multiple occupancy ratios C1 to C18. The occupancy ratios C1 to C18 correspond to the blocks T1 to T18, respectively.

[0041] In the next step S6, the control unit 10 calculates the similarity between the set of values ​​of the multiple occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the set of values ​​of the multiple reference ratios R1 to R18. The reference ratios R1 to R18 are set in advance for each of the blocks T1 to T18. In this embodiment, although not limited to this, a correlation coefficient is calculated as the similarity. The correlation coefficient is a value obtained by dividing the covariance between the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the reference ratios R1 to R18 by the product of the standard deviation of the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the standard deviation of the reference ratios R1 to R18.

[0042] 6 is a diagram comparing graphs of occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and reference ratios R1 to R18. The similarity is the degree of similarity between the set of values ​​of occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the set of values ​​of reference ratios R1 to R18. In other words, it can be said that the graph of occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the graph of reference ratios R1 to R18 are similar to each other, as shown in FIG.

[0043] The reference percentages R1 to R18 are the percentages of the area where the resin material P is present within the blocks T1 to T18 included in the reference image. The reference percentages R1 to R18 can be calculated by subjecting the reference image to the same processing as steps S3 to S5 performed on the original image. The reference image is an image whose similarity to the original image is to be compared. For example, the reference image is an image captured before molding a properly manufactured substrate W2, depicting the state of the resin material P used to mold the substrate W2 scattered on the film 73. A high degree of similarity between the reference percentages R1 to R18 calculated from such a reference image and the occupancy percentages C1 to C18 means that the scattering state of the resin material P on the film 73 in the reference image and the original image is similar. Therefore, a similarity calculated in step S6 greater than a predetermined value means that if the substrate W2 is molded using the scattered resin material P depicted in the original image, there is a high possibility that a molding defect will not occur and a good substrate W2 will be molded.

[0044] Therefore, in the subsequent step S7, the control unit 10 determines whether molding using the resin material P by the molding mechanism 5 is possible based on the similarity calculated in step S6. For example, it determines whether the similarity is equal to or greater than a threshold value X2, and if the similarity is equal to or greater than the threshold value X2 (similar), it determines that molding by the molding mechanism 5 is possible, and proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, if the similarity is less than the threshold value X2 (not similar), it determines that molding by the molding mechanism 5 is not possible, and proceeds to step S9.

[0045] The threshold value X2 used in step S7 can be set appropriately by the user. For example, the correlation coefficient threshold value X2 is preferably set to a value of 60% or more, or may be set to a value of 70% or more, or may be set to a value of 80% or more. The user can input this by operating the UI device 14. In this case, the control unit 10 sets the threshold value X2 based on the user's input. The threshold value X2 is stored in the storage unit 12.

[0046] The set of reference ratios R1 to R18 used in step S6 can also be set appropriately by the user. The user can set this by operating the UI device 14. In this case, the control unit 10 sets the set of reference ratios R1 to R18 based on the user's input to the UI device 14. The set set of reference ratios R1 to R18 is saved in the storage unit 12. The user may specify the values ​​of the reference ratios R1 to R18 themselves, or may specify a reference image. When the user specifies a reference image, the control unit 10 calculates and sets the set of reference ratios R1 to R18 from the reference image. The control unit 10 may also calculate and set one set of reference ratios R1 to R18 from multiple reference images specified by the user. In this case, for example, one set of reference ratios R1 to R18 can be calculated by averaging or taking the median for each block of multiple sets of reference ratios R1 to R18 calculated from multiple reference images.

[0047] Note that multiple sets of values ​​for the reference ratios R1 to R18 may be set. For example, if there are multiple types of dispersion of the resin material P on the film 73 that can satisfactorily mold the substrate W2, multiple sets of reference ratios R1 to R18 corresponding to the respective types can be set. In this case, in step S7, if the similarity between any of the multiple similarities calculated between the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the multiple sets of reference ratios R1 to R18 is equal to or greater than the threshold value X2, it can be determined that molding is possible. Conversely, if the similarity between all sets is less than the threshold value X2, it can be determined that molding is impossible. In this case, the threshold value X2 may be set for each set.

[0048] In step S8, if it is determined that molding is possible, the control unit 10 causes the molding mechanism 5 to perform molding using the scattered resin material P shown in the original image. Specifically, the control unit 10 controls the transport mechanism 9 to transport the film 73 carrying the resin material P to the molding mechanism 5, and the molding mechanism 5 manufactures the substrate W2. Thereafter, the control unit 10 controls the transport mechanism 4 to recover the substrate W2 into the storage unit 2.

[0049] On the other hand, if it is determined that molding is not possible, in step S9, the control unit 10 discards the scattered resin material P that appears in the original image. For example, the control unit 10 controls the conveying mechanism 9 to convey the film 73 carrying the resin material P to a disposal box (not shown), and discards the resin material P and the film 73.

[0050] When step S8 or S9 is completed, the process of Fig. 4 is completed. The process of Fig. 4 is repeatedly executed, thereby manufacturing substrates W2 successively.

[0051] [4. Features] In the above embodiment, before molding of the substrate W2, the appropriateness of the scattered state of the resin material P supplied onto the film 73 is appropriately determined based on the similarity. If the result of the determination is poor, molding using the resin material P in such a scattered state is stopped. As a result, the occurrence of molding defects can be appropriately prevented.

[0052] Furthermore, even if the resin material P is supplied unevenly on the film 73 and is not evenly distributed, a non-defective substrate W2 may still be manufactured. In the above embodiment, it is possible to determine that molding is possible even in such a case, and it is also possible to prevent excessive waste of the resin material P.

[0053] [5. Other Embodiments] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible. Furthermore, the gist of the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0054] [5-1] In the above embodiment, a correlation coefficient was calculated as the similarity, but this is not limiting. Any index capable of expressing the similarity between the set of values ​​of the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the set of values ​​of the reference ratios R1 to R18 can be used. For example, the similarity can be a coefficient of determination, which is the square of the correlation coefficient, or can be calculated using AI (artificial intelligence). Furthermore, it is not necessary to calculate a quantitative index such as similarity in order to determine whether or not a moldable object can be formed based on the similarity. For example, AI (artificial intelligence) can be used to determine whether or not a graph of the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 is similar to a graph of the reference ratios R1 to R18, and whether or not a moldable object can be formed can be determined based on the similarity determination result.

[0055] [5-2] In the above embodiment, the frame 72, the space 71 in the storage section 7, and the area A2 are rectangular, but they may be any shape, such as circular. The shape of the block is also not limited to rectangular and may be any shape.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the blocks are set by equally dividing the area A2. However, the size and shape of the blocks may be different from each other. For example, the blocks may be set larger as they are closer to the center of the area A2 and smaller as they are further away from the center, or conversely, the blocks may be set smaller as they are closer to the center of the area A2 and larger as they are further away from the center. Furthermore, the blocks do not need to be set without gaps or overlaps within the area A2, and they may partially overlap each other. There may be gaps within the area A2 that are not included in the blocks.

[0057] [5-3] In the above embodiment, the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the reference ratios R1 to R18 are the ratios of the regions in the blocks T1 to T18 where the resin material P is present. However, the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 and the reference ratios R1 to R18 may also be the ratios of the regions in the blocks T1 to T18 where the resin material P is not present.

[0058] [5-4] In the above embodiment, the reference image was an image of a good example. However, the reference image may also be an image of a bad example. That is, an image taken of the state when the resin material P was scattered on the film 73 before molding of the defectively molded substrate W2 may be used as the reference image. Note that when a bad example is used as the reference image, in step S7, if the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold X2 (not similar), it can be determined that molding is possible, and if the similarity is greater than the threshold X2 (similar), it can be determined that molding is not possible. Furthermore, both an image of a good example and an image of a bad example may be prepared as the reference image.

[0059] [5-5] In the above embodiment, in step S1, the amount of resin material P supplied to the storage section 7 was controlled to a target amount. In this case, the sum of the occupancy rates C1 to C18 and the sum of the reference rates R1 to R18 are approximately equal, and the integrals of both graphs shown in FIG. 6 are also expected to be approximately equal. On the other hand, if an excessive or insufficient amount of resin material P is supplied to the storage section 7 in step S1, molding defects may occur. However, even if an excessive or insufficient amount of resin material P is supplied, as shown in FIG. 7, the shapes of the graphs of the occupancy rates C1 to C18 and the reference rates R1 to R18 may be similar. Therefore, there may be cases where molding defects cannot be prevented solely by the determination based on the similarity in step S7.

[0060] To prepare for such a case, in addition to the similarity-based determination in step S7, the following determination may be made. That is, a threshold value (upper limit and / or lower limit) may be set for each of the occupancy ratios C1 to C18 for each block, and if the occupancy ratio corresponding to any block is above the upper limit or below the lower limit, it may be determined that the block is not moldable, and otherwise it may be determined that the block is moldable. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to this, a threshold value (upper limit and / or lower limit) may be set for the total value of the occupancy ratios C1 to C18, and if the total value is above the upper limit or below the lower limit, it may be determined that the block is not moldable, and otherwise it may be determined that the block is moldable.

[0061] [5-6] In the above embodiment, the original image is a grayscale image, but a color image may be obtained by using a visible light camera as the camera module 21. Furthermore, if there is a temperature difference between the resin material P and the film 73 onto which it is supplied or the movable table 6 underneath, the camera module 21 may be an infrared camera, and the original image may be an infrared image.

[0062] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Resin molding device 1 Supply mechanism 2 Storage section 3 Placement section 4 Conveyance mechanism 5 Molding device 50 Molding mold 51 Lower mold 51A Cavity 52 Upper mold 53 Mold clamping mechanism 6 Moving table 7 Storage section 71 Space 72 Frame body 73 Film (object) 8 Supply mechanism 80 Storage section 81 Conveyance path 82 Vibration mechanism 83 Metering mechanism 85 Discharge outlet 9 Conveyance mechanism 10 Control section 12 Memory section 14 User interface device 15 Program 16 Storage medium 20 Photography section 21 Camera module 22 Light source M1 Master module M2 Mold module M3 Resin module P Resin material A1 Photography range A2 Area T1 to T18 Blocks C1 to C18 Occupancy ratio R1 to R18 Reference ratio W1 Substrate before molding W2 Substrate (resin molded product) X1 Threshold value (first threshold value) X2 Threshold value (second threshold value)

Claims

1. A resin molding device comprising: an image capture unit that captures an image of resin material supplied onto an object; a molding mechanism that molds a resin molded product using the resin material supplied onto the object; and a control unit that acquires the image and controls the operation of the molding mechanism, wherein the control unit calculates an occupancy ratio of areas where the resin material is present or not present in each of a plurality of blocks contained in the image, and determines whether or not the molding can be performed using the resin material by the molding mechanism based on the similarity between the multiple occupancy ratios calculated for each of the plurality of blocks and a plurality of reference ratios that are preset for each of the plurality of blocks.

2. The resin molding device described in claim 1, wherein the control unit binarizes the image and calculates the occupancy ratio as the proportion of the number of pixels contained in each block to which the first value out of the first and second values ​​is assigned by the binarization.

3. The resin molding device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sets a first threshold value used in the binarization based on a user input.

4. The resin molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit calculates the similarity, and when the similarity is equal to or greater than a second threshold value, causes the molding mechanism to perform the molding.

5. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit sets the second threshold value based on a user input.

6. The resin molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit sets the plurality of reference ratios based on a user input.

7. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the similarity is a correlation coefficient or a coefficient of determination.

8. A resin molding device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the photographing unit photographs the resin material supplied within a rectangular frame placed on the object, and the multiple blocks are areas defined in a lattice pattern within the frame.

9. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using a resin molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps of: placing the resin material in a molding die; and clamping the molding die in which the resin material is placed.

10. A program that causes a computer connected to a molding mechanism that molds a resin molded product to execute the following steps: acquiring an image of resin material supplied onto an object; calculating the occupancy ratio of areas where the resin material is present or not present in each of a plurality of blocks contained in the image; and judging whether or not the molding can be performed using the resin material by the molding mechanism based on the similarity between the multiple occupancy ratios calculated for each of the plurality of blocks and multiple reference ratios that are preset for each of the plurality of blocks.

Images