Component mounting apparatus and component mounting method

Abstract

This component mounting apparatus comprises: a transfer unit to which one of a plurality of transfer trays having different sizes is replaceably attached and which supplies a transfer material formed in a film to the transfer tray; a head for transferring the transfer material onto a plurality of components by sucking the plurality of components with a plurality of nozzles and lowering the plurality of nozzles with respect to the transfer tray; and a transfer component number determination unit that determines, on the basis of the size of the transfer tray and the size of the plurality of components, the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred each time a film is formed on the transfer tray, and the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head, among the plurality of components.

Description

Component mounting device and component mounting method

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a paste transfer device that can prevent paste waste while maintaining measures to prevent swelling of the squeegee member. The paste transfer device has a base portion and side walls rising from the sides of the base portion, and a transfer stage to which paste to be transferred to an electronic component is supplied. The paste transfer device also includes a paste film forming unit that forms a paste film on the transfer stage, and a paste scraping unit that scrapes the paste film formed on the transfer stage.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-115477

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the paste transfer device is capable of simultaneously applying paste to multiple electronic components by immersing multiple electronic components held by a mounting head in paste supplied to a transfer tray.

[0005] In recent years, different sizes of transfer plates have come into use, and there are cases where it is not possible to apply paste to multiple electronic components at once depending on the relationship between the size of the transfer plate and the size of the electronic components. Depending on the relationship between the size of the transfer plate and the size of the electronic components, workers must manually switch between applying paste to multiple electronic components at once or applying it in several batches. However, if the transfer method set by the worker is not optimal, there are issues such as not being able to properly apply paste to all of the multiple electronic components or it taking longer than necessary to complete the transfer.

[0006] The present disclosure has been devised in view of the above-described conventional situation, and aims to automatically set an appropriate transfer method.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a component mounting device comprising: a transfer unit in which one of a plurality of transfer trays of different sizes is interchangeably attached and which supplies a transfer material to the transfer tray in a film-formed state; a head that adsorbs a plurality of components with a plurality of nozzles and transfers the transfer material to the plurality of components by lowering the plurality of nozzles relative to the transfer tray; and a transfer component number determination unit that determines, based on the size of the transfer tray and the size of the plurality of components, the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred for each film-formation on the transfer tray and the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head.

[0008] The present disclosure also provides a component mounting method in which one of a plurality of transfer trays of different sizes is interchangeably attached, a transfer material is supplied to the transfer tray in a film-formed state, a plurality of components are adsorbed by a plurality of nozzles attached to a head, and the plurality of nozzles are lowered relative to the transfer tray to transfer the transfer material to the plurality of components, and based on the size of the transfer tray and the size of the plurality of components, the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred for each film-formation on the transfer tray and the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head are determined.

[0009] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, an appropriate transfer method can be automatically set.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paste transfer device provided in the component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a transfer tray provided in the component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first example of an erroneous transfer operation; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an eighth example of a transfer sequence; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a ninth example of a transfer sequence;

[0012] Hereinafter, with appropriate reference to the drawings, detailed descriptions will be given of embodiments specifically disclosing a component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method according to the present disclosure. However, more detailed descriptions than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is 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 of the claims.

[0013] First, the overall configuration of a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The component mounting apparatus 1 has a function of mounting electronic components on a board, and a board transport mechanism 2 is disposed on a base 1a in the X direction, which is the board transport direction. The board transport mechanism 2 transports a board 3 that is the target of component mounting work.

[0014] Component supply units that supply electronic components are provided on both sides of the substrate transport mechanism 2. One side of the electronic component supply unit 4A has a plurality of tape feeders 6 that supply electronic components 5 (FIG. 2) held on tape, and a paste transfer device 7 arranged in parallel. The paste transfer device 7 has the function of transferring paste P, which is a viscous fluid transfer material such as flux, onto the electronic components 5 picked up by the mounting head 11A described below. The other side of the electronic component supply unit 4B has a tray feeder 8 that supplies trays 8a containing tray components (not shown), which are large electronic components.

[0015] A Y-axis table 9 is disposed at one end of the base 1a in the X direction, in the Y direction perpendicular to the substrate transport mechanism 2. Two X-axis tables 10A and 10B are connected to the Y-axis table 9 so as to be freely movable in the Y direction, and mounting heads 11A and 11B are attached to the X-axis tables 10A and 10B, respectively.

[0016] By driving the X-axis table 10A and the Y-axis table 9, the mounting head 11A uses the nozzle 11a (FIG. 2) attached to its bottom to pick up electronic components 5 from the tape feeder 6 of the electronic component supply unit 4A, accesses the paste transfer device 7 for paste transfer, and transports and mounts the electronic components 5 after paste transfer onto the substrate 3 positioned and held by the substrate conveying mechanism 2. That is, the mounting head 11A picks up electronic components 5 from the electronic component supply unit 4A and mounts them on the substrate 3. The X-axis table 10A and the Y-axis table 9 constitute a head moving means that moves the mounting head 11A to access the substrate 3 and the paste transfer device 7. Furthermore, by driving the X-axis table 10B and the Y-axis table 9, the mounting head 11B picks up tray components from the tray 8a held in the tray feeder 8 of the electronic component supply unit 4B and transports and mounts them onto the substrate 3 positioned and held by the substrate conveying mechanism 2.

[0017] The X-axis tables 10A, 10B are equipped with board recognition cameras 12 that move integrally with the mounting heads 11A, 11B, and as the mounting heads 11A, 11B move above the board 3, the board recognition cameras 12 also move integrally to capture images of the board 3. A component recognition camera 13 and a nozzle stocker 14 are disposed on the base 1a between each of the electronic component supply units 4A, 4B and the board transport mechanism 2.

[0018] The nozzle stocker 14 stores nozzles 11a to be attached to the mounting heads 11A and 11B for multiple component types. By having the mounting heads 11A and 11B access the nozzle stocker 14 and performing a predetermined nozzle replacement operation, the nozzles 11a of the mounting heads 11A and 11B can be replaced according to the component type. By moving the mounting head 11A holding the electronic component 5 relatively in the X direction above the component recognition camera 13, the component recognition camera 13 reads an image of the electronic component 5 from below, thereby recognizing the type and shape of the electronic component 5 held by the mounting head 11A. When the mounting head 11A mounts the electronic component 5, the mounting position on the board 3 is corrected taking into account the board recognition results from the board recognition camera 12 and the component recognition results from the component recognition camera 13. The same applies when mounting tray components using the mounting head 11B.

[0019] Next, the structure of the paste transfer device 7 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the paste transfer device provided in the component mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this specification, the access side of the mounting head 11A is defined as the front side, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side.

[0020] In FIG. 2, the paste transfer device 7 is provided with an engaging portion 20a for fixing the unit base portion 20, and further provided with a handle 21 protruding rearward from the engaging portion 20a.

[0021] A guide rail 22 is disposed in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the unit base portion 20, and a transfer tray 24 is replaceably attached to a slider 23 that is slidably fitted onto the guide rail 22. A feed screw 26 is threaded into a nut (not shown) connected to the underside of the transfer tray 24, and the feed screw 26 is driven to rotate by a motor 27 located on the rear end side of the unit base portion 20. Therefore, by driving the motor 27, the transfer tray 24 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) on the upper surface of the unit base portion 20.

[0022] That is, the guide rail 22, slider 23, feed screw 26, and motor 27 constitute a stage driving means for reciprocating the transfer tray 24 in the longitudinal direction relative to the unit base portion 20. This stage driving means is covered with a safety cover 28 to ensure the safety of the operator.

[0023] The paste supply syringe 35 constitutes a flux supply unit 56 (FIG. 4) that supplies the paste P to the transfer tray 24. The flux supply unit 56 can be read as a transfer unit. The transfer tray 24 is held by a bracket 36, which fixes its horizontal position relative to the unit base 20. A transfer area 32 is set in front of the transfer tray 24, and the mounting head 11A moves the electronic component 5 to the transfer area 32 and transfers the paste P thereto.

[0024] Next, a transfer tray provided in the component mounting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the transfer tray provided in the component mounting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] The transfer tray 24 mainly comprises a rectangular plate-shaped base portion 30 with a smooth upper surface, and has a concave structure with side walls 31A rising from both longitudinal sides of the base portion 30 and side walls 31B rising from both widthwise sides of the base portion 30. The transfer tray 24 is supplied with paste P to be transferred to the electronic component 5, and the upper surface of the base portion 30 serves as a transfer surface for forming a coating of the paste P and transferring it to the electronic component 5.

[0026] There are multiple types of transfer trays 24, each with a different size. The transfer tray 24 has a code 37. The code 37 is associated with identification information that allows the type of transfer tray 24 to be identified. The code 37 may be, for example, a barcode, a Quick Response code (hereinafter referred to as a "QR code (registered trademark)"), or a Radio Frequency Identification (hereinafter referred to as an "RFID") code. The component mounting device 1 reads the code 37 using a board recognition camera 12 or a reader (not shown) to identify the type of transfer tray 24 attached to the paste transfer device 7. The transfer tray 24 does not necessarily have to have the code 37, and the component mounting device 1 may use a camera to determine the size of the transfer tray 24. For example, a camera capable of capturing an image of the transfer tray 24 may be installed, and the component mounting device 1 may analyze the image captured by the camera to determine the size of the transfer tray 24.

[0027] Next, an example of an erroneous transfer operation will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a diagram showing a first example of an erroneous transfer operation. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a second example of an erroneous transfer operation.

[0028] The component transfer area 24T is an area where electronic components 5 are transferred onto the paste P formed on the transfer tray 24. The numbers written within the component transfer area 24T indicate the order in which the electronic components 5 were transferred. If the numbers within the component transfer area 24T are the same, this indicates that the electronic components 5 were simultaneously lowered onto the paste P (i.e., without moving the nozzle 11a) and transferred.

[0029] 4, the paste P is transferred to the electronic components 5 one by one in order. Although the transfer tray 24 is large enough to transfer the paste P to three electronic components 5 at once, the transfer is performed one by one, which unnecessarily lengthens the transfer time.

[0030] 5 , the paste P is simultaneously transferred onto three electronic components 5. However, because the size of the transfer tray 24 is smaller than the three electronic components 5, some of the electronic components 5 protrude from the formed paste P when the paste P is transferred onto the electronic components 5, making it impossible to properly transfer the paste P onto the electronic components 5.

[0031] In this way, if an operator sets an incorrect transfer method, the time required for transfer may be unnecessarily long, reducing productivity, or the paste P may not be properly transferred to the electronic components 5, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the product. Furthermore, there is a problem in that it is a cumbersome task for an operator to manually set the transfer method every time the transfer tray 24 is replaced. Given these circumstances, there is a need for a system that can automatically set an appropriate transfer method.

[0032] Next, software calibration (functional configuration) of the control unit of the component mounting apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit of the component mounting apparatus 1.

[0033] The control unit 40 of the component mounting apparatus 1 may be configured by a general-purpose computer including a storage device such as a read-only memory and a random access memory, and an arithmetic unit such as a central processing unit. The arithmetic unit realizes the software configuration (functional configuration) shown in FIG. 6 by reading and executing a computer program stored in the storage device. That is, each block shown in the control unit 40 in FIG. 6 represents a function realized by software. However, at least some of the functions represented as blocks are not limited to software and may be realized by the physical configuration (hardware) of the "apparatus."

[0034] The control unit 40 includes a storage unit 41 , a mechanism control unit 46 , a transfer component number determination unit 47 , and an image capture processing unit 49 .

[0035] The storage unit 41 holds at least mounting data 42, component data 43, and transfer tray data 44. The mounting data 42 stores information such as the type of electronic components 5 to be mounted on each board, the mounting attitude (e.g., direction or angle), the mounting sequence of the electronic components 5, and the mounting timing of the electronic components 5. The component data 43 stores information such as the component ID, type, size, horizontal movement speed in the XY plane, and rotation speed in the XY plane. The component data 43 stores, for example, component data 100 (see FIG. 7). The transfer tray data 44 stores information related to the transfer tray 24. The transfer tray data 44 stores, for example, transfer tray data 200 (see FIG. 8).

[0036] The mechanism control unit 46 controls the driving of the flux supply unit 56, the tape feeder 6, the substrate transport mechanism 2, and the component mounting mechanism 50. For example, the mechanism control unit 46 controls the driving of the flux supply unit 56, the tape feeder 6, the substrate transport mechanism 2, and the component mounting mechanism 50, causing the flux supply unit 56, the tape feeder 6, the substrate transport mechanism 2, and the component mounting mechanism 50 to operate in coordination. The mechanism control unit 46 controls the component mounting mechanism 50 to apply paste P to the electronic components 5 based on the transfer sequence determined by the component transfer number determination unit 47. The transfer sequence refers to the order in which, among the multiple electronic components 5 held by the mounting head 11A, how many and which of the multiple electronic components 5 are to be dipped into paste P without moving the mounting head 11A. A detailed method for determining the transfer sequence will be described later.

[0037] The transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence based on the information on the electronic components 5 stored in the component data 43 and the information on the transfer tray 24 stored in the transfer tray data 44 .

[0038] The imaging processing unit 49 includes a camera control unit 54 and a transfer tray recognition unit 55. The component recognition camera 13 and the board recognition camera 12 are controlled by the imaging processing unit 49. The transfer tray recognition unit 55 acquires information on the code 37 read by the board recognition camera 12 or a reader (not shown), etc. The transfer tray recognition unit 55 compares the identification information of the transfer tray 24 linked to the acquired code 37 with the information stored in the transfer tray data 44, and determines the type of transfer tray 24 installed in the paste transfer device 7.

[0039] Next, an example of part data will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of part data. Part data is data related to parts stored in the part data 43.

[0040] The component data 100 is data in which a component ID, which is identification information of the electronic component 5, is linked to the type of electronic component 5, the size of the electronic component 5, the horizontal movement speed in the XY plane of the board 3, and the rotation speed in the XY plane of the board 3. For the type of electronic component 5, the name of the electronic component 5 or the like is written. For the size of the electronic component 5, information such as the length, width, and height of the electronic component 5 is written. For the horizontal movement speed, a speed that can be arbitrarily set by an operator or the like is written. For the rotation speed, the rotation speed of the nozzle 11a is written.

[0041] Next, an example of the transfer tray data will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the transfer tray data. The transfer tray data 200 is data related to the transfer tray 24 stored in the transfer tray data 44.

[0042] The transfer tray data 200 is data in which the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the transfer tray 24 are linked to a transfer tray ID, which is identification information of the transfer tray 24 .

[0043] Next, an example of a series of processes for transferring paste to an electronic component will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes for transferring paste to an electronic component.

[0044] The transfer tray recognition unit 55 causes the substrate recognition camera 12 to capture an image of the code 37 on the transfer tray 24 (step St100).

[0045] The transfer tray recognition unit 55 acquires an image of the code 37 from the board recognition camera 12 and obtains identification information of the transfer tray 24. The transfer tray recognition unit 55 compares the information on the transfer tray 24 stored in the transfer tray data 44 with the identification information on the transfer tray 24 obtained from the code 37, and recognizes the type of transfer tray 24 currently installed in the paste transfer device 7 (step St101). The transfer tray recognition unit 55 outputs information on the recognized type of transfer tray 24 to the transfer component number determination unit 47.

[0046] The mechanism control unit 46 controls the substrate transport mechanism 2 to load the substrate 3 (step St102).

[0047] The mechanism control unit 46 controls the mounting head 11A to pick up one turn's worth of electronic components 5 from the tape feeder 6 (step St103). The number of electronic components 5 in one turn varies depending on the number of nozzles 11a of the mounting head 11A and the number of electronic components 5 to be mounted on the board 3. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the number of electronic components 5 in one turn is eight. However, the number of electronic components 5 in one turn is not limited to eight.

[0048] The transfer component number determination unit 47 acquires information on the size of the electronic component 5 from the component data 43 (step St104).

[0049] The transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred based on the size information of the transfer tray 24 and the size information of the electronic components 5 received from the transfer tray recognition unit 55 (step St105). The transfer component number determination unit 47 may determine the transfer sequence at the same time as determining the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred in the processing of step St105. The specific processing content of step St105 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The transfer component number determination unit 47 outputs the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred determined in the processing of step St105 to the mechanism control unit 46.

[0050] The mechanism control unit 46 controls the component mounting mechanism 50 to transfer the paste P onto the electronic components 5 based on the transfer sequence determined by the component transfer number determination unit 47 (step St106).

[0051] The mechanism control unit 46 mounts the electronic component 5 onto which the paste P has been transferred in the process of step St106 on the substrate 3 (step St107).

[0052] The mechanism control unit 46 determines whether there is a next turn to mount electronic components 5 on the board 3 based on the information stored in the mounting data 42 (step St108).

[0053] If the mechanism control unit 46 determines that there is a next turn (YES in step St108), it executes the process of step St103 again.

[0054] If the mechanism control unit 46 determines that there is no next turn (step St108, NO), it carries out the substrate 3 (step St109).

[0055] The mechanism control unit 46 determines whether there is a next board 3 on which an electronic component 5 is to be mounted, based on the information stored in the mounting data 42 (step St110).

[0056] When the mechanism control unit 46 determines that there is a next board 3 on which an electronic component 5 is to be mounted (YES in step St110), it executes the process of step St102 again.

[0057] If the mechanism control unit 46 determines that there is no next board 3 on which to mount the electronic component 5 (step St110, NO), it ends the process related to mounting the electronic component 5.

[0058] Next, an example of a process for determining the number of electronic components to be transferred will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining the number of electronic components to be transferred.

[0059] The transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred using the paste P deposited on the transfer tray 24 based on the size of the transfer tray 24 and the size of the electronic components 5 (step St200). That is, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines how many electronic components 5 can be transferred using the paste P deposited on the transfer tray 24 once. In the determination method for step St200, for example, an operator or the like pre-sets the area of ​​the area of ​​the paste P deposited on the transfer tray 24 to which the paste P will not be transferred, at least to necessary electronic components 5. The transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred by subtracting the area of ​​the pre-set area to which the paste P will not be transferred from the size (i.e., area) of the transfer tray 24 and dividing the result by the size (i.e., area) of the electronic components 5. The above-described determination method is merely an example and is not limiting.

[0060] Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred in one transfer in the first side direction from the length of the first side of the transfer tray 24 and the size of the electronic components 5 (step St201). Here, the first side refers to either the vertical or horizontal side of the transfer tray 24. The transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the maximum number of electronic components 5 that can be arranged in the first side direction of the transfer tray 24, for example, using the length of the electronic components 5 in the first side direction and the predetermined length of the gap between the electronic components 5.

[0061] Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components 5 to be transferred in one transfer in the second side direction from the length of a second side of the transfer tray 24 that is in a direction different from the first side and the size of the electronic components 5 (step St202). For example, if the first side is a vertical side of the transfer tray 24, the second side is the horizontal side. For example, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the maximum number of electronic components 5 that can be arranged in the second side direction of the transfer tray 24 using the length of the electronic components 5 in the second side direction and the predetermined length of the interval between the electronic components 5.

[0062] The transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence based on the results of the processes in steps St200, St201, and St202 (step St203).

[0063] The order of the processing in step St201 and the processing in step St202 may be reversed.

[0064] Note that the example shown in FIG. 8 is an example of a method for determining the number of transfer components, and the method is not limited to this process. For example, an operator may manually create table information in advance that associates appropriate transfer sequences with the sizes of the transfer tray 24 and electronic components 5, and the transfer component number determination unit 47 may determine the transfer sequence by comparing the table information with the sizes of the transfer tray 24 and electronic components 5. Alternatively, the transfer component number determination unit 47 may determine the optimal transfer sequence using an artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as "AI") model that has learned transfer sequences previously performed for the sizes of the transfer tray 24 and electronic components 5 and the time required to complete transfer. Alternatively, the transfer component number determination unit 47 may use known AI technology to determine the transfer sequence based on the sizes of the transfer tray 24 and electronic components 5.

[0065] This allows the component mounting apparatus 1 to automatically determine the optimal transfer sequence based on the size of the transfer tray 24 and the size of the electronic component 5. By determining the optimal transfer sequence, the component mounting apparatus 1 can prevent the time required for the transfer operation from being unnecessarily long, thereby improving productivity. Furthermore, the component mounting apparatus 1 can prevent a situation in which the electronic component 5 protrudes from the transfer tray 24 when transferring the paste P to the electronic component 5, preventing the paste P from being properly transferred to the electronic component 5, thereby improving the quality of the product.

[0066] Next, several examples of transfer sequences will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 20. Figure 11 is a diagram showing a first example of a transfer sequence. Figure 12 is a diagram showing a second example of a transfer sequence. Figure 13 is a diagram showing a third example of a transfer sequence. Figure 14 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a transfer sequence. Figure 15 is a diagram showing a fifth example of a transfer sequence. Figure 14 is a diagram showing a sixth example of a transfer sequence. Figure 17 is a diagram showing a seventh example of a transfer sequence. Figure 18 is a diagram showing an eighth example of a transfer sequence. Figure 19 is a diagram showing a ninth example of a transfer sequence. Figure 20 is a diagram showing a tenth example of a transfer sequence.

[0067] The transfer tray 24 shown in Figures 11 to 20 has a film of paste P formed thereon. The rectangles in the transfer tray 24 represent the positions at which the electronic components 5 are immersed in the applied paste P, and the numbers written in the rectangles represent the order in which they are immersed. While Figures 11 to 20 illustrate a case in which there are eight nozzles 11a and paste P is transferred to eight electronic components 5, this is merely an example and the number of electronic components 5 is not limited to eight. Hereinafter, the operation of lowering the nozzles 11a into the paste P applied to the transfer tray 24 and immersing and transferring the electronic components 5 in the paste P will be referred to as the "transfer operation."

[0068] 11 to 20, the longitudinal direction of the transfer tray 24 is set as the x-axis, and the lateral direction of the transfer tray 24 perpendicular to the x-axis is set as the y-axis. Note that the x and y axes are set for the convenience of explanation and are not intended to limit the orientation of the structure when actually used.

[0069] First, an example of a sequence for transferring paste P to eight electronic components 5 in one film formation (that is, in one film of paste P formed) will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14. FIG.

[0070] 11 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to eight electronic components 5 in one film formation. In transfer sequence 1, the transfer operation is performed on all electronic components 5 held by nozzle 11a without moving nozzle 11a. In other words, transfer sequence 1 is a sequence in which transfer tray 24 is sufficiently large compared to the size of the electronic components 5, allowing paste P to be transferred to all electronic components 5 at once.

[0071] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be eight based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be four based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic components 5, and determines the number of components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be two based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic components 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines transfer sequence 1.

[0072] 12 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to eight electronic components 5 in one film formation. In transfer sequence 2, the component mounting apparatus 1 transfers paste P to four electronic components 5 in the x-axis direction at once, and then transfers paste P to the remaining four electronic components 5 in one batch using the nozzle 11a moved in the negative y-axis direction. In transfer sequence 2, although the transfer tray 24 is large enough to transfer all eight electronic components 5 in one film formation, the length of the transfer tray 24 in the y-axis direction is short, so the transfer operation for all electronic components 5 cannot be performed without moving the nozzle 11a, and the nozzle 11a is moved once in the y direction to perform the transfer operation.

[0073] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be eight based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be four based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be one based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines transfer sequence 2.

[0074] Transfer sequence 3 shown in FIG. 13 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to eight electronic components 5 in one film formation. In transfer sequence 3, the component mounting apparatus 1 first transfers paste P to two electronic components 5 in the y-axis direction, then shifts the nozzle 11a in the x-axis direction and transfers two more electronic components 5 in the y-axis direction. In transfer sequence 3, the component mounting apparatus 1 shifts the nozzle 11a three times in the x-axis direction to perform the transfer operation two at a time, for a total of four transfer operations. In transfer sequence 3, although the transfer tray 24 is large enough to transfer all eight electronic components 5 in one film formation, the length of the transfer tray 24 in the x-axis direction is short, and four electronic components 5 cannot be transferred at one time in the x-axis direction. Therefore, the nozzle 11a is moved three times in the x-axis direction to perform the transfer operation.

[0075] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be eight based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be one based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be two based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines transfer sequence 3.

[0076] 14 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to eight electronic components 5 in one film formation. In transfer sequence 4, the component mounting device 1 transfers paste P to the electronic components 5 one by one. That is, in transfer sequence 4, the component mounting device 1 shifts the nozzle 11a in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction to perform the transfer operation one by one, for a total of eight transfer operations. In transfer sequence 4, although the transfer tray 24 is large enough to transfer all eight electronic components 5 in one film formation, the lengths of the transfer tray 24 in both the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction are short, so that multiple electronic components cannot be transferred at one time. Therefore, the nozzle 11a is moved eight times to perform the transfer operation.

[0077] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be eight based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be one based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be one based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 4.

[0078] 15 to 20, an example of a sequence will be described in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, the paste P is then re-formed on the transfer tray 24, and the paste P is then transferred to the remaining four electronic components 5. The operation of forming a film of paste P on the transfer tray 24 is referred to as a "film formation operation." Furthermore, the first film formation when the transfer operation of the electronic components 5 is performed is referred to as a "first film formation," and the film formation performed after the first film formation is referred to as a "second film formation."

[0079] 15 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, and paste P is transferred to all eight electronic components 5 in a total of two film formations. In transfer sequence 5, the component mounting apparatus 1 transfers paste P to four electronic components 5 all at once in the first film formation, then performs a film formation operation, and transfers paste P to the remaining four electronic components 5 all at once in the second film formation.

[0080] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be four based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be four based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be one based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 5.

[0081] 16 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, and paste P is transferred to all eight electronic components 5 in a total of two film formations. In transfer sequence 6, the component mounting apparatus 1 transfers paste P to the electronic components 5 one by one while moving the nozzle 11a in the first film formation, then performs a film formation operation, and in the second film formation, moves the nozzle 11a while transferring paste P to the electronic components 5 one by one, completing the transfer operation.

[0082] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be four based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be one based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be one based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 6.

[0083] 17 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, and paste P is transferred to all eight electronic components 5 in a total of two film formations. In transfer sequence 7, the component mounting apparatus 1 transfers paste P to four electronic components 5 all at once in the first film formation, then performs a film formation operation, and transfers paste P to the remaining four electronic components 5 all at once in the second film formation.

[0084] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be four based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be two based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic components 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be two based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic components 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 7.

[0085] 18 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, and paste P is transferred to all eight electronic components 5 in a total of two film formations. In transfer sequence 8, the component mounting apparatus 1 first transfers paste P to two electronic components 5 in the y-axis direction in the first film formation, then moves the nozzle 11a in the positive x-axis direction and transfers paste P to two electronic components 5 in the y-axis direction. Thereafter, the component mounting apparatus 1 performs a film formation operation, and in the second film formation, paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in the same procedure as in the first film formation.

[0086] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be four based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be one based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be two based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 8.

[0087] 19 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, and paste P is transferred to all eight electronic components 5 in a total of two film formations. In transfer sequence 9, the component mounting apparatus 1 first transfers paste P to two electronic components 5 in the x-axis direction in the first film formation, moves the nozzle 11a in the negative y-axis direction, and transfers paste P to two electronic components 5 in the x-axis direction. Thereafter, the component mounting apparatus 1 performs a film formation operation, and in the second film formation, paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in the same procedure as in the first film formation.

[0088] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be four based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation in the direction of the first side A to be two based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation in the direction of the second side B to be one based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 9.

[0089] 20 is a sequence in which paste P is transferred to four electronic components 5 in one film formation, and paste P is transferred to all eight electronic components 5 in a total of two film formations. In transfer sequence 10, the component mounting apparatus 1 moves the nozzle 11a in the first film formation to transfer paste P to the electronic components 5 one by one. Thereafter, the component mounting apparatus 1 performs a film formation operation, and in the second film formation, four electronic components 5 are transferred to paste P in the same procedure as in the first film formation.

[0090] The transfer component number determination unit 47 first determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one film formation to be four based on the area of ​​the transfer tray 24. Next, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the first side A to be one based on the length of the first side A and the size of the electronic component 5, and determines the number of electronic components to be transferred in one transfer in the direction of the second side B to be one based on the length of the second side B and the size of the electronic component 5. In this way, the transfer component number determination unit 47 determines the transfer sequence 10.

[0091] (Summary of the present disclosure) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0092] <Technology 1> The component mounting device according to this embodiment includes a transfer unit in which one of a plurality of transfer trays of different sizes is interchangeably attached and which supplies the transfer material to the transfer tray in a film-formed state; a head that adsorbs the plurality of components with a plurality of nozzles and transfers the transfer material to the plurality of components by lowering the plurality of nozzles relative to the transfer tray; and a transfer component number determination unit that determines, based on the size of the transfer tray and the size of the plurality of components, the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred for each film-formation on the transfer tray and the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head.

[0093] As a result, the component mounting apparatus according to this embodiment automatically determines the number of components to which the transfer material is transferred per film formation and the number of components to which the transfer material is transferred without moving the head, based on the size of the transfer tray and the size of the multiple components. This allows the component mounting apparatus to automatically set an appropriate transfer method. By automatically setting the transfer method, the component mounting apparatus can prevent a situation in which the components protrude from the transfer tray when the nozzle is lowered to transfer the transfer material onto the components, resulting in the transfer material not being properly transferred onto the components. Furthermore, the component mounting apparatus can prevent longer than necessary time required to complete transfer, thereby improving productivity.

[0094] <Technology 2> In the component mounting device described in Technology 1, the transfer component number determination unit determines the maximum number of components to which the transfer material can be transferred in one film formation on the transfer tray based on the size of the transfer tray and the sizes of the multiple components.

[0095] As a result, the component mounting apparatus according to this embodiment can shorten the time until transfer is completed and improve productivity.

[0096] <Technology 3> In the component mounting device described in Technology 1 or Technology 2, the transfer component number determination unit determines the number of components in the direction of the first side to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head based on the length of the first side of the transfer tray and the sizes of the multiple components, and determines the number of components in the direction of the second side to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head based on the length of the second side of the transfer tray and the sizes of the multiple components, and determines a transfer sequence in which to transfer the transfer material to the multiple components.

[0097] As a result, the component mounting apparatus according to this embodiment can automatically set a transfer sequence that completes transfer in the shortest time, thereby improving productivity in component mounting.

[0098] <Technology 4> In a component mounting device described in any one of Technology 1 to Technology 3, a mark indicating identification information of the transfer tray is provided on the transfer tray, and a transfer tray recognition unit is provided that reads the identification information from an image captured of the mark and recognizes the transfer tray.

[0099] As a result, the component mounting device according to this embodiment can automatically determine the type of transfer tray using the mark.

[0100] <Technology 5> In the component mounting device according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 4, the mark is a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), or an RFID.

[0101] As a result, the component mounting apparatus according to this embodiment can accurately determine the optimum transfer method by determining the size of the transfer tray using the marks.

[0102] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person 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 in the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0103] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2023-144582) filed on September 6, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0104] The technology of the present disclosure is useful as a component mounting apparatus and a component mounting method that automatically sets an appropriate transfer method.

[0105] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Component mounting device 1a Base 2 Substrate transport mechanism 3 Substrate 4A Electronic component supply unit 5 Electronic component 6 Tape feeder 7 Paste transfer device 8 Tray feeder 8a Tray 9 Y-axis table 10A X-axis table 10B X-axis table 11A, 11B Mounting head 11a Nozzle 12 Substrate recognition camera 13 Component recognition camera 14 Nozzle stocker 20 Unit base unit 20a Engagement unit 21 Handle 22 Guide rail 23 Slider 24 Transfer tray 26 Feed screw 27 Motor 28 Safety cover 31A, 31B Side wall 32 Transfer area 35 Paste supply syringe 36 Bracket 37 Code 40 Control unit 41 Memory unit 42 Mounting data 43 Component data 44 Transfer tray data 46 Mechanism control unit 47 Transfer component number determination unit 49 Imaging processing unit 50 Component mounting mechanism 54 Camera control unit 55 Transfer tray recognition unit 56 Flux supply unit P Paste

Claims

1. A component mounting device comprising: a transfer unit in which one of a plurality of transfer plates of different sizes is interchangeably attached and which supplies a transfer material to the transfer plate in a film-formed state; a head which adsorbs a plurality of components with a plurality of nozzles and transfers the transfer material to the plurality of components by lowering the plurality of nozzles relative to the transfer plate; and a transfer component number determination unit which determines, based on the size of the transfer plate and the size of the plurality of components, the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred for each film-formation on the transfer plate and the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head.

2. The component mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer component number determination unit determines the maximum number of components that can be transferred with the transfer material in one film formation on the transfer tray based on the size of the transfer tray and the sizes of the multiple components.

3. The component mounting device described in claim 2, wherein the transfer component number determination unit determines the number of components in the direction of the first side to which the transfer material is transferred without moving the head based on the length of a first side of the transfer plate and the sizes of the multiple components, determines the number of components in the direction of the second side to which the transfer material is transferred without moving the head based on the length of a second side of the transfer plate and the sizes of the multiple components, and determines a transfer sequence in which the transfer material is transferred to the multiple components.

4. A component mounting device as described in claim 1, wherein the transfer plate is provided with a mark indicating identification information of the transfer plate, and the device is equipped with a transfer plate recognition unit that reads the identification information from an image in which the mark is captured and recognizes the transfer plate.

5. The component mounting device according to claim 4, wherein the mark is a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark) or an RFID.

6. A component mounting method comprising: mounting one of a plurality of transfer plates of different sizes in an interchangeable manner, supplying the transfer plate with a film of transfer material formed thereon; adsorbing a plurality of components with a plurality of nozzles attached to a head, and lowering the plurality of nozzles relative to the transfer plate to transfer the transfer material to the plurality of components; and determining, based on the size of the transfer plate and the size of the plurality of components, the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred for each film formation on the transfer plate and the number of components to which the transfer material is to be transferred without moving the head.

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