Component mounting system

The component mounting system addresses feeder replacement failures and ensures stable production by using a management device with a failure count unit and retry device to guide maintenance and automatically retry feeder exchanges.

WO2025126372A1PCT designated stage expired Publication Date: 2025-06-19FUJI CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/JP2023/044662
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-12-13
Publication Date
2025-06-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In component mounting systems, automatic feeder replacement can fail due to interference between adjacent feeders, leading to late detection of feeder or slot issues, potentially causing production disruptions and missed maintenance opportunities.

Method used

A component mounting system incorporating a management device with a failure count unit and a retry device, which automatically retries feeder exchange operations and displays failure information when predetermined failure counts are reached, guiding maintenance to ensure stable production.

Benefits of technology

The system enables continuous stable substrate production by promptly identifying and addressing feeder and slot issues through automated retry mechanisms and guided maintenance, reducing the risk of production interruptions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Provided is a component mounting system comprising: an automatic feeder-replacement device; a retry device; and a management device. The automatic feeder-replacement device performs automatic replacement of a component feeder in a component mounting machine by using an attachment / detachment device. The retry device causes the automatic feeder-replacement device to repeatedly execute a replacement operation when the automatic replacement fails. The management device has a failure number counting unit and a failure information display unit. The failure number counting unit counts at least one of a number of failures for each component feeder, a number of failures for each position of a feeder attachment unit, and a number of failures for each position of the attachment / detachment device. The failure information display unit displays failure information on a display screen and guides maintenance when the failure number counting unit has counted a predetermined number of failures at the same component feeder, the same feeder attachment unit position, or the same attachment / detachment device position.
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Description

Component Mounting System

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a component mounting system.

[0002] Generally, a component mounting system is configured by arranging multiple component mounters along the board transport direction, and each of the multiple component mounters picks up components supplied from a component feeder with a suction nozzle and mounts them on a board to produce a board.

[0003] Meanwhile, a system has been proposed in which, when a component feeder needs to be replaced in a component mounter, an automatic feeder exchanger (a so-called smart loader) is moved to the component mounter and the component feeder is attached to or detached from a slot in the component mounter, thereby automatically replacing the component feeder. A related technology is known, for example, from Patent Document 1 (WO2018 / 127956).

[0004] However, when a smart loader automatically replaces component feeders, the feeder replacement can fail if the component feeder to be replaced interferes with a component feeder in an adjacent slot. For this reason, a conventional proposal has been made to provide a function that allows a retry when a feeder replacement fails. However, if the retry is successful, board production continues, which means that even if a problem occurs with the component feeder or slot, it may take a while to be noticed. As a result, appropriate maintenance times may be missed, potentially disrupting production.

[0005] Therefore, this specification provides a technique that enables stable and continuous production of substrates.

[0006] A first component mounting system disclosed in this specification includes a component mounter, an automatic feeder exchanger, a retry device, and a management device. The component mounter has multiple feeder mounting units that detachably hold multiple component feeders that supply components for board mounting. The component mounter removes components from the multiple component feeders attached to the multiple feeder mounting units and mounts them on the board. The automatic feeder exchanger moves along the direction in which the multiple feeder mounting units are arranged and automatically exchanges the multiple component feeders for each component mounter using multiple attachment / detachment devices. The retry device causes the automatic feeder exchanger to repeatedly perform the replacement operation when automatic component feeder exchange fails. The management device includes a failure counting unit and a failure information display unit. The failure counting unit counts at least one of the number of failures for each of the multiple component feeders, the number of failures for each position of the multiple feeder mounting units, and the number of failures for each position of the multiple attachment / detachment devices. The failure information display unit displays failure information on the display screen and provides maintenance guidance when the failure count unit has counted a predetermined number of failures at the same component feeder, the same feeder mounting unit position, or the same mounting / unmounting device position. According to the above-mentioned configuration, stable production can be continued by performing maintenance in accordance with the guidance displayed on the display screen at the component feeder, feeder mounting unit position, or mounting / unmounting device position where the number of failures has reached the predetermined number.

[0007] The present specification also discloses a second component mounting system comprising a component mounter, an automatic feeder changer, a retry device, and a management device. The component mounter has multiple feeder mounting units that detachably hold multiple component feeders that supply components for board mounting, and removes components from the multiple component feeders attached to the multiple feeder mounting units and mounts them on the board. The automatic feeder changer moves along the direction in which the multiple feeder mounting units are arranged and automatically changes the multiple component feeders for each component mounter using multiple attachment / detachment devices. The retry device causes the automatic feeder changer to repeatedly perform the replacement operation when automatic component feeder replacement fails. The management device includes a failure counting unit and a usage frequency changing unit. The failure counting unit counts at least one of the number of failures for each of the multiple component feeders, the number of failures for each position of the multiple feeder mounting units, and the number of failures for each position of the multiple attachment / detachment devices. When the failure counting unit counts the number of failures at the same component feeder, the same feeder mounting unit position, or the same mounting / unmounting device position as exceeding a certain threshold, the use frequency changing unit continues production of boards by not using or reducing the frequency of use of the specific component feeder, feeder mounting unit position, or mounting / unmounting device position for which the number of failures exceeds the certain threshold. According to the above-mentioned configuration, by not using or reducing the frequency of use of the specific component feeder, feeder mounting unit position, or mounting / unmounting device position for which the number of failures exceeds the certain threshold, stable production can be continued.

[0008] It is a schematic plan view showing a component mounting system of an embodiment. It is a schematic plan view showing a component mounter. It is a schematic view showing a process of attaching and detaching a component feeder to a slot. It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the component mounting system. It is a flowchart for explaining a component feeder replacement method of Example 1. It is a flowchart for explaining a component feeder replacement method of Example 2.

[0009] (Mode 1) In the first or second component mounting system disclosed herein, the failure counting unit may count at least one of the number of failures occurring when a specific component feeder is combined with a specific feeder attachment unit position and the number of failures occurring when a specific component feeder is combined with a specific component attachment / removal unit position. This configuration allows failures resulting from specific combinations to be managed separately from other failures. (Mode 2) In the first or second component mounting system disclosed herein, the management device may further include an estimation unit that estimates the cause of the malfunction based on the number of failures resulting from the specific combination counted by the failure counting unit. This configuration allows the cause of the malfunction to be accurately estimated from the number of failures resulting from the specific combination. (Mode 3) In the first component mounting system disclosed herein, the failure information display unit may also display failure information for multiple failures on the display screen of a component mounter experiencing multiple failures to guide maintenance. This configuration allows the component mounter for which maintenance is recommended to be performed to be easily identified. (Mode 4) In the first component mounting system disclosed herein, the management device may further include a failure information clearing unit that clears failure information through an operation on the display screen of the management device or the component mounter. This configuration allows the failure information to be easily cleared, for example, when the cause of the failure is resolved. (Mode 5) In the second component mounting system disclosed herein, the failure counting unit may count the number of failures for each of multiple component feeders. When there are multiple component feeders assigned with the same component, the usage frequency changing unit may prioritize the use of the component feeder with the fewest number of failures to continue board production. This configuration allows production to continue while reducing the frequency of failures. (Mode 6) In the second component mounting system disclosed herein, the failure counting unit may count the number of failures for each of multiple feeder attachment positions.When there is another feeder mounting unit that can be used for board production other than the feeder mounting unit that should be used during board production, the usage frequency change unit may prioritize the use of the feeder mounting unit position with the lowest number of failures to continue board production. This configuration also allows production to continue while reducing the frequency of failures. (Mode 7) In the second component mounting system disclosed in this specification, the failure counting unit may count the number of failures for each of multiple mounting / unmounting device positions. The usage frequency change unit may prioritize the use of mounting / unmounting device positions with the lowest number of failures to continue board production. This configuration also allows production to continue while reducing the frequency of failures. (Mode 8) In the second component mounting system disclosed in this specification, even if the failure counting unit counts the number of failures at the same component feeder, the same feeder mounting unit position, or the same mounting / unmounting device position exceeding a certain threshold, when board production is to be stopped, the usage frequency change unit may continue to use the specific component feeder, feeder mounting unit position, or mounting / unmounting device position with the number of failures exceeding a certain threshold to continue board production. With this configuration, it is possible to prioritize the production of substrates over the occurrence of failures.

[0010] (Example 1) A component mounting system 10 of this example will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the component mounting system 10 is a system that mounts components 2 (see Fig. 2) on a substrate 1. The component mounting system 10 includes a management computer 11 (an example of a management device) and a smart loader 80 (an automatic feeder exchange device). The component mounting system 10 is configured by arranging a plurality of component mounters 20 along the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate 1.

[0011] A solder printer and a print inspection machine (both not shown) are disposed upstream of each component mounter 20. The solder printer prints a solder pattern on the board 1 and sends the board 1 with the printed solder pattern to the print inspection machine. The print inspection machine inspects the solder pattern printed on the board 1 and sends the board 1 with the solder pattern inspected to each component mounter 20. A reflow oven and a board visual inspection machine (both not shown) are disposed downstream of each component mounter 20. The reflow oven performs a reflow process on the board 1 sent out from each component mounter 20. That is, the reflow oven heats the board 1 that has been sent in to melt the solder and solder the components 2 to the board 1. The board visual inspection machine inspects the board 1 (component-mounted board 3) with components mounted thereon that is sent out from the reflow oven. The board visual inspection machine inspects whether the components 2 are properly mounted on the board 1. If the components 2 are properly mounted on the board 1, the board visual inspection machine carries the board 1 out of the component mounting system 10. Examples of the components 2 include semiconductor packages such as QFP (Quad Flat Package) and BGA (Ball Grid Array), and chip components such as chip resistors and chip capacitors.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the component mounter 20 is a device for mounting components 2 on a board 1. The component mounter 20 also has a plurality of slots 22 (an example of a feeder mounting section) that detachably hold a plurality of component feeders 23 (see Figure 3). Each component feeder 23 is for supplying components 2 for mounting on the board. In this embodiment, the component feeders 23 are tape-type feeders that store a plurality of components 2 on a tape. The component mounter 20 removes components 2 from each component feeder 23 attached to each slot 22 and mounts them on the board 1.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 4, the component feeder 23 includes a connector 24, and the slot 22 includes a connector 25. When the component feeder 23 is attached to the slot 22, the connector 24 of the component feeder 23 connects to the connector 25 of the slot 22. This electrically connects the component feeder 23 and the slot 22 via the connectors 24 and 25. The connectors 24 and 25 are composed of a plurality of pins, sockets, etc. Power is supplied from the component mounter 20 to the component feeder 23, and information is transmitted and received between the component mounter 20 and the component feeder 23 via the connectors 24 and 25.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the component mounter 20 includes a mounting unit 31, a display device 41, a control device 51, etc. The mounting unit 31 includes an XY robot 32, a board transport device 33, a head unit 61, and a parts camera 71. The XY robot 32 moves the head unit 61 in the X and Y directions to move the head unit 61 between above the component feeder 23 and above the board 1. The XY robot 32 includes guide rails that guide the head unit 61, a movement mechanism that moves the head unit 61 along the guide rails, and a motor that drives the movement mechanism. The XY robot 32 is housed inside the housing 21 and is positioned above the board 1. The head unit 61 is moved by the XY robot 32 through the space from above the component feeder 23 to above the board 1.

[0015] The board transport device 33 is a device that performs the operations of transporting the board 1 to the work position P1 within the component mounter 20, positioning the board 1 at the work position P1 before component mounting, and transporting the board 1 from the work position P1 after component mounting. The board transport device 33 in this embodiment can be configured, for example, with a pair of belt conveyors, a support device (not shown) that is attached to the belt conveyors and supports the board 1 from below, and a drive device (not shown) that drives the belt conveyors. The board 1 is transported from the upstream side (left side in FIG. 1 ) to the downstream side (right side in FIG. 1 ) of the component mounting system 10.

[0016] The head unit 61 is a movable unit that mounts components 2 on the board 1. The head unit 61 includes a component mounting head 62 and a mark camera 64. The component mounting head 62 is attached to the underside of the head unit 61 and includes a plurality of suction nozzles 63. Each suction nozzle 63 is detachably supported by the component mounting head 62. Each suction nozzle 63 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction (Z direction) by an actuator (not shown) housed in the component mounting head 62, and is configured to be able to suck up components 2.

[0017] To mount the component 2 on the board 1 using the head unit 61, first, the suction nozzle 63 is moved downward until the suction surface of the suction nozzle 63 abuts against the component 2 stored in the component feeder 23. Next, the suction nozzle 63 picks up the component 2, and then the suction nozzle 63 is moved upward. Once the process of picking up the component 2 onto the suction nozzle 63 is complete, the XY robot 32 is driven to position the head unit 61 relative to the board 1. The suction nozzle 63 is then lowered toward the board 1, thereby mounting the component 2 on the board 1. The head unit 61 and the suction nozzle 63 are automatically replaced by a replacement robot (not shown).

[0018] The mark camera 64 is mounted in the head unit 61 near the component mounting head 62 and is configured to be movable together with the component mounting head 62. The mark camera 64 moves above the board 1 that has been carried into the work position P1 by the board transport device 33, and captures images of marks (not shown) and the like attached to the board 1. The mark camera 64 is configured using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), for example.

[0019] The part camera 71 is provided between the plurality of slots 22 and the board transport device 33, below the movement path of the head unit 61. The part camera 71 captures images of the components 2 picked up by the head unit 61 from below. The part camera 71 is also configured using an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the smart loader 80 is a device that automatically replaces multiple component feeders 23 for each mounter 20. The smart loader 80 holds multiple component feeders 23 for replacement. The smart loader 80 moves along the direction in which multiple slots 22 are arranged (the X direction) and also moves toward or away from the mounter 20 (the Y direction). The smart loader 80 also includes multiple chuck devices 81 (an example of an attachment / detachment device) that hold the component feeders 23. Each chuck device 81 includes a chuck body 82 and a pair of arms 83 that are fixed to the chuck body 82 at their base ends and extend toward the slots 22 (the Y direction) while being spaced apart from each other in the X direction. The chuck body 82 drives both arms 83 to move the arms 83 toward or away from each other. The arms 83 hold the component feeder 23 by clamping both sides of the component feeder 23. This allows the component feeder 23 to be automatically replaced using the chuck device 81.

[0021] 4, the mounter 20 constituting the component mounting system 10 includes a communication I / F 52, a control device 51, and a display device 41. The communication I / F 52 is connected to the management computer 11 via the network 12.

[0022] The control device 51 is a computer including a CPU (not shown), memory 53, and the like. The control device 51 is communicatively connected to the slot 22, XY robot 32, board transport device 33, head unit 61, mark camera 64, parts camera 71, and exchange robot via a bus. A management computer 11 (see FIG. 1 ), which manages multiple component mounters 20, is communicatively connected to the control device 51 via a communication I / F 52 and network 12. Each control device 51 controls the operation of the mounting unit 31 (i.e., the XY robot 32, board transport device 33, head unit 61, mark camera 64, parts camera 71, and exchange robot) based on a production program stored in the management computer 11. Through this control, each control device 51 performs a mounting process, such as mounting multiple components 2 on a board 1. Each control device 51 also controls a display device 41. Through this control, each control device 51 performs a display process, such as displaying a production job on the display screen of the display device 41.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 4, the component feeder 23 is equipped with a control device 26 that controls the operation of the component feeder 23. The control device 26 is a computer that includes a CPU (not shown), a memory 27, etc. The control device 26 controls the component feeder 23 in accordance with a predetermined program stored in the memory 27. For example, the control device 26 controls the rotation of a motor (not shown) that feeds the tape stored in the component feeder 23 to a component suction position. The memory 27 also stores identification information for identifying the component feeder 23.

[0024] When the component feeder 23 is attached to the slot 22 of the component mounter 20, the connector 24 of the component feeder 23 is connected to the connector 25 of the component mounter 20 (see FIG. 4). Then, the control device 51 of the component mounter 20 acquires the identification information stored in the memory 27 of the component feeder 23 upon connection of the connectors 24 and 25. Upon acquiring the identification information of the component feeder 23, the control device 51 counts the number of times the component feeder 23 has been attached to the slot 22 in which the component feeder 23 has been attached.

[0025] 4, the smart loader 80 includes a communication I / F 84 and a control device 85. The communication I / F 84 is connected to the management computer 11 via the network 12. The control device 85 is a computer including a CPU (not shown), a memory 86, etc. The control device 85 is communicably connected to the management computer 11 via the communication I / F 84 and the network 12. The control device 85 controls the smart loader 80 based on a predetermined program stored in the memory 86.

[0026] The memory 86 also stores slot position information for identifying the positions of the multiple slots 22. The control device 85 identifies the positions of the slots 22 based on the slot position information stored in the memory 86, and the smart loader 80 attaches the component feeder 23 to the slot 22 whose position has been identified.

[0027] 4, the management computer 11 is configured with a CPU, a memory (both not shown), etc. The management computer 11 executes control related to the component mounting system 10. The management computer 11 also includes a display device 13.

[0028] Next, a component mounting method using the component mounting system 10 will be described.

[0029] First, management computer 11 determines a plurality of production jobs in accordance with a production plan for producing component mounting boards 3. Next, control device 51 of component mounter 20 determines one production job from the plurality of production jobs based on the type of component mounting board 3 to be produced this time.

[0030] Then, the control device 51 drives the mounting unit 31 based on the determined production job, picks up the components 2 supplied from the component feeder 23, and mounts them on the board 1. Specifically, the control device 51 first drives the board transport device 33 to carry the board 1 into the work position P1 within the component mounter 20. The control device 51 then drives the XY robot 32 to move the head unit 61 to the component suction position, where the suction nozzle 63 of the head unit 61 picks up the components 2. More specifically, when picking up the components 2, the control device 51 moves the head unit 61 to above the component feeder 23. Thereafter, the control device 51 moves the head unit 61 to the board 1 while passing above the part camera 71, and drives the part camera 71 to take an image of the components 2 during the movement to check the condition of the components 2.

[0031] Next, the control device 51 drives the mark camera 64 to capture an image of a mark (not shown) attached to the board 1, and recognizes the position where the component 2 should be mounted based on the image data. Once the component mounting position has been recognized, the control device 51 lowers the suction nozzle 63 and releases the component 2 that was being picked up. This operation mounts the component 2 on the board 1, and a component-mounted board 3 is produced. The work of picking up the component 2 and mounting it on the board 1 is repeated until the production number of component-mounted boards 3 specified in the production job is reached.

[0032] When the number of produced component mounting boards 3 reaches the production number of component mounting boards 3 indicated by the production job, the control device 51 instructs replacement of the component feeder 23. Furthermore, even if the number of components contained in the component feeder 23 becomes "0," the control device 51 instructs replacement of the component feeder 23.

[0033] Here, a method for replacing the component feeder 23 will be described. First, in step S10 shown in FIG. 5, the control device 85 of the smart loader 80 determines whether or not an instruction to replace the component feeder 23 has been received from the component mounter 20 via the management computer 11. If it is determined that an instruction to replace the component feeder 23 has not been received, the control device 85 ends this processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that an instruction to replace the component feeder 23 has been received, the control device 85 performs the processing of step S20, and moves the smart loader 80 to a position facing the slot 22 in which the component feeder 23 to be replaced is installed.

[0034] In the following step S30, the control device 85 performs control to retrieve the component feeder 23 to be replaced into the smart loader 80. Specifically, the control device 85 causes the component feeder 23, which is attached to the slot 22 facing the smart loader 80, to be clamped between the pair of arms 83 that make up the chuck device 81. The control device 85 then moves the chuck device 81 in the direction (Y direction) away from the component mounter 20. As a result, the component feeder 23 is removed from the slot 22 and retrieved into the smart loader 80.

[0035] In the following step S40, the control device 85 moves the smart loader 80 to a position facing the slot 22 from which the component feeder 23 was removed in step S30. In the following step S50, the control device 85 performs control to attach the component feeder 23 to the slot 22. Specifically, the control device 85 clamps the component feeder 23 (replacement component feeder 23) housed in the smart loader 80 between the pair of arms 83. The control device 85 then moves the chuck device 81 in the direction approaching the component mounter 20 (Y direction) to insert the component feeder 23 into the slot 22. The control device 85 then releases the clamping state of the component feeder 23 between the pair of arms 83, thereby attaching the component feeder 23 to the slot 22.

[0036] In the following step S60, the control device 85 determines whether the automatic replacement of the component feeder 23 was successful. Specifically, the control device 85 determines that the automatic replacement was successful when the connector 24 of the component feeder 23 and the connector 25 of the slot 22 are connected, and the control device 51 of the component mounter 20 is able to acquire the identification information stored in the memory 27 of the component feeder 23. If it is determined that the automatic replacement of the component feeder 23 was successful, the control device 85 ends this process. On the other hand, if the connectors 24 and 25 are not connected and the control device 51 is unable to acquire the identification information even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 85 determines that the automatic replacement was unsuccessful. If it is determined that the automatic replacement of the component feeder 23 was unsuccessful, the control device 85 proceeds to the process of step S70. If it is determined that the automatic replacement of the component feeder 23 was unsuccessful, the control device 85 causes the smart loader 80 to repeatedly perform the replacement operation. In other words, the control device 85 functions as a retry device.

[0037] Furthermore, if it is determined that the automatic exchange has failed, the control device 85 determines the cause of the failure. For example, if a failure occurs when a specific component feeder 23 out of the multiple component feeders 23 is used, the control device 85 determines that the cause of the failure is the specific component feeder 23. Also, if a failure occurs when a slot 22 in a specific position out of the multiple slots 22 provided in the component mounter 20 is used, the control device 85 determines that the cause of the failure is the slot 22 in the specific position. Furthermore, if a failure occurs when a chuck device 81 in a specific position out of the multiple chuck devices 81 provided in the smart loader 80 is used, the control device 85 determines that the cause of the failure is the chuck device 81 in the specific position. Also, if a failure occurs when a specific component feeder 23 is combined with a slot 22 in a specific position, the control device 85 determines that the cause of the failure is the specific component feeder 23 and the slot 22 in the specific position. Furthermore, if a failure occurs with the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 at a specific position, the control device 85 determines that the cause of the failure is the specific component feeder 23 and the chuck device 81 at the specific position.

[0038] The control device 85 then transmits information indicating the cause of the automatic exchange failure (specifically, information indicating the component feeder 23, slot 22, or chucking device 81 that caused the failure, and information indicating the type of operation that failed (mounting or retrieval), etc.) to the management computer 11. The management computer 11 then stores the received information in its memory.

[0039] Then, in step S70, the management computer 11 counts the number of failures for each of the multiple component feeders 23, the number of failures for each position of the multiple slots 22, and the number of failures for each position of the multiple chuck devices 81, and stores these in memory. For example, if it is determined that the cause of the failure is a specific component feeder 23, the management computer 11 increments the number of failures for the specific component feeder 23 by "1." If it is determined that the cause of the failure is a slot 22 at a specific position, the management computer 11 increments the number of failures for the slot 22 at the specific position by "1." If it is determined that the cause of the failure is a chuck device 81 at a specific position, the management computer 11 increments the number of failures for the chuck device 81 at the specific position by "1." In other words, the management computer 11 functions as a failure counting unit.

[0040] Furthermore, the management computer 11 also counts and stores in memory the number of failures that occur when a failure occurs with the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a specific slot 22 position, and the number of failures that occur when a failure occurs with the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 at a specific position. For example, if it is determined that the cause of the failure is the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a slot 22 at a specific position, the management computer 11 increments the number of failures caused by the combination of the specific component feeder 23 and the slot 22 at a specific position by "1." Also, if it is determined that the cause of the failure is the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 at a specific position, the management computer 11 increments the number of failures caused by the combination of the specific component feeder 23 and the chuck device 81 at a specific position by "1."

[0041] The management computer 11 estimates the cause of the malfunction based on the number of failures that occur when a failure occurs in the above combination. That is, the management computer 11 functions as an estimation unit.

[0042] In the next step S80, the management computer 11 determines whether the number of failures has been counted a predetermined number of times at the same component feeder 23, the same slot 22 position, or the same chuck device 81 position. Furthermore, the management computer 11 also determines whether the number of failures for the above combinations has been counted a predetermined number of times. If it is determined that the number of failures has been counted a predetermined number of times at the same component feeder 23, the same slot 22 position, or the same chuck device 81 position, the management computer 11 proceeds to step S90. If it is determined that the number of failures for the above combinations has been counted a predetermined number of times, the management computer 11 also proceeds to step S90. On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of failures has not been counted a predetermined number of times, the management computer 11 ends this process.

[0043] In step S90, the management computer 11 displays failure information for multiple failures on the display screen of the display device 13 provided in the management computer 11, providing maintenance guidance. In this embodiment, the display screen displays, for example, the position of the unit (component feeder 23, slot 22, chuck device 81) for which a predetermined number of failures have occurred, the number of failures, and the like. This prompts the operator to perform maintenance. In other words, the management computer 11 functions as a failure information display unit. The management computer 11 also transmits the failure information to the control device 53 of the component mounter 20 and displays the failure information on the display screen of the display device 41 provided in the component mounter 20 where multiple failures have occurred, providing maintenance guidance. The management computer 11 then terminates this processing.

[0044] The management computer 11 clears failure information (e.g., the number of failures) by operating the display screen of the display device 13 or the display device 41. That is, the management computer 11 has the function of a failure information clearing unit. The display devices 13 and 41 in this embodiment are touch panel type display devices, which allow the operator to clear the failure information.

[0045] As described above, in the component mounting system 10 of this embodiment, when an automatic replacement of a component feeder 23 fails, the management computer 11 counts the number of failures for each of the component feeders 23, the number of failures for each of the slots 22, and the number of failures for each of the chuck devices 81. Then, when a predetermined number of failures have been counted for the same component feeder 23, the same slot 22 position, or the same chuck device 81, the display device 13 displays failure information on the display screen and provides maintenance instructions. Therefore, for a component feeder 23, a slot 22 at a specific position, or a chuck device 81 at a specific position where the number of failures has reached the predetermined number, a worker can perform maintenance in accordance with the instructions displayed on the display screen, thereby enabling stable production of component mounting boards 3 to be continued.

[0046] In the component mounting system 10 of this embodiment, even if the component feeder 23 is not installed in the correct position in the slot 22, the control device 85, which is a retry device, can have the smart loader 80 perform the replacement work again, thereby re-installing the component feeder 23 in the correct position. In this case, the components 2 can be removed from the re-installed component feeder 23 and mounted on the board 1 without the need for a worker to perform maintenance, thereby preventing a decrease in the production efficiency of the component mounting system 10.

[0047] In the component mounting system 10 of this embodiment, failure information in the event of multiple failures is not only displayed on the display screen of the display device 13 of the management computer 11, but is also displayed on the display screen of the display device 41 of the component mounter 20 where multiple failures have occurred, thereby urging the worker to perform maintenance. Therefore, by looking at the display device 41 of the component mounter 20, the worker can accurately know which component mounter 20 requires maintenance.

[0048] (Example 2) Next, a component mounting system 10 according to Example 2 will be described. In this example, the configuration different from Example 1 will be mainly described. Configurations common to Example 1 will be assigned common component numbers, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0049] In this embodiment, the method of dealing with the case where the number of failures in automatic replacement of component feeders 23 exceeds a certain value differs from that in embodiment 1. Specifically, the management computer 11 determines whether the number of failures counted in step S70 shown in FIG. 5 for the same component feeder 23, the same slot 22 position, or the same chuck device 81 exceeds a certain threshold (step S110 in FIG. 6). Furthermore, in step S110, the management computer 11 also determines whether the number of failures resulting from the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a slot 22 at a specific position, or the number of failures resulting from the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 at a specific position, exceeds a certain threshold.

[0050] If the management computer 11 determines that the number of failures counted for the same component feeder 23, the same slot 22 position, or the same chuck device 81 exceeds a certain threshold, it reports automatic changeover error information to the feeder distribution scheduler (not shown). Furthermore, if the management computer 11 determines that the number of failures counted for the above combination exceeds a certain threshold, it also reports error information to the feeder wiring scheduler. The feeder distribution scheduler is a program stored in the memory of the management computer 11 that creates a schedule including the destinations and order of movement of the component feeders 23 and instructs the smart loader 80 to operate. The feeder distribution scheduler then creates a feeder distribution schedule based on the reported error information. The management computer 11 then proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, if the management computer 11 determines that the number of failures is below a certain threshold, it terminates this process.

[0051] In step S120, the management computer 11 disables a specific component feeder 23, a slot 22 at a specific position, or a chuck device 81 at a specific position for which the number of failures exceeds a certain threshold (i.e., reduces the usage frequency to 0%). The management computer 11 then controls the continuation of production of the board 1 using the component feeders 23, slots 22, and chuck devices 81 that are not disabled. That is, the management computer 11 functions as a usage frequency changer. Specifically, when there are multiple component feeders 23 to which the same component 2 is assigned, the management computer 11 prioritizes the component feeder 23 with the fewest number of failures to continue production of the board 1. Furthermore, when there is another slot 22 available for board production other than the slot 22 that should be used for board production and the next device function is set to allow board production using the other slot 22, the management computer 11 prioritizes the slot 22 with the fewest number of failures to continue production of the board 1. Furthermore, the management computer 11 prioritizes the use of chucking devices 81 with fewer failures to continue production of the board 1. However, even if the number of failures counted for the same component feeder 23, the same slot 22 position, or the same chucking device 81 exceeds a certain threshold, if board production is to be stopped, the management computer 11 continues to use the component feeder 23, slot 22, or chucking device 81 with the number of failures exceeding the certain threshold to continue production of the board 1. Thereafter, the management computer 11 ends this processing.

[0052] As described above, in the component mounting system 10 of this embodiment, the management computer 11 sets a specific component feeder 23, a slot 22 at a specific position, or a chuck device 81 at a specific position so as not to use the specific component feeder 23, the slot 22 at a specific position, or the chuck device 81 at a specific position if the number of failures exceeds a certain threshold. This avoids the problem of stopping the operation of mounting components 2 on the board 1 due to the use of a component feeder 23, a slot 22, or a chuck device 81 that causes automatic replacement to fail, thereby enabling stable production of component-mounted boards 3 to continue. Note that in the component mounting system 10 of this embodiment, if the number of failures resulting from the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a specific slot 22 position exceeds a certain threshold, the management computer 11 may avoid the combination of the specific component feeder 23 and the specific slot 22 position and continue production of the board 1. In other words, the specific component feeder 23 may be installed in a slot other than the specific slot 22 and production of the board 1 may continue. This allows production of the board 1 to continue while effectively utilizing the specific component feeder 23 and avoiding failures. Similarly, if a failure occurs with the combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 at a specific position, the combination of the specific component feeder 23 and the chuck device 81 at the specific position may be avoided, and production of the substrate 1 may continue.

[0053] Although the first and second embodiments have been described above, the specific aspects are not limited to the first and second embodiments. In the first and second embodiments, the management computer 11 counts the number of failures for each of the multiple component feeders 23, the number of failures for each of the multiple slots 22, and the number of failures for each of the multiple chuck devices 81. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, in other embodiments, the management computer 11 may count two of the number of failures for each of the multiple component feeders 23, the number of failures for each of the multiple slots 22, and the number of failures for each of the multiple chuck devices 81. Alternatively, the management computer 11 may count one of the number of failures for each of the multiple component feeders 23, the number of failures for each of the multiple slots 22, and the number of failures for each of the multiple chuck devices 81.

[0054] In the above first and second embodiments, the management computer 11 counts both the number of failures when a failure occurs with a combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a specific slot 22 position, and the number of failures when a failure occurs with a combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 in a specific position, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, the management computer 11 may count one of the number of failures when a failure occurs with a combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a specific slot 22 position, and the number of failures when a failure occurs with a combination of a specific component feeder 23 and a chuck device 81 in a specific position.

[0055] In the second embodiment described above, the management computer 11 was configured not to use a specific component feeder 23, slot 22 at a specific position, or chucking device 81 at a specific position whose failure count exceeded a certain threshold (i.e., the frequency of use was reduced to 0%), but this configuration is not limiting. For example, in another embodiment, the management computer 11 may reduce the frequency of use of a specific component feeder 23, slot 22 at a specific position, or chucking device 81 at a specific position whose failure count exceeded a certain threshold to the extent possible (to a degree other than 0%).

[0056] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The claimed technology includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of these objectives alone is technically useful.

[0057] 1: Board 2: Component 10: Component mounting system 11: Management computer as management device, failure counting unit, failure information display unit, estimation unit, failure information clearing unit, and usage frequency changing unit 20: Component mounting machine 22: Slot as feeder mounting unit 23: Component feeder 80: Smart loader as feeder automatic exchange device 81: Chuck device as mounting / removal device 85: Control device as retry device

Claims

1. A component mounting system comprising: a component mounter having a plurality of feeder mounting parts that removably hold a plurality of component feeders for supplying components for substrate mounting, and taking out the components from the plurality of component feeders mounted on the plurality of feeder mounting parts and mounting them on the substrate; a feeder automatic exchange device that moves along the direction in which the plurality of feeder mounting parts are arranged and automatically exchanges the plurality of component feeders with respect to each component mounter using a plurality of attaching / detaching devices; a retry device that causes the feeder automatic exchange device to repeatedly execute an exchange operation when the automatic exchange of the component feeder fails; a failure count unit that counts at least one of the number of failures for each of the plurality of component feeders, the number of failures for each position of the plurality of feeder mounting parts, and the number of failures for each position of the plurality of attaching / detaching devices; and a failure information display unit that displays the failure information on a display screen to guide maintenance when the failure count unit counts failures a predetermined number of times at the same component feeder, the same position of the feeder mounting part, or the same position of the attaching / detaching device.

2. The component mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the failure count unit also counts at least one of the number of failures when a failure occurs in a combination of a specific component feeder and a position of a specific feeder mounting part, and the number of failures when a failure occurs in a combination of a specific component feeder and a position of a specific attaching / detaching device.

3. The component mounting system according to claim 2, wherein the management device further has an estimation unit that estimates a location of a malfunction based on the number of failures when a failure occurs in the combination by the failure count unit.

4. The component mounting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the failure information display unit also displays the failure information on the display screen of the component mounter where multiple failures have occurred to guide maintenance.

5. The component mounting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the management device further has a failure information clearing unit that clears the failure information by an operation on the display screen of the management device or the component mounter.

6. A component mounting system includes a component mounter that removably holds a plurality of component feeders for supplying components for substrate mounting, and takes out the components from the plurality of component feeders mounted on the plurality of feeder mounting parts and mounts them on the substrate; a feeder automatic exchange device that moves along the direction in which the plurality of feeder mounting parts are arranged and automatically exchanges the plurality of component feeders for each component mounter using a plurality of attachment / detachment devices; a retry device that causes the feeder automatic exchange device to repeatedly execute an exchange operation when the automatic exchange of the component feeder fails; a failure count unit that counts at least one of the failure counts for each of the plurality of component feeders, the failure counts for each position of the plurality of feeder mounting parts, and the failure counts for each position of the plurality of attachment / detachment devices; and a usage frequency change unit that, when the failure count unit counts the failure count at the same component feeder, the same position of the feeder mounting part, or the same position of the attachment / detachment device exceeding a certain threshold value, continues the production of the substrate without using or reducing the usage frequency of a specific component feeder, the position of the feeder mounting part, or the position of the attachment / detachment device where the failure count has exceeded the certain threshold value.

7. The component mounting system according to claim 6, wherein the failure count unit also counts at least one of the failure counts due to the combination of a specific component feeder and the position of a specific feeder mounting part, and the failure counts due to the combination of a specific component feeder and the position of a specific attachment / detachment device.

8. The component mounting system according to claim 7, wherein the management device further includes an estimation unit that estimates a cause location of a malfunction based on the failure count when a failure occurs in the combination by the failure count unit.

9. The failure count unit counts the failure counts for each of the plurality of component feeders. When there are a plurality of component feeders to which the same component is assigned, the usage frequency change unit preferentially uses the component feeder with fewer failure counts to continue the production of the substrate. The component mounting system according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

10. The failure count unit counts the number of failures for each position of the plurality of feeder mounting parts, and when there is another feeder mounting part that can be used for substrate production in addition to the feeder mounting part that should originally be used during substrate production, the usage frequency changing unit preferentially uses the position of the feeder mounting part with fewer failures to continue the production of the substrate. The component mounting system according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

11. The failure count unit counts the number of failures for each position of the plurality of attachment / detachment devices, and the usage frequency changing unit preferentially uses the position of the attachment / detachment device with fewer failures to continue the production of the substrate. The component mounting system according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

12. Even when the failure count unit counts the number of failures at the same component feeder, the same position of the feeder mounting part, or the same position of the attachment / detachment device exceeding a certain threshold value, and the substrate production stops, the usage frequency changing unit continues to use the specific component feeder, the position of the feeder mounting part, or the position of the attachment / detachment device where the number of failures exceeds a certain threshold value to continue the production of the substrate. The component mounting system according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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