Soldering device and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Abstract

This soldering device (1) melts solder (27) by means of a soldering iron (24) and performs soldering. The soldering device (1) comprises a processing unit (52) that predicts a temperature change at a soldering site due to contact with the soldering iron (24), and automatically sets a timing of solder supply on the basis of the result of the temperature change prediction.

Description

SOLDERING APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a soldering apparatus, and also to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processing unit of a control device installed in the soldering apparatus.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a soldering device that automatically performs soldering. When teaching, an operator operates an input unit to input soldering conditions such as the timing of soldering and the amount of solder to be supplied.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6764393

[0004] Incidentally, in the soldering device disclosed in Patent Document 1, soldering is performed automatically based on input soldering conditions, but the soldering conditions still need to be set manually by an operator, and the predetermined conditions are set as a result of trial and error by the operator.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a soldering apparatus and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that can reduce the burden on an operator of inputting soldering conditions.

[0006] One example embodiment provided by the present disclosure is a soldering device that performs soldering by melting solder using a heating tool, and includes a processing unit that predicts temperature changes in the area to be soldered by contact with the heating tool, and automatically sets the timing of supplying solder based on the results of the predicted temperature changes.

[0007] One example embodiment provided by the present disclosure is a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processing unit of a control device mounted on a soldering device that performs soldering by melting solder with a heating tool, wherein execution of the computer program causes the control device to predict temperature changes in the area to be soldered due to contact with the heating tool, and automatically determine the timing of supplying solder based on the results of the predicted temperature change.

[0008] According to the configurations of the above aspects, the solder supply timing is automatically calculated, thereby reducing the time and effort required for an operator to determine the solder supply timing through trial and error. Furthermore, by utilizing the temperature change prediction of the area to be soldered, it is possible to automatically derive a solder supply timing that is close to the solder supply timing that an operator would actually manually set, taking into account the molten state of the solder supplied to that area. In this specification, the term "solder supply timing" includes at least one of the solder supply start timing and the solder supply stop timing.

[0009] 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a soldering apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the soldering apparatus. FIG. 10 is a control flow of soldering performed by a processing unit. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of supplying primary solder to the tip of a soldering iron. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of bringing the tip of the soldering iron into contact with a portion to be soldered. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of supplying secondary solder to a portion to be soldered. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a 3D model used for temperature change prediction. FIG. 15 is a graph showing the temperature change prediction result at position A in FIG.

[0010] An embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing used in the following description, the scale has been appropriately changed so that each element can be recognized. In the accompanying drawings, arrow F indicates the forward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow B indicates the rearward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow U indicates the upward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow D indicates the downward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow R indicates the rightward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow L indicates the leftward direction of the illustrated structure. These directions are relative directions set for the soldering apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. These directional expressions are intended to be used for convenience of explanation and are not intended to limit the orientation of the structure during actual use.

[0011] (Configuration of Soldering Apparatus) Fig. 1 illustrates the configuration of a soldering apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 illustrates the functional configuration of the soldering apparatus 1.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the soldering apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a support 10, a soldering unit 20, a drive section 30, a display section 40, and a control device 50.

[0013] 1, the support 10 includes a base 11, two support columns 12, a support bridge 13, and a mounting table 14. The two support columns 12 are erected on the base 11 with a gap between them. The support bridge 13 is installed between the upper ends of the two support columns 12. The mounting table 14 is movably disposed on the base 11. An object to be soldered (e.g., a printed circuit board) (not shown) is placed and fixed on the mounting table 14.

[0014] The soldering unit 20 includes a horizontally movable column 21 , a vertically movable column 22 , a support 23 , a soldering iron 24 , a solder receiving section 25 , and a solder feeder 26 .

[0015] The horizontally movable column 21 holds the vertically movable column 22, the support 23, the soldering iron 24, the solder accommodating section 25, and the solder feeder 26, and is configured to be movable in the left-right direction. The vertically movable column 22 holds the support 23, the soldering iron 24, the solder accommodating section 25, and the solder feeder 26, and is configured to be movable in the up-down direction.

[0016] A soldering iron 24 is attached to the support 23. The support 23 has, for example, an arc-shaped frame with a slot S1 formed therein. The attitude (mounting angle) of the soldering iron 24 can be changed by moving the soldering iron 24 along the slot S1 as indicated by arrow A1. The mounting angle of the soldering iron 24 relative to the support 23 can be changed, for example, by an operator.

[0017] The soldering iron 24 has a tip 24A and a heating portion 24B. The tip 24A is provided at the tip of the soldering iron 24. The heating portion 24B is built into the soldering iron 24. The heating portion 24B is configured to be able to heat the tip 24A by power supply from a power supply portion (not shown). The heating portion 24B heats the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 to a predetermined temperature. The soldering iron 24 is an example of a heating tool of the present disclosure, and the tip 24A is an example of a tip portion of a heating tool of the present disclosure.

[0018] The solder accommodating section 25 accommodates a wire-shaped solder 27. The solder accommodating section 25 is fixed to the vertically movable column 22. Inside the solder accommodating section 25, the solder 27 is wound around a reel (not shown), and the solder 27 is unwound from the reel.

[0019] The solder feeder 26 is attached to the soldering iron 24. Solder 27 is supplied to the solder feeder 26 from the solder accommodation section 25. The solder feeder 26 is configured to be able to deliver the solder 27 from its tip toward the tip 24A. The solder feeder 26 supplies a predetermined amount of solder to the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24, which is heated by the heating section 24B. The solder feeder 26 is an example of a solder supply section of the present disclosure.

[0020] The driving unit 30 (FIG. 2) is configured to move the soldering iron 24 relative to the object to be soldered placed on the mounting table 14. Specifically, the driving unit 30 includes a plurality of actuators (not shown).

[0021] 1, a slot S2 extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the top surface of the base 11. One of the actuators moves the mounting table 14 in the front-rear direction along the slot S2, as indicated by an arrow A2.

[0022] For example, a slot S3 extending in the left-right direction is formed on the upper surface of the support bridge 13. One of the actuators moves the horizontally movable column 21 in the left-right direction along the slot S3 as shown by an arrow A3.

[0023] For example, one of the plurality of actuators moves the vertically movable column 22 in the up and down direction as indicated by arrow A4. The vertically movable column 22 has, at its tip, a head 22A to which the support portion 23 is connected. For example, one of the plurality of actuators rotates the head 22A around a rotation axis that substantially coincides with the vertical center axis of the vertically movable column 22 as indicated by arrow A5.

[0024] The display unit 40 is a general-purpose display device capable of displaying the operation screen of the soldering apparatus 1, etc. In this example, the display unit 40 is configured as an electrostatic or pressure-sensitive touch panel display. In this case, the input receiving unit 41 is realized as a GUI displayed on the display unit 40. The operator can input information necessary for soldering and instructions for performing soldering by bringing their fingers close to or into contact with the GUI. Note that the input receiving unit 41 may also be configured as a keyboard or mouse separate from the display unit 40.

[0025] The information necessary for soldering includes, for example, information on the object to be soldered (e.g., a circuit board), information on the soldering iron 24, and soldering conditions for setting operating parameters of each part of the soldering apparatus 1 (e.g., the amount of solder 27 supplied, the supply speed, the supply start timing, the supply stop timing, etc.). The input information is stored, for example, in a storage unit (not shown). The storage unit is configured with a storage device such as a memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0026] The Gerber data of the board, the CAD information of the board, and the CAD information of the soldering iron 24 may be acquired from the external device 60. The acquired data and information are stored in a storage unit (not shown).

[0027] The control device 50 is configured to control the operation of each component of the soldering device 1. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the control device 50 includes an input interface 51, a processing unit 52, and an output interface 53.

[0028] The input interface 51 is configured as a hardware interface that receives an input signal IS1 corresponding to information or instructions input by the input receiving unit 41 and an input signal IS2 including data or information from an external device 60. The input signal IS1 and the input signal IS2 may be analog signals or digital signals. When the input signal IS1 and the input signal IS2 are analog signals, the input interface 51 includes an appropriate conversion circuit including an A / D converter.

[0029] The processing unit 52 is configured to output control signals CS1 to CS4 that control the operation of each unit constituting the soldering apparatus 1 from the output interface 53. The output interface 53 is configured as a hardware interface. The control signals CS1 to CS4 may be analog signals or digital signals. When the control signals CS1 to CS4 are analog signals, the output interface 53 is equipped with an appropriate conversion circuit including a D / A converter.

[0030] (Automatic Soldering by Soldering Apparatus) Next, automatic soldering by the soldering apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 shows a control flow of soldering executed by the processing unit 52 of the control device 50. Figures 4 to 7 are schematic diagrams for explaining each step of automatic soldering. Note that in Figures 4 to 7, only the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 is shown. Also shown as the parts to be soldered are lands 81 formed on a substrate 80 and leads 82 soldered to the lands 81.

[0031] The processing unit 52 of the control device 50 performs soldering when it receives an input signal IS1 for performing soldering via the input interface 51. The coordinates of the position to which the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 moves, the angle value indicating the attitude, and the amount and speed of solder to be supplied, which are necessary for performing soldering, are input by the operator via the input receiving unit 41, for example, or are set in advance manually or automatically via the processing unit 52 and stored in the memory unit.

[0032] 3, first, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS1 to the heating unit 24B to heat the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 (STEP 1). Based on the control signal CS1, the heating unit 24B heats the tip 24A to a predetermined temperature at which the solder 27 can be melted.

[0033] Next, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS2 to the drive unit 30 to move the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 to the position (hereinafter referred to as the starting point) and posture shown in Figure 4 (STEP 2). Based on the control signal CS2, the drive unit 30 uses multiple actuators to move the mounting table 14, the horizontally movable column 21, and the vertically movable column 22. This moves the tip 24A to the starting point shown in Figure 4. Also, based on the control signal CS2, the drive unit 30 uses one of the multiple actuators to rotate the head 22A around the rotation axis. This moves the tip 24A to the posture shown in Figure 4.

[0034] Here, the starting point is the position when solder 27 (hereinafter referred to as the primary solder) is supplied to the tip 24A for the first time, as described below, and is set in advance at a predetermined position away from the position where it comes into contact with the part to be soldered.

[0035] Next, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS3 to the solder feeder 26 to supply the primary solder to the tip 24A (STEP 3). Based on the control signal CS3, the solder feeder 26 feeds the solder 27 to the tip 24A. The solder 27 supplied to the tip 24A is melted by the heated tip 24A.

[0036] The amount of primary solder to be supplied is calculated from board information such as Gerber data. The amount of primary solder to be supplied corresponds to the first amount in the present disclosure. For example, the processing unit 52 acquires board information from a storage unit (not shown) and automatically sets the amount of primary solder to be supplied based on the acquired board information. For example, the first amount is the amount of solder that can fill the through-hole portion of the land 81.

[0037] Next, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS2 to the driving unit 30 to move the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24, on which the primary solder has melted, to the position shown in Fig. 5 (hereinafter referred to as the end point) (STEP 4). Based on the control signal CS2, the driving unit 30 moves the horizontally movable column 21 and the vertically movable column 22 using multiple actuators. As a result, the tip 24A is moved to the end point shown in Fig. 5.

[0038] Here, the end point is the position where soldering is performed by supplying a second solder 27 (hereinafter referred to as secondary solder) as described below, i.e., the position where the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 comes into contact with the part to be soldered.

[0039] In this way, the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 containing the molten primary solder comes into contact with the area to be soldered, and the primary solder wets the area to be soldered, forming a bridge (heat bridge) with the area to be soldered. In other words, the primary solder is supplied to form a heat bridge.

[0040] Next, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS3 to the solder feeder 26 at a predetermined supply start timing to start supplying secondary solder to the tip 24A (STEP 5). As illustrated in Fig. 6, the solder feeder 26, based on the control signal CS3, feeds solder 27 to the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 that is in contact with the area to be soldered. The secondary solder supplied to the tip 24A is melted by the heated tip 24A and supplied to the area to be soldered. The secondary solder supplied to the area to be soldered wets and spreads, thereby soldering the area to be soldered.

[0041] The amount of secondary solder supplied is automatically set by, for example, the processing unit 52. For example, the total amount of solder supplied, including the amount of primary solder supplied and the amount of secondary solder supplied, is calculated from the board information. The amount of secondary solder supplied is then calculated from the calculated amount of primary solder supplied and the total amount of solder supplied. The amount of secondary solder supplied corresponds to the second amount in the present disclosure.

[0042] Next, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS3 to the solder feeder 26 at a predetermined timing to stop the supply of secondary solder to the tip 24A (STEP 6).

[0043] Next, the processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS2 to the driving unit 30 at a predetermined retraction timing to move the soldering iron 24 to a retracted position away from the area to be soldered (STEP 7). As illustrated in Fig. 7, the driving unit 30 uses the multiple actuators to move the soldering iron 24 to the retracted position away from the area to be soldered based on the control signal CS2. Note that the retracted position may be, for example, the starting point or a position different from the starting point.

[0044] If the evacuation timing is set to the same timing as the supply stop timing, the processing in STEP 6 and the processing in STEP 7 may be performed simultaneously.

[0045] Here, the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 and the part to be soldered are rigid bodies, and point or line contact creates high thermal resistance. Therefore, as described above, the primary solder is supplied so that the molten solder comes into contact with the part to be soldered before the secondary solder is supplied. A heat bridge is formed at the part to be soldered by the primary solder, and the heat bridge increases the contact area between the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 and the part to be soldered. This reduces the thermal resistance between the tip 24A and the part to be soldered, allowing the heat from the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 to be transferred efficiently and quickly to the part to be soldered.

[0046] If the timing to start supplying secondary solder, the timing to stop supplying secondary solder, and the timing to retract the soldering iron 24 are set manually by an operator, this is done by trial and error by the operator, which depends on the operator's skill level and places a heavy burden on the operator.

[0047] In contrast, in the soldering apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure, the processing unit 52 of the control device 50 is configured to automatically set at least one of the timing to start supplying secondary solder and the timing to stop supplying secondary solder.

[0048] (Automatic setting of secondary solder supply start timing and secondary solder supply stop timing) Hereinafter, using Figures 8 and 9, we will explain how the processing unit 52 of the control device 50 automatically sets the secondary solder supply start timing and secondary solder supply stop timing.

[0049] The processing unit 52 predicts the temperature change of the portion to be soldered, which changes due to contact with the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24.

[0050] The temperature change is predicted, for example, by a finite element method (FEM) analysis. In the FEM analysis, the processing unit 52 constructs a 3D model that reproduces a structure including an object to be soldered (e.g., a printed wiring board), a portion to be soldered, and the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24.

[0051] 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a 3D model used for predicting temperature changes. As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the 3D model reproduces a situation in which the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 is in contact with the land 81 and the primary solder (solder 27) is wet. The 3D model is constructed based on information about the board (e.g., Gerber data about the board or CAD information about the board), information about the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 (e.g., CAD information), and information about the leads (e.g., CAD information) input by the input receiving unit 41 or the external device 60.

[0052] The processing unit 52 performs FEM analysis using the 3D model to predict temperature changes at a predetermined position in the soldered area, and then sets the timing to stop the secondary solder supply based on the results of the temperature change prediction.

[0053] 8, the processing unit 52 predicts a temperature change at a position (e.g., position A in FIG. 8) farthest from the tip 24A on the surface of the land 81 that contacts the tip 24A (the upper surface of the land 81 in FIG. 8). Position A is an example of the first position in the present disclosure.

[0054] Fig. 9 shows the predicted temperature change at position A calculated by FEM analysis based on the 3D model shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. 9, the vertical axis represents the temperature at position A, and the horizontal axis represents the time from when tip 24A contacts land 81. In the FEM analysis, the temperature change was predicted based on the assumption that solder 27 becomes wet and a heat bridge is formed instantly when tip 24A contacts land 81.

[0055] 9, the processing unit 52 determines the timing to stop supplying the secondary solder as time t1 when the temperature at position A in the land 81 reaches a predetermined temperature T1. The predetermined temperature T1 is, for example, 220°C, which is the melting point of the solder.

[0056] Next, the processing unit 52 calculates the timing to start supplying the secondary solder by calculating backward from the timing to stop supplying the secondary solder. Specifically, the processing unit 52 calculates the secondary solder supply time (period) from the solder supply speed, the amount of secondary solder supplied, and the wire diameter of the solder 27.

[0057] Here, the amount of secondary solder supplied is calculated from the board information as described above. The wire diameter of the solder 27 and the solder supply speed are input by the operator using the input receiving unit 41. Therefore, the processing unit 52 can calculate the secondary solder supply time from these calculated or input values.

[0058] Then, the processing unit 52 calculates the timing to start supplying secondary solder from the calculated secondary solder supply time and secondary solder supply stop timing.

[0059] With the soldering apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the timing of supplying secondary solder (supply start timing and supply stop timing) is automatically calculated, thereby reducing the time and effort required of an operator to determine the timing of supplying secondary solder by trial and error. Furthermore, because the predicted temperature change of the area to be soldered is used, it is possible to automatically derive the timing of supplying secondary solder that is close to the timing of supplying secondary solder that an operator would actually manually set, taking into account the molten state of the secondary solder supplied to that area, etc.

[0060] In particular, the timing of supplying secondary solder, which requires trial and error by the operator, can be automatically determined by predicting temperature changes, thereby more effectively reducing the burden on the operator.

[0061] Furthermore, by predicting temperature changes using finite element analysis, the timing for supplying secondary solder at an ideal temperature can be determined without the need for trial and error by the operator.

[0062] Furthermore, by setting the timing for stopping the supply of secondary solder to be when the temperature at position A within the area to be soldered reaches a predetermined temperature T1, it is possible to prevent the solder 27 from being insufficiently heated or from being overheated, thereby achieving stable soldering quality.

[0063] Furthermore, the secondary solder supply start timing is calculated from the secondary solder supply time and secondary solder supply stop timing calculated from the solder supply speed, secondary solder supply amount, and wire diameter of solder 27. This allows the secondary solder supply start timing to be easily calculated without needing to obtain it from a temperature change prediction.

[0064] (Modification) A modification of the automatic setting of the timing to start supplying secondary solder and the timing to stop supplying secondary solder by the processing unit 52 will be described below.

[0065] In this modification, the timing to start supplying the secondary solder is calculated based on a predicted temperature change, regardless of the timing to stop supplying the secondary solder.

[0066] Specifically, the processing unit 52 predicts a change in temperature of the portion to be soldered, which changes due to contact with the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24. Then, based on the result of the temperature change prediction, the processing unit 52 sets the timing to start supplying the secondary solder and the timing to stop supplying the secondary solder.

[0067] For example, the processing unit 52 predicts a temperature change at a predetermined position by FEM analysis using the 3D model illustrated in Fig. 8. First, the processing unit 52 predicts a temperature change at a position (e.g., position A in Fig. 8) farthest from the tip 24A on the surface of the land 81 with which the tip 24A comes into contact (the upper surface of the land 81 in Fig. 8). Position A in this modification is an example of the second position of the present disclosure.

[0068] Next, based on the temperature change prediction result shown in Fig. 9, processing unit 52 determines the time t1 when the temperature at position A in land 81 reaches a predetermined temperature T1 as the timing to start supplying the secondary solder. The predetermined temperature T1 is, for example, 220°C, the melting point of solder.

[0069] The processing unit 52 also predicts a temperature change at a position (e.g., position B in FIG. 8 ) farthest from the tip 24A on the surface of the land 81 opposite to the surface that contacts the tip 24A (the underside of the land 81 in FIG. 8 ). Position B in this modification is an example of the first position of the present disclosure.

[0070] Next, based on the temperature change prediction result (not shown), the processing unit 52 determines the time when the temperature at position B in the land 81 reaches a predetermined temperature as the timing to stop supplying the secondary solder. The predetermined temperature is, for example, 220°C, which is the melting point of the solder.

[0071] With the soldering apparatus 1 according to this modification, the timing at which the temperature at position A in the area to be soldered reaches a predetermined temperature (in this example, the solder melting point) is set as the timing to start supplying secondary solder. This prevents secondary solder from being sent to tip 24A of soldering iron 24 when the surface temperature of the area to be soldered is at a temperature at which solder 27 does not melt. This prevents solder 27 supplied to the area to be soldered from being insufficiently melted, resulting in stable soldering quality.

[0072] Furthermore, the timing at which the temperature at position B within the soldered area reaches a predetermined temperature (in this example, the solder melting point) is set as the timing for stopping the supply of secondary solder. If the temperature rises sufficiently in the area of ​​the soldered area where heat is least likely to be transferred due to contact of tip 24A with the soldered area, it can be assumed that the temperature has also risen sufficiently in other areas of the soldered area. Therefore, by setting position B, for example, on the side of the soldered area opposite the surface contacted by tip 24A, it is possible to prevent the solder 27 supplied to the soldered area from failing to melt, thereby achieving stable soldering quality.

[0073] (Automatic Setting of Soldering Iron Retraction Timing) Based on the temperature change prediction result, the processing unit 52 may be configured to set the retraction timing of the soldering iron 24. For example, the retraction timing of the soldering iron 24 may be set to coincide with the timing of stopping the supply of secondary solder.

[0074] For example, in the above embodiment, the processing unit 52 determines the timing when the temperature at position A (see FIG. 8) in the part to be soldered reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., the melting point of the solder) as the withdrawal timing for the soldering iron 24. Specifically, in the temperature change prediction result shown in FIG. 9, the time t1 when the predetermined temperature T1 is reached is determined as the withdrawal timing for the soldering iron 24.

[0075] Alternatively, for example, in the above-described modified example, the processing unit 52 determines that the timing for retracting the soldering iron 24 is when the temperature at position B (Figure 8) within the area to be soldered reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., the melting point of the solder).

[0076] In this way, by automatically determining the timing for retracting the soldering iron 24, it is possible to prevent the area to be soldered from being insufficiently heated or overheated, thereby achieving stable soldering quality.

[0077] Furthermore, by setting position B on the opposite side of the surface of the area to be soldered to the surface that the tip 24A comes into contact with, the area to be soldered can be prevented from being insufficiently heated or overheated, and stable soldering quality can be obtained.

[0078] The timing for retracting the soldering iron 24 may be set after the timing for stopping the supply of secondary solder. For example, if the temperature change prediction result of FIG. 9 is set so that the supply of secondary solder is stopped when the temperature of position A of the land 81 reaches 220°C, the timing for retracting the soldering iron 24 can be set to the time when the temperature of position A of the land 81 reaches 230°C or one second after the time when the temperature of position A of the land 81 reaches 220°C. This prevents the soldered area from being insufficiently heated and the secondary solder from being insufficiently melted.

[0079] (Automatic setting of solder supply speed) The processing unit 52 may be configured to calculate the speed at which the secondary solder is supplied to the tip 24A of the soldering iron 24 from the timing at which the secondary solder supply is stopped, the timing at which the secondary solder supply is started, the amount of secondary solder supplied, and the wire diameter of the solder 27.

[0080] Here, the timing to stop supplying secondary solder and the timing to start supplying secondary solder are calculated by predicting temperature changes as described above. The amount of secondary solder to be supplied is calculated from board information as described above. The wire diameter of solder 27 is input by the operator using, for example, input receiving unit 41. Therefore, processing unit 52 can calculate the solder supply speed from these calculated or input values.

[0081] With this configuration, the solder supply speed is automatically calculated, which reduces the time and effort required of the operator to determine the solder supply speed through trial and error.

[0082] The processing unit 52 may be configured to automatically correct a solder supply speed preset by an operator, rather than automatically calculating the solder supply speed.

[0083] Specifically, the processing unit 52 calculates the time (period) required for soldering using the secondary solder from the solder supply rate preset by the operator, the amount of secondary solder supply calculated from the board information, and the wire diameter of the solder 27.

[0084] Next, the processing unit 52 determines whether the calculated time required for soldering using the secondary solder exceeds the time (period) from the timing at which the secondary solder supply starts to the timing at which the secondary solder supply stops, calculated based on the temperature change prediction as in the above-mentioned modified example.

[0085] If the processing unit 52 determines that the calculated time required for soldering using secondary solder exceeds the time from the start timing of secondary solder supply to the stop timing of secondary solder supply calculated based on the temperature change prediction described in the modified example, the processing unit 52 automatically corrects the solder supply rate. In other words, the processing unit 52 corrects the solder supply rate so that the calculated time required for soldering using secondary solder is equal to or less than the time from the start timing of secondary solder supply to the stop timing of secondary solder supply calculated based on the temperature change prediction described in the modified example.

[0086] If the solder supply speed set by the operator is slow, there is a possibility that the solder 27 will not be completely fed within the soldering time calculated by the processing unit 52 from the timing at which the secondary solder supply starts to the timing at which the secondary solder supply stops. In response to this, the solder supply speed set in advance by the operator is automatically corrected so that the solder 27 can be completely fed by the timing at which the secondary solder supply stops, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective soldering.

[0087] (Automatic Setting of Solder Wire Diameter) Instead of the solder supply speed, the wire diameter of the solder 27 may be calculated automatically.

[0088] For example, the processing unit 52 may be configured to automatically calculate the wire diameter of the solder 27 supplied to the soldering iron 24 from the timing to stop supplying the secondary solder, the timing to start supplying the secondary solder, the amount of supplying the secondary solder, and the solder supply speed.

[0089] Here, the timing to stop supplying secondary solder and the timing to start supplying secondary solder are calculated by predicting temperature changes as in the above-described modified example. The amount of secondary solder to be supplied is calculated from the board information as described above. The solder supply rate is input by the operator using, for example, the input receiving unit 41. Therefore, the processing unit 52 can calculate the wire diameter of the solder 27 from these calculated or input values.

[0090] Processing unit 52 outputs a control signal CS4 (FIG. 2) to display unit 40 to display the calculated wire diameter of solder 27. The operator checks the wire diameter of solder 27 displayed on display unit 40, and if the wire diameter of solder 27 attached to solder feeder 26 differs from the displayed diameter of solder 27, replaces solder 27. Specifically, the operator replaces the reel housed in solder feeder 26.

[0091] With this configuration, the wire diameter of the solder 27 is automatically calculated, which reduces the time and effort required of the operator to determine the wire diameter of the solder 27 through trial and error.

[0092] The processing unit 52 may be configured to automatically correct the wire diameter of the solder 27 that has been set in advance by an operator, rather than automatically calculating the wire diameter of the solder 27 .

[0093] Specifically, the processing unit 52 calculates the time (period) required for soldering using secondary solder from the wire diameter of the solder 27 previously set by the operator, the amount of secondary solder supplied calculated from the board information, and the solder supply rate previously set by the operator.

[0094] Next, the processing unit 52 determines whether the calculated time (period) required for soldering using the secondary solder exceeds the time (period) from the timing at which the secondary solder supply starts to the timing at which the secondary solder supply stops, calculated based on the temperature change prediction described in the modified example as described above.

[0095] If processing unit 52 determines that the calculated time required for soldering using secondary solder exceeds the time from the start timing of secondary solder supply to the stop timing of secondary solder supply calculated based on the temperature change prediction described in the modified example, processing unit 52 automatically corrects the wire diameter of solder 27. That is, processing unit 52 automatically corrects the wire diameter of solder 27 so that the calculated time required for soldering using secondary solder is equal to or less than the time from the start timing of secondary solder supply to the stop timing of secondary solder supply calculated based on the temperature change prediction described in the modified example. Then, the processing unit outputs a control signal CS4 to display unit 40 the automatically corrected wire diameter of solder 27.

[0096] In this way, the wire diameter of the solder 27 set by the operator is automatically corrected so that the solder 27 can be completely fed before the timing to stop supplying the solder 27, thereby preventing the occurrence of defective soldering.

[0097] The processing unit 52 of the control device 50 having the various functions described above can be realized by a dedicated integrated circuit such as a microcontroller, ASIC, or FPGA that includes a storage element in which a computer program for realizing the function is pre-installed. In this case, the storage element is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored.

[0098] Alternatively, the processing unit 52 may be realized by a general-purpose microprocessor operating in cooperation with general-purpose memory. Examples of the general-purpose microprocessor include a CPU, an MPU, and a GPU. Examples of the general-purpose memory include a ROM and a RAM. In this case, a computer program for realizing the function may be stored in the ROM. The general-purpose microprocessor specifies at least a portion of the program stored in the ROM, expands it on the RAM, and executes the above-described processing in cooperation with the RAM. In this case, the general-purpose memory is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored.

[0099] The processing unit 52 may be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a dedicated integrated circuit.

[0100] The configurations described above are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure. Each configuration example can be appropriately modified or combined with other configuration examples without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the primary solder is supplied to the tip 24A to form a heat bridge before the secondary solder is supplied. However, this invention can also be applied to soldering in which the tip 24A is brought into contact with the part to be soldered and then the solder 27 is supplied, without supplying the primary solder. Even in this case, the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained by automatically setting the timing of supplying the solder 27 based on the predicted temperature change of the part to be soldered.

[0102] In the above embodiment, after the supply of the secondary solder is completed, a small amount of solder (hereinafter referred to as tertiary solder) may be supplied, for example, to achieve a glossy finish. In such soldering, the timing of retracting the soldering iron 24 is changed (updated) to coincide with or after the timing of stopping the supply of the tertiary solder.

Claims

1. A soldering apparatus that melts solder by a heating tool to perform soldering, comprising a processing unit that predicts a temperature change of a portion to be soldered by contact of the heating tool, and automatically sets a supply timing of the solder based on the result of the temperature change prediction.

2. The supply timing of the solder includes a supply stop timing of the solder. The processing unit sets the timing when the temperature at a first position within the portion to be soldered reaches a predetermined temperature as the supply stop timing of the solder. The soldering apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The supply timing of the solder further includes a supply start timing of the solder. The processing unit calculates a supply time of the solder from the supply speed of the solder, the supply amount of the solder, and the wire diameter of the solder, and calculates the supply start timing of the solder from the calculated supply time of the solder and the supply stop timing of the solder. The soldering apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The processing unit automatically determines a retraction timing to move the heating tool to a retracted position away from the portion to be soldered based on the result of the temperature change prediction. The soldering apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The supply timing of the solder further includes a supply start timing of the solder. The processing unit sets the timing when the temperature at a second position different from the first position within the portion to be soldered reaches a predetermined temperature as the supply start timing of the solder. The soldering apparatus according to claim 2.

6. The processing unit calculates a speed of supplying the solder to the heating tool from the supply stop timing of the solder, the supply start timing of the solder, the supply amount of the solder, and the wire diameter of the solder. The soldering apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The temperature change prediction is predicted by finite element method (FEM) analysis. The soldering apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a solder supply unit that supplies solder to the heating tool, and a drive unit that moves the heating tool, wherein the processing unit is configured to perform soldering on the soldered portion by supplying solder to the tip of the heating tool that has come into contact with the soldered portion by the solder supply unit, and supplies solder at the supply timing of the solder.

9. The soldering apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing unit calculates the wire diameter of the solder supplied to the heating tool from the supply stop timing of the solder, the supply start timing of the solder, the supply amount of the solder, and the supply speed of the solder.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processing unit of a control device mounted on a soldering apparatus that performs soldering by melting solder with a heating tool, wherein when the computer program is executed, the control device predicts a temperature change of a soldered portion due to contact of the heating tool, and automatically determines a supply timing of the solder based on the result of the temperature change prediction.

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