Component holding member processing method, component holding member management method, component holding member, and component mounting machine

Abstract

A texture T (unevenness) having a pattern indicated by pattern data Dp is formed on a contact surface 811 of a suction nozzle 8 (component holding member). Therefore, a user can easily adjust the pattern of the texture T by operating a UI 12 to edit the pattern data Dp, and can form on the contact surface 811 a texture T suitable for holding a component E. As a result, holding of the component E by the suction nozzle 8, which comes into contact with the component E at the contact surface 811 having the texture T suitable for holding the component E, can easily be achieved.

Description

Component holder processing method, component holder management method, component holder, and component mounting machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for holding a component using a component holding member such as a suction nozzle or a gripper nozzle.

[0002] To securely hold a component using a component-holding member such as a suction nozzle or gripper nozzle, it is important to ensure friction between the component and the contact surface of the component-holding member that comes into contact with the component. Therefore, it is possible to provide unevenness on the contact surface of the component-holding member by polishing or blasting the contact surface. In addition, in Patent Document 1, a mold is prepared on which diamond particles are electrodeposited according to the unevenness to be provided on the contact surface, and the suction nozzle is molded using this mold to provide unevenness on the contact surface.

[0003] Patent No. 4559970

[0004] However, the above-described methods have difficulty in forming irregularities suitable for component retention. In other words, while the irregularities formed by polishing have a relatively large frictional force in a direction perpendicular to the polishing direction, they may not exert sufficient frictional force in the polishing direction. Furthermore, attempts to form irregularities with a large frictional force by blasting can result in rounded corners of the component holder, an inability to ensure the accuracy of the length of the component holder, and large variations in the irregularities between component holders. Furthermore, mold-based methods such as those described in Patent Document 1 often fail to appropriately address insufficient frictional force due to the difficulty in freely changing the irregularity pattern. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can easily realize component retention using a component holder that contacts a component with an irregularity-suitable contact surface.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to easily realize component holding using a component holding member that contacts the component with a contact surface that has unevenness suitable for holding the component.

[0006] The component holding member processing method of the present invention includes a step of setting pattern data indicating a predetermined pattern, and a step of forming irregularities having the pattern indicated by the pattern data on the contact surface of the component holding member that holds the component and comes into contact with the component.

[0007] The component holder according to the present invention comprises a body having a contact surface that contacts a component, and holds the component while contacting the component at the contact surface, and the contact surface has projections and depressions having a pattern indicated by pattern data.

[0008] According to the present invention (component holder machining method, component holder) configured in this manner, the contact surface of the component holder is formed with irregularities having a pattern indicated by the pattern data. Therefore, by editing the pattern data, the irregularity pattern can be easily adjusted to form irregularities suitable for component holding on the contact surface. As a result, component holding can be easily achieved by the component holder contacting the component with a contact surface having irregularities suitable for component holding.

[0009] The component holder machining method may also be configured to form, on the contact surface, irregularities having a pattern indicated by the pattern data using a laser marker. In this configuration, the irregularity pattern can be easily adjusted by editing the pattern data, and irregularities suitable for component holding can be formed on the contact surface using the laser marker. As a result, component holding can be easily achieved by the component holder contacting the component with a contact surface having irregularities suitable for component holding.

[0010] The component holder may be a suction nozzle having a suction hole and a peripheral portion defining the suction hole, the suction nozzle holding the component by suctioning the component through the suction hole while contacting the component with the surface of the peripheral portion, and the component holder processing method may be configured so that the peripheral portion of the suction nozzle has an uneven surface. In this configuration, the component can be securely picked up by the suction nozzle, which contacts the component with a contact surface having an uneven surface suitable for holding the component.

[0011] The component holder may be a gripper nozzle having multiple jaws, and the gripper nozzle may hold the component by bringing the side surface of each of the jaws into contact with the component, and the method for processing the component holder may be configured so that the side surface of the gripper nozzle is uneven. In this configuration, the component can be firmly gripped by the gripper nozzle, which contacts the component with a contact surface having an uneven surface suitable for holding the component.

[0012] The component holder machining method may further include a step of setting an arithmetic mean roughness of the unevenness, and setting pattern data that indicates a pattern corresponding to the arithmetic mean roughness. In this configuration, the component can be securely held by the component holder that comes into contact with the component at a contact surface having unevenness with an arithmetic mean roughness suitable for holding the component.

[0013] The component holder machining method may further include a step of receiving a designation of a component holder and a component, and setting pattern data indicating a pattern corresponding to the combination of the component holder and the component. In this configuration, the component can be securely held by the component holder that comes into contact with the component at a contact surface having an appropriate pattern corresponding to the combination of the component holder and the component.

[0014] The component holder machining method may further include a step of receiving frictional force information relating to the frictional force required for the component holder to hold the component, and setting pattern data indicating a pattern corresponding to the combination of the component holder, the component, and the frictional force information. In this configuration, the component can be securely held by the component holder that comes into contact with the component at a contact surface having an appropriate pattern corresponding to the combination of the component holder, the component, and the frictional force information.

[0015] The component holder machining method may also be configured so that the pattern has a plurality of cells each defining the contour of a recess. In this configuration, by editing the pattern data and changing the shape, size, or arrangement of the cells, it is possible to form recesses and protrusions on the contact surface of the component holder that are suitable for holding components.

[0016] The component holder processing method may also be configured so that adjacent cells are spaced apart from each other. In this configuration, the components can be firmly held by the convex portions formed in a grid pattern.

[0017] The component holder processing method may also be configured so that adjacent cells are connected to each other. In this configuration, each isolated projection can firmly hold a component.

[0018] The specific configuration of the cells may vary widely, for example, the cells may be circular, rectangular, or arc-shaped.

[0019] The component holder processing method may also be configured so that the pattern has periodicity in a first direction and periodicity in a second direction intersecting the first direction. In this configuration, the directional dependency of frictional force due to unevenness formed on the contact surface of the component holder can be suppressed, allowing the component to be stably held by the component holder.

[0020] The component holder machining method may also be configured so that pattern data representing multiple different patterns to be formed in different areas is set, thereby enabling a wide variety of combinations of component holders and components to be accommodated.

[0021] A first aspect of the component holder management method according to the present invention includes the steps of measuring the condition of the contact surface of a component holder machined by the component holder machining method described above, and issuing a warning based on the results of the measurement of the contact surface condition. According to this component holder management method, if the unevenness of the contact surface is not suitable for holding components, a warning is issued, making it possible to take action.

[0022] The component holder management method may also be configured to measure the maximum height roughness of the contact surface as the condition of the contact surface, and to issue a warning if the measured maximum height roughness does not meet a predetermined standard. In this configuration, if the maximum height roughness of the contact surface is not suitable for holding a component, a warning is issued, making it possible to take action.

[0023] A second aspect of the component holder management method according to the present invention includes the steps of obtaining the number of times that a component holder processed by the component holder processing method has held a component, and issuing a warning in accordance with the number of times. This component holder management method allows for the issuance of a warning when the unevenness of the contact surface has worn away, thereby making it possible to take appropriate action.

[0024] The component holder management method may also be configured to issue a warning when the number of times exceeds a predetermined threshold. With this component holder management method, a warning is issued when the unevenness of the contact surface is worn, making it possible to take action.

[0025] A component mounter according to the present invention includes a board support unit that supports a board, a component supply unit that supplies components, a mounting head to which component holders are detachably attached and which holds components supplied by the component supply unit using the component holders and transfers them to the board, a component replacement unit that replaces the component holders that are detachably attached to the mounting head, and a control unit that manages the component holders attached to the mounting head, wherein the component holders have contact surfaces with protrusions and recesses having a predetermined pattern and hold the components while contacting them at the contact surfaces, the component replacement unit can replace the component holder attached to the mounting head among multiple component holders with different patterns, the control unit stores a correspondence between components and component holders with the patterns for holding the components, and identifies a component holder corresponding to the component to be mounted on the board based on the correspondence and attaches it to the mounting head using the component replacement unit. In this component mounter, the attachment of a component holder having a contact surface with protrusions and recesses suitable for holding components to the mounting head can be easily ensured based on the correspondence stored in the control unit. In this way, it is possible to easily hold a component using a component holder that comes into contact with the component on a contact surface that has projections and depressions suitable for holding the component.

[0026] The mounter may also be configured so that the contact surface has irregularities in the pattern indicated by the pattern data. In such a configuration, irregularities in the pattern indicated by the pattern data are formed on the contact surface of the component holder. Therefore, by editing the pattern data, the irregularity pattern can be easily adjusted to form irregularities suitable for holding components on the contact surface. As a result, component holding can be easily achieved by the component holder that contacts the component with a contact surface having irregularities suitable for holding the component.

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily realize the holding of a component by a component holding member that contacts the component with a contact surface having projections and depressions suitable for holding the component.

[0028] 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a laser marker system that draws a texture on a workpiece with a laser. A side view schematically showing a suction nozzle, which is an example of a workpiece. A bottom view of the suction nozzle. A side view schematically showing the suction nozzle attached to a nozzle holder. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of a texture pattern. A diagram schematically showing an example of forming different patterns depending on the region. A diagram schematically showing an example of forming different patterns depending on the region. A flowchart showing an example of nozzle creation. A flowchart showing an example of texture processing. A diagram showing an example of a table showing the correspondence between ranges of arithmetic mean roughness and texture patterns having arithmetic mean roughness within that range. 8A is a plan view schematically showing an example of a component mounter that mounts components on a board using a suction nozzle on which a texture is formed in the laser marker system of FIG. 1. FIG. 8B is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the component mounter of FIG. 6. FIG. 8C is a diagram showing an example of a table that associates a nozzle storage unit, the nozzle ID of a suction nozzle stored in the nozzle storage unit, and the texture pattern provided on the contact surface of the suction nozzle of the nozzle ID. FIG. 8D is a flowchart showing an example of nozzle management executed by the main control unit of the component mounter. FIG. 8E is a flowchart showing an example of nozzle attachment executed by the nozzle management of FIG. 8A. FIG. 8F is a diagram showing an example of a table that shows the correspondence between component types and arithmetic mean roughnesses suitable for suction of components of that type. FIG. 8G is a diagram showing an example of a table that shows the correspondence between nozzle IDs and texture patterns. FIG. 8H is a diagram showing an example of a gripper nozzle. FIG. 8H is a diagram showing an example of a gripper nozzle. FIG. 8I is a diagram showing another example of a gripper nozzle.

[0029] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a laser marker system that draws a texture on a workpiece with a laser. In this figure and the following figures, the horizontal SX direction, the horizontal SY direction perpendicular to the SX direction, and the vertical Z direction are indicated as appropriate. The laser marker system 1 in Figure 1 includes an operation terminal 11 and a laser marker 15.

[0030] The operation terminal 11 is a computer such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, or tablet computer, and includes a user interface (UI) 12, a calculation unit 13, and a storage unit 14. The UI 12 has an output function for providing output to a user and an input function for receiving user input. The output function is realized, for example, by a display that displays a screen, and the input device is realized by a keyboard, mouse, touch panel display, or the like. The calculation unit 13 is a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), and the storage unit 14 is a storage device such as an SSD (solid state drive). The calculation unit 13 displays an application screen for setting a texture pattern to be drawn on the workpiece W on the display of the UI 12. The calculation unit 13 then generates pattern data Dp indicating the texture pattern to be drawn on the workpiece W in accordance with the user's input on the application screen received by the UI 12, and stores the pattern data Dp in the storage unit 14.

[0031] The laser marker 15 includes a marker control unit 16, a laser light output unit 17, and a laser light scanning unit 18. The marker control unit 16 is, for example, a processor that controls the laser light output unit 17 and the laser light scanning unit 18 based on the pattern data Dp. The laser light output unit 17 outputs a laser light L, and the laser light scanning unit 18 changes the position at which the laser light L is irradiated on the workpiece W in the SX and SY directions by scanning the laser light L output by the laser light output unit 17 using a mirror or the like. The marker control unit 16 controls the laser light scanning unit 18 so that the laser light L is irradiated at the position on the workpiece W indicated by the pattern data Dp, while causing the laser light output unit 17 to output the laser light L with an output necessary to draw a texture of the pattern indicated by the pattern data Dp. As a result, a depression (recess) is formed in the position on the workpiece W where the laser light L is irradiated, and a texture having the pattern indicated by the pattern data Dp is drawn on the workpiece W.

[0032] Fig. 2A is a side view schematically showing a suction nozzle, which is an example of a workpiece, Fig. 2B is a bottom view of the suction nozzle, and Fig. 2C is a side view schematically showing the suction nozzle attached to a nozzle holder. The suction nozzle 8 has a nozzle tip 81 and a nozzle metal fitting 82. The nozzle tip 81 is made of ceramic, and the nozzle metal fitting 82 is made of metal, with the nozzle tip 81 bonded to the lower end of the nozzle metal fitting 82. The lower end of the nozzle tip 81 is provided with a contact surface 811 that comes into contact with the part to be picked up, and the upper end of the nozzle tip 81 is provided with a receiving surface 812 that receives a spring 88 (Fig. 2C). The nozzle metal fitting 82 has a cylindrical shape that extends upward from the upper end of the nozzle tip 81.

[0033] A suction hole 83 that penetrates vertically through the suction nozzle 8. That is, the suction hole 83 opens at the upper end of the nozzle metal fitting 82 and at the lower end of the nozzle tip 81. As shown in Fig. 2B , at the lower end of the suction nozzle 8, the suction hole 83 is defined by a peripheral edge 84 that surrounds the suction hole 83, and a contact surface 811 is provided at the lower end of the peripheral edge 84.

[0034] The nozzle metal fitting 82 of the suction nozzle 8 is fitted inside a hollow nozzle holder 89 and held by the nozzle holder 89. The nozzle metal fitting 82 held by the nozzle holder 89 protrudes downward from the nozzle holder 89 and is slidable up and down relative to the nozzle holder 89. A spring 88 is provided between the nozzle holder 89 and the receiving surface 812 of the nozzle tip 81 so as to surround the nozzle metal fitting 82, with the upper end of the spring 88 contacting the nozzle holder 89 and the lower end of the spring 88 contacting the receiving surface 812.

[0035] The laser marker system 1 in Fig. 1 draws a texture on the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8. Figs. 3A to 3H are diagrams that schematically show examples of texture patterns. In these diagrams, the hatched areas correspond to recesses (dents) formed by irradiation with laser light L.

[0036] The texture T in the example of FIG. 3A has a pattern made up of a plurality of cells C arranged in a matrix in the SX and SY directions. Each of the plurality of cells C is a circular depression having the same diameter. The cells C are arranged linearly at a constant pitch Px in the SX direction, and at a constant pitch Py in the SY direction. The pattern of such texture T has a periodicity with a period of pitch Px in the SX direction and a periodicity with a period of pitch Py in the SY direction. In this example, the pitch Px and pitch Py are equal and greater than the diameter of the cell C. Therefore, adjacent cells C are spaced apart, and each of the plurality of cells C is isolated.

[0037] The texture T in the example of FIG. 3B also has a pattern made up of a plurality of cells C arranged in the same manner as that of FIG. 3A. However, in the pattern of the texture T in FIG. 3B, the pitch Px and pitch Py are equal and are equal to or less than the diameter of the cell C. Therefore, adjacent cells C are connected to each other. On the other hand, because the cells C are circular, gaps (white portions) are formed between the plurality of cells C, and these gaps appear as protrusions J. In this way, the plurality of protrusions J formed between the cells C are arranged two-dimensionally while being isolated from each other.

[0038] The texture T in the example of FIG. 3C has a pattern made up of a plurality of cells C arranged in a matrix in the SX and SY directions. Each of the plurality of cells C is a circular depression having the same diameter. The cells C are arranged in a staggered pattern at a constant pitch Px in the SX direction, and are arranged linearly at a constant pitch Py in the SY direction. The pattern of such texture T has a periodicity in the SX direction that is twice the pitch Px, and a periodicity in the SY direction that is the pitch Py. In this example, adjacent cells C are spaced apart, and each of the plurality of cells C is isolated.

[0039] The texture T in the example of FIG. 3D also has a pattern made up of a plurality of cells C arranged in the same manner as that of FIG. 3C. However, in the pattern of the texture T in FIG. 3D, adjacent cells C are connected to each other. On the other hand, because the cells C are circular, gaps (white parts) are formed between the plurality of cells C, and these gaps appear as protrusions J. In this way, the plurality of protrusions J formed between the cells C are arranged two-dimensionally while being isolated from each other.

[0040] The texture T in the example of Figure 3E has a grid-like pattern made up of a plurality of cells C, each of which is a depression extending parallel to the SX direction, and a plurality of cells C, each of which is a depression extending parallel to the SY direction. The plurality of cells C parallel to the SX direction are arranged at a constant pitch Px in the SX direction, and the plurality of cells C parallel to the SY direction are arranged at a constant pitch Py in the SY direction. The pattern of this texture T has a periodicity in the SX direction with a period of pitch Px, and a periodicity in the SY direction with a period of pitch Py.

[0041] The texture T in the example of Fig. 3F also has a grid pattern similar to that of Fig. 3E. However, the pattern of the texture T in Fig. 3F is tilted at 45 degrees with respect to that of Fig. 3E. The pattern of such texture T has a periodicity with a pitch Px in a direction tilted at 45 degrees with respect to the SX direction, and a periodicity with a pitch Py in a direction tilted at 45 degrees with respect to the SY direction.

[0042] The texture T in the example of FIG. 3G has a pattern composed of multiple cells C arranged in a matrix in the SX and SY directions. Each of the multiple cells C is a rod-shaped depression having the same dimensions. However, the orientation of adjacent cells C is tilted by 90 degrees. In other words, cells C parallel to the SX direction and cells C parallel to the SY direction are arranged alternately one by one at a constant pitch Px in the SX direction, and cells C parallel to the SX direction and cells C parallel to the SY direction are arranged alternately one by one at a constant pitch Py in the SY direction. The pattern of such texture T has a periodicity in the SX direction that is twice the pitch Px, and a periodicity in the SY direction that is twice the pitch Py. In this example, adjacent cells C are spaced apart from each other, and each of the multiple cells C is isolated.

[0043] The texture T in the example of Fig. 3H has a pattern made up of a plurality of cells C, which are arc-shaped depressions with different diameters. The plurality of cells C are arranged concentrically.

[0044] The pattern of the texture T is not limited to these examples. That is, the shape of the cells C may be a rectangle, a hexagon, or the like. The pattern of the texture T may also be rotated by an appropriate angle (30 degrees, 45 degrees, etc.). Furthermore, a single pattern may be formed on the contact surface 811 of the nozzle tip 81, or different patterns may be formed on the contact surface 811.

[0045] 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example in which different patterns are formed in different regions. In the example of FIG. 4A , the contact surface 811 is divided into a region Rm1, where the peripheral edge 84 has the widest width in the SY direction, and regions Rr1 and Rl1, which are located on either side of region Rm1 in the SX direction. For example, the pattern of texture T formed in region Rm1 is different from the pattern of texture T formed in regions Rr1 and Rl1. Specifically, one of region Rm1 and regions Rr1 and Rl1 may have a texture T with one of the patterns shown in FIGS. 3A to 3H formed in one of regions Rm1 and regions Rr1 and Rl1, and another of the patterns shown in FIGS. 3A to 3H formed in the other of regions Rm1 and regions Rr1 and Rl1. Alternatively, one of region Rm1 and regions Rr1 and Rl1 may have a texture T with one of the patterns shown in FIGS. 3A to 3H formed in one of regions Rm1 and regions Rr1 and Rl1, and a texture T formed by polishing or blasting formed in the other of regions Rr1 and Rl1. The patterns of texture T formed in regions Rr1 and Rl1 do not need to be identical and may be different.

[0046] In the example of FIG. 4B , the contact surface 811 is divided into a region Rm2 adjacent to the suction hole 83 in the SY direction within a range where the suction hole 83 has the smallest width in the SY direction, and regions Rr2 and Rl2 on either side of the region Rm2 in the SX direction. The pattern of the texture T formed in the region Rm2 is different from the pattern of the texture T formed in the regions Rr2 and Rl2. Specifically, one of the regions Rm2 and the regions Rr2 and Rl2 may have a texture T with one of the patterns shown in FIGS. 3A to 3H formed in one of the regions Rm2 and the regions Rr2 and Rl2, and another of the patterns shown in FIGS. 3A to 3H formed in the other of the regions Rm2 and the regions Rr2 and Rl2. Alternatively, one of the regions Rm2 and the regions Rr2 and Rl2 may have a texture T with one of the patterns shown in FIGS. 3A to 3G formed in one of the regions Rm2 and the regions Rr2 and Rl2, and a texture T formed by polishing or blasting formed in the other of the regions Rr2 and Rl2. The patterns of the texture T formed in the regions Rr2 and Rl2 do not need to be identical and may be different.

[0047] 5A is a flowchart showing an example of nozzle production. Prior to step S101, the nozzle tip 81 and nozzle metal fitting 82 of the suction nozzle 8 are each produced. In step S101, the nozzle tip 81 and the nozzle metal fitting 82 are bonded together with an adhesive. In step S102, the adhesive bonding the nozzle tip 81 and the nozzle metal fitting 82 together is dried. In step S103, the peripheral edge 84 at the tip of the nozzle tip 81 is polished to adjust the length of the suction nozzle 8. In step S104, the suction nozzle 8 whose peripheral edge 84 has been polished is cleaned. In step S105, the state of adhesion between the nozzle tip 81 and the nozzle metal fitting 82 and the length of the suction nozzle 8 are inspected. If the inspection result is unsuccessful, the suction nozzle 8 is discarded. If the inspection result is successful, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0048] In step S106, the laser marker system 1 processes the texture T on the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 ( FIG. 5B ). FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing an example of texture processing. In step S111, the calculation unit 13 of the operation terminal 11 sets the arithmetic mean roughness of the texture T in response to a user's operation on the UI 12. A table A1 ( FIG. 5C ), which associates a range of arithmetic mean roughness with a pattern of the texture T having that range of arithmetic mean roughness, is experimentally determined in advance and stored in the storage unit 14. FIG. 5C shows an example of a table showing the correspondence between a range of arithmetic mean roughness and a pattern of the texture having that range of arithmetic mean roughness. The calculation unit 13 then determines the pattern of the texture T based on the set arithmetic mean roughness and the table (step S112). That is, a pattern associated with the range including the set arithmetic mean roughness is determined by the table. The calculation unit 13 then creates pattern data Dp indicating the pattern determined in step S112 (step S113). This pattern data Dp is transmitted to the marker control unit 16 of the laser marker 15, and the marker control unit 16 controls the laser light output unit 17 and the laser light scanning unit 18 based on the pattern data Dp, as described above, to form a texture having the pattern indicated by the pattern data Dp on the contact surface 811 (step S114).

[0049] In step S107, the texture is inspected. Specifically, for example, the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) and maximum height roughness (Rz) of the texture T are inspected to see if they meet the standards. However, only one of these may be inspected. If the inspection result in step S107 is unsuccessful, the suction nozzle 8 is discarded. If the inspection result is successful, the process proceeds to step S108. Prior to step S108, the nozzle holder 89 is created, and in step S108, the nozzle holder 89 and the suction nozzle 8 are assembled, as shown in FIG. 2C . When the nozzle holder 89 is created, a nozzle ID for identifying the suction nozzle 8 is drawn on the nozzle holder 89. The drawing of the nozzle ID can be performed using the laser marker system 1 shown in FIG. 1. The order of steps S106 to S108 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the nozzle holder 89 and the suction nozzle 8 may be assembled, followed by processing the texture T (step S106) and inspecting the texture T (step S107).

[0050] In step S109, a shipping inspection is carried out. If the inspection result in step S109 is a failure, the suction nozzle 8 is discarded, whereas if the inspection result is a pass, the product is completed.

[0051] Fig. 6 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a component mounter that mounts components on a circuit board using a suction nozzle with a texture formed thereon by the laser marker system of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7A is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the component mounter of Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the horizontal X direction, the horizontal Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and the vertical Z direction are appropriately indicated. This component mounter 2 mounts small electronic components E such as integrated circuits, transistors, and capacitors on a circuit board B.

[0052] 7A , the mounter 2 includes a controller 3 that performs overall control of the mounter 2. The controller 3 includes a main control unit 31, which is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a storage unit 32, which is a storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive). The controller 3 also includes a drive control unit 33 that controls the drive system of the mounter 2. The main control unit 31 controls the drive system via the drive control unit 33, thereby performing component mounting to mount components E on a board B. The controller 3 also includes an imaging control unit 34 that controls a component recognition unit 4 that images components E, a measurement control unit 35 that controls a roughness measuring instrument 5 that measures the roughness of the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8, and a nozzle exchange control unit 36 ​​that controls a nozzle changer 6 that exchanges the suction nozzle 8 used to mount components E.

[0053] The controller 3 also includes a UI (User Interface) 37. The UI 37 has an output function for outputting to the user and an input function for receiving input from the user. The output function is realized by, for example, a display that displays a screen, and the input device is realized by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel display, or the like.

[0054] 6 , the component mounter 2 includes a transport unit 21 that transports a board B in the X direction (board transport direction). This transport unit 21 has a pair of conveyors 211 arranged in parallel in the X direction, and transports the board B in the X direction using the conveyors 211. The spacing between these conveyors 211 is changeable in the Y direction (width direction) that is perpendicular to the X direction, and the transport unit 21 adjusts the spacing between the conveyors 211 according to the width of the board B being transported. This transport unit 21 transports the board B from the upstream side in the X direction, which is the board transport direction, to a predetermined work position 212, and transports the board B, on which components E have been mounted at the work position 212, from the work position 212 to the downstream side in the X direction.

[0055] This component mounter 2 is provided with a total of four component supply carts 22. Specifically, two component supply carts 22 are lined up in the X direction on each side of the transport unit 21 in the Y direction. Each component supply cart 22 has a plurality of tape feeders 23 lined up in the X direction, and a plurality of component supply reels are arranged corresponding to the plurality of tape feeders 23. A component storage tape is wound around the component supply reel. This component storage tape has a plurality of pockets arranged in a row, and components E are stored in each pocket. Each tape feeder 23 has a component supply position 231 at its tip on the transport unit 21 side in the Y direction, and supplies components E in the component storage tape to the component supply position 231 by intermittently feeding the component storage tape pulled out from the component supply reel toward the transport unit 21.

[0056] The mounter 2 is also provided with a pair of Y-axis rails 241 extending in the Y direction, a Y-axis ball screw 242 extending in the Y direction, and a Y-axis motor My that rotates and drives the Y-axis ball screw 242. An X-axis rail 244 is supported on the pair of Y-axis rails 241 so as to be movable in the Y direction and is fixed to the nut of the Y-axis ball screw 242. An X-axis ball screw 245 extending in the X direction and an X-axis motor Mx that rotates and drives the X-axis ball screw 245 are attached to the X-axis rail 244. The mounter 2 is also provided with a head unit 25, which is supported on the X-axis rails 244 so as to be movable in the X direction and is fixed to the nut of the X-axis ball screw 245. Therefore, the drive control unit 33 can rotate the Y-axis ball screw 242 using the Y-axis motor My to move the head unit 25 in the Y direction, or rotate the X-axis ball screw 245 using the X-axis motor Mx to move the head unit 25 in the X direction.

[0057] 6, the head unit 25 is an inline type having multiple mounting heads 26 arranged linearly in the X direction. However, the specific configuration of the head unit 25 is not limited to the example in FIG. 6, and the head unit 25 may be a rotary type having multiple mounting heads 26 arranged circumferentially. Furthermore, the number of mounting heads 26 that the head unit 25 has is not limited to multiple, and may be a single mounting head.

[0058] The upper end of a nozzle holder 89 detachably engages with the lower end of the mounting head 26, and the suction nozzle 8 is held by the nozzle holder 89. In this way, the suction nozzle 8 is attached to the lower end of the mounting head 26, and the mounting head 26 can suck up the component E using the suction nozzle 8. In response to this, the component mounter 2 has a Z-axis motor Mz that raises and lowers the mounting head 26 in the Z direction, and an R-axis motor Mr that rotates the mounting head 26. The drive control unit 33 adjusts the height of the mounting head 26 (i.e., the height of the suction nozzle 8) using the Z-axis motor Mz, and adjusts the rotation angle of the mounting head 26 (i.e., the rotation angle of the suction nozzle 8) using the R-axis motor Mr.

[0059] In the component mounter 2, the drive control unit 33 executes control in response to commands from the main control unit 31, thereby mounting the component E on the board B. That is, the drive control unit 33 moves the mounting head 26 using the X-axis motor Mx and the Y-axis motor My, thereby causing the suction nozzle 8 of the mounting head 26 to face the component E supplied to the component supply position 231 from above. Next, the drive control unit 33 lowers the suction nozzle 8 using the Z-axis motor Mz, thereby bringing the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 into contact with the upper surface of the component E supplied to the component supply position 231, and then generates negative pressure in the suction hole 83, causing the suction nozzle 8 to suck the component E. Furthermore, the drive control unit 33 raises the suction nozzle 8 using the Z-axis motor Mz. In this way, the head unit 25 picks up the component E from the component supply position 231 using the suction nozzle 8 of the mounting head 26. Next, the drive control unit 33 moves the mounting head 26 using the X-axis motor Mx and the Y-axis motor My to transport the component E to be picked up by the suction nozzle 8, and position the component E facing the land on the board B from above. During transportation of the component E, the frictional force between the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 and the component E and the suction force of the suction holes 83 counteract the inertial force acting on the component E, thereby holding the component E by the suction nozzle 8. Furthermore, the drive control unit 33 adjusts the angle of the component E picked up by the suction nozzle 8 relative to the land using the R-axis motor Mr, and then lowers the suction nozzle 8 using the Z-axis motor Mz, thereby bringing the component E into contact with the land on the board B. Next, atmospheric pressure or positive pressure is applied to the suction holes 83 of the suction nozzle 8, causing the component E to detach from the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8, and the component E is mounted on the land on the board B.

[0060] The component mounter 2 also includes a component recognition unit 4 disposed between the two component supply carts 22 in the X direction. This component recognition unit 4 has a component recognition camera 41 disposed facing upward, and an illumination unit 43 that irradiates illumination light onto the field of view of the component recognition camera 41. This component recognition unit 4 is disposed on both sides of the transport unit 21 in the Y direction. The illumination unit 43 has, for example, a plurality of point light sources arranged in a matrix, and emits illumination light from each point light source onto the field of view of the component recognition camera 41. For example, an LD (Laser Diode) or an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) can be used as such a point light source.

[0061] When the suction nozzle 8 of the mounting head 26 picks up a component E from the component supply position 231, the drive control unit 33 moves the component E so that the component E passes through the field of view of the component recognition camera 41 before placing the component E on the board B. The component recognition camera 41 then captures an image of the component E within its field of view to obtain a component recognition image Ir representing the component E. This component recognition image Ir is then stored in the memory unit 32 from the component recognition camera 41 via the image capture control unit 34. The main control unit 31 then performs component recognition to recognize the position of the component E based on the component recognition image Ir stored in the memory unit 32. Specifically, the main control unit 31 recognizes the position of the component E relative to the suction nozzle 8 based on the position of the suction nozzle 8 at the time the component recognition image Ir was acquired and the position of the component E in the component recognition image Ir. The main control unit 31 can confirm the position of the suction nozzle 8 at the time the component recognition image Ir was acquired by receiving the encoder outputs of the motors Mx, My, and Mr from the drive control unit 33. Then, the main control unit 31 controls each motor Mx, My, and Mr according to the position of the component E recognized based on the component recognition image Ir, thereby adjusting the position of the component E relative to the land on the board B and mounting the component E on the land.

[0062] The component mounter 2 also includes a roughness measuring device 5 that measures the surface roughness of the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8. That is, the drive control unit 33 positions the suction nozzle 8 that is not holding a component E facing the roughness measuring device 5 from above at an appropriate measurement timing. The roughness measuring device 5 then measures the surface roughness of the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8. Specifically, the roughness measuring device 5 measures the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) and maximum height roughness (Rz), etc. The measurement results (Ra) and (Rz) of the roughness measuring device 5 are sent from the roughness measuring device 5 to the measurement control unit 35.

[0063] Furthermore, the mounter 2 includes a nozzle changer 6 that replaces the suction nozzle 8 attached to the mounting head 26. The nozzle changer 6 has multiple nozzle storage sections 61, each capable of storing a suction nozzle 8. In particular, the nozzle changer 6 can store multiple types of suction nozzles 8 with different patterns in each nozzle storage section 61. The memory unit 32 stores a table A0 ( FIG. 7B ) that associates the nozzle storage section 61 with the nozzle ID of the suction nozzle 8 stored in the nozzle storage section 61 and the pattern of the texture T provided on the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 with the nozzle ID. Here, FIG. 7B shows an example of a table that associates the nozzle storage section with the nozzle ID of the suction nozzle stored in the nozzle storage section and the pattern of the texture T provided on the contact surface of the suction nozzle with the nozzle ID. The nozzle storage section 61 also has a claw that prevents the suction nozzle 8 from being removed from the nozzle storage section 61. In other words, the nozzle storage section 61 restricts removal of the suction nozzle 8 by engaging the claw with the suction nozzle 8, and releases the restriction on removal of the suction nozzle 8 by removing the claw from the suction nozzle 8.

[0064] When removing the suction nozzle 8 from the mounting head 26, the drive control unit 33 positions the suction nozzle 8 attached to the mounting head 26 to face the empty nozzle storage unit 61 from above. Next, the drive control unit 33 lowers the mounting head 26 using the Z-axis motor Mz, thereby inserting the suction nozzle 8 into the nozzle storage unit 61 from above. Once the suction nozzle 8 has been inserted into the nozzle storage unit 61 in this manner, the nozzle exchange control unit 36 ​​controls the nozzle storage unit 61 to restrict removal of the suction nozzle 8. Next, when the drive control unit 33 raises the mounting head 26 using the Z-axis motor Mz, the mounting head 26 is detached from the nozzle holder 89 extending upward from the suction nozzle 8 in the nozzle storage unit 61. In this manner, the suction nozzle 8 is removed from the mounting head 26.

[0065] When attaching the suction nozzle 8 to the mounting head 26, the drive control unit 33 positions the lower end of the mounting head 26 from above to face the nozzle holder 89 extending upward from the suction nozzle 8 stored in the nozzle storage unit 61. Next, the drive control unit 33 lowers the mounting head 26 using the Z-axis motor Mz, thereby engaging the nozzle holder 89 with the lower end of the mounting head 26. In this way, the suction nozzle 8 is attached to the mounting head 26.

[0066] Fig. 8A is a flowchart showing an example of nozzle management executed by the main control unit of the mounter, and Fig. 8B is a flowchart showing an example of nozzle attachment executed in the nozzle management of Fig. 8 A. In step S201 of the nozzle management of Fig. 8A, the nozzle attachment shown in Fig. 8B is executed.

[0067] In nozzle attachment step S211, the main control unit 31 identifies the type of component E (specifically, for example, the type of package of component E) that will be picked up by the mounting head 26 to which the suction nozzle 8 is attached. In response to this, a table A2 ( FIG. 8C ) that associates the type of component E with the arithmetic mean roughness suitable for picking up that type of component E is obtained in advance through experiments and stored in the storage unit 32. Here, FIG. 8C is a diagram showing an example of a table that shows the correspondence between the type of component and the arithmetic mean roughness suitable for picking up that type of component.

[0068] In step S212, the main control unit 31 uses table A2 to identify an arithmetic mean roughness suitable for suctioning the identified type of component E. In response to this, table A1 of Fig. 5C described above is stored in the storage unit 32, and the main control unit 31 uses table A1 to identify a pattern corresponding to the identified arithmetic mean roughness (step S213).

[0069] Furthermore, a table A3 (FIG. 8D) indicating the nozzle IDs of the suction nozzles 8 and the patterns formed on the suction nozzles 8 having the nozzle IDs is stored in the storage unit 32, and the main control unit 31 identifies the nozzle ID of the suction nozzle 8 having the texture T of the identified pattern based on the table A3 (step S214). Here, FIG. 8D is a diagram showing an example of a table indicating the correspondence between the nozzle IDs and the texture patterns.

[0070] Then, the main control unit 31 controls the drive control unit 33 and the nozzle exchange control unit 36 ​​to attach the suction nozzle 8 of the identified nozzle ID to the mounting head 26 to be attached. Specifically, the main control unit 31 identifies the nozzle storage unit 61 that stores the suction nozzle 8 of the nozzle ID based on table A0, and controls the drive control unit 33 and the nozzle exchange control unit 36 ​​so that the suction nozzle 8 stored in the nozzle storage unit 61 is attached to the mounting head 26.

[0071] When execution of step S201 for each mounting head 26 is completed and mounting of component E on board B begins, the main control unit 31 monitors the number of times each suction nozzle 8 has picked up component E. That is, when it is confirmed that a suction nozzle 8 has picked up component E ("YES" in step S202), the main control unit 31 increments the number of times that the suction nozzle 8 has picked up component E by that suction nozzle 8 by one (step S203). This number of times is the number of times that the suction nozzle 8 has picked up component E since the suction nozzle 8 was created, and data indicating the number of times that each suction nozzle 8 has picked up component E is stored in, for example, the memory unit 32.

[0072] The main control unit 31 then determines whether the number of suction attempts exceeds the threshold value (step S204). If the number of suction attempts exceeds the threshold value ("YES" in step S204), the main control unit 31 outputs a warning to the UI 37 (step S208). This warning notifies the user of the nozzle ID of the target suction nozzle 8 and that the number of suction attempts by the suction nozzle 8 with that nozzle ID has exceeded the threshold value. On the other hand, if the number of suction attempts is equal to or less than the threshold value ("NO" in step S204), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0073] In step S205, the main control unit 31 determines whether or not it is necessary to measure the surface roughness of the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8. If measurement is not necessary ("NO" in step S205), the process returns to step S202, whereas if measurement is necessary ("YES" in step S205), the process proceeds to step S206. For example, it is determined that measurement is necessary ("YES" in step S205) when a predetermined time has passed since the previous measurement or when the number of suction attempts has reached a predetermined number.

[0074] In step S206, the main control unit 31 outputs a command to measure the surface roughness of the contact surface 811 of the target suction nozzle 8 to the drive control unit 33 and the nozzle replacement control unit 36, and the drive control unit 33 and the nozzle replacement control unit 36 ​​measure the surface roughness (arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) and maximum height roughness (Rz)) of the contact surface 811 of the target suction nozzle 8 in accordance with this command (step S206).

[0075] In step S207, the surface roughness measurement results are confirmed. Specifically, for example, the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) and maximum height roughness (Rz) of the contact surface 811 are inspected to see if they each meet the standards. However, it is also possible to inspect only one of these. If the inspection result in step S207 is pass, the process returns to step S202. However, if the inspection result is fail, the main control unit 31 outputs a warning to the UI 37 (step S208). This warning notifies the user of the nozzle ID of the target suction nozzle 8 and that the surface roughness of the suction nozzle 8 with that nozzle ID is inappropriate.

[0076] According to the embodiment described above, a texture T (convexoconcave) having a pattern indicated by the pattern data Dp is formed on the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 (component holder). Therefore, the user can easily adjust the pattern of the texture T by operating the UI 12 to edit the pattern data Dp, thereby forming a texture T suitable for holding a component E on the contact surface 811. As a result, it is possible to easily hold a component E by the suction nozzle 8 that comes into contact with the component E on the contact surface 811 having the texture T suitable for holding the component E.

[0077] Furthermore, a texture T having a pattern indicated by the pattern data Dp is formed on the contact surface 811 by the laser marker 15. In this configuration, the user can easily adjust the pattern of the texture T by operating the UI 12 to edit the pattern data Dp, and form a texture T suitable for holding the component E on the contact surface 811 by the laser marker 15. As a result, it is possible to easily hold the component E by the suction nozzle 8 that comes into contact with the component E on the contact surface 811 having the texture T suitable for holding the component E.

[0078] Furthermore, a suction nozzle 8 having texture T formed on the contact surface 811 by the laser marker 15 without polishing is advantageous for recognizing the component E in the component mounter 2. That is, the component E can be recognized based on the metal electrodes formed on the component E in the component recognition image Ir. However, a polished contact surface 811 may specularly reflect illumination light from the illumination unit 43. Therefore, when viewed from the component recognition camera 41, a portion of the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 that suctions the component E and extends beyond the component E specularly reflects illumination light, which may result in the component E being mistakenly identified as an electrode, potentially preventing proper recognition of the component E. On the other hand, forming texture T on the contact surface 811 without polishing it suppresses specular reflection of illumination light by the contact surface 811, enabling proper recognition of the component E.

[0079] The suction nozzle 8 also has suction holes 83 and a peripheral portion 84 that defines the suction holes 83. The suction nozzle 8 holds the component E by suctioning the component E through the suction holes 83 while contacting the component E with the surface of the peripheral portion 84 (i.e., the contact surface 811). A texture T is formed on the surface of the peripheral portion 84 of the suction nozzle 8 (i.e., the contact surface 811). With this configuration, the component E can be securely sucked by the suction nozzle 8 that contacts the component E with the contact surface 811 that has the texture T suitable for holding the component E.

[0080] Furthermore, the arithmetic mean roughness of the texture T is set in step S111, and pattern data Dp indicating a pattern corresponding to the arithmetic mean roughness is set in steps S112 and S113. With this configuration, the component E can be firmly held by the suction nozzle 8 that comes into contact with the component E at the contact surface 811 that has the texture T with an arithmetic mean roughness suitable for holding the component E.

[0081] 3A to 3G, the pattern of the texture T has a plurality of cells C that define the contours of the recesses. In this configuration, by editing the pattern data Dp and changing the shape, size, or arrangement of the cells C, it is possible to form a texture T suitable for holding the component E on the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8.

[0082] 3A and 3C, adjacent cells C are spaced apart from each other. That is, multiple cells C are discretely arranged at intervals. In this configuration, the component E can be firmly held by the protrusions formed in a grid pattern between each cell C.

[0083] 3B and 3D, adjacent cells C are connected to each other. In such a configuration, the gaps between the cells C appear as protrusions J, and each isolated protrusion J can firmly hold the component.

[0084] 3A to 3E and 3G have periodicity in the X direction (first direction) and in the Y direction (second direction) perpendicular to the X direction. Furthermore, the pattern of texture T in FIG. 3F has periodicity in a direction (first direction) tilted 45 degrees from the SX direction and in a direction (second direction) tilted 45 degrees from the SY direction. This configuration reduces the directional dependency of the frictional force due to the texture T formed on the contact surface of the suction nozzle 8, allowing the suction nozzle 8 to stably hold the component E.

[0085] 4A, pattern data Dp is set to indicate a plurality of different patterns to be formed in the different regions Rm1, Rr1, and Rl1. When texture T is formed in the example of FIG. 4B, pattern data Dp is set to indicate a plurality of different patterns to be formed in the different regions Rm2, Rr2, and Rl2. This configuration makes it possible to accommodate a variety of combinations of suction nozzles 8 and components E.

[0086] 8A also executes step S206, which measures the condition of contact surface 811 of suction nozzle 8 that has been processed by the texture processing (component-holding member processing method) of Fig. 5B, and steps S207 and S208, which issue a warning based on the results of measuring the condition of contact surface 811. Therefore, if the unevenness of contact surface 811 is not suitable for holding component E, a warning is issued, making it possible to take appropriate action.

[0087] Furthermore, the maximum height roughness of the contact surface 811 can be measured as the condition of the contact surface 811, and a warning can be issued if the measured maximum height roughness does not satisfy a predetermined standard (for example, if it is less than a predetermined value). With this configuration, if the maximum height roughness of the unevenness of the contact surface 811 is not suitable for holding the part E, a warning can be issued and a solution can be provided.

[0088] 8A, step S203 is executed to acquire the number of times that the suction nozzle 8 processed by the texture processing (component-holding member processing method) of Fig. 5B has held the component E, and step S208 is executed to issue a warning according to the number of times. Therefore, if the unevenness of the contact surface 811 is worn, a warning can be issued and a countermeasure can be taken.

[0089] Specifically, if the number of times exceeds a predetermined threshold, a warning is issued (steps S204 and S208). Therefore, if the irregularities on the contact surface 811 are worn away, a warning is issued, making it possible to take action.

[0090] The component mounter 2 also includes a transport unit 21 (substrate support unit) that supports the board B, a tape feeder 23 (component supply unit) that supplies components E, and a mounting head 26 to which a suction nozzle 8 is detachably attached, which holds the components E supplied by the tape feeder 23 with the suction nozzle 8 and transfers them to the board B. The component mounter 2 also includes a nozzle changer 6 (component replacement unit) that replaces the suction nozzle 8 attached to the mounting head 26, and a controller 3 (control unit) that manages the suction nozzle 8 attached to the mounting head 26. The suction nozzle 8 has a contact surface 811 provided with a texture T (concave and convex) having a predetermined pattern, and holds the component E while contacting the contact surface 811. The nozzle changer 6 can replace the suction nozzle 8 attached to the mounting head 26 among multiple suction nozzles 8 provided with different patterns. The controller 3 (control unit) stores correspondences (tables A2 and A3) between the components E and the suction nozzles 8 provided with the texture T of a pattern for holding the component E. The controller 3 then identifies the suction nozzle 8 corresponding to the component E to be mounted on the board B based on the correspondence relationships (tables A2 and A3) (steps S211 to S214), and attaches the suction nozzle 8 to the mounting head 26 using the nozzle changer 6 (step S215). In this component mounter 2, the attachment of the suction nozzle 8 having a contact surface 811 on which a texture T suitable for holding the component E is formed to the mounting head 26 can be easily ensured based on the correspondence relationships (tables A2 and A3) stored in the controller 3. In this way, it is possible to easily hold the component E by the suction nozzle 8 that comes into contact with the component E on the contact surface 811 having a texture T suitable for holding the component E.

[0091] Furthermore, the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 used in the component mounter 2 has a texture T of the pattern indicated by the pattern data Dp. With this configuration, the pattern of the texture T can be easily adjusted by editing the pattern data Dp, and a texture T suitable for holding the component E can be formed on the contact surface 811. As a result, it is possible to easily hold the component E by the suction nozzle 8 that comes into contact with the component E on the contact surface 811 having irregularities suitable for holding the component E.

[0092] As described above, in the above embodiment, the pattern data Dp corresponds to an example of the "pattern data" of the present invention, the texture T corresponds to an example of the "concave and convex" of the present invention, the component E corresponds to an example of the "component" of the present invention, the suction nozzle 8 corresponds to an example of the "component holder" of the present invention, the contact surface 811 corresponds to an example of the "contact surface" of the present invention, the laser marker 15 corresponds to an example of the "laser marker" of the present invention, the suction hole 83 corresponds to an example of the "suction hole" of the present invention, the peripheral portion 84 corresponds to an example of the "periphery" of the present invention, the suction nozzle 8 corresponds to an example of the "suction nozzle" of the present invention, the cell C corresponds to an example of the "cell" of the present invention, and the SX direction or a direction tilted at 45 degrees with respect to the SX direction corresponds to an example of the "cell" of the present invention. The SY direction or a direction tilted at 45 degrees relative to the SY direction corresponds to an example of the "second direction" of the present invention, regions Rm1, Rr1, and Rl1 or regions Rm2, Rr2, and Rl2 correspond to an example of an "area" of the present invention, nozzle tip portion 81 corresponds to an example of the "main body" of the present invention, substrate B corresponds to an example of the "substrate" of the present invention, transport portion 21 corresponds to an example of the "substrate support portion" of the present invention, tape feeder 23 corresponds to an example of the "component supply portion" of the present invention, mounting head 26 corresponds to an example of the "mounting head" of the present invention, nozzle changer 6 corresponds to an example of the "component replacement portion" of the present invention, and controller 3 corresponds to an example of the "control portion" of the present invention.

[0093] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in step S111 of the texture processing in FIG. 5B , the parameter set to determine the pattern of the texture T (in the above example, the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra)) can be appropriately modified. Specifically, instead of the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra), the maximum height roughness (Rz) may be set in step S111. In this modification, a table correlating the range of the maximum height roughness (Rz) with the pattern of the texture T is obtained in advance by experiment and stored in the storage unit 14. Then, the pattern is determined based on the maximum height roughness (Rz) set in step S111 and the table (step S112).

[0094] Alternatively, step S111 may accept an operation of the UI 12 to specify a suction nozzle 8 and a component E. For example, the suction nozzle 8 may be specified by specifying the nozzle ID of the suction nozzle 8, and the component E may be specified by specifying the type of component E or the type of package of the component E. In this modification, a table associating the suction nozzle 8, the component E, and a pattern of the texture T suitable for suctioning the component E with the suction nozzle 8 is experimentally determined and stored in the storage unit 14. Then, a pattern is determined based on the suction nozzle 8 and component E specified in step S111 and the table (step S112), and pattern data Dp representing the pattern is created (step S113). With this configuration, the component E can be securely held by the suction nozzle 8 that contacts the component E with the contact surface 811 having an appropriate pattern corresponding to the combination of the suction nozzle 8 and the component E.

[0095] Furthermore, in step S111, the frictional force (frictional force information) required for the suction nozzle 8 to hold the component E may be received. In this modification, a table associating the suction nozzle 8, the component E, the frictional force, and the pattern of the texture T for the suction nozzle 8 to pick up the component E with that frictional force is determined in advance through experiments and stored in the storage unit 14. Then, a pattern is determined based on the suction nozzle 8, component E, and frictional force specified in step S111 and the table (step S112), and pattern data Dp representing that pattern is created (step S113). In this configuration, the component E can be firmly held by the suction nozzle 8 that comes into contact with the component E at the contact surface 811 having an appropriate pattern corresponding to the combination of the suction nozzle 8, the component E, and the frictional force.

[0096] 8A , if the number of pickup attempts exceeds the threshold (if "YES" in step S204), a warning is output in step S208. However, the processing in step S208 can be modified, for example, as follows. In this modification, the main control unit 31 prohibits the use of a suction nozzle 8 whose number of pickup attempts exceeds the threshold, and checks whether a suction nozzle 8 of the same type as the suction nozzle 8 is present in the nozzle changer 6. If a suction nozzle 8 of the same type is present in the nozzle changer 6, the nozzle changer 6 removes the suction nozzle 8 whose number of pickup attempts exceeds the threshold from the mounting head 26, and attaches a suction nozzle 8 of the same type to the suction nozzle 8 to the mounting head 26. In other words, the suction nozzle 8 is replaced with a new one for the mounting head 26. On the other hand, if the nozzle changer 6 does not contain a suction nozzle 8 of the same type as the suction nozzle 8, the use of the suction nozzle 8 is prohibited, and mounting of components E continues using suction nozzles 8 other than the suction nozzle 8.

[0097] Furthermore, the roughness measuring instrument 5 may be provided separately from the component mounter 2. In this modification, the surface roughness of the contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 is measured during setup work in which the user prepares the suction nozzle 8 to be attached to the mounting head 26 of the component mounter 2. If the surface roughness meets a predetermined standard, the roughness measuring instrument 5 issues an announcement to the user that attachment to the mounting head 26 is permitted, whereas if the surface roughness does not meet the predetermined standard, the roughness measuring instrument 5 issues an announcement to the user that attachment to the mounting head 26 is prohibited.

[0098] Furthermore, the magnitude relationship between the pitch Px and the pitch Py for arranging the cells C can be set appropriately. That is, the pitch Px and the pitch Py may be equal, or the pitch Px may be wider than the pitch Py, or the pitch Px may be narrower than the pitch Py.

[0099] 2A to 2C. In other words, while the nozzle tip 81 and the nozzle metal fitting 82 are bonded with an adhesive in the above example, the nozzle tip 81 and the nozzle metal fitting 82 may be integrally formed from metal. Furthermore, the nozzle metal fitting 82 integrally formed with the nozzle tip 81 may be rigidly fixed to the nozzle holder 89, rather than being slidable on the nozzle holder 89.

[0100] Furthermore, the object on which the texture T is formed is not limited to the suction nozzle 8, but may also be a gripper nozzle 9 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B . FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a gripper nozzle. The gripper nozzle 9 has a main body 91 and multiple claws 92 supported by the main body 91. The multiple claws 92 can be opened and closed by rotating relative to the main body 91. The gripper nozzle 9 is detachably attached to the lower end of the mounting head 26. When no negative pressure is applied to the gripper nozzle 9 from the mounting head 26, the multiple claws 92 are open ( FIG. 9A ). When negative pressure is applied to the gripper nozzle 9 from the mounting head 26, the multiple claws 92 close and grip a component E ( FIG. 9B ). The tips of the claws 92 are provided with contact surfaces 921 (side surfaces), and the multiple claws 92 gripping the component E come into contact with the component E at their respective contact surfaces 921. Therefore, the texture T may be formed on the contact surfaces 921. This allows the part E to be firmly gripped by the gripper nozzle 9 that contacts the part E at the contact surface 921 that has a texture T (unevenness) suitable for holding the part E.

[0101] Alternatively, the gripper nozzle 9 shown in Figures 10A and 10B may also be an object. Figures 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing another example of a gripper nozzle. The gripper nozzle 9 has a main body 91 and a plurality of claws 93 supported by the main body 91. The plurality of claws 93 can be opened and closed by moving horizontally relative to the main body 91. This gripper nozzle 9 is detachably attached to the lower end of the mounting head 26. When no negative pressure is applied to the gripper nozzle 9 from the mounting head 26, the plurality of claws 93 are closed (Figure 10A). When negative pressure is applied to the gripper nozzle 9 from the mounting head 26, the plurality of claws 93 open and grip a component E (Figure 10B). 9A and 9B, part E is gripped by the frictional force between part E and claws 92 that contact the outside of part E, whereas in the example of Figures 10A and 10B, part E is gripped by the frictional force between part E and claws 93 that contact the inner wall of a recess formed in part E from the inside. Contact surfaces 931 (side surfaces) are provided on the outer surfaces of the tips of claws 92, and the multiple claws 93 that grip part E contact part E at their respective contact surfaces 931. Therefore, texture T may be formed on contact surfaces 931. This allows part E to be firmly gripped by the gripper nozzle 9 that contacts part E at contact surfaces 931 that have texture T (unevenness) suitable for holding part E.

[0102] The contact surface 811 of the suction nozzle 8 and the contact surface 921 of the gripper nozzle 9 may be made of various materials, such as metal, ceramic, glass epoxy, silicon, or rubber. The suction nozzle 8 and the gripper nozzle 9 may be configured so that the contact surfaces 811 and 921 are semiconductive. When the contact surfaces 811 and 921 are semiconductive in this way, the generation of static electricity can be suppressed.

[0103] Furthermore, the specific technique for forming the texture T is not limited to the laser texturing technique using the laser marker system 1. For example, a mask may be created based on mask data (pattern data) indicating a mask pattern, and the contact surface 811 or the contact surface 921 may be etched through the mask pattern (openings) of this mask to form the texture T having the mask pattern.

[0104] 15...laser marker 21...transportation unit 23...tape feeder 26...mounting head 3...controller 6...nozzle changer 8...suction nozzle 81...nozzle tip 811...contact surface 83...suction hole 84...periphery B...substrate C...cell Dp...pattern data E...component T...texture

Claims

1. A component holder processing method comprising: a step of setting pattern data indicating a predetermined pattern; and a step of forming irregularities having the pattern indicated by the pattern data on a contact surface of a component holder that holds a component and comes into contact with the component.

2. A component holder processing method according to claim 1, wherein the unevenness having the pattern indicated by the pattern data is formed on the contact surface by a laser marker.

3. A component holder processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the component holder is a suction nozzle having a suction hole and a peripheral portion that defines the suction hole, the suction nozzle holds the component by contacting the component with the surface of the peripheral portion and suctioning the component through the suction hole, and the unevenness is formed on the surface of the peripheral portion of the suction nozzle.

4. A component holding member processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the component holding member is a gripper nozzle having a plurality of claws, the gripper nozzle holds the component by bringing the side surface of each of the plurality of claws into contact with the component, and the unevenness is formed on the side surface of the gripper nozzle.

5. A component holder processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a step of setting an arithmetic mean roughness of the unevenness, and setting the pattern data indicating the pattern according to the arithmetic mean roughness.

6. A component holder processing method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a step of accepting a designation of the component holder and the component, and setting the pattern data indicating the pattern according to the combination of the component holder and the component.

7. A component holder processing method as described in claim 6, further comprising a step of receiving friction force information relating to the friction force required for the component holder to hold the component, and setting the pattern data indicating the pattern according to the combination of the component holder, the component, and the friction force information.

8. A component holder machining method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pattern has a plurality of cells each defining the contour of a recess.

9. The component holder processing method according to claim 8, wherein adjacent cells are spaced apart from each other.

10. A component holder processing method according to claim 8, wherein adjacent cells are connected to each other.

11. A component holder machining method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the cells have a circular, rectangular or arcuate shape.

12. A component holder processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the pattern has periodicity in a first direction and also has periodicity in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

13. A component holder machining method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein pattern data is set to indicate a plurality of mutually different patterns to be formed in mutually different areas.

14. A component holder management method comprising the steps of: measuring the condition of the contact surface of the component holder processed by the component holder processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 13; and issuing a warning in accordance with the results of measuring the condition of the contact surface.

15. A component holder management method according to claim 14, wherein the maximum height roughness of the contact surface is measured as the condition of the contact surface, and the warning is issued if the measured maximum height roughness does not satisfy a predetermined standard.

16. A component holding member management method comprising the steps of: acquiring the number of times that the component holding member processed by the component holding member processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 13 has held the component; and issuing a warning in accordance with the number of times.

17. The component holder management method according to claim 16, wherein the warning is issued when the number of times exceeds a predetermined threshold.

18. A component holding member comprising a body having a contact surface that contacts a component, the body holding the component while contacting the component with the contact surface, the contact surface having projections and depressions with a pattern indicated by pattern data.

19. A component mounter comprising: a board support unit that supports a board; a component supply unit that supplies components; a mounting head to which component holding members are detachably attached, and which holds components supplied by the component supply unit using the component holding members and transfers the components to the board; a component replacement unit that replaces the component holding members that are detachably attached to the mounting head; and a control unit that manages the component holding members attached to the mounting head, wherein the component holding members have contact surfaces that are provided with irregularities having a predetermined pattern, and hold the components while contacting them on the contact surfaces; the component replacement unit is able to replace the component holding member attached to the mounting head among a plurality of component holding members that are provided with different patterns; and the control unit stores a correspondence between the components and the component holding members that are provided with the pattern for holding the components, and identifies the component holding member that corresponds to the component to be mounted on the board based on the correspondence, and attaches the component holding member to the mounting head by the component replacement unit.

20. A component mounter according to claim 19, wherein the contact surface has the irregularities of the pattern indicated by the pattern data.

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