Maintenance task support device

Abstract

This maintenance task support device comprises: a maintenance time calculation unit that, on the basis of history information of maintenance tasks executed with respect to substrate production equipment and operation information of the substrate production equipment, calculates, for each among a plurality of maintenance tasks, a maintenance task time during which the maintenance task is executed; a first task instruction output unit that outputs a first task instruction for instructing the execution of a maintenance task for which the period until the calculated maintenance task time is no greater than a first set period; and a second task instruction output unit that, when there are a plurality of maintenance tasks for which the period until the calculated maintenance task time is longer than the first set period and no greater than a second set period which is set to be longer than the first set period and when there are at least a set number of maintenance tasks for which the maintenance task times calculated for the plurality of maintenance tasks are the same period, outputs a second task instruction for instructing the execution of at least one maintenance task from among the maintenance tasks for which the maintenance task times are the same period.

Description

Maintenance work support device

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a maintenance work support device that instructs an operator when to perform maintenance work.

[0002] Board production facilities are known that produce boards on which components are mounted. In board production facilities, components are mounted on boards by periodically performing several types of maintenance work. If the maintenance work is not performed at the appropriate time, problems such as the suspension of board production or the production of defective boards may occur. For this reason, devices have been developed that instruct operators on the timing of maintenance work, thereby helping to ensure that maintenance work is performed at the appropriate time (e.g., JP 2004-134691 A).

[0003] However, in board production equipment, multiple independent maintenance tasks need to be performed depending on the operating status, and therefore multiple maintenance tasks may need to be performed at the same time. In conventional technology, the timing of maintenance tasks is announced in advance, but if there are a large number of maintenance tasks that need to be performed at the same time, it may not be possible to complete all of the maintenance tasks by the scheduled time.

[0004] The present specification provides a maintenance work support device that makes it easier to complete the execution of multiple maintenance works at an appropriate time compared to conventional techniques.

[0005] A maintenance work support device disclosed in this specification instructs an operator when to perform multiple maintenance work in a board production facility where multiple types of maintenance work are periodically performed to produce boards mounted with components. The maintenance work support device includes: a maintenance timing calculation unit that calculates the timing of each of the multiple types of maintenance work based on history information of maintenance work performed on the board production facility and operation information of the board production facility; a first work instruction output unit that outputs a first work instruction to perform the maintenance work for a maintenance work whose calculated maintenance work timing is equal to or shorter than a first set period; and a second work instruction output unit that outputs a second work instruction to perform at least one of the maintenance work whose calculated maintenance work timing is longer than the first set period and equal to or shorter than a second set period that is longer than the first set period, when the calculated maintenance work timings for the multiple maintenance works are equal to or longer than a set number.

[0006] In the above-described maintenance work support device, when the period until the maintenance work is due is a second set period that is longer than the first set period and there are a set number or more maintenance work tasks that fall within the same period, a second work instruction is issued for at least one of the maintenance work tasks. Therefore, based on the second work instruction, the operator can begin preparation for or execution of the maintenance work before the first work instruction is issued. This makes it easier to complete these maintenance work tasks at the appropriate time, even if there are a set number or more maintenance work tasks that fall within the same period.

[0007] It is a schematic diagram showing a board work facility and a maintenance work support device of an embodiment. It is a schematic side view showing a component mounter that constitutes the board work facility of the embodiment. It is a control configuration diagram of the maintenance work support device of the embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the procedure of a maintenance work instruction output process executed in the maintenance work support device of the embodiment.

[0008] (Feature 1) The maintenance work assistance device disclosed in this specification may further include a third work instruction output unit that outputs a third work instruction to perform a maintenance work for which the calculated maintenance work time has arrived. With this configuration, the operator can recognize that the maintenance work has arrived.

[0009] (Mode 2) The maintenance work support device disclosed in this specification may further include a possible maintenance work number setting unit that sets a possible maintenance work number, which is the number of maintenance work that can be performed simultaneously in the board production equipment. In this case, the second work instruction output unit may not output a second work instruction when the number of maintenance work tasks with the same maintenance work period is equal to or less than the possible maintenance work number, but may output a second work instruction when the number of maintenance work tasks with the same maintenance work period exceeds the possible maintenance work number. With this configuration, even if there are multiple maintenance work tasks with the same maintenance work period, the second work instruction is not output when the number of maintenance work tasks is equal to or less than the possible maintenance work number. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary second work instructions from being output.

[0010] (Mode 3) In the maintenance work support device disclosed in this specification, when the number of maintenance works that fall within the same period exceeds the possible number of maintenance works, the second work instruction output unit may output a second work instruction for maintenance works that fall within the same period but that are equal to or less than the possible number of maintenance works selected according to a preset condition. With this configuration, it is possible to output a second work instruction for a maintenance work that should be prioritized from among multiple maintenance works that fall within the same period.

[0011] (Mode 4) The maintenance work support device disclosed in this specification may further include a maintenance unavailable period setting unit that sets a maintenance unavailable period during which maintenance work cannot be performed in the board production equipment. In this case, when there are multiple maintenance work tasks whose calculated maintenance work timings are longer than the first set period but shorter than the second set period, and when there are a set number or more of the multiple maintenance work tasks whose calculated maintenance work timings fall within the maintenance unavailable period, the second work instruction output unit may output a second work instruction for at least one maintenance work whose maintenance work timing falls within the maintenance unavailable period. With this configuration, for example, when the number of maintenance work tasks that can be performed is limited due to operator breaks or vacations, the second work instruction can be output for a maintenance work whose maintenance work timing falls within that period.

[0012] (Mode 5) In the maintenance work support device disclosed in this specification, the maintenance work may be work to replenish consumables used in the board production equipment. With this configuration, work instructions can be output at an appropriate time for the maintenance work to replenish consumables.

[0013] A maintenance work support device 6 according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the maintenance work support device 6 and a component mounting line 4 (an example of board production equipment) that is the target of the maintenance work support device 6. In this embodiment, the maintenance work support device 6 and the component mounting line 4 constitute a component mounting system 11.

[0014] 1, the maintenance work support device 6 is configured by a computer equipped with a CPU 7, memory 9, and display device 8. The maintenance work support device 6 is connected so as to be able to communicate with a plurality of board work devices 10 installed on the component mounting line 4. The maintenance work support device 6 functions as a production management computer that manages the plurality of board work devices 10, and also has a function that instructs an operator on the timing of maintenance work to be performed by the plurality of board work devices 10. The detailed configuration of the maintenance work support device 6 will be described in detail later.

[0015] The component mounting line 4 mounts components 2 on the input boards 1, thereby manufacturing the boards 1 on which the components 2 are mounted. Hereinafter, the board after components are mounted will be referred to as a circuit board, and the board before or during component mounting will sometimes be simply referred to as a board.

[0016] The component mounting line 4 is equipped with a plurality of board working devices 10. The plurality of board working devices 10 includes a board loader (not shown), a solder printer 12, a print inspection machine (SPI) 13, a plurality of component mounters 21, a board visual inspection machine (AOI) 14, a reflow furnace 15, and a board unloader (not shown). These board working devices 10 can be known machines used in known component mounting lines 4, and will be briefly described below.

[0017] The board loader loads the boards 1 into the component mounting line 4. The board loader accommodates multiple boards 1 and transports the accommodated boards one by one to the solder printer 12. The solder printer 12 prints a solder pattern on the boards 1 transported from the board loader. The boards 1 with the solder pattern printed on them are transported from the solder printer 12 to the print inspection machine 13. The print inspection machine 13 inspects whether the solder pattern printed on the board 1 is normal. If there is an abnormality in the printed solder pattern (for example, if there is a printing defect due to clogging of the mask), the board 1 is discarded. On the other hand, if the printed solder pattern is normal, the board is transported from the print inspection machine 13 to the component mounter 21. The component mounter 21 mounts components 2 supplied from multiple detachably attached feeders 22 onto the board 1. The board 1 on which the components 2 have been mounted by the component mounter 21 is transported to the appearance inspection machine 14. The visual inspection machine 14 inspects whether the components 2 are properly mounted on the board 1. If the components 2 are not properly mounted on the board 1 (for example, if the components 2 are mounted in the wrong location), the board 1 is discarded. On the other hand, if the components 2 are properly mounted on the board 1, the board 1 is transported from the visual inspection machine 14 to a reflow furnace 15. The reflow furnace 15 heats the board 1 that is transported therein to melt the solder and solder the components 2 to the board 1. The board 1 that is transported out of the reflow furnace 15 is transported to a board unloader. The board unloader transports the circuit board on which the components 2 are mounted out of the component mounting line 4.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the component mounter 21 installed on the component mounting line 4 includes a plurality of feeders 22, a head unit 23, a moving device 24 for moving the head unit 23, a substrate transport lane 25, an operation panel 26, a control device 31, etc.

[0019] Each feeder 22 stores a plurality of components 2 used for mounting on the substrate 1. The feeders 22 are detachably attached to the feeder holding portion 30 and supply the components 2 to the holders 23a of the head unit 23. The specific configuration of the feeders 22 is not limited. For example, the feeders 22 may be a tape-type feeder that stores a plurality of components 2 on a tape, a tray-type feeder that stores a plurality of components 2 on a tray, or a bulk-type feeder that stores a plurality of components 2 randomly in a container.

[0020] When circuit boards 1 are produced on component mounting line 4, components 2 stored in feeders 22 are used, and the number of components stored in feeders 22 decreases over time. To continue producing circuit boards, it is necessary to periodically replace (replenish) feeders 22 (an example of a consumable item) (a type of maintenance work). The timing of feeder replacement work can be calculated based on the number of components stored in feeders 22 and the number of components used by component mounters 21.

[0021] The moving device 24 moves the head unit 23 between above the feeder 22 and above the substrate 1, and between above a nozzle exchange device (not shown) and above the substrate 1. The moving device 24 is an XY robot that moves a moving base 24a in the X and Y directions. The moving device 24 is composed of guide rails that guide the moving base 24a, a moving mechanism that moves the moving base 24a along the guide rails, a motor that drives the moving mechanism, and the like. The moving device 24 is disposed above the substrate 1. The head unit 23 is attached to the moving base 24a. The head unit 23 is moved by the moving device 24 between above the feeder 22 and above the substrate 1, and between above the nozzle exchange device and above the substrate 1.

[0022] The head unit 23 is a movable unit that mounts components 2 on the board 1. The head unit 23 includes a holder 23a and a head 23b. The holder 23a is attached to a movable base 24a. The head 23b is detachably supported by the holder 23a. The head 23b includes a plurality of suction nozzles 29. The plurality of suction nozzles 29 are detachably supported by the head 23b. The plurality of suction nozzles 29 are configured to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction (Z direction in the drawing) by an actuator (not shown) housed in the head 23b and to be able to pick up components 2.

[0023] To mount the component 2 on the board 1 using the head 23b, first, the suction nozzle 29 is moved downward until the suction surface of the suction nozzle 29 abuts the component 2 stored in the feeder 22. Next, the suction nozzle 29 picks up the component 2, and then the suction nozzle 29 is moved upward. Once the process of picking up the component 2 onto the suction nozzle 29 is complete, the moving device 24 is driven to position the head 23b with respect to the board 1. Next, the suction nozzle 29 is lowered toward the board 1, thereby mounting the component 2 on the board 1. The head 23b and the suction nozzle 29 are automatically replaced by a robot (not shown).

[0024] As is clear from the above description, when circuit boards are produced on the component mounting line 4, the suction nozzles 29 repeatedly pick up components 2, and as time passes, the suction nozzles 29 become worn. To continue producing circuit boards, it is necessary to periodically replace (replenish) the suction nozzles 29 (another example of a consumable item) (another type of maintenance work). The timing of the replacement work for the suction nozzles 29 can be determined based on the number of suction operations performed by the suction nozzles 29. For example, the timing for the replacement work for the suction nozzles 29 can be determined when the number of suction operations performed by the suction nozzles 29 reaches a preset number of suction operations. Furthermore, multiple types of suction nozzles 29 can be attached to the head 23b. The timing of the replacement work for the suction nozzles 29 may be set for each type of suction nozzle 29.

[0025] The board transport lane 25 is a device that transports the board 1 into the component mounter 21, positions the board 1 relative to the component mounter 21, and transports the board 1 from the component mounter 21. The board transport lane 25 in this embodiment can be configured, for example, by a pair of belt conveyors, a support device (not shown) that is attached to the belt conveyors and supports the board 1 from below, and a drive device that drives the belt conveyors. The board 1 is transported from upstream (the left side of FIG. 1) to downstream (the right side of FIG. 1).

[0026] The control device 31 is configured using a computer equipped with a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The control device 31 is communicably connected to the feeder 22, head 23b, moving device 24, board transport lane 25, and operation panel 26. The control device 31 is also communicably connected to the maintenance work support device 6. The control device 31 controls each part (feeder 22, head 23b, moving device 24, board transport lane 25, operation panel 26, robot) based on a production program transmitted from the maintenance work support device 6. Through this control, the control device 31 executes, for example, a mounting process for mounting a plurality of components 2 on a board 1.

[0027] Each of the board work devices 10 shown in FIG. 1 is also equipped with a communication circuit. The communication circuits are communicatively connected to the maintenance work support device 6. Each communication circuit outputs status information indicating the status of the board work device 10 equipped with the communication circuit to the maintenance work support device 6. For example, a board loader outputs the number of boards 1 it accommodates to the maintenance work support device 6. This allows the maintenance work support device 6 to determine whether boards 1 need to be replenished in the board loader. For example, a component mounter 21 outputs the number of components 2 used for each type of component 2 to the maintenance work support device 6. Based on this, the maintenance work support device 6 can determine whether the component mounter 21 needs to be replenished with components 2 (i.e., whether a feeder replacement operation is required). Furthermore, the component mounter 21 outputs the number of suction operations of each suction nozzle 29 equipped thereto to the maintenance work support device 6. Based on this, the maintenance work support device 6 can determine whether a suction nozzle 29 replacement operation is required.

[0028] The configuration of the maintenance work support device 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . The maintenance work support device 6 includes a CPU 7, a memory 9, an input device 5, and a display device 8. The CPU 7 executes programs stored in the memory 26 to function as a maintenance timing calculation unit 71, a first maintenance instruction output unit 72, a second maintenance instruction output unit 73, and a third maintenance instruction output unit 74. The processing of each unit 71, 72, 73, and 74 will be described in detail later. In addition to the above programs, the memory 9 also stores maintenance history information 91, operation information 92, and management information 93. These pieces of information 91, 92, and 93 are used in the maintenance instruction output process described below. The input device 5 is an input device operable by an operator of the component mounting line 4, and may be, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The input device 5 functions as a maintenance work availability setting unit 51 that sets the number of maintenance work tasks that can be simultaneously performed on the component mounting line 4, and a maintenance work unavailable period setting unit 52 that sets a period during which maintenance work is unavailable on the component mounting line 4. The display device 8 displays various information (for example, maintenance work instructions determined by the CPU 7) to the operator of the component mounting line 4.

[0029] Here, the maintenance history information 91 includes information about maintenance work performed on the board work apparatus 10 (e.g., the timing of past maintenance, the content of the maintenance work, etc.). For example, in the component mounter 21, the work of replacing the feeder 22 is performed periodically. Therefore, identification information for identifying the replaced feeder 22, the time when the work of replacing the feeder 22 was performed, the position of the slot in which the replaced feeder 22 is installed, etc. are stored in the memory 26 as the maintenance history information 91. In addition, in the component mounter 21, the work of replacing the suction nozzle 29 is also performed periodically. Therefore, identification information for identifying the replaced suction nozzle 29, the time when the work of replacing the suction nozzle 29 was performed, and identification information for identifying the component mounter 21 equipped with the replaced suction nozzle 29, etc. are stored in the memory 26 as the maintenance history information 91. Note that the component mounting line 4 is equipped with a plurality of board work apparatuses 10, and maintenance work is performed for each of the plurality of board work apparatuses 10. Therefore, the maintenance history information 91 is stored for each of the plurality of board work apparatuses 10.

[0030] The operation information 92 may include information about the mounting work performed by the board work apparatus 10 when the circuit board 1 is produced on the component mounting line 4. For example, when a circuit board is produced on the component mounting line 4, the board loader inputs the boards 1 into the component mounting line 4. Therefore, the board loader stores the number of boards 1 input into the component mounting line 4 as operation information 92. Furthermore, the component mounters 21 mount components 2 on the boards 1. Therefore, the component mounters 21 store the number of components 2 used (mounted) by each feeder 22 attached to the component mounters 21 as operation information 92. The operation information 92 is stored in each of the multiple board work apparatuses 10. The operation information 92 stored in each board work apparatus 10 is transmitted to the maintenance work support apparatus 6 and stored in the memory 26 of the maintenance work support apparatus 6.

[0031] Examples of the management information 93 include information about the content of the maintenance work (e.g., the time required for each maintenance work), operator information about the operators performing the maintenance work, and replenishment information about components (e.g., suction nozzles 29) to be replenished (replaced) during the maintenance work. For example, in this embodiment, the number of maintenance work tasks that can be performed simultaneously on the component mounting line 4 and the maintenance unavailable period during which maintenance work is unavailable on the component mounting line 4 are set. That is, the input device 5 sets the period during which each operator can perform maintenance work on the component mounting line 4. For example, if two operators are available to work on the component mounting line 4 during a certain period, the number of maintenance work tasks available for that period is "2." Alternatively, if one operator is available to work on the component mounting line 4 during another period, the number of maintenance work tasks available for that period is "1." Furthermore, if all operators are unavailable during another period due to vacation or break, the number of maintenance work tasks available for that period is "0." That is, that period is set as a maintenance unavailable period. Such information about the operator (the number of available maintenance operations, the period during which maintenance operations are unavailable) is stored in the memory 26 as management information 93. In this embodiment, the number of suction operations of the suction nozzle 29 is set as a threshold value to determine whether the suction nozzle 29 needs to be replaced. When the number of suction operations of the suction nozzle 29 reaches the threshold value, it is determined that the suction nozzle 29 needs to be replaced. The threshold value for the number of suction operations of the suction nozzle 29 is stored in the memory 26 as replacement part information, which is a type of management information 93. The replacement part information can also be input by the input device 5.

[0032] 4, the maintenance work instruction output process executed in the maintenance work support device 6 will be described. The maintenance work instruction output process shown in FIG. 4 is executed at a preset time on an operating day of the component mounting line 4 (for example, a time before production starts on the component mounting line 4), and outputs a maintenance work instruction to an operator. The maintenance work instruction output process may be executed once a day, or multiple times a day (for example, twice a day before production starts and before production resumes after a lunch break).

[0033] 4, first, the CPU 7 of the maintenance work support device 6 acquires the maintenance history information 91 from the memory 9 (S10). This enables the CPU 7 to ascertain the timing of the most recent maintenance work (e.g., feeder replacement work, suction nozzle replacement work, etc.) performed on each board work device 10 that constitutes the component mounting line 4.

[0034] Next, the CPU 7 acquires operation information 92 of the component mounting line 4 from the memory 9 (S12). This allows the CPU 7 to grasp the operation status of each board working device 10 constituting the component mounting line 4 (for example, the number of components used, the number of suction operations of the suction nozzles 29, etc.).

[0035] Next, the CPU 7 calculates the timing of each of the plurality of board work devices 10 installed on the component mounting line 4 for each of the plurality of maintenance tasks performed by that board work device 10 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the maintenance work timing) (S14). As already described, when circuit boards are produced on the component mounting line 4, one or more maintenance tasks (e.g., tasks to replenish consumables (feeders 22, suction nozzles 29, etc.)) are required for each of the plurality of board work devices 10. The maintenance work timing is determined based on the operating status of the component mounting line 4 after the most recent maintenance work. In S14, the maintenance work timing for each of the plurality of maintenance tasks is calculated using the maintenance history information 91 acquired in S10 and the operation information 92 acquired in S12. The processing of S14 corresponds to an example of processing by the maintenance time calculation unit 71.

[0036] The method for calculating the timing of maintenance work will be specifically described using the example of replacement work of a suction nozzle 29. As shown in Table 1, assume that there are three suction nozzles 29 with IDs "1" to "3" that are subject to maintenance work. The suction nozzle 29 with ID "1" has currently been used 600 times and has a usage frequency of 40 times per day. The suction nozzle 29 with ID "2" has currently been used 800 times and has a usage frequency of 20 times per day. The suction nozzle 29 with ID "3" has currently been used 900 times and has a usage frequency of 10 times per day. Furthermore, assume that the number of times that maintenance work is required (maintenance requirement threshold) for all of the suction nozzles 29 with IDs "1" to "3" is 1000 times.

[0037] The current number of times the suction nozzle 29 has been used is calculated from the time when the suction nozzle 29 was most recently replaced (identified from the maintenance history information 91) and the operating status after replacement (number of times the suction nozzle 29 has been used, calculated from the operating information 92). The frequency of use of the suction nozzle 29 is calculated from the operating information 92 after the most recent suction nozzle replacement. The maintenance requirement threshold is stored in the memory 9 as management information 93 for each suction nozzle 29.

[0038]

[0039] As shown in Table 1, the suction nozzle 29 with ID "1" has currently performed 600 suctions, its usage frequency is 40 times per day, and its maintenance threshold is 1000 times. Therefore, the maintenance work due date is (1000 - 600) ÷ 40 = 10 days from now. The suction nozzle 29 with ID "2" has currently performed 800 suctions, its usage frequency is 20 times per day, and its maintenance threshold is 1000 times. Therefore, the maintenance work due date is (1000 - 800) ÷ 20 = 10 days from now. By performing a similar calculation, the maintenance work due date for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "3" is also 10 days from now. That is, the maintenance work due dates for the suction nozzles 29 with ID "1" to ID "3" are all 10 days from now. Note that in this embodiment, if the maintenance work due date calculated as above includes a decimal point, the decimal point is rounded up to the nearest whole number to calculate the maintenance work due date. For example, if the calculated value is 7.5, the maintenance work will be performed in 8 days.

[0040] The timing of the feeder 22 replacement work (maintenance work time) can also be calculated using the maintenance history information 91 and the operation information 92. That is, the number of remaining parts stored in the feeder 22 is calculated from the time when the most recent feeder replacement work was performed (identified from the maintenance history information 91) and the operation status after replacement (the number of parts used (calculated from the operation information 92)). Then, the number of parts used per day is identified from the operation information 92, and the maintenance time can be calculated by dividing the number of remaining parts by the number of parts used (the number of parts used per day).

[0041] Next, the CPU 7 determines whether there is any maintenance work for which the due date has already arrived (S16). That is, it determines whether there is any maintenance work for which the due date calculated in S14 is "0" days. For example, if the current number of suction attempts for the suction nozzle 29 is equal to or greater than the maintenance requirement threshold, it is determined that the due date for that suction nozzle 29 has arrived. If the result in S16 is NO, the CPU 7 skips S18 and proceeds to S20. On the other hand, if the result in S16 is YES, the CPU 7 outputs a third work instruction to the operator to perform the maintenance work for which the due date has already arrived (S18). Specifically, the CPU 7 displays the maintenance work for which the due date has arrived on the display device 8 in a third display mode (e.g., highlighted in red). This allows the operator to recognize that the maintenance work instructed in S18 should be performed as a priority. The processes in S16 and S18 correspond to an example of processing by the third maintenance instruction output unit 74.

[0042] When the process proceeds to S20, the CPU 7 determines whether the period from the current time to the maintenance work timing calculated in S14 is equal to or shorter than the first set period for each of the multiple maintenance work performed on the component mounting line 4 (S20). Here, the first set period is set commonly to multiple maintenance work and is set taking into consideration the average work time required for the maintenance work, etc. In other words, a sufficient time is set so that the maintenance work can be completed by the maintenance work timing calculated in S14. For example, a first threshold (e.g., 1000 x 0.8 = 800 times) is set for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "1" and a maintenance necessary threshold (1000 times). Then, the value obtained by subtracting the first threshold from the maintenance necessary threshold (1000 - 800 = 200 times) and dividing the result by the daily usage frequency (e.g., 40 times) (e.g., 5 days) is set as the first set period. The first set period set for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "1" is also applied to the suction nozzles 29 with IDs "2" and "3." The first set period set as described above is stored in the memory 9 as management information 93. Note that, in the above example, the first set period is calculated based on the number of suction operations of the suction nozzle 29, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the first set period itself (e.g., 3 days) may be directly set.

[0043] If the answer is NO in S20, the process skips S22 and proceeds to S24. On the other hand, if the answer is YES in S20, the CPU 7 outputs a first work instruction to the operator to perform maintenance work that will make the period from the current time until the maintenance work due date equal to or less than a first set value (S18). Specifically, the CPU 7 displays the maintenance work for which the answer is YES in S20 on the display device 8 in a first display format (e.g., highlighted in yellow). This allows the operator to easily distinguish between the maintenance work instructed in S18 and the maintenance work instructed in S20, and also allows the operator to recognize that the maintenance work displayed in the first display format must be performed within the first set period. The processes of S20 and S22 correspond to an example of the process performed by the first maintenance instruction output unit 72.

[0044] Next, the CPU 7 determines whether the period from the current time to the maintenance work timing calculated in S14 for each of the multiple maintenance work performed on the component mounting line 4 is equal to or longer than the first set period and equal to or shorter than the second set period (S24). Here, the second set period is set commonly to multiple maintenance work, just like the first set period, and is set to a period (e.g., six days) longer than the first set period (e.g., five days) set for that maintenance work. In other words, even if the maintenance work must be performed simultaneously with other maintenance work, a longer period is set so that the maintenance work can be completed by the maintenance work timing calculated in S14. The second set period is also stored in the memory 9 as management information 93.

[0045] Next, the CPU 7 calculates the number of maintenance tasks that can be performed simultaneously on the component mounting line 4 (the number of tasks that can be performed) during a period corresponding to the first set period (e.g., five days) (e.g., one day starting five days before the maintenance task is due) (S26). That is, the memory 9 stores operator information about the operators who will perform the maintenance tasks as management information 93. Therefore, the CPU 7 identifies the number of operators who will perform the maintenance tasks during the period corresponding to the first set period through the second set period (e.g., one day from five days later to six days later) from the operator information stored in the memory 9. The identified number of operators is then set as the number of tasks that can be performed. For example, if there is only one operator available to perform the maintenance tasks on the component mounting line 4, the number of tasks that can be performed during that period is "1." Furthermore, if all operators are unavailable due to vacation or breaks, the number of tasks that can be performed during that period is "0."

[0046] Next, the CPU 7 compares the number of maintenance jobs for which the period until the maintenance work due date in S24 is equal to or longer than the first set period and equal to or shorter than the second set period with the number of jobs that can be performed calculated in S26 to determine whether the number of maintenance jobs exceeds the number of jobs that can be performed (S28). That is, it determines whether the number of maintenance jobs for which first work instructions are to be output at the same time exceeds the number of jobs that can be performed (the number of operators). If the answer is NO in S28, S30 is skipped and the maintenance work instruction output process is terminated. Therefore, even if a maintenance job is determined to be YES in S24, if the number of jobs is equal to or shorter than the number of jobs that can be performed, nothing is done and the maintenance work instruction output process is terminated.

[0047] On the other hand, if S28 returns YES, the CPU 7 outputs a second work instruction to the operator for one maintenance work selected based on a preset condition from among the maintenance works for which the remaining time until the maintenance work is due is greater than or equal to the first set period and less than or equal to the second set period in S24 (S30), and the maintenance work instruction output process ends. As a result, for maintenance works for which the remaining time until the maintenance work is due is greater than the first set period but less than or equal to the second set period, if the number of such works exceeds the available number of works, one of the maintenance works for which S24 returns YES is displayed on the display device 8 in a second display mode (e.g., highlighted in orange). Because only one maintenance work is displayed in the second display mode, the operator can begin the displayed work without having to worry about which of the multiple maintenance works to perform. The processes of S24 to S30 correspond to an example of processing by the first maintenance instruction output unit 72.

[0048] Note that how one maintenance task is selected from the multiple maintenance tasks for which a YES determination is made in S24 can be selected according to various rules. For example, the suction nozzles 29 with IDs "1" to "3" in Table 1 all have their maintenance due at the same time, but among these maintenance tasks, second task instructions are output in descending order of the number of suction attempts. That is, a maintenance task instruction is output for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "3," and then second task instructions are output for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "2" and then the suction nozzle 29 with ID "1." Note that if the number of tasks falls below the available number of tasks, a second task instruction is not output. Therefore, if the available number of tasks is "1," a second task instruction is output for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "3" followed by the suction nozzle 29 with ID "2," and no second task instruction is output for the suction nozzle 29 with ID "1." Furthermore, when the number of available operations is "0" (i.e., when maintenance operations are unavailable), a second operation instruction is output in the order of suction nozzle 29 with ID "3" → suction nozzle 29 with ID "2" → suction nozzle 29 with ID "1". Note that the rule for selecting one maintenance operation from among the multiple maintenance operations for which the answer in S24 is YES is not limited to the number of suction operations described above, and it may also be possible to select the maintenance operation in descending order of the abnormality occurrence rate, or in descending order of the date of purchase.

[0049] In the maintenance work support device 6 of this embodiment, when the period until the maintenance work is due is longer than the first set period and the number of maintenance work tasks that will take less than the second set period is greater than the number of tasks that can be performed, one of the maintenance work tasks is displayed on the display device 8 in the second display mode. Therefore, if there are multiple maintenance work tasks that are due at the same time and cannot be performed simultaneously when the first work instruction is output, a longer preparation period is provided. This makes it easier to complete the maintenance work by the expected maintenance work time. Furthermore, because a second work instruction is output for one of the corresponding maintenance work tasks, the operator can perform the instructed maintenance work without hesitation.

[0050] Furthermore, since the number of available operators can be set as desired, it is possible for a small number of operators to perform multiple maintenance tasks performed on the component mounting line 4. For example, by setting the number of available operators to "1," a second work instruction is output so that one operator can be in charge of multiple maintenance tasks performed on the component mounting line 4, providing a longer preparation period. This reduces the number of operators required on the component mounting line 4. Furthermore, by setting the number of available operators to "0," it is also possible to set a period during which work is unavailable. This makes it possible to provide an appropriate preparation period for each maintenance task in accordance with operator holidays and break times.

[0051] Although one embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification has been described above, the specific aspects are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the number of maintenance jobs for which a second work instruction is output is one. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, second work instructions may be output simultaneously for the same number of maintenance jobs as the number of available jobs. Since simultaneous processing is possible within the range of the number of available jobs, even if second work instructions are output for multiple maintenance jobs, these maintenance jobs can be executed simultaneously. Alternatively, second work instructions may be output for all applicable maintenance jobs regardless of the number of available jobs.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the first set period and the second set period are set in common for a plurality of maintenance tasks, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, the first set period and the second set period may be set for each maintenance task depending on the operating status of the parts related to that maintenance task. Even when such a configuration is adopted, when there are maintenance tasks for which first work instructions are to be output at the same time that is equal to or greater than the maximum number of tasks, second work instructions may be output for those maintenance tasks, thereby achieving the same effects as those of the above embodiment.

[0053] In the above embodiment, when calculating the maintenance work timing, the decimal point is rounded up based on "one day", but this is not limited to this example. For example, the calculation may be based on "half a day" or "one hour".

[0054] The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieve multiple objectives, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful.

[0055] For example, this specification also discloses a technical idea in which "the maintenance work support device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 5 is changed to "the maintenance work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4." Similarly, a technical idea in which "the maintenance work support device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 6 is changed to "the maintenance work support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5."

Claims

1. A maintenance work support device for a board production facility where multiple types of maintenance work are periodically performed to produce boards having components mounted thereon, the maintenance work support device instructing an operator when to perform the multiple types of maintenance work, the maintenance work support device comprising: a maintenance timing calculation unit that calculates the timing of performing the multiple types of maintenance work for each of the multiple types of maintenance work based on history information of the maintenance work performed on the board production facility and operation information of the board production facility; a first work instruction output unit that outputs a first work instruction to perform the maintenance work for a maintenance work whose calculated period until the maintenance work time is less than or equal to a first set period; and a second work instruction output unit that outputs a second work instruction to perform at least one of the maintenance works whose calculated period until the maintenance work time is longer than the first set period and less than or equal to a second set period that is longer than the first set period, when the calculated maintenance work times for the multiple maintenance works are the same for a set number or more.

2. A maintenance work support device as described in claim 1, further comprising a third work instruction output unit that outputs a third work instruction to carry out maintenance work for which the calculated maintenance work time has arrived.

3. A maintenance work support device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a possible maintenance work number setting unit for setting a possible maintenance work number, which is the number of maintenance works that can be performed simultaneously, in the board production equipment, wherein the second work instruction output unit does not output the second work instruction when the number of maintenance works with the same maintenance work period is less than or equal to the possible number of maintenance works, but outputs the second work instruction when the number of maintenance works with the same maintenance work period exceeds the possible number of maintenance works.

4. The maintenance work support device of claim 3, wherein when the number of maintenance works having the same maintenance work period exceeds the possible number of maintenance works, the second work instruction output unit outputs the second work instruction for maintenance works having the same maintenance work period but not exceeding the possible number of maintenance works selected according to preset conditions.

5. The maintenance work support device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a maintenance work unavailable period setting unit in the board production equipment that sets a maintenance work unavailable period, which is a period during which the maintenance work cannot be carried out, wherein the second work instruction output unit outputs the second work instruction for at least one maintenance work whose maintenance work timing falls within the maintenance work unavailable period when there are multiple maintenance works whose calculated period until the maintenance work timing is longer than the first set period and less than or equal to the second set period, and when there are a set number or more of the multiple maintenance works whose calculated maintenance work timing falls within the maintenance work unavailable period.

6. The maintenance work support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maintenance work is work to replenish consumables used in the board production equipment.

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