Cutting device for laminate

Abstract

A cutting device (10) comprises a movable stage (22) reciprocable along a first axis parallel to a placement surface (22A) and a cutting blade (33) reciprocable along a third axis Z orthogonal to the placement surface (22A). The cutting device (10) further comprises side cameras (41) and top cameras (42) for detecting the states of end surfaces of a laminate placed on the placement surface (22A). The cutting device (10) further comprises a thermograph (43) for detecting the state of a main surface of the laminate placed on the placement surface (22A). A control device of the cutting device (10) determines the relative position of the movable stage (22) with respect to the cutting blade (33) in a direction along the first axis on the basis of the states of the end surfaces of the laminate detected by the side cameras (41) and the top cameras (42), and the state of the main surface of the laminate detected by the thermograph (43).

Description

Laminate cutting device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laminate cutting device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a working device for cutting laminated electronic components. The working device includes a mounting table, a blade cutter, a video camera, and a control device. The mounting table has a mounting surface on which a laminate can be placed. The mounting table reciprocates in a direction parallel to the mounting surface by power from a motor. The blade cutter reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the mounting table. The reciprocating movement of the blade cutter cuts the laminate placed on the mounting table. The video camera is positioned near the end of the blade cutter. The video camera captures an image of the end face of the laminate placed on the mounting table. The control device adjusts the positional relationship between the blade cutter and the mounting table based on image data captured by the video camera.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-357628

[0004] Due to changes in the shape of the stack that the working device of Patent Document 1 is trying to cut, simply referring to the image data of the end surface of the stack may not be able to accurately identify the location in the stack that needs to be cut.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the laminate cutting device of the present disclosure comprises a movable stage having a mounting surface on which a laminate to be cut can be placed and capable of reciprocating along a first axis parallel to the mounting surface, a cutting blade having a cutting edge extending along a second axis parallel to the mounting surface and perpendicular to the first axis and capable of reciprocating along a third axis perpendicular to the mounting surface, an end face sensor located outside the range in which the movable stage exists in the direction along the second axis and detecting the state of the end face of the laminate placed on the mounting surface, a main face sensor located within the range in which the movable stage exists in the direction along the second axis and detecting the state of the main face of the laminate placed on the mounting surface, and a control device that determines the relative position of the movable stage in the direction along the first axis with respect to the cutting blade based on the state of the end face detected by the end face sensor and the state of the main face detected by the main face sensor.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to identify the location in the laminate where cutting should be performed with higher accuracy.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a partial plan view showing an end face of a laminate. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of a cutting device. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

[0008] An embodiment of a laminate cutting device will be described below. The drawings may show components enlarged for ease of understanding. The dimensional ratios of the components may differ from those in the actual device or from those in other drawings.

[0009] <Configuration of Laminate> First, the laminate 100 to be cut by the cutting device 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the laminate 100 is a generally rectangular plate. Therefore, the laminate 100 has a main surface 100A and an end surface 100B. The "main surface" refers to the plane with the largest area among the planes constituting the outer surface of a plate-like object. The length of one side of the laminate 100 is, for example, 10 centimeters or more. The thickness of the laminate 100 is, for example, about several millimeters.

[0010] The laminate 100 includes a dielectric 101, a plurality of first internal electrodes 111, and a plurality of second internal electrodes 112. The dielectric 101 contains ceramic particles such as barium, titanium, calcium, and zinc, a binder, and a base resin. The binder is, for example, an acrylic resin or a vinyl resin. The base resin is, for example, an epoxy resin. The dielectric 101 is generally in the shape of a rectangular plate.

[0011] Each first internal electrode 111 is located inside the dielectric 101. Each first internal electrode 111 is plate-shaped. As shown in FIG. 2 , each first internal electrode 111 has a rectangular shape in which the length of one side is longer than the length of the side adjacent to that side when viewed in a plan view. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, the multiple first internal electrodes 111 are arranged in a matrix in the directions along the short sides and long sides of the first internal electrodes 111. Here, among the multiple first internal electrodes 111, the first internal electrode 111 closest to the end of the dielectric 101 in the direction along the long sides of the first internal electrodes 111 is referred to as a specific first internal electrode 111S. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 , the edge of the short side of each specific first internal electrode 111S is exposed at the end face of the dielectric 101. Therefore, when observing the end face 100B of the laminate 100, not only the dielectric 101 but also the specific first inner electrode 111S can be observed.

[0012] 1, the first internal electrodes 111 are present in two regions in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100. Specifically, two layers each consisting of a plurality of first internal electrodes 111 arranged in a matrix are present at an interval in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, the first internal electrodes 111 of one layer almost completely overlap with the first internal electrodes 111 of the other layer. In other words, the first internal electrodes 111 of different layers face each other.

[0013] Each second internal electrode 112 is located inside the dielectric 101. In Figures 1 and 2, the position of the second internal electrode 112 located inside the dielectric 101 is shown imaginarily by a dashed line.

[0014] Each second internal electrode 112 is plate-shaped. As shown in FIG. 2 , in a plan view, each second internal electrode 112 has a rectangular shape in which the length of one side is longer than the length of the side adjacent to that side. The length and width of the second internal electrode 112 are the same as those of the first internal electrode 111. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, the multiple second internal electrodes 112 are arranged in a matrix in the directions along the short sides and long sides of the second internal electrodes 112. In the direction along the short sides of the second internal electrodes 112, the position of each second internal electrode 112 is aligned with the position of each first internal electrode 111. Meanwhile, in the direction along the long sides of the second internal electrodes 112, the position of each second internal electrode 112 is shifted from the position of each first internal electrode 111.

[0015] Although not shown in the figure, at the end face of the dielectric 101 opposite to the end face where the specific first internal electrode 111S is exposed, the edge of the short side of the second internal electrode 112 closest to that end face is exposed.

[0016] 1 , the second internal electrodes 112 are present in two regions in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100. Specifically, two layers each consisting of a plurality of second internal electrodes 112 arranged in a matrix are present at an interval in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, the second internal electrodes 112 of one layer almost completely overlap with the second internal electrodes 112 of the other layer. In other words, the second internal electrodes 112 of different layers face each other.

[0017] Furthermore, one of the two layers of the second internal electrode 112 is located between two layers of the first internal electrode 111. And one of the two layers of the first internal electrode 111 is located between two layers of the second internal electrode 112. That is, in the direction orthogonal to the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, the layers of the first internal electrode 111 and the layers of the second internal electrode 112 are alternately and repeatedly arranged.

[0018] 2 , in the laminate 100 having the above configuration, a region where only the first internal electrode 111 exists, a region where both the first internal electrode 111 and the second internal electrode 112 exist, and a region where only the second internal electrode 112 exists are repeatedly arranged in this order in the direction along the long side of the first internal electrode 111. Of these regions, the region where only the first internal electrode 111 exists and the region where only the second internal electrode 112 exists are cut position C in the direction along the long side of the first internal electrode 111.

[0019] Furthermore, in the laminate 100 having the above configuration, regions where both the first internal electrode 111 and the second internal electrode 112 are present and regions where neither internal electrode is present are alternately arranged in a direction along the short side of the first internal electrode 111. Of these regions, the region where neither internal electrode is present is the cut position C in the direction along the short side of the first internal electrode 111.

[0020] The laminate 100 can be manufactured, for example, by alternately laminating and pressing ceramic green sheets containing ceramic particles, a binder, a base resin, a solvent, etc. and a conductive paste, and then heating and curing them. According to this manufacturing method, the ceramic green sheets become the dielectric 101, and the conductive paste becomes the first internal electrode 111 and the second internal electrode 112. Note that pressing the laminate 100 during the manufacturing process may cause distortion in the first internal electrode 111 and the second internal electrode 112, or cause misalignment of these internal electrodes.

[0021] The laminate 100 is cut into individual pieces at cutting positions C using a cutting device 10 described below. Each individual piece becomes a capacitor element. For example, a capacitor component can be manufactured by forming a protective film, external electrodes, and the like on the outer surface of this capacitor element.

[0022] <Configuration of Cutting Apparatus> Next, the cutting apparatus 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the cutting apparatus 10 includes a base 11, a movable mechanism 21, a movable stage 22, and an electric heater 23. The base 11 is in the shape of a rectangular plate. The base 11 is fixed to, for example, the floor or a table of a factory.

[0023] The movable stage 22 is connected to the main surface of the base 11 via a movable mechanism 21. The movable stage 22 is a rectangular plate. The length and width of the movable stage 22 are smaller than the length and width of the base 11. Of the outer surfaces of the movable stage 22, the surface facing away from the base 11 is a flat mounting surface 22A. That is, the movable stage 22 has the mounting surface 22A on which the laminate 100 to be cut can be placed. The movable stage 22 is made of metal. When placing the laminate 100 on the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22, in addition to placing it directly on the mounting surface 22A, it may also be placed via another sheet or the like. An example of the other sheet is a foam adhesive sheet that foams when heated and loses its adhesive strength.

[0024] 4, the movable mechanism 21 supports the movable stage 22 so that the movable stage 22 can reciprocate in a direction parallel to its mounting surface 22A. Although not shown, the movable mechanism 21 is composed of a ball screw, an electric motor for rotating the ball screw, and the like. As this type of movable mechanism 21, for example, the mechanism described in Patent Document 1 can be used.

[0025] In the following, as shown in FIG. 4, an axis parallel to the direction in which the movable stage 22 reciprocates is referred to as the first axis X. An axis parallel to the mounting surface 22A and perpendicular to the first axis X is referred to as the second axis Y. As shown in FIG. 3, an axis perpendicular to the mounting surface 22A is referred to as the third axis Z. Furthermore, among the directions along the third axis Z, the direction in which the mounting surface 22A faces is referred to as the upward direction UD, and the opposite direction is referred to as the downward direction DD. Note that the terms "up" and "down" used here are for convenience's sake. Therefore, the upward direction UD and the downward direction DD do not necessarily have to coincide with the upward and downward directions based on the direction of gravity.

[0026] 3, the electric heater 23 generates heat when power is applied. The electric heater 23 is embedded in the movable stage 22. The heat generated by the electric heater 23 heats the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22, and ultimately the laminate 100 mounted on the mounting surface 22A. The temperature of the mounting surface 22A that the electric heater 23 can heat is, for example, several tens of degrees to several hundred degrees.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3 , the cutting device 10 includes a pair of support columns 12 and a suspension portion 13. Each support column 12 is rectangular prism-shaped. Each support column 12 extends in the upward direction UD from the surface of the base 11 on the upward direction UD side. The support columns 12 are spaced apart along the second axis Y. The movable stage 22 described above is located midway between the two support columns 12. The support columns 12 have the same length. The suspension portion 13 is rectangular prism-shaped. The suspension portion 13 spans between the upper end of one support column 12 and the upper end of the other support column 12. Therefore, the suspension portion 13 and the two support columns 12 form an arch shape as a whole.

[0028] The cutting device 10 includes a vertical movement mechanism 31, a cutting block 32, and a cutting blade 33. The cutting block 32 is connected to the suspension unit 13 via the vertical movement mechanism 31. The cutting block 32 is located within a range in which the movable stage 22 is present in the direction along the second axis Y. In other words, the cutting block 32 is located within a range from an end of one movable stage 22 to an end of the other movable stage 22 in the direction along the second axis Y. In this embodiment, the cutting block 32 is located at a midpoint between the two support columns 12 in the direction along the second axis Y. The cutting block 32 holds the cutting blade 33. In other words, the suspension unit 13 supports the cutting blade 33 via the vertical movement mechanism 31 and the cutting block 32.

[0029] The vertical movement mechanism 31 supports the cutting block 32 so that it can reciprocate in the direction along the third axis Z. Therefore, the cutting blade 33 can also reciprocate in the direction along the third axis Z together with the cutting block 32. Although not shown, the vertical movement mechanism 31 is composed of an eccentric cam, an electric motor that rotates the eccentric cam, and the like. As this type of vertical movement mechanism 31, for example, the mechanism described in Patent Document 1 can be used.

[0030] The cutting blade 33 is shaped like a rectangular plate. The cutting blade 33 has a cutting edge 33A. The cutting edge 33A faces downward in the DD direction. The cutting edge 33A extends in a direction along the second axis Y. The cutting blade 33 moves downward together with the cutting block 32, thereby cutting the laminate 100 placed on the placement surface 22A of the movable stage 22. In FIG. 4, the range in which the cutting blade 33 exists is shown imaginarily by a dashed line.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, the cutting device 10 is equipped with two side cameras 41 and two upper cameras 42 as end surface sensors. Each side camera 41 is a full-color video camera. One of the two side cameras 41 is fixed to one of the support columns 12 via a bracket B. The remaining one of the two side cameras 41 is fixed to the other support column 12 via a bracket B. The height positions of the two side cameras 41 are aligned in the direction along the third axis Z.

[0032] Each side camera 41 is located outside the range in which the movable stage 22 is located in the direction along the second axis Y. In other words, each side camera 41 is located outside the end of the movable stage 22 in the direction along the second axis Y. The optical axis of each side camera 41 is parallel to the second axis Y. That is, the optical axis of each side camera 41 is parallel to the mounting surface 22A. Furthermore, the optical axis of each side camera 41 is located slightly upward in the UD direction relative to the mounting surface 22A. Therefore, each side camera 41 has an imaging range of the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. In this embodiment, each side camera 41 has an imaging range of substantially the entire area of ​​the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. Each side camera 41 detects the state of the end surface 100B of the laminate 100 placed on the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 in the form of color image data. The "optical axis of a camera" is an imaginary line connecting the center of the lens closest to the subject and the focal point of the lens. In Figure 3, the optical axis of each camera is shown as an imaginary dashed line.

[0033] Each upper camera 42 is a full-color video camera. One of the two upper cameras 42 is fixed to one of the support columns 12 via a bracket B. The other of the two upper cameras 42 is fixed to the other support column 12 via a bracket B.

[0034] Each upper camera 42 is located outside the range in which the movable stage 22 is located in the direction along the second axis Y. In other words, each upper camera 42 is located outside the end of the movable stage 22 in the direction along the second axis Y. Furthermore, each upper camera 42 is located on the upward direction UD side relative to each side camera 41. In the direction along the third axis Z, the height positions of the two upper cameras 42 are the same. The optical axis of each upper camera 42 intersects with the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. Therefore, each upper camera 42 has the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 as its imaging range. In this embodiment, each upper camera 42 has the imaging range of substantially the entire area of ​​the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. Each upper camera 42 detects the state of the end surface 100B of the laminate 100 placed on the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 in the form of color image data.

[0035] More specifically, the cross section is taken along a plane that includes the optical axis of the upper camera 42 and is perpendicular to the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. In this case, the acute angle θ1 formed between the optical axis of the upper camera 42 and the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 is 60 degrees or less. In this embodiment, the acute angle θ1 is approximately 45 degrees.

[0036] 3, the cutting device 10 is equipped with a thermograph 43 as a main surface sensor. The thermograph 43 is a camera capable of detecting the temperature distribution of the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 and the main surface 100A of the laminate 100 mounted on the mounting surface 22A. Therefore, the thermograph 43 also functions as a temperature sensor. The thermograph 43 is fixed to the suspension part 13 via a bracket B.

[0037] The thermograph 43 is located within the range in which the movable stage 22 is located in the direction along the second axis Y. In other words, the thermograph 43 is located within the range from one end of the movable stage 22 to the other end of the movable stage 22 in the direction along the second axis Y. In this embodiment, the thermograph 43 is located midway between the two support columns 12 in the direction along the second axis Y. The thermograph 43 is also located on the upward direction UD side with respect to each of the lateral cameras 41. The optical axis of the thermograph 43 intersects with the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. Therefore, the imaging range of the thermograph 43 is the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. In this embodiment, the imaging range of the thermograph 43 is substantially the entire area of ​​the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. The thermography 43 detects the state of the main surface 100A of the laminate 100 placed on the placement surface 22A of the movable stage 22 in the form of color image data.

[0038] More specifically, assume that the cross section is taken along a plane that includes the optical axis of the thermograph 43 and is perpendicular to the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22. In this case, the acute angle θ2 formed between the optical axis of the thermograph 43 and the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 is 45 degrees or greater, or the angle θ2 formed between the optical axis of the thermograph 43 and the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 is 90 degrees. In this embodiment, the angle θ2 is approximately 90 degrees.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4 , the cutting device 10 includes a control device 50 for controlling the reciprocating motion of the cutting blade 33 and the movable stage 22. The control device 50 includes a memory unit 51, a processing circuit 52, and other peripheral circuits. The peripheral circuits are not shown in FIG. 4 . The memory unit 51 includes a nonvolatile writable / readable storage, a nonvolatile read-only ROM, and a volatile RAM. The memory unit 51 stores programs and related data for controlling the reciprocating motion of the cutting blade 33 and the movable stage 22 in advance. The processing circuit 52 executes the programs stored in the memory unit 51. Examples of the other peripheral circuits include a clock circuit and a power supply circuit. The control device 50 also controls the on / off switching of the electric heater 23. The control device 50 turns on the electric heater 23 when cutting the laminate 100.

[0040] <Cutting Position Adjustment Operation by Control Device> The control device 50 controls the reciprocating movement of the cutting blade 33 by controlling the electric motor of the vertical movement mechanism 31. The control device 50 also controls the reciprocating movement of the movable stage 22 by controlling the electric motor of the movable mechanism 21. The control device 50 controls the reciprocating movement of the cutting blade 33 and the reciprocating movement of the movable stage 22 so that they are linked. Specifically, the control device 50 moves the cutting blade 33 downward and upward. The stack 100 is cut by this up and down movement of the cutting blade 33. Thereafter, the control device 50 moves the movable stage 22 a fixed distance in a direction along the first axis X. The control device 50 repeats these operations to continuously cut the stack 100.

[0041] The control device 50 acquires image data captured by each side camera 41, image data captured by each upper camera 42, and image data captured by the thermograph 43 when determining the relative position of the movable stage 22 with respect to the cutting blade 33 in the direction along the first axis X. As a premise, when cutting the laminate 100 with the cutting device 10, the laminate 100 is placed on the placement surface 22A of the movable stage 22 so that the end surface 100B of the laminate 100 faces the direction along the second axis Y. Then, the control device 50 specifies the positions of the first internal electrode 111 and the second internal electrode 112 on the end surface 100B of the laminate 100 based on the image data captured by each side camera 41 and the image data captured by each upper camera 42. Thereafter, the control device 50 tentatively determines a cutting position C of the laminate 100 in the direction along the short side of the first internal electrode 111.

[0042] Furthermore, the control device 50 estimates the positions and shapes of the first internal electrode 111 and the second internal electrode 112 of the laminate 100 based on the image data captured by the thermograph 43. When the movable stage 22 is heated by the electric heater 23, the laminate 100 heats up from the point of contact with the movable stage 22 in the upward direction UD. At this time, the thickness of the laminate 100 differs depending on whether or not each internal electrode is present inside the dielectric 101, whether or not the internal electrodes overlap, and so the manner in which heat is transferred changes. After confirming the temperature difference between the movable stage 22 and the laminate 100, the control device 50 adjusts the position of the movable stage 22 so that the cutting edge 33A of the cutting blade 33 is located in the upward direction UD of the cutting position C.

[0043] Effects of the Embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the control device 50 determines the relative position of the movable stage 22 with respect to the cutting blade 33 by referring to data from the thermograph 43 as well as data from the side camera 41 and the upper camera 42. The data from the thermograph 43 reflects the state of the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, particularly the presence or absence of internal electrodes. Therefore, the control device 50 can accurately determine the cutting position C in accordance with the state of the main surface 100A.

[0044] (2) Both the side camera 41 and the upper camera 42 are video cameras. Therefore, it is easy to detect the position of each internal electrode on the end surface 100B of the laminate 100 based on the image data captured by the side camera 41 and the upper camera 42. In addition, the optical axes of these cameras form an acute angle of 60 degrees or less with the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22, or the optical axes of the cameras are parallel to the mounting surface 22A. Such angle settings of the optical axes of the cameras are suitable for capturing images of the end surface 100B of the laminate 100.

[0045] (3) In the above embodiment, the cutting device 10 includes two types of cameras, the side camera 41 and the upper camera 42, whose optical axes are oriented at different angles relative to the mounting surface 22A. By capturing images of the end surface 100B of the laminate 100 at different angles in this manner, it is possible to prevent, for example, the occurrence of a situation in which the position of the internal electrode is erroneously detected due to the way light is reflected.

[0046] (4) The thermograph 43 is a camera that detects the temperature distribution. The acute angle θ2 between the optical axis of the thermograph 43 and the mounting surface 22A is 45 degrees or greater, or the angle θ2 between the optical axis of the thermograph 43 and the mounting surface 22A is 90 degrees. By setting the angle of the optical axis of the thermograph 43 in this way, even if the main surface 100A is wider than the end surface 100B, the entire main surface 100A can be captured by a single thermograph 43.

[0047] <Modifications> The above embodiment and the following modifications can be implemented in combination with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0048] The object to be cut by the cutting device 10 is not limited to the laminate 100 exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, it may be a laminate in which inductor elements, thermistor elements, etc. are arranged in a matrix. In addition to these, any structure in which a base layer and a conductor layer or the like are stacked over multiple layers may be adopted as the object to be cut by the cutting device 10 of the above embodiment.

[0049] The movable stage 22 may have a suction function for the laminate 100. For example, the movable stage 22 may have a plurality of suction holes that open on the mounting surface 22A, and may be configured to suck and hold the laminate 100 by sucking gas through the suction holes. Alternatively, the movable stage 22 may be configured to suck and hold the laminate 100 by so-called electrostatic suction.

[0050] In addition to the suction function described above, the movable stage 22 may have a stopper or the like for positioning the laminate 100. The movable stage 22 may be capable of reciprocating not only in the direction along the first axis X but also in the direction along the second axis Y. Furthermore, the movable stage 22 may be rotatable about a rotation axis that passes through the center of the movable stage 22 when viewed in a plane.

[0051] The movable stage 22 may be movable in a direction along the third axis Z. That is, the height position of the movable stage 22 may be adjustable. The movable mechanism 21 for operating the movable stage 22 is not limited to the mechanism exemplified in the above embodiment. Furthermore, the power source of the movable mechanism 21 is not limited to an electric motor. The same applies to the vertical movement mechanism 31.

[0052] The configuration of the base 11, the support columns 12, and the suspension section 13 is not important. Any configuration is acceptable as long as it can support the movable stage 22 and the cutting blade 33. The configuration of the cutting block 32 is not important as long as it can hold the cutting blade 33. Furthermore, for example, the cutting device 10 may be provided with a guide rail that extends along the direction in which the cutting block 32 moves. By having the cutting block 32 move back and forth while sliding on the guide rail, it is possible to prevent the cutting block 32, and therefore the cutting blade 33, from vibrating.

[0053] The side camera 41 and the upper camera 42 do not have to be full-color video cameras. For example, these cameras may be black-and-white video cameras or cameras that capture still images. Furthermore, these cameras do not have to detect visible light. An appropriate optical camera may be selected according to the configuration of the dielectric 101 and each internal electrode of the laminate 100.

[0054] Instead of the side camera 41, a sensor other than a camera may be used as the edge sensor. For example, a laser displacement meter may be used as the edge sensor. In this case, the laser displacement meter may be capable of detecting the shape of the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 and the edge surface 100B of the laminate 100 mounted on the mounting surface 22A. By detecting the minute uneven shape of the edge surface 100B of the laminate 100 with the laser displacement meter, the position of each internal electrode on the edge surface 100B can be detected. Similarly, instead of the upper camera 42, a sensor other than a camera may be used as the edge sensor.

[0055] One of the two side cameras 41 may be omitted, or three or more side cameras 41 may be provided. Similarly, one of the two upper cameras 42 may be omitted, or three or more upper cameras 42 may be provided. Furthermore, only one of the side camera 41 and the upper camera 42 may be provided. In other words, it is sufficient that one or more sensors are provided as the end face sensor.

[0056] The main surface sensor may be a sensor capable of measuring temperature other than the thermography 43. When a temperature sensor is used as the main surface sensor, it is preferable that the sensor be one that can measure temperature without contact, such as a digital radiation temperature sensor.

[0057] An optical camera other than a thermograph, such as a video camera, may be used as the main surface sensor. In this case, the video camera only needs to capture the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 and the main surface 100A of the laminate 100 placed on the mounting surface 22A. When a video camera is used as the main surface sensor in this way, the control device 50 can grasp the irregularities of the main surface 100A, the outer edge shape of the main surface 100A, and the like. Therefore, in this example, the control device 50 can determine the cutting position C according to the irregularities of the main surface 100A, the outer edge shape of the main surface 100A, and the like.

[0058] When a video camera is used as the main surface sensor, a mark that can be detected by the main surface sensor may be provided on the main surface 100A of the laminate 100. One mark may be provided for each laminate 100, or one mark may be provided for each capacitor element to be singulated. The mark may be printed on the main surface 100A of the laminate 100, or may have a special uneven shape that allows it to be distinguished from other portions.

[0059] Instead of the thermograph 43, a sensor other than an optical camera may be used as the principal surface sensor. For example, a laser displacement meter that detects the surface shape of the laminate 100 may be used as the principal surface sensor. In this case, the laser displacement meter may be configured to detect the surface shape of the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 and the laminate 100 mounted on the mounting surface 22A. For example, the thickness of the laminate 100 may vary depending on whether or not internal electrodes are present inside the dielectric 101, how many internal electrodes are overlapping, and other factors. Based on such differences in the shape of the principal surface 100A, the laser displacement meter serving as the principal surface sensor detects areas of the laminate 100 where the thickness is thin. Then, by combining this detection result with the positional information of the internal electrodes obtained from the side camera 41, the accurate cutting position C can be determined. Furthermore, when a laser displacement meter is used as the principal surface sensor, the thickness of the laminate 100 can be detected by detecting the displacement of the boundary between the mounting surface 22A of the movable stage 22 and the principal surface 100A of the laminate 100. In this example, the control device 50 can also use information regarding the thickness of the stack 100 to determine whether the stack 100 placed on the placement surface 22A is a good product or a defective product.

[0060] Two or more main surface sensors may be provided. In this case, the main surface sensors may be the same type or different types. When multiple main surface sensors are provided, the areas on the main surface 100A of the laminate 100 detected by each sensor may be different areas or may overlap partially or entirely.

[0061] <Supplementary Notes> The technical ideas that can be understood from the above embodiments and modified examples will be described. [Supplementary Note 1] A laminate cutting device comprising: a movable stage having a mounting surface on which a laminate to be cut can be placed, the movable stage being capable of reciprocating along a first axis parallel to the mounting surface; a cutting blade having a cutting edge extending along a second axis parallel to the mounting surface and perpendicular to the first axis, the cutting blade being capable of reciprocating along a third axis perpendicular to the mounting surface; an edge sensor located outside an area where the movable stage exists in a direction along the second axis, the edge sensor detecting a state of an edge of the laminate placed on the mounting surface; a main surface sensor located within an area where the movable stage exists in a direction along the second axis, the main surface sensor detecting a state of a main surface of the laminate placed on the mounting surface; and a control device that determines a relative position of the movable stage in a direction along the first axis with respect to the cutting blade, based on the state of the edge detected by the edge sensor and the state of the main surface detected by the main surface sensor.

[0062] [Appendix 2] The laminate cutting device described in Appendix 1, wherein the edge face sensor is a camera having an imaging range that covers at least a portion of the area of ​​the placement surface, and when viewed in a cross section that includes the optical axis of the edge face sensor and is perpendicular to the placement surface, the acute angle formed by the optical axis of the edge face sensor and the placement surface is 60 degrees or less, or the optical axis of the edge face sensor and the placement surface are parallel.

[0063] [Supplementary Note 3] The laminate cutting device according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the main surface sensor is a camera having an imaging range that covers at least a portion of the area of ​​the placement surface, and when viewed in a cross section that includes the optical axis of the main surface sensor and is perpendicular to the placement surface, the acute angle formed by the optical axis of the main surface sensor and the placement surface is 45 degrees or more, or the angle formed by the optical axis of the main surface sensor and the placement surface is 90 degrees.

[0064] [Appendix 4] The laminate cutting device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, wherein the main surface sensor is a sensor that detects a temperature distribution, a surface shape, or a thickness of the surface of the placement surface and the surface of the laminate placed on the placement surface.

[0065] 22: Movable stage 33: Cutting blade 33A: Blade tip 41: Side camera 42: Upper camera 43: Thermography 50: Control device 100: Laminated body 100A: Main surface 100B: End surface X: First axis Y: Second axis Z: Third axis

Claims

1. A laminate cutting device comprising: a movable stage having a mounting surface on which a laminate to be cut can be placed, the stage being capable of reciprocating motion along a first axis parallel to the mounting surface; a cutting blade having a cutting edge extending along a second axis parallel to the mounting surface and perpendicular to the first axis, the cutting blade being capable of reciprocating motion along a third axis perpendicular to the mounting surface; an edge sensor located outside the range in which the movable stage exists in the direction along the second axis, and detecting the state of the edge of the laminate placed on the mounting surface; a main surface sensor located within the range in which the movable stage exists in the direction along the second axis, and detecting the state of the main surface of the laminate placed on the mounting surface; and a control device that determines the relative position of the movable stage in the direction along the first axis with respect to the cutting blade, based on the state of the edge detected by the edge sensor and the state of the main surface detected by the main surface sensor.

2. The laminate cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the edge sensor is a camera having an imaging range that covers at least a portion of the area of ​​the placement surface, and when viewed in a cross section that includes the optical axis of the edge sensor and is perpendicular to the placement surface, the acute angle formed by the optical axis of the edge sensor and the placement surface is 60 degrees or less, or the optical axis of the edge sensor and the placement surface are parallel.

3. The laminate cutting device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the main surface sensor is a camera having an imaging range that covers at least a portion of the area of ​​the placement surface, and when viewed in a cross section that includes the optical axis of the main surface sensor and is perpendicular to the placement surface, the acute angle formed by the optical axis of the main surface sensor and the placement surface is 45 degrees or more, or the angle formed by the optical axis of the main surface sensor and the placement surface is 90 degrees.

4. The laminate cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main surface sensor is a sensor that detects the temperature distribution, surface shape, or thickness of the surface of the placement surface and the surface of the laminate placed on the placement surface.

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