Component mounter

Abstract

This component mounter comprises: a mounting head whereby a holding member capable of holding a component is supported such that it is possible to raise or lower the holding member; a height dimension measurement unit that measures the height dimension of the component; and an adjustment unit that uses the height dimension measured by the height dimension measurement unit as a basis to adjust a collection height position of the holding member when the holding member subsequently collects the component.

Description

Component placement machine

[0001] The present specification relates to a component mounting machine.

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a component mounting machine that picks up components supplied from a component supply device and mounts them on a circuit board (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The component mounting machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a suction nozzle that picks up and holds the components by suction using negative pressure. The suction nozzle is supported on the mounting head so that it can move up and down and rotate. Before picking up a component, the suction nozzle is positioned at an upper height, and when picking up a component, it descends to a predetermined pick-up height position and picks up the component by suction using negative pressure.

[0003] The pickup height is a height that ensures a predetermined clearance from the top edge of the component. This predetermined clearance is set so that the tip of the suction nozzle does not come into contact with the component and the suction nozzle can suck the component by negative pressure. The pickup height reflects the results of the calibration process for the mounting head performed before board production. This absorbs individual differences in the configuration of the mounting head, resulting in high precision in the mounting process.

[0004] International Publication No. 2023-181345

[0005] Although components are manufactured to a predetermined component size, the size of the actual manufactured component may not match the predetermined component size. In this case, even if the suction nozzle is determined to have reached the pickup height, if the height of the actual component is smaller than the reference height for that component size, the gap between the tip of the suction nozzle and the upper end (top surface) of the actual component may exceed the predetermined clearance, resulting in a pickup error in which the suction nozzle is unable to sufficiently pick up the component. Conversely, if the height of the actual component is larger than the reference height for that component size, the suction nozzle may accidentally come into contact with the component as it descends. This contact may damage the component or cause other components to be misaligned, resulting in a pickup error.

[0006] However, the component mounting machine described in Patent Document 1 does not deal with cases where there is a difference between the height dimension of the actual component and the reference height dimension, and therefore cannot prevent the above-mentioned pickup errors or pickup failures.

[0007] An object of the present specification is to provide a component mounting machine that can execute component picking processing using a holding member in accordance with the height dimension of the actual component.

[0008] This specification discloses a component mounting machine that includes a mounting head that supports a holding member capable of holding a component so that the holding member can be raised and lowered, a height dimension measuring unit that measures the height dimension of the component, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the pickup height position of the holding member when the holding member subsequently picks up the component based on the height dimension measured by the height dimension measuring unit.

[0009] According to the disclosed configuration, the component picking process by the holding member can be performed in accordance with the height dimension of the actual component.

[0010] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the component mounting machine described in claim 1" to "the component mounting machine described in any one of claims 1 to 5" in claim 7 as originally filed, the technical idea of ​​changing "the component mounting machine described in claim 1" to "the component mounting machine described in any one of claims 1 to 5" in claim 8 as originally filed, the technical idea of ​​changing "the component mounting machine described in claim 1" to "the component mounting machine described in any one of claims 1 to 8" in claim 9 as originally filed, and the technical idea of ​​changing "the component mounting machine described in claim 1" to "the component mounting machine described in any one of claims 1 to 9" in claim 10 as originally filed.

[0011] 1 is a plan view of a component mounting machine; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a mounting head; FIG. 3 is a side view of the mounting head; FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a state in which a component is being sucked up by a suction nozzle; FIG. 5 is a top view including a component supply area of ​​a bulk feeder; FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the component mounting machine; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the pickup height position of the suction nozzle in a pickup operation when the height dimension of the component matches the reference height dimension; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the pickup height position of the suction nozzle in a pickup operation when the height dimension of the component is smaller than the reference height dimension; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the pickup height position of the suction nozzle in a pickup operation when the height dimension of the component is larger than the reference height dimension; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed in a component mounting machine to adjust the pickup height position in accordance with the component height dimension; and FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed in a component mounting machine during a mounting process.

[0012] The configuration of a component mounting machine 1 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0013] 1. Configuration of the Component Mounting Machine The component mounting machine 1 is a device that mounts components onto a board. The component mounting machine 1 constitutes a board production system that produces board products using multiple types of board-related operation machines, including the component mounting machine 1, a printing machine, an inspection device, a reflow oven, etc. As shown in Figure 1, the component mounting machine 1 includes a board transport device 10, a component supply device 20, and a component transfer device 30.

[0014] The board transport device 10 is a device that transports boards B in a transport direction X. The board transport device 10 is capable of sequentially transporting a plurality of boards B in the transport direction X and positioning the boards B at predetermined positions for component mounting.

[0015] The component supply device 20 is a device that supplies components P to be mounted on the board B. The component supply device 20 has feeders 21 and slots 22 in which the feeders 21 are installed. A plurality of slots 22 are provided in the component supply device 20. The component supply device 20 can supply components with a plurality of feeders 21 set in the slots 22.

[0016] The feeder 21 may be, for example, a tape feeder that feeds and moves a carrier tape that stores multiple components P at predetermined intervals in the tape longitudinal direction to supply the components P to a predetermined supply position so that the components P can be picked up, or a bulk feeder that supplies components P stored in a bulk state (i.e., a loose state in which the posture is not constant) so that the components P can be picked up. The bulk feeder 50 will be described below.

[0017] Unlike tape feeders that use carrier tape, bulk feeder 50 supplies components P stored in bulk. Bulk feeder 50 is an effective feeder in that it can omit the loading of carrier tape and the collection of used tape.

[0018] Some bulk feeders 50 supply components P in irregular positions to a planar supply area S, for example. However, if the components P are so close to each other in the supply area S that they touch each other, or if the components P are piled up vertically and overlap each other, or if the components P are in a horizontal position with their sides pointing up or down, the component mounting machine 1 cannot pick up these components P. Therefore, to increase the percentage of components P that can be picked up, some bulk feeders 50 supply components P in an aligned state in the supply area S. In the following, this embodiment will be described taking as an example a bulk feeder 50 of the type that aligns the components P.

[0019] When set in slot 22 of component supply device 20, bulk feeder 50 is supplied with power via a connector and is capable of communicating with control device 70, which will be described later. Bulk feeder 50 has a feeder body 51 formed in a flat, box-like shape. A component case that stores multiple components P in bulk is detachably attached to feeder body 51. Bulk feeder 50 has a track member 52 that is mounted so as to be vibrable relative to feeder body 51. Track member 52 is formed with a conveying area T through which multiple components P are conveyed, and a supplying area S that is connected to conveying area T and opens upward so that multiple components P can be picked up.

[0020] The track member 52 is formed to extend in the front-to-rear direction of the feeder main body 51 (left-to-right direction in FIG. 5 ). The track member 52 has a pair of side walls 52a and a tip portion 52b that surround the periphery of the conveying area T to prevent leakage of parts P conveyed in the conveying area T. The pair of side walls 52a are formed on both edges in the width direction (up-down direction in FIG. 5 ) of the track member 52 and protrude upward. The tip portion 52b is formed on the rear side of the feeder main body 51 (right side in FIG. 5 ) and protrudes upward. A pair of circular reference marks 52c indicating the reference position of the supply area S are provided on the upper surface of the tip portion 52b, one on the left and one on the right.

[0021] In this embodiment, an alignment member 55 is replaceably attached to the track member 52. The alignment member 55 has a plurality of cavities 56 that individually accommodate a plurality of components P. The cavities 56 are aligned linearly in the width direction of the track member 52 in the supply area S, and are arranged so that adjacent rows are diagonal to each other in the front-to-rear direction of the feeder body 51. For example, the alignment member 55 has a total of 64 cavities 56, with eight rows of eight cavities aligned in the front-to-rear direction of the feeder body 51, each row being aligned in the width direction of the track member 52. Each of the cavities 56 is open upward and accommodates the components P with the thickness direction of the components P aligned vertically. The cavities 56 may also be arranged in a matrix.

[0022] The opening of the cavity 56 is set to a dimension slightly larger than the outer shape of the part P when viewed from above. The depth of the cavity 56 is set according to the type (i.e., shape, mass, etc.) of the part P. One of various types of alignment members 55 is attached to the track member 52, selected based on the type of part P and the required number and function of the cavities 56.

[0023] The above-mentioned "supply area S" of track member 52 is an area where components P are supplied in bulk and where suction nozzles 40 supported by mounting head 31 can pick up components P. Furthermore, the "transport area T" of track member 52 is a path along which components P circulated from the component case side to track member 52 are transported to supply area S. A cover 57 that covers the top of transport area T is fixed to track member 52.

[0024] The bulk feeder 50 has a shutter 58 that can close the opening of the supply area S. The shutter 58 is provided on the top of the track member 52. The bulk feeder 50 can prevent components P from flying out or foreign matter from entering the supply area S by closing the shutter 58. The bulk feeder 50 has a vibration device (not shown) provided on the feeder body 51. The vibration device applies vibration to the track member 52 so that multiple components P are transported along the transport area T. When the vibration device applies vibration to the track member 52, the track member 52 moves in an elliptical shape when viewed from the side.

[0025] When the track member 52 performs the elliptical motion, the multiple parts P in the transport area T are subjected to a forward and upward external force or a backward and upward external force depending on the rotation direction of the elliptical motion. As a result, each part P is transported to the front or rear side of the track member 52 and is stored in the cavity 56 of the supply area S, where it can be supplied for collection. In this way, the supply process of parts P using the vibration device is appropriately executed in response to commands from the control device 70.

[0026] The component transfer device 30 is a device that transfers components P supplied by the component supply device 20 to predetermined mounting positions on a board B that has been positioned at a predetermined position by the board transport device 10. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the component transfer device 30 has a mounting head 31, a movable table 32, and a head drive device 33. The mounting head 31 is a member to which a holding member 40 that holds components is attached. The movable table 32 is a base to which the mounting head 31 is detachably fixed. The head drive device 33 is a device that moves the movable table 32 to which the mounting head 31 is fixed in horizontal directions (i.e., the above-mentioned transport direction X and the orthogonal direction Y that is orthogonal to the transport direction X).

[0027] 2 and 3, the mounting head 31 has a rotary head 34. The rotary head 34 supports a plurality of holders 36 so that they can be individually raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z and rotatable about a Q axis extending in the vertical direction Z. A holding member 40 capable of holding a component P is attached to each holder 36. The holding member 40 is a suction nozzle that uses supplied negative pressure air to suck and pick up the component P and then suction and hold it, or a chuck that grips and picks up the component P and then holds it. Hereinafter, the holding member 40 will be appropriately assumed to be a suction nozzle and will be referred to as a suction nozzle 40.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, the suction nozzle 40 has a cylindrical shaft portion 41 that extends in the vertical direction Z, and a flange portion 42 that is fixed to the shaft portion 41 and extends in the horizontal direction (i.e., the conveying direction X and the perpendicular direction Y). The shaft portion 41 has an opening 41a formed at its lower end. The lower end of the suction nozzle 40 is formed in a circular or non-circular shape. The lower surface of the flange portion 42 becomes the background when the suction nozzle 40 is imaged from below.

[0029] The mounting head 31 has an R-axis rotation device 35 that rotates the rotary head 34 about the R-axis extending in the vertical direction Z. The R-axis rotation device 35 sets the rotary head 34 at a predetermined angle about the R-axis, thereby indexing one holder 36 to an elevation angle position where it is raised and lowered by an elevation device 38 (described below). The mounting head 31 has a Q-axis rotation device 37 that rotates the holder 36 about the Q-axis. In this embodiment, the Q-axis rotation device 37 has a mechanism that rotates multiple holders 36 in conjunction with each other, causing the multiple holders 36 to rotate synchronously.

[0030] The mounting head 31 has an elevator device 38 that raises and lowers the holders 36. The elevator device 38 raises or lowers a holder 36 that is indexed to a lifting angle position by the rotation of the rotary head 34 among the multiple holders 36, thereby raising or lowering the suction nozzle 40 attached to the holder 36. Note that the mounting head 31 may have two or more elevator devices 38, and may adopt a configuration in which the holders 36 positioned by each elevator device 38 can be raised and lowered independently.

[0031] The number of holders 36 in the mounting head 31 may vary depending on the type of mounting head 31. The mounting head 31 may support a plurality of holders 36 at equal intervals in a circular ring shape as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or may support a plurality of holders 36 arranged in a line or in a matrix.

[0032] The component mounting machine 1 is equipped with a component camera 61 and a board camera 62. The component camera 61 and the board camera 62 are digital imaging devices having imaging elements such as CMOS. The component camera 61 and the board camera 62 capture images based on control signals and send the image data acquired by the capture to a control device described below. The component camera 61 captures images of the component P held by the suction nozzle 40 from below. The board camera 62 is attached to the moving stage 32 so as to be movable horizontally integrally with the mounting head 31. The board camera 62 captures images of the board B from above.

[0033] Furthermore, in addition to capturing an image of the surface of the board B, the board camera 62 can also capture an image of various devices within the movable range of the movable table 32. For example, the board camera 62 can capture an image of the component supply area S where the bulk feeder 50 supplies components and a reference mark provided on the top of the bulk feeder 50 within the camera's field of view (see FIG. 5).

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, the component mounting machine 1 is equipped with a control device 70. The control device 70 is mainly composed of a CPU, various memories, control circuits, etc. As shown in Fig. 6, the control device 70 has a storage unit 71. The storage unit 71 is composed of an optical drive device such as a hard disk drive or a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 71 of the control device 70 stores various data such as control programs and reference data used to control the mounting process.

[0035] The control program indicates the placement order of components P to be placed on the board B during the placement process, including their placement positions, placement angles, and component types. The placement process includes a process of repeating a PP (pick-and-place) cycle, which includes a pickup cycle and a placement cycle, multiple times. The pickup cycle is a process of repeating a pickup operation multiple times, in which the suction nozzle 40 picks up components P supplied by the component supply device 20. The placement cycle is a process of repeating a placement operation multiple times, in which the suction nozzle 40 places the picked component P at a predetermined placement position on the board B at a predetermined placement angle. The PP cycle is composed of multiple pickup and placement operations grouped together, taking into account the number of suction nozzles 40 supported by the placement head 31, the travel distance of the placement head 31, and other factors. The execution order of the PP cycle is preset in the control program.

[0036] The reference data stored in the storage unit 71 also includes reference dimensions indicating the component size for each type of component P. The initial setting values ​​of these reference dimensions may be any dimensions that are predetermined for manufacturing the component P itself. The reference dimensions include the reference height dimensions of the component P when the component P is in the orientation that it should assume during picking.

[0037] The control device 70 executes the picking operation in the above-described picking cycle based on the reference data stored in the memory unit 71. When the height dimension of the component P matches the reference height dimension, the upper end of the component P supplied to the predetermined supply position or supply area S in the feeder 21 is normally at the specified component height position HB0 (see FIG. 7 ). Therefore, when the holding member 40 attached to the mounting head 31 of the component transfer device 30 descends in accordance with a control program that includes the reference height dimension as reference data to approach the upper end of the component P and pick up the component P, the positional relationship between the holding member 40 and the component P becomes the specified positional relationship.

[0038] The above-mentioned specified positional relationship, particularly when the holding member 40 is a suction nozzle, is such that, as shown in Figure 7, when the suction nozzle 40 picks up a component, the tip (lower end) of the suction nozzle 40 is located at a pick-up height position (hereinafter referred to as the reference pick-up height position) HP0 (=HB0+CL) at which a predetermined clearance CL is secured from the upper end of the component P (the above-mentioned specified component height position HB0).

[0039] The above-mentioned specified component height position HB0 refers to the height position of the upper end of a component P whose height dimension matches the reference height dimension when that component P is placed on a specified reference plane (reference height position BG; see FIG. 7). This reference plane refers to the placement surface on which the component P is placed when it is supplied to a specified supply position or supply area S in the feeder 21. The specified clearance CL is set to a gap distance that prevents the tip of the suction nozzle 40 from contacting the component P and allows the suction nozzle 40 to suck the component P sufficiently and with negative pressure.

[0040] When the holding member 40 is a suction nozzle 40, the control device 70 generally performs a pick-up operation by lowering the suction nozzle 40 to the pick-up height position HP and generating negative pressure at the pick-up height position HP, assuming that the height dimension of the component P placed on the reference surface matches the reference height dimension. If this pick-up operation is performed when the height dimension of the component P is the reference height dimension as described above and the tip of the suction nozzle 40 and the upper end of the component P are in a specified positional relationship with a predetermined clearance CL between them during component pick-up, the tip of the suction nozzle 40 will not come into contact with the component P when it is lowered, and the component P will be sucked into the tip of the suction nozzle 40 and picked up. Note that a case in which the actual height dimension of the component P differs from the reference height dimension will be described in detail later.

[0041] 6, the control device 70 has a placement control unit 72. The placement control unit 72 executes placement processing based on a control program. The placement control unit 72 executes processing to recognize the holding state of the components P held by each of the multiple holding members 40 (i.e., the suction nozzles 40). Specifically, the placement control unit 72 processes image data acquired by capturing images with the component camera 61, and recognizes the position and angle of each component P relative to the reference position of the placement head 31.

[0042] In addition to the component camera 61, the placement control unit 72 may also process image data acquired by, for example, a camera 74 of a head camera unit that is attached integrally to the placement head 31 and captures an image of the component P held by the holding member 40 from the side, to recognize the holding state of the component P. Alternatively, the placement control unit 72 may process image data acquired by a head camera unit that is attached integrally to the placement head 31 and captures an image of the component P held by the holding member 40 from below or above, to recognize the holding state of the component P.

[0043] During the placement process, the placement control unit 72 controls the operation of the placement head 31 based on information output from various sensors, image processing results, a control program, etc. This control adjusts the positions and angles of the multiple suction nozzles 40 supported by the placement head 31. Then, the component P held by the suction nozzles 40 is placed on the board B at a predetermined placement position and a predetermined placement angle instructed by the control program.

[0044] The control device 70 recognizes the supply status of the multiple components P in the supply area S of the bulk feeder 50 based on image data acquired by the board camera 62. The supply status recognition process includes a process of recognizing whether or not there are any components P present in the supply area S that can be picked up, and, if there are any pickable components P, a process of further recognizing the position and angle of those components P. Then, the placement control unit 72 controls the operation of the placement head 31 during the picking operation based on the results of the supply status recognition process.

[0045] Furthermore, the control device 70 controls the component supply by the component supply device 20. When the component supply device 20 is equipped with a bulk feeder 50, the control device 70 controls the bulk feeder 50 so that the supply operation is performed at an appropriate timing during the execution of the mounting process.

[0046] However, if there is a difference between the actual height dimension of the component P and the reference height dimension, the component height position HB of the upper end of the component P placed on the reference surface will be deviated from the specified component height position HB0. In this case, if the above-mentioned picking operation is performed assuming that the height dimension of the component P matches the reference height dimension, the holding member 40 and the component P will be in a positional relationship that is different from the specified positional relationship, and there is a risk that the component will not be picked up properly by the holding member 40.

[0047] For example, if the holding member 40 is a suction nozzle, and the actual height dimension of the component P is smaller than the reference height dimension, the component height position HB of the upper end of the component P placed on the reference surface will be lower than the specified component height position HB0 as shown in Figure 8. In this case, if the above-mentioned picking operation is performed assuming that the height dimension of the component P is the reference height dimension, the gap between the tip of the suction nozzle 40 and the upper end of the component P will exceed the above-mentioned predetermined clearance CL, and even if negative pressure is generated in the suction nozzle 40 in this state, the negative pressure may not be enough to suck the component P to the tip of the suction nozzle 40, resulting in a suction error.

[0048] Furthermore, if the actual height of a component P is greater than the reference height, the component height position HB of the upper end of the component P placed on the reference surface will be higher than the specified component height position HB0, as shown in Figure 9. In this case, if the above-described pickup operation is performed assuming that the height of the component P is the reference height, the gap between the tip of the suction nozzle 40 and the upper end of the component P will be smaller than the specified clearance CL, which could result in the tip of the suction nozzle 40 accidentally coming into contact with the upper end of the component P before negative pressure is generated during component pickup. If such contact occurs, the component P may be damaged, or the vibrations caused by the contact could cause other components P to lose their placement in the cavity 56, resulting in poor pickup of those components P.

[0049] Therefore, in the component mounting machine 1 of this embodiment, the pickup height position HP of the suction nozzle 40 during the pickup operation in which the suction nozzle 40 picks up the component P supplied by the component supply device 20 is adjusted based on the actual height dimension of the component P.

[0050] Generally, parts P of the same type have the same size and height. However, even if parts P of the same type are made by different vendors, the size and height may differ between vendors. Therefore, parts P of the same type but made by different vendors are preferably treated as being of different types. Therefore, in this embodiment, the suction nozzle 40 first picks up and holds the part P, measures the height of the part P while it is being held, and then, based on the measurement result, adjusts the pick-up height position HP of the suction nozzle 40 when subsequently picking up parts P of the same type from the feeder 21.

[0051] 6, the control device 70 has a height dimension measuring unit 73. The height dimension measuring unit 73 is a part that measures the height dimension of the component P. The height dimension measuring unit 73 measures the height dimension of the component P while the holding member 40 is holding the component P. The height dimension measuring unit 73 measures the height dimension of the component P based on an image captured by a camera 74.

[0052] The camera 74 captures an image of the component P held by the holding member 40 from the side, below, or above, and captures an image of an area including the side surface of the component P. The camera 74 is attached integrally to the mounting head 31. The image captured by the camera 74 is supplied to the height dimension measuring unit 73. The height dimension measuring unit 73 processes the image captured by the camera 74 to measure the height dimension of the component P.

[0053] The control device 70 has an adjustment unit 75. Based on the height dimension of the part P measured by the height dimension measurement unit 73, the adjustment unit 75 adjusts the picking height position HP at which the holding member 40 will subsequently pick up a part of the same type as the part P whose height dimension has been measured. Specifically, the adjustment unit 75 first reads from the storage unit 71 the reference height dimension of a part P of the same type as the part P whose height dimension has been measured by the height dimension measurement unit 73, and then, based on the height dimension of the part P measured by the height dimension measurement unit 73 and the read-out reference height dimension of the part P, adjusts the picking height position HP at which the holding member 40 will subsequently pick up a part of the same type as the part P whose height dimension has been measured.

[0054] The adjustment unit 75 is a memory update unit that updates the reference height dimension of a component of the same type as the component P stored in the memory unit 71 based on the height dimension of the component P measured by the height dimension measurement unit 73. When the height dimension of the component P is measured by the height dimension measurement unit 73, the adjustment unit 75 causes the memory unit 71 to store a new reference height dimension that reflects the measured height dimension in the reference height dimension.

[0055] The updating of the reference height dimension of the component P by the adjustment unit 75 may be performed each time the height dimension of the component P is measured once by the height dimension measurement unit 73, or may be performed each time the height dimensions of the same type of component P are measured multiple times by the height dimension measurement unit 73. Furthermore, this updating may involve changing the reference height dimension of the component P stored in the storage unit 71 without leaving the initial setting value of the reference height dimension of the component P stored in the storage unit 71, or may involve changing the correction value while leaving the initial setting value unchanged, assuming that the initial setting value of the reference height dimension of the component P and a correction value to be added or subtracted from the initial setting value are stored in the storage unit 71.

[0056] For example, the above update may involve calculating a correction value for adjusting the pick height position HP corresponding to the component P based on the height dimension of the component P measured by the height dimension measuring unit 73 and the reference height dimension of the component P stored in the memory unit 71, and reflecting the correction value in the reference height dimension in the memory unit 71. In this case, the correction value for the reference height dimension may be the difference between the height dimension of the component P measured by the height dimension measuring unit 73 and the reference height dimension stored in the memory unit 71, or it may be the difference between the average or maximum value of height dimensions measured multiple times by the height dimension measuring unit 73 for components P of the same type and the reference height dimension stored in the memory unit 71.

[0057] If the correction value for the reference height dimension is the average value of height dimensions measured multiple times by the height dimension measuring unit 73 for components P of the same type, then the average height dimension of the components P of the same type is used to perform the pick-up process by the holding member 40, thereby addressing manufacturing variations in the components P and reducing the occurrence of pickup errors and pickup failures due to contact between the holding member 40 and the components P. Furthermore, if the correction value for the reference height dimension is the maximum value of the height dimensions measured multiple times by the height dimension measuring unit 73 for the same type of components P, then the maximum value is used to perform the pick-up process by the holding member 40, thereby reliably preventing contact between the holding member 40 and the components P when there is manufacturing variation in the components P and reliably preventing pickup failures due to such contact.

[0058] After the adjustment unit 75 updates the reference height dimension of a component P as described above, when a component P of the same type as the updated component P is subsequently picked, the placement control unit 72 sets a component height position HB at which the upper end of the component P will be located based on the updated reference height dimension, sets a pick-up height position HP of the holding member 40, and lowers the holding member 40 to the set pick-up height position HP. This pick-up height position HP is a height position that is a predetermined clearance CL above the component height position HB based on the updated reference height dimension.

[0059] For example, if the holding member 40 is a suction nozzle, when the height dimension of the actual component P is smaller than the reference height dimension, the pick-up height position HP is lower than the reference pick-up height position HP0 based on the initial setting value of the reference height dimension by the amount by which the height dimension is smaller than the reference height dimension, as shown in Fig. 8. When the height dimension of the actual component P is larger than the reference height dimension, the pick-up height position HP is higher than the reference pick-up height position HP0 based on the initial setting value of the reference height dimension by the amount by which the height dimension is larger than the reference height dimension, as shown in Fig. 9.

[0060] 2. Operation of the Component Mounting Machine 2-1. Adjustment of Pickup Height Position According to Component Height Dimension In the component mounting machine 1, the control device 70 determines whether the condition for measuring the height dimension of the component P by the height dimension measuring unit 73, i.e., the condition for adjusting the pickup height position of the holding member 40, is met (step S100 in FIG. 10). This condition may be a time-based condition such as a periodic condition or an operating time condition, or may be a failure to pick up a component P by the holding member 40 or a series of such failed picking attempts.

[0061] For example, in order to improve the measurement accuracy of the height dimension of actual components P, it is preferable that the above-mentioned measurement of component height dimension be performed after each time holding member 40 picks up an actual component P from feeder 21 and before placing it on board B, but it may also be performed every predetermined number of times components are picked up from feeder 21 or placed on board B. Furthermore, this measurement of component height dimension may be limited to when holding member 40 has successfully picked up a component P with the component in an appropriate component orientation.

[0062] When the control device 70 determines that the height measurement conditions are met, the height measurement unit 73 measures the height of the part P by processing the image captured by the camera 74 (step S110), and reads out the reference height of a part P of the same type as the part P stored in the memory unit 71 (step S120). The adjustment unit 75 then updates the reference height in the memory unit 71 based on the measured height and the read-out reference height, thereby adjusting the pick-up height position HP when the holding member 40 picks up a part of the same type as the part P whose height has been measured (step S130).

[0063] In this way, in the component mounting machine 1, the height dimension of the component P is measured each time the measurement conditions for the component height dimension are met, the reference height dimension of the component P of the same type as that component P stored in the memory unit 71 is updated, and the pick-up height position HP can be adjusted when the holding member 40 picks up a component of the same type as the component P whose height dimension has been measured.

[0064] 2-2. Mounting Process In the mounting process by the component mounting machine 1, first, the board transport device 10 carries in the board B and positions the board B at a predetermined position for component mounting (step S200 in FIG. 11), and then the feeder 21 of the component supply device 20 supplies the components P to a predetermined supply position or supply area S (step S210). In particular, in the bulk feeder 50, the components P are supplied to the supply area S by the elliptical motion of the track member 52. Next, the component transfer device 30 performs the mounting process of transferring the components P onto the board B (step S220).

[0065] In the transfer process, the placement control unit 72 of the control device 70 first executes a pickup cycle in the component transfer device 30 (step S221). Specifically, the placement control unit 72 positions the placement head 31 and, therefore, the suction nozzle 40 according to the position of the component P that can be picked up. The position of the component P that can be picked up may be the coordinate value of the center of the cavity 56 or the coordinate value of the reference position of the component P. After positioning the suction nozzle 40, the placement control unit 72 then lowers the suction nozzle 40 to pick up the component P, and after the suction nozzle 40 reaches the pick-up height position HP, performs a pick-up operation in which the component P is sucked up by negative pressure air. This pick-up operation is repeated for the multiple suction nozzles 40 of the placement head 31.

[0066] After the pickup operation of the component P is performed on each of the plurality of suction nozzles 40 as described above, the mounting control unit 72 recognizes the holding state (posture, i.e., position and angle) of the component P at each suction nozzle 40 using the image captured by the component camera 61 (step S222). The recognition result of this holding state, including any pickup errors during the pickup operation, is stored in the storage unit 71 as the operation result.

[0067] Furthermore, after the component P is picked up by each of the multiple suction nozzles 40, the height dimension measuring unit 73 measures the height dimension of the component P based on the image captured by the camera 74, and the adjustment unit 75 updates the reference height dimension in the memory unit 71 and adjusts the pick-up height position HP when the suction nozzle 40 subsequently picks up a component P of the same type as that component P.

[0068] After recognizing the component holding state of the suction nozzles 40 as described above, the placement control unit 72 executes a placement cycle in the component transfer device 30 (step S223). Specifically, the placement control unit 72 controls the operation of the placement head 31 so that the components P held by each of the multiple suction nozzles 40 of the placement head 31 are placed at designated placement positions on the board B. At this time, the placement head 31 is controlled in operation based on the recognition result of the component holding state of the suction nozzles 40 so that the suction nozzles 40 are positioned and angled with respect to the designated placement positions on the board B, and the components P are placed by releasing the suction nozzles 40.

[0069] The placement control unit 72 determines whether all PP cycles have been completed for board B (step S230). If the placement control unit 72 determines that all PP cycles have not been completed, it executes the next PP cycle (steps S221 to S223). On the other hand, if the placement control unit 72 determines that all PP cycles have been completed, the board transport device 10 then performs the unloading process for board B (step S240). In this unloading process for board B, the positioned board B is unclamped and unloaded from the component mounting machine 1.

[0070] In this way, in the component mounting machine 1, after the board B is carried into the predetermined position for component mounting and the component P is supplied to the predetermined supply position, the suction nozzle 40 is lowered to the pick-up height position HP and the component P is sucked and held at the tip of the suction nozzle 40 by negative pressure air. Then, the component P held at the tip of the suction nozzle 40 can be mounted at the specified mounting position on the board B.

[0071] Furthermore, in the component mounting machine 1, when the suction nozzle 40 picks up a component P, the height dimension of the same type of component P is first measured, and based on the measured height dimension, the pick-up height position HP at which the suction nozzle 40 picks up that component P can be adjusted. Specifically, based on the measured height dimension, the reference height dimension of the same type of component P stored in the memory unit 71 can be updated, and thereafter the pick-up height position HP at which the suction nozzle 40 picks up that same type of component P can be changed in accordance with the updated reference height dimension.

[0072] If the measured height dimension of a component P is smaller than the reference height dimension before the update stored in the storage unit 71, the reference height dimension stored in the storage unit 71 is updated to a smaller value corresponding to the actually measured height dimension of a component P of the same type, and the collection height position HP can be lowered below the reference collection height position HP0 (see FIG. 8). If the measured height dimension of a component P is larger than the reference height dimension before the update stored in the storage unit 71, the reference height dimension stored in the storage unit 71 can be updated to a larger value corresponding to the actually measured height dimension of a component P of the same type, and the collection height position HP can be raised above the reference collection height position HP0 (see FIG. 9).

[0073] Therefore, according to the configuration of the component mounting machine 1, the pickup height position at which the suction nozzle 40 picks up a component P can be changed according to the height dimension of the component P of the same type, and the pickup height position of the suction nozzle 40 relative to the height position of the upper end of the component P to be picked up can be stabilized regardless of the height dimension of the component P. As a result, the pickup process of the component P by the suction nozzle 40 can be performed according to the height dimension of the component P of the same type.

[0074] Therefore, when the height dimension of the actual component P does not match the reference height dimension, it is possible to prevent the gap between the tip of the suction nozzle 40 and the upper end of the actual component P from greatly exceeding the predetermined clearance CL, thereby preventing suction errors. It is also possible to prevent the tip of the suction nozzle 40 from accidentally contacting the upper end of the actual component P during pickup, preventing damage to the component P or the misalignment of other components P caused by such contact, resulting in poor suction of the component P.

[0075] 3. Modified Embodiments In the above embodiment, the height dimension of component P is measured by processing an image captured by camera 74, which captures an image of an area including the side surface of component P held by the holding member. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the height dimension of component P may be measured based on the relationship between the reference height position BG of the reference surface on which component P is placed and the contact height position when holding member 40 moves downward from above and contacts component P with component P while component P is placed on that reference surface.

[0076] For example, the height dimension of component P may be measured based on the difference between the first contact height position when the holding member 40 contacts the reference surface by moving downward from above using the lifting device 38 that raises and lowers the holder 36 to which the holding member 40 is attached, when no component P is placed on the reference surface, and the second contact height position when the holding member 40 contacts the component P by moving downward from above using the lifting device 38, when the component P is placed on the reference surface.

[0077] In addition, the measurement of the height dimension of the component P may be performed based on the difference between the distance to a reference surface on which the component P is not placed, measured by irradiating light from a laser irradiator, and the distance to the top surface of the component P placed on the reference surface, measured by irradiating light from a laser irradiator.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the height dimension measuring unit 73 measures the height dimension of the component P while the holding member 40 is holding the component P, and then the adjustment unit 75 adjusts the pick-up height position when the holding member 40 picks up a component P of the same type as the component P. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the height dimension measuring unit 73 may measure the height dimension of the component P before it is held by the holding member 40, and then the adjustment unit 75 may adjust the pick-up height position of the component P itself when the holding member 40 picks it up.

[0079] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0080] 1: component mounting machine, 10: board transport device, 20: component supply device, 21: feeder, 22: slot, 30: component transfer device, 31: mounting head, 36: holder, 38: lifting device, 40: holding member (suction nozzle), 50: bulk feeder, 70: control device, 71: memory unit, 72: mounting control unit, 73: height dimension measuring unit, 74: camera, 75: adjustment unit (memory update unit), B: board, P: component, BG: reference height position, HP: pick-up height position, CL: predetermined clearance.

Claims

1. A component mounting machine comprising: a mounting head that supports a holding member capable of holding a component so that the holding member can be raised and lowered; a height dimension measuring unit that measures the height dimension of the component; and an adjustment unit that adjusts the pick-up height position of the holding member when the holding member subsequently picks up the component, based on the height dimension measured by the height dimension measuring unit.

2. A component mounting machine as described in claim 1, wherein the height dimension measuring unit measures the height dimension of the component while the holding member is holding the component, and the adjustment unit adjusts the picking height position when the holding member subsequently picks up a component of the same type as the component whose height dimension has been measured, based on the height dimension measured by the height dimension measuring unit.

3. A component mounting machine as described in claim 2, wherein the component mounting machine includes a memory unit that stores the reference height dimension of each type of component, and the adjustment unit adjusts the picking height position when the holding member subsequently picks up a component of the same type as the component in question, based on the height dimension measured by the height dimension measurement unit and the reference height dimension of a component of the same type as the component in question that is stored in the memory unit.

4. A component mounting machine as described in claim 3, wherein the adjustment unit is a memory update unit that updates the reference height dimension of components of the same type as the component stored in the memory unit based on the height dimension measured by the height dimension measurement unit.

5. A component mounting machine as described in claim 4, wherein the memory update unit updates the reference height dimension stored in the memory unit based on the average or maximum value of the height dimensions measured multiple times by the height dimension measurement unit for components of the same type.

6. A component mounting machine as described in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the height dimension measuring unit measures the height dimension by processing an image captured by a camera that captures an image of an area including the side surface of the component held by the holding member.

7. A component mounting machine as described in claim 1, wherein the height dimension measuring unit measures the height dimension based on the relationship between the reference height position of a reference surface on which the component is placed and the contact height position when the holding member contacts the component by moving downward with the component placed on the reference surface.

8. A component mounting machine as described in claim 1, wherein the height dimension measuring unit measures the height dimension based on the difference between the distance to a reference surface on which the component is not placed, measured by irradiating light from a laser irradiator, and the distance to the top surface of the component placed on the reference surface, measured by irradiating light from the laser irradiator.

9. A component mounting machine as described in claim 1, wherein the holding member is a suction nozzle that sucks up the component using negative pressure air, and is lowered to a height position that ensures a predetermined clearance from the top end of the component when the height dimension is reflected in the component placed on a reference surface as the pickup height position, and when it reaches the pickup height position, it sucks up and picks up the component placed on the reference surface.

10. A component mounting machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the components are picked up by the holding member while being accommodated in each of a plurality of cavities of a bulk feeder.

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