Stopping position determination method and positioning jig

The stop position determination method for automated guided vehicles accurately positions storage racks by marking the floor based on the cart or rack's position, addressing the challenge of precise placement in automated transport systems.

WO2026053411A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-03-12FUJI CORP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-09-09
Publication Date
2026-03-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing automated guided vehicle systems struggle to accurately position storage racks at predetermined positions, especially when they are placed on carts and need to be transported to high locations, as they lack appropriate methods for determining the stopping position of the automatic transport device.

Method used

A stop position determination method that involves positioning the cart with the storage rack at the predetermined location and applying markings to the floor surface based on the cart or rack's position, allowing the automatic transport device to recognize and stop at the correct position.

Benefits of technology

This method ensures that the storage rack is accurately positioned at the predetermined location, enabling the automatic transport device to stop at the appropriate position, thereby facilitating the attachment of the storage rack to the substrate-related processing device.

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Abstract

A stopping position determination method according to the present disclosure is for use in a substrate work system comprising: a substrate work device that performs work on a substrate; a storage rack that is attached to the substrate work device; a cart having the storage rack placed thereon and having wheels; and an automatic conveyance device that automatically conveys the cart. Said method determines an automatic conveyance device stopping position from which an automatic conveyance device conveys a cart to a prescribed position where a storage rack can be attached to a substrate work device. This stopping position determination method includes: (a) a step in which a cart having a storage rack placed thereon is disposed such that the storage rack is disposed at a prescribed position; and (b) a step for, with reference to the position of at least one of the cart and the storage rack in a state where step (a) has been performed, affixing, on a floor surface, a marking whereby the automatic conveyance device recognizes a stopping position.
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Description

Stop position determination method and positioning jig

[0001] This specification discloses a stop position determining method and a positioning jig.

[0002] Conventionally, an automated guided vehicle system in which an object is transported by an automated guided vehicle is known (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes an automated guided vehicle system in which an automated guided vehicle transports a cart. In this automated guided vehicle system, a main track magnetic tape and a marker magnetic tape are affixed to the floor surface. The main track magnetic tape extends long in the forward and backward directions of the automated guided robot. The marker magnetic tape indicates a predetermined stopping position for the automated guided robot. The automated guided robot stops upon detecting the front end of the marker magnetic tape. In addition, a wheel stop device is disposed on the floor surface, which abuts against the rear wheels of the cart transported by the automated guided robot to stop the cart, and the marker magnetic tape is aligned with the wheel stop device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-44859

[0004] In a substrate-related processing apparatus that performs processing on substrates, a storage rack that stores processing-related components used in the substrate-related processing apparatus and is attached to the substrate-related processing apparatus may need to be transported to a predetermined position where it can be attached to the substrate-related processing apparatus using an automatic transport device. Furthermore, the predetermined position may be relatively high above the floor, and the storage rack may need to be placed on a cart and transported to the predetermined position. In such cases, there is a need for a more appropriate determination of the stopping position of the automatic transport device so that the storage rack can be appropriately positioned at the predetermined position. Patent Document 1 describes aligning a marker magnetic tape with a wheel stopper device that is placed on the floor and stops the rear wheels of the cart, but does not consider appropriately positioning an object (storage rack) placed on the cart at the predetermined position.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a main object of the present disclosure is to more appropriately determine a stopping position of an automatic conveyance device.

[0006] The present disclosure employs the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The stop position determination method disclosed herein is a stop position determination method for a substrate-related work system including a substrate-related work device that performs work on substrates, a storage rack that stores work-related members used by the substrate-related work device and is attached to the substrate-related work device, a cart that has wheels and on which the storage rack is placed, and an automatic transport device that automatically transports the cart, the stop position determination method for determining a stop position of the automatic transport device so that the automatic transport device can transport the storage rack to a predetermined position where the storage rack can be attached to the substrate-related work device, the method including: (a) a step of positioning the cart with the storage rack placed thereon so that the storage rack is located at the predetermined position; and (b) a step of, with step (a) having been performed, applying a marking to a floor surface so that the automatic transport device can recognize the stop position based on the position of at least one of the cart and the storage rack.

[0008] In this stop position determination method, a cart carrying a storage rack is placed so that the storage rack is located at a predetermined position (i.e., a position where the storage rack can be attached to a substrate-related processing device), and in that state, a marking is applied to the floor surface based on the position of at least one of the cart and the storage rack, allowing the automatic transport device to recognize the stop position. As a result, with the storage rack located at a predetermined position relatively high above the floor, the stop position of the automatic transport device is determined based on the position of at least one of the cart and the storage rack, and a marking can be applied to the floor surface to allow the automatic transport device to stop at that stop position. Therefore, if the automatic transport device transports the cart carrying the storage rack and stops it at a stop position based on the marking, the storage rack will be appropriately located at the predetermined position. This makes it possible to more appropriately determine the stop position of the automatic transport device.

[0009] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a substrate-related work system 10 and a printing device 11. A schematic explanatory diagram of a cart 70 and a storage rack 80. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a rack support section 43. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a printing device 11, a replacement unit 40, and a storage rack 80. An explanatory diagram showing an example of an automatic transport device 60. An explanatory diagram showing how the storage rack 80 is attached to the printing device 11. A plan view showing the attachment position of the storage rack 80 and magnetic tape 98 attached to the floor surface F. A plan view showing how a positioning jig 90 is used. A perspective view showing how a reference line R1 is attached to the floor surface F using the positioning jig 90. A perspective view showing how reference lines R2 and R3 are attached to the floor surface F using the positioning jig 90. An explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the printing device 11 and the storage rack 80 when the floor surface F is inclined.

[0010] An embodiment of a substrate-related work system in which the stop position determination method of the present disclosure is performed will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a substrate-related work system 10. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cart 70 and a storage rack 80. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rack support section 43. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printing device 11, a replacement unit 40, and a storage rack 80. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an automatic conveying device 60. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the installation of the storage rack 80 on the printing device 11. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the installation position of the storage rack 80 and magnetic tape 98 attached to the floor F. The substrate-related work system 10 includes a printing device 11 (an example of a substrate-related work device), a print inspection device 12, a storage device 13, a mounting device 15, a management computer (PC) 17, the automatic conveying device 60, the cart 70, the storage rack 80, a mounting inspection device (not shown), and a reflow device (not shown). The substrate-related processing system 10 is configured as a production line in which, for example, mounting devices 15 that mount components on substrates S as processing targets are arranged downstream of the printing device 11 along the transport direction of the substrates S. In this embodiment, the left-right direction (X-axis), front-rear direction (Y-axis), and up-down direction (Z-axis) are as shown in FIGS.

[0011] The print inspection device 12 is a device that inspects the state of a viscous fluid such as solder paste printed on the board S by the printing device 11. The mounting inspection device is a device that inspects the state of components mounted on the board S. The reflow device is a device that reflows a board on which solder has been printed and components have been mounted. The mounting device 15 is a device that picks up components and mounts them on the board S. The storage device 13 is a storage location that temporarily stores mounting-related materials such as feeders that contain components used in the mounting device 15. The management PC 17 is a device that manages information about each device in the board-related work system 10. This management PC 17 manages the progress status of each device on the production line that performs mounting processing.

[0012] The printing device 11 applies (prints) a viscous fluid, such as solder paste, to a substrate S. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the printing device 11 uses a squeegee 25 to push solder paste on a screen mask M into pattern holes formed in the screen mask M, thereby printing the solder paste onto the underlying substrate S through the pattern holes. Examples of the "viscous fluid" include solder paste, conductive paste, adhesive, and the like. The screen mask M is fixed inside a frame 29. The frame 29 can hold screen masks M of various sizes and is sized to fit on a shelf 81 of a storage rack 80 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 4, the printing device 11 includes a print control unit 20, a printing unit 22, a mask operation unit 26, a substrate processing unit 30, a cleaning unit 33, a fluid supply unit 35, a detection unit 37, an operation panel 38, and a replacement unit 40. The printing device 11 also has a work door 11a on its front side that is opened and closed when an operator W accesses the inside of the device, such as during maintenance. The printing device 11 also has a level adjustment mechanism 55 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 11, which will be described later).

[0013] The print control unit 20 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and controls the entire printing device 11. The print control unit 20 inputs and outputs signals to and from the printing unit 22, mask work unit 26, substrate processing unit 30, cleaning unit 33, fluid supply unit 35, operation panel 38, replacement unit 40, and the management PC 17 as an external device. The print control unit 20 also inputs signals from a detection unit 37. The print control unit 20 has a storage unit that stores information about the substrate S to be printed, a print processing program that performs the print processing on the substrate S, and a component replacement processing program that executes the frame 29 replacement process by the replacement unit 27.

[0014] The printing unit 22 is disposed on the upper level of the printing device 11 and is a unit that prints a viscous fluid onto a substrate S using a screen mask M. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the printing unit 22 includes a print head 23, a print moving unit 24, a squeegee lifting unit (not shown), and a squeegee 25. The print moving unit 24 moves the print head 23 in a predetermined printing direction (here, the front-to-rear direction) and includes a guide formed in the front-to-rear direction, a slider that moves along the guide, and a motor that drives the slider. The squeegee 25 is disposed below the print head 23 and is raised and lowered by the squeegee lifting unit. The printing unit 22 has two squeegees 25, one for each of the front and rear directions. As shown in FIG. 4 , the mask working unit 26 is disposed between the printing unit 22 and the substrate processing unit 30 in the vertical direction and is a unit that fixes and holds the screen mask M. The mask working unit 26 includes an exchange unit 27 and a mask fixing unit 28. The replacement unit 27 is a transport rod attached to the print head 23. It is lowered by an air cylinder (not shown) to a position where it contacts the screen mask M, and by rotating, the contact portion that contacts the frame 29 also moves back and forth (see dotted lines in Figure 4). The print head 23 and replacement unit 27 engage with the frame 29 between a shelf 81 at a predetermined height of the storage rack 80 and the printing unit 22, moving the frame 29. The mask fixing unit 28 positions the screen mask M and supports and fixes it in a horizontal position. The screen mask M is pushed by the replacement unit 27 and moved back and forth along the guides of the mask working unit 26, and is fixed by the mask fixing unit 28. The substrate processing unit 30 is disposed below the mask working unit 26 and is a unit that loads the substrate S, positions and supports the loaded substrate S, and brings it into contact with and away from the screen mask M. The substrate processing unit 30 includes a substrate transport unit 31 that transports the substrate S in the left-right direction, a support member 32 that supports the substrate S from below, and a substrate lifting unit that lifts and lowers the entire substrate processing unit 30 and the support member 32. The cleaning unit 33 is disposed between the mask working unit 26 and the substrate processing unit 30 in the vertical direction, and is a unit that performs cleaning processing to clean the back surface of the screen mask M. The cleaning unit 33 has a cleaning member 34 that comes into contact with the screen mask M to clean it.The fluid supply unit 35 is a unit that supplies solder contained in a cartridge 36 onto the screen mask M. The fluid supply unit 35 is disposed in front of the print head 23. The fluid supply unit 35 applies pressure to the cartridge 36 to eject the solder from the cartridge 36. The cleaning member 34 and cartridge 36 are consumables and are replaced as needed. The detection unit 37 is a sensor that detects whether or not a storage rack 80 is present in the receiving space 49 in front of the printing device 11. The operation panel 38 is a unit that receives input from the operator W and presents information to the operator W. The operation panel 38 is disposed on the front of the printing device 11 and includes a display unit and an operation unit having a touch panel and buttons.

[0015] The storage rack 80 is a container that houses frames 29 capable of supporting screen masks M as work-related components used in the printing device 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the storage rack 80 includes a rack body 80a, a handle 83, and support fixing members 85 and 86. The rack body 80a includes multiple shelves 81 and an opening 82. The shelves 81 are arranged vertically at predetermined intervals so that the frames 29 supporting the screen masks M can be placed vertically side by side. The opening 82 communicates with the outside, such as the printing unit 22, and the frames 29 are loaded and unloaded through the opening 82. This storage rack 80 only houses the frames 29 and does not include a power source, such as a drive unit for moving the frames 29 or a drive unit for raising and lowering the frames 29. This storage rack 80 can further simplify its configuration. The shelves 81 are sized to accommodate the frame sizes of various work-related components. That is, the shelf portion 81 is formed to a size that can accommodate the largest frame 29. The handle 83 is fixed to the upper part of the rack body 80a. The handle 83 is composed of a rod-shaped member that is grasped by the worker W and a support member that secures the rod-shaped member. Note that, in addition to the screen mask M, examples of work-related members used in the printing device 11 include the squeegee 25, the support member 32, the cleaning member 34, and the cartridge 36.

[0016] The support and fixing members 85 and 86 are plate-shaped members fixed to the left and right ends of the underside of the rack main body 80a. The support and fixing members 85 and 86 are positioned behind the rack main body 80a, i.e., toward the printing device 11, when the storage rack 80 is attached to the printing device 11. These support and fixing members 85 and 86 are used when attaching the storage rack 80 to the replacement unit 40 of the printing device 11. As shown in FIG. 2 , the support and fixing member 86 has two receiving portions 87 and an insertion hole 89. The receiving portion 87 is a portion that receives and is supported by the cam follower 44a disposed on the support member 44 of the replacement unit 40, and has an arc-shaped notch. One receiving portion 87 is disposed near each end of the support and fixing member 86 in the longitudinal direction. The insertion hole 89 is a through-hole into which the insertion pin 47 of the fixing portion 46 disposed on the support member 44 of the replacement unit 40 is inserted. The supporting and fixing member 85 has the same shape as the supporting and fixing member 86 , and has two receiving portions 87 and an insertion hole 89 , similar to the supporting and fixing member 86 .

[0017] The replacement unit 40 is a unit for automatically replacing work-related components used in the printing device 11 between a storage rack 80 and the printing device 11. The replacement unit 40 is configured as a device that receives and supports a storage rack 80 that stores work-related components such as a screen mask M fixed to a frame 29, thereby attaching the storage rack 80 to the printing device 11. The replacement unit 40 has a left unit 41 and a right unit 51. The left unit 41 is disposed on the front left side of the housing of the printing device 11. The right unit 51 is disposed on the front right side of the housing of the printing device 11. The replacement unit 40 has a receiving space 49 between the left unit 41 and the right unit 51 in the left-right direction for receiving and supporting the storage rack 80. As shown in FIG. 4 , the left unit 41 and the right unit 51 are formed such that a length A along the movement direction of the frame 29 is shorter than a length B of the storage rack 80. Therefore, the replacement unit 40 supports the storage rack 80 at a position where the storage rack 80 protrudes from the front surface of the main body of the replacement unit 40 .

[0018] The left unit 41 includes a rack support portion 43 and a fixing portion 46. The rack support portion 43 supports the storage rack 80 received in the receiving space 49 from the underside. The rack support portion 43 can also raise and lower (move up and down) the storage rack 80 while supporting it. As shown in FIG. 3 , the rack support portion 43 includes a support member 44 and an elevation drive portion 45. The support member 44 is a plate-shaped member provided on the surface of the left unit 41 facing the right unit 51, i.e., the right surface. The support member 44 is moved up and down along the right surface of the left unit 41 by the elevation drive portion 45. Cam followers 44a are provided on the front and rear ends of the support member 44. The cam followers 44a support the support fixing members 85 provided on the storage rack 80 from below. The cam followers 44a can also move the storage rack 80 up and down in accordance with the up and down movement of the support member 44. The lifting drive unit 45 may, for example, have a ball screw with a lifting shaft and a drive motor to move the support member 44 up and down, or may use a linear motor to move the support member 44 up and down. The fixing unit 46 is a safety mechanism that prevents unintended movement or falling of the storage rack 80 by fixing the storage rack 80 supported by the rack support unit 43. The fixing unit 46 includes a stopper unit having an insertion pin 47 that is inserted into an insertion hole 89 formed in the support fixing member 85 of the storage rack 80. The right-side unit 51 has the same configuration as the left-side unit 41 except that it is bilaterally symmetrical, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The right-side unit 51 includes a rack support unit 53, a lifting drive unit, and a fixing unit. The rack support unit 53 includes a support member 44 and a cam follower 44a (see FIGS. 7 and 8, described below). The rack support portion 43 of the left unit 41 supports the support fixing member 85 of the storage rack 80, and the rack support portion 53 of the right unit 51 supports the support fixing member 86 of the storage rack 80, so that the storage rack 80 is attached to the printing device 11.

[0019] The level adjustment mechanisms 55 are disposed at multiple locations between the bottom surface of the printing device 11 and the floor F (e.g., four locations: the left front, right front, left rear, and right rear of the printing device 11). Each of the multiple level adjustment mechanisms 55 includes, for example, a ball screw, and can individually fine-tune the height between the floor F and the bottom surface of the printing device 11. As a result, for example, when the floor F is inclined from a horizontal plane, the multiple level adjustment mechanisms 55 can be used to adjust a predetermined reference portion of the printing device 11 so that it is closer to a horizontal plane than the floor F. The predetermined reference portion may be, for example, the top surface of the housing of the printing device 11, the surface on which the screen mask M is placed in the mask working section 26, or the top surface of the replacement unit 40. The printing device 11 may have a level (spirit level), and the level adjustment mechanism 55 may be used to adjust the angle of inclination measured by the level as the reference portion to approximately zero degrees (horizontal).

[0020] The replacement unit 40 has a replacement control unit 59. The replacement control unit 59 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and controls the entire replacement unit 40. The replacement control unit 59 outputs signals to the lift drive unit 45 and the print control unit 20. The replacement control unit 59 also inputs signals from the print control unit 20. When the detection unit 37 detects that the storage rack 80 has been received in the receiving space 49, the print control unit 20 outputs a signal to the replacement control unit 59. Upon receiving this signal, the replacement control unit 59 raises the support members 44 of the rack support unit 43 and the support members 44 of the rack support unit 53, and performs a process to engage the cam followers 44a of these support members 44 with the support fixing members 85, 86. This causes the storage rack 80 to be supported by the replacement unit 40.

[0021] The cart 70 is used to place the storage rack 80. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the cart 70 includes a mounting base 70a, a first leg 71, and a second leg 72. The upper surface of the mounting base 70a serves as a mounting surface for placing the storage rack 80. The first leg 71 and the second leg 72 are disposed on both left and right ends of the lower portion of the mounting base 70a and support the mounting base 70a from below. The first leg 71 is composed of two legs extending vertically, a structure connecting the lower ends of the two legs, and a caster with wheels 78 disposed on the underside of the structure. A first mounting portion 73 is attached between the two legs on the upper surface of the structure of the first leg 71 via an L-shaped plate. The first mounting portion 73 is a flat member and includes a groove 73a, which is a Y-shaped notch formed so that the gap becomes smaller as it extends downward. The second leg 72 has the same configuration as the first leg 71, except that it is bilaterally symmetrical. Specifically, the second leg 72 is composed of two legs extending vertically, a structure connecting the lower ends of the two legs, and a caster with wheels 78 disposed on the underside of the structure. A second mounting portion 74 is attached via an L-shaped plate between the two legs on the upper surface of the structure of the second leg 72. The second mounting portion 74 includes a groove 74a. The first mounting portion 73 and the second mounting portion 74 are arranged bilaterally symmetrically, with the groove 73a being provided on the side of the first mounting portion 73 closer to the second leg 72 and the groove 74a being provided on the side of the second mounting portion 74 closer to the first leg 71. The worker W can move the storage rack 80 placed on the cart 70 by holding the handle 83.

[0022] The automatic transport device 60 is a device that automatically transports the cart 70. By transporting the cart 70, the automatic transport device 60 transports the storage rack 80 placed on the cart 70. The automatic transport device 60 may also be capable of transporting other components used in the substrate-related work system 10. The automatic transport device 60 automatically transports the cart 70, for example, between a warehouse (not shown) and the printing device 11. As shown in FIG. 5 , the automatic transport device 60 includes a main body 60a, a movement control unit 61, a memory unit 62, a connection unit 63, wheels 64, a movement drive unit 65, a detection unit 66, a reading unit 68, and a communication unit 69. The movement control unit 61 is a controller that controls the entire automatic transport device 60. The movement control unit 61 outputs control signals and the like to the connection unit 63, the movement drive unit 65, and the communication unit 69, and receives signals from the detection unit 66, the reading unit 68, and the communication unit 69. In the substrate-related work system 10, as shown in FIG. 1 , a travel path 14 is set ahead of a mounting line including the printing device 11 and the mounting device 15. A movement control unit 61 controls wheels 64 to travel within the area set as the travel path 14. A memory unit 62 stores various application programs and data files. The memory unit 62 stores map information including, for example, location information of a warehouse (not shown), location information of each device, such as the printing device 11, provided in the substrate-related work system 10, and location information of the area of ​​the floor F set as the travel path 14. The map information may be acquired via communication from the management PC 17. The connection unit 63 extends upward relative to the main body 60a of the automatic transport device 60 and presses against the underside of the mounting table 70a of the cart 70, thereby connecting to the cart 70. The automatic transport device 60 has four wheels 64, which are driven to rotate to move. The movement drive unit 65 is a motor connected to each wheel 64, and drives the rotation of the connected wheels 64 to drive the automatic transport device 60. The detection unit 66 detects objects present around the automatic transport device 60 and the distance to those objects. The detection unit 66 detects the presence and distance of objects by irradiating the surroundings with light such as a laser or sound waves, for example, and detecting reflected waves. The reading unit 68 is a unit that reads markings formed on the floor surface F.The markings are used, for example, to allow the movement control unit 61 to recognize the stopping position of the automatic transport device 60. In this embodiment, a magnetic tape 98 is attached as the marking to the floor surface F in front of the printing device 11 (see FIGS. 1 and 7). The reading unit 68 detects the magnetism of the magnetic tape 98 to read the position and shape of the magnetic tape 98. The communication unit 69 is an interface that wirelessly exchanges information with external devices such as the management PC 17 and the printing device 11. The automatic transport device 60 may be provided with a detection unit 66 and a reading unit 68 on at least two surfaces, a front portion and a rear portion on the opposite side.

[0023] The automatic guided vehicle 60 has the functions of an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) and an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). When the automatic guided vehicle 60 functions as an AMR, the movement control unit 61 determines the movement direction, movement distance, current position, surrounding carts 70, obstacles, etc. of the automatic guided vehicle 60 based on the drive state of the movement drive unit 65, information from the detection unit 66, map information stored in the memory unit 62, etc., and controls the movement drive unit 65 so that the automatic guided vehicle 60 moves to a destination along a free route within the travel path 14. When the automatic guided vehicle 60 functions as an AGV, the movement control unit 61 recognizes the magnetic tape 98 based on information from the reading unit 68, and controls the movement drive unit 65 so that the automatic guided vehicle 60 moves based on the movement route and stop position recognized based on the position of the magnetic tape 98.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 7 , the magnetic tape 98 includes a main magnetic tape 98a and a marker magnetic tape 98b. The main magnetic tape 98a is used to position the automatic transport device 60 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) (guidance in the left-right direction) and to recognize stopping positions in the left-right direction when the automatic transport device 60 moves in the front-to-back direction toward the printing device 11. The main magnetic tape 98a is disposed between the left unit 41 and the right unit 51, approximately at the center of the left and right sides of the printing device 11, and extends in the front-to-back direction. A portion of the main magnetic tape 98a, including its front end, is disposed so as to protrude into the travel path 14 in a top view. The marker magnetic tape 98b is used to position the automatic transport device 60 in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) (guidance in the front-to-back direction) and to recognize stopping positions in the front-to-back direction. The marker magnetic tape 98b is disposed to the right of the main magnetic tape 98a and extends in the front-to-back direction parallel to the main magnetic tape 98a. The position of the marker magnetic tape 98b is determined based on the position of the main magnetic tape 98a. 7, in this embodiment, a length L1, which is the distance in the left-right direction between the main magnetic tape 98a and the marker magnetic tape 98b, and a length L2, which is the distance in the front-rear direction between the rear end of the main magnetic tape 98a and the rear end of the marker magnetic tape 98b, are both predetermined. The left-right widths of the main magnetic tape 98a and the marker magnetic tape 98b are also predetermined. Furthermore, the main magnetic tape 98a and the marker magnetic tape 98b have upper surfaces with different magnetic polarities, and this difference in magnetic polarity allows the automatic transport device 60 to distinguish between the main magnetic tape 98a and the marker magnetic tape 98b.

[0025] In the substrate-related work system 10 configured in this manner, the automatic transport device 60 performs a storage rack mounting process in which the storage rack 80 is automatically transported and mounted on the printing device 11, and the printing device 11 performs a printing process on the substrate S while exchanging the frame 29 supporting the screen mask M between the storage rack 80 and the printing section 22 as necessary.

[0026] The storage rack attachment process is described below. In the storage rack attachment process, the automatic transport device 60 first moves to a warehouse (not shown) and connects to a cart 70 carrying a storage rack 80 (first stage in FIG. 6 ). The automatic transport device 60 enters the space between the first leg 71 and the second leg 72 of the cart 70, and then connects to the cart 70 by extending the connection portion 63 upward and pressing against the underside of the cart 70's mounting base 70a. This enables the automatic transport device 60 to transport the cart 70 and the storage rack 80. Based on the position of the cart 70 detected by the detection unit 66, for example, the automatic transport device 60 moves to a position where its relative position with the cart 70 is a predetermined positional relationship (e.g., a positional relationship in which the center of the cart 70 in the front, rear, left, and right directions coincides with the center of the automatic transport device 60 in the front, rear, left, and right directions), and then connects to the cart 70. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the automatic transport device 60 and the cart 70 being transported by the automatic transport device 60 is always the same. The cart 70 may include a regulating member that regulates the position of the automatic transport device 60 that has entered the space between the first leg 71 and the second leg 72, and this regulating member may ensure that the relative positional relationship between the automatic transport device 60 and the cart 70 is a predetermined positional relationship. A recess into which the connection part 63 is inserted may be formed on the underside of the mounting base 70a, and the automatic transport device 60 may be connected to the cart 70 at a position where the connection part 63 is inserted into this recess. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the cart 70 and the storage rack 80 placed on the cart 70 is always the same predetermined positional relationship (e.g., a positional relationship in which the front-rear, left-right center position of the cart 70 coincides with the front-rear, left-right center position of the storage rack 80). For example, the upper surface of the mounting base 70a and the lower surface of the rack body 80a may be provided with engaging parts (e.g., a recess and a protrusion) that engage with each other, and the storage rack 80 may be placed on the cart 70 with these engaging parts engaged. The storage rack 80 may be placed on the cart 70 in advance by the worker W. Alternatively, the storage rack 80 may be stored in a state where the cart 70 can fit under the storage rack 80, and the automatic transport device 60 may transport the cart 70, receive the stored storage rack 80, and place it on the cart 70.In this way, the relative positional relationship between the automatic transport device 60 and the cart 70 and the relative positional relationship between the cart 70 and the storage rack 80 are always the same, so when the automatic transport device 60 is transporting the cart 70 with the storage rack 80 placed on it, the relative positional relationship between the automatic transport device 60 and the storage rack 80 is always the same predetermined positional relationship.

[0027] Next, the automatic transport device 60 transports the storage rack 80 to the front of the printing device 11 (second stage in FIG. 6 ), and moves in the Y-axis direction from the front of the printing device 11 toward the printing device 11 to transport the storage rack 80 to a predetermined position (hereinafter also referred to as the attachable position) where it can be attached to the printing device 11 (third stage in FIG. 6 ). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the attachable position is a position of the storage rack 80 where the front ends of the support and fixing members 85, 86 of the storage rack 80 are flush with the front ends of the support members 44, 44 of the replacement unit 40, and where the receiving portions 87 of the support and fixing members 85, 86 are located directly above the cam followers 44 a when the support members 44, 44 are located at a predetermined standby height (for example, the lowest height in the range in which they can be raised and lowered). In this position, by raising the support members 44, 44 and supporting the support fixing members 85, 86, the replacement unit 40 can receive and support the storage rack 80 (i.e., attach the storage rack 80 to the replacement unit 40 of the printing device 11).

[0028] The automatic transport device 60 moves and stops based on the magnetic tape 98 when moving in the Y-axis direction toward the printing device 11 and transporting the storage rack 80 to an attachable position. Specifically, when the automatic transport device 60 travels along the travel path 14 and reaches the front of the printing device 11, it detects the main magnetic tape 98a in the travel path 14 using the reading unit 68 and moves backward along the left and right sides of the main magnetic tape 98a. As a result, the storage rack 80 is transported backward toward the receiving space 49, as shown in the second row of FIG. 6. Then, the automatic transport device 60 detects the marker magnetic tape 98b as it moves backward, recognizes a stop position based on the main magnetic tape 98a and the marker magnetic tape 98b, and stops at the recognized stop position. Specifically, the automatic transport device 60 recognizes a stop position in the left and right direction (for example, a position where the left and right center of the automatic transport device 60 coincides with the left and right center of the main magnetic tape 98a) based on the positions of the left and right sides of the main magnetic tape 98a. Furthermore, the automatic conveying device 60 recognizes a stop position in the front-to-rear direction (for example, a position where the rear end of the marker magnetic tape 98b is located directly below the reading unit 68 of the automatic conveying device 60) based on the position of the rear end of the marker magnetic tape 98b. This allows the automatic conveying device 60 to stop at a stop position predetermined by the magnetic tape 98. The stop position is determined in advance so that the storage rack 80 transported by the automatic conveying device 60 will be positioned in an attachable position when the automatic conveying device 60 stops at this stop position, and the position of the magnetic tape 98 on the floor surface F is determined in advance based on this stop position.

[0029] When the automatic transport device 60 stops at the stop position, the detection unit 37 of the printing device 11 detects the storage rack 80, and the replacement control unit 59 raises the support members 44 of the left unit 41 and the right unit 51 to support the support fixing members 85, 86 of the storage rack 80, thereby attaching the storage rack 80 to the replacement unit 40 of the printing device 11. The replacement control unit 59 also fixes the storage rack 80 using the fixing unit 46. Once the storage rack 80 is attached to the printing device 11, the automatic transport device 60 transports the cart 70 backward and removes it from the receiving space 49 (fourth stage in FIG. 6 ). Note that when the automatic transport device 60 removes and removes the storage rack 80 attached to the printing device 11, it simply performs the reverse procedure of this storage rack attachment process.

[0030] Next, a description will be given of a stop position determination method for determining the above-mentioned stop position for the automatic transport device to transport the storage rack 80 to the attachment position. The stop position determination method of this embodiment includes the steps of: (a) positioning the cart 70 on which the storage rack 80 is placed so that the storage rack 80 is placed at the attachment position; and (b) in a state in which step (a) has been performed, attaching a magnetic tape 98 to the floor surface F so that the automatic transport device 60 can recognize the stop position based on the position of at least one of the cart 70 and the storage rack 80.

[0031] In this embodiment, this stop position determining method is performed using a positioning jig 90. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing how the positioning jig 90 is used. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing how a reference line R1 is marked on the floor surface F using the positioning jig 90. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing how reference lines R2 and R3 are marked on the floor surface F using the positioning jig 90.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 , the positioning jig 90 includes a first wire 91, a second wire 92, and a reference member 93. The first wire 91 and the second wire 92 are, for example, metal members. The first wire 91 and the second wire 92 may be flexibly bent members or may be rod-shaped members that are rigid enough not to bend under their own weight. A stopper 91a is attached to one end of the first wire 91, and a reference member 93 and a stopper 91b are attached to the other end. A stopper 92a is attached to one end of the second wire 92, and a reference member 93 and a stopper 92b are attached to the other end. The stoppers 91a and 91b are each cylindrical members having a hole through which the first wire 91 passes in the radial direction, and are configured to hold the first wire 91 inside the hole and prevent the first wire 91 from slipping out of the stoppers 91a and 91b. The stoppers 92a and 92b are similar to the stoppers 91a and 91b, have a hole through which the second wire 92 passes, and hold the second wire 92 inside the hole. The reference member 93 is a member shaped like a flat plate bent into an L-shape, and includes a mounting portion 94 that is placed on the floor surface F, and an erecting portion 95 that stands perpendicular to the mounting portion 94. The erecting portion 95 has a hole through which the other end of the first wire 91 passes, and the stopper 91b holds the other end side of the first wire 91 beyond the portion that passes through the erecting portion 95 (the side opposite to the stopper 91a), thereby preventing the first wire 91 from coming out of the erecting portion 95. Similarly, the standing portion 95 has a hole through which the other end of the second wire 92 passes, and the stopper 92b holds the other end of the second wire 92 (the side opposite to the stopper 92a) of the part that passes through the standing portion 95, thereby preventing the second wire 92 from slipping out of the standing portion 95. The mounting portion 94 is a flat member configured in a substantially quadrangular shape, and has sides 94a and 94b facing each other, a side on which the standing portion 95 is provided, and a side 94c facing the side.

[0033] A method for determining the stop position will now be described. In step (a), for example, an operator W moves the cart 70 on which the storage rack 80 is placed, and positions the cart 70 so that the storage rack 80 is located in the above-described mountable position. When step (a) is performed, the state is the same as the third stage in FIG. 6 except that the automatic transport device 60 is not located below the cart 70. Furthermore, since the operator W positions the storage rack 80 in the above-described mountable position, the positional relationship between the support members 44 and cam followers 44a of the replacement unit 40 and the support and fixing members 85 of the storage rack 80 in a top view is as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 (for example, a state in which the front ends of the support and fixing members 85, 86 of the storage rack 80 are flush with the front ends of the support members 44, 44 of the replacement unit 40).

[0034] Next, step (b) is performed in a state in which step (a) has been performed, i.e., in a state in which the storage rack 80 placed on the cart 70 is positioned in an attachment position. In step (b), the worker W first attaches the positioning jig 90 to the cart 70. Specifically, as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , one end of the first wire 91 is attached to the first attachment portion 73 of the first leg 71 of the cart 70, and one end of the second wire 92 is attached to the second attachment portion 74 of the second leg 72. When attaching the first wire 91 to the first attachment portion 73, a portion of the first wire 91 closer to the reference member 93 than the stopper 91a is inserted into the groove 73a of the first attachment portion 73, and the stopper 91a is hooked onto the first attachment portion 73, thereby securing the one end of the first wire 91 so that it does not come off the first attachment portion 73. Similarly, when attaching the second wire 92 to the second mounting portion 74, a portion of the second wire 92 closer to the reference member 93 than the stopper 92a is inserted into the groove 74a of the second mounting portion 74, and the stopper 92a is hooked onto the second mounting portion 74, thereby securing one end of the second wire 92 with the stopper 92a so that it does not come off the second mounting portion 74. Next, the worker W places the placing portion 94 on the floor surface F while pulling the reference member 93 rearward beyond the first mounting portion 73 and the second mounting portion 74 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 9 . As a result, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , the portion of the first wire 91 between the first mounting portion 73 and the reference member 93 becomes linear, the portion of the second wire 92 between the second mounting portion 74 and the reference member 93 becomes linear, and the placing portion 94 of the reference member 93 is placed on the floor surface F. In this state, the sides 94a and 94b of the mounting portion 94 are parallel to the approach direction (here, the front-to-rear direction) to the printing device 11 when the automatic transport device 60 transports the storage rack 80 to the mountable position. The side 94c of the mounting portion 94 is perpendicular to this approach direction. In this state, the worker W marks a reference line R1 on the floor surface F, which serves as a reference for attaching the magnetic tape 98 to the floor surface F, based on the position of the reference member 93. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the worker W marks the reference line R1, which is composed of three straight lines, on the floor surface F by tracing the positions of the sides 94a to 94c of the mounting portion 94 of the reference member 93 in this state.In addition, in Figures 8 and 9, the sides 94a to 94c are shown separated from the reference line R1 for ease of viewing, but in reality, the worker W will draw the reference line R1 so that it is in contact with the sides 94a to 94c.

[0035] Next, the worker W attaches the positioning jig 90 to the cart 70 in the same manner as in Fig. 9 except that the positioning jig 90 is oriented in the opposite direction from that in Fig. 9. That is, as shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 8 and in Fig. 10, the worker W attaches one end of the first wire 91 to the second mounting portion 74 of the second leg 72 of the cart 70, and attaches one end of the second wire 92 to the first mounting portion 73 of the first leg 71. Next, the worker W places the mounting portion 94 on the floor surface F while pulling the reference member 93 forward beyond the first mounting portion 73 and the second mounting portion 74 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 10. 8 and 10, the portion of the first wire 91 between the second attachment portion 74 and the reference member 93 becomes linear, the portion of the second wire 92 between the first attachment portion 73 and the reference member 93 becomes linear, and the mounting portion 94 of the reference member 93 is placed on the floor surface F. In this state, the worker W marks reference lines R2 and R3 on the floor surface F based on the position of the reference member 93, which will serve as references for attaching the magnetic tape 98 to the floor surface F. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the worker W marks the reference lines R2 and R3, each composed of a straight line, on the floor surface F by tracing the positions of the sides 94a and 94b of the mounting portion 94 of the reference member 93 in this state. Like reference line R1, reference lines R2 and R3 are illustrated spaced apart from sides 94a and 94b, but in reality, the worker W draws reference lines R2 and R3 so that they are tangent to sides 94a and 94b. In this embodiment, the positions of stoppers 91a and 91b are determined so that the length of the portion of first wire 91 between stopper 91a and reference member 93 is the same as the length of the portion of second wire 92 between stopper 92a and reference member 93. Therefore, reference lines R2 and R3 are drawn on the extensions of two straight line portions of reference line R1 that extend along the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] After marking the reference lines R1 to R3 on the floor surface F based on the position of the reference member 93 in this way, the worker W marks the magnetic tape 98 on the floor surface F based on the reference lines R1 to R3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the worker W marks (attaches) the main magnetic tape 98a on the floor surface F so that the straight portion of the reference line R1 extending in the left-right direction at the rear end thereof is in contact with the rear end of the main magnetic tape 98a, and the two straight portions of the reference line R1 extending in the front-rear direction and the reference lines R2 and R3 are in contact with the left and right sides of the main magnetic tape 98a. Then, the worker W marks (attaches) the marker magnetic tape 98b on the floor surface F based on the above-mentioned lengths L1 and L2, based on the position of the main magnetic tape 98a. After performing step (b) in this way, the worker W ends the stop position determining method.

[0037] As described above, in step (b) of this embodiment, the magnetic tape 98 is attached to the floor surface based on the position of the cart 70 when the storage rack 80 is placed in the mountable position. Specifically, reference lines R1 to R3 are attached based on the position of the reference member 93 of the positioning jig 90 attached to the cart 70, and the magnetic tape 98 is attached to the floor surface F based on the reference lines R1 to R3. The attachment of the magnetic tape 98 determines the stop position of the automatic transport device 60. Note that the length of the portion of the first wire 91 of the positioning jig 90 between the stopper 91 a and the reference member 93 and the length of the portion of the second wire 92 between the stopper 92 a and the reference member 93 are predetermined so that the stop position recognized by the automatic transport device 60 based on the magnetic tape 98 attached in step (b) is an appropriate stop position.

[0038] In the stop position determination method described above, the cart 70 carrying the storage rack 80 is positioned so that the storage rack 80 is located in the attachable position, and in that state, a magnetic tape 98 is attached to the floor surface F using the position of the cart 70 as a reference, allowing the automatic transport device 60 to recognize the stop position. As a result, with the storage rack 80 located in a predetermined position (attachable position) relatively high above the floor surface F, the stop position of the automatic transport device 60 is determined using the position of the cart 70 as a reference, and the magnetic tape 98 for stopping the automatic transport device 60 at that stop position can be attached to the floor surface F. Therefore, if the automatic transport device 60 transports the cart 70 carrying the storage rack 80 and stops it at the stop position based on the magnetic tape 98, the storage rack 80 will be appropriately located in the attachable position. This makes it possible to more appropriately determine the stop position of the automatic transport device 60.

[0039] By attaching the magnetic tape 98 to the floor surface (determining the stop position) based on the position of the cart 70 on which the storage rack 80 is placed as in this embodiment, the stop position of the automatic transport device 60 can be determined more appropriately than when attaching the magnetic tape 98 based on the position of the printing device 11, for example. For example, when the floor surface F is inclined from the horizontal plane, the stop position determination method of this embodiment can more appropriately determine the stop position of the automatic transport device 60. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the printing device 11 and the storage rack 80 when the floor surface F is inclined. In FIG. 11, the floor surface F is inclined so that the right side is higher than the horizontal plane (dashed line), and the printing device 11 is adjusted by the level adjustment mechanism 55 so that a reference portion (e.g., the top surface of the replacement unit 40) is closer to the horizontal plane than the floor surface F. 11A , consider a case where the magnetic tape 98 is attached based on the position of the replacement unit 40 of the printing device 11. For example, consider a case where a point T1, the center of the left and right sides of the printing device 11, is identified based on the left and right units 41 and 51, and the magnetic tape 98 is attached (the stop position is determined) based on this point T1. In this case, the horizontal adjustment mechanism 55 brings the reference portion of the printing device 11 close to the horizontal plane. In other words, the reference portion is inclined with respect to the floor F. Therefore, when the automatic transport device 60 stops at a stop position based on this point T1, the upper portions of the cart 70 and storage rack 80 transported by the automatic transport device 60 are positioned more to the left relative to the printing device 11 (closer to the left unit 41). As a result, the left side of the storage rack 80 transported by the automatic transport device 60 moving toward the receiving space 49 to the stop position may interfere with the left unit 41, or the support and fixing members 85 and 86 may be positioned offset from directly above the cam follower 44a, as shown in FIG. 11A . As a result, the automatic transport device 60 will not be able to properly place the storage rack 80 in the mountable position. In this way, the stop position determined based on the position of the printing device 11 may not be appropriate. In contrast, in the stop position determination method of this embodiment, as shown by the solid line in Figure 11B, the cart 70 is positioned in step (a) so that the storage rack 80 is actually placed in the mountable position.As a result, even if the floor surface F is inclined from the horizontal plane, the storage rack 80 can be positioned at an attachable position taking into account the inclination. For example, the storage rack 80 can be positioned at a position shifted to the right of the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 11B (the same position as the storage rack 80 shown in FIG. 11A ) so that the storage rack 80 does not interfere with the replacement unit 40 and the support fixing members 85, 86 are positioned directly above the cam follower 44a, thereby positioning the storage rack 80 at an attachable position. Then, in step (b), the stop position is determined based on the position of the cart 70 in this state. As a result, for example, the placement unit 94 is positioned at a position where the position of point T2, the lateral center of the cart 70, which is shifted to the right of point T1, coincides with the lateral center of the reference member 93 of the positioning jig 90 attached to the cart 70, and the magnetic tape 98 is attached based on the placement unit 94 positioned at that position. Therefore, if the automatic transport device 60 stops at the stop position based on this magnetic tape 98, the storage rack 80 transported by the automatic transport device 60 will also be placed in the same position as in Fig. 11B, so the storage rack 80 will be appropriately placed in an attachable position. Therefore, the stop position determination method of this embodiment can more appropriately determine the stop position of the automatic transport device 60.

[0040] In the stop position determination method described above, in step (b), the magnetic tape 98 is applied to the floor surface F based on the position of a reference member 93 provided on a positioning jig 90 attached to the cart 70. The positioning jig 90 is configured so that the reference member 93 is placed at a reference position on the floor surface F that serves as a reference for the position where the magnetic tape 98 should be applied when the positioning jig 90 is attached to the cart 70. The reference position is, for example, a position where the position where the front end of the main magnetic tape 98a should be placed (see FIG. 10) coincides with the side 94c of the placement portion 94 in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 and in FIG. 9, and where the positions where the left and right sides of the main magnetic tape 98a should be placed coincide with the sides 94a, 94b of the placement portion 94. The reference position is, for example, a position where the positions where the left and right sides of the main magnetic tape 98a should be placed coincide with the sides 94a, 94b of the placement portion 94 in the state shown by the dashed line in FIG. 8 and in FIG. 10, With this, with the positioning jig 90 attached to the cart 70, the magnetic tape 98 can be attached to the floor surface F based on the position of the reference member 93, thereby attaching the magnetic tape 98 to an appropriate position. Therefore, by using the positioning jig 90, an appropriate stopping position for the automatic transport device 60 can be more easily determined.

[0041] Furthermore, the positioning jig 90 includes a first wire 91, one end of which can be attached to a first attachment portion 73 included in the cart 70, and a second wire 92, one end of which can be attached to a second attachment portion 74 included in the cart 70, and the reference member 93 is connected to the other end of the first wire 91 and the other end of the second wire 92. The positioning jig 90 is configured so that, in step (b), one end of the first wire 91 is attached to the first attachment portion 73, one end of the second wire 92 is attached to the second attachment portion 74, the portion of the first wire 91 between the first attachment portion 73 and the reference member 93 is linear, the portion of the second wire 92 between the second attachment portion 74 and the reference member 93 is linear, and the placement portion 94 of the reference member 93 is placed on the floor surface F (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 and in FIG. 9 ). As a result, in step (b), the first wire 91 and the second wire 92 can always maintain the same positional relationship between the first mounting portion 73 and the second mounting portion 74 and the reference member 93, and the reference member 93 can be easily placed at the reference position by attaching the positioning jig 90. Therefore, for example, the worker W does not need to measure the distance from the cart 70 to specify the reference position.

[0042] Furthermore, the cart 70 includes a first leg 71 and a second leg 72, each having a wheel 78. The first leg 71 has a first mounting portion 73, and the second leg 72 has a second mounting portion 74. Therefore, compared to a case where the mounting portion of the positioning jig 90 is provided on, for example, the mounting base 70a of the cart 70 or the storage rack 80, the positions of the first mounting portion 73 and the second mounting portion 74 are relatively closer to the floor surface F. This makes it easier to shorten the first wire 91 and the second wire 92, and the positioning jig 90 can be made more compact. In this embodiment, the first mounting portion 73 is attached not to two of the first legs 71 but to a structure connecting the lower ends of the legs and to which the two wheels 78 are attached. Therefore, the position of the first mounting portion 73 is even closer to the floor surface F. The same applies to the second mounting portion 74. Therefore, in this embodiment, the positions of the first mounting portion 73 and the second mounting portion 74 are even closer to the floor surface F, and the positioning jig 90 can be made even more compact.

[0043] The reference member 93 has sides 94a and 94b that are parallel to the approach direction (front-to-back direction) to the printing device 11 when the automatic transport device 60 transports the storage rack 80 to the mountable position, with the positioning jig 90 attached to the cart 70 and the reference member 93 placed at the reference position, and a side 94c that is perpendicular to the approach direction. Then, in step (b), the worker W attaches the magnetic tape 98 to the floor surface F based on the positions of the sides 94a to 94c of the reference member 93. This allows the magnetic tape 98 to be attached to the floor surface F using the sides 94a to 94c of the reference member 93 that are parallel or perpendicular to the approach direction of the automatic transport device 60 to the printing device 11, making the task of attaching the magnetic tape 98 easier.

[0044] It goes without saying that the stop position determination method and positioning jig 90 of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] For example, in the above-described embodiment, in step (b), the magnetic tape 98 is attached using the position of the cart 70 as a reference, but the position of at least one of the storage rack 80 and the cart 70 may be used as a reference. For example, a positioning jig 90 may be attached to the storage rack 80, and the magnetic tape 98 may be attached using the positioning jig 90 as a reference. Furthermore, any jig may be used as the positioning jig 90, such as a jig that does not include the first wire 91 and the second wire 92 or a jig with a different shape of the reference member 93. Furthermore, the magnetic tape 98 may be attached using the position of at least one of the storage rack 80 and the cart 70 as a reference without using the positioning jig 90.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the main magnetic tape 98a is attached based on both the reference line R1 based on the position of the reference member 93 in the state shown in Figure 9 and the reference lines R2 and R3 based on the position of the reference member 93 in the state shown in Figure 10. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the main magnetic tape 98a may be attached based only on the reference line R1. However, by using not only the reference line R1 but also the reference lines R2 and R3, the main magnetic tape 98a can be attached to an appropriate position with greater precision. Furthermore, the main magnetic tape 98a may be attached based on the position of the reference member 93 in the state shown in Figure 9 without using the reference lines R1 to R3.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the length of the portion of the first wire 91 between the stopper 91 a and the reference member 93 and the length of the portion of the second wire 92 between the stopper 92 a and the reference member 93 are the same, but this is not limited to this. Even if these lengths are different, the magnetic tape 98 can be attached to an appropriate position based on the reference member 93 as long as the relative positional relationship between the position of the reference member 93 when the positioning jig 90 is attached to the cart 70 and the position where the magnetic tape 98 is to be attached or the stopping position is predetermined.

[0048] In the embodiment described above, the positioning jig 90 is attached to the cart 70 in step (b), but this is not limiting. For example, the positioning jig 90 may be attached to the cart 70 before step (a) is performed.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the markings are magnetic tape 98, but the markings are not limited to this and may be any markings that allow the automatic transport device 60 to recognize the stopping position. For example, a non-magnetic tape other than the magnetic tape 98 may be used as the markings, or lines marked (drawn) on the floor surface F, such as the reference lines R1, R2, and R3, may be used as the markings.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the cart 70 is temporarily connected to the automatic transport device 60 and transported, but the cart 70 and the automatic transport device 60 may be integrated. Also, the storage rack 80 and the cart 70 may be integrated.

[0051] In the embodiment described above, the storage rack 80 accommodates the frame 29 and the like used in the printing device 11, but the storage rack 80 is not limited to this and may be any rack that accommodates operation-related members used in a substrate-related operation device and is attached to the substrate-related operation device. For example, the storage rack 80 may be any rack that accommodates mounting-related members used in the mounting device 15 and is attached to the mounting device 15.

[0052] A first positioning jig of the present disclosure is a positioning jig used in a substrate-related work system including a substrate-related work device that performs work on substrates, a storage rack that stores work-related parts used by the substrate-related work device and is attached to the substrate-related work device, a cart that has wheels and on which the storage rack is placed, and an automatic transport device that automatically transports the cart, for determining a stop position of the automatic transport device so that the automatic transport device can transport the storage rack to a predetermined position where it can be attached to the substrate-related work device, the positioning jig including a reference member, and configured so that when the cart with the storage rack placed thereon is positioned so that the storage rack is located at the predetermined position and when the positioning jig is attached to at least one of the cart and the storage rack, the reference member is placed at a reference position on the floor that serves as a reference for a position where a marking should be placed on the floor to allow the automatic transport device to recognize the stop position.

[0053] This first positioning jig is configured so that, when a cart carrying a storage rack is placed so that the storage rack is positioned at a predetermined position and the positioning jig is attached to at least one of the cart and the storage rack, a reference member is placed at a reference position on the floor surface that serves as a reference for a position at which a marking that allows the automatic transport device to recognize the stop position should be placed. Therefore, by using this first positioning jig, an appropriate stop position for the automatic transport device can be more easily determined. Furthermore, this first positioning jig is suitable for the stop position determination method disclosed herein. Various aspects of the positioning jig used in the stop position determination method disclosed herein may be adopted in this first positioning jig.

[0054] A second positioning jig of the present disclosure is a positioning jig used in a substrate-related working system including a substrate-related working device that performs work on substrates, a storage rack that stores work-related members used by the substrate-related working device and is attached to the substrate-related working device, a cart that has wheels and on which the storage rack is placed, and an automatic transport device that automatically transports the cart, for determining a stop position of the automatic transport device to transport the storage rack to a predetermined position where the storage rack can be attached to the substrate-related working device, the positioning jig comprising: a first wire that can be attached at one end to a first attachment portion that is attached to either the cart or the storage rack; a second wire that can be attached at one end to a second attachment portion that is attached to either the cart or the storage rack; and a reference member connected to the other end of the first wire and the other end of the second wire, The reference member is configured to be placed on a floor surface in a state in which one end of the first wire is attached to the first mounting portion, one end of the second wire is attached to the second mounting portion, the portion of the first wire between the first mounting portion and the reference member is linear, and the portion of the second wire between the second mounting portion and the reference member is linear.

[0055] In this second positioning jig, one end of the first wire is attached to the first mounting portion, one end of the second wire is attached to the second mounting portion, the portion of the first wire between the first mounting portion and the reference member is linear, and the portion of the second wire between the second mounting portion and the reference member is linear. In this state, the reference member is placed on the floor surface. Therefore, the positional relationship between the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion and the reference member placed on the floor surface can always be maintained constant, making it easy to determine the stop position of the automatic conveying device based on the position of the reference member. Furthermore, this second positioning jig is suitable for the stop position determination method disclosed herein. Various aspects of the positioning jig for the stop position determination method disclosed herein may be employed in this second positioning jig.

[0056] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "a stop position determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 4" in claim 6 of the original application to "a stop position determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 5."

[0057] The present disclosure is applicable to the technical field of substrate operating devices that perform operations on substrates.

[0058] 10 Substrate-related work system, 11 Printing device, 11a Work door, 12 Printing inspection device, 13 Storage device, 14 Travel path, 15 Mounting device, 17 Management PC, 20 Printing control unit, 22 Printing unit, 23 Print head, 24 Printing movement unit, 25 Squeegee, 26 Mask work unit, 27 Replacement unit, 28 Mask fixing unit, 29 Frame, 30 Substrate processing unit, 31 Substrate transport unit, 32 Support member, 33 Cleaning unit, 34 Cleaning member, 35 Fluid supply unit, 36 Cartridge, 37 Detection unit, 38 Operation panel, 40 Replacement unit, 41 Left side unit, 43 Rack support unit, 44 Support member, 44a Cam follower, 45 Lifting drive unit, 46 Fixing unit, 47 Insertion pin, 49 Receiving space, 51 Right side unit, 53 Rack support unit, 55 Level adjustment mechanism, 59 Exchange control unit, 60 Automatic transport device, 60a Main body, 61 Movement control unit, 62 Memory unit, 63 Connection unit, 64 Wheels, 65 Movement drive unit, 66 Detection unit, 68 Reading unit, 69 Communication unit, 70 Cart, 70a Placement base, 71 First leg, 72 Second leg, 73 First mounting unit, 73a Groove, 74 Second mounting unit, 74a Groove, 78 Wheels, 80 Storage rack, 80a Rack main body, 81 Shelf, 82 Opening, 83 Handle, 85, 86 Support fixing member, 87 Receiving portion, 89 Insertion hole, 90 Positioning jig, 91 First wire, 91a, 91b Stopper, 92 Second wire, 92a, 92b Stopper, 93 Reference member, 94 Placement unit, 94a to 94c Side, 95: Standing portion, 98: Magnetic tape, 98a: Main magnetic tape, 98b: Marker magnetic tape, A, B: Length, F: Floor surface, L1, L2: Length, M: Screen mask, R1, R2, R3: Reference line, S: Board, W: Worker.

Claims

1. A method for determining a stop position of an automatic transport device for transporting the storage rack to a predetermined position where the storage rack can be attached to the substrate-related processing device, in a substrate-related processing system including a substrate-related processing device that performs processing on substrates, a storage rack that stores processing-related components used by the substrate-related processing device and is attached to the substrate-related processing device, a cart that has wheels and on which the storage rack is placed, and an automatic transport device that automatically transports the cart, the method comprising: (a) a step of positioning the cart with the storage rack placed thereon so that the storage rack is located at the predetermined position; and (b) a step of, with step (a) having been performed, applying a marking to a floor surface so that the automatic transport device can recognize the stop position, based on the position of at least one of the cart and the storage rack.

2. A stop position determination method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in step (b), the marking is applied to the floor surface based on the position of a reference member provided on a positioning jig attached to at least one of the cart and the storage rack, and the positioning jig is configured so that, when the positioning jig is attached to at least one of the cart and the storage rack, the reference member is placed on a reference position on the floor surface that serves as a reference for the position at which the marking should be applied.

3. A stop position determination method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the positioning jig comprises a first wire, one end of which can be attached to a first mounting portion provided on either the cart or the storage rack, and a second wire, one end of which can be attached to a second mounting portion provided on either the cart or the storage rack; the reference member is connected to the other end of the first wire and the other end of the second wire; and the positioning jig is configured in step (b) so that the one end of the first wire is attached to the first mounting portion and the one end of the second wire is attached to the second mounting portion, the portion of the first wire between the first mounting portion and the reference member is straight, the portion of the second wire between the second mounting portion and the reference member is straight, and the reference member is placed on the floor surface, so that the reference member is placed at the reference position.

4. A stop position determination method according to claim 3, wherein the cart has a first leg and a second leg each having a wheel, the first leg having the first mounting portion, and the second leg having the second mounting portion.

5. A stop position determination method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the reference member has a side that is parallel to or perpendicular to the direction of approach to the substrate-related operating device when the automatic transport device transports the storage rack to the predetermined position, with the positioning jig attached to at least one of the cart and the storage rack and the reference member placed at the reference position, and in step (b), the marking is applied to the floor surface based on the position of the side of the reference member.

6. A stop position determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in step (b), a magnetic tape is applied to the floor surface as the marking.

7. A positioning jig used in a substrate-related work system comprising a substrate-related work device that performs work on substrates, a storage rack that stores work-related parts used by the substrate-related work device and is attached to the substrate-related work device, a cart that has wheels and on which the storage rack is placed, and an automatic transport device that automatically transports the cart, to determine a stop position of the automatic transport device so that the automatic transport device can transport the storage rack to a predetermined position where it can be attached to the substrate-related work device, the positioning jig comprising a reference member, and configured so that when the cart with the storage rack placed thereon is positioned so that the storage rack is located at the predetermined position and the positioning jig is attached to at least one of the cart and the storage rack, the reference member is placed at a reference position on the floor that serves as a reference for a position where a marking should be placed on the floor to allow the automatic transport device to recognize the stop position.

8. In a substrate-related work system including a substrate-related work device that performs work on substrates, a storage rack that stores work-related members used in the substrate-related work device and is attached to the substrate-related work device, a cart that has wheels and on which the storage rack is placed, and an automatic transport device that automatically transports the cart, a positioning jig used to determine a stop position of the automatic transport device so that the automatic transport device can transport the storage rack to a predetermined position where it can be attached to the substrate-related work device, comprising: a first wire that can be attached at one end to a first attachment portion that is attached to either the cart or the storage rack; a second wire that can be attached at one end to a second attachment portion that is attached to either the cart or the storage rack; and a reference member connected to the other end of the first wire and the other end of the second wire, A positioning jig configured so that the reference member is placed on a floor surface in a state in which the one end side of the first wire is attached to the first mounting portion, the one end side of the second wire is attached to the second mounting portion, the portion of the first wire between the first mounting portion and the reference member is linear, and the portion of the second wire between the second mounting portion and the reference member is linear.

Citation Information

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