Nozzle maintenance system

Abstract

This nozzle maintenance system comprises: a feeder accommodation unit that accommodates a plurality of feeders including a nozzle feeder to which a nozzle housing part housing a plurality of nozzles for holding components by suction is detachably attached; a maintenance device that is disposed either adjacent to a back surface of the feeder accommodation unit or adjacent to a side surface thereof and that performs maintenance of the nozzles; and an exchange device that has a gripping part for gripping the nozzle housing part and a moving part for moving the gripping part between the inside of the feeder accommodation unit and the inside of the maintenance device, and that exchanges the nozzle housing part between the nozzle feeder, which is set at a predetermined position in the feeder accommodation unit, and the maintenance device.

Description

Nozzle Maintenance System

[0001] This specification discloses a nozzle maintenance system.

[0002] Conventionally, there have been proposals for performing maintenance on nozzles that adsorb components. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device that removes nozzles from a nozzle station (pallet) that houses a plurality of nozzles and performs various inspections and cleaning.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-151

[0004] By the way, in order to supply nozzles to a component mounting device, a nozzle feeder to which the above-described nozzle station is detachably attached may be used. In that case, when performing maintenance on the nozzles, an operator needs to attach and detach the nozzle station. Therefore, depending on the working conditions of the operator, waiting time may occur and the efficiency of maintenance may decrease.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to improve the efficiency of nozzle maintenance when a nozzle feeder to which a nozzle station is detachably attached is used.

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above main object.

[0007] The nozzle maintenance system of the present disclosure includes a feeder warehouse that stores a plurality of feeders including a nozzle feeder to which a nozzle housing that houses a plurality of nozzles for adsorbing components is detachably attached, a maintenance device that is disposed either adjacent to the back or adjacent to the side of the feeder warehouse and performs maintenance on the nozzles, a gripping portion that grips the nozzle housing, a moving portion that moves the gripping portion between the inside of the feeder warehouse and the inside of the maintenance device, and an exchanging device that exchanges the nozzle housing between the nozzle feeder set at a predetermined position inside the feeder warehouse and the maintenance device.

[0008] The nozzle maintenance system of this disclosure includes an exchange device for exchanging the nozzle housing between a nozzle feeder set in a predetermined position within a feeder warehouse and a maintenance device. This allows for the automatic removal of the nozzle housing from the nozzle feeder and its transfer to the maintenance device at the start of maintenance, and the automatic relocation of the nozzle housing into the feeder warehouse and its attachment to the nozzle feeder at the end of maintenance, without the need for human intervention. Furthermore, since the maintenance device is located either next to the back or side of the feeder warehouse, the movement time of the gripping part can be reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of nozzle maintenance can be improved.

[0009] Schematic diagram of the external setup system 10. Schematic diagram of the external setup system 10. Schematic diagram of the external setup system 10. Block diagram of the external setup system 10. Schematic diagram of the parts feeder 100. Schematic diagram of the nozzle station 110. Schematic diagram of the nozzle feeder 120. Schematic diagram of the exchange device 50. Flowchart showing an example of nozzle station exchange processing. Schematic diagram of the external setup system 10B, a modified example.

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 3 are schematic diagrams of the external setup system 10. Figure 4 is a block diagram of the external setup system 10. As shown in the figures, the external setup system 10 includes a feeder warehouse 20, a reel attachment / detachment device 30, a maintenance device 40, a replacement device 50, a nozzle station warehouse 60, a loader 70, an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) 80, and a management device 90 (see Figure 4). Note that in Figures 1 to 3, the left-right direction is the X-axis direction, the front-back direction is the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis direction.

[0011] The external setup system 10 performs external setup work and maintenance work on materials necessary for the component mounting process in the mounting equipment of a mounting system (not shown). For example, it performs work such as attaching a reel 102 (see Figure 5) to a component feeder 100 (see Figure 5) that supplies components. It also performs maintenance on the nozzle 115 (see Figure 6) that picks up components, storing the nozzle 115 in the nozzle station 110 (see Figure 6), and attaching the nozzle station 110 to the nozzle feeder 120 (see Figure 6) that supplies the nozzle 115. In addition, the external setup system 10 stores materials necessary for the mounting process and materials that have been used in the mounting process.

[0012] The parts feeder 100 is a tape feeder that supplies parts to a mounting device by feeding out a tape containing multiple parts. As shown in Figure 5, it comprises a main body 101, a cover 103, a tape feeding unit 104, and the like. The main body 101 rotatably holds the central hole of a reel 102 around which the tape is wound. The cover 103 is attached to the main body 101 in an openable and closable manner so as to cover at least a part of the reel 102. The tape feeding unit 104 feeds out a predetermined amount of tape from the reel 102. The main body 101 is also provided with a connector 105 and two positioning pins 106 at its front end in the direction of mounting the parts feeder 100 to the feeder warehouse 20 or mounting device, and a rail 107 extending in the mounting direction is provided at the bottom.

[0013] The nozzle station 110 houses multiple nozzles 115 arranged so that they can be moved in and out from the top surface, and can be detachably set on the nozzle feeder 120 or on the maintenance device 40. As shown in Figure 6, the nozzle station 110 comprises a main body 111 and a shutter 113, etc. The main body 111 has multiple housing holes that support the flanges of the nozzles 115 and house the lower part of the nozzles 115, although these are not shown in the figure. The shutter 113 covers the top surface of the main body 111 and is configured to wrap around to the underside of the main body 111, and is slidable relative to the main body 111. The shutter 113 also has multiple through holes 114 on its top surface that are larger in diameter than the flanges of the nozzles 115, and are positioned to correspond to the housing holes of the main body 111. The shutter 113 is biased by a spring (not shown) so that each through hole 114 is in a closed state offset from each housing hole of the main body 111. In the closed state, the nozzle station 110 has an edge of the through hole 114 that covers a portion of the flange of the nozzle 115, making it impossible to insert or remove the nozzle 115.

[0014] The nozzle feeder 120 supplies nozzles 115 to the mounting device. As shown in Figure 7, the nozzle feeder 120 comprises a main body 121 and a drive unit 123, and a nozzle station 110 is detachably attached to it. The main body 121 has substantially the same external shape as the main body 101 of the parts feeder 100, except that the width in the X-axis direction is different. The main body 121 is also provided with a connector 125 and two positioning pins 126, which have the same shape as the connector 105 and two positioning pins 106 of the parts feeder 100, and a rail 127, which has the same shape as the rail 107 of the parts feeder 100. Since the nozzle feeder 120 is wider than the parts feeder 100, the two rails 127 are provided to extend parallel to each other. The drive unit 123 opens the nozzle station 110. The drive unit 123, for example, uses an actuator to activate an engaging member that engages with the shutter 113 of the nozzle station 110, sliding the shutter 113 against the biasing force of the spring, thereby opening each through hole 114 so that it completely overlaps with each housing hole of the main body 111. In the open state, the nozzles 115 can be inserted into and removed from each housing hole of the main body 111.

[0015] The feeder warehouse 20 stores parts feeders 100 and nozzle feeders 120. As shown in Figure 1, the feeder warehouse 20 has a first storage area 20a where feeder stands 25 are arranged, and a second storage area 20b where box-shaped magazines 27 can be arranged.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the feeder stand 25 is an L-shaped stand in side view and is equipped with multiple slots 25a, two positioning holes 25b corresponding to each slot 25a, and a connector 25c corresponding to each slot 25a. The rails 107 of the parts feeder 100 and the rails 127 of the nozzle feeder 120 are inserted into the slots 25a, allowing each feeder to slide. The nozzle feeder 120 has two rails 127 which are inserted into two slots 25a, respectively. The two positioning pins 106 of the parts feeder 100 and the two positioning pins 126 of the nozzle feeder 120 are inserted into the two positioning holes 25b. The connectors 25c electrically connect the connector 105 of the parts feeder 100 and the connector 125 of the nozzle feeder 120. In the first storage area 20a, the parts feeder 100 and nozzle feeder 120 are stored on the feeder stand 25 in a way that allows them to be easily moved in and out. In this embodiment, the predetermined position on the left side of Figure 1 in the first storage area 20a (feeder stand 25) is defined as the position where the nozzle feeder 120 is placed (stored). The nozzle feeder 120 may be placed in a location other than the predetermined position. Position P0 shown in Figure 2 is the approximate position (attachment / detachment position) of the nozzle station 110 on the nozzle feeder 120 at the predetermined position.

[0017] The magazine 27, although not shown in the illustration, is provided with multiple slots to accommodate multiple parts feeders 100 (for example, 20 or 30 of them). In this embodiment, two magazines 27 are arranged side by side in the second storage area 20b. That is, in the second storage area 20b, multiple parts feeders 100 are stored together with the magazines 27 so that they can be easily inserted and removed.

[0018] The reel attachment / detachment device 30 is used to attach and detach reels 102 to the parts feeder 100 and is located adjacent to the feeder warehouse 20 (for example, adjacent to the right side). As shown in Figure 4, the reel attachment / detachment device 30 includes a feeder set section 31, an opening / closing section 32, a reel set section 33, a transfer section 34, a pull-out section 35, a transport section 36, a waste section 37, and the like. The reel attachment / detachment device 30 has an inlet / outlet 30a on its front side and a supply port 30b, an outlet port 30c, and an inlet / outlet 30d on its rear side. At the inlet / outlet 30a, the loader 70 can load and unload the parts feeder 100. At the supply port 30b, the worker M supplies the reels 102 to be attached to the parts feeder 100. At the outlet port 30c, the reels 102 removed from the parts feeder 100 are discharged. The discharged reel 102 is stored in a discharge box 38 outside the reel attachment / detachment device 30. At the loading / unloading port 30d, worker M loads in and unloads a waste box 39 in which waste tape and other materials after parts have been removed are discarded.

[0019] The feeder set section 31 is where the parts feeder 100, to which the reels 102 are to be attached and detached, is transferred from the loading port 30a by the loader 70. Similar to the feeder stand 25, it is provided with connectors and positioning holes for connecting to the parts feeder 100. As a result, the parts feeder 100 set in the feeder set section 31 is electrically connected to the reel attachment / detachment device 30, enabling the tape feed section 104 to be operated. The opening / closing section 32 opens and closes the cover 103 of the parts feeder 100 set in the feeder set section 31. The reel set section 33 is equipped with support pins that support the center hole of the reel 102, and is where the reel 102 to be attached to the parts feeder 100 and the reel 102 removed from the parts feeder 100 are set. The transfer section 34 removes the reel 102 set in the reel set section 33 and attaches it to the parts feeder 100 set in the feeder set section 31. Furthermore, the transfer unit 34 removes the reel 102 from the parts feeder 100 set in the feeder set unit 31 and sets it in the reel set unit 33. The pull-out unit 35 pulls out the tape from the reel 102 attached to the parts feeder 100 and moves it into the tape feed unit 104 so that tape feeding is possible. The transport unit 36 ​​transports the reel 102 supplied from the supply port 30b and sets it in the reel set unit 33, or transports the reel 102 that has been removed from the parts feeder 100 and set in the reel set unit 33 and discharges it from the discharge port 30c. The waste unit 37 collects the waste tape collected in a collection unit (not shown) or the like within the parts feeder 100 and transports it to the waste box 39 for disposal.

[0020] The maintenance device 40 retrieves the nozzles 115 housed in the nozzle station 110 and performs maintenance on them. Each nozzle 115 is subject to maintenance, for example, when its usage time in the mounting process reaches a predetermined time, or when the number of times it has picked up parts reaches a predetermined number. The maintenance device 40 also performs maintenance on the nozzles 115 necessary for the mounting process and then houses them in the nozzle station 110. In this embodiment, the maintenance device 40 is located adjacent to the feeder warehouse 20, back to back. Therefore, the front of the maintenance device 40 is the rear side of the external setup system 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the maintenance device 40 includes a set section (nozzle station set section) 41, a gripping section 42, a lifting and moving section 43, a washing section 44, a drying section 45, an inspection section 46, and the like. The maintenance device 40 also has an inlet / outlet 40a on the side facing the replacement device 50 (for example, the left side) and an inlet / outlet 40b on the front (the rear side of the external setup system 10). The replacement device 50 can load and unload the nozzle station 110 at the inlet / outlet 40a. At the inlet / outlet 40b, the worker M can attach and detach the nozzle station 110 to the set section 41. The worker M also loads and unloads the waste box 47, in which defective nozzles are discarded, from the inlet / outlet 40b.

[0022] The setting unit 41 is where the nozzle station 110 is detachably set, and in this embodiment, multiple (for example, three) nozzle stations 110 can be set. The setting unit 41 can open the shutter 113 of the set nozzle station 110. The gripping unit 42 grips the nozzle 115, and the nozzle 115 can be inserted into and removed from the housing hole of the nozzle station 110. The lifting and moving unit 43 moves the gripping unit 42 in the XY direction and raises and lowers it in the Z axis direction. Driven by the lifting and moving unit 43, the nozzle 115 gripped by the gripping unit 42 moves to various parts of the maintenance device 40, such as the cleaning unit 44, drying unit 45, inspection unit 46, and waste box 47. The cleaning unit 44 cleans the outer surface and internal flow path of the nozzle 115 using cleaning fluid. The drying unit 45 blows air onto the nozzle 115 to remove foreign matter adhering to the nozzle 115 and to dry the nozzle 115. The inspection unit 46 checks whether the shape and air flow rate of the nozzle 115 are normal or not. Nozzles 115 that are determined to be normal during the inspection are stored in the nozzle station 110. Nozzles 115 that are determined to be abnormal during the inspection are discarded in the waste box 47.

[0023] The exchange device 50 exchanges the nozzle station 110 between the nozzle feeder 120, which is set in the predetermined position described above within the feeder warehouse 20, and the setting section 41 of the maintenance device 40. The exchange device 50 is positioned adjacent to the feeder warehouse 20 in a back-to-back configuration so as to cover a portion of the upper part of the feeder warehouse 20, and is also positioned adjacent to the maintenance device 40 (for example, adjacent to the left side). As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the exchange device 50 comprises a gripping section 51, a rotating section 52, a lifting section 53, a moving section 54, and a temporary storage platform 55.

[0024] The gripping unit 51 grips the nozzle station 110, and the gripped nozzle station 110 can be attached to and detached from the nozzle feeder 120 or the setting unit 41 of the maintenance device 40. Position P2 shown in Figure 2 is the approximate position of the nozzle station 110 set in the setting unit 41 within the maintenance device 40. Note that multiple nozzle stations 110 are set in the setting unit 41, but each is referred to as position P2 without distinction. The rotating unit 52 rotates the gripping unit 51, thereby allowing the nozzle station 110 to rotate in the horizontal plane. The lifting unit 53 lifts and lowers the gripping unit 51 in the Z-axis direction.

[0025] The moving unit 54 moves the gripping unit 51 in the XY direction between the feeder warehouse 20 and the maintenance device 40. The moving unit 54 moves the gripping unit 51 along the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) of the maintenance device 40 between the aforementioned position P0 in the feeder warehouse 20 and the lateral position of the maintenance device 40. The moving unit 54 also moves the gripping unit 51 along the left-to-right direction (X-axis direction) of the maintenance device 40 via the loading / unloading port 40a between the lateral position of the maintenance device 40 and position P2 inside the maintenance device 40. The lateral position of the maintenance device 40 is also called the transit position P1, and its approximate position is shown in Figure 2. In other words, the moving unit 54 moves the gripping unit 51 along an L-shaped movement path in a top view between position P0, transit position P1, and position P2.

[0026] The temporary storage stand 55 is a platform with a horizontal top surface, capable of temporarily holding one nozzle station 110. The temporary storage stand 55 is located below the transit position P1, and although not shown in the figure, it is equipped with a sensor that detects the presence or absence of the nozzle station 110. The exchange device 50 has an inlet / outlet 50a on its front (rear side of the external setup system 10). The worker M can temporarily place the nozzle station 110 on the temporary storage stand 55 or take it out from the inlet / outlet 50a. Here, if the worker M sets the nozzle station 110 in the setting section 41 from the inlet / outlet 40a while the maintenance device 40 is being maintained, the maintenance device 40 will stop operating. On the other hand, the worker M can temporarily place the nozzle station 110 to be maintained on the temporary storage stand 55 without interrupting the operation of the maintenance device 40. Then, as soon as the ongoing maintenance is completed, the replacement device 50 can move the nozzle station 110, which has been temporarily placed on the temporary stand 55, into the maintenance device 40, thereby allowing maintenance to begin quickly.

[0027] The nozzle station warehouse 60 stores multiple nozzle stations 110. The nozzle station warehouse 60 includes a storage section 62 and a transfer section 64. The storage section 62 has multiple storage shelves arranged vertically, allowing nozzle stations 110 to be inserted and removed one by one from the left side of Figure 3. The transfer section 64 is configured to allow the transfer of nozzle stations 110 between the temporary storage table 55 and the storage section 62 (each storage shelf). The nozzle station warehouse 60 can store nozzle stations 110 that have been serviced by the maintenance device 40 and dispensed onto the temporary storage table 55 by the exchange device 50 in the storage section 62 via the transfer section 64. The nozzle station warehouse 60 can also transfer nozzle stations 110 to be serviced from the storage section 62 to the temporary storage table 55 via the transfer section 64. By having the exchange device 50 transport the nozzle stations 110 temporarily placed on the temporary storage table 55 to the maintenance device 40, maintenance can be started quickly.

[0028] The loader 70 automatically exchanges parts feeders 100 between the feeder warehouse 20 and the reel attachment / detachment device 30 (feeder set section 31), and also automatically exchanges (replaces) parts feeders 100 and nozzle feeders 120 within the feeder warehouse 20. The loader 70 includes a moving section 72 and a transfer section 74. The moving section 72 is equipped with various sensors that detect objects (including the worker M) in the direction of travel and the current position, and is configured to move the loader 70 along the X-axis. When the moving section 72 detects an object in front of the direction of travel, it stops the loader 70 until the object is no longer detected. The transfer section 74 is configured to transfer parts feeders 100 and nozzle feeders 120 by moving a clamping section that clamps the parts feeders 100 and nozzle feeders 120 along the Y-axis.

[0029] The AMR 80 automatically transports magazines 27, parts feeders 100, and nozzle feeders 120 between the feeder warehouse 20 of the external setup system 10 and the feeder warehouse of the mounting system. As shown in Figure 4, the AMR 80 includes a travel unit 82 and a transfer unit 84. The travel unit 82 is equipped with various sensors that detect objects in its surroundings (including workers M) and its current position, and is configured to autonomously travel between the external setup system 10 and the mounting system. When the travel unit 82 detects an object in front of it in the direction of travel, it stops the AMR 80 until it no longer detects the object. The transfer unit 84 has a configuration similar to the transfer unit 74 of the loader 70 and is configured to transfer parts feeders 100 and nozzle feeders 120 between the first storage area 20a of the feeder warehouse 20 and other locations. The transfer unit 84 is also configured to transfer magazines 27 between the second storage area 20b of the feeder warehouse 20 and other locations.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the management device 90 includes a control unit 91, a storage unit 92, a communication unit 93, and the like. The control unit 91 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU and includes ROM for storing processing programs and RAM used as a work area. The storage unit 92 is a device such as an HDD for storing various information. The communication unit 93 is connected to each device via wired or wireless means for communication. The storage unit 92 stores the production plan and setup plan for the circuit board S. The production plan specifies the number of components to be mounted, the mounting order, the mounting position, information on the necessary component feeders 100 (reels 102), information on the necessary nozzle feeders 120 (nozzles 115), and the number of circuit boards S to be produced for each type of circuit board S (board type). The setup plan specifies information on the component feeders 100 (reels 102) and nozzle feeders 120 (nozzles 115) that need to be set up, the timing when they are needed, and the maintenance schedule. The control unit 91 transmits various information such as work instructions, production plans, and setup plans to each device of the external setup system 10 and to the mobile terminals of the workers M via the communication unit 93. The control unit 91 also receives various information such as work status and work results from each device via the communication unit 93.

[0031] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the front side of the external setup system 10 is divided into a robot area 11 (shaded area) and a worker area 12, arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The robot area 11 is the area where mobile robots such as loaders 70 and AMR 80 perform their work. The worker area 12 is the area where worker M performs their work. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the rear side of the external setup system 10 is the worker area 12. The rear worker area 12 is divided so that it is on the opposite side from the robot area 11, with the installation area of ​​the external setup system 10 (each work device) in between. The predetermined position of the feeder warehouse 20 is located facing the robot area 11. The loading / unloading port 30a of the reel attachment / detachment device 30 faces the robot area 11, while the supply port 30b, discharge port 30c, and loading / unloading port 30d face the rear worker area 12. The loading / unloading port 40b of the maintenance device 40 faces the rear worker area 12. Furthermore, the front and rear worker areas 12 are outside the movement range of mobile robots such as the loader 70 and AMR 80. In this way, the external setup system 10 is configured such that the robot area 11 and the worker area 12 are outside the movement range of mobile robots, thereby preventing the loader 70 and AMR 80 from frequently stopping due to detection of worker M.

[0032] As an example of an external setup operation of the external setup system 10 configured in this way, the processing related to the nozzle station 110 (nozzle feeder 120) will be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the nozzle station replacement process. This process is executed by the control unit 91 of the management device 90 while exchanging information with each device of the external setup system 10.

[0033] In the nozzle station replacement process, the control unit 91 determines whether the nozzle feeder 120 to be replaced is set (S100) and whether the nozzle station 110 with the nozzle 115 that has been maintained is in the maintenance device 40 (S105). In S100, the control unit 91 determines that the nozzle feeder 120 to be replaced is set if the nozzle feeder 120 is in a predetermined position in the feeder warehouse 20 and the nozzle 115 in the nozzle station 110 of that nozzle feeder 120 is subject to maintenance.

[0034] If the control unit 91 determines negatively in either S100 or S105, it returns to S100. If the control unit 91 determines positively in either S100 or S105, it determines whether the temporary stand 55 is available (S110) and whether there is enough space in the set section 41 of the maintenance device 40 to set one nozzle station 110 (S115).

[0035] When the control unit 91 determines in S110 that the temporary storage table 55 is empty, it moves the gripping unit 51 onto the nozzle feeder 120 in the feeder warehouse 20 to grip the nozzle station 110 (S120). The control unit 91 then transports the nozzle station 110, gripped by the gripping unit 51, to the temporary storage table 55 via the transit position P1, changes the orientation of the nozzle station 110, and temporarily places it on the temporary storage table 55 (S125). In this embodiment, since the feeder warehouse 20 and the maintenance device 40 are arranged back to back, the nozzle station 110 is rotated 180 degrees in order to be transported into the maintenance device 40. This makes it possible for the worker M to transport the nozzle station 110 into the maintenance device 40 in the same orientation as when the worker M sets the nozzle station 110 in the set section 41 from the front of the maintenance device 40 via the loading / unloading port 40b.

[0036] Next, the control unit 91 moves the gripping unit 51 onto the set section 41 of the maintenance device 40 via the loading / unloading port 40a to grip the nozzle station 110 containing the maintained nozzle 115 (S130). Then, the control unit 91 transports the nozzle station 110, gripped by the gripping unit 51, to the nozzle feeder 120 in the feeder warehouse 20, changes the orientation of the nozzle station 110, and attaches it to the nozzle feeder 120 (S135). In other words, the control unit 91 discharges the nozzle station 110, which has finished maintenance, from the maintenance device 40 via the loading / unloading port 40a and attaches it to the nozzle feeder 120 set in a predetermined position in the feeder warehouse 20. Once the attachment of the nozzle station 110 is complete, the control unit 91 transmits a transport instruction to the AMR 80 to transport the nozzle feeder 120 to the mounting system (S140). This allows the AMR 80 to take the nozzle feeder 120 out of the feeder warehouse 20 and transport it to the mounting system.

[0037] Next, the control unit 91 moves the gripping unit 51 to the temporary storage table 55 to grip the nozzle station 110 (S145). That is, the gripping unit 51 grips the nozzle station 110 that was temporarily placed on the temporary storage table 55 in S125. Then, the control unit 91 transports the nozzle station 110, which has been gripped by the gripping unit 51, to the setting unit 41 of the maintenance device 40 via the loading / unloading port 40a and sets it (S150), thus ending this process. This makes it possible to maintain the nozzle 115 inside the nozzle station 110. In this way, the control unit 91 temporarily places the nozzle station 110 removed from the nozzle feeder 120 on the temporary storage table 55, and first attaches the maintained nozzle station 110 (nozzle 115) to the nozzle feeder 120 to enable transport by the AMR 80. In other words, the control unit 91 prioritizes transporting the nozzle feeder 120 (nozzle 115) required for the mounting process over maintenance of the nozzle station 110 (nozzle 115) that has been removed from the nozzle feeder 120.

[0038] Furthermore, even if the temporary storage stand 55 is not empty in S110, if the control unit 91 determines in S115 that there is space in the set section 41 of the maintenance device 40, it moves the gripping unit 51 onto the nozzle feeder 120 and grips the nozzle station 110 with the gripping unit 51, similar to S120 (S155). Next, the control unit 91 transports the nozzle station 110 to the set section 41 of the maintenance device 40 via the loading / unloading port 40a and sets it in place after changing its orientation (S160). Subsequently, the control unit 91 has the nozzle station 110 containing the maintained nozzles 115 gripped by the gripping unit 51 in the set section 41 (S165). Then, the control unit 91 transports the nozzle station 110 to the nozzle feeder 120 in the feeder warehouse 20 and installs it after changing its orientation (S170). Furthermore, the control unit 91 transmits a transport instruction for the nozzle feeder 120 to the AMR 80 (S175), and terminates this process. In this way, even if the temporary storage stand 55 is not empty, the control unit 91 can have the nozzle station 110 (nozzle 115) removed from the nozzle feeder 120 maintained, or attach the maintained nozzle station 110 (nozzle 115) to the nozzle feeder 120 and transport it to the AMR 80.

[0039] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. The feeder warehouse 20 of this embodiment corresponds to the feeder warehouse of the present disclosure, the maintenance device 40 corresponds to the maintenance device, and the replacement device 50 corresponds to the replacement device. The temporary storage stand 55 corresponds to the temporary storage stand. The nozzle station warehouse 60 corresponds to the nozzle storage unit warehouse.

[0040] The external setup system (nozzle maintenance system) 10 of the embodiment described above includes an exchange device 50 for exchanging the nozzle station 110 (nozzle housing) between the nozzle feeder 120, which is set in a predetermined position in the feeder warehouse 20, and the maintenance device 40. This allows the work of removing the nozzle station 110 from the nozzle feeder 120 and moving it to the maintenance device 40 at the start of maintenance, and moving the nozzle station 110 back into the feeder warehouse 20 and attaching it to the nozzle feeder 120 at the end of maintenance, to be performed automatically without the need for an operator M. Furthermore, since the maintenance device 40 is positioned next to the back of the feeder warehouse 20 (back-to-back), the movement time of the gripping part 51 can be shortened compared to devices positioned further away from the feeder warehouse 20. Therefore, the efficiency of nozzle 115 maintenance can be improved.

[0041] Furthermore, the movable part 54 of the replacement device 50 moves the gripping part 51 along the front-rear direction between a transit position P1 determined to be on the side of the maintenance device 40 and the nozzle feeder 120 (position P0) set at a predetermined position. The movable part 54 also moves the gripping part 51 along the left-right direction between the transit position P1 and inside the maintenance device 40 (position P2). Therefore, it is sufficient to make the gripping part 51 movable from the transit position P1 on the side inside the maintenance device 40, which does not require a major change in the device configuration compared to, for example, a case where an opening is formed on the back to make the gripping part 51 movable in the front-rear direction.

[0042] Furthermore, the replacement device 50 has a rotating part 52 that rotates the gripping part 51 so that the front-to-back orientation of the nozzle station 110 being gripped by the gripping part 51 is reversed when the nozzle station 110 is replaced. Therefore, even if the maintenance device 40 and the feeder warehouse 20 are arranged back-to-back, the inconvenience caused by the front-to-back orientation of the nozzle station 110 being reversed during replacement can be avoided.

[0043] Also, the control unit 91 (switching device 50) temporarily places the nozzle station 110 to be maintained on the temporary placement stand 55, and then takes out the nozzle station 110 for which maintenance has ended from the maintenance device 40 and attaches it to the nozzle feeder 120. Therefore, since the attachment of the nozzle station 110 for which maintenance has ended to the nozzle feeder 120 is prioritized, it is possible to prevent the waiting time for the end of maintenance from becoming long and the start of conveyance of the nozzle feeder 120 from being delayed.

[0044] Also, the outer stage installation system 10 includes a nozzle station warehouse 60 arranged adjacent to the passing position P1 side of the maintenance device 40. Therefore, the nozzle station 110 for which maintenance has ended can be stored in the nozzle station warehouse 60, or the nozzle station 110 to be the next maintenance target can be conveyed from the nozzle station warehouse 60 to the maintenance device 40. Therefore, since it is also possible to continuously input the nozzle station 110 to be maintained into the maintenance device 40, the efficiency of maintenance can be further improved.

[0045] Also, the temporary placement stand 55 is provided so that the operator M can temporarily place the nozzle station 110. Therefore, regardless of the operating status of the maintenance device 40, the operator M can temporarily place the nozzle station 110 to be maintained on the temporary placement stand 55. Also, as soon as the ongoing maintenance ends, the maintenance of the temporarily placed nozzle station 110 can be promptly started.

[0046] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is needless to say that various embodiments can be implemented as long as they belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] In the embodiment, the operator M can temporarily place the nozzle station 110 on the temporary placement table 55, but it is not limited thereto, and the operator M may not be able to temporarily place the nozzle station 110 on the temporary placement table 55. Further, although the temporary placement table 55 is disposed below the via position P1, it may be disposed at another position. Further, the outer mounting system 10 (exchanging device 50) is not limited to including the temporary placement table 55, and may not include the temporary placement table 55. Further, in the embodiment, the nozzle station warehouse 60 is provided adjacent to the maintenance device 40, but it is not limited thereto, and the nozzle station warehouse 60 may not be provided. Further, in the embodiment, the exchanging device 50 includes the rotating portion 52, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the maintenance device 40 may include a rotating portion that rotates the nozzle station 110.

[0048] In the embodiment, in the nozzle station exchange process, when it is determined in S115 that there is an available space in the maintenance device 40, the processes of S155 to S175 are executed, but it is not limited thereto, and the processes of S115, S155 to S175 are not essential and may be omitted. Further, when the exchanging device 50 exchanges the nozzle station 110, it gives priority to attaching the nozzle station 110 for which maintenance has ended to the nozzle feeder 120, but it is not limited thereto. That is, in the nozzle station exchange process, the processes of S110, S120 to S150 are not essential and may be omitted. In that case, the control unit 91 may make a determination in S115 after S105, and if it is positively determined in S115, S155 to 175 may be executed.

[0049] In the embodiment, the moving unit 54 moves the gripping unit 51 along an L-shaped movement path between the position P0, the via position P1, and the position P2, but it is not limited thereto. That is, the moving unit 54 moves the gripping unit 51 along the front-rear direction or the left-right direction of the maintenance device 40, but may move the gripping unit 51 in an oblique direction, and is not limited to only a linear movement section, and may have a curved movement section.

[0050] In this embodiment, worker areas 12 are provided on both the front and rear sides of the external setup system 10, but the system is not limited to this, and worker areas 12 may be provided on only one of the front or rear sides of the external setup system 10. Also, in this embodiment, the maintenance device 40 is positioned back-to-back with the feeder warehouse 20, but the system is not limited to this, and the maintenance device 40 may be positioned so that its sides are adjacent to the feeder warehouse 20 with their front-to-back orientations aligned. Figure 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an modified external setup system 10B. In this modified configuration, the maintenance device 40B is positioned adjacent to the feeder warehouse 20 with their front-to-back orientations aligned. Therefore, in the external setup system (nozzle maintenance system) 10B, although the length (width) in the left-to-right direction is increased, the length (depth) in the front-to-back direction is reduced, allowing for a compact configuration in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the movable part 54 of the replacement device 50B moves the gripping part 51 between the feeder warehouse 20 and the maintenance device 40B while maintaining the front-to-back orientation of the nozzle station 110. Therefore, the replacement device 50 does not need to have a rotating part 52, and can be made compact. In another modified example, the predetermined position for setting the nozzle feeder 120 in the feeder warehouse 20 can be set to a position closer to the maintenance device 40B (as far to the left as possible in Figure 10). This shortens the movement path of the gripping part 51 and further improves the replacement efficiency.

[0051] In this modified configuration, the robot area 11 and the worker area 12 are arranged side-by-side on the front side in the left-right direction (a predetermined direction) along the placement area of ​​the external setup system 10. Additionally, two worker areas 12 are provided, flanking the robot area 11 in the left-right direction. Therefore, similar to the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the loader 70 and AMR 80 from frequently stopping due to detection of worker M. Furthermore, by grouping the robot area 11 and the worker area 12 on one side of the placement area, the entire system can be made compact while preventing a decrease in work efficiency. Moreover, it is possible to set appropriate areas considering worker movement and work efficiency, and by not dispersing the robot areas, an increase in the number of loaders 70 can be suppressed.

[0052] In this embodiment, the external setup system 10 includes a reel attachment / detachment device 30 and a maintenance device 40 as work devices for performing setup work, but it is not limited to this. The external setup system 10 only needs to include at least a nozzle 115 maintenance device 40, a feeder warehouse 20, and a replacement device 50, and does not need to include a reel attachment / detachment device 30. In addition to the maintenance device 40, the external setup system 10 may also include maintenance devices for other components other than the nozzle 115 (for example, a parts feeder 100).

[0053] In this embodiment, the external setup system 10 is equipped with a loader 70 and an AMR 80 for transporting feeders (parts feeder 100 and nozzle feeder 120), but it is not limited to this, and it may be equipped with only one of the loader 70 and the AMR 80, or it may not be equipped with both the loader 70 and the AMR 80. In other words, the worker M may transport the feeders. However, it is preferable to be equipped with a loader 70 in order to efficiently transport the feeders within the external setup system 10, and it is preferable to be equipped with an AMR 80 or an automated guided vehicle such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) in order to efficiently transport the feeders to and from the mounting system.

[0054] This specification also discloses technical concepts in which the "nozzle maintenance system described in claim 2" of claim 4 in the original application has been changed to "the nozzle maintenance system described in any one of claims 1 to 3," and technical concepts in which the "nozzle maintenance system described in claim 2" of claim 5 in the original application has been changed to "the nozzle maintenance system described in claim 2 or 3."

[0055] This disclosure can be used in fields such as maintenance of nozzles that adsorb parts.

[0056] 10, 10B External setup system, 11 Robot area, 12 Worker area, 20 Feeder warehouse, 20a First storage section, 20b Second storage section, 25 Feeder stand, 25a Slot, 25b Positioning hole, 25c Connector, 27 Magazine, 30 Reel attachment / detachment device, 30a, 30d, 40a, 40b, 50a Inlet / outlet, 30b Supply port, 30c Discharge port, 31 Feeder set section, 32 Opening / closing section, 33 Reel set section, 34 Transfer section, 35 Pull-out section, 36 Conveying section, 37 Disposal section, 38 Discharge box, 39 Disposal box, 40, 40B Maintenance device (Nozzle maintenance device), 41 Set section, 42 Gripping section, 43 Lifting / moving section, 44 Washing section, 45 Drying section, 46 50, 50B Inspection unit, 51 Replacement device, 52 Gripping unit, 53 Rotating unit, 54 Lifting unit, 55 Moving unit, 60 Nozzle station warehouse, 62 Storage unit, 64 Transfer unit, 70 Loader, 72 Moving unit, 74 Transfer unit, 80 AMR (Automated Guided Vehicle), 82 Driving unit, 84 Transfer unit, 90 Management device, 91 Control unit, 92 Memory unit, 93 Communication unit, 100 Parts feeder, 101 Main body, 102 Reel, 103 Cover, 104 Feeding mechanism, 105, 125 Connector, 106, 126 Positioning pin, 107, 127 Rail, 110 Nozzle station, 111 Main body, 113 Shutter, 114 Through hole, 115 Nozzle, 120 Nozzle feeder, 121 Main unit, 123 drive unit.

Claims

1. A nozzle maintenance system comprising: a feeder warehouse for storing multiple feeders, each including a nozzle feeder to which a nozzle housing section for housing multiple nozzles for picking up parts is detachably attached; a maintenance device for performing maintenance on the nozzles, located either next to the back or side of the feeder warehouse; and an exchange device having a gripping section for gripping the nozzle housing section and a moving section for moving the gripping section between the feeder warehouse and the maintenance device, for exchanging the nozzle housing section between the nozzle feeder set at a predetermined position in the feeder warehouse and the maintenance device.

2. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance device is arranged back-to-back with the feeder warehouse, and the moving part moves the gripping part along the front-to-back direction of the maintenance device between a transit position determined to the side of the maintenance device and the nozzle feeder set at the predetermined position, and moves the gripping part along the left-to-right direction of the maintenance device between the transit position and inside the maintenance device.

3. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 2, wherein the replacement device has a rotating part that rotates the gripping part so that the front-to-back orientation of the nozzle housing part being gripped is reversed when the nozzle housing part is replaced.

4. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 2, wherein the gripping portion includes a temporary stand on which the nozzle housing portion can be temporarily placed, and when the replacement device replaces the nozzle housing portion, it temporarily places the nozzle housing portion to be maintained on the temporary stand, then discharges the nozzle housing portion after maintenance is completed from the maintenance device and attaches it to the nozzle feeder set in the predetermined position.

5. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 2, comprising: a temporary stand on which the gripping portion is provided so as to be able to temporarily place the nozzle housing portion; a storage portion arranged adjacent to the via position side of the maintenance device and capable of storing a plurality of the nozzle housing portions; and a nozzle housing portion warehouse having a transfer portion capable of moving the nozzle housing portion between the temporary stand and the storage portion.

6. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the temporary placement stand is provided so that an operator can temporarily place the nozzle housing on it.

7. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance device is arranged adjacent to the feeder warehouse with their front-to-back orientations aligned, and the moving part moves the gripping part between the feeder warehouse and the maintenance device while maintaining the front-to-back orientation of the nozzle housing part it is gripping.

8. The nozzle maintenance system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined position is determined to be a position within the feeder warehouse where the nozzle feeder can be set, and is closer to the maintenance device.

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