External setup system, attachment / detachment device, and maintenance device

Abstract

This external setup system in which devices for performing an external setup operation of a member to be used for mounting a component are arranged adjacent to each other includes: a robot area in which a mobile robot for moving the member between the devices performs an operation; and an operator area in which an operator performs an operation. The operator area is outside the movement range of the mobile robot.

Description

Outer-stage removal system, attachment / detachment device, and maintenance device

[0001] This specification discloses an outer-stage removal system, an attachment / detachment device, and a maintenance device.

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been proposed in which a device for performing an outer-stage removal operation of a member used for mounting components is arranged. For example, in Patent Document 1, there are described a warehouse for storing a plurality of tape reels containing a plurality of components, a warehouse for storing a plurality of supply members to which the tape reels are attached, a transfer robot for transferring the tape reels, a transfer robot for transferring the supply members, a maintenance device for performing maintenance on the supply members, an attachment / detachment device for attaching and detaching the tape reels to and from the supply members, and the like.

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 144863

[0004] In the above-described system, the handling when an operator approaches a transfer robot in operation is not described, but usually, it is necessary to stop the transfer robot in order to ensure the safety of the operator. If such stoppages of the transfer robot occur frequently, the working efficiency of the outer-stage removal operation may decrease.

[0005] The main object of the present disclosure is to prevent a decrease in the working efficiency of the outer-stage removal operation.

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

[0007] The outer-stage removal system of the present disclosure is an outer-stage removal system in which devices for performing an outer-stage removal operation of a member used for mounting components are arranged adjacent to each other, and includes a robot area where a mobile robot that moves the member between the devices performs work, and an operator area where an operator performs work, and the operator area is outside the movement range of the mobile robot.

[0008] The external setup system disclosed herein includes a robot area where a mobile robot performs work to move components between devices, and a worker area where an operator performs work. The worker area is outside the mobile robot's movement range. This prevents frequent stops of the mobile robot caused by an operator approaching it while it is working. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the external setup work.

[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 set section 41 from the inlet / outlet 40b 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 AMR80 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 arrangement 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 robot area 11 of this embodiment corresponds to the robot area of ​​the present disclosure, and the worker area 12 corresponds to the worker area. The reel attachment / detachment device 30 and the maintenance device 40 correspond to the work equipment, the feeder warehouse 20 corresponds to the storage equipment, and the loader 70 corresponds to the mobile robot (exchange robot). The AMR 80 corresponds to the mobile robot (transport robot). The reel attachment / detachment device 30 corresponds to the attachment / detachment device. The maintenance device 40 corresponds to the maintenance device. The loading / unloading port 30a corresponds to the loading / unloading port, the supply port 30b corresponds to the supply port, and the discharge port 30c corresponds to the discharge port. Furthermore, the loading / unloading port 40a corresponds to the first loading / unloading port, the loading / unloading port 40b corresponds to the second loading / unloading port, and the exchange device 50 corresponds to the component exchange device.

[0040] The external setup system 10 described above includes a robot area 11 where a mobile robot (such as loader 70 and AMR 80) that moves members such as component feeder 100 and nozzle feeder 120 between each device such as feeder warehouse 20, reel attachment / detachment device 30, and maintenance device 40 performs operations, and an operator area 12 where operator M performs operations. Also, the operator area 12 is outside the movement range of the mobile robot. Thereby, it is possible to suppress frequent stoppage of the mobile robot due to the operator M approaching the mobile robot during operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the work efficiency of the external setup work from decreasing.

[0041] Further, in the external setup system 10, since the robot area 11 on the front side and the operator area 12 on the rear side are provided on opposite sides with the arrangement area of each device sandwiched therebetween, it is possible to more reliably suppress frequent stoppage of the mobile robot and further prevent the work efficiency from decreasing.

[0042] Further, in the external setup system 10, the robot area 11 and the operator area 12 are provided separately side by side on the front side (one side of the arrangement area of each device). Therefore, it is possible to suppress frequent stoppage of the mobile robot on the front side of the external setup system 10.

[0043] Also, as the external setup work, since it includes the work of attaching a reel 102 (component storage member) containing components necessary for mounting to the component feeder 100 (component supply member), it is possible to prevent the work efficiency of the external setup work of the component feeder 100 from decreasing.

[0044] Also, as the external setup work, since it includes the work of accommodating the nozzle 115 necessary for mounting in the nozzle station 110 (nozzle storage member), it is possible to prevent the work efficiency of the external setup work of the nozzle station 110 from decreasing.

[0045] In addition, as an external setup operation, it includes the operation of attaching a nozzle station 110 that houses the nozzles 115 necessary for mounting to the nozzle feeder 120 (nozzle supply member). Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the external setup operation of the nozzle feeder 120.

[0046] In addition, the external setup system 10 includes a loader 70 (exchange robot) that performs the replacement operation of the component feeder 100 and the nozzle feeder 120 at least with the feeder warehouse 20. For this reason, it is possible to suppress frequent stoppages of the loader 70 and prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the replacement operation of the component feeder 100 and the nozzle feeder 120.

[0047] In addition, the external setup system 10 includes an AMR 80 (transport robot) that moves between the outside of the external setup system 10 such as a mounting system and the feeder warehouse 20 to perform the transport operation of the component feeder 100, the magazine 27, and the nozzle feeder 120. For this reason, it is possible to suppress frequent stoppages of the AMR 80 and prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the transport operation of the component feeder 100 and the nozzle feeder 120.

[0048] In addition, the external setup system 10 includes a reel attaching / detaching device 30 that attaches and detaches the reel 102 to and from the component feeder 100. The robot area 11 is an area where the loader 70 moves between the reel attaching / detaching device 30 and the feeder warehouse 20 to perform the replacement operation of the component feeder 100. The operator area 12 is an area where the operator M performs operations including the supply and recovery of the reel 102 to and from the reel attaching / detaching device 30. For this reason, it is possible to more reliably prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the external setup operation of the component feeder 100.

[0049] Furthermore, the external setup system 10 includes a maintenance device 40 that allows maintenance of the nozzles 115 and houses the nozzles 115 necessary for mounting in the nozzle station 110, and an exchange device 50 that exchanges the nozzle station 110 between the nozzle feeder 120 located at a predetermined position in the feeder warehouse 20 and the maintenance device 40. The robot area 11 is an area where the loader 70 moves between a predetermined position in the feeder warehouse 20 and other positions in the feeder warehouse 20 to perform the nozzle feeder 120 exchange work. The worker area 12 is an area where worker M performs work including supplying and retrieving the nozzle station 110 to the maintenance device 40. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the external setup work of the nozzle feeder 120.

[0050] It goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0051] In this embodiment, the operator M is able to temporarily place the nozzle station 110 on the temporary storage stand 55, but the invention is not limited to this, and the operator M may not be able to temporarily place the nozzle station 110 on the temporary storage stand 55. Also, the temporary storage stand 55 is located below the transit position P1, but it may be located at a different position. Furthermore, the external setup system 10 (exchange device 50) is not limited to having a temporary storage stand 55, and may not have a temporary storage stand 55. Also, in this embodiment, a nozzle station warehouse 60 is provided adjacent to the maintenance device 40, but the invention is not limited to this, and may not have a nozzle station warehouse 60. Also, in this embodiment, the exchange device 50 is provided with a rotating part 52, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the maintenance device 40 may be provided with a rotating part that rotates the nozzle station 110.

[0052] In this embodiment, during the nozzle station replacement process, if it is determined in S115 that there is an available slot in the maintenance device 40, the processes S155 to S175 are executed. However, the process is not limited to this, and the processes S115 and S155 to S175 are not mandatory and may be omitted. Also, when the replacement device 50 replaces the nozzle station 110, it prioritizes attaching the nozzle station 110 whose maintenance has been completed to the nozzle feeder 120. However, the process is not limited to this. That is, in the nozzle station replacement process, the processes S110 and S120 to S150 are not mandatory and may be omitted. In that case, the control unit 91 makes the determination in S115 after S105, and if the determination in S115 is positive, it should execute S155 to S175.

[0053] In this embodiment, the moving unit 54 moved the gripping unit 51 along an L-shaped movement path between position P0, intermediate position P1, and position P2, but it is not limited to this. That is, the moving unit 54 moved the gripping unit 51 along the front-rear and left-right directions of the maintenance device 40, but it may also move the gripping unit 51 diagonally, and it is not limited to a straight movement section but may also have a curved movement section.

[0054] 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. As a result, although the length (width) in the left-to-right direction of the external setup system 10B 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] In this embodiment, the external setup system 10 is equipped with 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 may be equipped with either the reel attachment / detachment device 30 or the maintenance device 40. If the external setup system 10 is equipped with the maintenance device 40, it may be equipped with a replacement device 50, but if the maintenance device 40 is not equipped, it does not need to be equipped with a replacement device 50. Furthermore, the work devices for performing setup work are not limited to the reel attachment / detachment device 30 or the maintenance device 40, but may also be maintenance devices for other components other than the nozzle 115 (for example, the parts feeder 100). Note that the work of attaching the reel 102 to the parts feeder 100, the work of maintaining the nozzle 115, the work of housing the nozzle 115 in the nozzle station 110, and the work of attaching the nozzle station 110 to the nozzle feeder 120 are examples of external setup work, and it is not necessary to perform any of these tasks, or to perform tasks other than these tasks.

[0057] 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 may be equipped with only one of the loader 70 or the AMR 80. However, it is preferable to be equipped with a loader 70 for efficiently transporting feeders within the external setup system 10, and an automated guided vehicle such as an AMR 80 or AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) for efficiently transporting feeders to and from the mounting system. Note that the mobile robots such as the loader 70 and AMR 80 only need to be used to move (exchange) components between at least one of the devices used for performing external setup work.

[0058] This disclosure is presented in the form of an external setup system, but it may also be presented in the form of a detachable device or a maintenance device. The detachable device of this disclosure is a device for attaching and detaching a parts storage member containing parts to a parts supply member that supplies parts, and comprises: an inlet / outlet for loading and unloading the parts supply member; a supply port for supplying the parts storage member to be attached to the parts supply member; and an outlet for discharging the parts storage member removed from the parts supply member, wherein the inlet / outlet is provided facing a robot area where a mobile robot capable of moving the parts supply member and loading / unloading the parts supply member from the inlet / outlet performs work, and the supply port and the outlet are provided facing a worker area where an operator performs work including supplying the parts storage member to the supply port and collecting the parts storage member discharged from the outlet.

[0059] In the attachment / detachment device of this disclosure, the input / output ports for loading and unloading the parts supply member are provided facing the robot area where the mobile robot performs its work. Furthermore, the supply port for supplying the parts storage member and the output port for discharging the parts storage member are provided facing the worker area where the worker performs its work. This makes it possible to suppress frequent stops of the mobile robot caused by a worker approaching the mobile robot while it is working, similar to the external setup system of this disclosure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of the external setup work of attaching and detaching the parts storage member to the parts supply member. Note that the attachment / detachment device of this disclosure may adopt various embodiments of the external setup system of this disclosure, or additional components of the external setup system of this disclosure may be added.

[0060] Furthermore, the gist of the present disclosure is a maintenance device for performing maintenance on nozzles that adsorb parts, wherein a nozzle housing member housing a plurality of nozzles is provided with a first and second input / output port for loading and unloading, a replacement device having a gripping portion for gripping the nozzle housing member and a movable portion that can move the gripping portion is arranged adjacent to it, the first input / output port is provided on the replacement device side so that the replacement device can replace the nozzle housing member via the first input / output port between a predetermined position outside the maintenance device and inside the maintenance device, the predetermined position is provided facing a robot area where a mobile robot capable of setting a nozzle supply member to which the nozzle housing member is detachably attached by the replacement device at least is performed, and the second input / output port is provided facing a worker area where an operator performs work including the supply and retrieval of the nozzle housing member.

[0061] In the maintenance device of this disclosure, the first inlet / outlet is provided facing the exchange device side, which exchanges the nozzle housing member between a predetermined position outside the maintenance device and inside the maintenance device. The predetermined position is provided facing the robot area where a mobile robot, capable of setting a nozzle supply member to which the nozzle housing member is detachably attached by the exchange device, performs its work. The second inlet / outlet is provided facing the worker area where an operator performs their work. This makes it possible to suppress frequent stopping of the mobile robot due to an operator approaching the mobile robot during work, similar to the external setup system of this disclosure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the work efficiency of external setup work, such as nozzle maintenance and the attachment / detachment of the nozzle housing member to the nozzle supply member. In addition, various embodiments of the external setup system of this disclosure may be adopted in the maintenance device of this disclosure, or the configuration of the external setup system of this disclosure may be added.

[0062] This specification also discloses technical concepts that change the "external setup system described in claim 1 or 2" in the original claim 5 to "external setup system described in any one of claims 1 to 4", the "external setup system described in claim 1" in the original claim 6 to "external setup system described in any one of claims 1 to 5", the "external setup system described in claim 1 or 6" in the original claim 7 to "external setup system described in any one of claims 1 to 6", the "external setup system described in claim 1 or 2" in the original claim 8 to "external setup system described in any one of claims 1 to 7", the "external setup system described in claim 8" in the original claim 10 to "external setup system described in claim 8 or 9", and the "external setup system described in claim 8" in the original claim 11 to "external setup system described in any one of claims 8 to 10".

[0063] This disclosure can be used in fields such as the external setup work of components used in the mounting of parts.

[0064] 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. An external setup system in which devices for performing external setup work on materials used for mounting components are arranged adjacent to each other, comprising: a robot area in which a mobile robot that moves the materials between each device performs work; and a worker area in which an operator performs work, wherein the worker area is outside the range of movement of the mobile robot.

2. The external setup system according to claim 1, wherein the robot area and the worker area are located on opposite sides of the equipment placement area.

3. The external setup system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the robot area and the worker area are arranged side by side on one side of the equipment placement area.

4. The external setup system according to claim 3, wherein the worker area is provided in two locations in a predetermined direction along the placement area, flanking the robot area.

5. The external setup system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the external setup work includes the work of attaching a component housing member containing the components necessary for mounting to a component supply member which is the component that supplies the components.

6. The external setup system according to claim 1, wherein the external setup work includes the work of housing the nozzles necessary for mounting into a nozzle housing member, which is a member that houses a plurality of nozzles for adsorbing the components.

7. The external setup system according to claim 1 or 6, wherein the external setup work includes attaching the nozzle housing member containing the nozzles necessary for mounting to a nozzle supply member, which is a member that supplies the nozzles and to which a nozzle housing member containing a plurality of nozzles for adsorbing the parts is detachably attached.

8. The external setup system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus includes a work device for performing the external setup work and a storage device for storing a plurality of the components, and the mobile robot includes at least an exchange robot for performing the exchange work of the components between the storage device and the mobile robot.

9. The external setup system according to claim 8, further comprising a transport robot as the mobile robot, which moves between the external setup system and the storage device to transport the components.

10. The external setup system according to claim 8, wherein the storage device stores a parts supply member as the component for supplying the parts, the work device includes a attachment / detachment device for attaching and detaching a parts storage member containing the parts to the parts supply member, the robot area is an area in which the replacement robot moves between the attachment / detachment device and the storage device to perform replacement work on the parts supply member, and the worker area is an area in which the worker performs work including supplying and retrieving the parts storage member to the attachment / detachment device.

11. The external setup system according to claim 8, wherein the storage device stores a nozzle supply member as the member that supplies the nozzles, to which a nozzle storage member detachably attached is a nozzle storage member that houses a plurality of nozzles for adsorbing the parts, the work device comprises a maintenance device that allows maintenance of the nozzles and houses the nozzles necessary for mounting in the nozzle storage member, and a member exchange device that exchanges the nozzle storage member between the nozzle supply member, which is detachably attached to the nozzle supply member and positioned at a predetermined location in the storage device, and the maintenance device, the robot area is an area in which the exchange robot moves between the predetermined location and other locations in the storage device to perform the nozzle supply member exchange work, and the worker area is an area in which the worker performs work including supplying and retrieving the nozzle storage member to the maintenance device.

12. A detachable device for attaching and detaching a parts storage member containing parts to a parts supply member that supplies parts, comprising: an inlet / outlet for loading and unloading the parts supply member; a supply port for supplying the parts storage member to be attached to the parts supply member; and an outlet for discharging the parts storage member removed from the parts supply member, wherein the inlet / outlet faces a robot area where a mobile robot capable of moving the parts supply member and loading / unloading the parts supply member from the inlet / outlet performs its work, and the supply port and the outlet face a worker area where a worker performs work including supplying the parts storage member to the supply port and collecting the parts storage member discharged from the outlet.

13. A maintenance device for performing maintenance on nozzles that adsorb parts, comprising: a first and second loading / unloading port for loading and unloading a nozzle housing member that houses a plurality of the nozzles; an adjacent replacement device having a gripping portion for gripping the nozzle housing member and a movable portion that can move the gripping portion; the first loading / unloading port is provided on the replacement device side so that the replacement device can replace the nozzle housing member via the first loading / unloading port between a predetermined position outside the maintenance device and inside the maintenance device; the predetermined position faces a robot area where a mobile robot capable of setting a nozzle supply member to which at least the nozzle housing member is detachably attached by the replacement device works; and the second loading / unloading port faces a worker area where an operator performs work including the supply and retrieval of the nozzle housing member.

Images