Control device for component mounting line

Abstract

This control device for a component mounting line: determines, on the basis of substrate information on whether or not a substrate is present acquired from each of N production devices, whether or not a first determination condition that no substrate is present in all of M production devices set from a reflow device toward an upstream side of a production line is satisfied; generates, when it is determined that the first determination condition is not satisfied, a first control command for setting an output of a reflow oven to a first output for reflowing a substrate; generates, when it is determined that the first determination condition is satisfied, a second control command for setting the output of the reflow oven to a second output lower than the first output; and transmits the generated control command to the reflow device.

Description

Control device for component mounting line

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for a component mounting line.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a management system that manages a plurality of production devices in a production line that performs a predetermined operation on an object. The management system acquires production plan information of the production line and operation information of a plurality of production devices, analyzes the production status of the production line based on the operation information, predicts the arrival time of the object in each of the plurality of production devices based on the production plan information and the production status, and outputs arrival time-based transfer information for shifting at least one of the plurality of production devices to an energy-saving mode to at least one production device.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-009711 [[ID=!0]]

[0004] Conventionally, it has been said that a production line that produces a mounted substrate on which components are mounted on a substrate consumes about 70% of the power required for operation by a reflow device, and there has been a demand for energy saving of the reflow device. The reflow device can achieve energy saving by turning off the heater of the reflow furnace or changing the output intensity of the fan installed inside.

[0005] The management system of Patent Document 1 realizes energy saving of the production line by shifting to an energy-saving mode that restricts some functions or operations of the production device at times when production is not performed based on the production plan. However, since the management system simply shifts to the energy-saving mode based on the production plan, it has been difficult to switch to the energy-saving mode according to the actual production situation.

[0006] The present disclosure has been devised in view of the above-described conventional circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a control device for a component mounting line that realizes energy saving of a reflow device according to the actual production situation.

[0007] This disclosure relates to a control device for a component mounting line that is communicatively connected between N (N: an integer of 1 or more) production devices and a reflow machine that constitute a production line for producing mounted substrates on which components are mounted, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires substrate information from each of the N production devices to determine whether or not the substrate is present; a determination unit that determines the output of the reflow oven provided by the reflow machine based on the substrate information; and an instruction unit that instructs the reflow machine to change the output of the reflow oven based on the determination result by the determination unit, wherein the determination unit, based on the substrate information, receives the output from the reflow machine The present invention provides a control device for a component mounting line, which determines whether a first determination condition is met, that the substrate is not present in any of the M (M: an integer between 1 and M and N) production devices set toward the upstream side of the production line. The instruction unit determines whether the first determination condition is not met, generates a first control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a first output for reflowing the substrate, and transmits it to the reflow device. If the instruction unit determines that the first determination condition is met, it generates a second control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a second output lower than the first output, and transmits it to the reflow device.

[0008] Furthermore, this disclosure relates to a control device for a component mounting line that is communicably connected between N (N: an integer of 1 or more) production devices and a reflow apparatus that constitute a production line for producing mounted substrates on which components are mounted, the control device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires substrate information from each of the N production devices to determine whether or not the substrate is present; a determination unit that, based on the substrate information, determines whether or not a first determination condition is satisfied if the substrate is not present in all of the M (M: M ≤ N) production devices set upstream from the reflow apparatus to the production line, and a second determination condition is satisfied if the substrate is not present in all of the K (K: K > M) production devices, and determines the output of the reflow furnace provided by the reflow apparatus based on the determination result; and the determination unit The present invention provides a control device for a component mounting line, comprising: an instruction unit that instructs the reflow apparatus to change the output of the reflow oven based on the determination result, wherein the instruction unit measures the duration for which the state of satisfying only the first determination condition continues from the timing at which the determination unit determines that only the first determination condition is satisfied, and if it determines that the measured duration is not equal to or greater than a predetermined time, it generates a first control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a first output for reflowing the substrate and transmits it to the reflow apparatus, and if it determines that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, it generates a second control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a second output lower than the first output and transmits it to the reflow apparatus.

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to achieve energy savings in reflow equipment tailored to actual production conditions.

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a partial configuration of a component mounting system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a line control unit, a component mounting device, and a reflow machine. Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of the substrate transport path of the production line. Figure 4 is a time chart illustrating example 1 of determining the operating mode of a reflow oven. Figure 5 is a time chart illustrating example 2 of determining the operating mode of a reflow oven. Figure 6 is a time chart illustrating example 3 of determining the operating mode of a reflow oven.

[0011] The following describes in detail embodiments of the control device for a component mounting line according to this disclosure, with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] The component mounting system 100 in this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, respectively. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a partial configuration example of the component mounting system 100 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the line control unit LP1, component mounting devices M1 to M7, and reflow apparatus RF.

[0013] Note that the component mounting system 100 shown in Figure 1 is just one example and is not limited thereto. The component mounting system 100 includes a higher-level control device P1, networks NW1 and NW2, at least one line control device LP1, and at least one production line LN.

[0014] The component mounting system 100 manages the production of mounted substrates by multiple production lines (not shown) via a higher-level control device P1, and performs overall control of at least one component mounting device M1 to M7 and a reflow device RF that constitute each production line LN via a line control device LP1. The component mounting system 100 mounts components onto soldered substrates using each of the component mounting devices M1 to M7 included in each production line. The component mounting system 100 produces mounted substrates with components mounted on them by melting the solder with the reflow device RF, and the produced mounted substrates are collected by the substrate recovery device UL.

[0015] The higher-level control unit P1 is connected via networks NW1 and NW2 to enable data communication between multiple component mounting devices, reflow machines, and board recovery devices installed on multiple production lines, and the line control unit installed on each production line. The higher-level control unit P1 is implemented by, for example, a Personal Computer (PC), a notebook PC, an on-premise server, a cloud server, or a tablet terminal. The higher-level control unit P1 generates and manages the production plan for the mounted boards produced on each production line.

[0016] Networks NW1 and NW2, respectively, connect the higher-level control unit P1, the line control unit LP1, and the production line LN, all included in the component mounting system 100, via wireless or wired communication. The wireless communication referred to here is a communication method provided in accordance with wireless communication standards such as Wireless Local Area Network (LAN), Bluetooth®, or Wi-Fi®.

[0017] The line control unit LP1 is connected to the higher-level control unit P1 and at least one production line LN via networks NW1 and NW2, enabling data communication. The line control unit LP1 is installed between the higher-level control unit P1 and the production line LN and provides integrated control of the component mounting devices M1 to M7, the reflow device RF, and the substrate recovery device UL included in the production line LN. Note that the line control unit LP1 only needs to be connected to at least one component mounting device included in the production line LN and the reflow device RF, enabling data communication.

[0018] The line control unit LP1 determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 of the reflow apparatus RF based on substrate detection information transmitted from the connected component mounting apparatus. The line control unit LP1 generates a control command requesting a transition to the determined operating mode and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF. The line control unit LP1 includes a communication unit 10, a processor 11, a memory 12, and an input unit 13.

[0019] The communication unit 10 is connected to the higher-level control unit P1, component mounting devices M1 to M7, reflow apparatus RF, and substrate recovery device UL so as to be able to communicate data. The communication unit 10 outputs various data (various information) transmitted from each of the higher-level control unit P1, component mounting devices M1 to M7, reflow apparatus RF, and substrate recovery device UL to the processor 11. The communication unit 10 transmits the various data (various information) output from the processor 11 to each of the higher-level control unit P1, component mounting devices M1 to M7, reflow apparatus RF, and substrate recovery device UL.

[0020] The processor 11 is configured using, for example, a Central Processing Unit (hereinafter referred to as "CPU"), a Field Programmable Gate Array (hereinafter referred to as "FPGA"), or a Graphics Processing Unit (hereinafter referred to as "GPU"), and works in cooperation with the memory 12 to perform various processes and controls. Specifically, the processor 11 refers to the programs and data held in the memory 12 and executes those programs to realize the functions of the line control unit LP1.

[0021] Memory 12 includes, for example, Random Access Memory (hereinafter referred to as "RAM"), which serves as work memory used when executing each process of the processor 11, and Read Only Memory (hereinafter referred to as "ROM"), which stores programs and data that define the operation of the processor 11. Data or information generated or acquired by the processor 11 is temporarily stored in RAM. Programs that define the operation of the processor 11 are written in ROM. Memory 12 also contains information related to the operating mode of the reflow apparatus RF, various information for determining the operating mode (for example, judgment conditions described later, or delay timers, etc.).

[0022] The input unit 13 is implemented by a user interface (e.g., mouse, keyboard, touch panel, touchpad, pointing device, etc.) that can accept user operations. The input unit 13 converts the input based on user operations into control signals and outputs them to the processor 11. The input unit 13 accepts, for example, input operations related to the operating mode of the reflow apparatus RF, or setting operations for various information to determine the operating mode.

[0023] The component mounting devices M1 to M7 are connected to the higher-level control unit P1 or the line control unit LP1 so as to be able to communicate data. The component mounting devices M1 to M7 perform solder printing operations to print solder onto the circuit board, printing inspection operations to check for printing defects in the solder printed on the circuit board, component mounting operations to attach components to the circuit board after solder printing, and mounting inspection operations to inspect components attached to the circuit board.

[0024] The substrate retrieval device UL is connected to the higher-level control unit P1 or the line control unit LP1 in a manner that enables data communication. The substrate retrieval device UL performs a substrate retrieval process to recover mounted substrates produced by the reflow operation using the reflow unit RF. Note that the substrate retrieval device UL does not necessarily need to be connected to the line control unit LP1 in a manner that enables data communication.

[0025] Each of the component mounting devices M1 to M7 and the substrate retrieval device UL includes a communication unit 20, a processor 21, a memory 22, a substrate detection unit 23, and a work execution unit 24. The substrate detection unit 23 is not an essential component and may be omitted if it is not connected to the line control unit LP1 in a way that enables data communication.

[0026] The communication unit 20 is connected to the higher-level control device P1 or the line control unit LP1 so as to be able to communicate data. The communication unit 20 outputs various data (various information) transmitted from the higher-level control device P1 or the line control unit LP1 to the processor 21. The communication unit 20 transmits various data (various information) output from the processor 21 to the higher-level control device P1 or the line control unit LP1.

[0027] The processor 21 is configured, for example, using a CPU or FPGA, and works in cooperation with the memory 22 to perform various processes and controls. Specifically, the processor 21 refers to the programs and data held in the memory 22 and executes those programs to realize the functions necessary for producing the circuit board.

[0028] Memory 22 includes, for example, RAM as work memory used when executing each process of the processor 21, and ROM which stores programs and data that define the operation of the processor 21. Data or information generated or acquired by the processor 21 is temporarily stored in RAM. Programs that define the operation of the processor 21 are written in ROM. Memory 22 stores various information for producing circuit boards.

[0029] The substrate detection unit 23 detects whether there are currently any substrates in its own device (component mounting devices M1 to M7 or substrate recovery device UL). The substrate detection unit 23 may also detect whether all substrates in its own device have been discharged toward the downstream device of the production line LN. The substrate detection unit 23 generates detection information indicating whether or not there are substrates in its own device and transmits it to the line control unit LP1.

[0030] The work execution unit 24 performs predetermined operations (for example, soldering, printing inspection, component mounting, or mounting inspection) on the circuit boards that have been brought into the unit from the upstream equipment of the production line LN. After the predetermined operations have been performed, the work execution unit 24 delivers the circuit boards to the downstream equipment of the production line LN.

[0031] The reflow apparatus RF is connected to the line control unit LP1 for data communication. The reflow apparatus RF performs a reflow operation to reflow the solder printed on the substrate. The reflow apparatus RF includes a communication unit 30, a processor 31, a memory 32, a substrate detection unit 34, and a reflow oven 35.

[0032] The communication unit 30 is connected to the line control unit LP1 so as to be able to communicate data. The communication unit 30 outputs various data (various information) transmitted from the line control unit LP1 to the processor 31. The communication unit 30 transmits various data (various information) output from the processor 31 to the line control unit LP1.

[0033] The processor 31 is configured, for example, using a CPU or FPGA, and works in cooperation with the memory 32 to perform various processes and controls. Specifically, the processor 31 refers to the programs and data held in the memory 32 and executes those programs to realize the functions necessary for producing the circuit board.

[0034] Memory 32 includes, for example, RAM as work memory used when executing each process of the processor 31, and ROM which stores programs and data that define the operation of the processor 31. Data or information generated or acquired by the processor 31 is temporarily stored in RAM. Programs that define the operation of the processor 31 are written in ROM. Memory 32 stores various information for performing reflow operations (for example, operation mode information 33).

[0035] The operating mode information 33 is an operating mode for controlling the fan 36 or heater 37 of the reflow oven 35. The operating mode information 33 may be set by the user to any operating mode (energy-saving mode), and at least two operating modes can be set.

[0036] In this disclosure, the operating modes include, for example, a normal operating mode for performing reflow work, a first energy-saving mode that reduces power consumption compared to the normal operating mode by stopping the operation of the fan 36 in the reflow oven 35, and a second energy-saving mode that further reduces power consumption compared to the first energy-saving mode by stopping the operation of both the fan 36 and the heater 37 in the reflow oven 35. The operating modes described above are examples and are not limited thereto. For example, the operating modes may be set by the user as any operating mode (energy-saving mode), such as an energy-saving mode that lowers the temperature (output) of the heater 37 in the normal operating mode to a predetermined temperature, or an energy-saving mode in which the combination of the output of the fan 36 and the temperature (output) of the heater 37 are set to arbitrary values.

[0037] The substrate detection unit 34 detects whether or not there are currently substrates in the device (reflow apparatus RF), that is, whether or not production is being performed on substrates. The substrate detection unit 34 may also detect whether or not all substrates in the device have been discharged toward the substrate recovery device UL, which is a device downstream of the production line LN. The substrate detection unit 34 generates detection information indicating whether or not there are substrates in the device and transmits it to the processor 31. If substrates are present in the device, the processor 31 operates in normal operation mode and performs the reflow operation.

[0038] The reflow oven 35 controls the fan 36 and heater 37 to reflow the substrate. The reflow oven 35 is controlled by the processor 31 in an operating mode specified by the processor 31. The processor 31 controls the reflow oven 35 in an operating mode specified by the control command transmitted from the line control unit LP1.

[0039] The fan 36 is controlled by the processor 31 to evenly distribute the air heated by the heater 37 throughout the reflow oven 35 in order to maintain a uniform temperature inside the reflow oven 35.

[0040] The heater 37 is controlled by the processor 31 to adjust the temperature in the reflow furnace 35, heat the solder on the substrate carried into the reflow furnace 35, and melt it.

[0041] Next, referring to FIG. 3, the substrate conveyance paths RL1 and RL2 of the production line LN will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the substrate conveyance paths RL1 and RL2 of the production line LN as viewed from above.

[0042] Note that the production line LN shown in FIG. 3 shows an example including each of N (N: an integer of 1 or more) component mounting devices MC1, MC2,..., MC(N−1), and MCN in order to facilitate the explanation of the determination process of the operation mode of the reflow furnace 35 described later.

[0043] The production line LN shown in FIG. 3 is configured as a so-called dual lane, and the substrate is conveyed in the conveyance direction Q from the upstream side (for example, the component mounting device MC1) to the downstream side (for example, the component mounting device MCN) of the production line LN along the two substrate conveyance paths RL1 and RL2. The production line LN shown in FIG. 3 shows a state where the substrate W1 is conveyed on the substrate conveyance path RL1 of the substrate recovery device UL, and the substrates W2 and W3 are conveyed on the substrate conveyance paths RL2 of the component mounting devices MC1 and MC2, respectively. Note that the production line LN may be configured as a single lane.

[0044] The component mounting device MCN is the first component mounting device on the upstream side (that is, the direction opposite to the conveyance direction Q) of the production line LN with respect to the reflow device RF. The component mounting device MC(N−1) is the second component mounting device on the upstream side of the production line LN with respect to the reflow device RF. The component mounting device MC2 is the (N−1)th component mounting device on the upstream side of the production line LN with respect to the reflow device RF. The component mounting device MC1 is the Nth component mounting device on the upstream side of the production line LN with respect to the reflow device RF.

[0045] Incidentally, the component mounting device MC1 does not have to be the first (the first unit) component mounting device into which the substrate is first loaded onto the production line LN, that is, the component mounting device M1 shown in FIG. 1. The component mounting device MC1 is the component mounting device installed on the most upstream side among the component mounting devices connected to the line integrated control device LP1 in the production line LN.

[0046] Incidentally, in the determination examples of operation modes 1 to 3 of the reflow furnace 35 described in FIGS. 4 to 6 below, for the sake of easy explanation, the description will be made while referring to the production line LN shown in FIG. 3.

[0047] <Example 1 of operation mode setting> Referring to FIG. 4, Example 1 of the operation mode setting will be described. FIG. 4 is a time chart for explaining determination example 1 of the operation mode of the reflow furnace 35. Determination example 1 of the operation mode is a determination method for determining the operation mode of the reflow furnace 35 based on a plurality of determination conditions.

[0048] The processor 11 of the line integrated control device LP1 acquires the substrate detection information transmitted from the component mounting device connected to enable data communication. The processor 11 determines the operation mode of the reflow furnace 35 based on whether the acquired substrate detection information satisfies each of the plurality of determination conditions 1 and 2.

[0049] In the operation mode setting example 1 shown in FIG. 4, determination condition 1 is the condition that there is no substrate in the component mounting devices up to two units before the reflow device RF (that is, the component mounting devices MCN to MC(N - 1)). Determination condition 2 is the condition that there is no substrate in the component mounting devices up to four units before the reflow device RF (not shown).

[0050] Further, the operation mode "Hi" shown in FIG. 4 is an operation mode for executing the reflow operation and corresponds to the normal operation mode. The operation mode "Mid" is, for example, an energy saving mode and corresponds to the first energy saving mode in which the output of the fan 36 of the reflow furnace 35 is stopped. The operation mode "Low" is, for example, an energy saving mode and corresponds to the second energy saving mode in which the output of the fan 36 of the reflow furnace 35 and the operation of the heater 37 are stopped (OFF).

[0051] The processor 11 determines whether or not the determination condition 1 and determination condition 2 are met, based on the detection information of the substrate transmitted from each of the component mounting devices MC1 to MCN.

[0052] If the processor 11 determines at time t11 that the current operating mode of the reflow oven 35 is "Hi" and that the substrate detection information satisfies both determination condition 1 and determination condition 2, it starts counting the duration for which the state of satisfying both determination condition 1 and determination condition 2 continues.

[0053] If the processor 11 determines that the duration of the condition where both determination condition 1 and determination condition 2 are met at time t12 is equal to or greater than the pre-set delay timer TM1 (for example, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.), it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Low" (second energy-saving mode) and transmits it to the reflow device RF. When the reflow device RF receives the control command transmitted from the line control unit LP1, it determines whether or not there is a substrate inside its device. If the reflow device RF determines that there is a substrate inside its device, it maintains the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 at "Hi" (normal operating mode). If it determines that there is no substrate inside its device, it changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Low" (second energy-saving mode) and stops the fan 36 and heater 37.

[0054] If, at time t13, the processor 11 determines that only judgment condition 1 is met based on the substrate detection information, it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Mid" (first energy-saving mode) in order to resume the reflow operation, and transmits it to the reflow device RF. The reflow device RF changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 from "Low" (second energy-saving mode) to "Mid" (first energy-saving mode) and turns on the heater 37.

[0055] If, at time t14, the processor 11 determines that neither of the determination conditions 1 and 2 are met based on the substrate detection information, it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Hi" (normal operating mode) in order to restart the reflow operation, and transmits it to the reflow device RF. The reflow device RF changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 from "Mid" (first energy-saving mode) to "Hi" (normal operating mode) and turns on the fan 36.

[0056] As described above, if multiple determination conditions are set for determining the operating mode of the reflow oven 35, the line control unit LP1 can change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to the energy-saving mode that corresponds to the actual production status of the production line LN, based on the result of satisfying each determination condition from among multiple energy-saving modes (first energy-saving mode and second energy-saving mode, respectively) which have different power consumptions.

[0057] Furthermore, the line control unit LP1 can suppress frequent changes in the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 by setting the delay timer TM1. The setting of the delay timer TM1 is more useful the closer the location of the component mounting equipment, whose presence or absence of a substrate is monitored as a determination condition, is to the reflow oven RF.

[0058] <Example 2 of setting the operating mode> Next, with reference to Figure 5, Example 2 of setting the operating mode will be explained. Figure 5 is a time chart illustrating Example 2 of determining the operating mode of the reflow oven 35. Example 2 of determining the operating mode is a determination method that determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 based on one determination condition.

[0059] The processor 11 of the line control unit LP1 acquires detection information of the substrate transmitted from a component mounting device that is connected to it for data communication. Based on whether the acquired detection information of the substrate satisfies the determination condition 1, the processor 11 determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35.

[0060] In the example of setting the operating mode shown in Figure 5, determination condition 1 is the condition that there are no circuit boards in the component mounting devices up to M units (M: an integer between 1 and M) before the reflow machine RF. The component mounting device N units before the reflow machine, as described above, is the component mounting device connected to the line control unit LP1 that is installed upstream of the reflow machine RF and is the component mounting device installed furthest upstream of the reflow machine RF.

[0061] Furthermore, the operating mode "Hi" shown in Figure 5 is an operating mode for performing reflow work and corresponds to the normal operating mode. The operating mode "Low" is, for example, an energy-saving mode and corresponds to a second energy-saving mode that stops (turns off) the output of the fan 36 and the operation of the heater 37 of the reflow oven 35.

[0062] The processor 11 determines whether or not the determination condition 1 is met based on the detection information of the substrate transmitted from each of the component mounting devices MC1 to MCN.

[0063] If the processor 11 determines at time t21 that the detection information of the substrate satisfies the determination condition 1, it starts counting the duration for which the state satisfying the determination condition 1 continues.

[0064] If the processor 11 determines at time t22 that the duration of the condition 1 has been met is equal to or greater than the pre-set delay timer TM2 (for example, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.), it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Low" (second energy-saving mode) and transmits it to the reflow device RF. When the reflow device RF receives the control command transmitted from the line control unit LP1, it determines whether or not there is a substrate inside its device. If the reflow device RF determines that there is a substrate inside its device, it maintains the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 at "Hi" (normal operating mode). If it determines that there is no substrate inside its device, it changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Low" (second energy-saving mode) and stops the fan 36 and heater 37.

[0065] If, at time t23, the processor 11 determines that the determination condition 1 is not met based on the substrate detection information, it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Hi" (normal operating mode) in order to restart the reflow operation, and transmits it to the reflow device RF. The reflow device RF changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 from "Low" (second energy-saving mode) to "Hi" (normal operating mode) and turns on the fan 36 and heater 37.

[0066] As described above, if the line control unit LP1 has set determination conditions for determining the operating mode of the reflow oven 35, it can switch the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 between the normal operating mode and the energy-saving mode (second energy-saving mode) in accordance with the result of satisfying each determination condition, that is, in accordance with the actual production status of the production line LN.

[0067] Furthermore, the line control unit LP1 can suppress frequent changes in the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 by setting the delay timer TM2. The setting of the delay timer TM2 is more useful the closer the location of the component mounting equipment, whose presence or absence of a substrate is monitored as a determination condition, is to the reflow oven RF.

[0068] <Example 3 of setting the operating mode> Next, with reference to Figure 6, Example 3 of setting the operating mode will be explained. Figure 6 is a time chart illustrating Example 3 of determining the operating mode of the reflow oven 35. Example 3 of determining the operating mode is a determination method that determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 based on multiple determination conditions.

[0069] The processor 11 of the line control unit LP1 acquires detection information of the substrate transmitted from a component mounting device that is connected to it for data communication. The processor 11 determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 based on whether the acquired substrate detection information satisfies each of the multiple determination conditions 1 and 2, and whether the state in which only determination condition 1 is satisfied lasts for a predetermined time TM3 or longer.

[0070] In the example of setting the operating mode shown in Figure 6, determination condition 1 is the condition that there are no substrates in the component mounting equipment up to two units prior to the reflow machine RF (i.e., component mounting equipment MCN to MC(N-1)). Determination condition 2 is the condition that there are no substrates in the component mounting equipment (not shown) up to four units prior to the reflow machine RF.

[0071] Furthermore, the operating mode "Hi" shown in Figure 6 is an operating mode for performing reflow work and corresponds to the normal operating mode. The operating mode "Mid" is, for example, an energy-saving mode and corresponds to a first energy-saving mode in which the output of the fan 36 of the reflow oven 35 is stopped. The operating mode "Low" is, for example, an energy-saving mode and corresponds to a second energy-saving mode in which the output of the fan 36 of the reflow oven 35 and the operation of the heater 37 are stopped (OFF).

[0072] The processor 11 determines whether each of the determination conditions 1 to 2 is met based on the detection information of the circuit board transmitted from each of the component mounting devices MC1 to MCN.

[0073] If the processor 11 determines at time t31 that the detection information of the substrate satisfies only the determination condition 1, it starts counting the duration for which the state in which the detection information of the substrate satisfies the determination condition 1 continues.

[0074] If the processor 11 determines that the duration of the state in which only the determination condition 1 is met at time t32 is equal to or greater than a predetermined time TM3 (for example, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, etc.), it determines that the production line LN is stopped for any reason, such as a break, a malfunction, or waiting for parts to be supplied. Based on this determination, it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Low" (second energy-saving mode) and transmits it to the reflow device RF. When the reflow device RF receives the control command transmitted from the line control unit LP1, it determines whether or not there is a substrate inside its device. If the reflow device RF determines that there is a substrate inside its device, it maintains the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 at "Hi" (normal operating mode). If it determines that there is no substrate inside its device, it changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Low" (second energy-saving mode) and stops the fan 36 and heater 37.

[0075] If, at time t33, the processor 11 determines that neither of the determination conditions 1 and 2 are met based on the substrate detection information, it generates a control command to change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to "Hi" (normal operating mode) in order to restart the reflow operation, and transmits it to the reflow device RF. The reflow device RF changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 from "Low" (second energy-saving mode) to "Hi" (normal operating mode) and turns on the fan 36.

[0076] Figure 6 shows an example where, if it is determined that the duration of the state in which only judgment condition 1 is met exceeds a predetermined time TM3, the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 is controlled to "Low" (second energy-saving mode). However, the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 may also be controlled to "Mid" (first energy-saving mode). Furthermore, each judgment condition and each operating mode when the judgment condition is met may be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0077] As described above, when the line control unit LP1 determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35, it determines the stopped state of the production line LN based on the results of satisfying each determination condition, and can change to an energy-saving mode that corresponds to the actual production status of the production line LN.

[0078] Furthermore, the line control unit LP1 can determine whether the production line LN is stopped even if multiple determination conditions (for example, determination conditions 1 and 2) are set, and only one determination condition (determination condition 1) regarding the presence or absence of a circuit board is met.

[0079] (Note) The following technologies are disclosed based on the descriptions of each embodiment above.

[0080] (Technology 1) A control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1) that is connected in a communication manner between N (N: an integer of 1 or more) production devices (component mounting devices) that constitute a production line LN for producing mounted circuit boards with components mounted on a substrate, and a reflow device RF, comprising: an acquisition unit (communication unit 10) that acquires substrate information from each of the N production devices (component mounting devices) to determine whether or not the substrate exists; a determination unit (processor 11) that determines the output of the reflow oven 35 provided by the reflow device RF based on the substrate information; and an instruction unit (processor 11) that instructs the reflow device RF to change the output of the reflow oven 35 based on the determination result by the determination unit (processor 11), The determination unit (processor 11) determines, based on the substrate information, whether a first determination condition (for example, determination condition 1 shown in Figure 4 or Figure 5) is satisfied, that the substrate is not present in any of the M (M: integer between 1 and M and N) production devices (component mounting devices) set upstream from the reflow apparatus RF to the production line LN. The instruction unit (processor 11) determines, if it determines that the first determination condition is not satisfied, generates a first control command to set the output of the reflow oven 35 to a first output (normal operation mode) for reflowing the substrate and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF. This is a control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1).

[0081] As a result, if the line control unit LP1 has set a determination condition for determining the operating mode of the reflow oven 35, it can switch the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 between the normal operating mode and the energy-saving mode (second energy-saving mode) in accordance with the result of satisfying the determination condition, that is, in accordance with the actual production status of the production line LN.

[0082] (Technical 2) The instruction unit (processor 11) measures the duration for which the state of satisfaction of the first determination condition continues from the timing at which it is determined that the first determination condition is satisfied, and if it determines that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a first predetermined time (delay timer TM1), it generates the second control command and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF, a control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1) as described in (Technical 1).

[0083] As a result, the line control unit LP1 can suppress frequent changes in the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 by setting the delay timer TM1. Setting the delay timer TM2 is more useful the closer the location of the component mounting equipment, whose presence or absence of a substrate is monitored as a determination condition, is to the reflow oven RF.

[0084] (Technical 3) The determination unit (processor 11) further determines, based on the substrate information, whether a second determination condition is satisfied, that the substrate is not present in all K (K: an integer where K > M) production devices (component mounting devices) installed upstream of the production line from the reflow apparatus. The instruction unit (processor 11) generates a second control command and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF if the first determination condition (for example, determination condition 1 shown in Figure 4) and the second determination condition (for example, determination condition 2 shown in Figure 4) are satisfied, as described in (Technical 1). This is the control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1).

[0085] As a result, if multiple determination conditions are set for determining the operating mode of the reflow oven 35, the line control unit LP1 can change the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to the energy-saving mode that corresponds to the actual production status of the production line LN, based on the result of satisfying each determination condition from among multiple energy-saving modes (first energy-saving mode and second energy-saving mode, respectively) which have different power consumptions.

[0086] (Technical 4) The instruction unit (processor 11) measures the duration for which the first and second determination conditions are satisfied, starting from the timing at which it is determined that the first and second determination conditions are satisfied. If it determines that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a first predetermined time (delay timers TM1, TM2), it generates the second control command and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF, a control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1) as described in (Technical 3).

[0087] As a result, the line control unit LP1 can suppress frequent changes in the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 by setting the delay timer TM1. Setting the delay timer TM2 is more useful the closer the location of the component mounting equipment, whose presence or absence of a substrate is monitored as a determination condition, is to the reflow oven RF.

[0088] (Technical 5) The control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1) as described in (Technical 3), wherein if the first determination condition is satisfied and the second determination condition is not satisfied, the instruction unit (processor 11) generates a third control command to set the output of the reflow oven 35 to a third output (for example, a first energy-saving mode) which is smaller than the first output and larger than the second output, and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF.

[0089] As a result, when the line control unit LP1 determines, based on the conditions for satisfying each judgment criterion, that a substrate is being transported toward the reflow unit RF, it changes the operating mode of the reflow oven 35 to one for reflow work, allowing the reflow work to resume without any waiting time when a substrate is again brought into the reflow unit RF.

[0090] (Technical 6) A control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1) that is connected in a communication manner between N (N: an integer of 1 or more) production devices (component mounting devices) that constitute a production line LN for producing mounted circuit boards with components mounted on a substrate, and a reflow device RF, the control device comprising: an acquisition unit (communication unit 10) that acquires substrate information from each of the N production devices (component mounting devices) to determine whether or not the substrate is present; a determination unit (processor 11) that, based on the substrate information, determines whether or not a first determination condition (for example, determination condition 1 shown in Figure 6) is satisfied if the substrate is not present in all of the M (M: an integer of 1 ≤ M ≤ N) production devices set upstream from the reflow device RF to the production line LN, and a second determination condition (for example, determination condition 2 shown in Figure 6) is satisfied if the substrate is not present in all of the K (K: an integer of K > M) production devices, and determines the output of the reflow oven 35 provided by the reflow device RF based on the determination result, A control device for a component mounting line (line control device LP1) comprises: an instruction unit (processor 11) that instructs the reflow apparatus RF to change the output of the reflow oven 35 based on the determination result by the determination unit (processor 11); the instruction unit (processor 11) measures the duration for which the state of satisfying only the first determination condition continues from the timing at which the determination unit determines that only the first determination condition is satisfied; if the instruction unit (processor 11) determines that the measured duration is not equal to or greater than a predetermined time TM3, it generates a first control command to set the output of the reflow oven 35 to a first output for reflowing the substrate (for example, normal operation mode) and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF; and if the instruction unit (processor 11) determines that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a predetermined time TM3, it generates a second control command to set the output of the reflow oven 35 to a second output lower than the first output (for example, second energy-saving mode) and transmits it to the reflow apparatus RF.

[0091] As a result, when the line control unit LP1 determines the operating mode of the reflow oven 35, it can determine the stopped state of the production line LN based on the satisfaction of each determination condition and change to an energy-saving mode corresponding to the actual production status of the production line LN. Furthermore, even when multiple determination conditions (for example, determination conditions 1 and 2 shown in Figure 6) are set, the line control unit LP1 can determine whether or not the production line LN is stopped even if only one determination condition (for example, determination condition 1 shown in Figure 6) regarding the presence or absence of a substrate is satisfied.

[0092] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, this disclosure is not limited to such examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will also be understood to fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the various embodiments described above can be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0093] This disclosure is useful as a control device for an assembly line that enables energy saving of reflow equipment in accordance with actual production conditions.

[0094] 10, 20, 30 Communication unit 11, 21, 31 Processor 12, 22, 32 Memory 13 Input unit 23, 34 Substrate detection unit 24 Work execution unit 33 Operation mode information 35 Reflow oven 36 Fan 37 Heater 100 Component mounting system Hi Normal operation mode Mid First energy-saving mode Low Second energy-saving mode LN Production line LP1 Line control unit M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, MC1, MC2, MC(N-1), MCN Component mounting device NW1, NW2 Network Q Transport direction RF Reflow device RL1, RL2 Substrate transport path TM1, TM2 Delay timer TM3 Predetermined time UL Substrate recovery device W1, W2, W3 Substrate

Claims

1. A control device for a component mounting line, which is connected in a communication manner between N (N: an integer of 1 or more) production devices and a reflow apparatus that constitute a production line for producing mounted circuit boards with components mounted on a substrate, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires substrate information from each of the N production devices to determine whether or not the substrate is present; a determination unit that determines the output of the reflow furnace provided by the reflow apparatus based on the substrate information; and an instruction unit that instructs the reflow apparatus to change the output of the reflow furnace based on the determination result by the determination unit, wherein the determination unit determines, based on the substrate information, whether or not a first determination condition is satisfied, that the substrate is not present in all M (M: an integer of 1 ≤ M ≤ N) production devices installed upstream of the production line from the reflow apparatus, and the instruction unit, if it determines that the first determination condition is not satisfied, generates a first control command to set the output of the reflow furnace to a first output for reflowing the substrate and transmits it to the reflow apparatus. A control device for a component mounting line, which, if it determines that the first determination condition is met, generates a second control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a second output lower than the first output and transmits it to the reflow apparatus.

2. The control device for a component mounting line according to claim 1, wherein the instruction unit measures the duration for which the state of satisfaction of the first determination condition continues from the timing at which it is determined that the first determination condition is satisfied, and if it determines that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a first predetermined time, it generates a second control command and transmits it to the reflow apparatus.

3. The determination unit further determines, based on the substrate information, whether a second determination condition is satisfied, that the substrate is not present in any of the K (K: an integer where K > M) production devices installed upstream of the production line from the reflow apparatus; and the instruction unit generates a second control command and transmits it to the reflow apparatus if the first and second determination conditions are satisfied, the control device for a component mounting line according to claim 1.

4. The control device for a component mounting line according to claim 3, wherein the instruction unit measures the duration for which the state of satisfaction of the first and second determination conditions continues from the timing at which it is determined that the first and second determination conditions are satisfied, and if it determines that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a first predetermined time, it generates the second control command and transmits it to the reflow apparatus.

5. The control device for a component mounting line according to claim 3, wherein if the first determination condition is satisfied and the second determination condition is not satisfied, the instruction unit generates a third control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a third output which is smaller than the first output and larger than the second output, and transmits it to the reflow apparatus.

6. A control device for a component mounting line that is communicated between N (N: an integer of 1 or more) production devices and a reflow device that constitute a production line for producing mounted circuit boards with components mounted on them, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires circuit board information from each of the N production devices to determine whether or not the circuit board is present; a determination unit that, based on the circuit board information, determines whether or not a first determination condition is satisfied in all of the M (M: an integer of 1 ≤ M ≤ N) production devices set upstream from the reflow device to the production line, and a second determination condition is satisfied in all of the K (K: an integer of K > M) production devices, and determines the output of the reflow oven provided by the reflow device based on the determination result; and an instruction unit that, based on the determination result by the determination unit, instructs the reflow device to change the output of the reflow oven, wherein the instruction unit measures the duration of the state in which only the first determination condition is satisfied, starting from the timing when the determination unit determines that only the first determination condition is satisfied. A control device for a component mounting line, which, if it is determined that the measured duration is not equal to or greater than a predetermined time, generates a first control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a first output for reflowing the substrate and transmits it to the reflow device, and if it is determined that the measured duration is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, generates a second control command to set the output of the reflow oven to a second output lower than the first output and transmits it to the reflow device.

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