Production assistance device

Abstract

This production assistance device comprises: a storage unit that stores product information indicating the type and the required number of components necessary for production of a product substrate, and remaining number information indicating the remaining number of each of a plurality of types of components set so as to be able to be supplied to a component supply device; and a presentation unit that presents, on the basis of the product information and the remaining number information, at least one of a replenishment ratio, which is the ratio of the plurality of types of components required to be replenished by the component supply device in order to continue supplying the components, and a replenishment amount for each of the plurality of types of components according to the replenishment ratio.

Description

Production support device

[0001] The present invention relates to a production support device.

[0002] The production support device supports the production of product substrates. A component mounting machine that produces product substrates mounts the components supplied by a component supply device on the substrate. The component supply device includes a tape feeder that feeds a carrier tape to supply components, and a tray feeder that pulls out a plurality of trays from a storage shelf to supply components (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] International Publication No. 2019 / 146093

[0004] For example, when a tray feeder supplies a plurality of types of components in the production of a product substrate, the tray feeder needs to replenish the tray in order to continue supplying the components. However, the number required for production and the remaining number in the tray feeder are different for each type of component. Therefore, even if a component shortage warning is simply notified to prompt the replenishment work, production will be interrupted if a specific type of component runs out, and if a specific type of component is over-supplied, the time required for the replenishment work will be long, which may cause a decrease in production efficiency.

[0005] The purpose of this specification is to provide a production support device that can improve the continuity of production and, as a result, support the production of substrate products by presenting information so that an efficient component replenishment operation can be performed for a component supply device that supplies a plurality of types of components.

[0006] This specification is applied to a component mounting machine that mounts a plurality of types of components supplied by a component supply device on a substrate to produce a product substrate, and stores product information indicating the types and required numbers of the components required for the production of the product substrate, and remaining number information indicating the remaining numbers for each of the plurality of types of components that are set to be supplyable to the component supply device. A production support device is disclosed, which includes a storage unit and a presentation unit that presents at least one of a replenishment ratio, which is a ratio of a plurality of types of components that require replenishment for the component supply device to continue supplying the components, and a replenishment amount for each of the plurality of types of components according to the replenishment ratio, based on the product information and the remaining number information.

[0007] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the production support device described in claim 1 or 2" in claim 4 of the original application to "the production support device described in any one of claims 1 to 3", and the technical idea of ​​changing "the production support device described in claim 1 or 2" in claim 6 of the original application to "the production support device described in any one of claims 1 to 5". This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the production support device described in claim 7" in claim 9 of the original application to "the production support device described in claim 7 or 8", the technical idea of ​​changing "the production support device described in claim 6" in claim 10 of the original application to "the production support device described in any one of claims 6 to 9", and the technical idea of ​​changing "the production support device described in claim 6" in claim 11 of the original application to "the production support device described in any one of claims 6 to 9".

[0008] This configuration allows for efficient replenishment operations because at least one of the replenishment ratio and replenishment quantity for multiple types of components is provided. This improves production continuity and, as a result, supports the production of circuit board products.

[0009] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a tray unit, which is one form of a parts supply unit, with the outer casing omitted and the unit mounted on a parts mounting machine. This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a tray unit, with the automated guided vehicle having arrived. This is a view of the magazine case and warehouse magazine from the rear. This is a side cross-sectional view of the tray unit from the right. This is a partial side cross-sectional view illustrating the parts supply operation of the tray unit. This is a block diagram of the configuration of the production support device. This is a diagram showing various types of information. This is a flowchart showing the production support process. This is a flowchart showing the calculation process for replenishment ratios, etc. This is a diagram showing the relationship between various types of information and replenishment ratios. This is a schematic plan view showing a parts mounting machine in a modified form of the embodiment. This is a side view showing the tape feeder and reel.

[0010] 1. Configuration of the tray feeder 12A The production support device 80 is applied to a component mounting machine 10 that produces product substrates by mounting multiple types of components supplied by the component supply device 12 onto a substrate. In this embodiment, we will explain using an example where the component supply device 12 is a tray feeder 12A that pulls out multiple trays 27 from a storage shelf to supply components. The configuration of the tray feeder 12A will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 5. As shown by the arrows in the upper left of Figures 1 and 2, the front, back, left, and right directions of the tray feeder 12A and the component mounting machine 10 are defined. According to this definition, the left and right directions are the transport directions in which the component mounting machine 10 transports the substrate.

[0011] The component mounting machine 10 shown in Figure 1 includes a substrate transport device that transports the substrate in the transport direction, and a component transfer device that picks up components from a tray feeder 12A and transfers them to the substrate. The tray feeder 12A is detachably mounted on the rear side of the component mounting machine 10. The tray feeder 12A uses a tray 27 that holds multiple components to supply components to the component supply position 19 (see Figure 5) of the component mounting machine 10. The component mounting machine 10 picks up components at the component supply position 19 using a holding member (e.g., a suction nozzle) of the component transfer device and repeats the mounting operation of attaching the components to the mounting position on the substrate (pick and place cycle, hereinafter referred to as "PP cycle").

[0012] In this embodiment, the tray feeder 12A supplies and replenishes parts using a pallet 28 on which one or more trays 27 are placed. Alternatively, the tray feeder 12A may use only the trays 27 without the pallet 28. The tray feeder 12A consists of a magazine case 21, a supply shuttle 22, a warehouse magazine 23, a transfer shuttle 24, a feeder control device 25, and an outer casing 26. The outer casing 26 is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0013] The magazine case 21 is equipped with an upper supply magazine 31 and a lower supply magazine 32. The upper supply magazine 31 and the lower supply magazine 32 are generally identical in shape and are configured to move up and down along a common guide rail (not shown) that extends in the vertical direction. Each of the upper supply magazine 31 and the lower supply magazine 32 has a plurality of slots 33 arranged in the vertical direction. Each of the slots 33 is a holding shelf that holds a pallet 28 so that it can be inserted and removed from both the front and rear directions. Each of the pallets 28 has one or more trays 27 placed on its upper surface. The trays 27 are component holders Cn that hold components in each of a plurality of storage compartments arranged in a grid.

[0014] As shown in Figure 5, the supply shuttle 22 enters the component mounting machine 10 when the tray feeder 12A is installed on the component mounting machine 10. The supply shuttle 22 pulls any pallet 28 forward from either the upper supply magazine 31 or the lower supply magazine 32 and transports it to the component supply position 19 of the component mounting machine 10. After the holding member picks up the component at the component supply position 19, the supply shuttle 22 returns the pallet 28 to the original slot 33 from which it was pulled.

[0015] The warehouse magazine 23 is positioned alongside the magazine case 21 in the left-right direction. The warehouse magazine 23 has multiple slots 41 arranged in the vertical direction. Each of the slots 41 is a holding shelf that holds pallets 28 on which trays 27 are placed, allowing them to be loaded and unloaded from the rear. The number of slots 41 is greater than the number of slots 33 in the upper supply magazine 31 and the lower supply magazine 32. Therefore, the warehouse magazine 23 can hold more pallets 28 and trays 27 than the upper supply magazine 31 and the lower supply magazine 32.

[0016] Furthermore, the warehouse magazine 23 has an upper magazine shelf 42 and a lower magazine shelf 43. Each of the upper magazine shelf 42 and the lower magazine shelf 43 holds tray replenishment magazines 45 so that they can be inserted into and removed from the front. The upper magazine shelf 42 is used as an input shelf to hold tray replenishment magazines 45 that have been delivered to the tray feeder 12A. The lower magazine shelf 43 is used as an output shelf to hold tray replenishment magazines 45 that are being discharged from the tray feeder 12A. Note that the warehouse magazine 23 may have one or more magazine shelves.

[0017] The tray supply magazine 45 holds pallets 28 in each of its multiple slots arranged vertically. By using the tray supply magazine 45, the supply of multiple pallets 28 is made more efficient and easier. The tray supply magazine 45 is set up in the setup area (not shown in the diagram) with the pallets 28 to be used. The transport operation of the tray supply magazine 45 between the setup area and the tray feeder 12A is performed by an automated guided vehicle 61 or by an operator.

[0018] The automated guided vehicle 61 automatically travels with one or more tray supply magazines 45 loaded on it, and arrives at a position directly behind the warehouse magazine 23 of the tray feeder 12A, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. This enables automatic supply of parts to the tray feeder 12A by the automated guided vehicle 61. Alternatively, an operator can transport the tray supply magazines 45 using a trolley or the like. This allows for manual supply of parts to the tray feeder 12A by an operator.

[0019] The upper magazine rack 42, used as a loading rack, is equipped with an RFID reader 46 (see Figure 3). The RFID reader 46 receives wireless signals transmitted from the RFID tags of each pallet 28 in the tray replenishment magazine 45 held in the upper magazine rack 42 and recognizes the pallet number. This makes it possible to associate the pallet number with the shelf height position for each pallet 28 in the tray replenishment magazine 45. On the other hand, the lower magazine rack 43, used as a loading rack, does not require an RFID reader 46, so the installation of an RFID reader can be omitted.

[0020] The transfer shuttle 24 is located at the rear of the internal space of the outer case 26, behind the magazine case 21 and the warehouse magazine 23. The transfer shuttle 24 transfers pallets 28 from the warehouse magazine 23 to the upper supply magazine 31 and the lower supply magazine 32. In this embodiment, the transfer shuttle 24 is configured to transfer pallets 28 between the warehouse magazine 23, the upper supply magazine 31, and the lower supply magazine 32. The transfer shuttle 24 unloads and transfers the tray replenishment magazine 45 from the automated guided vehicle 61 and holds it on the upper magazine shelf 42 of the warehouse magazine 23. The transfer shuttle 24 also transfers the tray replenishment magazine 45 that was held on the lower magazine shelf 43 of the warehouse magazine 23 and loads it onto the automated guided vehicle 61.

[0021] The outer casing 26 is shown in Figure 2, but is omitted from Figures 1, 3, and 4. The outer casing 26 is made of metal sheet material. The outer casing 26 covers the magazine case 21, the warehouse magazine 23, and the transport shuttle 24. The outer casing 26 has a lower door 65 located at approximately the middle height of the rear surface, directly behind the warehouse magazine 23. After the automated guided vehicle 61 arrives, the lower door 65 opens to move the tray replenishment magazine 45 between the automated guided vehicle 61 and the tray feeder 12A.

[0022] The opening and closing of the lower door 65 is controlled by the feeder control device 25. Furthermore, the operator can manually load the tray replenishment magazine 45 into the tray feeder 12A through the lower door 65 and unload it in the reverse direction. This allows for both automatic replenishment by the automated guided vehicle 61 and manual replenishment by the operator. An upper door 66 is also provided above the lower door 65 on the rear of the outer case 26. The upper door 66 allows the operator to insert pallets 28 into the tray replenishment magazine 45. In other words, the operator can replenish parts (trays 27) by loading pallets 28 one by one.

[0023] The feeder control device 25 is configured using a computer and its placement is not limited. The feeder control device 25 has an input unit, a display unit, a communication interface unit, etc. (not shown). The feeder control device 25 controls the lifting mechanism and supply shuttle 22 inside the magazine case 21 according to commands from the control unit of the component mounting machine 10, which is connected to it via communication. The feeder control device 25 also transfers pallets 28 between the upper supply magazine 31, the lower supply magazine 32, and the warehouse magazine 23 by controlling the transfer shuttle 24.

[0024] Furthermore, the feeder control device 25 requests the replenishment of new pallets 28 when the number of pallets 28 intended for use stored in the warehouse magazine 23 decreases and the number of used pallets 28 increases. This replenishment request is transmitted to the worker via communication or other means. For example, if the worker has a portable terminal device, the replenishment request may be notified to that terminal device, or the replenishment request may be displayed on a display device provided on the tray feeder 12A. Upon receiving the replenishment request, the worker sets up the tray replenishment magazine 45 corresponding to the replenishment request in the setup area. The set up tray replenishment magazine 45 is replenished to the tray feeder 12A by the automated guided vehicle 61 or the worker. In most cases, used pallets 28 are collected at the same time as the replenishment of new pallets 28.

[0025] The tray feeder 12A, configured as described above, supplies multiple types of parts necessary for the parts mounting process by the parts mounting machine 10 by swapping multiple trays 27 between the slots 33 of the magazines 31 and 32 and the parts supply position 19. This tray swapping process can also be performed over multiple PP cycles for a single circuit board 91. In other words, multiple tray swaps may be required between the time a single circuit board 91 is loaded into the parts mounting machine 10, the time the parts mounting process is performed, and the time it is discharged from the parts mounting machine 10.

[0026] 2. Production support device 80 The tray feeder 12A, which serves as a parts supply device 12 as described above, can extend the interval between setup operations for supplying and retrieving trays 27 to the tray feeder 12A by increasing the number of trays 27 that can be accommodated. However, when the tray feeder 12A supplies multiple types of parts in the production of product substrates, it is necessary to replenish the trays 27 as needed in order for the tray feeder 12A to continue supplying parts. In such cases, conventionally, for example, when the remaining number of a type of part falls below a predetermined number, or when the estimated time until the part runs out falls below a predetermined time, the operator is notified of the part running out and prompted to carry out replenishment work.

[0027] However, even if a certain number of parts are replenished each time a shortage warning is received, the number of parts required for production and the remaining number in the tray feeder 12A differ for each type of part. Therefore, for frequently used parts, shortage warnings may be received in a short period of time, potentially increasing the number of times replenishment work is performed. On the other hand, for infrequently used parts, replenishing multiple trays 27 may result in an excess, leading to unnecessary replenishment work, which can increase the time required for external setup and reduce production efficiency.

[0028] Therefore, the production support device 80 of this embodiment adopts a configuration that improves the continuity of production and, as a result, supports the production of circuit board products by presenting information to the parts supply device 12 (tray feeder 12A in this embodiment) that supplies multiple types of parts, enabling efficient parts replenishment work. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the production support device 80 is incorporated into the tray feeder 12A and includes a storage unit 81 and a presentation unit 82. The production support device 80 executes production support processing (see Figure 8) based on the various information shown in Figure 7. As a result, the worker performing the tray replenishment work can efficiently perform the external setup for replenishing the tray 27 and transporting it to the tray feeder 12A based on the presented information.

[0029] 2-1. Storage Unit 81 The storage unit 81 stores various information as shown in Figure 6. The various information includes product information M2, remaining quantity information M5, work information M6, and classification information M7. In this embodiment, the various information further includes production plan M1, production information M3, and tray information M4. The production plan M1 shows the types of product substrates to be produced (product types: U1, U2, U3, ...), target production quantities (T1, T2, T3, ...), and production order, as shown in Figure 7. The product information M2 shows the types of components (Pa, Pb, Pc, ...) required for each type of product substrate (product types: U1, U2, U3, ...). The product information M2 shows the number of components (required number) consumed when producing one predetermined type of product substrate for each type of component.

[0030] Production information M3 indicates the time required (cycle time: RT1, RT2, RT3, ...) for each mounting process (job name: Job1, Job2, Job3, ...) executed by the component mounting machine 10. More specifically, when producing a predetermined type of product substrate on a predetermined production line, the sum of the time required for the mounting processes handled by each of the multiple component mounting machines 10 constituting the production line is considered the total time required for the mounting process to produce the predetermined type of product substrate. Production information M3 may also record the progress of production by the component mounting machine 10 and whether or not errors have occurred.

[0031] Tray information M4 is information about multiple trays 27 held in the tray feeder 12A. Tray information M4 includes the tray ID (TID01, TID02, ...), which is the identification information of the tray 27, and the type (Pa, Pb, Pc, ...) and quantity (Na, Nb, Nc, ...) of the parts contained in the tray 27. The tray ID may be read when the tray 27 is placed in the tray feeder 12A, or it may be obtained in the setup area by reading the pallet number associated with the pallet 28. Tray information M4 is updated as needed in accordance with the progress of production and the replenishment and retrieval of trays 27.

[0032] The remaining quantity information M5 indicates the remaining quantity (Na, Nb, Nc, ...) of each of the multiple types of parts that are set to be supplied to the tray feeder 12A. If a predetermined type of part is contained in multiple trays 27, the remaining quantity of that part is indicated by the sum of the quantities of parts contained in the multiple trays 27 (Na = Na1 + Na2 + ...).

[0033] If the production of product boards using the tray feeder 12A is carried out over several days or more, periodic replenishment work by workers is scheduled. However, surpluses or shortages of parts may occur when replenishing the trays 27 through planned periodic replenishment work. This is partly due to changes in the production order, interrupted production, and increased consumption due to discarded parts. In order for the tray feeder 12A to continue supplying parts, it may be necessary to bring forward the scheduled date for the next replenishment work.

[0034] On the other hand, since the preparation for periodic replenishment operations requires a relatively long working time, there is a need to perform temporary replenishment to prevent parts shortages until the next replenishment operation, assuming that the next replenishment operation will be performed at the scheduled time. Therefore, in order to meet the above-mentioned need, the storage unit 81 stores work information M6 that corresponds to the plan for periodic replenishment operations. Specifically, the work information M6 indicates the scheduled execution of replenishment operations in which multiple types of parts are replenished at a predetermined time or after a predetermined period of time, according to a preset replenishment ratio D1. The above-mentioned "predetermined period" may be the interval between replenishment operations, or it may be the cumulative execution time of the mounting process by the parts mounting machine 10.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the work information M6 sets the replenishment ratio D1 for the scheduled date and time of the replenishment work (Sc11, Sc12, ...) and the interval of the replenishment work (Vh01, Vh02). This replenishment ratio D1 is the ratio of multiple types of parts that need to be replenished in order for the tray feeder 12A to continue supplying parts. In periodic replenishment work, the replenishment ratio D1 is shown as an example in units of the tray 27, which is a parts container Cn, and roughly corresponds to the ratio of the number of parts (required number) of each type of part necessary for the production of a predetermined product board, as shown by the product information M2 (hereinafter referred to as the "required ratio").

[0036] Specifically, if each tray 27 can accommodate the same number of parts, the required ratio (3, 1, 4, 2, 1) of part types (Pa, Pb, Pc, Pd, Pe) is set as the replenishment ratio D1 in order for the tray feeder 12A to continue supplying parts during the mounting process (Job 1) of product type U1. If the number of parts that can be accommodated in each tray 27 differs, the replenishment ratio D1 will take the number of parts that can be accommodated into account. For example, if the number of parts that can be accommodated in tray 27 is twice that of the other trays 27, the replenishment ratio D1 will be (3, 1, 2, 2, 1) using tray 27 as the unit.

[0037] Furthermore, the work information M6 may also show the replenishment amount D2 corresponding to the replenishment ratio D1. Specifically, for example, the replenishment amount D2 (9, 3, 12, 6, 3) is shown as the number of trays 27 that can replenish the consumption amount of each part estimated based on the replenishment interval (Vh01) and the cycle time (RT1). In addition, the work information M6 may also show the replenishment amount D2 (900, 300, 1200, 600, 300) as the number of parts calculated by multiplying the number of trays 27 by the number of parts they can hold. In the above example, the work information M6 indicates that 900 units of part type Pa will be replenished in one replenishment operation using 9 trays 27. Thus, the work information M6 shows the scheduled time for the next replenishment operation and the type and quantity of parts to be replenished in that operation.

[0038] Furthermore, the production of product substrates may continue without interruption for extended periods, or it may be suspended after a predetermined number of units or a predetermined period. Such production suspensions are set to ensure time for maintenance of various production equipment, including the tray feeder 12A and the component mounting machine 10, and to accommodate the work patterns of the workers. When the production of product substrates is divided into predetermined suspension periods, and the predetermined time until the suspension is approaching, there is a need to provide temporary replenishment to prevent parts shortages until the next suspension. Therefore, in order to respond to such requests, the storage unit 81 stores classification information M7 that divides production by the component mounting machine 10 into suspensions for a predetermined number of units or a predetermined period.

[0039] In detail, as shown in Figure 7, the classification information M7 may have multiple classifications (L11, L12, L13, ...) for each installation process to be executed (Job1, Job2, ...). One classification (for example, L11) is set with a production quantity (Sub11 / T1) and working time (h01-h07). In other words, one classification indicates that production will be suspended when a predetermined production quantity is reached or when the end time (h07) is reached. Here, multiple classifications are set for each installation process to be executed, but the classification information M7 may also assign the installation processes to multiple classifications, and a predetermined production quantity and predetermined period may be set for each classification.

[0040] 2-2. Presentation Unit 82 The presentation unit 82 presents at least one of the replenishment ratio D1 and replenishment amount D2 according to the current situation, based on various information. In this embodiment, the replenishment guidance information M8 presented by the presentation unit 82 includes the replenishment ratio D1 and the replenishment amount D2, as shown in Figure 7. The replenishment ratio D1 is, for example, the ratio of multiple types of parts that the tray feeder 12A needs to replenish in order to continue supplying parts at the time when the presentation of replenishment guidance information M8 is requested.

[0041] The display unit 82 calculates the replenishment ratio D1 based on at least the product information M2 and the remaining quantity information M5, and also based on the necessary information (M1, M3-M4, M6-M7) if various conditions are set. The replenishment ratio D1 may be based on the quantity of each type of part, on the tray 27 which is the parts container Cn, or on the pallet 28 on which multiple trays 27 are placed. Furthermore, the above "various conditions" can be arbitrarily set by the operator, and the following embodiments can be exemplified.

[0042] Conditions for supply guidance include, for example, "continue until the next supply operation," "continue until the next production suspension," "continue until the currently produced product boards reach the target production number," and "take into account the production of the next product boards." Details of the calculation process of supply ratios etc. based on various conditions by the presentation unit 82 and the presentation process of supply guidance information M8 will be described later.

[0043] 3. Production Support Processing The production support device 80 performs production support processing as shown in Figure 8, for example, in response to a worker's request for information on replenishment or when notifying a worker of a parts shortage. First, the production support device 80 performs display processing to show the worker information related to the tray feeder 12A (S11). As a result, the display device of the tray feeder 12A displays, for example, the mounting process (Job1) being performed by the parts mounting machine 10, tray information M4, and remaining quantity information M5. In addition to the above, the production support device 80 may also switch and display the grace period until a parts shortage occurs, according to the worker's request.

[0044] As a result, the operator can grasp, to some extent, the types of parts that will run out of stock within a predetermined time and the necessary replenishment amounts. However, even considering the remaining quantities in the tray feeder 12A, if the external setup of the replenishment operation is carried out so as to exceed the necessary replenishment amount, the replenishment of parts with low actual necessity is also included, and the operator will be restricted to unnecessary work, raising concerns about a decrease in production efficiency. Therefore, the operator appropriately sets the conditions of the replenishment guidance so as to be presented with an efficient replenishment guidance.

[0045] The production support device 80 receives an input of the conditions of the replenishment guidance (S12). When the conditions of the replenishment guidance are input (S13: Yes), the production support device 80 executes a calculation process such as a replenishment ratio (S14). In the calculation process such as the replenishment ratio, as shown in FIG. 9, the presentation unit 82 acquires the required ratios of a plurality of types of parts based on the product information M2 (S21). Next, the presentation unit 82 acquires the remaining quantities for each of the plurality of types of parts based on the remaining quantity information M5 (S22). Thereby, the presentation unit 82 can grasp the required ratio indicated by the broken line NsR in FIG. 10(a) and the inventory status of each part type indicated by the bar graph in FIG. 10(b).

[0046] The presentation unit 82 calculates the shortage quantities of a plurality of types of parts that require replenishment for the tray feeder 12A to continue supplying parts until at least the next replenishment operation (S23). Here, various types of information according to the set conditions of the replenishment guidance are used for the calculation of the shortage quantities. For example, when "continue until the next replenishment operation" is included in the conditions of the replenishment guidance, the presentation unit 82 calculates the shortage quantity of each part type based on the work information M6. Specifically, the presentation unit 82 calculates the time from now until the scheduled execution time of the next replenishment operation based on the work information M6.

[0047] Furthermore, the presentation unit 82 calculates the quantity of parts expected to be consumed by the time of the planned replenishment operation based on the time, the tact time (RT1), and the product information M2. The difference between this expected consumption quantity (the broken line Ns1 in FIG. 10(b)) and the inventory status is recognized as the shortage quantity of a plurality of types of parts (the lengths LDa, LDb, LDc, LDd, LDe of each broken line in FIG. 10(b)). The ratio of the shortage quantity of each part type corresponds to the replenishment ratio D1, which is different from the required ratio without considering the inventory status.

[0048] Subsequently, the presentation unit 82 converts the shortage quantity of each part type into units of the part storage container Cn (S24). Specifically, by dividing the shortage quantity (LDa, LDb, LDc, LDd, LDe) of each part type by the storage quantity (Ya, Yb, Yc, Yd, Ye) of the corresponding tray 27, the presentation unit 82 calculates the quantity to be replenished for each type of tray 27. The total shortage quantity of each part type and the total number of trays 27 to be replenished calculated in S24 are the replenishment quantity D2 corresponding to the replenishment ratio D1. The presentation unit 82 determines whether the replenishment quantity D2 in units of the part storage container Cn is less than or equal to the replenishable number Rx based on the current empty slots (S25).

[0049] In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned "empty slot" is one in which an additional tray 27 can be held among the slots 33, 41 of each magazine 31, 32, 23. Also, the above-mentioned "replenishable number Rx" is calculated by multiplying the number of empty slots by the storage quantity (Ya, Yb, Yc, Yd, Ye) of the tray 27 in each slot. For example, when two trays 27 are placed and stored on one pallet 28 in each slot, the replenishable number Rx is twice the number of empty slots, and when the tray 27 is stored one-to-one in each slot, the number of empty slots is the replenishable number Rx.

[0050] If the replenishment amount D2 is greater than the number of available replenishment units Rx (S25: No), the display unit 82 adjusts the replenishment amount D2 so that it is less than or equal to the number of available replenishment units Rx (S26). Specifically, the display unit 82 gradually reduces the planned consumption quantity while maintaining the required ratio of each part type until the replenishment amount D2 becomes less than or equal to the number of available replenishment units Rx. In other words, the planned consumption quantity is gradually reduced so that the line graph Ns1 in Figure 10(b) changes to line graph Ns2. As a result, the display unit 82 obtains the replenishment amount D2 corresponding to the number of empty slots. The difference between the adjusted planned consumption quantity (line graph Ns2 in Figure 10(b)) and the inventory status indicates the quantity to be replenished for each of the multiple types of parts.

[0051] If the replenishment amount D2 is less than or equal to the number of available replenishment units Rx (S25: Yes), the presentation unit 82 omits the adjustment process (S26), assuming that even if the tray 27 of the replenishment amount D2 calculated in S24 is replenished, it can be added to the empty slots. Note that the series of processes (S23-S26) are applied similarly even if the replenishment guidance condition is other than "continue until the next replenishment operation," with only the method for calculating the shortage of each part type differing. For example, if the replenishment guidance condition is "continue until the next production stoppage," the presentation unit 82 calculates the shortage of each part type based on the classification information M7 (S23).

[0052] Furthermore, if the supply guidance conditions do not include "continue until the next supply operation" or "continue until the next production stoppage," the display unit 82 calculates the shortage of each component type based on the production plan M1, with the target production quantity (T1) of the currently produced product substrate (for example, product type U1) as the upper limit (S23). The supply ratio D1 and supply quantity D2 for multiple types of components are calculated so as to maximize the time that the component supply device 12 can continue supplying components, or the quantity that the component mounting machine 10 can produce.

[0053] In the process described above, it is possible that at least some of the replenishment quantities for each of the multiple types of components required for the production of the currently produced product board may be zero. This indicates that when components are replenished, the tray feeder 12A will be sufficiently stocked with the components required for the production of the upper limit target number. In such a case, the presentation unit 82 may calculate the replenishment ratio D1N and replenishment amount D2N of the multiple types of components required for the start of production of the next product board (start of Job 2) based on the production plan M1. The method for calculating the replenishment ratio D1N and replenishment amount D2N is the same as in the series of processes described above (S23-S26), so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0054] After the calculation process for the replenishment ratio, etc. (S14) is performed, the display process is performed again (S11). As a result, the display unit 82 displays replenishment guidance information M8, which includes the replenishment ratio D1 and replenishment amount D2, in addition to various other information, on the display device of the tray feeder 12A. Here, the replenishment guidance information M8 may include the production continuation time when the replenishment amount D2 of parts indicated is replenished.

[0055] Furthermore, in the calculation process for supply ratios, etc. (S14), if the conditions for supply guidance cannot be met due to circumstances such as an insufficient number of empty slots and an adjustment process (S26) is executed, the presentation unit 82 may also present the adjustment amount (the adjustment amount from line Ns1 to line Ns2) resulting from the adjustment process. In addition, if there is an insufficient number of empty slots and there are idle slots 33, 41 among the multiple slots 33, 41 that hold used trays 27, the presentation unit 82 may present the retrieval of the trays 27 from the idle slots 33, 41.

[0056] This allows the operator to understand the adjustment amount when an adjustment process is performed in accordance with the set supply guidance conditions. Furthermore, the operator can understand that by retrieving the used trays 27 from the idle slots 33 and 41, it becomes possible to replenish trays 27 that meet the supply guidance conditions. The operator can check the presented supply guidance and reset the supply guidance conditions as needed (S12). When the supply guidance conditions are entered (S13: Yes), the production support device 80 executes the calculation process for the supply ratio, etc., again (S14).

[0057] When the setting of the supply guidance conditions is completed (S13: No), the production support device 80 outputs a list of parts supply including the supply ratio D1 and supply amount D2 presented by the presentation unit 82 (S15). The production support device 80 also sends out various commands and guidance information (S16). The various commands and guidance information include, for example, a dispatch command to dispatch supply trays 27 to the parts warehouse, and work information to the worker's mobile terminal regarding setup work in the setup area and the collection of used trays 27 from the tray feeder 12A.

[0058] The replenishment trays 27 are transported to the tray feeder 12A by an operator or an automated guided vehicle 61 and replenished sequentially in the tray feeder 12A. When trays 27 are replenished in the tray feeder 12A, the production support device 80 updates the tray information M4 and remaining quantity information M5. As a result, the next replenishment notification will display a replenishment ratio D1 and replenishment amount D2 that reflect the updated tray information M4 and remaining quantity information M5.

[0059] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the supply ratio D1 or supply amount D2 for multiple types of parts is presented, preventing biased supply of multiple types of parts and enabling efficient supply work. This prevents workers from being tied down to non-urgent tasks. Furthermore, the supply of necessary and sufficient parts in a balanced manner improves the continuity of production, and as a result, it can support the production of circuit board products.

[0060] 4. Modified Embodiment In this embodiment, the component container Cn for accommodating multiple components is a tray 27. In contrast, the component container Cn may be a carrier tape 56 for accommodating multiple components and a reel 55 around which the carrier tape 56 is wound, as shown in Figure 12. Here, the component mounting machine 10 includes a substrate transport device 11 that sequentially transports the substrate 91 in the transport direction and positions the substrate 91 at a predetermined position within the machine, as shown in Figure 11.

[0061] The parts supply device 12 has feeders 122 set in each of the multiple slots 121. The feeders 122 are tape feeders 50 into which carrier tapes 56 are loaded. The tape feeder 50 receives the carrier tape 56 from the rear side of the feeder body 51 (left side in Figure 12) and drives the sprocket of the tape transport device 52 located below the tape transport path. The parts supply device 12 feeds and moves the carrier tape 56 loaded in the tape feeder 50 to supply parts to the parts supply position 19 of the parts mounting machine 10 so that they can be picked up.

[0062] The component transfer device 13 of the component mounting machine 10 transfers components supplied by the component supply device 12 to predetermined mounting positions on the substrate 91. The head drive device 131 of the component transfer device 13 moves the mobile table 132 horizontally (X and Y directions) by a linear motion mechanism. The mounting head 133, which is detachably fixed to the mobile table 132, supports a plurality of suction nozzles 134 that are rotatable and vertically movable. The suction nozzles 134 pick up components supplied by the feeder 122 using supplied negative pressure air.

[0063] The component camera 14 and the substrate camera 15 of the component mounting machine 10 perform imaging based on control signals and transmit the image data acquired through such imaging. The component camera 14 is configured to be able to image components held by the suction nozzle 134 from below. The substrate camera 15 is mounted on a movable table 132 so as to be able to move horizontally integrally with the mounting head 133. The substrate camera 15 is configured to be able to image the substrate 91 from above.

[0064] The control device 16 of the component mounting machine 10 is mainly composed of a CPU, various memories, and control circuits. The control device 16 stores various data, such as control programs used to control the mounting process. The control program indicates the mounting position, mounting angle, and type of components to be mounted on the circuit board 91 in the planned mounting order during the mounting process.

[0065] In the embodiment in which a product substrate is produced by mounting components supplied using the feeder 122 described above onto a substrate 91, similar to the embodiment, the component supply device 12, which is equipped with multiple feeders 122, needs to replenish components in order to continue supplying components. Here, various replenishment methods can be applied to replenish components to the component supply device 12 during the production of the product substrate. Replenishment methods include the splicing method, the auto-loading method, and the standby method.

[0066] The splicing method is a replenishment method in which a replacement carrier tape 56 is connected to the carrier tape 56 currently in use. The auto-loading method is a replenishment method in which a replacement carrier tape 56 is automatically loaded using a dedicated feeder 122 when the number of remaining components in the carrier tape 56 currently in use falls below a predetermined number. The standby method is a replenishment method using a spare feeder 122.

[0067] In detail, in the standby configuration, the parts supply device 12 is set up with multiple feeders 122, each loaded with a carrier tape 56 containing the same type of parts in multiple slots 121. During the mounting process by the parts mounting machine 10, while one of the multiple feeders 122 is supplying parts, the spare feeder 122 remains in standby mode and is not used. At a predetermined switching timing, the system switches to supplying parts using the spare feeder 122. The timing for switching to the spare feeder 122 may be when a parts run out, or when the remaining number of parts falls below a predetermined number.

[0068] In a component mounting machine 10 employing the standby system described above, multiple feeders 122, including spares, may be set in the slots 121 to supply multiple types of components. In such cases, the production support device 80 may be incorporated into the control device 16 of the component mounting machine 10 and, similar to the embodiment, present replenishment guidance information, including the replenishment ratio or replenishment amount of multiple types of components, based on various information, in order to efficiently supply the feeder 122 loaded with component containers Cn (reels 55, carrier tape 56) to the component supply device 12. In this case, the various information includes feeder information indicating the feeder ID, the type of component contained in the reel 55 loaded in the feeder 122, and the quantity, instead of the tray information M4. This achieves the same effects as in the embodiment.

[0069] 10: Parts mounting machine, 12: Parts supply device, 121: Slot, 122: Feeder, 123: Reel holder, 16: Control device, 19: Parts supply position, 12A: Tray feeder (parts supply device), 31: Upper supply magazine, 32: Lower supply magazine, 33: Slot, 23: Warehouse magazine, 41: Slot, 45: Magazine, 25: Feeder control device, 27: Tray (parts container), 28: Pallet, 50: Tape feeder, 55: Reel (parts container), 56: Carrier tape (parts container), 80: Production support device, 81: Storage unit, 82: Display unit, 91: Circuit board,

Claims

1. A production support device applied to a component mounting machine that produces a product substrate by mounting multiple types of components supplied by a component supply device onto a substrate, comprising: a storage unit that stores product information indicating the types and required number of components necessary for the production of the product substrate, and remaining quantity information indicating the remaining quantity of each of the multiple types of components set to be supplied to the component supply device; and a presentation unit that, based on the product information and the remaining quantity information, presents at least one of a replenishment ratio, which is the ratio of the multiple types of components that need to be replenished in order for the component supply device to continue supplying the components, and a replenishment amount for each of the multiple types of components according to the replenishment ratio.

2. The production support device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores work information indicating the scheduled execution of a replenishment operation to replenish a plurality of types of parts at a predetermined time or after a predetermined period of time, and the presentation unit presents, based on the work information, at least one of the replenishment ratio and the replenishment amount of the plurality of types of parts that need to be replenished in order for the parts supply device to continue supplying the parts until at least the next replenishment operation.

3. The production support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage unit stores classification information for suspending production by the parts mounting machine for a predetermined number of units or a predetermined period of time, and the presentation unit presents, based on the classification information, at least one of the replenishment ratio and the replenishment amount of a plurality of types of parts that need to be replenished in order for the parts supply device to continue supplying the parts until at least the next production suspension.

4. The production support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage unit stores a production plan indicating the target production number and production order of a plurality of types of product substrates, and the presentation unit, based on the production plan, presents at least one of the replenishment ratio and the replenishment amount of a plurality of types of components that need to be replenished in order for the component supply device to continue supplying the components until the product substrates currently being produced reach the target production number.

5. The production support device according to claim 4, wherein, when the presenting unit is presenting at least one of the replenishment ratio and replenishment amount of the multiple types of components required to start production of the next product board, based on the production plan, when at least a portion of the replenishment amount of each of the multiple types of components required to produce the product board currently being produced is zero.

6. The production support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the parts supply device is supplied with parts by setting a parts container that houses a plurality of parts, supplies the parts in a way that allows them to be taken using the parts container, and the display unit displays at least one of the supply ratio and the supply amount in units of the parts container.

7. The production support device according to claim 6, wherein the parts supply device has a plurality of slots for holding the parts containers, and the presentation unit calculates the number of parts containers that can be supplied according to the number of empty slots among the plurality of slots that can hold the newly supplied parts containers, and presents at least one of the supply ratio and the supply amount of a plurality of types of parts based on the number of parts that can be supplied.

8. The production support device according to claim 7, wherein the display unit displays at least one of the supply ratio and supply amount of a plurality of types of components so as to maximize the time for which the component supply device can continue supplying the components, or the quantity for which the component mounting machine can produce the product substrates.

9. The production support device according to claim 7, wherein the presentation unit presents the retrieval of the component container from the idle slot when the number of available slots is insufficient and there is an idle slot among the multiple slots that holds a used component container.

10. The production support device according to claim 6, wherein the component container is a tray for accommodating a plurality of the components, and the component supply device has a plurality of slots for holding the tray, and pulls out the tray from a predetermined slot and supplies the components in a manner that allows them to be picked up at the component supply position of the component mounting machine.

11. The production support device according to claim 6, wherein the component container comprises a carrier tape for accommodating a plurality of components and a reel on which the carrier tape is wound, and the component supply device has a plurality of slots for setting feeders, and feeds and moves the carrier tape loaded in the feeders to supply the components in a manner that allows them to be picked up at the component supply position of the component mounting machine.

12. The production support device according to claim 11, wherein the component supply device is set up with a plurality of feeders, each loaded with a carrier tape containing the same type of component in a plurality of slots, and supplies the components in a standby manner, switching the supply of the components from a predetermined feeder to a spare feeder during production of the product substrate by the component mounting machine.

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