Automated work device and method

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automated work device and method capable of efficiently performing work. SOLUTION: An automated work device and method comprising: first to fourth work areas 101-104 that are arranged in two rows and two columns; first to fourth conveyance devices 151, 152, 161, 162 that are arranged in the first to fourth work areas 101-104 and that convey a workpiece forward and in reverse along a first direction; a first work device 130 that performs work on the workpiece in the first and second work areas 101, 102; a second work device 140 that performs work on the workpiece in the third and fourth work areas 103, 104; first relative movement devices 111, 112, 113 for relatively moving the first work device 130 and the workpiece within the first and second work areas; second relative movement devices 121, 122, 123 for relatively moving the second work device 140 and the workpiece within the third and fourth work areas 103, 104; and a control device for causing the first and second work devices 130, 140 to perform work.

Description

Automatic Working Device and Method

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic working device and method for performing specific work on a workpiece, and particularly to an automatic coating device and method for coating a workpiece.

[0002] The production processes in which a liquid material is applied to an object to be coated are very diverse. For example, even when a circuit board is taken as the workpiece to be worked on, there are applications of solder paste to conductive parts, applications of heat dissipation agents to heat sinks, coatings of moisture-proof agents and insulating materials over the entire substrate, etc. In addition to coating, there are pick-and-place of mounted components, soldering, screwing, etc., which are even more diverse. Even outside of circuit boards, the processes of applying liquid materials are diverse, such as adhesion, lubrication, decoration, filling, sealing, shaping, etc., and it is impossible to list them all.

[0003] In any of the above production processes, improving production efficiency and the yield rate is an important aspect. It is common sense to customize the setup and operation method of a fully automatic coating device according to the actual work content in the production process. However, due to the rapid development of technology, the workpieces to be worked on and the work content also change rapidly. And in order to maintain high production efficiency and a high yield rate, the fully automatic coating device must be customized each time according to the change. However, there was no fully automatic coating device with high customization and that could adapt to the rapid changes in work content.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic component mounting device including a substrate loading section that loads a substrate from a previous process using a transfer rail, an XY table section that transfers the substrate from this substrate loading section to an electronic component mounting position using a transfer rail, and a substrate unloading section that unloads the substrate transferred by this XY table section to a subsequent process of an electronic component mounting line using a transfer rail. In the XY table section, an upper transfer rail and a lower transfer rail are provided in an upper and lower multi-stage manner, and both the upper transfer rail and the lower transfer rail are vertically movable so as to be at the same height as the transfer rails of the substrate loading section and the substrate unloading section.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-135986

[0006] Conventional work equipment had the problem of poor operational efficiency because it was in a waiting state while processed workpieces were being unloaded and unprocessed workpieces were being loaded. Furthermore, it lacked the flexibility to arrange the workpiece loading and unloading transfer equipment.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an automated work device and method that can perform work efficiently.

[0008] The automated work apparatus of the present invention comprises the following technical means: [1] First to fourth work areas arranged in two rows and two columns; first to fourth conveying devices arranged in the first to fourth work areas for forward and reverse conveying of workpieces along a first direction; first work device for performing work on the workpieces in the first and second work areas; second work device for performing work on the workpieces in the third and fourth work areas; first relative moving device for moving the first work device and the workpiece relative to each other within the first and second work areas; second relative moving device for moving the second work device and the workpiece relative to each other within the third and fourth work areas; and a control device for causing the first and second work devices to perform work. [2] The automatic work apparatus according to [1], characterized in that the first conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the third conveying device at a first transfer position, the second conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the fourth conveying device at a second transfer position, the third conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the first conveying device at a first transfer position, and the fourth conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the second conveying device at a second transfer position. [3] The automatic work apparatus according to [2], characterized in that it comprises a first transfer device for transferring or receiving the workpiece between the first and second conveying devices, and a second transfer device for receiving or transferring the workpiece between the third and fourth conveying devices. [4] The automatic work apparatus according to any one of [1] to [3], characterized in that the first to fourth conveying devices each comprise first to fourth conveying belts. [5] The automatic work apparatus according to any one of [1] to [4], characterized in that it is equipped with first to fourth work lifting devices for lifting workpieces placed on the first to fourth conveying devices upward in the first to fourth work areas. [6] The automatic work apparatus according to [5], characterized in that the first to fourth conveying devices can transport a second workpiece by the first to fourth conveying belts below a first workpiece lifted by the first to fourth work lifting devices.[7] The automatic work device according to [5] or [6], characterized in that at least one of the first to fourth work lifting devices is equipped with a work holding member having a heating device, and / or at least one of the first to fourth work lifting devices is equipped with a work holding member having a cooling device. [8] The automatic work device according to any one of [1] to [7], characterized in that the first to fourth conveyor belts each consist of a pair of conveyor belts arranged opposite to each other, and further comprises a conveyor width adjustment device for adjusting the distance between the pair of conveyor belts. [9] The automatic work device according to [3], characterized in that the control device performs work on the work by any of the following means. (A) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the first or second conveying device by the first transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the second transfer device by the third or fourth conveying device. (B) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the first or second conveying device by the first transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the first transfer device by the first or second conveying device. (C) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the third or fourth conveying device by the second transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the first transfer device by the first or second conveying device. (D) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the third or fourth conveying device by the second transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the second transfer device by the third or fourth conveying device.

[10] The first work device and the second work device are devices that perform the same work. The automatic work apparatus according to any one of [1] to [9], characterized in that the control device includes a parallel processing mode that causes the first work apparatus to perform work on a first workpiece and the second work apparatus to perform work on a second workpiece.

[11] The automatic work apparatus according to [3], characterized in that the first work apparatus and the second work apparatus are apparatuses that perform the same work, and the control device includes a first alternative mode in which the second work apparatus performs the work of the first work apparatus when the first work apparatus is unavailable, and a second alternative mode in which the first work apparatus performs the work of the second work apparatus when the second work apparatus is unavailable.

[12] The automatic work apparatus according to any one of [1] to

[11] , characterized in that one of the first work apparatus and the second work apparatus is an inspection apparatus.

[13] The automatic work apparatus according to any one of [1] to

[12] , characterized in that the first relative moving apparatus includes a third work apparatus, and / or the second relative moving apparatus includes a fourth work apparatus.

[14] The automatic work apparatus according to any one of [1] to

[13] , characterized in that at least one of the first and second work apparatuses is a discharge apparatus.

[15] The automatic work device according to any one of [1] to

[14] , characterized in that the first work device is a dispensing device for dispensing a first liquid material, and the second work device is a dispensing device for dispensing a second liquid material.

[0009] The automated work method of the present invention comprises the following technical means: An automated work method using an automated work device as described in any of

[16] [1] to

[15] , comprising a first work step of performing work on the workpiece with the first work device in the first and second work areas, and / or a second work step of performing work on the workpiece with the second work device in the third and fourth work areas. An automated work method using an automated work device as described in

[17] [7], comprising a step of heating the workpiece with the heating device, and / or a step of cooling the workpiece with the cooling device. An automated work method using an automated work device as described in

[18]

[10] , comprising a first work step of causing the first work device to perform work on a first workpiece, and a second work step of causing the second work device to perform work on a second workpiece, characterized in that the first work step and the second work step are processed in parallel. An automated work method using the automated work apparatus described in

[19]

[12] , comprising an inspection step of inspecting the workpiece using the first or second work apparatus, and an operation step of performing work on the workpiece using the first or second work apparatus. An automated work method using the automated work apparatus described in

[20]

[15] , comprising a first coating step of applying a first liquid material using the first work apparatus, and a second coating step of applying a second liquid material using the second work apparatus.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automated work device and method that can perform work efficiently.

[0011] This is a top view of the automatic work device of the first embodiment. This is a side view of the automatic work device of the first embodiment. This is a front view of the first movable head of the first embodiment. This is an enlarged projection view of the main part of the first conveying device of the first embodiment. This is a schematic diagram of the first conveying device, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a side view showing the lifting device in the lowered position, and (C) is a side view showing the lifting device in the raised position. This is a top view of the work support member, where (A) is the work support member according to the first embodiment, (B) is the work support member according to the first modification, (C) is the work support member according to the second modification, (D) is the work support member according to the third modification, and (E) is the work support member according to the fourth modification. This is a schematic top view for explaining the work area of ​​the first embodiment. The following are examples of work loading and unloading routes when work can be performed in any of the four work areas: (A) is a route where work is loaded from transport position T1 and unloaded from transport position T4, (B) is a route where work is loaded from transport position T1 and unloaded from transport position T4, (C) is a route where work is loaded and unloaded from transport position T1, (D) is a route where work is loaded from transport position T1 and unloaded from transport position T2, (E) is a route where work is loaded from transport position T1 and unloaded from transport position T2, and (F) is a route where work is loaded from transport position T2 and unloaded from transport position T3. The following are examples of loading and unloading routes for workpieces when performing two different operations: (A) is a route from loading at transport position T1 and unloading at transport position T4; (B) is a route from loading at transport position T1 via transport position T2 and unloading at transport position T4; (C) is a route from loading at transport position T1, performing four operations, and then unloading at transport position T4; (D) is a route from loading at transport position T1, performing four operations, and then unloading at transport position T2; (E) is a route from loading at transport position T1, heating and cooling, and then unloading at transport position T2; and (F) is a route from loading at transport position T2, unloading at transport position T4 if it passes inspection, and unloading at transport position T2 if it fails inspection.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a top view of the automatic work apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, and Figure 2 is a side view. The automatic work apparatus 100 of the embodiment includes four work areas (101 to 104) arranged in two rows and two columns on a frame 110. The first work area 101 and the second work area 102 are arranged side by side in the Y direction and are the areas where work is performed by the first work apparatus 130 mounted on the first movable head 113. The third work area 103 and the fourth work area 104 are arranged side by side in the Y direction and are the areas where work is performed by the second work apparatus 140 mounted on the second movable head 123. In Figure 1, a workpiece W1 is located in the first work area 101, a workpiece W2 is located in the third work area 103, and no workpieces are placed in the stage S2 of the second work area 102 or the stage S4 of the fourth work area 104.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, the first movable head 113 is mounted on the first Y-axis device 112 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The first Y-axis device 112 is a gantry-type operating mechanism supported by columns 112a and 112b connected to the first X-axis devices 111a and 111b, and is movable in the X direction. The first movable head 113 has the first work device 130 and a correction sensor 131 attached to its front via the Z-axis device 114. The second X-axis device 121, second Y-axis device 122, and second movable head 123, which are located on the third work area 103 and fourth work area 104 side, have the same configuration as in Figure 2. The second movable head 123 has a second work device 140 that performs the same work as the first work device 130 and a correction sensor attached via the Z-axis device.

[0014] In this specification, the combination of the X-axis device, Y-axis device, and Z-axis device may be referred to as the relative movement device. As the relative movement device, for example, a device combining an electric motor such as a servo motor or stepping motor with a ball screw, a device using a linear motor, or a device that transmits power by a belt or chain can be used. The operation of the relative movement device, the first work device 130, and the second work device 140 is controlled by a control device (not shown) located inside the frame 110.

[0015] The first working device 130 and the second working device 140 are, for example, a laser processing device and a dispensing device. The laser processing device is a device that creates grooves or holes in a workpiece, engraves letters or patterns, locally heats and melts the workpiece, or cuts the workpiece into multiple individual pieces, and is equipped with a laser oscillator. The dispensing device can employ a dispensing method in which the liquid material contacts the workpiece after it has moved away from the nozzle's discharge port, or a dispensing method in which the liquid material contacts the workpiece before it has moved away from the nozzle's discharge port. Examples of the former type of dispensing device include a jet type, a continuous jet type, or a demand type inkjet type that extends and moves a plunger (valve body), stops abruptly, and applies an inertial force to the liquid material to eject it from the tip of the nozzle. Examples of the latter type of dispensing device include dispensing methods in which the liquid material comes into contact with the workpiece before it separates from the nozzle's discharge opening, such as the tubing type with a flat tubing mechanism or a rotary tubing mechanism, the plunger type which dispenses by moving a plunger that slides in close contact with the inner surface of a storage container with a nozzle at its tip by a desired amount, the screw type which dispenses the liquid material by rotating a screw in a liquid chamber that communicates with the nozzle, and the valve type which controls the discharge of liquid material to which a desired pressure is applied by opening and closing a valve. Other examples include pick-and-place devices that place parts at a specified position on the workpiece, and screw fastening devices that fasten a workpiece to a part on the workpiece with screws.

[0016] The correction sensor 131 includes configurations composed of multiple measuring instruments, such as a combination of an imaging device that acquires correction values ​​in the XY direction and a length measuring device that acquires correction values ​​in the Z direction. In order to repeat the same operation on multiple workpieces of the same shape on a production line, the relative position of the work device 130 and the workpiece must match each time, but it is difficult to achieve high-precision repeatability with only the transport mechanism described later. Therefore, the correction sensor detects the relative position of the work device 130 and the workpiece before the work device performs the operation, and the deviation is fed back and corrected to a control device (not shown) that controls the relative movement device, making it possible to repeatedly perform the operation at the same relative position.

[0017] The automated work device 100 is controlled by a control device (not shown) and includes first to fourth conveying devices (151, 152, 161, 162) for loading and unloading workpieces into and out of four work areas (101 to 104). Specifically, a pair of first conveying belts 151a and 151b are arranged in the first work area 101, a pair of second conveying belts 152a and 152b are arranged in the second work area 102, a pair of third conveying belts 161a and 161b are arranged in the third work area 103, and a pair of fourth conveying belts 162a and 162b are arranged in the fourth work area 104.

[0018] As shown in Figure 4, the first conveyor belt 151a is wound around a plurality of pulleys 153 provided on the support member 154a, and is capable of forward and reverse conveying the workpiece W by receiving the driving force of the rotating device 150a. A pair of lifting actuators 155a, 155b and a pair of connecting members 156a, 156b are arranged outside the pair of support members 154a, 154b. A workpiece support member 157 consisting of three rods is bridged between the pair of connecting members 156a, 156b. A plate-shaped stage S (see Figure 1) is fixed to the workpiece support member 157, but is not shown. The pair of lifting actuators 155a, 155b in this embodiment are cylinders that move the pair of connecting members 156a, 156b and the workpiece support member 157 up and down. In this specification, the combination of a pair of lifting actuators 155a, 155b, a pair of connecting members 156a, 156b, and a workpiece support member 157 may be referred to as a workpiece lifting device. The second to fourth transport devices (152, 161, 162) also include a workpiece lifting device.

[0019] When the pair of lifting actuators 155a and 155b are in the raised position, the pair of connecting members 156a and 156b are positioned above the first conveyor belts 151a and 151b. When the pair of lifting actuators 155a and 155b are in the lowered position, the work support member 157 is housed in the grooves G of the first conveyor belts 151a and 151b and the support members 154a and 154b. Note that if the width of the groove G is wide, it will not be possible to convey workpieces with small dimensions in the Y-axis direction, so it is preferable that the width of the groove G be small, for example, 50 mm or less, preferably 30 mm or less. Since the size of the workpieces W varies, an appropriate size groove G should be selected. In addition, guide mechanisms may be provided at both ends of the work support member 157 or on the pair of connecting members 156a and 156b to guide the workpieces W to move in a straight line on the conveyor belts 151a and 151b.

[0020] Furthermore, a conveying width adjustment mechanism may be provided to adjust the distance between a pair of support members 154a and 154b, thereby configuring the width of the first conveying belts 151a and 151b to be adjustable. As an example of the conveying width adjustment mechanism, a device combining an electric motor and a ball screw is disclosed to move the pair of support members 154a and 154b by the same distance. The second to fourth conveying belts (152, 161, and 162) may also be provided with a conveying width adjustment mechanism, thereby configuring the width of the conveying belts to be adjustable.

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the first conveying device, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a side view showing the lifting actuators 155a and 155b in the lowered position, and (C) is a side view showing the lifting actuators 155a and 155b in the raised position. As shown in Figure 5(B), when the lifting actuators 155a and 155b are in the lowered position, the work support member 157 is stored in the grooves G of the first conveying belts 151a and 151b and the support members 154a and 154b, so that the workpiece W1 can be transported into and out of the work area 101 by the first conveying belts 151a and 151b.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5(C), when the lifting actuators 155a and 155b are in the raised position, the work support member 157 lifts the workpiece W1 and is positioned above the first conveyor belts 151a and 151b, so that the first conveyor belts 151a and 151b can convey the workpiece W2 passing below the workpiece W1.

[0023] In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the work support member 157 that lifts the workpiece W is composed of three rods. However, the work support member is not limited to the example shape and can be composed of various shapes. Figure 6 is a top view of the work support member, where (A) is the work support member 157 according to the first embodiment, (B) is the work support member 157a according to the first modification, (C) is the work support member 158 according to the second modification, (D) is the work support member 159a, 159b according to the third modification, and (E) is the work support member 159c, 159d according to the fourth modification. As shown in Figure 6, the work support member can be composed of various shapes, and shapes other than those illustrated in Figure 6 may be adopted.

[0024] When the width of the conveyor belt changes due to the conveyor width adjustment mechanism described above, a shape with a linear arm as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B) is preferable. Alternatively, it may be composed of a pair of opposing members as shown in Figures 6(D) and (E), or it may be asymmetrical as shown in Figure 6(E). When it is composed of a pair of members that are asymmetrical and point-symmetrical as shown in Figure 6(E), the positions of the grooves provided in the conveyor belt are not opposing, which has the advantage of stable conveyance even when the workpiece W is large.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(B), if the arms are far apart, it may not be possible to stably support a workpiece with small dimensions in the X direction. Therefore, when using a workpiece support member consisting of multiple linear arms, the pitch between the arms is preferably 100 mm or less, and more preferably 50 mm or less.

[0026] Figure 6(C) also shows a modified example in which a plate-shaped work support member 158 is detachably attached to the connecting member 156. When the width of the conveyor belt changes due to the conveyor width adjustment mechanism described above, multiple work support members 158 with different widths may be prepared and the one that matches the width of the conveyor belt may be attached. In the example of Figure 6(C), the work support member 158 is connected to the connecting member 156 at four points, but it may be connected at two, three, or five or more points. Furthermore, by providing a height adjustment mechanism to adjust the position in the Z direction at the connection points with the connecting member 156, the work support member 158 may be configured to eliminate rattle and maintain a horizontal position. When combining a heating device or cooling device, as described later, with the work support member 158, a plate-shaped work support member 158 like the one in Figure 6(C) with a large contact area with the workpiece W is preferred.

[0027] A first transfer device 171 is located on the opposite side of the first Y-axis device 112 from the second work area 102. The first transfer device 171 is movable in the Y direction by the first shift axis device 172. The first transfer device 171 is equipped with a pair of conveyor belts 173a and 173b and is capable of forward and reverse conveying the workpiece W by receiving the driving force of the rotation device 174. The pair of conveyor belts 173a and 173b are at the same height as the first and second conveyor belts (151 and 152), and can transfer and receive workpieces W between the first and second conveyor belts (151 and 152). In addition, the first transfer device 171 can receive the workpiece W to be processed from the unloader 191. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the workpiece W to be processed is received from a workpiece loading device such as a belt conveyor instead of the unloader 191.

[0028] A second transfer device 181 is positioned on the opposite side of the second Y-axis device 122 from the third work area 103. The second transfer device 181 is movable in the Y direction by a second shift axis device 182. The second transfer device 181 is equipped with a pair of conveyor belts 183a and 183b and is capable of forward and reverse conveying the workpiece W by receiving the driving force of the rotation device 184. The pair of conveyor belts 183a and 183b are at the same height as the third and fourth conveyor belts (161 and 162), and can transfer and receive workpieces W between them. The second transfer device 181 can also transfer the processed workpieces W to the loader 192. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the workpieces W are transferred to a workpiece unloading device such as a belt conveyor instead of the loader 192.

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic top view illustrating the work areas 101 to 104 of the first embodiment. The first work area 101 and the third work area 103 are arranged side by side in the X direction, and the position between the first work area 101 and the third work area 103 is the first handover position P1. The second work area 102 and the fourth work area 104 are arranged side by side in the X direction, and the position between the second work area 102 and the fourth work area 104 is the second handover position P2. When handing over the workpiece W at the first handover position P1 and the second handover position P2, the conveyor belts of adjacent conveying devices are rotated in the same direction.

[0030] The first transfer device 171 (not shown) moves back and forth between a transport position T1 for loading and unloading workpieces between it and the first work area 101, and a transport position T2 for loading and unloading workpieces between it and the second work area 102. The first transfer device 171 can receive the workpiece W to be processed from the unloader 191 at transport positions T1 and T2. Note that the workpiece W may be received at any position other than transport positions T1 and T2 (for example, a position between transport positions T1 and T2), and the first shift axis device 172 can be positioned at any location depending on the arrangement of the receiving device.

[0031] The second transfer device 181 (not shown) moves back and forth between a transport position T3 for loading and unloading workpieces between it and the third work area 103, and a transport position T4 for loading and unloading workpieces between it and the fourth work area 104. The second transfer device 181 can transfer the processed workpieces W to the loader 192 at transport positions T3 and T4. The transfer of workpieces W may be performed at any position other than transport positions T3 and T4 (for example, a position between transport positions T3 and T4), and the second shift axis device 182 can be positioned at any location depending on the arrangement of the receiving device.

[0032] The control device (not shown) controls the operation of the first to fourth transport devices (151, 152, 161, 162) and the first and second transfer devices (171, 181), thereby enabling the workpiece W to be transported into the work area from any of the transport positions T1 to T4, and the worked workpiece W to be transported out from any of the transport positions T1 to T4. Below, examples of the transport routes for the workpiece W will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

[0033] Figure 8 shows an example of the loading and unloading routes for a workpiece W when the work can be performed in any of the four work areas 101 to 104. Note that the same work can be performed in any of the work areas enclosed by dotted lines in Figure 8 that are not marked as N / A. Figure 8(A) illustrates the route from loading a workpiece W from transport position T1 to work areas 101 and 103, and then unloading it from transport position T4 via transport position T3 to the outside. Work on the workpiece W may be performed in any of the work areas 101 and 103. Alternatively, the workpiece may be transported to work areas 102 and 104 for work before being transported to transport position T3. Furthermore, the same or different work may be performed on a different workpiece W in work areas 102 and 104 in parallel with the work in work areas 101 and 103.

[0034] Figure 8(B) illustrates the route from transport position T1 to work areas 102 and 104, and then to the outside from transport position T4. Work on the workpiece W may be performed in either work area 102 or 104. Alternatively, the workpiece may be transported to work areas 101 and 103 for work before being transported to transport position T4. Furthermore, the same or different work may be performed on a different workpiece W in work areas 101 and 103 in parallel with the work in work areas 102 and 104.

[0035] Figure 8(C) illustrates the route for transporting a workpiece W from transport position T1 to work areas 101 and 103, and then transporting it out from transport position T1 to the outside. Work on the workpiece W may be performed in either work area 101 or 103. Alternatively, the workpiece may be transported to work areas 102 and 104 for work before being transported to transport position T1. Furthermore, the same or different work may be performed on a different workpiece W in work areas 102 and 104 in parallel with the work in work areas 101 and 103.

[0036] Figure 8(D) illustrates the route by which a workpiece W brought in from transport position T1 is transported to transport position T3 via work areas 101 and 103, then transported from transport position T4 to work area 102 via work area 104, and finally transported to the outside from transport position T2. ​​Work on the workpiece W may be performed in any of work areas 101 to 104.

[0037] Figure 8(E) illustrates the route by which a workpiece W, brought in from transport position T1, is transported to work area 102 via work area 103, transport positions T3 and T4, and work area 104, and then transported outside from transport position T2. ​​Work on the workpiece W may be performed in any of work areas 102 to 104. In Figure 8(E), work cannot be performed in work area 101 due to equipment failure (for example, failure of the lifting actuator 155), but the workpiece W can be transferred between the first work area 101 and the third work area 103. In this case, the production line can continue to operate by using work area 103, where work can be performed normally, as a substitute. The same applies even if the workpiece W can be transferred for reasons other than failure, but work cannot be performed in work area 101 (for example, cleaning of the lifting actuators 155a and 155b in work area 101).

[0038] Figure 8(F) illustrates the route by which a workpiece W brought in from transport position T2 is transported to transport position T4 via work areas 102 and 104, and then transported outside from transport position T3. In Figure 8(F), work cannot be performed in work areas 103 and 104 due to equipment failure (for example, failure of the second work device 140), but the production line can continue to operate by performing work in work area 102, where work can be performed normally. Alternatively, instead of performing work in work area 102, the workpiece may be transported to work area 101 for work, and then the worked workpiece may be transported to transport position T3. Furthermore, the same or different work may be performed on a different workpiece W in work area 101 in parallel with the work in work area 102. The same also applies if the second work device 140 is unavailable for reasons other than failure (for example, maintenance of the second work device 140).

[0039] Figure 9 shows an example of the loading and unloading routes for workpieces W when different tasks are performed at multiple locations in four work areas 101 to 104. The first work device 130 and the second work device 140 may be used to perform different tasks on the same device, or different work devices may be used to perform different tasks.

[0040] Figure 9(A) illustrates a route in which a workpiece W brought in from transport position T1 is transported to work area 101 for a first operation, then transported to work area 103 for a second operation, and finally transported to the outside from transport position T4 via transport position T3. In the example of Figure 9(A), a second operation different from the first operation is performed on the workpiece W. Specifically, it is disclosed that (1) the first work device 130 is a dispensing device for applying a first liquid material, and the second work device 140 is a dispensing device for applying a second liquid material, and (2) the first work device 130 is a dispensing device with excellent quantitative accuracy, and the second work device 140 is a dispensing device with excellent dispensing speed. Note that the same or different operations on other workpieces W may be performed in work areas 102 and 104 in parallel with the operations in work areas 101 and 103.

[0041] Figure 9(B) illustrates the route by which a workpiece W brought in from transport position T1 is transported to work area 102 via transport position T2 for the first operation, then transported to work area 104 for the second operation, and finally transported out from transport position T4. In parallel with the operations in work areas 102 and 104, the same or different operations on other workpieces W may be performed in work areas 101 and 103.

[0042] Figure 9(C) illustrates a route in which a workpiece W, brought in from transport position T1, is transported to work area 101 for the first operation, then to work area 103 for the second operation, then transported to work area 102 via transport positions T3 and T4 for the third operation, then to work area 104 for the fourth operation, and finally transported outside from transport position T4. Note that the outside transport may also be performed from transport position T3. Alternatively, the workpiece may be brought in from transport position T4 and transported out from transport position T1.

[0043] Fig. 9(D) illustrates a route in which the workpiece W carried in from the transfer position T1 is transferred to the work area 101 to perform the first operation, then transferred to the work area 103 to perform the second operation, transferred to the work area 104 via the transfer positions T3 and T4 to perform the third operation, then transferred to the work area 102 to perform the fourth operation, and finally carried out to the outside from the transfer position T4. Note that the workpiece may be carried out to the outside from the transfer position T1. Alternatively, the workpiece may be carried in from the transfer position T2 and carried out from the transfer position T1.

[0044] Fig. 9(E) shows an example of the loading and unloading route when the workpiece support members arranged in the work areas 101 and 102 are equipped with a heating device and a cooling device, respectively. The workpiece support members arranged in the work areas 101 and 102 are, for example, in the shape shown in Fig. 6(C). The workpiece W carried in from the transfer position T1 is transferred to the work area 101 to perform a heating operation, then transferred to the work area 103 to perform the first operation, transferred to the work area 104 via the transfer positions T3 and T4 to perform the second operation, then transferred to the work area 102 to perform a cooling operation, and finally carried out to the outside from the transfer position T4. Note that the workpiece may be carried out to the outside from the transfer position T1. Alternatively, the workpiece W may be carried in from the transfer position T2, the cooling operation may be performed first in the work area 103, the heating operation may be performed last in the work area 101, and then the workpiece may be carried out to the outside from the transfer position T1. Here, the operation by the second working device 140 may be performed in only one of the work areas 103 and 104.

[0045] FIG. 9(F) is an example of the loading and unloading routes when the first working device 130 is an inspection device. The workpiece W loaded from the transfer position T1 is transferred to the work area 101 for pre-work inspection, and then transferred to the work area 103 for the first operation by the second working device 140. It is transferred to the work area 104 via the transfer positions T3 and T4 for the second operation by the second working device 140, and then transferred to the work area 102 for post-work inspection. If it passes both inspections, it is unloaded from the transfer position T4 to the outside. If it fails either inspection, the route for unloading it from the transfer position T2 to the outside is illustrated. Here, the operation by the second working device 140 may be performed in only one of the work areas 103 and 104.

[0046] According to the automatic working device 100 of the embodiment described above, parallel processing for performing the same operation or different operations on a plurality of workpieces W in parallel by one device is possible. Also, since the workpiece W can be loaded and unloaded from any of the transfer positions T1 to T4, even when there are space constraints, flexible cooperation with an external transfer device can be achieved. Furthermore, even when any one of the first and second working devices 130 and 140, and / or any one of the first to fourth work areas 101 to 104 is unavailable due to a failure, maintenance, etc., it is possible to continue the operation on the workpiece W. For example, when a discharge device is used in the working devices 130 and 140, the operation of replacing the storage container (for example, a syringe) for storing the liquid material to be discharged can be performed without stopping the automatic working device 100.

[0047] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiments. Various changes and improvements can be made to the above embodiments, and those in a state where such changes or improvements are made are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0048] For example, in the embodiment, an example in which each of the Y-axis devices 112 and 122 is provided with one working device is disclosed, but a plurality of working devices may be arranged on the first Y-axis device 112, and / or a plurality of working devices may be arranged on the second Y-axis device 122.

[0049] Alternatively, the first and second transfer devices (171, 181) may be equipped with a rotating device capable of positioning in the rotational direction (θ direction), so that the received workpiece W is rotated by 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees before the workpiece W is transferred.

[0050] Furthermore, although the embodiment described an example in which the first to fourth conveying devices (151, 152, 161, 162) and the first and second transfer devices (171, 181) are configured with conveyor belts, the driving force of the rotating device may be transmitted to the workpiece W by means other than conveyor belts. For example, the driving force of the rotating device may be transmitted to a plurality (e.g., 8) roller conveyors via gears, and the workpiece W placed on the roller conveyors may be transported.

[0051] 100...Automatic work device 101...First work area 102...Second work area 103...Third work area 104...Fourth work area 110...Stand 111...First X-axis device 112...First Y-axis device 113...First movable head 121...Second X-axis device 122...Second Y-axis device 123...Second movable head 130...First work device 140...Second work device 150...Rotation device 151...First conveyor belt 152...Second conveyor belt 153...Pulley 154...Support member 155...First lifting actuator 156...Connecting member 157...Work support member 161...Third conveyor belt 162...Fourth conveyor belt 165...Fourth lifting actuator 171...First transfer device 172...First shift shaft device 181...Second transfer device 182...Second shift shaft device G...Groove S...Stage

Claims

1. An automatic work apparatus comprising: first to fourth work areas arranged in two rows and two columns; first to fourth conveying devices arranged in the first to fourth work areas for forward and reverse conveying of workpieces along a first direction; first work device for performing work on the workpieces in the first and second work areas; second work device for performing work on the workpieces in the third and fourth work areas; first relative moving device for moving the first work device and the workpiece relative to each other within the first and second work areas; second relative moving device for moving the second work device and the workpiece relative to each other within the third and fourth work areas; and a control device for causing the first and second work devices to perform work.

2. The automated work apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the third conveying device at a first transfer position, the second conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the fourth conveying device at a second transfer position, the third conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the first conveying device at a first transfer position, and the fourth conveying device can transfer the workpiece to the second conveying device at a second transfer position.

3. The automated work apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a first transfer device for transferring or receiving the workpiece between the first and second transfer devices; and a second transfer device for receiving or transferring the workpiece between the third and fourth transfer devices.

4. The automatic work device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first to fourth conveying devices are each equipped with the first to fourth conveying belts.

5. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with first to fourth work lifting devices for lifting workpieces placed on the first to fourth conveying devices upward in the first to fourth work areas.

6. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the first to fourth conveying devices can convey a second workpiece by the first to fourth conveying belts below a first workpiece lifted by the first to fourth workpiece lifting devices.

7. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the first to fourth workpiece lifting devices is equipped with a workpiece holding member having a heating device, and / or at least one of the first to fourth workpiece lifting devices is equipped with a workpiece holding member having a cooling device.

8. The automatic work device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first to fourth conveyor belts each consist of a pair of conveyor belts arranged opposite to each other, and further comprises a conveyor width adjustment device for adjusting the distance between the pair of conveyor belts.

9. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the control device performs work on the workpiece by any of the following: (A) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the first or second conveying device by the first transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the second transfer device by the third or fourth conveying device; (B) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the first or second conveying device by the first transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the first transfer device by the first or second conveying device; (C) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the third or fourth conveying device by the second transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the first transfer device by the first or second conveying device; (D) Transferring the workpiece to be worked on to the third or fourth conveying device by the second transfer device, and transferring the worked workpiece to the second transfer device by the third or fourth conveying device.

10. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first work apparatus and the second work apparatus are apparatuses that perform the same work, and the control device is equipped with a parallel processing mode that causes the first work apparatus to perform work on a first workpiece and the second work apparatus to perform work on a second workpiece.

11. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first work apparatus and the second work apparatus are apparatuses that perform the same work, and the control device includes a first alternative mode in which the second work apparatus performs the work of the first work apparatus when the first work apparatus is unavailable, and a second alternative mode in which the first work apparatus performs the work of the second work apparatus when the second work apparatus is unavailable.

12. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the first work apparatus and the second work apparatus is an inspection apparatus.

13. The automatic work device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first relative movement device comprises a third work device, and / or the second relative movement device comprises a fourth work device.

14. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the first and second work apparatuses is a discharge apparatus.

15. The automatic work apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first work apparatus is a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a first liquid material, and the second work apparatus is a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a second liquid material.

16. An automated work method using an automated work device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising: a first work step of performing work on the workpiece in the first and second work areas using the first work device, and / or a second work step of performing work on the workpiece in the third and fourth work areas using the second work device.

17. An automated work method using the automated work apparatus described in claim 7, comprising the steps of: heating the workpiece with the heating device, and / or cooling the workpiece with the cooling device.

18. An automated work method using the automated work device described in claim 10, comprising: a first work step of causing the first work device to perform work on a first workpiece; and a second work step of causing the second work device to perform work on a second workpiece, characterized in that the first work step and the second work step are processed in parallel.

19. An automated work method using the automated work device described in claim 12, comprising: an inspection step of inspecting the workpiece using the first or second work device; and a work step of performing work on the workpiece using the first or second work device.

20. An automated work method using the automated work device described in claim 15, comprising: a first coating step of applying a first liquid material with the first work device; and a second coating step of applying a second liquid material with the second work device.

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