Method and system for populating printed circuit boards of one or more printed circuit board types on an assembly line by means of a pipette changer setup
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/EP2026/054283
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-02-27
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-03
Smart Images
Figure EP2026054283_03092026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] 202502547 Foreign version
[0002] 1
[0003] Description
[0004] Method and system for placing printed circuit boards of one or more types on a placement line using a pipette changer setup
[0005] The invention relates to a method for placing printed circuit boards of one or more types on a placement line by means of a pipette changer equipment of one or more types in one or more pipette changers and associated system as well as an associated computer program product.
[0006] Particularly in the field of electronics production, printed circuit boards or assemblies are manufactured on SMT assembly lines using surface mount technology (SMT). Electronics production is characterized by high demands for short lead times, high productivity (including short changeover times, short production times, etc.), and high flexibility.
[0007] Several pick-and-place machines, typically connected by a transport system, which work together, for example, to manufacture or assemble (electronic) modules, constitute a pick-and-place line. A pick-and-place system comprising one or more pick-and-place lines thus forms a group, also called a cluster in this context, of one or more pick-and-place lines. Each group can be located within a single production facility.
[0008] In industrial manufacturing plants in the field of electronics production, assemblies (or printed circuit boards) are produced to order with fixed batch sizes.
[0009] Batch sizes implicitly determine how frequently an assembly needs to be produced. The smaller the batch size of an assembly, the more frequently it must be produced, and the greater the setup costs.
[0010] Creating a component setup for an assembly line takes approximately 6-8 hours and is therefore extremely time-consuming. The production of the assemblies often takes place in so-called setup families. A setup family is a set of assembly types that can be produced with a single setup on the assembly line. 202502547 Foreign version
[0011] 2
[0012] In other words, a kit family comprises a set of batches that can be manufactured within a single kit. All subassemblies of the subassembly types within a kit family can therefore be manufactured sequentially on the assembly line without retooling.
[0013] A component assembly can be held on one or more assembly tables, which can be easily exchanged at the pick-and-place machine. However, re-equipping an assembly table with components of predetermined component types is time-consuming.
[0014] On the SMT lines in electronics factories, assemblies are populated with countless different electronic components. A specific number of assemblies are typically assigned to an SMT line for assembly in the medium to long term. Production is characterized by competitive demands for short lead times, high productivity (including short changeover times, short production times, etc.), and high flexibility.
[0015] The assigned assemblies are populated with the required components on the machines of a placement line using their placement heads. A placement head has one or more segments on which pipettes can be mounted. A pipette mounted on the head can then be used to pick up and place components of certain types.
[0016] The pipettes are loaded and provided in pipette changers on the assembly line. A pipette required by a placement head for assembly must be loaded in a pipette changer accessible to the placement head.
[0017] There are one or more placement heads that can pick up pipettes from a pipette changer and use them for component placement. With the picked-up pipettes, the placement heads can then retrieve components from one or more tables of the placement line and use them to populate a printed circuit board.
[0018] Pipette changer
[0019] • Pipette changers have magazines with compartments or storage containers in which the pipettes are kept.
[0020] • Depending on the setting, a magazine may contain different or only identical pipettes of one (pipette) type. 202502547 Foreign version
[0021] 3
[0022] When pipettes are loaded into the pipette changers of an assembly line, this is referred to as pipette changer setup of the assembly line.
[0023] Since it is extremely time-consuming to equip or change pipettes in the pipette changers, the goal is to equip the pipette changers of an assembly line with pipettes for as long as possible "without change", until the range of printed circuit boards to be assembled on the assembly line changes again.
[0024] For example, ASMPT SMT Solutions offers planning software that optimally distributes orders across individual production lines and groups them into family setups (https: / / smt.asmpt.com / de / produkte / software-solutions / works / works-planning / ).
[0025] Currently, attempts are often made manually to find a pipette changer configuration that can be used for all circuit boards assigned to the line. However, this is very complex. Once a pipette changer configuration is found, it often necessitates a change in the distribution of assembly types across the line. This is very time-consuming, and the resulting solution usually leads to significantly worse production times.
[0026] From EP 3226669 A1, a system for line changeover of a placement line in which components are mounted on a printed circuit board using several placement machines along a conveyor path is known, wherein a combination of batch changeover units, comprising all feeding devices or suction nozzles to be used in production after the changeover, is determined and communicated to an operator.
[0027] The object of the invention is to determine, over a planning period, at least one pipette changer setup for the placement heads of a placement line for a set of assembly or circuit board types in such a way that changeover times can be avoided.
[0028] This task is solved by independent claims. Advantageous further training is the subject of dependent claims.
[0029] The invention relates to a method for assembling printed circuit boards of one or more types to be manufactured on a placement line by means of a pipette changer equipment of pipettes of one or more different pipette types. 202502547 Foreign version
[0030] 4
[0031] in one or more pipette changers, wherein one or more equipped pipettes can each be received by a segment of a placement head, characterized in that at least one pipette changer fixed configuration is determined by computer for a quantity of printed circuit boards to be placed,
[0032] - wherein the pipette changers of a placement line remain fixed with pipettes for a predefinable planning period in which the range of printed circuit board types to be placed does not change,
[0033] - the determination is made taking into account the capacities and the nature of the magazines of the pipette changers,
[0034] - where the optimization criterion aims to maximize the sum of the number of all placement positions across all component types and across all pipette changers that can be placed with one or two pipettes of the same type from the same pipette changer,
[0035] -whereby the determination is made using input data that includes at least the quantities of printed circuit board types, pipette types, pipette changers, component types and their assignments,
[0036] - whereby all circuit boards of the assembly line can be populated with the help of one or more specific pipette changer fixed installations.
[0037] The above procedure can be iterated any number of times.
[0038] If the pipettes cannot be changed, this is referred to as a fixed pipette changer setup on the assembly line. If the pipettes in a single pipette changer of an assembly line remain unchanged for a predetermined planning period, this is called a fixed pipette changer setup. A fixed pipette changer setup on an assembly line occurs when the pipettes in all pipette changers of an assembly line remain unchanged for a predetermined planning period. Only the "fixed" pipettes in the pipette changers are then used for assembly. This reduces the time required to load or change pipettes in the pipette changers.
[0039] The assembly of the printed circuit boards is carried out using one or more specific pipette changer fixtures.
[0040] Preferably, the result of the specific pipette changer setup(s) is output to a control and / or regulation system, or the specific pipette changer setup(s) can be output in computer-readable form. The assembly of the printed circuit boards is ultimately carried out by the control or regulation system. 202502547 Foreign version
[0041] 5
[0042] Printed circuit boards (PCBs) can be assigned to the assembly line in advance. Depending on the configuration of one or more pipette changer fixtures, the PCB assignment can be changed so that the pipette types in the pipette changer fixture(s) match the required component types used to assemble the assigned PCBs.
[0043] The pipette changer configuration should preferably be determined such that for each component type of a first set of component types, whose components, with which the printed circuit boards to be manufactured are to be populated, must be placed using placement heads that accept pipettes from the pipette changer configurations, there is a pipette changer in which at least one pipette is configured appropriately for the respective component type mentioned above. In other words, there are components from the first set of component types that absolutely must be placed using a first type of placement head, e.g., a Twinhead.
[0044] For each component type of a second set of component types excluding the first set of component types, whose components, with which the printed circuit boards to be manufactured are to be populated, can be placed with placement heads that accept pipettes from the pipette changer fixtures, there is a pipette changer in which at least one pipette is equipped to match the respective component type mentioned above.
[0045] In other words, there are components from the second set of component types that could also be placed with other types of placement heads, e.g., a turret head, but for which it may be advantageous to place them with a placement head of the first type, e.g., a twinhead, since this placement head of the first type can reduce the overall placement time.
[0046] Each placement head should be able to pick up components of a component type that matches the pipette type of one of the picked-up pipettes from one or more tables (T) of the placement lines and thus set the placement positions of a printed circuit board.
[0047] If a placement head has n segments for holding the n pipettes, then n pipettes of one pipette type should also be fitted into the pipette changer from which the placement head picks up the pipettes.
[0048] Especially with twin-head heads, i.e., placement heads with two segments, it is difficult to find fixed pipette changer configurations for all circuit boards assigned to the line, as these placement heads have a very large variety of different 202502547 foreign version
[0049] 6
[0050] Pipette types are required for assembly, and the capacities of the pipette changers are relatively small.
[0051] Regarding the capacity and design of the pipette magazines, there are, for example, single-compartment magazines, meaning magazines with only one compartment each, in which only pipettes of a specific type may be stored. Double-compartment magazines with two compartments or magazines with more than two compartments are also possible, which can only accommodate pipettes of a different specific type.
[0052] Even in line clusters with multiple identical lines of the same type, the assigned printed circuit boards (PCBs) can be flexibly manufactured on all lines of the cluster, and a more consistently even utilization of the lines can be achieved with the use of specific, fixed, and identical pipette changer configurations. Finding a fixed pipette changer configuration that is identical for all lines in line clusters is particularly difficult because a very wide variety of PCB types are manufactured there, and therefore a correspondingly large number of different component types must be implemented.
[0053] Additionally, a weighting can be chosen between a further objective, to maximize the sum of the number of placeable component types across all pipette changers, and the aforementioned objective, to maximize the sum of the total number of placement positions across all component types and across all pipette changers that can be placed with at least two pipettes of one pipette type from the respective pipette changer.
[0054] To determine one or more specific pipette changer configurations, the following data is used as input data:
[0055] - Set of component types of a printed circuit board type that can be placed using pipettes from the pipette type set;
[0056] - Number of pipette changers that placement heads have access to, that can place components of a specific component type, and that are allowed to pick them up from tables on which components of that component type are being prepared;
[0057] - Number of pipette types that can be used to place components of a specific component type;
[0058] - Quantity of pipette types that may be fitted into a specific pipette changer; 202502547 Foreign version
[0059] 7
[0060] - Number of component types that can be placed with a specific pipette type from placement heads accessible via the corresponding pipette changer,
[0061] The method according to the invention is preferably implemented using a computer. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the determination of the pipette changer setup is carried out using mixed-integer programming. Mixed-integer programming represents a global optimization approach that is easily extendable and suitable for commercial solution methods.
[0062] Solver tools, also called solvers, are available. Using mixed-integer programming, global maxima can be found in a large number of possible solutions, allowing for the discovery of a particularly good solution. Available methods and tools for mixed-integer programming are constantly being improved, so even better optimization results are expected in the future.
[0063] A measure can be predetermined or become predetermined, which expresses a proportion of the difference between the key figure and a maximum achievable allocation accuracy.
[0064] This difference is also called the "gap". It is preferred to use an optimization method that can determine this "gap". This can be achieved in particular with mixed-integer programming.
[0065] The fixed pipette changer equipment(s) determined according to the invention results in an increase in productivity in the production facility(ies), in that
[0066] • Setup time for the pipettes is significantly reduced
[0067] • (in the longer term) the planning effort is reduced,
[0068] • Productivity is increased through shorter lead times, shorter changeover times and shorter production times.
[0069] • Flexibility, throughput, and delivery reliability are increased.
[0070] Another aspect of the invention provides for a system, in particular a production planning and / or control system, comprising at least one computing unit or processor configured to perform the computer-aided determination of the one or more pipette changer setups described above and a control device of a placement line with 202502547 Foreign version
[0071] 8
[0072] to initiate pipette changers to carry out a printed circuit board assembly with the components necessary for this assembly using the specific one or more pipette changer fixed setups.
[0073] The system or device and any associated unit(s) are designed to perform such process steps and may be implemented in hardware, firmware and / or software.
[0074] Another aspect of the invention is a computer program (product) comprising a program code executable by a computing unit or processor, which includes instructions that cause the execution of the method according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments on the system of the above-mentioned type and / or on another data processing system.
[0075] The computer program or product can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or data carrier. It is possible that the computer program (product) is embedded in a data carrier signal intended for downloading it from a server to a storage medium. The computer program or product can be written in a common programming language (e.g., C++, Java). A processing unit or processor for executing its program code / program code modules can comprise a standard computer or server with appropriate input, output, and storage capabilities. This processing unit or computing unit can be integrated into the data processing system or system of the type described above, or into its units, or implemented within the system or its system components.
[0076] The computer-implemented method also applies to so-called cloud services (cloud = computer cloud). A computer cloud typically comprises one or more servers operated by a cloud service provider and configured to deliver a cloud service to a service provider, e.g., a consortium of companies. Therefore, a data processing system can be implemented in a computer cloud.
[0077] The system, the data processing system and the devices, as well as the computer program (product) and data carrier or data carrier signal, can be further developed or trained analogously to the above-mentioned procedure and its further developments. 202502547 Foreign version
[0078] 9
[0079] In the above computer-implemented method, "predefined" or "predefined" can be used.
[0080] "Predefinable" means that one or more input values are already defined, for example by default values, or are specified or defined by a user and / or by output values of an upstream computer-implemented process, and / or can be predefinable or defined. These input values are then captured by the computer-implemented process.
[0081] Further advantages, details and developments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawings.
[0082] Figure 1 shows an exemplary assembly plant with assembly lines for printed circuit board production, and
[0083] Figure 2 shows an example of a placement machine of a placement line with three Twinhead placement heads, associated pipette changers and a prepared pipette changer.
[0084] Figure 1 shows an exemplary assembly plant or assembly system with placement lines BL1–BL3 for printed circuit board (PCB) production. A placement line, e.g., BL1, typically consists of placement machines BA1–BA3, with each placement line connected to the others by a transport system FB1–FB3 (e.g., conveyor belts) for transporting the PCBs to be assembled, e.g., LP1, LP2. The components to be placed onto the PCBs, e.g., B1, B2, are typically supplied to placement machine BA1 or to other placement machines BA2, BA3 via (setup) tables with a multitude of feeders, e.g., F1, F2. Each placement machine includes one or more placement heads, each configured to pick up components B1, B2 from the feeders of a setup table and position them at a predetermined placement position on the assembly or PCB located on the transport system.For the provision of components, so-called belt feeders are used, for example, which are suitable for transporting and feeding components stored in belts. These transport the components, which are stored in pocket-like recesses, to a pick-up position where the components are picked up from the belt pockets by the placement head. The empty belt exits the feeding device at a suitable point. A very similar description of how a placement machine works can be found at https: / / www.faulhaber.com / de / motion / bestueckungsautomaten / (202502547 Foreign version).
[0085] 10
[0086] From a total quantity GM of printed circuit boards (PCBs), a quantity M1-M3 of PCBs is to be assigned to each assembly line to achieve the lowest possible component variance across lines BL1-BL3. The component variance of a line BL1-BL3 refers to the number of component types used on that line. Furthermore, when assigning PCBs to lines BL1-BL3, it must be considered that the PCBs on lines BL4-BL6 usually have different production times. Additionally, the maximum production time capacities of the respective lines BL1-BL3 must not be exceeded. A control unit or system C assigns the PCBs LP1 and LP2 on the assembly line to a setup family. A setup family is a set of PCB types whose PCBs can be fully populated with components of the component types provided on the setup tables in the component setup area.An armor family is usually assigned to exactly one armor set, and vice versa.
[0087] The determination of the allocation of the printed circuit boards from the total quantity GM to the quantities M1 - M3, which are then manufactured on the respective line BL1 - BL3, is carried out, for example, using the method from DE 102011 076565 B4.
[0088] Figure 2 shows an example of a placement machine BA2 of a placement line with two Twinhead placement heads KT 2 and KT3, associated pipette changers and a prepared pipette changer PW.
[0089] In the example shown in Figure 2, two Twinhead placement heads KT2 and KT3 are mounted on the placement machine BA2, each with a pipette changer. Pipette changer PW, for example, has 8 magazines. A magazine can be configured with two compartments (called a double garage), one compartment (called a single garage), or multiple compartments.
[0090] In such an exemplary scenario, the types of components in the assemblies to be populated are preferably determined at the outset, specifically those that should be placeable with Twinhead placement heads. These include, firstly, the components that absolutely must be placed with Twinhead placement heads. Secondly, there are components that could also be placed with other placement heads, but for which it may be advantageous to use a Twinhead placement head.
[0091] Components that can be used with both the Twinhead and a CPP placement head 202502547 Foreign version
[0092] 11
[0093] (Turret placement head) KR can be used and those that require an external camera with the CPP placement head are an example of this.
[0094] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method according to the invention can determine fixed twin-head pipette changer setups, which, for example, the planning software from ASMPT SMT described above can use to find permissible and efficient component-result setups for the assemblies to be placed. To ensure permissible component setups, pipettes must be available in the pipette changers for all components to be placed, enabling a placement head to pick up and place the respective component from a possible setup table T.
[0095] Solutions with the best production times are achieved with unused, unoccupied pipette changer setups. An unfavorable, fixed pipette changer setup can hinder good production times. The MILP approach described below therefore aims to find pipette changer setups that offer the highest possible flexibility for planning software such as that from ASMPT SMT.
[0096] The goal is to design the pipette changer setup so that the components have as many placement head alternatives as possible. However, to achieve good production times, it may also be necessary to load two pipettes of the same type into a single pipette changer. Therefore, efforts are made to ensure that components with many placement positions can be placed using two pipettes of the same type from the pipette changer. This often results in particularly good twinhead cycle times. For example: A twinhead places 20 component positions. If there is only one pipette in the pipette changer that it can use, the twinhead must place these positions with one segment, resulting in 20 placement cycles. However, if it can use both segments with two pipettes of the same type, it only needs 10 placement cycles, almost halving the placement time.
[0097] Following the setup of the specific pipette changer(s), the components required for assembling the printed circuit boards, which are compatible with the assembled pipettes, are placed on the tables. For this purpose, a method for creating fixed setups on assembly lines can be used, for example, as described in DE 102012220904 B4. 202502547 Foreign version
[0098] 12
[0099] The control system C is designed to execute the computer-implemented method according to the invention, which is explained in more detail below, for determining the one or more pipette changer configurations permanently equipped with pipettes. The system is coupled to a data storage device and can retrieve stored or pre-configured models M of the assembly. One or more optimization units can be integrated into or coupled / connected to the system, which in turn can be coupled to so-called solvers S, e.g., Cplex, Gurobi. Solvers are special mathematical computer programs that can solve mathematical problems numerically. The optimization unit performs a determination of the pipette changer configuration.
[0100] A central control device or multiple control devices (not shown) that control the printed circuit board assembly process on one or more assembly lines to fulfill the assembly orders can each be connected to a server or server farm, a cloud, or a computing cloud via wired and / or wireless network technologies. It is also possible to integrate a central control device into the computing cloud.
[0101] Ultimately, the assembly of the printed circuit boards is carried out using one or more specific pipette changer fixtures, in particular controlled by the control system.
[0102] Linear optimization is a special case of optimization methods. It deals with the optimization of linear objective functions over a set constrained by linear equations and inequalities. It forms the basis of the solution methods for (mixed-)integer linear optimization. In the context of mixed-integer programming (MIP) or mixed-integer linear programming (MILP), standard solvers such as CPLEX, Scip, Gurobi, and Xpress can be used for small IP programs (integer optimization models).
[0103] More difficult than linear optimization is the case of nonlinear integer optimization (MINLP), where the objective function, the constraints, or both may be given. The solution is achieved by using suitable linear approximations, allowing standard solvers to be used directly. Furthermore, the aforementioned standard solvers can each already solve certain types of nonlinear problems. Additionally, there are further solvers that specialize in solving nonlinear problems (e.g., Antigone, Baron).
[0104] 13
[0105] Using nonlinear integer optimization methods, the pipette changer configurations can be determined with which an optimal or maximum characteristic value is achieved for all pipette changers.
[0106] Optimizers based on mixed integer programming are available as commercial and non-commercial products, as explained above.
[0107] Advantages of mixed integer linear optimization include:
[0108] Global optimization approach.
[0109] Easily expandable.
[0110] Very good commercial standard solvers (e.g. Gurobi, SCIP, CPLEX, Ilog, Xpress) that are widely used and proven in practice.
[0111] For a given solution, the maximum distance (gap) from the optimal solution is known.
[0112] An output unit of the system, not shown, provides the optimization result, including the pipette changer configuration, in a format suitable for controlling and / or regulating the fulfillment of the assembly order. This format should be computer-readable, e.g., one or more Excel spreadsheets in CSV format containing information on which pipette of which type is to be loaded into the pipette changer compartments.
[0113] Subsequently, it can be assessed, preferably by means of simulation, what effect the specific pipette changer configuration(s) have on the operation of the individual assembly lines.
[0114] If necessary, the determination of the pipette changer configuration(s) can then be repeated. Using the specified pipette changer configuration(s), a device or machine, especially a robot, and / or qualified personnel can, for example, equip the pipette changers with the corresponding pipettes of the specified configuration pipette types.
[0115] A computing unit (not shown) of the control device C can then control and / or regulate the assembly of modules accordingly. 202502547 Foreign version
[0116] 14
[0117] Additionally and alternatively, it is possible for the control device to receive other computer-readable control signals in order to initiate the control / regulation process in its computing unit.
[0118] Once the pipette changer setup(s) have been determined, component placement can begin on the assembly line. Typically, components are individually fixed to the circuit boards / printed circuit boards using solder paste. The assembled circuit boards can then be finished in a reflow oven, where the solder paste is temporarily melted, electrically and mechanically connecting the components to the conductive traces on the circuit board surface.
[0119] The following describes a MILP formulation for determining the pipette changer setup(s), which, based on a current allocation of assembly lines with component types to be manufactured over a planning period, determines that specified (assembly) line restrictions are adhered to (including production time limits) and that a maximum number of component types can be set.
[0120] Several restrictions must be taken into account:
[0121] • The capacities of the pipette changers are maintained.
[0122] • It is guaranteed that the components to be installed with Twinhead will
[0123] o at least one permissible pipette is available in the Twinhead pipette changers at possible setup tables.
[0124] • The flexibility / freedom for the assembly line distribution (as shown in Figure 1) is maximized:
[0125] o Each component must be able to be set up at as many tables as possible.
[0126] Components of one type should be able to be placed on a table using at least two pipettes of the same type.
[0127] The following terms are used in the MIP formulation:
[0128] Indices 202502547 Foreign version
[0129] 15
[0130] R Set of assembly types
[0131] NT number of pipette types
[0132] C Set of component types of assembly types R that can be set with pipettes from NT
[0133] NTSingleRec Quantity of pipette types that need to be set up in single-garage magazines
[0134] NC Quantity of pipette changers
[0135] NC c Number of pipette changers that placement heads can access, that can place type c components, and that are allowed to pick up components from setup tables on which type c components may be set up.
[0136] NT c Set of pipette types with which components of type c can be placed
[0137] NT nc Number of pipette types that may be equipped in the pipette changer nc
[0138] Cnt,nc Set of component types from C that can be placed using the pipette type nt from placement heads accessible on nc
[0139] parameter
[0140] CdPnc Number of compartments of the pipette changer nc
[0141] CapSingleReCnc Number of individual garages of the pipette changer nc PlacementCountc Total number of placement positions of component type c for all assemblies to be populated
[0142] Binary variables
[0143] SetuPnt.nc variable that indicates whether the pipette type nt is equipped in the pipette changer nc.
[0144] must be. (In this case, it takes the value 1; otherwise, the value 0)
[0145] `doubleSetupnt.nc` is a variable that indicates whether the pipette type `nt` is set up twice in the pipette changer `nc`.
[0146] must be. (In this case, it takes the value 1; otherwise, the value 0) 202502547 Foreign version
[0147] 16
[0148] isDoubleNtllsable c,nc Variable that indicates whether two pipettes of the same type are equipped in the pipette changer nc, with which components of type c can be set (In this case it takes the value 1, otherwise the value 0)
[0149] Objective function: Maximize, across all pipette changers, the sum of the number of placement positions that can be set with two pipettes of one type from each pipette changer.
[0150]
[0151] Conditions:
[0152] (1) Each component type must be capable of being placed on a component. This means that for each component type there is a pipette changer in which a permissible pipette for that component type is installed, and a placement head that has access to it and is authorized to place components of that component type using that pipette type. In addition, components of that component type must also be able to be placed on at least one table that this placement head can access.
[0153] >
[0154]
[0155] (2) The capacities of the pipette changers must be adhered to.
[0156] set up nt nc + doubleSetup nt nc < CapNC nc nc e NC
[0157]
[0158] (3) If there are pipettes that need to be prepared in individual garages, then the capacities of the individual garage pipette changers must be sufficient for this purpose.
[0159] set up ntnc + doubleSetup ntnc < CapSingleRecNC nc nc e NC
[0160]
[0161] ntENTSingleRec202502547 Foreign version
[0162] (4) In a pipette changer, a second pipette of a certain type may only be fitted if a first pipette of that type has already been fitted.
[0163] doubleSetup nt nc < setup nt nc nt E NT,nc E NC
[0164] (5) Two pipettes of the same type from the pipette changer may be used for components of the same type.
[0165]
[0166] (6) If pipettes of a particular type that have been fitted in a pipette changer cannot be used, they must not be fitted there.
[0167] set up nt nc = 0 nc E NC
[0168]
[0169] ntENT: nttNT nc
[0170] (7) Only pipettes that can also be used to place components may be fitted into a pipette changer.
[0171] (8) In addition to or alternatively to the above objective function, a second objective function may be provided: Maximize the sum of the number of placeable components across all pipette changers.
[0172] (9) The objective functions can be assigned different weights.
[0173] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by the preferred embodiment, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived from them by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. 202502547 Foreign version
[0174] 18
[0175] The implementation of the processes or procedures / steps described above can be carried out using commands or instructions stored on computer-readable, non-volatile storage media or in volatile computer memory (hereinafter collectively referred to as computer-readable memory). Examples of computer-readable memory include volatile memory such as caches, buffers, or RAM, as well as non-volatile memory such as removable media, hard drives, etc.
[0176] The functions or steps described above can be represented in the form of at least one instruction set in / on computer-readable memory. These functions or steps are not bound to a specific instruction set, a specific form of instruction sets, a specific storage medium, a specific processor, or specific execution schemes, and can be executed by software, firmware, microcode, hardware, processors, integrated circuits, etc., either independently or in any combination. Various processing strategies can be employed, such as serial processing by a single processor, multiprocessing, multitasking, or parallel processing, etc.
[0177] The instructions can be stored in local storage, but it is also possible to store the instructions on a remote system, e.g., the cloud, and access them via a network.
[0178] In the context of the invention, "computer-based" or "computer-implemented" can, for example, be understood to mean an implementation of the method in which, in particular, a processor or a computing unit, which may be part of the (control or processing) pre- / device or unit and / or a computer and / or one or more services in a computer cloud of a service provider, performs at least one process step of the method.
[0179] Unless otherwise specified in the following description, the terms "map", "recreate", "receive", "apply", "output", "provide" and the like preferably refer to actions and / or processes and / or processing steps that modify and / or generate data and / or convert the data into other data, wherein the data may in particular be represented or exist as physical quantities.
[0180] The term "processor", "central signal processing", "control unit" or "data evaluation unit", as used here, encompasses processing equipment in the broadest sense.
[0181] 19
[0182] These include, for example, servers, general-purpose processors, graphics processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic circuits such as FPGAs, discrete analog or digital circuits, and any combination thereof, including all other processing means known to those skilled in the art or developed in the future. Processors can consist of one or more systems, devices, units, or systems. If a processor consists of several devices, these can be designed or configured for parallel or sequential processing or execution of instructions. In the context of the invention, a "storage unit" can be understood to mean, for example, a computer-readable storage medium in the form of random-access memory (RAM) or a hard drive.
Claims
202502547 Foreign version 20 Patent claims 1. A method for placing printed circuit boards (LP1, LP2) of one or more types on a placement line (BL1, BL2, BL3) using a pipette changer setup of pipettes of one or more different pipette types in one or more pipette changers (PW), wherein one or more equipped pipettes can each be received by a segment of a placement head (KT1, KT2, KT3; KR), characterized in that at least one pipette changer setup is determined by computer for a quantity of printed circuit boards to be placed. -whereby the pipette changers of a placement line remain fixed with pipettes for a predefinable planning period in which the range of printed circuit board types to be placed does not change, - the determination is made taking into account the capacities and the nature of the magazines of the pipette changers, - where the optimization criterion aims to maximize the sum of the number of all placement positions across all component types and across all pipette changers that can be placed with one or two pipettes of the same type from the same pipette changer, -whereby the determination is made using input data that includes at least the quantities of printed circuit board types, pipette types, pipette changers, component types and their assignments, - and whereby, with the help of one or more specific pipette changer fixed installations, all circuit boards of the assembly line can be populated.
2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the assembly of the printed circuit boards is carried out by means of one or more specific pipette changer fixtures.
3. A method according to the preceding claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pipette changer mounting(s) are determined such that for each component type of a first set of component types, whose components, with which the printed circuit boards to be manufactured are to be populated, must be placed with placement heads that receive pipettes from the pipette changer mountings, there is a pipette changer in which at least one pipette is mounted to suit the respective component type mentioned above. 202502547 Foreign version 21 4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pipette changer mounting(s) are determined such that for each component type of a second set of component types excluding the first set of component types, whose components, with which the printed circuit boards to be manufactured are to be populated, can be placed with placement heads which receive pipettes from the pipette changer mountings, there is a pipette changer in which at least one pipette is mounted to suit the respective component type mentioned above.
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each placement head can pick up components of a component type that matches the pipette type of one of the pipettes picked up from one or more tables (T) of the placement lines and thereby set the placement positions of a printed circuit board.
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that n pipettes of the same pipette type are mounted in a pipette changer when a placement head has n segments for receiving the n pipettes.
7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the one or more pipette changer configurations are determined with a further optimization criterion, which aims to achieve a maximum of the sum of the number of component types to be placed across all pipette changers while adhering to a predefinable maximum production time of the printed circuit boards to be assembled.
8. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that both optimization criteria can be assigned different weightings.
9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the following assignments are used as input data to determine one or more specific pipette changer configurations: - Set of component types of a printed circuit board type that can be placed using pipettes from the pipette type set; 202502547 Foreign version 22 - Number of pipette changers that placement heads have access to, that can place components of a specific component type, and that are allowed to pick them up from tables on which components of that component type are being prepared; - Number of pipette types that can be used to place components of a specific component type; - Number of pipette types that may be fitted into a particular pipette changer; - Number of component types that can be placed with a specific pipette type from placement heads accessible via the corresponding pipette changer, 10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the one or more pipette changer configurations are determined by means of integer linear programming.
11. System (C) comprising at least one computing unit configured to execute the method according to one of the preceding method claims and to initiate a control device of a placement line with pipette changers to carry out the printed circuit board assembly with the components (B1, B2) necessary for this assembly using the specified one or more pipette changer fixed setups.
12. Computer program product comprising a program code executable by at least one computing unit, which includes instructions that cause the execution of the method according to one of the preceding method claims.