Area Camera Imaging for Electronic Component Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic component mounting apparatuses face limitations in efficiently imaging and recognizing electronic components of varying sizes due to the need for multiple mechanical scanning and imaging elements, which results in slow scanning times and increased costs, making them unsuitable for high-speed production lines.
Innovation Solution
An electronic component mounting apparatus equipped with a 3D sensor featuring at least three area cameras with common visual fields, allowing for flexible imaging modes to adapt to different component sizes, enabling efficient imaging and recognition by controlling the imaging form and lighting for each component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a line camera is used to image electronic components, then it can cover small to large components, but the scanning time becomes excessively long and imaging speed is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is segmented into multiple area cameras (first, second, and third area cameras) with different imaging regions. Each camera is responsible for imaging specific size ranges of electronic components, allowing parallel imaging instead of sequential scanning. This segmentation enables the system to image components of different sizes simultaneously, dramatically reducing scanning time while maintaining adaptability across component sizes.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple imaging elements are used to cover large electronic components, then the coverage area increases, but the scanning time and reading time of image data increase
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system divides the total imaging coverage into multiple fixed area cameras, each with a predetermined imaging region. This segmentation allows the system to capture images of large components across multiple cameras simultaneously rather than scanning sequentially, reducing both scanning time and data reading time while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from one-dimensional line camera scanning to two-dimensional area camera imaging. By using area cameras with different imaging regions arranged in space, the system captures the entire component area in a single shot rather than scanning line by line, fundamentally changing the imaging dimension and eliminating sequential scanning delays.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a 2D sensor with multiple imaging elements of different sizes is used, then it can adapt to different component sizes, but the cost and reading time of image data increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple area cameras with different imaging regions (first, second, and third area cameras) instead of a single 2D sensor with multiple imaging elements. Each camera is optimized for specific component size ranges, allowing the system to select and use only the necessary cameras for each imaging task. This reduces the total amount of image data that needs to be read and processed compared to using all imaging elements of a comprehensive 2D sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial imaging by selecting only the necessary area cameras based on component size. For small components, only the first area camera is used; for medium components, the first and second cameras are used; for large components, all three cameras are used. This partial action approach reads and processes only the minimum necessary image data required for each specific imaging task, reducing overall reading time and data processing load.
4Measurement precision
If conventional laser beam and PSD methods are used for three-dimensional imaging, then coplanarity inspection can be performed, but the scanning time is limited and the apparatus size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical laser beam scanning method with a stationary area camera imaging system. Instead of mechanically scanning a laser beam across the component surface using a polygon mirror, the system uses area cameras to capture the entire component area in a single shot. This substitution eliminates mechanical moving parts, dramatically reducing scanning time while maintaining three-dimensional imaging capability through image analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A component imaging unit of an electronic component mounting apparatus has three area cameras, and each of visual fields are common to each other regardless of the area cameras. When the imaging form of the component imaging unit is set to a first mode, a component recognition unit recognizes the electronic components held by the holding unit, based on an image imaged by one area camera. Meanwhile, when the imaging form is set to a second mode, in the component imaging unit, the component recognition unit recognizes the electronic component held by the holding unit, based on each of images, each of which is imaged by three area cameras.