Component Feeder Arrangement for Faster Production Job Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mounting systems, switching production jobs with an increased number of component feeding units leads to prolonged automatic exchange times, delaying the start of the mounting process and decreasing overall production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system and method that arranges component feeding units with a common feeder in a supply available area and individual feeders in both supply and non-available areas, allowing for efficient automatic exchange of individual feeders between these areas during job switches, reducing the number of units exchanged and minimizing movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the number of component feeding units subject to automatic exchange is increased, then the completeness of component supply for production job switching is improved, but the automatic exchange time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The component feeding units are segmented into two categories: first component feeding units supplying components common to multiple production jobs, and second component feeding units supplying components specific to individual production jobs. This segmentation allows the system to selectively exchange only the necessary second units during job switching, rather than exchanging all component feeding units, thereby reducing exchange time while maintaining supply completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The first component feeding units supplying common components are arranged in the supply available area in advance and remain there throughout the production group execution. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need to re-exchange these units during job switching, allowing the system to prepare only the second component feeding units for exchange, thus reducing the time loss during production job transitions.
2Reliability
If the number of component feeding units subject to automatic exchange is increased, then the completeness of component supply for production job switching is improved, but the start of mounting process is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting component feeding units into first units (common components) and second units (specific components), the system can quickly switch only the second units during job transitions. This selective exchange approach ensures all necessary components are available while minimizing the delay before the mounting process can start.
Solution Approach 2:
The first component feeding units are preliminarily arranged in the supply available area and left undisturbed during job switching. This preliminary positioning ensures common components are immediately available when a new production job starts, preventing delays in the mounting process while still allowing necessary exchanges of second component feeding units.
3Productivity
If component feeding units are arranged in a distributive manner between supply available area and supply non-available area, then the arrangement efficiency is improved, but the system complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides component feeding units into two functional groups (first and second units) and distributes them between two areas (supply available and supply non-available). This segmentation enables efficient arrangement where common components remain accessible while specific components are exchanged as needed, improving productivity despite the increased organizational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply non-available area acts as an intermediary storage zone for second component feeding units that are not currently needed. This intermediary area allows the system to pre-stage components for future jobs without cluttering the supply available area, improving arrangement efficiency while managing system complexity through functional zoning.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a mounting system including a component mounter and a unit exchange device, the component mounter is provided with a supply available area in which the component feeding units are arranged in such a manner that the components can be supplied, and a supply non-available area in which the component feeding units are arranged in such a manner that the components cannot be supplied. The mounting system further includes a control device configured to control the component mounter to subsequently execute the mounting process based on each production job in a predetermined production group in a state in which a first component feeding unit for supplying the components common to multiple production jobs in the production group is arranged in the supply available area and a second component feeding unit for supplying the components required for any of the production jobs in the production group is arranged in the supply available area and the supply non-available area in a distributive manner, and control the unit exchange device to automatically exchange the second component feeding unit between the supply available area and the supply non-available area in order to arrange the second component feeding unit required for a production job after switching in the supply available area every time the production job is switched.