Component Mounter Head Positioning via Pre-Transfer Imaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Components picked up by a nozzle are not consistently positioned and oriented, leading to deviations that require larger transfer areas, increasing head movement time and reducing throughput in component mounting processes.

Innovation Solution

A component mounter with an imaging device to recognize the position and orientation of components, allowing precise control of the head to transfer a coating layer to pre-set transfer areas without margins based on holding deviations, enabling smaller transfer areas and efficient head movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If transfer areas are set with large margins to account for component position and orientation deviation, then component pickup reliability is improved, but head movement distance increases and throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent pickup reliabilityVSAvoidthroughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging device captures images of components before they are picked up by the head. The control device processes these images to determine actual component positions and orientations in advance, then calculates optimized transfer areas based on this preliminary information, eliminating the need for large safety margins while ensuring reliable pickup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses imaging feedback to detect actual component positions and orientations, then feeds this information back to the control device which adjusts transfer area calculations accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables dynamic optimization of transfer areas based on real component variations, improving both reliability and throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If transfer areas are set with large margins to account for holding deviation, then component mounting accuracy is improved, but head movement time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent mounting accuracyVSAvoidhead movement time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary imaging and position detection before the picking process. By determining exact component positions in advance, the control device can calculate precise transfer areas without requiring large margins, thereby reducing head movement distances and times while maintaining mounting accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The transfer areas are dynamically calculated based on actual component positions detected by the imaging device, rather than using fixed predetermined margins. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize transfer areas for each specific component configuration, minimizing head movement while ensuring accurate placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If imaging and position recognition are performed for each component, then transfer area precision is improved, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent position recognition precisionVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging device serves multiple functions: capturing component images, detecting positions, determining orientations, and providing data for transfer area calculation. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional imaging system, the patent achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing process complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The control device acts as an intermediary that processes imaging data and translates it into optimized transfer area calculations. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall process by automatically handling the complex calculations and decision-making, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying the operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3525564B1Component mounting machine
Publication Date: 2023.12.27 FUJI CORP
  • EP3525564B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3525564B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3525564B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A component mounter 10 provided with head 30, a device (X-axis slider 20 and Y-axis slider 24) for moving head 30, transfer unit 50, and a mounting controller. Round plate 51 is an example of a container for paste. The mounting controller, in the first operation mode, images components held by multiple nozzles 35 using an imaging device before transfer is performed, and recognizes the position and/or orientation of each component based on the image of each component. Further, the head and the head moving device are controlled based on the position and/or orientation of each component such that a coating layer is transferred to connection terminals of each component at a transfer area (set in coating layer 55 formed on round plate 51) of each of the components set in advance that does not include a margin based on the holding deviation of each component.