Component Supply Device with Autonomous RFID Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing component management systems face challenges in accurately managing components when supply reels are detached from tape feeders and stored separately, leading to incorrect mounting due to fixed correspondence relationships, limiting the range of component forms that can be managed and causing issues with mixed tape feeders in separate states.
Innovation Solution
A component management system that includes a communicator, battery, and detector in the component supply device, allowing it to communicate and update component information even when not attached to a component mounter, and an adapter that can be attached to the input/output part for power and information transmission, enabling flexible handling and management of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the supply reel and tape feeder are handled as one fixed unit, then installation and storage are simplified, but the system cannot accommodate components handled independently or separately
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the component supply into separate entities: the tape feeder (with its own ID and component information storage) and the supply reel (with separate RFID tagging). This segmentation allows them to be handled independently while maintaining individual identification and information management capabilities, resolving the contradiction between handling flexibility and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tape feeder is designed with multi-functionality: it can operate both as an integrated unit with the supply reel mounted and as an independent unit with the supply reel removed. The feeder includes its own component information storage, RFID reader/writer, and control functions, enabling it to universally handle both operational modes without requiring different equipment, thus achieving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Loss of information
If component information is stored only when the tape feeder is attached to the component mounter, then the system is simpler, but component information cannot be updated or accessed when the feeder is detached
Solution Approach 1:
The tape feeder is equipped with self-service capabilities including internal component information storage, RFID reader/writer for automatic identification, and autonomous communication functions. The feeder can independently read RFID tags from supply reels, store component information in its own memory, and transmit data to the management device without requiring attachment to the component mounter, thereby maintaining information availability while keeping the information management system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing component information in the tape feeder's memory and pre-reading RFID tags before the feeder is attached to the component mounter. This preliminary information preparation ensures that component data is already available and verified, eliminating the need for complex real-time information management during operation and preventing information loss regardless of attachment status.
3Measurement precision
If RFID tags are used for component identification, then search and location identification are improved, but the system cannot identify components when supply reels are detached and stored separately
Solution Approach 1:
The tape feeder serves as an intermediary between the RFID tags on supply reels and the component management system. The feeder's RFID reader/writer reads tags from detached supply reels, and its internal storage and communication functions relay component information to the management device. This intermediary role enables precise identification of separately stored components while maintaining the flexibility to handle various storage configurations, resolving the contradiction between identification accuracy and storage flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A component management system includes an acquirer that acquires the component information from the component supply device, a management system side storage that stores the component information acquired by the acquirer in association with the component supply device, and an information updater that updates the component information stored in the component supply device side storage and the management system side storage based on a detection result of the detector.