Integrated Bulk Component Supply on Mounting Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bulk component supply devices for electronic circuit component mounting systems face challenges in efficient component replenishment and type changes, requiring complex wiring and conduit management, which increases costs and interrupts mounting processes.
Innovation Solution
A bulk component supply device with a passage-equipped component case system that allows for easy exchange of leading and following component cases, where the driving source is shared and held on the mounting head, enabling manual or automatic exchange without disconnecting wires, and integrating the driving source with the mounting head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bulk component cases are exchanged manually or automatically in existing systems, then component replenishment can be performed, but complex wiring and conduit management is required which increases costs and interrupts mounting processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the driving source with the mounting head into an integrated unit. The driving source that transfers bulk components is now part of the mounting head assembly, eliminating the need for separate wiring and conduit connections between the component case and the driving mechanism. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining ease of operation during component replenishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting head is designed to serve multiple functions: it not only mounts components but also houses the driving source for bulk component transfer. This multi-functional design allows the same structure to perform both mounting and component feeding operations, reducing the need for additional wiring and conduits that would be required if these functions were separate.
2Productivity
If driving source is integrated with mounting head, then exchange process is simplified and continuous operation is enabled, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting head with integrated driving source is designed as a dynamic, exchangeable module. The entire assembly can be quickly replaced as a unit when component types need to change, allowing the system to adapt dynamically without interrupting the mounting process. This dynamic design enables continuous productivity despite the increased structural complexity of the integrated unit.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple passage-equipped component cases are prepared in advance and held in readiness. When the current component case is depleted, a pre-prepared replacement case can be immediately exchanged with the mounting head, ensuring continuous operation without interruption. This preliminary preparation of replacement cases maintains productivity despite the complex integrated structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple passage-equipped component cases are used with shared driving source, then equipment costs are reduced, but component case management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple passage-equipped component cases are created as identical or standardized copies with the same structure and component arrangement. This standardization allows any case to be used in any position, simplifying management and reducing the need for complex tracking systems. The repeated use of the same case design across multiple units reduces equipment costs through economies of scale in manufacturing.
Data Source
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AI summary
The practicality of a bulk component supply device which is moved together with a mounting head which mounts electronic circuit components on a circuit substrate and of a component mounter device equipped with that bulk component supply device is improved. Bulk component driving device 338 of the bulk component supply device is non-detachably provided on head main body 180 of the mounting head, and a passage-equipped component case 252 in which component case 256 and component passage 258 are fixed is detachably attached to head main body 180 by passage-equipped component case attachment device 370. When the holding by passage-equipped component case attachment device 370 is in a released state, passage-equipped component case 252 can be removed while bulk component driving device 338 is held as in on head main body 180, and exchanged with a different passage-equipped component case. This exchange can be performed automatically by a passage-equipped component case exchange unit which includes a slide equipped with two case holding sections, a slide driving device, and a passage-equipped component case exchange device.