Component Mounting Machine Nozzle Control for Negative Pressure Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

In component mounting machines with multiple Z-axis driving devices, simultaneous pickup operations using multiple suction nozzles can lead to excessive negative pressure leakage, causing components to fall due to insufficient suction when pickup errors occur.

Innovation Solution

A component mounting machine with a control device that manages two types of pickup operations based on the absolute value of negative pressure from the negative pressure source, performing single or simultaneous nozzle operations depending on threshold values to prevent component dropping during errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If simultaneous pickup operation is performed using multiple nozzles with one negative pressure source, then productivity is improved by picking up multiple components simultaneously, but reliability deteriorates because excessive negative pressure leakage causes components to fall when pickup errors occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimultaneous pickup capabilityVSAvoidcomponent holding stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single negative pressure supply system into multiple independent negative pressure supply units, with each nozzle having its own dedicated negative pressure supply. This segmentation prevents negative pressure leakage from one nozzle from affecting other nozzles, thereby maintaining component holding stability while enabling simultaneous pickup operations across multiple nozzles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If multiple nozzles are lowered simultaneously to pick up multiple components, then the quantity of components picked up per operation increases, but the negative pressure leakage increases causing insufficient suction pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponents picked up per operationVSAvoidnegative pressure maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

By providing independent negative pressure supply units for each nozzle, the system can maintain adequate negative pressure at each nozzle even when multiple nozzles are operating simultaneously, preventing the pressure drop that would occur with a shared negative pressure source.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables independent control of negative pressure parameters for each nozzle, allowing optimization of suction pressure for each specific pickup operation while maintaining overall system productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The machine effectively picks up multiple components while minimizing the risk of components being dropped by other suction nozzles, even when pickup errors occur, by controlling the negative pressure supply and nozzle movements according to set threshold values.

Implementation Method 1

a negative pressure supply device including a negative pressure source configured to generate negative pressure, the negative pressure supply device being configured to supply negative pressure from the negative pressure source individually to the suction openings of the multiple nozzles

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNegative pressure: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3691431B1Component mounting machine
Publication Date: 2022.11.30 FUJI CORP
  • EP3691431B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3691431B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3691431B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A component mounting machine including: a head including multiple nozzles configured to pick up the component using a suction opening; a negative pressure supply device including a negative pressure source configured to generate negative pressure, the negative pressure supply device being configured to supply negative pressure from the negative pressure source individually to the suction openings of the multiple nozzles; a raising and lowering device configured to individually raise and lower the multiple nozzles; and a control device configured to perform a first pickup operation of controlling the raising and lowering device to lower one of the nozzles and controlling the negative pressure supply device to supply negative pressure to the suction opening of that nozzle so as to pick up the component using the suction opening of that nozzle, and a second pickup operation of controlling the raising and lowering device to lower multiple of the nozzles simultaneously and controlling the negative pressure supply device to supply negative pressure to the suction openings of those multiple nozzles so as to pick up the components simultaneously using the suction openings of those multiple nozzles. The control device performs the second pickup operation in a case in which an absolute value of the negative pressure from the negative pressure source is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, performs the first pickup operation in a case in which the absolute value of the negative pressure from the negative pressure source is less than the first threshold value and equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, and does not perform any pickup operation in a case in which the absolute value of the negative pressure from the negative pressure source is less than the second threshold value.