Component Mounting Machine Retry Logic for Empty Cavity Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Component mounting machines often perform meaningless retry operations when picking up components, leading to reduced productivity due to empty cavities or components not being present, which is not limited to suction nozzle and carrier tape combinations but applies to other mounting tools and supply media as well.

Innovation Solution

A component mounting machine equipped with a component detecting section to verify the presence of components before pickup, a holding detecting section to confirm if the component is being held, and a retry performing section to determine if a retry is necessary based on these detections, thereby avoiding futile retry operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If retry operation is performed when component pickup fails, then component waste is reduced, but productivity decreases due to meaningless retries on empty cavities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent wasteVSAvoidmounting speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a preliminary detection action before the pickup operation to check whether a component is actually present in the cavity. This preliminary check prevents meaningless retry operations on empty cavities, thereby maintaining productivity while still enabling retries when components are genuinely present but not picked up.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses detection results as feedback to determine whether to perform a retry operation. The detection section provides information about component presence, and the control section uses this feedback to make an intelligent decision: retry only when a component is detected to be present but not picked up, and skip retry when the cavity is empty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If component presence detection is added, then meaningless retries are avoided, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffective mounting rateVSAvoiddetection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection section is designed to be universally applicable to different component types and supply media (carrier tape, tray, etc.). The same detection mechanism can identify various component forms, making the system versatile without requiring multiple specialized detection devices, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The detection section acts as an intermediary between the pickup operation and the control system. It provides essential information about component presence without being directly involved in the pickup mechanism itself, allowing the system to make informed decisions while keeping the detection and pickup functions separate and manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3687269B1Component mounting machine and retry method for picking up components
Publication Date: 2024.07.03 FUJI CORP
  • EP3687269B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3687269B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3687269B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A component mounting machine including: a component supply device configured to supply a component to a supply position; a component transfer device configured to use a component mounting tool to pick up the component from the supply position and mount the component on a board; a component detecting section configured to detect whether the component is present at the supply position before or while the component is being picked up by the component mounting tool; a holding detecting section configured to detect whether the component mounting tool is holding the component following pickup; and a retry performing section configured to determine whether to perform a retry operation of attempting to pick up the component again using the component mounting tool based on a detection result of the component detecting section and a detection result of the holding detecting section, and to perform the retry operation in accordance with a result of the determining of whether to perform the retry operation.