Off-Center Mounting Tool Tips for Simultaneous Small-Component Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pick-and-place machines face challenges in simultaneously picking components from different component tapes, especially those of smaller width, due to varying distances between components and mounting tools, leading to inefficient use of mounting tools and reduced precision.
Innovation Solution
A mounting tool tip is designed with a tip portion off-center in the horizontal direction relative to the rotational axis, allowing for precise adjustment by rotational movement, enabling simultaneous pick of components from adjacent tapes with improved precision and speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If component tapes of smaller width are used, then the distance between components from different tapes becomes smaller, but this makes simultaneous pick using a piano-type mount head more difficult and risks not using all mounting tools
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting tool is made rotatable around a vertical rotational axis, allowing dynamic adjustment of the tip portion position. This enables the mounting tool to adapt to varying distances between components from different tapes, maintaining reliable engagement regardless of tape width or component spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip portion is deliberately positioned off-center relative to the rotational axis, creating an asymmetric configuration. This off-center positioning allows the tip to engage with components at different horizontal distances from the mounting tool's central axis, facilitating picks from tapes of varying widths.
2Reliability
If the distance between components and mounting tools is reduced for reliable pick, then pick reliability improves, but this reduces the effective use of mounting tools when component tapes are narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable mounting tool allows the tip portion to be dynamically positioned at optimal distances from components. By rotating the mounting tool, the system can maintain reliable engagement with components regardless of their exact position, ensuring both pick reliability and effective use of all mounting tools simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the angular position parameter of the mounting tool around the vertical rotational axis to optimize the horizontal distance between the tip portion and components. This parameter adjustment enables reliable picks while maximizing the utilization of multiple mounting tools in simultaneous pick operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a mounting tool tip arranged for being releasably mounted to mounting tool of a component mounting machine, said mounting tool being rotatably arranged in said component mounting machine around a vertical rotational axis. The mounting tool tip comprises a tip portion at a first end and arranged for engagement with a component to be mounted in a component mounting machine; engagement means for mounting said mounting tool tip to said mounting tool. Further, the engagement means is arranged at a second end opposite said first end and further configured such that said tip portion is off-center in a horizontal direction compared to said rotational axis when the mounting tool tip is mounted to said mounting tool. The present invention further provides a mounting tool, a mount head, a component mounting machine as well as method for simultaneously picking at least two components arranged in adjacent component tapes in a component mounting machine.