Tray Supply Apparatus Parallel Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tray supply apparatuses are inefficient in supplying a high number of trays to component mounting apparatuses per unit time, limiting the time efficiency of tray delivery.
Innovation Solution
A tray supply apparatus comprising a tray magazine, a sub magazine with conveyance mechanisms, and a supply station with a lifting and lowering mechanism, where the conveyance mechanisms and placement portions are controlled to optimize the conveyance path, allowing simultaneous movement and overlapping transfer times of trays between the magazine, sub magazine, and supply station, thereby increasing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single-stage tray supply system is used, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity is limited due to sequential tray supply
Solution Approach 1:
The tray supply system is divided into multiple independent conveyance mechanisms, each responsible for transporting trays between specific stages. This segmentation allows parallel operation of multiple conveyance paths, enabling simultaneous tray supply from different magazines and significantly increasing productivity without requiring a single complex monolithic system
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-stage linear supply approach to a multi-stage three-dimensional conveyance architecture. By adding vertical staging and multiple conveyance directions (horizontal and vertical movements), the system enables parallel tray handling and supply operations, increasing productivity while distributing complexity across multiple simpler conveyance mechanisms
2Loss of time
If trays are supplied sequentially one by one, then the device complexity is low, but the loss of time increases due to sequential operation
Solution Approach 1:
Trays are pre-positioned on multiple stages of the conveyance mechanisms and magazines before being needed. The system maintains ready-to-transport trays in advance at various locations, allowing immediate tray supply without sequential waiting. This preliminary staging of trays enables parallel operations and significantly reduces the time loss associated with sequential tray retrieval and transport
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple conveyance mechanisms operate continuously and simultaneously to transport trays between stages, eliminating idle time between sequential operations. The system ensures continuous tray availability and transport operations are ongoing rather than stopping sequentially, thereby minimizing time loss while managing coordinate control complexity through parallel processing
3Quantity of substance
If a large tray magazine is used to store many trays, then the quantity of substance increases, but the device complexity increases due to large scale requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The tray storage function is segmented across multiple smaller magazines distributed at different stages rather than requiring one large magazine. Each magazine can be simpler in structure, and the collective capacity of multiple magazines provides the required tray storage quantity. This segmentation reduces individual magazine complexity while maintaining overall storage capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system distributes tray storage across multiple vertical and horizontal stages rather than concentrating all trays in a single large magazine. By utilizing three-dimensional space with trays stored at different heights and positions, the system achieves high storage capacity without requiring a single complex large-scale magazine structure
Data Source
AI summary
A tray supply apparatus includes a tray magazine, a sub magazine, a supply station, and a lifting and lowering mechanism. The tray magazine can store a tray on each of a plurality of stages. The tray stores components. The sub magazine includes a plurality of conveyance mechanisms having a plurality of stages. The sub magazine is adjacent to the tray magazine and capable of taking out the tray from the tray magazine. The supply station includes a plurality of placement portions having a plurality of stages, on each of which the tray is placed, and a stage that lifts and lowers the tray between the plurality of placement portions. The supply station is disposed at a position where the components are picked up. The lifting and lowering mechanism lifts and lowers the sub magazine to convey the tray between the tray magazine and the supply station through the sub magazine.