JP4881832B2 - Surface mounter and board production control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a surface mounter for mounting electronic components on a substrate, and a substrate production control apparatus for controlling a substrate production line for producing a substrate by a plurality of surface mounters.

  In this type of surface mounter, a head unit equipped with a plurality of nozzles is provided. Then, the head unit moves to the substrate position in a state where the electronic component is vacuum-adsorbed at the tip of each nozzle, and the electronic component is transferred from the nozzle to the substrate and mounted on the substrate. In order to perform such component mounting satisfactorily, it is necessary to stably hold the electronic component by the nozzle. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which these nozzles are connected to a common vacuum tank, and each nozzle is vacuumed by a vacuum pump via the vacuum tank (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this proposed technology, even if a leak occurs due to an electronic component pick-up error or the like for any nozzle, the other nozzles can normally vacuum-suck the electronic component and stably hold the electronic component. be able to.

Japanese Patent No. 3718995 (FIG. 2)

  By the way, in the surface mounter, a vacuum pump may be used as a vacuum suction source, and it is necessary to replace consumable parts such as blades every time the operating time of the vacuum pump elapses. During such regular maintenance, it is necessary to stop the vacuum pump. In addition, a sudden failure may cause the vacuum pump's vacuum suction capacity to drop significantly, or in the worst case, it may stop. As described above, when maintenance or failure occurs, the electronic components cannot be vacuumed by the vacuum pump, so the operation of the surface mounter has to be stopped, resulting in a decrease in mounting capability. Further, in a board production line in which this surface mounter is incorporated in the line, the stoppage of the surface mounter is directly connected to the stop of the production line, and as a result, the mounting capability of the production line is greatly reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even when a part of vacuum suction means such as a vacuum pump is in a stopped state or a reduced capability state, the electronic component can be mounted without reducing the mounting capability. It aims at providing the technique which can be continued favorably.

  In order to achieve the above object, a surface mounter according to the present invention includes a plurality of head units that transport an electronic component to a substrate while vacuum-adsorbing the electronic component at the tip of the nozzle and mount the electronic component on the substrate, Provided between a plurality of vacuum suction means, a plurality of head units and a plurality of vacuum suction means, which serve as a vacuum suction source for vacuum suction, and a connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction means and the plurality of head units A suction source switching means for switching, and a control means for controlling the mounting of the electronic component by the head unit. When all of the plurality of vacuum suction means are in a normal state, the suction source switching means causes each vacuum suction means to On the other hand, when one or more head units are connected and a part of the plurality of vacuum suction means is in a stopped state or a reduced capability state, the suction source switching means changes the stopped state or ability. The connection destination of the switching target head unit connected to the first vacuum suction means in the lower state can be switched to a second vacuum suction means different from the first vacuum suction means among the plurality of vacuum suction means. The control means limits the nozzles used in the head unit connected to the second vacuum suction means after the connection destination is switched.

  In the surface mounter configured as described above, the connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction units and the plurality of head units is appropriately switched by the suction source switching unit. That is, when all of the plurality of vacuum suction units are in the normal state, one or more head units are connected to each vacuum suction unit. Each head unit mounts the electronic component on the substrate by transporting the electronic component to the substrate while vacuum-sucking the electronic component at the tip of the nozzle as in the prior art. On the other hand, when a part of the plurality of vacuum suction units, that is, the first vacuum suction unit, undergoes maintenance or failure, the first vacuum suction unit is in a stopped state or a reduced capability state. In such a case, in the head unit connected to the first vacuum suction means, the vacuum suction force applied to the nozzle is reduced, and component mounting by the head unit cannot be performed. Therefore, in the present invention, the connection destination of the switching target head unit connected to the first vacuum suction means is changed from the first vacuum suction means to another vacuum suction means, that is, among the plurality of vacuum suction means by the suction source switching means. It can be switched to a second vacuum suction means different from the first vacuum suction means. The second vacuum suction means continues to operate in a normal state even when the first vacuum suction means is in a stopped state or a reduced capability state. Therefore, a vacuum suction force is applied to the switching target head unit by switching the connection destination, and the electronic component of the switching target head unit is not changed even while repairing or replacing the first vacuum suction means. Implementation can be continued.

  Further, the head unit connected to the second vacuum suction means after switching the connection destination becomes the head unit connected from before the connection destination switching and the switching target head unit, and is generated by the second vacuum suction means. The vacuum suction force is distributed between these head units. As a result, the vacuum suction force applied to each nozzle is lower than before connection. Therefore, in the present invention, the control means restricts the nozzles used in the head unit connected to the second vacuum suction means after the connection destination is switched. For example, the sum of the opening area of the nozzles used in the head unit connected to the second vacuum suction means after switching the connection destination is the minimum vacuum pressure required to vacuum-suck electronic components at each nozzle ( The nozzle can be limited to a value that is determined based on “required vacuum pressure”). Due to the use restriction of the nozzles, the necessary vacuum pressure is secured in each nozzle, and the electronic component can be mounted well even after the connection destination is switched.

  Here, the connection state switching by the suction source switching means may be configured to be automatically switched according to a control signal from the control means, even if it is manual switching by a production manager or an operator. When automatic switching is performed in this way, an input unit that receives a command related to the stop of the first vacuum suction unit or a decrease in capability is provided in the control unit, and the input unit is related to the stop of the first vacuum suction unit or a decrease in capability. When a command is given, the control means can be configured to control the suction source switching means to switch the connection destination of the switching target head unit from the first vacuum suction means to the second vacuum suction means. In addition, detection means for detecting a stop of the vacuum suction means or a decrease in capacity and outputting a signal is provided, and the suction source switching means is controlled based on the output signal from the detection means to connect the switching target head unit to the first vacuum. The control means may be configured to switch from the suction means to the second vacuum suction means.

  Moreover, when the 3rd vacuum suction means different from the 1st and 2nd vacuum suction means is contained in the several vacuum suction means, allocation of an electronic component can be changed as follows. In the third vacuum suction means, the connection mode of the head unit remains in the normal state even when the connection destination is switched. Therefore, the control means is mounted on each head unit so that the electronic components that cannot be mounted due to the restriction on the use of the nozzle corresponding to the switching of the connection destination are mounted on the substrate by the head unit connected to the third vacuum suction means. Electronic components to be assigned can be assigned. Thereby, even during maintenance or failure, all desired electronic components can be mounted on the substrate by the same mounting machine. When the first vacuum suction means returns to the normal state, the connection destination of the switching target head unit can be returned to the first vacuum suction means by the suction source switching means. The nozzles used in the head unit may be returned to the original. Thus, in response to the return of the first vacuum suction means, the entire mounting machine returns to the original normal state, and efficient mounting can be performed.

The substrate production control apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of surface mounters each having a head unit that transports an electronic component to the substrate while vacuum-adsorbing the electronic component at the tip of the nozzle and mounts the electronic component on the substrate. A board production control apparatus for controlling a board production line that mounts electronic components on a board by each mounting machine while conveying the board between surface mounting machines. Control means for assigning the type of electronic component to be mounted is provided. One of the plurality of surface mounting machines includes a plurality of head units, a plurality of vacuum suction means, which serve as a vacuum suction source for vacuum-sucking electronic components, a plurality of head units, and a plurality of vacuum suction means. provided between a suction source switched mounter Ru and a suction source switching means for switching a connection relationship between a plurality of vacuum suction means and a plurality of head units. In this suction source switching type mounting machine, when all of the plurality of vacuum suction means are in a normal state, one or more head units are connected to each vacuum suction means by the suction source switching means, When a part of the vacuum suction means is in a stopped state or a reduced capacity state, the switching target head unit is connected to the first vacuum suction means in a stopped state or a reduced ability state by the suction source switching means. Of the plurality of vacuum suction means can be switched to a second vacuum suction means different from the first vacuum suction means, and used in a head unit connected to the second vacuum suction means according to the switching. When the nozzles are limited and the connection destination is switched in the mounting machine, the control means of the board production control apparatus assigns electronic components as follows. That is, the control means restricts the types of electronic components to be mounted by the suction source switching type mounting machine, while the electronic parts prohibited to be mounted by the suction source switching type mounting machine are mounted by a mounting machine other than the suction source switching type mounting machine. The assignment of electronic components has been changed to be mounted on the board.

  The substrate production control apparatus configured as described above has a suction source switching type mounting machine. In this suction source switching type mounting machine, similarly to the surface mounting machine, the connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction means and the plurality of head units can be appropriately switched by the suction source switching means, and the plurality of vacuum suction means When a maintenance or failure occurs in a part of the first vacuum suction unit, the connection destination of the switching target head unit connected to the first vacuum suction unit is set to the first vacuum suction unit by the suction source switching unit. To another vacuum suction means, that is, a second vacuum suction means different from the first vacuum suction means among the plurality of vacuum suction means. Therefore, by switching the connection destination, a vacuum suction force is applied to the switching target head unit, and mounting of electronic components by the switching target head unit can be continued. In addition, since the nozzles used in the head unit connected to the second vacuum suction means are limited after the connection destination is switched, the necessary vacuum pressure is ensured at each nozzle, and the electronic component is switched after the connection destination is switched. Implementation can be continued well. Further, the control means changes the assignment of the electronic components. That is, an electronic component that is prohibited from being mounted by the suction source switching type mounting machine is assigned to a mounting machine other than the suction source switching type mounting machine, and is mounted on the substrate by the mounting machine. Therefore, all desired electronic components can be mounted on the board by the board production line even during maintenance or failure. Note that when the first vacuum suction unit returns to the normal state, the control unit may return the assignment of the electronic components before the change. Thus, in response to the return of the first vacuum suction means, the entire production line returns to the original normal state, and efficient mounting can be performed.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a board production line having an embodiment of a surface mounter according to the present invention. In this board production line, three surface mounters 1A to 1C are connected to a local area network LAN. A server PC that controls the entire board production line is connected to the local area network LAN. Various data and information can be communicated between the server PC and the surface mounters 1A to 1C via the local area network LAN. In this embodiment, communication is performed between the server PC and the surface mounters 1A to 1C by a wired LAN, but the communication method and mode are not limited to this.

  All of the three surface mounters 1A to 1C constituting the substrate production line have the same configuration, and are arranged in a line along the substrate transport direction X indicated by the white arrow in the figure. That is, the substrate moves in the (+ X) direction and is transported to the surface mounters 1A to 1C in this order. Then, electronic components are mounted on the substrate by each of the surface mounters 1A to 1C. Hereinafter, the configuration of each of the surface mounters 1A to 1C will be described with reference to the drawings. However, since the surface mounters 1A to 1C have the same configuration, the surface mounter 1A will be described, and the configurations of the other surface mounters 1B and 1C will be denoted by the same or corresponding symbols and will not be described. To do.

  FIG. 2 is a layout diagram showing an embodiment of the surface mounter according to the present invention, and shows the configuration of the surface mounter 1A. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the surface mounter of FIG. In the surface mounter 1A, as shown in FIG. 2, the substrate B is transported in the (+ X) direction from the upstream side (right hand side in FIG. 3) of the substrate transport path TP by the main transport mechanism of the transport unit 2 (FIG. 3). Is done. In this embodiment, it is possible to temporarily stop the substrate B at a stop position on the substrate transfer path TP, and the main transfer mechanism operates from the drive control unit 31 of the control unit 3 that controls the entire mounting machine 1A. It operates according to the command and stops the substrate B at each stop position, or transports the substrate B in the downstream direction (+ X) from the stop position. In this embodiment, as will be described later, six stop positions corresponding to the provision of the carry-in stage 5a, the four mounting tables 4a to 4d, and the carry-out stage 5b, that is, the carry-in position SPin and the first to fourth standby positions SP1. ~ SP4 and unloading position SPout are set. In addition, the white arrow in FIG.

  Among these stop positions, the carry-in position SPin is set on the most upstream side of the substrate transport path TP. The unprocessed board B before being subjected to the component mounting process by the board production line is carried into the carry-in position SPin from the upstream machine (not shown). In this embodiment, a carry-in stage 5a for receiving the carry-in substrate B in the surface mounter 1A is provided corresponding to the carry-in position SPin. This carry-in stage 5 a has a pair of conveyor rails 51, 51, and the conveyor width of the rails 51, 51 can be changed according to the size of the substrate B by the rail drive mechanism of the transport unit 2. The carry-in stage 5a is reciprocally movable between a carry-in position SPin and a retracted position away from the carry-in position SPin in the (+ Y) direction side (the lower side in the figure) by the stage driving mechanism of the carrying unit 2. Yes. Then, the carry-in stage 5a is moved to the carry-in position SPin when the substrate is transported by the stage drive mechanism, and the substrate B can be received and sent out by the main transport mechanism. On the other hand, the carry-in stage 5a is moved to the retracted position when the substrate transfer is completed.

  A first standby position SP1 is set downstream of the carry-in position SPin. A first mounting table 4a is provided on the (+ Y) direction side (the lower side in the figure) of the first standby position SP1. On the first mounting table 4a, a mounting stage 6a having the same configuration as the carry-in stage 5a is arranged. That is, the mounting stage 6 a is provided with a pair of conveyor rails 61, 61, and the conveyor width of the rails 61, 61 can be changed according to the size of the substrate B by the rail driving mechanism of the transport unit 2. . Further, the mounting stage 6a is mounted at a position (solid line position in FIG. 2) separated from the first standby position SP1 and the first standby position SP1 in the (+ Y) direction side (lower side) by the stage driving mechanism of the transport unit 2. It is free to reciprocate between. When the mounting stage 6a receives the substrate B at the first standby position SP1, the mounting stage 6a moves to the mounting position while holding the substrate B at an appropriate timing.

  In the first mounting table 4a, a plurality of electronic component supply devices (for example, a tape feeder) 7a and a head unit 8a are provided to mount electronic components on the substrate B on the mounting stage 6a. The plurality of electronic component supply devices 7a are arranged side by side in the X direction on the opposite side of the board transport path TP from the mounting position. The head unit 8a is provided so as to be movable in the X direction and the Y direction, and is reciprocated between the electronic component supply device 7a and the mounting position by being driven in the X direction and the Y direction by the head driving mechanism of the transport unit 2. Then, a plurality of electronic components are mounted at predetermined positions on the substrate B from the electronic component supply device 7a. When this mounting process is completed, the substrate B is returned to the first standby position SP1 in the reverse procedure to the above, and the substrate B is transported downstream, that is, in the (+ X) direction at an appropriate timing. The configuration and operation of the head unit 8a will be described in detail later.

  A second standby position SP2 is set on the downstream (+ X direction) side of the first standby position SP1. A second mounting table 4b is provided on the (−Y) direction side (the upper side in FIG. 2) of the second standby position SP2, and a mounting stage 6b and a pair of conveyor rails are provided with respect to the second mounting table 4b. 61, 61, a plurality of electronic component supply devices 7b, and a head unit 8b are provided. The arrangement of these components 6b to 8b is reversed in the Y direction from the arrangement of the components 6a to 8a provided in the first mounting table 4a, but the basic configuration and operation are the same. That is, the mounting stage 6b is mounted on the second standby position SP2 and the second standby position SP2 away from the second standby position SP2 in the (−Y) direction side (upper side in FIG. 2) (solid line position in FIG. 2). It is free to reciprocate between. When the mounting stage 6b receives the substrate B at the second standby position SP2, the mounting stage 6b moves to the mounting position at an appropriate timing. In the second mounting table 4b, in order to mount electronic components on the substrate B on the mounting stage 6b, a plurality of electronic component supply devices (for example, tape feeders) 7b are opposite to the substrate transport path TP with respect to the mounting position. Are arranged side by side in the X direction. The head unit 8b is provided so as to be movable in the X direction and the Y direction, and is reciprocated between the electronic component supply device 7b and the mounting position by being driven in the X direction and the Y direction by the head driving mechanism of the transport unit 2. Then, a plurality of electronic components are mounted at predetermined positions on the substrate B from the electronic component supply device 7b. When this mounting process is completed, the substrate B is returned to the second standby position SP2 in the reverse procedure to the above, and the substrate B is transported downstream, that is, in the (+ X) direction at an appropriate timing.

  A third standby position SP3 is set on the downstream side (+ X direction) of the second standby position SP2. A third mounting table 4c having the same configuration as the first mounting table 4a is provided on the (+ Y) direction side (lower side in FIG. 2) of the third standby position SP3, and the first mounting table 4a. The electronic component is mounted on the board B by the same operation as in FIG. When the mounting process is completed, the mounting stage 6c moves in the (−Y) direction to return the substrate B to the third standby position SP3, and further, the substrate B is transported downstream, that is, in the (+ X) direction at an appropriate timing. Is done.

  A fourth standby position SP4 is set on the downstream side (+ X direction) of the third standby position SP3. A fourth mounting table 4d having the same configuration as the second mounting table 4b is provided on the (−Y) direction side (the upper side in FIG. 2) of the fourth standby position SP4, and the second mounting table 4b. The electronic component is mounted on the board B by the same operation as in FIG. When the mounting process is completed, the mounting stage 6d moves in the (+ Y) direction to return the substrate B to the fourth standby position SP4, and is further transported downstream, that is, in the (+ X) direction at an appropriate timing. The

  Further, on the downstream side (+ X direction) side of the fourth standby position SP4, that is, the most downstream side of the substrate transport path TP, the carry-out position SPout is set. A carry-out stage 5b having the same configuration as the carry-in stage 5a is provided on the (+ Y) direction side (lower side in FIG. 2) of the carry-out position SPout. The carry-out stage 5 b has a pair of conveyor rails 51, 51, and the conveyor width of the rails 51, 51 can be changed according to the size of the substrate B by the rail drive mechanism of the transport unit 2. Further, the unloading stage 5b is moved between the unloading position SPout by the stage driving mechanism of the transfer unit 2 and a retracted position (solid line position in FIG. 2) separated from the unloading position SPout in the (+ Y) direction side (lower side in FIG. 2). It is free to reciprocate. Then, the carry-out stage 5b is moved to the carry-out position SPout when the substrate is transported by the stage driving mechanism, so that the substrate B can be received by the main transport mechanism or carried out to the next mounting machine 1B. On the other hand, the unloading stage 5b is moved to the retracted position when the substrate transport is completed.

  Next, the configuration of the head unit will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, the surface mounter 1A is provided with the four head units 8a to 8d. Since these are the same configuration, only the configuration of the head unit 8a will be described here. The head units 8b to 8d are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the head unit. The head unit 8a has a plurality of nozzles 81 for sucking and holding electronic components. In the present embodiment, eight nozzles 81 are arranged in the X direction. The head unit 8 a is provided with a Z-axis servomotor 82 that moves the nozzles 81 up and down in the vertical direction Z. The Z-axis servomotor 82 operates based on an operation command from the drive control unit 31 of the control unit 3. Then, the nozzle 81 is moved in the vertical direction Z. Further, an R-axis servo motor 83 that rotates the nozzle 81 in the R direction is provided, and the R-axis servo motor 83 is operated based on an operation command from the drive control unit 31 of the control unit 3 so that the nozzle 81 is divided into four units. Is rotated in the R direction. Therefore, the head unit 8a is moved to the electronic component supply device 7a by the head driving mechanism as described above, and is supplied from the electronic component supply device 7a by driving the Z-axis servo motor 82 and the R-axis servo motor 83. The tip of the nozzle 81 comes into contact with the electronic component in an appropriate posture. Then, a negative pressure from a vacuum suction source is applied to the nozzle 81 via the vacuum switching valve mechanism 84, and the electronic component is sucked and held at the tip of the nozzle 81 by suction. Conversely, positive pressure from the positive pressure source is applied to the nozzle 81 via the vacuum switching valve mechanism 84, and the suction and holding of the electronic component by the nozzle 81 is released, and the electronic component is instantaneously attached to the substrate B by the positive pressure. Can be implemented.

  The vacuum switching valve mechanism 84 operates based on an operation command from the valve control unit 32 of the control unit 3 and selectively supplies negative pressure or positive pressure to each nozzle 81. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the vacuum switching valve mechanism 84 is configured to be able to supply positive pressure to each nozzle 81 using a positive pressure generator prepared at the factory where the production line is installed as a positive pressure source. At the same time, the vacuum generators 9a and 9b are used as a vacuum suction source so that a negative pressure can be supplied to each nozzle 81. A flow rate sensor 85 is inserted in a pipe connecting the vacuum switching valve mechanism 84 and each nozzle 81, and the flow rate is detected by the flow rate sensor 85, and the detection result is sent via the input / output I / F unit 33. It is given to the control unit 3.

  The two vacuum generators 9a and 9b have the same configuration. That is, in the vacuum generator 9a, the vacuum pump 91a is operated based on an operation command from the pump control unit 34 of the control unit 3, and the operation status is detected by the vacuum pressure sensor 92a to input a signal indicating a vacuum suction state. This is given to the control unit 3 via the output I / F unit 33. Thus, the main control unit 35 of the control unit 3 can monitor the operation / stop of the vacuum pump 91a and the generated vacuum suction force. In addition, since the structure of the vacuum generator 9b is also completely the same, an equivalent code | symbol is attached here and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the suction source switching mechanism. The suction source switching mechanism 10 is provided between the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b and the head units 8a to 8d, and the connection relationship between the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b and the head units 8a to 8d can be switched. That is, as shown in the figure, the suction source switching mechanism 10 has three manual valves 11 to 13 and constitutes the following air circuit. In the suction source switching mechanism 10, the vacuum pump 91 a and the head units 8 a and 8 b are connected by the negative pressure pipe 14, and the vacuum pump 91 b and the head units 8 c and 8 d are connected by the negative pressure pipe 15. Further, the negative pressure pipes 14 and 15 are connected to each other by a branch pipe 16. The branch pipe 16 is connected to the negative pressure pipes 14 and 15 at branch positions 17 and 18, respectively. The manual valve 11 is inserted between the branch position 17 and the vacuum pump 91a, while the manual valve 12 is inserted between the branch position 18 and the vacuum pump 91b. Further, a manual valve 13 is inserted in the branch pipe 16. Therefore, when the valve 13 is closed and the valves 11 and 12 are set in the open state as shown in FIG. 5A, the head units 8a and 8b are connected to the vacuum pump 91a, while the head units 8c and 8c are connected. 8d is connected to a vacuum pump 91b to apply a vacuum suction force to each nozzle 81 (during normal operation).

  Further, when the vacuum pump 91a is in a stopped state or a reduced capacity state (that is, a state in which the vacuum suction force is greatly reduced) due to maintenance or failure, the manual valve 11 is closed as shown in FIG. Thus, the connection between the head units 8a and 8b and the vacuum pump 91a can be disconnected. On the other hand, when the manual valve 13 is opened, the branch positions 17 and 18 are communicated with each other by the branch pipe 16, and the vacuum pump 91b is connected to the head units 8a and 8b via the negative pressure pipe 15, the branch pipe 16 and the negative pressure pipe 14. Connected. That is, the suction source switching mechanism 10 switches the connection destination of the head units 8a and 8b connected to the vacuum pump 91a in the stopped state or the reduced capacity state to the vacuum pump 92b that is normally operating. As a result, the vacuum suction force is continuously supplied not only to the nozzles 81 of the head units 8c and 8d connected to the vacuum pump 92b, but also to the nozzles 81 of the head units 8a and 8b. Can be executed. In the case shown in FIG. 6B, the head units 8a and 8b correspond to the “switching target head unit” of the present invention. On the contrary, when the vacuum pump 91b is in a stopped state or a reduced capability state, By closing the valve 12 and opening the manual valve 13, the same operation as described above is performed. That is, the suction source switching mechanism 10 switches the connection destination of the switching target head units 8c and 8d connected to the vacuum pump 91b in the stopped state or the reduced capability state to the vacuum pump 91a that is normally operating. As a result, the vacuum suction force is continuously supplied to the nozzles 81 of the head units 8a to 8d, and the electronic components can be sucked and held. In this embodiment, an operator or a production manager manually operates the manual valves 11 to 13 to switch the connection relationship between the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b and the head units 8a to 8d. Instead of electromagnetic valves, the electromagnetic valves 11 to 13 may be configured to open and close in response to an operation command from the valve control unit 32 of the control unit 3 as indicated by a broken line in FIG. As described above, the same may be applied to the following embodiments and modifications in that the automatic switching may be performed using an electromagnetic valve instead of the manual valve.

  In the electrical configuration of the surface mounter 1A shown in FIG. 3, reference numeral 36 is provided in the control unit 3 for communicating data, information, etc. with the server PC and other surface mounters 1B and 1C. It is a communication control unit.

  Next, various operations in the production line when one of the vacuum pumps is stopped in the surface mounting machine 1A configured as described above will be described focusing on the operations of the surface mounting machines 1A and 1B. Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the operation description, the operation in the case where the vacuum pump 91a of the surface mounter 1A fails and the failure is detected by the vacuum pressure sensor 92a functioning as the “detection means” of the present invention. An example will be described.

  When the vacuum pump 91a of the surface mounter 1A breaks down and stops or the capacity drops, a vacuum failure is detected by the vacuum pressure sensor 92a, and a signal related thereto is sent to the control unit 3 via the input / output I / F unit 33. Given. Then, the main control unit 35 of the control unit 3 notifies the operator, production manager, etc. of the failure of the vacuum pump 91a. In order to cope with this failure, the production manager or the like performs the following work, and in accordance with the program stored in advance in a memory (not shown) provided in the control unit 3 of the surface mounter 1A in cooperation with the work. The main control unit 35 controls each part of the apparatus as follows.

  6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the operation of the surface mounter shown in FIGS. As described above, when the vacuum pump 91a breaks down and the vacuum pump 91a is stopped or the capacity is reduced ("YES" in step SA1), the production manager who has received the notification manually operates the suction source switching mechanism 10. Then, the connection destination of the head units 8a and 8b is switched from the vacuum pump 91a to the vacuum pump 91b (step SA2). Specifically, the manual valve 11 is closed to disconnect the connection between the head units 8a and 8b and the vacuum pump 91a, and the vacuum valve 91b that is operating normally by opening the manual valve 13 is connected to the head units 8a and 8b. Connect (see FIG. 5B). Here, when the valves 11 to 13 are composed of electromagnetic valves as described above, automatic switching by the control unit 3 may be performed. That is, the main control unit 35 recognizes the failure of the vacuum pump 91a based on the output signal from the vacuum pressure sensor 92a, and gives the closing command and the opening command to the electromagnetic valves 11 and 13 from the valve control unit 32, respectively. The connection destination of the units 8a and 8b can be automatically switched from the vacuum pump 91a to the vacuum pump 91b.

  When the switching of the air circuit (step SA2) in the suction source switching mechanism 10 is completed, the production manager starts repairing the vacuum pump 91a (step SA3). On the other hand, the main control unit 35 determines whether or not the mounting process can be performed by the head units 8a to 8d after the switching (step SA4). If the mounting process cannot be performed, the mounting is impossible. Identify electronic components and nozzles that should be restricted. The reason and specific operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the total nozzle opening area and the vacuum suction force of each nozzle. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of component mounting by a surface mounter. In each surface mounter, component mounting is performed based on mounting data edited in advance by a production manager, for example, the data shown in FIG. 9, but given to each nozzle according to the number of nozzles used and the nozzle opening area of the nozzles used. The vacuum suction force is changed. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the vacuum suction force of each nozzle decreases as the total value of the opening area of the nozzles used increases. Moreover, when all the head units 8a to 8d are connected to the vacuum pump 91b as described above, the vacuum suction force of each nozzle is greatly reduced. For example, in the mounting data shown in FIG. 9, a relatively large electronic component (10 mm square Quad Flat Package: QFP □ 10 mm) is mounted by five nozzles 81 in the head unit 8 a of the surface mounter 1 </ b> A. . For this reason, it is necessary to use the nozzle 81 having a relatively large opening, and accordingly, the total value of the nozzle opening area increases. Therefore, the vacuum suction force applied to each nozzle is significantly reduced as indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. As described above, when there is no restriction on the nozzles used when the air circuit is switched as described above, the vacuum suction force of each nozzle is at least necessary to vacuum-suck electronic components with each nozzle. The vacuum pressure becomes lower than the necessary vacuum pressure, and the mounting process may not be performed.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the main control unit 35 calculates the total value of the nozzle opening area based on the mounting data as shown in FIG. 9, and determines whether the calculated value is equal to or less than a predetermined value. . This predetermined value can be determined based on the required vacuum pressure. When the calculated value is equal to or less than the predetermined value and the required vacuum pressure is ensured, the mounting process is performed as it is. When the repair of the vacuum pump 91a is completed, the air circuit is switched back to the original state.

  On the other hand, if the calculated value exceeds the predetermined value and the mounting process is performed with the mounting data, the vacuum suction force of each nozzle is below the required vacuum pressure as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. Execute.

  Returning to FIG. 6, the description will be continued. If it is determined in step SA4 that the vacuum suction force of each nozzle is less than the required vacuum pressure, the main control unit 35 specifies an electronic component that can no longer be mounted (hereinafter referred to as “unmountable component”), and specifies the specific content as a control unit. 3 is displayed on the display unit 3 (not shown) to notify the production manager or the like. In response to this, the production manager takes appropriate measures. For example, the mounting process can be continued by exchanging an unmountable component with another surface mounter. According to the mounting data in FIG. 9, the electronic component (QFP □ 10 mm) becomes a non-mountable component in the surface mounter 1 </ b> A, but the chip resistor (0.6 mm × 0.3 mm) to be mounted in the other surface mounter 1 </ b> B. Is a component that can be mounted even on the surface mounting machine 1A in which the vacuum suction force of each nozzle 81 is reduced because of its small size, small nozzle opening area to be used (hereinafter referred to as “mountable component”). Therefore, the surface mounter 1B in which no vacuum pump failure or maintenance has occurred is responsible for mounting non-mountable components, while the surface mounter 1A is responsible for mounting mountable components on the entire production line. Board production can be performed without reducing the mounting capability.

  When the mountable component and the mountable component are thus determined, the surface mounter 1A replaces the nozzle 81 corresponding to the mountable component (step SA5), and the surface mounter 1B replaces the nozzle 81 corresponding to the mountable component. (Step SB1). In addition, the electronic component supply device 7a that supplies unmountable components and the electronic component supply device 7a that supplies mountable components are exchanged between the surface mounters 1A and 1B (steps SA6 and SB2). On the other hand, the main control unit 35 of the surface mounters 1A and 1B optimizes the mounting order with the replacement of the mounted components (steps SA7 and SB3). As described above, in this embodiment, the main control unit 35 of the control unit 3 considers the parts that cannot be mounted and the parts that can be mounted, and the types of electronic components that are mounted by the surface mounter 1A and the electronic components that are mounted by the surface mounter 1B. Assign parts type. Then, the on-board data is rewritten based on the assignment result. Here, as described in detail later, when the repair of the vacuum pump 91a and the like is completed, the original mounting data is restored, so that the mounting data before rewriting is temporarily stored in the memory of the control unit 3. In this way, when the board production in which the mounting parts are temporarily exchanged between the mounting machines 1A and 1B and the preparation for the so-called provisional production is completed, provisional production is started (steps SA8 and SB4).

  When the repair or replacement of the vacuum pump 91a is completed in step SA9, the main control unit 35 of the surface mounter 1A transmits completion information indicating that the repair or the like is completed to the surface mounter 1B (step SA10). On the other hand, the surface mounter 1B receives the completion information and recognizes that the repair on the surface mounter 1A has been completed (step SB5). Thereafter, the surface mounters 1A and 1B end the provisional production at an appropriate timing, for example, at the timing when the currently ongoing substrate production is completed (steps SA11 and SB6).

  Next, in order to return from the temporary production to the original production, the following processes are respectively performed in parallel in the surface mounters 1A and 1B. On the surface mounter 1A side, the production manager or the like manually switches the air circuit of the suction source switching mechanism 10 to return to the original state (the state shown in FIG. 5A) (step SA12). Further, the surface mounter 1A is replaced with a nozzle 81 corresponding to an unmountable component (step SA13), and the surface mounter 1B is replaced with a nozzle 81 corresponding to a mountable component (step SB7). The nozzles 81 used in 1B are returned to their original positions. Further, the electronic component supply device 7a for supplying the mountable component and the electronic component supply device 7a for supplying the unmountable component are exchanged between the surface mounting machines 1A and 1B and returned to the original state (steps SA14 and SB8). . On the other hand, the main control unit 35 of each of the surface mounters 1A and 1B returns the mounting data to the data before provisional production, that is, the data shown in FIG. 9 since the mounted components have returned to the original (steps SA15 and SB9). Then, the surface mounters 1A and 1B are returned to the original production (steps SA16 and SB10).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, each of the surface mounters 1A to 1C is equipped with the suction source switching mechanism 10, and the suction source switching mechanism 10 connects the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b to the head units 8a to 8d. The relationship is configured to be switchable. When all the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b are operating normally, two head units are connected to each of the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b to perform component mounting. On the other hand, when the vacuum pump 91a breaks down and becomes a stopped state or a reduced capacity state, the connection destination of the head units 8a and 8b connected to the vacuum pump 91a by switching the air circuit by the suction source switching mechanism 10 is changed. It is switched to the vacuum pump 91b that continues to operate normally, and mounting of electronic components by the head units 8a to 8d can be continued even during repair of the vacuum pump 91a. In addition, when the mounting is continued in this way, the nozzle type to be used is limited, and the vacuum suction force applied to each nozzle 81 is always higher than the necessary vacuum pressure. Therefore, even after the connection destination is switched, the mounting of the electronic components can be continued well without reducing the mounting capability of the surface mounter 1A. Further, mounting of non-mountable components that cannot be mounted by the mounting machine 1A due to the restriction of the nozzle used is performed by the surface mounting machine 1B where no vacuum pump failure / maintenance has occurred, while mounting of mountable components is performed on the surface. Since it is executed by the mounting machine 1A, board production can be performed without reducing the processing efficiency of the entire production line.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above-described one without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the vacuum pump 91a of the surface mounting machine 1A has failed is described as an example. However, the case where the vacuum pump 91b of the mounting machine 1A fails, the vacuum pumps of the other mounting machines 1B and 1C The case where 91a (or 91b) fails or the case where one of the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b provided in each of the mounting machines 1A to 1C is maintained is exactly the same as the above embodiment, and the present invention is applied. Can achieve the same effect.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the failure of the vacuum pump 91a is detected based on the output signal from the vacuum pressure sensor 92a, and based on this, the connection destination is switched by the suction source switching mechanism 10 and the nozzles used are limited. Although the line is controlled, the trigger for starting the substrate production control is not limited to the output signal. For example, even if the stoppage of the vacuum pump or a decrease in capacity is detected by a flow sensor 85 or a pressure sensor (not shown) provided in the passage of the vacuum suction force, the above-described substrate production control is started using the detection result as a trigger. Good. In addition, a production manager, an operator, or the like judges a failure of the vacuum pump, the necessity of maintenance, and the like, and an input unit (not shown) such as a touch panel, a mouse, and a button provided in the control unit 3 of each surface mounter 1A to 1C. May be configured to give a command related to the stop of the vacuum pump and the like, and to start the above-described substrate production control based on the command.

  In the above embodiment, the main control unit 35 determines whether or not the mounting process can be performed by the head units 8a to 8d by switching the connection destination, based on the total value of the nozzle opening area. The determination may be made based on other data, for example, “parts to be mounted” data, “nozzle type” data, etc. included in the mounting data shown in FIG.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the suction source switching mechanism 10 is equipped with the three manual valves 11-13 and switches the air circuit by these opening / closing control, the valve | bulb 13 inserted by the branch piping 16 is abbreviate | omitted. May be. In this case, the head units 8a to 8d are connected to both of the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b during normal operation, while the vacuum pump 91a, for example, the vacuum pump 91a is stopped or reduced in capacity due to maintenance or failure. The valve 11 disposed in the immediate vicinity of the pump 91a is closed, and the connection destinations of the head units 8a to 8d are switched to only the vacuum pump 91b. In this manner, the suction source switching mechanism 10 can be configured with the minimum valves 11 and 12.

  Further, in order to configure the suction source switching mechanism 10 suitable for the surface mounters 1A to 1C of FIG. 2 with a minimum number of valves, as shown in FIG. 10, the suction source switching mechanism 10 using two three-way valves is used. Can be configured.

  FIG. 10 is a view showing a modification of the suction source switching mechanism. The suction source switching mechanism 10 includes two three-way valves 101 and 102 as described above. These three-way valves 101 and 102 have flow paths f1 to f4 and closed points c1 to c4. The three-way valve 101 is connected to the vacuum pump 91a, while the three-way valve 102 is connected to the vacuum pump 91b. When both the vacuum pumps 91a and 91b are operating in the normal state (normal operation), the flow path f1 of the three-way valve 101 is switched to the vacuum pump 91a side as shown in FIG. The flow path f3 of the three-way valve 102 is switched to the vacuum pump 91b side. As a result, of the two negative pressure pipes connected to the head units 8a and 8b, the negative pressure pipe 103 is connected to the flow path f1 of the three-way valve 101, while the negative pressure pipe 104 is connected to the closing point s3 of the three-way valve 102. The For this reason, only the head units 8a and 8b are connected to the vacuum pump 91a. Of the two negative pressure pipes connected to the head units 8c and 8d, the negative pressure pipe 105 is connected to the closing point s1 of the three-way valve 101, while the negative pressure pipe 106 is connected to the flow path f3 of the three-way valve 102. . For this reason, only the head units 8c and 8d are connected to the vacuum pump 91b.

  When the vacuum pump 91a is stopped or the capacity is reduced due to maintenance or failure of the vacuum pump 91a, the three-way valve 101 is switched to the flow path f2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the negative pressure pipe 103 is connected to the flow path f2 of the three-way valve 101, and the negative pressure pipe 105 is connected to the flow path f2 of the three-way valve 101. For this reason, the head units 8a and 8b are connected to the vacuum pump 91b via the three-way valves 101 and 102. In this way, the connection destination of the head units 8a and 8b is switched to the vacuum pump 91b by switching the three-way valve 101.

  In the above embodiment, two head units are connected to each vacuum pump 91a, 91b, but the number of head units connectable to each vacuum pump in a normal state is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, one head unit may be connected to each vacuum pump.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although two vacuum pumps are provided in each surface mounter 1A-1C, you may provide three or more vacuum pumps. For example, in the surface mounter 1 provided with three vacuum pumps 91a to 91c as shown in FIG. 11, a suction source switching mechanism 10 is provided between the vacuum pumps 91a to 91c and the head units 8a to 8c to provide an air circuit. You may comprise so that it may switch. Hereinafter, another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the surface mounter according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the suction source switching mechanism 10 has five valves 111 to 113, 121 and 122. Among these, the valves 111 to 113 are configured similarly to the suction source switching mechanism 10 of FIG. That is, the vacuum pump 91a and the head unit 8a are connected by the negative pressure pipe 114, and the vacuum pump 91b and the head unit 8b are connected by the negative pressure pipe 115. Further, the negative pressure pipes 114 and 15 are connected to each other by a branch pipe 116 having a valve 113 interposed therebetween. Reference numerals 117 and 118 are branch positions on the negative pressure pipes 114 and 115 side, and correspond to the reference numerals 17 and 18 in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the third vacuum pump 91 c is connected to the head unit 8 c by a negative pressure pipe 123, and a valve 121 is inserted in the negative pressure pipe 123. A branch pipe 124 branches from a branch position 125 between the vacuum pump 91b and the branch position 118, and is connected to a branch position 126 between the valve 121 and the head unit 8c. In addition, a valve 122 is inserted in the branch pipe 124.

  The suction source switching mechanism 10 configured as described above closes the valve 111 and opens the valve 113 in the same manner as the suction source switching mechanism 10 shown in FIG. As a result, the connection destination of the head unit 8a is switched from the vacuum pump 91a to the vacuum pump 91b. At this time, the two head units 8a and 8b are connected to the vacuum pump 91b, and the vacuum suction force supplied to the head units 8a and 8b is reduced as in the above embodiment. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the nozzles used in these head units 8a and 8b. On the other hand, since the connection relationship between the head unit 8c and the vacuum pump 91c has not been changed from before the switching, it is not necessary to limit the use nozzles.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the use of nozzles is restricted in the head units 8a and 8b in response to the switching of the connection destination, thereby generating an electronic component that cannot be mounted, but this is mounted by the head unit 8c. be able to. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the mounting of the electronic components is favorably continued without replacing the non-mountable components and the mountable components between different surface mounters and reducing the mounting capability. On the other hand, in this embodiment, provisional production can be performed only by exchanging the mounted components in the same surface mounter. When the vacuum pump 91a is repaired and returned to the normal state, the air circuit of the suction source switching mechanism 10 is switched back to the original connection relationship, and the mounted data is returned to the original state before the provisional production. Return to board production. As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to continue the mounting of the electronic components satisfactorily without reducing the mounting capability just by performing the closed processing in the surface mounter 1 as in the above embodiment. .

  Further, in the board production line of FIG. 1, the mounting order is optimized and the mounting data is rewritten in the control units 3 of the surface mounters 1A to 1C. The rewriting process or the like may be executed in a unified manner, and the mounting data or the like may be transmitted from the server PC to each of the surface mounters 1A to 1C.

It is a figure which shows the board | substrate production line which has one Embodiment of the surface mounting machine concerning this invention. 1 is a layout diagram showing an embodiment of a surface mounter according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the surface mounter in FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a head unit. It is a figure which shows the structure of a suction source switching mechanism. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the surface mounter shown in FIGS. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the surface mounter shown in FIGS. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the total value of a nozzle opening part area, and the vacuum suction power of each nozzle. It is a figure which shows the component mounting example by a surface mounting machine. It is a figure which shows the modification of a suction source switching mechanism. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of the surface mounting machine concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1A to 1C ... surface mounter 3 ... control unit (control means)
4a to 4d: mounting table 8a to 8d ... head unit 10 ... suction source switching mechanism 35 ... main control unit (control means)
81 ... Nozzle 84 ... Vacuum switching valve mechanism (head unit)
85 ... Flow sensor (detection means)
91a-91c ... Vacuum pump (vacuum suction means)
92a ... Vacuum pressure sensor (detection means)
B ... Board

Claims (8)

A plurality of head units for transporting the electronic component to the substrate while vacuum-adsorbing the electronic component at the tip of the nozzle and mounting the electronic component on the substrate; and
A plurality of vacuum suction means to be a vacuum suction source for vacuum-sucking electronic components;
A suction source switching unit that is provided between the plurality of head units and the plurality of vacuum suction units, and switches a connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction units and the plurality of head units;
Control means for controlling the mounting of electronic components by the head unit,
When all of the plurality of vacuum suction means are in a normal state, one or more head units are connected to each vacuum suction means by the suction source switching means,
When a part of the plurality of vacuum suction means is in a stopped state or a reduced capacity state, the suction source switching means is connected to the first vacuum suction means in a stopped state or a reduced ability state, The connection destination of the switching target head unit can be switched to a second vacuum suction unit that is different from the first vacuum suction unit among the plurality of vacuum suction units, and the control unit switches the second destination after the connection destination is switched. A surface mounter for limiting nozzles used in a head unit connected to a vacuum suction means.   The surface mounting machine according to claim 1, wherein the suction source switching unit is capable of manually switching a connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction units and the plurality of head units. The suction source switching means is configured to switch the connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction means and the plurality of head units in accordance with a control signal from the control means.
The control unit has an input unit that receives a command related to the stop of the first vacuum suction unit or a decrease in capability, and controls the suction source switching unit when the command is given through the input unit. 2. The surface mounter according to claim 1, wherein the connection destination of the switching target head unit is switched from the first vacuum suction means to the second vacuum suction means. It further comprises detection means for detecting a stop of the vacuum suction means or a decrease in capacity and outputting a signal,
The suction source switching means is configured to switch the connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction means and the plurality of head units in accordance with a control signal from the control means.
The control means controls the suction source switching means based on an output signal from the detection means to switch the connection destination of the switching target head unit from the first vacuum suction means to the second vacuum suction means. The surface mount machine described. The plurality of vacuum suction means includes a third vacuum suction means different from the first and second vacuum suction means,
5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit mounts an electronic component, which has become unmountable due to nozzle use restriction corresponding to the switching of the connection destination, on the substrate by a head unit connected to the third vacuum suction unit. A surface mounting machine according to any one of the above.   When the first vacuum suction means returns to the normal state, the connection destination of the switching target head unit can be returned to the first vacuum suction means by the suction source switching means, and the control means The surface mounter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the nozzle used in each head unit is restored. A plurality of surface mounters having a head unit for transporting the electronic component to the substrate while vacuum-adsorbing the electronic component at the tip of the nozzle and mounting the electronic component on the substrate, and transporting the substrate between the plurality of surface mounters While mounting electronic components on the board by each mounting machine, a board production control device for controlling a board production line,
Comprising a control means for assigning the type of electronic component to be mounted on the substrate by each mounting machine, and one of the plurality of surface mounting machines serves as a plurality of head units and a vacuum suction source for vacuum-sucking the electronic component; A plurality of vacuum suction means, and a suction source switching means provided between the plurality of head units and the plurality of vacuum suction means, for switching the connection relationship between the plurality of vacuum suction means and the plurality of head units. a comprising Ru suction source switching type mounting apparatus,
In the suction source switching type mounting machine, when all of the plurality of vacuum suction units are in a normal state, one or more head units are connected to each vacuum suction unit by the suction source switching unit, When a part of the plurality of vacuum suction means is in a stopped state or a reduced capacity state, the suction source switching means is connected to the first vacuum suction means in a stopped state or a reduced ability state, The connection destination of the switching target head unit can be switched to a second vacuum suction means different from the first vacuum suction means among the plurality of vacuum suction means, and connected to the second vacuum suction means according to the switching. limiting the nozzles used in the head unit to be,
When the connection destination is switched in the suction source switching type mounting machine, the control means limits the types of electronic components mounted by the suction source switching type mounting machine, while the suction source switching type mounting A board production control apparatus, wherein the allocation of electronic parts is changed so that an electronic part whose mounting is prohibited by a machine is mounted on the board by a mounting machine other than the suction source switching type mounting machine.   8. The substrate production control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the first vacuum suction means returns to a normal state, the control means returns the assignment of electronic components to before change.

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