JP7620861B2 - Parts mounting equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a component mounting device.

An electronic component mounting device has been proposed that can easily detect the presence or absence of an abnormality in the vacuum suction system that sucks the electronic component from the suction nozzle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This electronic component mounting device picks up electronic components by vacuum suction with a suction nozzle and mounts them on a board. When detecting an abnormality in the vacuum valve that turns the vacuum suction circuit on and off, the electronic component mounting device sets the suction nozzle mounting state of the transfer head to a specific condition for abnormality detection, drives the vacuum suction source to perform vacuum suction, and obtains a flow rate pattern that indicates the change in flow rate over time using a flow rate sensor interposed in the vacuum suction circuit, and determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the vacuum valve of the vacuum suction system based on this flow rate pattern. This makes it possible to easily detect the presence or absence of an abnormality in the vacuum valve without removing the vacuum valve.

JP 2003-133792 A

In Patent Document 1, there is a function for detecting abnormalities in the vacuum suction system that performs head diagnosis during maintenance under specific conditions, such as when the suction nozzle is not attached to the attachment section. However, with the configuration of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to detect abnormalities that occur infrequently in the vacuum suction system. For this reason, for example, during automatic operation when not performing maintenance, defects in the vacuum suction system can only be discovered indirectly as a result of poor mounting or suction/mounting errors, and there is no way to directly check for defects in the vacuum suction system. For this reason, it is difficult to detect suction defects caused by rare vacuum abnormalities. Furthermore, if detection of abnormalities in the vacuum suction system, such as vacuum pump abnormalities or nozzle filter clogging, is delayed, the probability of suction errors or component drops occurring increases, and it may become difficult to ensure mounting quality.

The present disclosure was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and aims to provide a component mounting device that can directly and early detect abnormalities in the vacuum suction system and ensure the mounting quality of components.

The present disclosure provides a component mounting device that mounts components picked up from a component supply unit onto a substrate by vacuum suction of a suction nozzle provided on a mounting head, the component mounting device comprising: a negative pressure source connected to a nozzle opening provided at the tip of the suction nozzle through a vacuum path; a flow rate acquisition unit that acquires at least a flow rate of the vacuum path during automatic operation of the component mounting device; a judgment unit that judges a state of a vacuum suction system for suctioning the components based on a change over time in the flow rate during automatic operation acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit for a certain period of time; a memory unit that stores a threshold value of the flow rate and a first time starting from the time when the control unit opens the vacuum valve; a vacuum valve provided on the vacuum path; and a control unit that controls at least the opening and closing of the vacuum valve , wherein the judgment unit judges that the vacuum suction system is abnormal if the maximum value of the flow rate does not exceed the flow rate threshold within the first time .

According to the present disclosure, abnormalities in the vacuum suction system of a component mounting device can be detected directly and early, ensuring the quality of component mounting.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the component mounting device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mounting head shown in FIG. Pneumatic circuit diagram for switching between vacuum pressure and blow pressure of the suction nozzle connected to the air pressure source A correlation diagram showing an example of the relationship between the state of the suction nozzle and the operation of each valve. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the main part of the vacuum suction system shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the component mounting device shown in FIG. An explanatory diagram showing the nozzle trajectory image during suction and the flow rate waveform image when the flow rate is detected Flowchart showing a method for determining a vacuum abnormality

Below, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, an embodiment specifically disclosing the component mounting device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the attached drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a component mounting device 11 according to the first embodiment. In the diagram with directional arrows, the X-axis indicates the left-right direction, the Y-axis indicates the front-back direction, and the Z-axis indicates the up-down direction. The X-axis and Y-axis are orthogonal to each other and are included in the horizontal plane. The Z-axis is included in the longitudinal plane.

In the component mounting device 11 according to the first embodiment, a board transport section 15 is disposed in the X direction on the upper surface of a base 13. The board transport section 15 transports a board 17 delivered from an upstream device and positions and holds it at a mounting work position by the component mounting mechanism. A component supply section 19 is disposed on both sides of the board transport section 15. A plurality of tape feeders 21 are mounted in parallel on the component supply section 19. The tape feeders 21 position the components 23 (see FIG. 5) at a supply position to a mounting head 25 constituting the component mounting mechanism by pitch-feeding a carrier tape holding the components 23.

A Y-axis beam 27 is disposed horizontally along the Y direction at one end in the X direction on the top surface of the base 13. A pair of X-axis beams 29 are attached to the Y-axis beam 27 so as to be able to slide in the Y direction. The X-axis beams 29 are driven in the Y direction by a linear drive mechanism provided on the Y-axis beam 27. A mounting head 25 is attached to each X-axis beam 29 so as to be able to slide in the X direction. The mounting head 25 has a plurality of nozzle units 31, and is driven in the X direction by a linear drive mechanism provided on the X-axis beam 29.

By driving the Y-axis beam 27, the X-axis beam 29, and the mounting head 25, the mounting head 25 vacuum-sucks and removes (i.e. picks up) the components 23 from the tape feeders 21 arranged in each component supply unit 19 using the suction nozzles 33 (see FIG. 2) provided in the nozzle units 31, and moves above the board 17 to mount the components 23 at their mounting positions on the board 17. In the above-described configuration, the Y-axis beam 27 and the X-axis beam 29 form a head movement mechanism 35 that moves the mounting head 25 in the horizontal direction (X direction, Y direction). In addition, the Y-axis beam 27, the X-axis beam 29, and the mounting head 25 form a component mounting mechanism.

Component recognition cameras 37 are disposed on the base 13 between the board transport unit 15 and each component supply unit 19. The component recognition cameras 37 capture an image of the component 23 being held by the suction nozzle 33 attached to the mounting head 25 as the mounting head 25, which has picked up the component 23 from the component supply unit 19, moves above the component recognition camera 37.

The board recognition camera 41, which moves integrally with the mounting head 25 and is positioned on the underside of the X-axis beam 29 on the coupling plate 39 to which the mounting head 25 is attached, is disposed with its imaging direction facing downward. The board recognition camera 41 can capture images of position recognition marks (not shown) on the board 17 by moving the mounting head 25 above the board 17 held by the board transport section 15. In addition, the board recognition camera 41 can move above the board 17 after component mounting to capture images of the components 23 mounted on the board 17.

The image data acquired by the component recognition camera 37 and the board recognition camera 41 is subjected to recognition processing. This allows the component mounting device 11 to detect misalignment of the component 23 held by the suction nozzle 33 in the mounting head 25, and misalignment of the board 17 held by the board transport section 15. During component mounting operations by the component mounting mechanism, the position of the mounting head 25 is corrected taking these misalignments into account.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mounting head 25 shown in Figure 1. The mounting head 25 is attached to the X-axis beam 29 via a connecting plate 39. The mounting head 25 is configured with multiple nozzle units 31 (12 in the example of Figure 2) arranged side by side in two rows and six columns. Each nozzle unit 31 is configured with a nozzle shaft 45 extending downward from a nozzle driving unit 43, and a suction nozzle 33 is detachably attached to a nozzle mounting unit 47 connected to the lower end of the nozzle shaft 45. Each nozzle driving unit 43 is equipped with a nozzle lifting mechanism (not shown) that uses a linear motor to lift and lower an elevation shaft (not shown) connected to the nozzle shaft 45. By driving the nozzle driving unit 43, the suction nozzles 33 attached to the nozzle mounting units 47 are individually raised and lowered.

Suction nozzles 33 are available in multiple types depending on the size and shape of the component 23 to be vacuum-suctioned. For example, for a large-sized component 23, a suction nozzle 33 with a large suction holding surface 49 (see FIG. 5) at the bottom end of the suction nozzle 33 is used. In addition, mounting heads 25 are available in multiple types depending on the type of suction nozzle 33 to be attached. For example, when attaching a large suction nozzle 33 that sucks up a large component 23, a mounting head 25 with a large nozzle unit 31 is used.

The suction nozzle 33 has a nozzle opening 51 formed at the tip on the side that picks up the component 23. A rubber pad (not shown) is attached to the suction nozzle 33 around the nozzle opening 51 as a contact member that contacts the component 23.

Figure 3 is an air pressure circuit diagram that switches between the vacuum pressure and blow pressure of the suction nozzle 33 connected to the air pressure source 53. The nozzle shaft 45 is inserted through the nozzle mounting part 47 and communicates with the suction nozzle 33. A suction hole (not shown) that penetrates the nozzle shaft 45 is connected to an output path 59 (see Figure 5) that is connected to the output port A1 of the vacuum valve 57 via a flow sensor 55 as an example of a flow rate acquisition part. The output path 59 becomes a suction/air blow circuit that connects the vacuum valve 57 and the suction nozzle 33 via the flow sensor 55. The flow sensor 55 measures the flow rate of air in two directions: the positive direction (supply direction) flowing from the flow sensor 55 toward the suction nozzle 33 (arrow s), and the negative direction (vacuum direction) flowing from the suction nozzle 33 toward the flow sensor 55 (arrow v).

The vacuum valve 57 has two input ports R1 and P1 and one output port A1. The vacuum valve 57 is a 3-port, 2-position normally open directional control valve operated by a solenoid valve and a return spring. The vacuum valve 57 normally has a vacuum pressure at the input port R1 and output port A1, which are connected without being energized. The vacuum valve 57 switches between a state in which the path from the input port R1 to the output port A1 is open and a state in which the path from the input port P1 to the output port A1 is open, depending on a selection signal from the outside. In the vacuum valve 57, the input port R1 is connected to the vacuum pump 61, which is a negative pressure source, the input port P2 is connected to the output port A2 of the blow valve 63, and the output port A1 is connected to the output path 59 leading to the flow sensor 55. The vacuum pump 61 generates a negative pressure (vacuum).

The output path 59 is a suction/air blow circuit that connects the vacuum valve 57 and the suction nozzle 33 via the flow sensor 55. This output path 59 is included in the vacuum path 65. The vacuum path 65 connects the output path 59, which has the suction nozzle 33 connected to its tip, the output port A1 and input port R1 of the vacuum valve 57, and from the input port R1 to the vacuum valve 57. Therefore, the vacuum pump 61 is connected to the nozzle opening 51 provided at the tip of the suction nozzle 33 through this vacuum path 65. In addition, the vacuum path 65 is connected to a negative pressure branch line 67 that connects the input ports R1 of the vacuum valves 57 in parallel.

The flow sensor 55 acquires at least the flow rate of the vacuum path 65 for picking up the component 23 during automatic operation of the component mounting device 11. The flow sensor 55 detects the flow rate with, for example, 8-bit resolution. That is, the flow sensor 55 can acquire the value of the measured flow rate of the vacuum path 65 as a flow measurement signal with a value indicated by 8 bits (i.e., 256 gradations equivalent to 2 to the power of 8). In this way, the measurement result of the flow sensor 55 acquired as a flow measurement signal with a measured flow rate value indicated by 256 gradations is input to a determination unit 101 (see FIG. 6) provided in a nozzle control unit 97 (see FIG. 6) described later.

The blow valve 63 has two input ports R2 and P2 and one output port A2. The blow valve 63 is a 3-port, 2-position normally open directional control valve operated by an electromagnetic valve and a return spring. In other words, the blow valve 63 has the same structure as the vacuum valve 57 described above. The blow valve 63 normally has the input port R2 and the output port A2 connected in a non-energized state at atmospheric pressure. The blow valve 63 switches between a state in which the path from the input port R2 to the output port A2 is open and a state in which the path from the input port P2 to the output port A2 is open, depending on a selection signal from the outside. In the blow valve 63, the input port P2 is connected to an air supply source 69, the input port R2 is connected to an atmospheric supply source 71 (see FIG. 6), and the output port A2 is connected to the input port P1 of the vacuum valve 57. The air supply source 69 supplies positive pressure air. The atmospheric supply source 71 supplies atmospheric air. The air supply source 71 can also be realized by opening the input port R2 of the blow valve 63.

In this specification, the air pressure source 53 is used to collectively refer to the vacuum pump 61 and the air supply source 69.

The component mounting device 11 uses normally open directional control valves for the vacuum valve 57 and the blow valve 63, providing a measure (so-called fail-safe) to maintain the vacuum in the suction nozzle 33 when the power is cut off. This allows the component mounting device 11 to keep the component 23 in suction even in the event of an unexpected power cut, preventing the component 23 from falling.

The input port P2 of the blow valve 63 is connected to the output port A3 of the cleaning valve 73. The cleaning valve 73 has two input ports R3 and P3 and one output port A3. The cleaning valve 73 is a 3-port, 2-position normally open directional control valve operated by an electromagnetic valve and a return spring. In other words, the cleaning valve 73 has the same structure as the vacuum valve 57 described above. In the cleaning valve 73, the input port R3 and the output port A3, which are normally connected without being energized, become the blow pressure. In the cleaning valve 73, the input port R3 is connected to the air supply source 69 via the vacuum break pressure reducing valve 75. The vacuum break pressure reducing valve 75 reduces the pressure of the compressed air sent from the air supply source 69 to adjust it to a predetermined vacuum break pressure. The input port P3 of the cleaning valve 73 is connected to the air supply source 69 via the cleaning blow pressure reducing valve 77. The cleaning blow pressure reducing valve 77 reduces the pressure of the compressed air sent from the air supply source 69 to adjust it to a predetermined cleaning blow pressure.

The vacuum break pressure reducing valve 75 is set to a vacuum break pressure reducing value of, for example, 0.01 MPa (10 kPa). The cleaning blow pressure reducing valve 77 is set to a cleaning blow pressure of, for example, 0.14 MPa (140 kPa).

Figure 4 is a correlation diagram showing an example of the relationship between the state of the suction nozzle 33 and the operation of each valve. The suction and mounting of the suction nozzle 33 is controlled by controlling the vacuum valve 57, blow valve 63, and cleaning valve 73 to be turned ON and OFF. The vacuum valve 57 and blow valve 63 are controlled on the mounting head 25 side. The cleaning valve 73 is controlled on the device main body (i.e. the main body of the component mounting device 11) side. When the suction nozzle 33 is in a vacuum, the vacuum valve 57 is controlled to be OFF. When the suction nozzle 33 is open to the atmosphere, the vacuum valve 57 is controlled to be ON and the blow valve 63 is controlled to be OFF. When the vacuum is broken, the vacuum valve 57 is controlled to be ON, the blow valve 63 is controlled to be ON, and the cleaning valve 73 is controlled to be OFF. When the suction nozzle 33 is in a cleaning blow, the vacuum valve 57 is controlled to be ON, the blow valve 63 is controlled to be ON, and the cleaning valve 73 is controlled to be ON. When suctioning, the suction nozzle 33 opens to the atmosphere and creates a vacuum. When mounting, the suction nozzle 33 breaks the vacuum and opens to the atmosphere.

The mounting head 25 is provided with a plurality of suction nozzles 33 (12 in the illustrated example). The mounting head 25 is provided with vacuum valves 57 and blow valves 63 corresponding to the respective suction nozzles 33. In addition, the component mounting device 11 is provided with an air pressure generating source 53 (vacuum pump 61 and air supply source 69), a cleaning valve 73, a vacuum breaker pressure reducing valve 75, and a cleaning blow pressure reducing valve 77 on a stand 79 supporting the base 13. The input port R1 of each vacuum valve 57 is connected to the vacuum pump 61 by a negative pressure branch line 67. The input port P2 of each blow valve 63 is connected to the output port A3 of the cleaning valve 73 by a positive pressure branch line 81. In the first embodiment, a 12-nozzle head having 12 suction nozzles 33 is illustrated as an example, but the basic air pressure circuit is similarly configured in the case of a 3-nozzle head and a 16-nozzle head. In the component mounting device 11 of the first embodiment, the output port of the cleaning blow pressure reducing valve 77 is distributed and connected to other beams.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of the vacuum suction system 83 shown in Figure 3. In the component mounting device 11, pneumatic circuit components such as the suction nozzle 33, flow sensor 55, vacuum valve 57, filter 85, and piping joints (not shown) are interposed in the vacuum path 65. The vacuum path 65, the pneumatic circuit components, and the vacuum pump 61 constitute the vacuum suction system 83. The filter 85 is interposed, for example, in the connection port of the flow sensor 55 on the suction nozzle side, the connection port of the vacuum valve 57 on the flow sensor side, and the inlet of the vacuum valve 57. The filter 85 also removes impurities such as dust, oil, and moisture contained in the air, thereby improving the reliability of the pneumatic circuit. In addition, the vacuum suction system 83 may be equipped with conditioning equipment such as an air dryer for removing water vapor and a rebreather for supplying oil.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the component mounting device 11 shown in Figure 1. The component mounting device 11 includes a control unit (e.g., device control unit 87), a memory unit (e.g., device memory unit 89), a board transport unit 15, a component supply unit 19, a mounting head 25, a head moving mechanism 35, a component recognition camera 37, a board recognition camera 41, a vacuum pump 61, an air supply source 69, an atmospheric supply source 71, an input unit 91, a display unit 93, and a notification means (e.g., notification unit 95). The mounting head 25 includes a nozzle drive unit 43 and a nozzle control unit 97. The nozzle control unit 97 includes a valve control unit 99, a judgment unit 101, a judgment means (e.g., suction judgment unit 103), an analysis unit 105, and a valve memory unit 107. The nozzle control unit 97 is connected to a flow sensor 55, a vacuum valve 57, a blow valve 63, and a cleaning valve 73.

The device control unit 87 is an arithmetic processing device configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and has an implementation control unit 109 and an abnormality processing unit 111 as internal processing functions. The device storage unit 89 is a storage device configured using, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores implementation data 113, valve control data 115, judgment control data 117, etc. The implementation data 113 includes information such as the mounting position of the component 23 on the board 17, the type (component name) of the component 23 to be mounted, etc.

The device memory unit 89 also stores the suction error check timing, the judgment value Ft (see FIG. 7) which is the flow rate threshold, and the like in the judgment control data 117. If the air flow rate F does not exceed this judgment value Ft (F<Ft), the judgment unit 101 judges that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal.

The device memory unit 89 also stores in the judgment control data 117 a first time Tα (see FIG. 7) whose starting point t0 (see FIG. 7) is the time when the control unit (e.g., device control unit 87) opens the vacuum valve 57. If the maximum flow rate Vmax (see FIG. 7) does not exceed the flow rate judgment value Ft (Vmax<Ft) within the first time Tα, the judgment unit 101 judges that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal. Note that the measured value used for comparison with the judgment value Ft does not have to be limited to the maximum value Vmax.

The device memory unit 89 further stores in the judgment control data 117 a second time Tβ (see FIG. 7) that is shorter than the first time Tα, starting from the time t0 when the control unit opens the vacuum valve 57. If the maximum flow rate Vmax does not exceed the flow rate judgment value Ft (Vmax<Ft) between the second time Tβ and the first time Tα, the judgment unit 101 judges that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal.

The mounting control unit 109 controls the board transport unit 15, the component supply unit 19, the mounting head 25, the nozzle drive unit 43, and the head movement mechanism 35 based on the mounting data 113, and controls the mounting of the components 23 on the board 17 by the suction nozzle 33. The device control unit 87 at least controls the opening and closing of the vacuum valve 57 provided on the vacuum path by the mounting control unit 109.

The valve control data 115 stores information such as timing information for the valve control unit 99 to switch the vacuum valve 57, blow valve 63, and cleaning valve 73 when the component 23 vacuum-sucked by the suction nozzle 33 is placed on the board 17. The judgment control data 117 stores information such as timing information for the judgment unit 101 of the nozzle control unit 97 to judge the measurement result of the flow sensor 55, and a judgment value Ft that is a threshold value for judging whether the measured air flow rate is normal or not.

The timing information of the valve control data 115, the timing information of the judgment control data 117, and the judgment value Ft are determined in advance based on experiments or experience, and correspond to the type of mounting head 25 (such as the number of nozzle units 31) and the type of suction nozzle 33 attached to the mounting head 25. Various data corresponding to the configuration of the component mounting device 11, such as the type of mounting head 25 attached to the component mounting device 11 and the type of suction nozzle 33 attached to the nozzle unit 31, are transferred from the valve control data 115 and judgment control data 117 to the valve memory unit 107 provided in the nozzle control unit 97 and stored in advance.

The vacuum valve 57, blow valve 63, and cleaning valve 73 are connected to a valve control unit 99 provided in the nozzle control unit 97. The measurement result of the flow sensor 55 is input to a judgment unit 101 provided in the nozzle control unit 97. A valve memory unit 107 provided in the nozzle control unit 97 stores timing information for switching the states of the vacuum valve 57, blow valve 63, and cleaning valve 73 by the valve control unit 99, and timing information and judgment value Ft for judging whether the air flow rate measured by the flow sensor 55 is normal or not by the judgment unit 101. The nozzle control unit 97 is disposed in the mounting head 25, and is connected to the device control unit 87 with the mounting head 25 attached to the coupling plate 39.

When the valve control unit 99 controls the vacuum valve 57 to open the path from the input port R1 to the output port A1, the vacuum pump 61 communicates with the suction nozzle 33 via the flow sensor 55, and the suction nozzle 33 performs vacuum suction from the nozzle opening 51 that opens into the suction holding surface 49 at the lower end. In other words, the vacuum pump 61 serves as a vacuum suction means that performs vacuum suction from the suction nozzle 33.

When vacuum suction is performed from the suction nozzle 33 while the component 23 is in contact with the suction holding surface 49, the component 23 is vacuum-sucked by the suction nozzle 33. At this time, the air flow rate F measured by the flow sensor 55 is almost zero. When vacuum suction is performed from the suction nozzle 33 while the component 23 is not in contact with the suction holding surface 49, outside air (air) is sucked in by the suction nozzle 33.

When the valve control unit 99 controls the vacuum valve 57 to open the path from the input port P1 to the output port A1 and controls the blow valve 63 to open the path from the input port P2 to the output port A2, the air supply source 69 communicates with the suction nozzle 33 via the flow sensor 55, and positive pressure air is discharged from the suction nozzle 33. In other words, the air supply source 69 serves as an air blowing means for discharging positive pressure air from the suction nozzle 33. At this time, the flow rate F of the positive air is measured by the flow sensor 55.

When the valve control unit 99 controls the vacuum valve 57 to open the path from the input port P1 to the output port A1 and controls the blow valve 63 to open the path from the input port R2 to the output port A2, the air supply source 71 communicates with the suction nozzle 33 via the flow sensor 55, and the suction nozzle 33 becomes atmospheric pressure. At this time, the air flow rate F measured by the flow sensor 55 becomes almost zero.

In this way, the vacuum valve 57 and the blow valve 63 act as a switching means for selectively connecting the vacuum pump 61, the air supply source 69, and the atmospheric supply source 71 to the suction nozzle 33. The flow rate sensor 55 is disposed in the suction/air blow circuit that connects this switching means (vacuum valve 57, blow valve 63, cleaning valve 73) to the suction nozzle 33, and measures the flow rate F of air passing through the suction/air blow circuit in both forward and reverse directions.

The determination unit 101 includes a comparator and compares the air flow rate F measured by the flow sensor 55 with a determination value Ft stored in the valve memory unit 107 to determine whether the air flow rate F exceeds the determination value Ft. In other words, the determination unit 101 can determine the state of the vacuum suction system 83 for adsorbing the component 23 based on the flow rate acquired by the flow sensor 55. The timing of the determination by the determination unit 101 is controlled by the valve control unit 99 based on the timing information stored in the valve memory unit 107. The determination result by the determination unit 101 is transmitted to the device control unit 87 via the valve control unit 99. When the vacuum suction system 83 is determined to be abnormal based on the determination unit 101, the component mounting device 11 notifies the notification unit 95 of the abnormality.

The suction determination unit 103 further acquires the air flow rate F after the suction nozzle 33 has picked up the component 23. The suction determination unit 103 determines whether the component 23 has been picked up by the suction nozzle 33 based on the air flow rate F after the component 23 has been picked up.

When the determination unit 101 determines that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal, the analysis unit 105 analyzes the cause of the abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83 based on the flow rate. The analysis unit 105 can set the flow rate pattern in a normal vacuum suction system 83 as a reference flow rate pattern a (see FIG. 7) for comparison. The analysis unit 105 can analyze the cause of the abnormality by comparing this reference flow rate pattern a with a measured flow rate pattern created based on the flow rate acquired during automatic operation.

The notification unit 95 at least notifies the user that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal when the determination unit 101 determines that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal. The notification unit 95 can be, for example, a notification light, a flash lamp, a buzzer, or a notification screen displayed on the display unit 93 of the device. Note that "at least notify" means that in addition to determining whether or not there is a defect, the estimated cause of the abnormality analyzed by the analysis unit 105 described above may be simultaneously displayed on the display unit 93.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an image of the nozzle trajectory during suction and an image of the flow rate waveform when the flow rate is detected. In the component mounting device 11, the flow rate sensor 55 acquires flow rate data at the suction error check timing from the timing information stored in the valve memory unit 107. This flow rate data can be expressed as a waveform (flow rate pattern) drawn on a plane with orthogonal time and flow rate axes as coordinate systems. In the component mounting device 11, the flow rate pattern in a normal vacuum suction system 83 can be set as a reference for comparison as the reference flow rate pattern a. Note that the reference flow rate pattern a is an example and is not limited to this.

Next, a specific procedure for determining an abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method for determining a vacuum abnormality. The process shown in FIG. 8 is executed, for example, mainly under the control of the nozzle control unit 97 of the component mounting device 11.

In FIG. 8, to determine whether there is a vacuum abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83, the component mounting device 11 first obtains, i.e., checks, the flow rate data during component suction using the flow rate sensor 55 (St1).

Specifically, the nozzle control unit 97 determines whether the current adsorption time is the adsorption error check timing stored in the valve memory unit 107 (St2). If it is not the adsorption error check timing (St2, NO), the flow sensor 55 continues acquiring flow data under the control of the nozzle control unit 97. If it is the adsorption error check timing (St2, YES), the flow sensor 55 stops acquiring flow data under the control of the nozzle control unit 97 (St2).

Next, the judgment unit 101 judges whether the maximum flow rate (maximum value Vmax) shown in FIG. 7 obtained at the suction error check timing exceeds a threshold value (judgment value Ft) (maximum value Vmax>judgment value Ft) (St3).

When the maximum value Vmax does not exceed the judgment value Ft (St3, NO), the judgment unit 101 judges that there is an abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83 (St4), and ends the process of judging the vacuum abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83. This judgment result indicating a defect is output to the notification unit 95, and is notified by the notification unit 95.

On the other hand, when the maximum value Vmax exceeds the judgment value Ft shown in Fig. 7 (St3, YES), the judgment unit 101 judges whether the acquisition time of the maximum value Vmax is within the predetermined time (first time Tα) shown in Fig. 7 (St5). When the acquisition time of the maximum value Vmax is within the predetermined time (first time Tα) (St5, YES), the judgment unit 101 judges that the vacuum suction system 83 is normal (St6), and ends the process of judging a vacuum abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83.

On the other hand, when the time taken to acquire the maximum value Vmax is equal to or longer than the predetermined time (first time Tα) (St5, NO), the judgment unit 101 judges that there is an abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83 (St4) and ends the process of judging the vacuum abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83. At this time, in the same manner, the judgment result indicating the defect is output to the notification unit 95, and is notified by the notification unit 95.

Next, the operation of the component mounting device 11 according to the first embodiment will be described.

The component mounting device 11 mounts the component 23 picked up from the component supply unit 19 onto the substrate 17 by vacuum suction of the suction nozzle 33 provided on the mounting head 25. The component mounting device 11 includes a negative pressure source connected to a nozzle opening 51 provided at the tip of the suction nozzle 33 through a vacuum path 65, a flow rate acquisition unit that acquires at least the flow rate of the vacuum path 65 for picking up the component 23 during automatic operation of the component mounting device 11, and a determination unit 101 that determines the state of the vacuum suction system 83 for suctioning the component 23 based on the flow rate acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit.

In the component mounting device 11, the mounting head 25 is provided with a suction nozzle 33 for picking up the component 23. The suction nozzle 33 picks up the component 23 by vacuum suction. A nozzle opening 51 for vacuum suctioning the component 23 is opened at the tip of the suction nozzle 33. The nozzle opening 51 is connected to a negative pressure source (vacuum pump 61) through a vacuum path 65.

A flow rate sensor 55, which is an example of a flow rate acquisition unit, is installed in the vacuum path 65 of the vacuum suction system 83. In the component mounting device 11, during automatic operation in which the picked-up components 23 are mounted on the board 17 to actually manufacture the component-mounted board, this flow rate sensor 55 at least acquires the air flow rate in the vacuum path 65. "At least the flow rate is acquired" means that the criterion for determining whether or not the flow rate is normal is not limited to the maximum value of the flow rate. In other words, in the component mounting device 11, if the flow rate before the component 23 is sucked exceeds a preset judgment value (judgment value Ft), it may be judged to be normal.

The component mounting device 11 has a judgment unit 101. This judgment unit 101 judges the state of the vacuum suction system 83 for suctioning the component 23 based on the flow rate acquired by the flow rate sensor 55. Since the vacuum path 65 of the vacuum suction system 83 has a certain volume, even if the nozzle opening 51 is open or blocked by component suction, if the vacuum suction system 83 is normal, a flow rate occurs when the vacuum starts up. In other words, if the vacuum suction system 83 is normal, the flow rate when the vacuum starts up increases to a certain value or more, almost regardless of whether the suction nozzle 33 is attached or not, and whether the component 23 is suctioned or not. This change in the flow rate over time can be expressed as a flow rate pattern (see reference flow rate pattern a in FIG. 7). In the component mounting device 11, the flow rate pattern of the vacuum suction system 83 has a range that follows a certain transition. The flow rate pattern when the vacuum suction system 83 is normal has an appropriate rise portion Qp (see FIG. 7) in this certain range. This allows the component mounting device 11 to correlate the air flow rate of the vacuum path 65 with the suction operation of the vacuum suction system 83.

The component mounting device 11 uses a certain range of this flow rate pattern as a comparison target. Within this certain range of the flow rate pattern, a certain amount of flow rate occurs regardless of the tip of the suction nozzle 33 (whether or not a component is being picked up).

In the component mounting device 11, the air flow rate in the vacuum path 65 is detected by the flow rate sensor 55 at each suction operation during automatic operation, and if the flow rate does not respond properly within a certain period of time, the judgment unit 101 judges that an abnormality has occurred.

As a result, the component mounting device 11 constantly monitors the suction operation in the vacuum suction system 83, making it possible to immediately detect vacuum abnormalities. In the component mounting device 11, the vacuum state of all component suction operations during automatic operation is acquired (monitored) by the flow sensor 55 interposed in the vacuum path 65, so if an abnormality occurs in any of the pneumatic circuit components of the vacuum suction system 83 that prevents normal pickup, an immediate determination can be made.

In this way, the part mounting device 11 allows for constant monitoring during automatic operation, making it possible to detect anomalies that occur infrequently and were previously difficult to detect at an early stage. In other words, malfunctions in the vacuum suction system 83 during automatic operation can be directly detected. As a result, it becomes possible to detect suction malfunctions caused by vacuum abnormalities that rarely occur.

Furthermore, since abnormalities in the vacuum suction system 83, such as vacuum pump abnormalities or nozzle filter clogging, can be detected without delay, suction errors and component drops are less likely to occur. Therefore, compared to conventional devices, the component mounting device 11 can detect abnormalities in the vacuum suction system 83 earlier, ensuring consistently good mounting quality.

In addition, in the component mounting device 11, the flow rate acquisition unit further acquires the flow rate after the suction nozzle 33 has picked up the component 23. A determination unit (e.g., the suction determination unit 103) determines whether the component 23 has been picked up by the suction nozzle 33 based on the flow rate after the component 23 has been picked up.

In this component mounting device 11, the flow rate "after" the suction nozzle 33 has picked up the component 23 is further acquired by the flow rate sensor 55. The flow rate of the vacuum path 65 connected to the suction nozzle 33 occurs when the vacuum rises before suction begins, but after suction, the nozzle opening 51 is blocked and the flow rate drops sharply. In the component mounting device 11, the flow rate at this time is judged by the suction judgment unit 103, making it possible to acquire the vacuum suction state (suction information) of whether or not the component 23 has been picked up.

As described above, in the component mounting device 11, when the vacuum starts, the air flow rate increases to above a certain value, almost regardless of whether the suction nozzle 33 is attached or whether the component 23 is being sucked. The flow rate pattern at this time is suitable for determining whether an abnormality exists in the vacuum suction system 83, but is not suitable for determining whether the component 23 is being sucked. For this reason, the component mounting device 11 is designed to be able to continuously determine whether the component is being sucked with a higher degree of accuracy by referring to the flow rate after the vacuum starts and the component 23 is sucked.

The component mounting device 11 further includes a storage unit (e.g., device storage unit 89) that stores a threshold value for the flow rate. The determination unit 101 determines that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal if the flow rate does not exceed the threshold value.

In this component mounting device 11, a flow rate threshold is stored in a memory unit (e.g., device memory unit 89). In the component mounting device 11, the flow rate at the start of the vacuum rises to a certain value or more, almost regardless of whether the suction nozzle 33 is attached or whether the component 23 is being sucked or not, and increases to a predetermined peak value (maximum value Vmax). In the component mounting device 11, of the flow rates that rise to a certain value or more, this certain value is set as a judgment value Ft, which is a threshold value. In the component mounting device 11, if the flow rate acquired by the flow rate sensor 55 does not exceed this judgment value Ft, the judgment unit 101 can judge that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal.

The component mounting device 11 further includes a vacuum valve 57 provided on the vacuum path and a control unit (e.g., valve control unit 99) that at least controls the opening and closing of the vacuum valve 57. The memory unit stores a first time period that starts from the time point when the control unit (e.g., valve control unit 99) opens the vacuum valve 57. The judgment unit 101 judges that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal if the maximum value of the flow rate does not exceed the flow rate threshold within the first time period.

In this component mounting device 11, the mounting head 25 is provided with a vacuum valve 57 for opening and closing the vacuum path 65 in order to vacuum-suck the component 23 with the suction nozzle 33. The flow rate sensor 55 is interposed between the nozzle opening 51 and the vacuum valve 57. In the vacuum path 65, a flow rate occurs when the vacuum rises even if the nozzle opening 51 is blocked by component suction. This flow rate is measured by the flow rate sensor 55. This flow rate has the above-mentioned flow rate pattern (reference flow rate pattern a) that changes over time from the time when the vacuum valve 57 is opened as a starting point (t0) until the first time Tα. This reference flow rate pattern a has a peak value (maximum value Vmax) that rises above the threshold value Ft. Therefore, in the component mounting device 11, if the maximum value Vmax of the flow rate acquired by the flow rate sensor 55 does not exceed the judgment value Ft within the first time Tα, the judgment unit 101 can judge that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal.

In addition, the component mounting device 11 further stores in a memory unit (e.g., device memory unit 89) a second time that is shorter than the first time Tα, starting from the time when the control unit (e.g., valve control unit 99) opens the vacuum valve 57, and the judgment unit 101 judges that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal if the maximum value of the flow rate does not exceed the flow rate threshold value between the second time and the first time Tα.

In this component mounting device 11, a second time Tβ, which is shorter than the first time Tα and whose starting point (t0) is the time when the vacuum valve 57 is opened, is further stored in a memory unit (e.g., device memory unit 89). In other words, the end (tα) of the first time Tα arrives after the end (tβ) of the second time Tβ has elapsed from the starting point. Therefore, in the component mounting device 11, if the maximum flow rate Vmax does not exceed the judgment value Ft between the second time Tα and the first time Tβ (i.e., (tα-tβ)), the judgment unit 101 can judge that there is an abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83.

In addition, the component mounting device 11 further includes an analysis unit 105 that analyzes the cause of the abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83 based on the flow rate when the determination unit 101 determines that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal.

This component mounting device 11 is equipped with an analysis unit 105 that analyzes abnormalities in the vacuum suction system 83. The component mounting device 11 has a flow rate pattern in which the flow rate changes over time from the time when the vacuum valve 57 is opened to a first time Tα, which is the starting point t0. This flow rate pattern is approximately the same in component mounting devices 11 having the same structure. Therefore, in the component mounting device 11, it is possible to set the flow rate pattern in a normal vacuum suction system 83 as a reference flow rate pattern a, which is used as a reference for comparison.

The reference flow pattern a can be defined, for example, with parameters such as the first time Tα, the second time Tβ, the maximum value Vmax, and the judgment value Ft. This reference flow pattern a can be expressed as a waveform drawn on a plane with the orthogonal time axis and flow axis as the coordinate system.

The component mounting device 11 creates a measured flow pattern based on the flow rate acquired during automatic operation for this reference flow pattern a. The analysis unit 105 compares the reference flow pattern a with the measured flow pattern to analyze the cause of the abnormality.

That is, for example, if the measured flow rate pattern b shown in FIG. 7 is a straight line without detecting any flow rate, the analysis unit 105 can infer that the vacuum valve 57 or the vacuum pump 61 is faulty (not working).

If the measured flow rate pattern c shown in FIG. 7 does not exceed the judgment value Ft within the first time Tα, it is assumed that the vacuum pump 61 is faulty (vacuum pressure does not increase) or the vacuum valve 57 is faulty (clogged with debris).

If the measured flow rate pattern d shown in FIG. 7 does not exceed the judgment value Ft within the first time Tα and remains at a constant flow rate, it can be assumed that the filter of the vacuum pump 61 is clogged, the vacuum pump 61 is defective (vacuum pressure does not increase), or the vacuum valve 57 is defective (clogged with debris).

Even if the measured flow rate pattern e shown in FIG. 7 exceeds the judgment value Ft, if it is after the first time Tα has elapsed (delay Tβ'), it is assumed that this is due to a response delay in the vacuum valve 57.

The analysis unit 105 uses the reaching flow rate, the convergence flow rate, the reaching time, and the convergence time as parameters for determining whether the flow rate is correct or not, and is free to extract any parameters from the flow rate pattern. In addition, the analysis unit 105 can define various parameters according to the target, such as the rate of change of the flow rate and the flow rate integral value, and use them for the determination.

The component mounting device 11 also includes a notification unit 95 that at least notifies the user that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal when the determination unit 101 determines that the vacuum suction system 83 is abnormal.

In this component mounting device 11, the vacuum state of all component suction operations during automatic operation is monitored by a flow sensor 55 installed in the vacuum path 65. If the judgment unit 101 judges the vacuum suction system 83 to be defective, the notification unit 95 notifies the user of the defect. The notification unit 95 can be, for example, a notification light, a flash lamp, a buzzer, or a notification screen displayed on the display unit 93 of the device, and notifies the operator of an abnormality in the vacuum suction system 83. As a result, if an abnormality occurs, the component mounting device 11 is immediately stopped, and the occurrence of mounting defects and suction/mounting errors can be prevented in advance.

Therefore, with the component mounting device 11 according to embodiment 1, abnormalities in the vacuum suction system 83 can be detected directly and early, ensuring the quality of component mounting.

Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, amendments, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the various embodiments described above may be combined in any manner as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

This disclosure is useful as a component mounting device that can directly and early detect abnormalities in the vacuum suction system and ensure component mounting quality.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Component mounting device 17 Substrate 19 Component supply unit 23 Component 25 Mounting head 33 Suction nozzle 51 Nozzle opening 55 Flow rate sensor 57 Vacuum valve 59 Output path 61 Vacuum pump 65 Vacuum path 83 Vacuum suction system 87 Device control unit 89 Device memory unit 95 Notification unit 101 Determination unit 103 Suction determination unit 105 Analysis unit

Claims (5)

A component mounting device that mounts components picked up from a component supply unit onto a substrate by vacuum suction of a suction nozzle provided on a mounting head,
a negative pressure source connected to a nozzle opening provided at a tip of the suction nozzle through a vacuum path;
a flow rate acquisition unit that acquires at least a flow rate of the vacuum path during automatic operation of the component mounting device;
a determination unit that determines a state of a vacuum suction system including the vacuum path for suctioning the component based on a change over time of the flow rate during the automatic operation acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit; and
a vacuum valve provided on the vacuum path;
A control unit that at least controls the opening and closing of the vacuum valve;
a storage unit that stores the flow rate threshold value and a first time period starting from a time point when the control unit opens the vacuum valve ,
the determination unit determines that the vacuum suction system is abnormal if the maximum value of the flow rate does not exceed the flow rate threshold within the first time period .
Parts mounting device. A component mounting device that mounts components picked up from a component supply unit onto a substrate by vacuum suction of a suction nozzle provided on a mounting head,
a negative pressure source connected to a nozzle opening provided at a tip of the suction nozzle through a vacuum path;
a flow rate acquisition unit that acquires at least a flow rate of the vacuum path during automatic operation of the component mounting device;
a determination unit that determines a state of a vacuum suction system including the vacuum path for suctioning the component based on a change over time of the flow rate during the automatic operation acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit; and
and an analysis unit that analyzes a cause of the abnormality in the vacuum suction system based on the flow rate when the determination unit determines that the vacuum suction system is abnormal .
Parts mounting device. the flow rate acquisition unit further acquires the flow rate after the suction nozzle has picked up the component,
the determining unit determines whether or not the component has been picked up by the suction nozzle based on the flow rate after the component has been picked up.
The component mounting device according to claim 1. The storage unit further stores a second time period that is shorter than the first time period, the second time period being determined from a time point when the control unit opens the vacuum valve;
the determination unit determines that the vacuum suction system is abnormal if the maximum value of the flow rate does not exceed the flow rate threshold value during the period from the second time to the first time.
The component mounting device according to claim 1 . and a notification unit that at least notifies the user that the vacuum suction system is abnormal when the determination unit determines that the vacuum suction system is abnormal.
The component mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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