JP7629465B2 - Substrate-related processing device and calculation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate-related processing machine equipped with a clamping device for clamping a substrate.

In a substrate-related processing machine equipped with a clamping device that clamps a substrate, various operations are performed on the substrate in a clamped state. An example of such a substrate-related processing machine is described in the following patent document.

JP 2012-066558 A JP 2013-071284 A

In a substrate-related processing machine equipped with a clamping device that clamps a substrate, the thickness of the substrate can be calculated to appropriately carry out processing on the substrate. Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to appropriately calculate the thickness of the substrate.

In order to solve the above problems, this specification discloses a substrate-related operating machine comprising: a support member that supports a substrate from below; a clamping device that clamps the substrate while supported by the support member; a lifting device that raises and lowers the support member together with the clamping device; a contact body that is positioned at a predetermined height above the support member and that contacts the support member or the substrate supported by the support member as the support member is raised by the lifting device; a calculation device that calculates a thickness of the substrate supported by the support member based on the difference between the height of the support member when the support member contacts the contact body and the height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the contact body ; and a transport device that transports the substrate , wherein the contact body functions as a stopper that abuts against a substrate transported by the transport device to a clamping position of the substrate by the clamping device . The present specification also relates to a method for manufacturing a substrate supporting apparatus, comprising: a support member that supports a substrate from below; a clamping device that clamps the substrate supported by the support member; a lifting device that lifts and lowers the support member together with the clamping device; a contact body that is positioned at a predetermined height above the support member and that contacts the support member or the substrate supported by the support member as the support member is lifted by the lifting device; and a calculation device that calculates a thickness of the substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the contact body. The present invention discloses a substrate-related operating machine in which the contact body has a lower end surface and a step surface located above the lower end surface, and the calculation device selectively calculates a thickness of a substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts the lower end surface of the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the lower end surface of the contact body, or calculates a thickness of a substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts the step surface of the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the step surface of the contact body.

In the present disclosure, the thickness of the substrate supported by the support member is calculated based on the difference between the height of the support member when the support member contacts the contact body and the height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the contact body. This makes it possible to appropriately calculate the thickness of the substrate.

FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a substrate transport and holding device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device. FIG. 2 shows the circuit board in a clamped state. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit board in contact with a mask. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a circuit board not in close contact with a mask. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of a printing machine when the actual thickness dimension of a circuit board is calculated.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as a mode for carrying out the present invention.

The printer 10 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The printer 10 is a machine for printing solder paste on a circuit board. The printer 10 is equipped with a board transport and holding device 20, a mask holding device 22, an imaging device 23, a squeegee device 24, a solder supply device 26, and a control device (see Figure 5) 28. Note that Figure 1 shows the printer 10 from a side perspective, and Figure 2 shows the printer 10 from an above perspective.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the substrate transport and holding device 20 has a conveyor device 50, a substrate holding device 52, and a substrate lifting device 54. Figure 3 is a view showing the substrate transport and holding device 20 from an obliquely upward perspective, and Figure 4 is a view showing the substrate transport and holding device 20 from the perspective of line AA in Figure 3.

The conveyor device 50 has a pair of guide rails 60, 62 and a conveyor belt 66 provided on each guide rail 60, 62. The pair of guide rails 60, 62 are arranged parallel to each other, and each guide rail 60, 62 is supported on the upper surface of the lifting platform 72 via a pair of support legs 70. The direction in which the guide rails 60, 62 extend is called the X direction, the direction horizontally perpendicular to the X direction is called the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction is called the Z direction.

Two pulleys 74, 76 are arranged on the side of each guide rail 60, 62 with the Y direction as the axis. The two pulleys 74, 76 are arranged at both ends of each guide rail 60, 62. The guide rail 60 and the guide rail 62 are arranged with the surfaces on which the pulleys 74, 76 are arranged facing each other. A conveyor belt 66 is wound around the pulleys 74, 76 of each guide rail 60, 62, and the conveyor belt 66 is rotated by the drive of an electromagnetic motor (see FIG. 5) 78. The conveyor belt 66 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4. As a result, when a circuit board (see FIG. 9) 80 is placed on the conveyor belt 66, the circuit board 80 is transported in the direction from the side where the pulley 74 is arranged to the side where the pulley 76 is arranged.

The substrate holding device 52 also has a lift table 90, a backup block 91, a table lift mechanism 92, and a clamp device 93. The lift table 90 is generally rectangular and is disposed below the guide rails 60, 62 so as to extend between a pair of support legs 70 of each guide rail 60, 62. A backup block 91 is disposed on the upper surface of the lift table 90. The backup block 91 is generally block-shaped, and the outer dimensions of the upper surface of the backup block 91 are slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the circuit board 80. The lift table 90 is disposed on the upper surface of the lift platform 72 via a table lift mechanism 92, and the table lift mechanism 92 raises and lowers the lift table 90 by driving an electromagnetic motor (see FIG. 5) 96.

The clamping device 93 also has a fixed clamper 100, a movable clamper 102, and an air cylinder (see FIG. 5) 104. The fixed clamper 100 and the movable clamper 102 are generally rectangular, and the fixed clamper 100 is fixed to the upper surface of the guide rail 60 above the lift table 90. On the other hand, the movable clamper 102 is disposed above the lift table 90 on the upper surface of the guide rail 62 so as to be slidable in the Y direction, and is biased by the elastic force of a coil spring (not shown) in a direction away from the fixed clamper 100. The movable clamper 102 approaches the fixed clamper 100 against the elastic force of the coil spring by driving the air cylinder 104.

With this structure, in the board transport and holding device 20, the circuit board 80 transported by the conveyor device 50 is clamped by the board holding device 52. More specifically, the circuit board 80 is carried into the printing machine 10 and transported to a predetermined work position by the conveyor device 50. When the circuit board 80 is transported to the work position, both edges of the circuit board 80 placed on the conveyor belt 66 of the conveyor device 50 are positioned below the fixed clamper 100 and the movable clamper 102.

Next, when the circuit board 80 is transported to the working position, the lift table 90 is raised by the drive of the electromagnetic motor 96. At this time, the upper surface of the backup block comes into contact with the lower surface of the circuit board 80, and as the lift table 90 rises, the circuit board 80 also rises. At this time, the circuit board 80 is lifted from the conveyor belt 66. Then, as the lift table 90 further rises, the circuit board 80 is lifted to the same height as the fixed clamper 100 and the movable clamper 102. At this time, the movable clamper 102 approaches the fixed clamper 100 by the drive of the air cylinder 104, so that the circuit board 80 is clamped between the fixed clamper 100 and the movable clamper 102. As a result, the circuit board 80 is clamped by the clamp device 93 in a state where it is lifted from the conveyor belt 66.

The board lifting device 54 also has the lifting platform 72 and a platform lifting mechanism 106. The platform lifting mechanism 106 raises and lowers the lifting platform 72 by driving an electromagnetic motor (see FIG. 5) 108. As a result, the conveyor device 50 and the board holding device 52 arranged on the lifting platform 72 are raised and lowered by the board lifting device 54. In other words, the circuit board 80 clamped by the clamp device 93 is raised and lowered by the board lifting device 54.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mask holding device 22 has a mask support stage 110 disposed above the substrate transport and holding device 20, and a mask fixing mechanism 112 disposed on the upper surface of the mask support stage 110. An opening (not shown) is formed in the center of the mask support stage 110, and a mask 116 is placed on the mask support stage 110 so as to cover the opening. The mask 116 placed on the mask support stage 110 is then fixedly held by the mask fixing mechanism 112.

The opening formed in the mask support table 110 is larger than the circuit board 80 transported by the substrate transport/holding device 20. The circuit board 80 clamped by the clamp device 93 is raised by the substrate lifting device 54, so that it comes into close contact with the underside of the mask 116 held by the mask fixing mechanism 112. The circuit board 80 clamped by the clamp device 93 is lowered by the substrate lifting device 54, so that it moves away from the underside of the mask 116.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the imaging device 23 has a camera moving device 120, a camera 122, a cylinder 123, and a stopper 124. The camera moving device 120 includes a pair of slide rails 126, a Y slider 128, and an X slider 130. The pair of slide rails 126 are arranged to extend parallel to each other and in the Y-axis direction between the substrate transport holding device 20 and the mask holding device 22 in the vertical direction. The Y slider 128 is slidably held by the pair of slide rails 126, and slides in the Y direction by the operation of an electromagnetic motor (see Fig. 5) 132. The X slider 130 is attached to the underside of the Y slider 128 so as to be slidable in the X direction, and slides in the X direction by the operation of an electromagnetic motor (see Fig. 5) 136. The slide rail 126 does not overlap with the board lifting device 54 of the board transport and holding device 20 in the vertical direction, and as the Y slider 128 moves from above the board lifting device 54, the circuit board 80 is lifted by the board lifting device 54 without coming into contact with the imaging device 23.

The camera 122 is attached to the underside of the X-slider 130 facing downward. The cylinder 123 is also attached to the underside of the X-slider 130, and the cylinder rod (see FIG. 9) 125 of the cylinder 123 extends downward. A stopper 124 is fixed to the lower end of the cylinder rod 125. Therefore, the stopper 124 descends as the cylinder 123 expands, and ascends as the cylinder 123 contracts. The cylinder 123 also has a built-in contact sensor (see FIG. 5) 140, which reacts when the cylinder 123 is fully extended. In other words, when the cylinder 123 is fully extended and the stopper 124 descends to the lowest end, the contact sensor 140 turns ON, and when the stopper 124 rises even slightly from the lowest end, the contact sensor 140 turns OFF.

The squeegee device 24 also includes a squeegee moving device 150, a pair of squeegees 152, 154, and a squeegee lifting device 156. The squeegee moving device 150 includes a pair of slide rails 158 and a slider 160. The pair of slide rails 158 are arranged above the mask holding device 22 so as to be parallel to each other and extend in the Y-axis direction. The slider 160 is slidably attached to the pair of slide rails 158, and slides in the Y-axis direction by the operation of an electromagnetic motor (see FIG. 5). Each of the pair of squeegees 152, 154 is generally plate-shaped and made of a flexible material. The pair of squeegees 152, 154 are arranged to face each other and extend in the X-axis direction, and are held by the squeegee lifting device 156 below the slider 160. The squeegee lifting device 156 raises and lowers the pair of squeegees 152, 154 individually.

The solder supply device 26 is a device that supplies cream solder, and an outlet 170 for discharging the cream solder is formed on the underside of the solder supply device 26. The solder supply device 26 is fixed to approximately the center of the side surface of the slider 160 in the Y-axis direction. This allows the solder supply device 26 to move to any position in the Y-axis direction by the operation of the squeegee moving device 150.

5, the control device 28 includes a controller 180, a plurality of drive circuits 182, and an image processing device 186. The plurality of drive circuits 182 are connected to the electromagnetic motors 78, 96, 108, 132, 136, 162, the air cylinder 104, the cylinder 123, the squeegee lifting device 156, and the solder supply device 26. The controller 180 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is mainly a computer, and is connected to the plurality of drive circuits 182. As a result, the operation of the board transport and holding device 20, the squeegee device 24, etc. is controlled by the controller 180. The controller 180 is also connected to the image processing device 186. The image processing device 186 processes image data obtained by the camera 122, and the controller 180 acquires various information from the image data. Furthermore, the controller 180 is connected to the contact sensor 140, and acquires detection values from the contact sensor 140.

In the printing machine 10, the circuit board 80 is transported to the working position and clamped by the clamping device 93 using the configuration described above. The clamped circuit board 80 is then raised by the board lifting device 54 so that it is in close contact with the underside of the mask 116. The mask 116 has through holes (not shown) formed in accordance with the pattern of the pads, etc., of the circuit board 80. Cream solder is then applied to the mask 116, and the cream solder is printed on the circuit board 80 through the through holes in the mask 116.

Specifically, before the circuit board 80 is loaded into the printing machine 10 and transported to the work position, the X-slider 130 is driven by the camera movement device 120 to move upward between the pair of conveyor belts 66, and the cylinder 123 attached to the X-slider 130 is extended. At this time, the stopper 124 fixed to the lower end of the cylinder rod 125 of the cylinder 123 is lowered until it is positioned below the upper surface of the conveyor belt 66. As a result, the circuit board 80 transported by the conveyor belt 66 abuts against the stopper 124. The lowered position of the stopper 124 is set to the position where the circuit board 80 transported to the work position abuts against the stopper 124. Therefore, the circuit board 80 transported by the conveyor belt 66 abuts against the stopper 124, and is positioned at the work position. When the circuit board 80 comes into contact with the stopper 124, the operation of the conveyor belt 66 stops, causing the circuit board 80 to stop at the working position.

When the circuit board 80 stops at the working position, the stopper 124 rises. Next, in the board conveying and holding device 20, the lift table 90 rises, and the circuit board 80 is lifted from the conveyor belt 66 and clamped by the clamp device 93. Then, when the circuit board 80 is clamped by the clamp device 93, the camera 122 attached to the X-slider 130 captures an image of the circuit board 80 clamped by the clamp device 93. Then, based on the image data, the controller 180 analyzes the stopping position of the circuit board 80, etc. Then, the Y-slider 128 retreats from above the lift table 72, and the lift table 72 rises by driving the board lift device 54. As a result, the circuit board 80 clamped by the clamp device 93 rises together with the conveyor device 50 and the board holding device 52, and comes into close contact with the lower surface of the mask 116.

However, since there is variation in the thickness dimension of the circuit board 80, there is a risk that the circuit board 80 cannot be properly attached to the mask 116. More specifically, before the work is performed in the printing machine 10, the worker inputs the thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 to the printing machine 10. At this time, the worker does not measure the thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 and input the measured value, but inputs a numerical value that is specified according to the type, lot, etc. of the circuit board 80. Here, the thickness dimension that is specified according to the type, lot, etc. of the circuit board 80 is set to T0. In addition, the height of the lower surface of the mask 116 fixed to the mask support table 110 by the mask fixing mechanism 112 is a value specific to the printing machine 10 and is preset in the control device 28 of the printing machine 10. Here, the height of the lower surface of the mask 116 that is preset in the control device 28 is set to XM, as shown in FIG. 6.

In the conventional method, the printing machine 10 operates the board lifting device 54 so that the top surface of the backup block 91 supporting the circuit board 80 clamped by the clamping device 93 is positioned below the bottom surface of the mask 116 by a distance equivalent to T0. In other words, the board lifting device 54 is operated so that the top surface of the backup block 91 supporting the circuit board 80 rises to the position XM-T0 as shown in FIG. 7. The electromagnetic motor 108 of the board lifting device 54 is a servo motor, and is feedback-controlled based on the output value of the encoder. Therefore, the top surface of the backup block 91 can be appropriately raised to the position XM-T0 by operating the board lifting device 54. Then, when the top surface of the backup block 91 rises to the position XM-T0, if the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 is T0, the top surface of the circuit board 80 will be in close contact with the bottom surface of the mask 116 as shown in FIG. 7.

However, since there is variation in the thickness dimension of the circuit board 80, the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 may be thinner than T0. For example, if T0 is 10 mm but the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 is 9 mm, as shown in FIG. 8, even if the upper surface of the backup block 91 rises to the position of XM-T0, the upper surface of the circuit board 80 does not adhere to the lower surface of the mask 116. In such a case, a clearance of 1 mm remains between the upper surface of the circuit board 80 and the lower surface of the mask 116. Also, even if the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 is 9.5 mm, the upper surface of the circuit board 80 does not adhere to the lower surface of the mask 116, and a clearance of 0.5 mm remains between the upper surface of the circuit board 80 and the lower surface of the mask 116. In this way, if the clearance between the upper surface of the circuit board 80 and the lower surface of the mask 116 changes depending on the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board, the amount of cream solder transferred to the circuit board 80 and the thickness of the cream solder will not be constant, and the printing quality of the cream solder will deteriorate.

In addition, the actual thickness of the circuit board 80 may be thicker than T0. In such a case, when the top surface of the backup block 91 rises to the position of XM-T0, the top surface of the circuit board 80 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the mask 116, but the mask 116 may be lifted by the circuit board 80, causing the mask 116 to warp. In other words, for example, if T0 is 10 mm but the actual thickness of the circuit board 80 is 11 mm, the mask 116 may curve upward by 1 mm at the point where it comes into contact with the circuit board 80. In such a case, the printing quality of the cream solder also deteriorates.

In addition, conventionally, an operator would check the gap between the mask 116 and the circuit board 80 by visually inspecting it or pressing it with his/her hand, but this resulted in inconsistencies in judgment between operators depending on their level of skill, making it impossible to stabilize print quality.

In view of this, the printing machine 10 uses the stopper 124 to calculate the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 80. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the stopper 124 is a stepped block body with a rectangular parallelepiped block body with a portion of the lower end face cut out. The stopper 124 has a lower end face 200 facing downward, an abutment face 202 extending upward from one side of the lower end face 200, and a step face 204 extending from the upper end of the abutment face 202 in the opposite direction to the lower end face 200 in the left-right direction. The stopper 124 is fixed to the tip of the cylinder rod 125 of the cylinder so that the lower end face 200 and the step face 204 extend horizontally and the abutment face 202 extends vertically.

Then, before the circuit board 80 is loaded into the printing machine 10 and transported to the working position, the X-slider 130 is driven by the camera moving device 120 to move upward between the pair of conveyor belts 66, and the cylinder 123 attached to the X-slider 130 is extended. At this time, the stopper 124 fixed to the lower end of the cylinder rod 125 of the cylinder 123 is lowered to a position where the abutment surface 202 of the stopper 124 is at the same height as the upper surface of the conveyor belt 66. In other words, the stopper 124 is positioned at the lowest end position by the extension of the cylinder 123, and the lowest end position of the stopper 124 is a position where the abutment surface 202 is at the same height as the upper surface of the conveyor belt 66. In this way, by the stopper 124 being lowered to the lowest end position, the circuit board 80 transported by the conveyor belt 66 abuts against the abutment surface 202 of the stopper 124. As a result, the circuit board 80 transported by the conveyor belt 66 is positioned at the work position by the contact surface 202 of the stopper 124.

After the conveyor belt 66 stops operating, as shown in FIG. 10, the lift table 90 rises, and the circuit board 80 is lifted from the conveyor belt 66 and clamped by the clamp device 93. In the conventional method, the stopper 124 rises after the circuit board 80 is positioned by the stopper 124, but here, the stopper 124 does not rise. In other words, the circuit board 80 is lifted and clamped by the clamp device 93 with the stopper 124 positioned at the lowest end. Even if the circuit board 80 is lifted by the lift table 90 during clamping, the upper surface of the circuit board 80 does not come into contact with the step surface 204 of the stopper 124. In other words, the position of the lowest end of the stopper 124 is set to a position where the upper surface of the circuit board 80 does not come into contact with the step surface 204 of the stopper 124 even if the circuit board 80 is lifted by the lift table 90 during clamping.

When the circuit board 80 is clamped by the clamp device 93, the lifting platform 72 is raised by the operation of the board lifting device 54. As a result, the clamped circuit board 80 rises, and as shown in FIG. 11, the upper surface of the circuit board 80 comes into contact with the step surface 204 of the stopper 124. At this time, the stopper 124 is lifted by the circuit board 80. In other words, the stopper 124 rises from the lowest position. As described above, the cylinder 123 to which the stopper 124 is attached has a built-in contact sensor 140, which outputs an ON value when the cylinder 123 is extended, that is, when the stopper 124 is located at the lowest position. Therefore, when the upper surface of the circuit board 80 comes into contact with the step surface 204 of the stopper 124 and the stopper 124 rises from the lowest position, the detection value by the contact sensor 140 switches from an ON value to an OFF value. Then, when the detection value of the contact sensor 140 switches from an ON value to an OFF value, the operation of the substrate lifting device 54 stops. At this time, the height XA of the top surface of the backup block 91 is calculated based on the output value of the encoder of the electromagnetic motor 108 of the substrate lifting device 54.

In addition, when the clamped circuit board 80 is raised and the upper surface of the circuit board 80 is brought into contact with the step surface 204 of the stopper 124, the thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 input by the operator (hereinafter referred to as the "input thickness dimension") T0 is used to adjust the lifting speed of the circuit board 80. In detail, the height of the step surface 204 when the stopper 124 is located at the lowest end is preset in the control device 28. Here, the height of the step surface 204 preset in the control device 28 is XD as shown in FIG. 10. Then, a position that is lower than the height XD of the step surface 204 by a predetermined multiple of the input thickness dimension T0, for example, 1.5 times, is calculated. In other words, a position that is 1.5T0 lower than the height XD of the step surface 204 is calculated. Then, when the upper surface of the backup block 91 is raised to that position, the board lifting device 54 is operated at high speed. It should be noted that when the upper surface of the backup block 91 is raised to the calculated position, that is, to the height of (XD-1.5T0), even if the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 80 is somewhat thicker than the input thickness dimension T0, the upper surface of the circuit board 80 will not come into contact with the step surface 204 of the stopper 124. After the upper surface of the backup block 91 is raised to the height of (XD-1.5T0), the board lifting device 54 is operated at a low speed to raise the circuit board 80 and bring the upper surface of the circuit board 80 into contact with the step surface 204. In other words, the circuit board 80 is raised at a high speed within a range where the upper surface of the circuit board 80 does not come into contact with the step surface 204, and the circuit board 80 is raised at a low speed within a range where the upper surface of the circuit board 80 may come into contact with the step surface 204. This allows the tact time to be shortened by raising the circuit board 80 at high speed, and allows the height XA of the top surface of the backup block 91 when the top surface of the circuit board 80 comes into contact with the step surface 204 to be properly calculated by raising the circuit board 80 at a slow speed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the upper surface of the backup block 91 is in contact with the step surface of the stopper 124 located at the lowest end without the circuit board 80 placed on the upper surface of the backup block 91, the height of the upper surface of the backup block 91 becomes the height XD of the step surface 204 preset in the control device 28. In other words, when the upper surface height of the backup block 91 without the circuit board 80 is XD and the upper surface height of the backup block 91 with the circuit board 80 placed is XA, XD is higher than XA by a distance equivalent to the actual thickness dimension (hereinafter referred to as the "actual thickness dimension") T1 of the circuit board 80. Therefore, the actual thickness dimension T1 is the value obtained by subtracting the upper surface height XA of the backup block 91 with the circuit board 80 placed from the upper surface height XD of the backup block 91 without the circuit board 80 placed (T1=XD-XA). This is also clear from FIG. 11.

Therefore, when the height XA of the upper surface of the backup block 91 when the upper surface of the circuit board 80 contacts the step surface 204 is calculated, the actual thickness dimension T1 is calculated based on the difference between the calculated height XA and the height XD that is preset in the control device 28. Then, when the actual thickness dimension T1 is calculated, the board lifting device 54 is operated so that the upper surface of the backup block 91 supporting the circuit board 80 clamped by the clamp device 93 is positioned a distance equivalent to T1 below the lower surface of the mask 116. In other words, the board lifting device 54 is operated so that the upper surface of the backup block 91 supporting the circuit board 80 rises to the position XM-T1 as shown in FIG. 13. Then, when the upper surface of the backup block 91 rises to the position XM-T1, the upper surface of the circuit board 80 comes into close contact with the lower surface of the mask 116 as shown in FIG. 13. At this time, the operation of the substrate lifting device 54 is controlled based on the actual thickness dimension T1, so that even if the actual thickness dimension T1 differs from the input thickness dimension T0, the circuit substrate 80 can be properly brought into contact with the mask 116.

In this way, the actual thickness dimension T1 of the circuit board 80 is calculated using the stopper 124, making it possible to properly adhere the circuit board 80 to the mask 116. In particular, the stopper 124 used when calculating the actual thickness dimension T1 is used to position the transported circuit board 80 at the work position, as described above, and the actual thickness dimension T1 is calculated using a conventional mechanism. This makes it possible to properly adhere the circuit board 80 to the mask 116 without incurring any costs.

However, the above-mentioned method may not be able to properly calculate the thickness of the circuit board depending on the shape of the circuit board. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, there is a circuit board 220 whose upper surface has a stepped shape. The upper surface of this circuit board 220 is composed of a first upper surface 222 located at the edge of the circuit board 220 and a second upper surface 224 located at the center of the circuit board 220 and protruding upward from the first upper surface 222. In such a circuit board 220, the thickness dimension T1 of the circuit board 220 at the edge is calculated as the actual thickness dimension by the above-mentioned method, but the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 220 is the thickness dimension T2 near the center, not the edge of the circuit board 220. In other words, the above-mentioned method calculates the thickness dimension T1 at the first upper surface 222, but it is necessary to calculate the thickness dimension T2 at the second upper surface 224 as the actual thickness dimension of the circuit board 220. Therefore, for a circuit board 220 with this shape, the actual thickness dimension T2 is calculated using the abutment surface 202, not the step surface 204 of the stopper 124.

Specifically, when the circuit board 220 is clamped by the clamp device 93, the lifting platform 72 is lowered by the operation of the board lifting device 54. As a result, the clamped circuit board 220 is lowered. At this time, the board lifting device 54 is operated so that the circuit board 220 is lowered to a height lower than the height of the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124 located at the lowest end. In this way, when the circuit board 220 is lowered to a height lower than the height of the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124, the stopper 124 is moved above the second upper surface 224 of the circuit board 220 by the operation of the camera moving device 120. Then, the lifting platform 72 is raised by the operation of the board lifting device 54. As a result, the circuit board 220 is raised below the stopper 124, and as shown in FIG. 15, the second upper surface 224 of the circuit board 220 comes into contact with the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124. At this time, the stopper 124 is lifted by the circuit board 220, and when it rises from the lowest position, the detection value of the contact sensor 140 switches from an ON value to an OFF value. Then, when the detection value of the contact sensor 140 switches from an ON value to an OFF value, the operation of the board lifting device 54 stops. At this time, the height XB of the upper surface of the backup block 91 is calculated based on the output value of the encoder of the electromagnetic motor 108 of the board lifting device 54. Note that when the circuit board 220 is raised to bring the upper surface of the circuit board 220 into contact with the lower end surface 200, the rising speed of the circuit board is adjusted using the input thickness dimension T0, just as when the circuit board 80 is raised to bring the upper surface of the circuit board 80 into contact with the step surface 204.

The height of the lower end surface 200 when the stopper 124 is located at the lowest end is also preset in the control device 28. Here, the height of the lower end surface 200 preset in the control device 28 is XK, as shown in FIG. 15. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, when the upper surface of the backup block 91 is brought into contact with the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124 located at the lowest end in a state in which the circuit board 220 is not placed on the upper surface of the backup block 91, the height of the upper surface of the backup block 91 becomes the height XK of the lower end surface 200 preset in the control device 28. In other words, when the upper surface height of the backup block 91 without the circuit board 220 is XK and the upper surface height of the backup block 91 with the circuit board 220 placed is XB, XK is higher than XB by a distance equivalent to the actual thickness dimension T2 of the circuit board 220. Therefore, the actual thickness dimension T2 is the value obtained by subtracting the top surface height XB of the backup block 91 on which the circuit board 220 is placed from the top surface height XK of the backup block 91 on which the circuit board 220 is placed (T2 = XK - XB). This is also clear from Figure 15.

Therefore, when the height XB of the upper surface of the backup block 91 when the second upper surface 224 of the circuit board 220 contacts the lower end surface 200 is calculated, the actual thickness dimension T2 is calculated based on the difference between the calculated height XB and the height XK preset in the control device 28. Then, when the actual thickness dimension T2 is calculated, the board lifting device 54 is operated so that the upper surface of the backup block 91 supporting the circuit board 220 clamped by the clamp device 93 is positioned below the lower surface of the mask 116 by a distance equivalent to T2. In other words, the board lifting device 54 is operated so that the upper surface of the backup block 91 supporting the circuit board 220 rises to the position XM-T2 as shown in FIG. 17. Then, when the upper surface of the backup block 91 rises to the position XM-T2, the second upper surface 224 of the circuit board 220 comes into close contact with the lower surface of the mask 116 as shown in FIG. 17. In this way, even if the circuit board 220 has a stepped upper surface, it can be properly attached to the mask 116 by calculating the actual thickness dimension T2 using the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124.

When the actual thickness dimension T2 is calculated using the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124, as described above, the center of the circuit board 220 contacts the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124 and is pressed by the lower end surface 200. This makes it possible to correct the warping of the circuit board when the circuit board 220 is warped so that the center of the circuit board 220 is located above the edge. The calculation of the actual thickness dimension T2 using the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124 is performed not only for the circuit board 220 whose upper surface is stepped, but also for circuit boards of various shapes. For example, in a circuit board having a notch formed on the edge, there is a risk that the step surface 204 of the stopper 124 cannot be properly contacted with the edge, so the actual thickness dimension T2 is calculated using the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124.

The method of calculating the thickness of the circuit board 80 using the step surface 204 of the stopper 124 (hereinafter referred to as the "first mode") and the method of calculating the thickness of the circuit board 220 using the lower end surface 200 of the stopper 124 (hereinafter referred to as the "second mode") are selectively executed according to the user's operation. In detail, an input interface 240 such as a keyboard, operation buttons, etc. (see FIG. 5) is connected to the controller 180, and the worker inputs into the input interface 240 whether the thickness of the circuit board is to be calculated according to the first mode or the second mode according to the circuit board to be worked on. Then, the control device 28 calculates the thickness of the circuit board according to the method according to the input mode. In other words, the control device 28 selectively executes either the first mode or the second mode input by the user's operation. This allows the thickness of the circuit board to be calculated according to the method according to the worker's intention.

In addition, in the printing machine 10, if the calculated actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 are significantly different from the input thickness dimension T0, an error screen is displayed on the display panel (not shown). Specifically, a predetermined allowable range is set including the input thickness dimension T0. For example, if the input thickness dimension T0 is 10 mm, the allowable range is set to 5 mm to 15 mm. If the calculated actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 are within the allowable range, the operation of the board lifting device 54 is controlled based on the actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 as described above, and the circuit board 80 is brought into close contact with the mask 116. On the other hand, if the calculated actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 are outside the allowable range, an error screen is displayed on the display panel. This allows the operator to recognize overlapping transport of boards, incorrect setting of the backup block 91, incorrect input of dimensions by the operator, etc.

That is, for example, normally one circuit board is transported by the conveyor device 50, but there are cases where two circuit boards are mistakenly transported by the conveyor device 50 in a stacked state. In such a case, the actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 are calculated as a value approximately twice the input thickness dimension T0, and the actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 are outside the allowable range. For this reason, an error screen is displayed on the display panel, allowing the worker to recognize that the boards are being transported overlapping each other.

In addition, the backup block 91 differs depending on the circuit board being worked on, and there are cases where an operator sets a backup block 91 that is different from the backup block 91 corresponding to the circuit board being worked on into the printing machine 10. In such cases, the top surface heights XA, XB of the backup block 91 used when calculating the actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 cannot be calculated properly, and the actual thickness dimensions T1, T2 fall outside the allowable range. For this reason, an error screen is displayed on the display panel, allowing the operator to recognize that the backup block has been set incorrectly.

As mentioned above, the input thickness dimension T0 is entered by the worker, but there are cases where an incorrect value is entered during input. The allowable range is set to include the input thickness dimension T0. For this reason, if the worker enters 20 mm when they should have entered 10 mm, the allowable range is set to 15 mm to 25 mm. On the other hand, the actual thickness dimensions T1 and T2 are calculated as values around 10 mm. In such a case, since the actual thickness dimensions T1 and T2 are outside the allowable range, an error screen is displayed on the display panel, allowing the worker to recognize the input error in the input thickness dimension.

Furthermore, in the printing machine 10, the calculated actual thickness dimensions T1 and T2 are stored in the control device 28 in association with the board ID of the circuit board. In this way, by storing the calculated actual thickness dimension T1 in association with the board ID of the circuit board, it becomes possible to properly manage the traceability of the circuit board. That is, for example, when a defective product occurs, it is possible to manage whether the thickness dimension of the board is related to the cause of the defective product, and to manage the variation in thickness dimension depending on the lot of the circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 180 has a clamping unit 230, a lifting unit 232, a measuring unit 234, and a calculation unit 236. The clamping unit 230 is a functional unit for clamping the circuit board by operating the board holding device 52. The lifting unit 232 is a functional unit for lifting the clamped circuit board by operating the board lifting device 54. The measurement unit 234 is a functional unit for measuring the heights XA and XB of the backup block 91 when the lifted circuit board contacts the stopper 124. The calculation unit 236 is a functional unit for calculating the actual thickness dimensions T1 and T2 based on the difference between the calculated heights XA and XB of the backup block 91 and the heights XD and XK of the backup block 91 preset in the control device 28.

The printing machine 10 is an example of a substrate-related operation machine. The control device 28 is an example of a calculation device. The conveyor device 50 is an example of a transport device. The substrate holding device 52 is an example of a clamping device. The substrate lifting device 54 is an example of a lifting device. The backup block 91 is an example of a support member. The stopper 124 is an example of a contact body. The lower end surface 200 is an example of a lower end surface. The step surface 204 is an example of a step surface. The process performed by the clamp unit 230 is an example of a clamping process. The process performed by the rise unit 232 is an example of a rise process. The process performed by the measurement unit 234 is an example of a measurement process. The process performed by the calculation unit 236 is an example of a calculation process.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Specifically, for example, in the above embodiment, the heights XA and XB of the top surface of the backup block 91 are calculated using the stopper 124, but a contact body dedicated to measuring the height may also be used.

In the above embodiment, the control device 28 selectively executes either the first mode or the second mode input by the user operation, but the control device 28 may determine a mode according to the circuit board and selectively execute either the determined first mode or the second mode. That is, for example, information on the circuit board, indicating whether the upper surface of the circuit board is a stepped surface or whether there is a notch at the edge of the circuit board, is input to the controller 180. Then, based on that information, the control device 28 determines whether to use the first mode or the second mode to calculate the thickness of the circuit board for the circuit board to be worked on. Then, the control device 28 selectively executes either the determined first mode or the second mode. This makes it possible to reduce the burden on the worker.

In the above embodiment, the circuit board is supported by the backup block 91, but it may be supported by a backup pin. In such a case, the height of the upper end of the backup pin is calculated using the stopper 124.

In the above embodiment, the heights XA and XB of the top surface of the backup block 91 are measured based on the output value of the encoder of the electromagnetic motor 108 of the substrate lifting device 54, but they may also be measured by a distance sensor, etc.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the thickness dimension of the circuit board is calculated in the printing machine 10, but the thickness dimension of the circuit board may be calculated in various work machines that perform work on the circuit board, such as a work machine that performs component mounting work, a work machine that inspects the circuit board, etc.

10: Printing machine (machine for working with substrates) 28: Control device (calculation device) 50: Conveyor device (transport device) 52: Substrate holding device (clamp device) 54: Substrate lifting device (lifting device) 124: Stopper (contact body) 200: Lower end surface 204: Step surface 230: Clamping section (clamping process) 232: Ascending section (ascending process) 234: Measuring section (measuring process) 236: Calculating section (calculating process)

Claims (4)

A support member that supports the substrate from the bottom surface;
a clamping device that clamps the substrate in a state supported by the support member;
a lifting device that lifts and lowers the support member together with the clamp device;
a contact body that is positioned at a predetermined height above the support member and that comes into contact with the support member or the substrate supported by the support member when the support member is elevated by the elevating device;
a calculation device that calculates a thickness of the substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the contact body;
A transport device that transports the substrate;
Equipped with
The contact body is
The substrate-related operation device functions as a stopper that comes into contact with the substrate transported by the transport device up to a position where the substrate is clamped by the clamping device . A support member that supports the substrate from the bottom surface;
a clamping device that clamps the substrate in a state supported by the support member;
a lifting device that lifts and lowers the support member together with the clamp device;
a contact body that is positioned at a predetermined height above the support member and that comes into contact with the support member or the substrate supported by the support member when the support member is elevated by the elevating device;
a calculation device that calculates a thickness of the substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the contact body;
Equipped with
the contact body has a lower end surface and a step surface located above the lower end surface,
The computing device,
A substrate-related operating machine that selectively performs one of the following: calculating a thickness of a substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts a lower end surface of the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the lower end surface of the contact body; and calculating a thickness of a substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts a stepped surface of the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the stepped surface of the contact body. a positioning step of positioning the substrate by abutting a contact body functioning as a stopper against the substrate transported by the transport device to a clamping position of the substrate;
a clamping step of clamping the substrate positioned in the positioning step while the substrate is supported by a support member;
a lifting step of lifting the substrate clamped in the clamping step together with the support member;
a measuring step of measuring a height of the support member when the substrate raised in the raising step comes into contact with the contact body positioned at a predetermined height above the support member;
a calculation step of calculating a thickness of the substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member is in contact with the contact body in a state where the support member is not supporting a substrate and a height of the support member measured in the measurement step;
A calculation method including: a clamping step of clamping the substrate supported by the support member;
a lifting step of lifting the substrate clamped in the clamping step together with the support member;
a measuring step of measuring a height of the support member when the substrate raised in the raising step comes into contact with a contact body positioned at a predetermined height above the support member;
a calculation step of calculating a thickness of the substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member is in contact with the contact body in a state where the support member is not supporting a substrate and a height of the support member measured in the measurement step;
A calculation method comprising:
the contact body has a lower end surface and a step surface located above the lower end surface,
In the calculation step,
A calculation method which selectively performs either of the following: calculating a thickness of a substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts a lower end surface of the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the lower end surface of the contact body; or calculating a thickness of a substrate supported by the support member based on a difference between a height of the support member when the support member contacts a step surface of the contact body and a height of the support member when the substrate supported by the support member contacts the step surface of the contact body.

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