JP7833692B2 - Maintenance plan creation device, maintenance plan creation method, and maintenance plan creation program - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a maintenance plan creation device, a maintenance plan creation method, and a maintenance plan creation program for creating maintenance plans for equipment elements of a production apparatus.

The production equipment in component mounting lines that produce printed circuit boards is equipped with multiple device elements such as tape feeders and nozzles. These device elements undergo maintenance before a maintenance period determined by factors such as usage time and number of uses, in order to suppress a decrease in accuracy and an increase in the error rate due to use. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that monitors the power supply current, vibration, etc., of the equipment to detect signs of impending failure, calculates the maintenance limit for that equipment, and creates a maintenance plan to perform maintenance before that limit is reached.

International Publication No. 2018/003879

However, the prior art, including Patent Document 1, had the following problems because it created a maintenance plan when it detected signs of impending failure in the equipment. Specifically, while creating a maintenance plan when signs are detected is efficient when there are only a few equipment components to be maintained, when there are hundreds of components to be maintained, creating a maintenance plan every time a sign is detected can actually decrease productivity. Therefore, there was room for further improvement in order to create efficient maintenance plans for a large number of components while minimizing the impact on the production plan.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a maintenance plan creation device, a maintenance plan creation method, and a maintenance plan creation program that can create a maintenance plan that enables efficient maintenance of the equipment elements of a production apparatus.

The present invention relates to a maintenance plan creation apparatus for creating maintenance plans for equipment elements of a production apparatus in a component mounting line. The apparatus comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires production plan information including at least one of the number of components to be mounted on each of several types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production apparatus; an allowable calculation unit that calculates the allowable number of uses or allowable time that the equipment element can be used on the component mounting line before the error rate exceeds an allowable value, based on the relationship between the number of uses or the usage time and the error rate of the equipment element; a creation unit that creates a maintenance plan for the equipment element based on the calculated allowable number of uses or allowable time and the acquired production plan information; and an output unit that outputs the created maintenance plan.

The present invention provides a maintenance plan creation method for creating a maintenance plan for equipment elements of a production apparatus in a component mounting line. This method involves acquiring production plan information including at least one of the number of components to be mounted on each of several types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production apparatus; calculating the allowable number of uses or allowable time that the equipment element can be used on the component mounting line before the error rate exceeds a certain limit, based on the relationship between the number of uses or the usage time and the error rate; creating a maintenance plan for the equipment element based on the calculated allowable number of uses or allowable time and the acquired production plan information; and outputting the created maintenance plan.

The maintenance plan creation program of the present invention is a maintenance plan creation program that causes a computer to create a maintenance plan for equipment elements of a production device provided in a component mounting line, and includes: an acquisition step of acquiring production plan information including at least one of the number of components to be mounted for each of a plurality of types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production device; an allowable value calculation step of calculating the allowable number of uses or allowable time that the equipment element used in the component mounting line can be used before the error rate exceeds an allowable value, based on the relationship between the number of uses or the usage time and the error rate of the equipment element; a creation step of creating a maintenance plan for the equipment element based on the calculated allowable number of uses or the allowable time and the acquired production plan information; and an output step of outputting the created maintenance plan.

According to the present invention, it is possible to create a maintenance plan that allows for efficient maintenance of the equipment elements of a production apparatus.

Diagram illustrating the configuration of a component mounting system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing system of a management computer (maintenance plan creation device) according to one embodiment of the present invention. Flowchart of the error rate calculation method according to one embodiment of the present invention (a) An explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the frequency of occurrence of individual error rates, created by a management computer (maintenance plan creation device) according to one embodiment of the present invention. (b) An explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between error rate and number of uses. Flowchart of an allowable calculation method according to one embodiment of the present invention Flowchart of a maintenance plan creation method according to one embodiment of the present invention (a) Explanatory diagram of an example of a production plan used in one embodiment of the present invention (maintenance plan creation device) (b) Explanatory diagram of an example of a maintenance plan

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The configurations, shapes, etc., described below are illustrative examples for illustrative purposes and can be appropriately modified according to the specifications of the component mounting system, management computer, component mounting line, printing apparatus, component mounting apparatus, etc. In the following, corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals in all drawings, and redundant explanations are omitted.

First, referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the component mounting system 1 will be explained. The component mounting system is configured such that the production equipment constituting the component mounting line L is connected by a communication network 2 and managed by a management computer 3. The component mounting line L is configured by connecting production equipment such as a substrate supply device M1, a printing device M2, a printing inspection device M3, component mounting devices M4-M8, a mounting inspection device M9, a reflow device M10, and a substrate recovery device M11 in series from upstream (left side of the page) to downstream (right side of the page) in the substrate transport direction. The component mounting line L has the function of producing mounted substrates with components mounted on them. Note that the component mounting line L is a group of production equipment connected via the communication network 2, and the production equipment does not necessarily need to be physically connected to each other.

In Figure 1, the substrate supply device M1 is equipped with a storage section such as a rack for storing multiple substrates, and performs the substrate supply operation by supplying substrates taken from the storage section to downstream devices. The printing device M2 is a production device that performs solder printing operation, printing paste-like solder onto substrates fed from the upstream side via a screen mask mounted on the printing work section. The printing device M2 presses the substrate against a screen mask with multiple openings, and moves a squeegee in contact with the screen mask to push the solder supplied onto the screen mask into the openings, thereby printing solder onto the substrate.

The printing apparatus M2 is equipped with a cleaning unit that periodically removes solder adhering to the surface of the screen mask that contacts the substrate. Furthermore, the printing apparatus M2 is equipped with a camera that images the top and bottom surfaces of the screen mask to observe the surface condition, flatness, and viscosity of the solder supplied onto the screen mask, as well as a viscosity detection sensor and a pressure sensor for detecting flatness. During the solder printing process, the printing apparatus M2 uses the camera and various sensors (viscosity detection sensor, pressure sensor, etc.) to monitor the surface condition of the screen mask, the viscosity of the solder, the solder's exposure time to air, the number of squeegee movements, the squeegee movement time, and the flatness of the screen mask. The monitoring results are transmitted to the management computer 3.

The screen mask, which has openings for depositing solder onto the substrate; the squeegee, which moves along the screen mask and pushes solder into the openings; the cleaning unit, which cleans solder adhering to the surface of the screen mask that contacts the substrate; and the conveyor that transports the substrate are all maintained at predetermined intervals to maintain a consistent level of solder printing quality and productivity. In other words, in the printing apparatus M2, the screen mask, squeegee, and cleaning unit are subject to maintenance. The date and time of the maintenance work are set by the management computer 3 based on the monitoring results of the condition of the maintenance targets, as described later.

In Figure 1, the printing inspection device M3 is a production device that performs printing inspection work, inspecting the condition of the solder printed on the substrate using a printing inspection work unit that includes a solder inspection camera and various sensors. The monitoring results, such as the surface condition of the solder-deposited substrate inspected by the printing inspection device M3, are transmitted to the management computer 3.

In Figure 1, component mounting devices M4 to M8 are production devices that perform component mounting work by picking up components supplied by component supply devices such as tape feeders and tray feeders using nozzles mounted on the mounting head and mounting them onto a circuit board with solder printed on it. A tape feeder is a component supply device that supplies components by feeding a carrier tape that holds the components. A tray feeder is a component supply device that supplies components by switching between trays that hold multiple components. Component mounting devices M4 to M8 are equipped with component recognition cameras that image the components held by the nozzles, sensors that measure the flow rate of air flowing into the nozzles, and head cameras that image the components supplied by the component supply devices.

Component mounting machines M4 to M8 use cameras and various sensors to monitor for mounting errors by the mounting head, suction errors where the nozzle fails to properly pick up components, and supply errors where the component supply device fails to properly supply components during component mounting. The monitoring results are transmitted to the management computer 3. The mounting head that mounts components onto the circuit board, the nozzle that holds the components on the mounting head, the component supply device that supplies components to the mounting head, and the conveyor that transports the circuit board are all maintained at predetermined intervals to maintain a consistent level of component mounting quality and productivity. In other words, in component mounting machines M4 to M8, the mounting head, nozzle, and component supply device are subject to maintenance. The date and time of maintenance work are set by the management computer 3 based on the monitoring results of the maintenance target's condition, as described later.

Thus, the tape feeder, tray feeder, mounting head, and nozzle that perform the component mounting work are equipment elements of component mounting devices M4 to M8 (production equipment). The component mounting line L is not limited to a configuration of five component mounting devices M4 to M8; it may consist of one to four or six or more component mounting devices M4 to M8.

In Figure 1, the mounting inspection device M9 is a production device that performs mounting inspection work, inspecting the condition of components mounted on a circuit board using a mounting inspection work unit that includes a mounting inspection camera. Monitoring results such as mounting errors (where components are not mounted in the designated positions on the circuit board) inspected by the mounting inspection device M9 are transmitted to the management computer 3. The reflow apparatus M10 heats the circuit boards brought into the apparatus using a circuit board heating unit to harden the solder on the circuit board and perform circuit board heating work to bond the electrodes of the circuit board to the components. The circuit board retrieval device M11 is equipped with a storage unit such as a rack for storing multiple circuit boards and performs circuit board retrieval work, receiving circuit boards discharged from upstream devices and collecting them in the storage unit.

The management computer 3 has the function of creating the data and parameters necessary for the operation of the production equipment on the component mounting line L and transmitting them to each production equipment. Furthermore, the management computer 3 has the function of collecting monitoring results and production status of maintenance targets from multiple production equipment on the component mounting line L and creating maintenance work plans for those targets. Note that the component mounting line L on the component mounting system 1 does not need to be a single line; it may be two or more lines.

Next, referring to Figure 2, the configuration of the information processing system of the management computer 3 will be explained. Here, we will describe the configuration of the management computer 3 as a maintenance plan creation device, which collects production results such as monitoring the status of maintenance targets and production status from the production equipment (printing machine M2, printing inspection machine M3, component mounting machines M4-M8, and mounting inspection machine M9), and creates maintenance work plans for maintenance targets such as multiple device elements of the production equipment on the component mounting line L. Here, we will explain the creation of a maintenance plan when maintenance work is performed during a switchover operation to switch the mounted boards being produced on the component mounting line L.

The management computer 3 comprises a processing unit 10, a storage unit 11, an input unit 12, a display unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The processing unit 10 is a data processing device such as a CPU, and its internal processing units include a performance collection unit 15, an error rate calculation unit 16, an acquisition unit 17, an allowable calculation unit 18, a creation unit 19, and an output unit 20. The management computer 3 does not need to be a single computer; it may be composed of multiple devices. For example, all or part of the storage unit and processing unit may be stored in the cloud via a server.

In Figure 2, the input unit 12 is an input device such as a keyboard, touch panel, or mouse, used for inputting operation commands and data. The display unit 13 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, which displays various data stored in the storage unit 11, as well as various information such as operation screens and input screens for operations performed by the input unit 12. The communication unit 14 is a communication interface that transmits and receives data between the production equipment (printing device M2, printing inspection device M3, component mounting devices M4-M8, mounting inspection device M9, etc.) that constitute the component mounting line L via the communication network 2.

The memory unit 11 stores production plan information 11a, production performance information 11b, equipment element information 11c, error rate information 11d, maintenance time information 11e, and maintenance plan 11f. The production plan information 11a includes information on the type of mounted circuit board (board type) to be produced on the component mounting line L, the number of boards to be produced, the configuration of the production equipment, information identifying the equipment elements of the production equipment and their usage locations, and the switchover time required for switching the component mounting line L to produce the next type of mounted circuit board.

The information on the mounting board includes the types of components to be mounted on the board, their mounting positions (XY coordinates), the number of components to be mounted, or the planned working time for the production equipment. In other words, the production plan information 11a includes at least one of the following for each of the multiple types of mounting boards: the number of components to be mounted or the planned working time for the production equipment.

In Figure 2, the performance data collection unit 15 periodically collects production data from the production equipment (printing machine M2, component mounting machines M4-M8, etc.) of the component mounting line L. The production data includes information such as the production start date and time, production end date and time (the time the production equipment produced the mounted circuit boards), the number of boards produced, the number of uses or usage time of the equipment elements (tape feeder, tray feeder, mounting head, nozzle, etc.) of the production equipment, the number of work errors, the error rate (frequency), and the number and details of operational errors.

The performance data collection unit 15 stores the collected information in the storage unit 11 as production performance information 11b, associating it with information that identifies the production equipment or equipment element. The equipment element information 11c stores information for each equipment element used in the component mounting line L, including information identifying the equipment element, the number of uses and usage time since the last maintenance, the allowable number of uses and usage time until the next maintenance, and the usage location of the equipment element (production equipment and mounting location, storage location, etc.). The performance data collection unit 15 updates the number of uses and usage time of the equipment element based on the collected production performance data for the equipment element. The error rate calculation unit 16 calculates the relationship between the number of uses or usage time and the error rate of the equipment element based on the production performance information 11b and equipment element information 11c of the component mounting line L.

Here, following the flow chart in Figure 3 and referring to Figure 4, we will explain an example of how the error rate calculation unit 16 calculates the relationship between the number of uses or usage time of a device element and the error rate. Here, we will use tape feeders, which are mounted on component mounting devices M4 to M8, as an example to explain the calculation method between the number of uses of the device element and the error rate. The same calculation method applies to device elements other than tape feeders, and to the relationship between device elements and usage time; therefore, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In Figure 3, the error rate calculation unit 16 first calculates the individual error rate for each of the multiple tape feeders (device elements) of the same type, based on the production performance information 11b and the device element information 11c, for each interval of usage count (or usage time) (ST1: Individual Error Rate Calculation Process). In the example shown in Figure 4(a), the individual error rate for tape feeder suction errors is calculated for each interval of 100 usage counts.

Specifically, the error rate calculation unit 16 calculates the individual error rate based on the number of times a suction error occurred between 1 and 100 times the tape feeder supplied parts since the most recent maintenance. Similarly, the error rate calculation unit 16 calculates the individual error rate for each tape feeder, using 100 uses as increments. For example, it calculates the individual error rate for the interval between 101 and 200 uses, and then for the interval between 201 and 300 uses.

In Figure 3, the error rate calculation unit 16 then calculates the frequency (probability distribution) of individual error rates for each interval of usage (or usage time) based on the individual error rates calculated for multiple tape feeders (ST2: probability distribution creation step). That is, the error rate calculation unit 16 calculates the frequency of occurrence of the number of tape feeders where the individual error rate is the same or similar in the interval from 1 to 100 usages. The same process is followed for the intervals of 101 to 200 usages and 201 to 300 usages.

In Figure 3, the error rate calculation unit 16 then determines a representative value for the individual error rate in each section (ST3: Section Error Rate Determination Process). In this example, the mode of the individual error rates (P(100), P(200), P(300), ...) is used as the representative value for the frequency of occurrence (Figure 4(a)). Note that the representative value is not limited to the mode; it may also be the median or average of the individual error rates in that section. That is, the error rate calculation unit 16 adopts either the average, median, or mode of the multiple individual error rates calculated as the error rate for that section of the device element of that type.

Figure 4(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the error rate and the number of uses, representing the representative value (mode) of the individual error rate for each interval calculated by the error rate calculation unit 16. Specifically, the error rate calculation unit 16 sets the number of uses in the interval from 1 to 100 to 100 as 100, and plots the mode (P(100)) of the individual error rate in that interval as the error rate. In this example, the error rate of the tape feeder is statistically processed as a separate set for each supplied component, and the error rates of component D1 and component D2 are plotted every 500 uses. That is, even for the same type of tape feeder, if the supplied components are different, the error rate is calculated as a different set.

In Figure 3, the error rate calculation unit 16 stores the relationship between the calculated number of uses (or usage time) and the error rate as error rate information 11d in the storage unit 11 (ST4: Error Rate Storage Process). That is, the storage unit 11 stores the error rate corresponding to the number of uses or usage time of the device element. Note that while the number of uses was divided into intervals of 100 in the above example, the intervals are not limited to 100. For example, they could be every 50 or every 200. Also, in the case of usage time, for example, the usage time could be divided into intervals of 100 seconds, and the relationship with the error rate could be calculated.

In Figure 2, the maintenance time information 11e stores the content of the maintenance work and the standard maintenance time required for each maintenance task, categorized by the type of maintenance target. For example, the printing device M2 stores the maintenance times for tasks such as squeegee cleaning, replacement of cleaning unit components, and conveyor belt cleaning. The tape feeder stores the maintenance times for tasks such as sprocket adjustment and lubrication of moving parts. The print head stores the maintenance times for tasks such as shaft cleaning and lubrication of moving parts. The nozzle stores the maintenance times for tasks such as disassembly and cleaning, lubrication of moving parts, and nozzle replacement.

In Figure 2, the acquisition unit 17 acquires production plan information 11a from a production plan creation computer (not shown) or the like during the maintenance plan creation process described later, and stores it in the storage unit 11. The tolerance calculation unit 18 calculates the allowable number of uses and allowable time for each equipment element before the error rate exceeds a predetermined tolerance value, based on the production performance information 11b, equipment element information 11c, and error rate information 11d, and updates the allowable number of uses and allowable time stored in the equipment element information 11c.

Here, following the flow chart in Figure 5 and referring to Figure 4(b), an example of the allowable calculation method for calculating the allowable number of uses of the tape feeder supplying component D1 by the allowable calculation unit 18 will be explained. The calculation methods for other device elements and allowable time are similar, and detailed explanations will be omitted. In Figure 5, first, the allowable calculation unit 18 calculates the usage limit number of uses (or usage limit time) based on the relationship between the number of uses (or usage time) of the tape feeder to be calculated, included in the error rate information 11d, and the error rate, where the error rate is increasing and the error rate reaches a predetermined allowable value (for example, 3%) (ST11: Usage Limit Calculation Step).

In the example shown in Figure 4(b), the error rate exceeds the acceptable limit between 5000 and 5500 uses. Therefore, the tolerance calculation unit 18 interpolates (for example, using linear approximation) the error rates for 5000 and 5500 uses to calculate the maximum number of uses (D1) at which the error rate reaches the acceptable limit. Note that the calculation method for the maximum number of uses is not limited to linear approximation. For example, an approximation formula such as a polynomial may be calculated from the relationship between the number of uses and the error rate, and the maximum number of uses may be calculated from this approximation formula and the acceptable value.

Furthermore, although the error rate exceeds the acceptable limit between 500 and 1000 uses immediately after maintenance, the error rate shows a decreasing trend in this range, and therefore does not meet the conditions for calculating the usage limit. Also, even if the usage limit is not exceeded, if the error rate does not show a decreasing trend over a specified period, it may be considered a problem such as improper maintenance, and may be included as exceeding the acceptable number of uses (acceptable time) during the production of ST24, as described later.

Furthermore, even with the same type of tape feeder, if the supplied components differ (for example, component D1 and component D2), the calculated usage limit may also differ (for example, usage limit (D1) and usage limit (D2)). By calculating the usage limit according to the usage status of the device elements (for example, the type of component supplied by the tape feeder), the device elements can be maintained more efficiently.

In Figure 5, the tolerance calculation unit 18 then calculates the allowable number of uses (or allowable time) by subtracting the number of uses (or allowable time) since the latest maintenance of the tape feeder included in the device element information 11c from the calculated limit number of uses (or limit of use time) (ST12: Allowable number of uses/time calculation step). Next, the tolerance calculation unit 18 updates the allowable number of uses (or allowable time) stored in the device element information 11c to the calculated allowable number of uses (ST13: Allowable number of uses/time update step).

Thus, the tolerance calculation unit 18 calculates the allowable number of uses or allowable time for the device element used in the component mounting line L before the error rate exceeds the allowable value, based on the relationship between the number of uses or usage time and the error rate (error rate information 11d) of the device element. Note that the calculation conditions for the limit number of uses (or limit usage time) are not limited to the number of uses (or usage time) at which the error rate reaches the allowable value. For example, the calculation conditions for the limit number of uses may be the number of uses at which the rate of increase in the error rate reaches a predetermined value, or the calculation conditions for the limit number of uses may be the number of uses at which the error rate calculated from the cumulative number of uses reaches a predetermined value.

In Figure 2, the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan for the equipment elements based on the production plan and changeover time included in the production plan information 11a, the allowable number of cycles or allowable time for the equipment elements included in the equipment element information 11c, and the maintenance time required for the maintenance of the equipment elements included in the maintenance time information 11e. As described later, the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan so that equipment elements that are expected to exceed their allowable number of cycles or allowable time during the production of the mounted board will undergo maintenance before the start of production of the mounted board. The creation unit 19 stores the created maintenance plan as maintenance plan 11f in the storage unit 11. The output unit 20 outputs the created maintenance plan 11f to the display unit 13 or another computer.

Next, following the flow chart in Figure 6 and referring to Figure 7, we will explain the maintenance plan creation method (maintenance plan creation program) for creating a maintenance plan 11f for the equipment elements of the production equipment provided in the component mounting line L.

In Figure 6, first, the relationship between the number of uses or usage time of the equipment elements of the production equipment in the component mounting line L and the error rate is calculated (ST21: Error Rate Calculation Process). In the error rate calculation process (ST21), the error rate may be calculated based on the latest production performance information 11b of the component mounting line L using the error rate calculation method shown in Figure 3, or it may refer to the error rate calculated in the past (error rate information 11d). Next, the acquisition unit 17 acquires production plan information 11a from the production plan creation computer or storage unit 11, which includes at least one of the number of components to be mounted for each of the multiple types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production equipment (ST22: Acquisition Process).

Figure 7(a) shows an example of a production plan included in the acquired production plan information 11a. In this example, the production of mounted boards of board type 1, board type 2, and board type 3 is planned sequentially on the component mounting line L. At the transition time T12, from time T1 to time T2, after the production time T01 (time T0-T1) of the mounted boards of board type 1, a transition 1 is scheduled to switch the mounted boards produced by the component mounting line L from board type 1 to board type 2. Furthermore, at the transition time T34, from time T3 to time T4, after the production time T23 (time T2-T3) of the mounted boards of board type 2, a transition 2 is scheduled to switch the mounted boards produced by the component mounting line L from board type 2 to board type 3.

In Figure 6, the tolerance calculation unit 18 then calculates the allowable number of uses or allowable time that can be used before the error rate of the equipment elements used in the component mounting line L exceeds the allowable value, based on the production performance information 11b, equipment element information 11c, and error rate information 11d (ST23: Tolerance Calculation Process). In the tolerance calculation process (ST23), the allowable number of uses or allowable time is calculated using the tolerance calculation method shown in Figure 5. Next, the creation unit 19 determines whether there are any equipment elements (maintenance targets) that will exceed the allowable number of uses or allowable time during the production of the mounting board, based on the number of components or production equipment working time included in the production plan and the allowable number of uses or allowable time calculated in the tolerance calculation process (ST23) (ST24: Tolerance Exceeding Determination Process).

In the example shown in Figure 7(a), the manufacturing unit 19 determines whether any of the mounting boards of board type 1, board type 2, or board type 3 will exceed the allowable number of times or allowable time during production, based on the number of components or working time mounted on the mounting boards of board type 1, board type 2, and board type 3, and the allowable number of times or allowable time at the start of production of the mounting board for the equipment element to be maintained.

The relationship between the number of parts, the number of uses, and the working time and usage time is as follows. For example, in a tape feeder, when mounting one component (one point) onto a circuit board, the sprocket rotates intermittently once to supply one component. Therefore, if the device element is a tape feeder and the number of uses is the cumulative number of times the sprocket has rotated intermittently to supply components, then the relationship between the number of parts and the number of uses is one-to-one (one point corresponds to one use). Also, if the device element is a tape feeder and the usage time is the cumulative time the tape feeder is mounted on component mounting devices M4-M8 and powered on, then the working time is the usage time used in the production of circuit boards (for example, production time T01).

In Figure 7(b), the allowable number of cycles for tape feeder F01 at the start of production of substrate type 1 (time T0) is 2000, and the number of components that tape feeder F01 plans to mount on substrate type 1 is 1000. Therefore, the allowable number of cycles at the end of production of substrate type 1 (time T1) is 1000 (2000 - 1000).

Furthermore, the number of components that tape feeder F01 is scheduled to mount onto the mounting board of type 2 is 2000. Therefore, the allowable number of operations for tape feeder F01 during the production time T23 of the mounting board of type 2 will be 0. Thus, in the allowable overrun determination process (ST24), the manufacturing unit 19 determines that tape feeder F01 will exceed its allowable number of operations during the production of the mounting board of type 2. Similarly, tape feeders F02 and F03 are determined to exceed their allowable number of operations during the production of the mounting board of type 3.

Specifically, the production unit 19 calculates an additional component count (3000 points) by adding the second component count (2000 points) planned for mounting on the second mounting board (mounting board of board type 2), which will be produced after the first mounting board, to the first component count (1000 points) planned for mounting on the first mounting board (mounting board of board type 1) included in the production plan information 11a. Then, the production unit 19 determines whether the additional component count (3000 points) exceeds the component count (2000 points) corresponding to the allowable number of cycles (2000 cycles).

Alternatively, the creation unit 19 determines whether the added work time, calculated by adding the second work time scheduled for the second mounting board (to be produced after the first mounting board) to the first work time scheduled for the first mounting board included in the production plan information 11a, exceeds the work time corresponding to the allowable time.

In Figure 6, the creation unit 19 then determines, if it is determined in the allowable excess determination step (ST24) that there are maintenance targets (device elements) that exceed the allowed limit (Yes), whether the maintenance work on those maintenance targets will be completed during the switchover time when the component mounting line L is switched to the production of the next type of mounted board (ST25: switchover time determination step). If the maintenance work will be completed during the switchover time (Yes in ST25), the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan that sets the maintenance work on those maintenance targets to the switchover time (ST26: switchover time setting step).

In other words, the manufacturing unit 19 creates a maintenance plan (ST26) such that for any equipment element expected to exceed its permissible number of cycles or permissible time during the production of the mounted board (Yes in ST24), the maintenance is performed during a switchover operation that takes place before the start of production of that type of mounted board, and the switchover time is longer than the maintenance time required for the maintenance of that equipment element.

In Figure 7(b), the switching time T12 of switching 1 is longer than the maintenance time for the tape feeder F01 maintenance (Yes in ST25). Therefore, the production unit 19 creates a maintenance plan that sets the maintenance of the tape feeder F01 to the switching time T12 of switching 1 (ST26). In other words, the production unit 19 creates a maintenance plan that, for equipment elements (tape feeder F01) that are expected to exceed their allowable number of cycles or allowable time during the production of the second mounted board (board type 2), performs maintenance during the first switching operation (switching 1) if the first switching time (switching time T12) is longer than the maintenance time required for the equipment element.

In Figure 7(b), the switching time T34 for switching 2 is shorter than the maintenance time for the tape feeder F02. However, the switching time T12 for switching 1 is longer than the maintenance time for the tape feeder F02 (Yes in ST25). Therefore, the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan that sets the maintenance work for the tape feeder F02 to the switching time T12 of switching 1 (ST26).

In other words, the production unit 19 creates a maintenance plan for any device element (tape feeder F02) that is expected to exceed its allowable number of cycles or allowable time during the production of the third mounting board (board type 3). If the second switching time (switching time T34) is shorter than the maintenance time for the device element, the maintenance plan is created to be performed during a switching operation (switching 1) that takes place before the start of production of the second mounting board (board type 2), and during a switching operation (switching time T12) that switches the component mounting line L to the next mounting board (board type 2), and where the maintenance time for the device element is longer than the maintenance time for the device element.

In Figure 6, if the maintenance work is not completed within the switchover time (No in ST25), the creation unit 19 determines whether there is a spare device element of the same type as the item to be maintained (ST27: Replacement Determination Step). If a spare device element is available (Yes in ST27), the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan to replace the item to be maintained with the spare device element (ST28: Replacement Work Setting Step).

In Figure 7(b), the switching time T34 of switching 2 is shorter than the maintenance time for the maintenance work on tape feeder F03 (No in ST25). However, at the start time T3 of switching 2, there is a spare tape feeder F04 (device element) of the same type as tape feeder F03. Therefore, the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan to perform a replacement operation to exchange tape feeder F03, which is the target of maintenance, with the spare tape feeder F04 at the switching time T34 (ST28). Furthermore, the creation unit 19 creates a maintenance plan to perform maintenance work on tape feeder F03 after it has been removed from component mounting devices M4 to M8 by the replacement operation.

In Figure 6, if there are no spare equipment elements (No. in ST27), the creation unit 19 modifies the production plan so that the switching time is longer than the maintenance time of the equipment being maintained (ST29: Production plan modification step). In this way, a maintenance plan for the equipment elements is created based on the production plan information 11a acquired in the acquisition step (ST22) and the allowable number of cycles or allowable time calculated in the allowable calculation step (ST23) (ST26, ST28). Next, the output unit 20 outputs (displays) the created maintenance plan to the display unit 13, etc. (ST30: Output step). This allows for efficient maintenance of the equipment elements of the production equipment.

Furthermore, in ST29, the production unit 19 may automatically change the production plan, or it may notify the worker of the change via their work terminal and obtain their approval before changing the plan. By obtaining worker approval before changing the production plan, the number of production plan changes can be reduced. Additionally, when notifying the worker of the change, the number of times the target equipment element has been used and the error rate may be included to make the approval decision easier.

As described above, the management computer 3 of this embodiment is a maintenance plan creation device that creates maintenance plans for equipment elements. It comprises: an acquisition unit 17 that acquires production plan information 11a including at least one of the number of components to be mounted or the planned work time for each mounting board; an allowable calculation unit 18 that calculates the allowable number of uses or allowable time that can be used before the error rate of an equipment element exceeds an allowable value, based on the relationship between the number of uses or the usage time and the error rate (error rate information 11d) of the equipment element (tape feeder); a creation unit 19 that creates a maintenance plan for the equipment element based on the calculated allowable number of uses or allowable time and the acquired production plan information 11a; and an output unit 20 that outputs the created maintenance plan. This allows for efficient maintenance of the equipment elements of the production equipment.

The maintenance plan creation apparatus, maintenance plan creation method, and maintenance plan creation program of the present invention have the effect of creating a maintenance plan that allows for efficient maintenance of the equipment elements of a production apparatus, and are useful in the field of mounting components onto a substrate.

3. Management computer (maintenance plan creation device)
L: Component mounting line M2: Printing equipment (production equipment)
M4-M8 Component mounting equipment (production equipment)

Claims (11)

A maintenance plan creation device that creates a maintenance plan for equipment elements of production equipment installed in a component mounting line,
An acquisition unit that acquires production plan information including at least one of the number of components to be mounted on each of several types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production equipment,
A tolerance calculation unit that calculates the allowable number of uses or allowable time for which the device element used in the component mounting line can be used before the error rate of the device element exceeds a tolerance value, based on the relationship between the number of uses or usage time and the error rate of the device element,
A creation unit creates a maintenance plan for the device elements based on the calculated allowable number of cycles or allowable time and the acquired production plan information.
A maintenance plan creation device comprising: an output unit that outputs the created maintenance plan; The maintenance plan creation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the creation unit creates a maintenance plan so that any device elements expected to exceed the allowable number of cycles or allowable time during the production of the mounting board are maintained before the start of production of the mounting board. The maintenance plan creation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the creation unit creates a maintenance plan such that device elements whose added component count (the sum of the first component count to be mounted on the first mounting board included in the production plan information and the second component count to be mounted on the second mounting board to be produced after the first mounting board) exceeds the component count corresponding to the allowable number of times, will undergo maintenance after the production of the first mounting board is completed. The maintenance plan creation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the creation unit creates a maintenance plan such that if the added work time, obtained by adding the first work time scheduled for the first mounting board included in the production plan information to the second work time scheduled for the second mounting board to be produced after the first mounting board, exceeds the work time corresponding to the allowable time, then maintenance will be performed on the equipment elements after the production of the first mounting board is completed. The production plan information includes the changeover time required for the changeover operation to switch the component mounting line to the production of the next type of mounted board,
The maintenance plan creation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the creation unit creates the maintenance plan such that any device element expected to exceed the allowable number of times or allowable time during the production of the mounted board is a switching operation before the start of production of that type of mounted board, and the maintenance is performed during a switching operation where the switching time is longer than the maintenance time required for the maintenance of the device element. The production planning information includes a first switching time required for a first switching operation to switch the component mounting line from a first mounting board to a second mounting board of the next type.
The manufacturing unit determines that any device element that is expected to exceed the allowable number of cycles or allowable time during the production of the second mounting board is:
A maintenance plan creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein if the first switching time is longer than the maintenance time required for the maintenance of the device element, the device creates a maintenance plan so that the maintenance is performed during the first switching operation. The manufacturing unit determines that any device element that is expected to exceed the allowable number of cycles or allowable time during the production of the second mounting board is:
The maintenance planning device according to claim 6, wherein if the first switching time is shorter than the maintenance time of the device element, the maintenance plan is created so that the maintenance is performed in a switching operation that is performed before production of the first mounting board and the switching time for switching the component mounting line to the next mounting board is longer than the maintenance time of the device element. A maintenance plan creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a defect rate calculation unit that calculates the relationship between the number of uses or the usage time of the device element and the defect rate based on the production performance information of the component mounting line. The error rate calculation unit is,
For multiple device elements of the same type, the individual error rate for errors occurring in each of the multiple device elements is calculated for each interval of the number of uses or the interval of the usage time.
The maintenance plan creation device according to claim 8, wherein the average, median, or mode of the multiple calculated individual error rates is adopted as the error rate for that interval of the device element of that type. A method for creating a maintenance plan for equipment elements of production equipment installed in a component mounting line,
Acquire production plan information including at least one of the number of components to be mounted on each of several types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production equipment.
Based on the relationship between the number of uses or usage time and the error rate of the aforementioned device element, the allowable number of uses or allowable time for the device element used in the component mounting line before the error rate exceeds the allowable value is calculated.
Based on the calculated allowable number of cycles or allowable time and the acquired production plan information, a maintenance plan for the equipment elements is created.
A method for creating a maintenance plan, which outputs the created maintenance plan. A maintenance plan creation program that uses a computer to create a maintenance plan for equipment elements of production equipment installed on a parts mounting line,
Acquisition step of acquiring production plan information including at least one of the number of components to be mounted on each of several types of mounting boards or the planned working time of the production equipment,
A tolerance calculation step that calculates the allowable number of uses or allowable time that the device element used in the component mounting line can be used before the error rate of the device element exceeds an allowable value, based on the relationship between the number of uses or usage time and the error rate of the device element,
A creation step of creating a maintenance plan for the equipment elements based on the calculated allowable number of cycles or allowable time and the acquired production plan information,
A maintenance plan creation program, comprising an output step of outputting the created maintenance plan.