Embedded inspection image archival for electronics assembly machines

• US 20070276867A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Inventors: Case, Steven K., Fishbaine, David
• Application Number:
  US11/439,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0812 the monitoring devices being integrated in the mounting machine, e.g. for monitoring components, leads, component placement
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/084 Product tracking, e.g. of substrates during the manufacturing process; Component traceability

Abstract

A pick and place machine includes a vision system for acquiring at least one image relative to at least one component-related operation within the pick and place machine. The at least one image is stored along with one or more trace keys associated with the component-related operation. A database of images and associated trace keys can then be used to analyze operation of the pick and place machine to identify aspects that are out of control, or threaten to be out of control.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring and storing information related to pick and place machine operation, the method comprising:

acquiring an image within the pick and place machine;

obtaining at least one Trace Key related to the image;

storing the image;

storing the at least one Trace Key; and

associating the at least one Trace Key to the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is related to a pick operation of a component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is related to a placement operation of a component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image and the at least one Trace Key are stored in a database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the database is a distributed database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about the pick and place machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about a component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about a substrate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about an environmental variable present when the image was acquired.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from at least one sensor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

15. A method of evaluating operation of a pick and place machine, the method comprising:

acquiring and storing at least one image relative to a component pick operation within the pick and place machine;

acquiring and storing at least one image relative to a component placement operation within the pick and place machine;

recalling the stored images and generating at least one performance metric based upon the recalled images; and

using the at least one performance metric to establish the process capability.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising storing at least one Trace Key related to at least one image.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the image and the at least one Trace Key are stored in a database.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the database is a distributed database.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about the pick and place machine.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about a component.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about a substrate.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about an environmental variable present when the image was acquired.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from at least one sensor.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one Trace Key is obtained from the pick and place machine.

28. A computer readable medium having data stored thereon, the data comprising:

an image acquired within a pick and place machine;

at least one Trace Key related to the image; and

an association between the image and the at least one Trace Key.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the image is related to a pick operation of a component.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the image is related to a placement operation of a component.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about the pick and place machine.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about a component.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about a substrate.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one Trace Key includes information about an environmental variable present when the image was acquired.

35. A method of evaluating operation of a pick and place machine, the method comprising:

acquiring and at least one image relative to an operation within the pick and place machine;

processing the at least one image to generate at least one performance metric; and

storing the at least one image and the at least one performance metric; and

associating the at least one performance metric with the at least one image.