Method of inspecting component placement accuracy for each first selected circuit board to be assembled of a batch
First Claim
1. A method of inspecting a circuit board after completing assembly thereof by an assembly machine and verifying the presence, accuracy of placement, and correctness of each assembled component at each corresponding placement position of said circuit board, said circuit board having been assembled according to a particular program by sequentially addressing each said placement position with a pick and place spindle of said assembly machine and assembling each said component thereat by means of said spindle, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a camera within said assembly machine after said assembly, said camera being capable of acquiring an image of each said assembled component and furnishing said image to a display screen on which said image is presentable in magnified form;
addressing each said placement position with its component assembled thereon sequentially with said camera, according to at least a portion of said program;
utilizing said camera for acquiring and furnishing an image of each said placement position and said assembled component thereat to said display screen so as to present thereon a magnified image; and
visually monitoring said display screen and performing said inspecting by observing each said magnified image, in turn.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved method for inspecting assembled circuit boards utilizes an existing programmable placement machine having an associated downward looking camera, illumination source, and monitor. After assembling a first circuit board of a series with electrical components according to a program which is particular to that series, and prior to removing the assembled board from the machine, an inspection is performed by: (i) automatically repositioning the relative position of the camera and the assembled circuit board, according to a portion of that same particular program, in order to address each placement position in turn; (ii) automatically acquiring an image of each placement position when it is addressed, and furnishing the image to the monitor in order to provide a magnified image on the monitor screen; (iii) visually inspecting the magnified image on the monitor screen in order to ascertain the presence or absence of the component at each placement position, the deviation in X, Y, and θ of the component relative to the desired placement position and/or the accuracy of connection of component leads to their respective lands on the circuit board; and (iv) providing for human control of the time expended at each placement position during the inspecting and correcting the program with any ascertained deviation.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of inspecting a circuit board after completing assembly thereof by an assembly machine and verifying the presence, accuracy of placement, and correctness of each assembled component at each corresponding placement position of said circuit board, said circuit board having been assembled according to a particular program by sequentially addressing each said placement position with a pick and place spindle of said assembly machine and assembling each said component thereat by means of said spindle, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a camera within said assembly machine after said assembly, said camera being capable of acquiring an image of each said assembled component and furnishing said image to a display screen on which said image is presentable in magnified form; addressing each said placement position with its component assembled thereon sequentially with said camera, according to at least a portion of said program; utilizing said camera for acquiring and furnishing an image of each said placement position and said assembled component thereat to said display screen so as to present thereon a magnified image; and visually monitoring said display screen and performing said inspecting by observing each said magnified image, in turn. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification