Method and apparatus for mounting parts with pick-up mistake detection and storage of mistake rate

• US 5,911,456 A
• Filed: 09/09/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yuji, Abe, Nobutaka, Tsubouchi, Yuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Rick Kiltae
• Application Number:
  US08/925,746
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 29/740, 29/741, 29/742, 29/743, 29/832, 29/834, 29/836, 29/759
• US Class Current: 29/833
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/041 having multiple pick-up tools
• 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: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49131 by utilizing optical sighting device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49133 with component orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49769 Using optical instrument [excludes mere human eyeballing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53061 Responsive to work or work-related machine element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53091 for work-holder for assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 Means to align and advance work part

Abstract

There is disclosed an electronic parts mounting method in which it is possible to avoid a pick-up mistake for electronic parts (chips) in simultaneously picking up the chips respectively stored in juxtaposed parts feeders by a plurality of nozzles provided to a transfer head. Nozzle position data of first, second and third nozzles 9a, 9b and 9c are beforehand obtained by a first camera, and pick-up positions of the chips in parts feeders 4 are obtained by a second camera. After picking up respectively the chips in the parts feeders 4 by the nozzles 9a to 9c it is judged whether or not there would be caused the pick-up mistake. When it is judged there is caused no pick-up mistake, a transfer head is moved to a position above a board and each of the chips is mounted to the board. When it is judged there is caused any pick-up mistake, a pick-up mistake rate of any of the parts feeders in which the pick-up mistake occurs, is updated and each of the chips is picked up again by the nozzle which caused the pick-up mistake.

Claims

1. A parts mounting method in which a plurality of parts feeders are provided, and a plurality of transfer elements are mounted in a line on a transfer head, and while said transfer head is moved by a moving table, parts stored respectively in the plurality of parts feeders are picked up respectively by said plurality of transfer elements, and are transferred to and mounted on a board positioned at a positioning portion, the method comprising:

(a) moving the transfer head for positioning the plurality of transfer elements about the plurality of parts feeders;

(b) simultaneously moving the plurality of transfer elements to the plurality of parts feeders and picking up the parts from the parts feeders with the transfer elements;

(c) judging whether any of the plurality of transfer elements causes a pick-up mistake;

(d) when judged in step (c) that none of the plurality of transfer elements causes the pick-up mistake, moving the transfer head to a position above the board and mounting each of the parts on the board; and

(e) when judged in step (c) that any of the transfer elements causes the pick-up mistake, (i) moving the transfer head such that each of the transfer elements which cause the pick-up mistake is brought into alignment with a pick-up position above a corresponding one of the plurality of parts feeders, (ii) then moving again said each of the transfer elements which cause the pick-up mistake to the corresponding one of the plurality of parts feeders and picking up the parts stored respectively in the corresponding one of the plurality of parts feeders and (iii) then moving the transfer head to the position above the board and mounting each of the parts on the board.

2. The parts mounting method as in claim 1, wherein the parts are electronic parts.

3. The parts mounting method as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of transfer elements comprise at least three transfer elements.

4. The parts mounting method as in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of parts feeders are juxtaposed at a first pitch; and

the plurality of transfer elements are mounted on the transfer head at a second pitch which is an integral multiple of the first pitch.

5. The parts mounting method as in claim 1, wherein step (c) is performed with a camera.

6. A parts mounting method as in claim 1, wherein:

the transfer head moves horizontally; and

the plurality of transfer elements move vertically to the plurality of parts feeders.

7. The parts mounting method as in claim 1, further comprising storing a pick-up mistake rate of each of the plurality of parts feeders.

8. The parts mounting method as in claim 1, wherein each of the transfer elements comprises a nozzle.

9. A parts mounting apparatus comprising:

(a) a positioning portion for positioning a board;

(b) a plurality of parts feeders;

(c) a transfer head having a plurality of transfer elements;

(d) a moving table for moving said transfer head, wherein parts stored respectively in the plurality of parts feeders are picked up respectively by said plurality of transfer elements and each of the parts is mounted on the board;

(e) detecting means for detecting a pick-up mistake, in which after the parts stored respectively in the plurality of parts feeders are picked up respectively by simultaneously moving the plurality of transfer elements, the detecting means detects whether any of the plurality of transfer elements causes the pick-up mistake and provides a detection result, and

(f) a control portion for receiving the detection result and for controlling the parts mounting apparatus such that (i) when the detecting means detects that none of the transfer elements causes the pick-up mistake, the transfer head is moved to a position above the board for mounting each of the parts on the board, and (ii) when the detecting means detects that at least one of the plurality of transfer elements causes the pick-up mistake, (A) each of the transfer elements which cause the pick-up mistake is moved to a pick-up position above a corresponding one of the plurality of parts feeders and is moved to the corresponding one of the plurality of parts feeders, and then (B) the transfer head is moved to the position above the board for mounting each of the parts on the board.

10. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein:

the parts are electronic parts; and

the plurality of parts feeders are electronic parts feeders.

11. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the plurality of transfer elements comprise at least three transfer elements.

12. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of parts feeders are juxtaposed at a first pitch; and

the plurality of transfer elements are mounted on the transfer head at a second pitch which is an integral multiple of the first pitch.

13. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the detecting means comprises a camera.

14. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein:

the transfer head moves horizontally; and

the plurality of transfer elements move vertically to the plurality of parts feeders.

15. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein, in operational step (ii)(A) carried out by the control portion, the transfer head is moved such that each of the transfer elements which cause the pick-up mistake is brought into alignment with the pick-up position above the corresponding one of the plurality of parts feeders.

16. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, further comprising a pick-up mistake rate storage portion for storing a pick-up mistake rate of each of the plurality of parts feeders.

17. The parts mounting apparatus as in claim 9, wherein each of the transfer elements comprises a nozzle.