Dynamically reconfigurable assembly line for electronic products

• US 6,378,200 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lim, Ka Tiek, Lim, Hun Chiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUGBANG, ANTHONY D
• Application Number:
  US08/933,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 298/32, 297/11, 297/12, 297/42, 297/40, 298/36
• US Class Current: 29/832
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32019 Dynamic reconfiguration to maintain optimal design, fabrication, assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32297 Adaptive scheduling, feedback of actual proces progress to adapt schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32305 Fastest interrupt time, change jobs dynamically to fastest machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45035 Printed circuit boards, also holes to be drilled in a plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/085 Production planning, e.g. of allocation of products to machines, of mounting sequences at machine or facility level
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49137 Different components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component

Abstract

A method of reconfiguring a production line for fabricating printed circuit board assemblies to achieve maximum efficiency and maximum flexibility is disclosed. The production line has one or more placement stations (16, 18, 20), a reflow oven (22), a conveyor (24) and a controller (30). The controller communicates with the various components (placement stations, reflow oven, conveyor) of the production line to transfer information related to the state of assembly of some of the printed circuit board assemblies (15, 17, 19) that are being processed. The controller also communicates information related to the status of the various other stations. The operational functionality of one or more of the placement stations, the reflow oven, or the conveyor is altered in response to the communication by the controller. Other remaining modules continue operation unaltered during this step of dynamic reconfiguration.

Claims

1. A method of achieving high utilization and high flexibility on an assembly line for manufacturing electronic assemblies, the assembly line containing at least first and second placement workcells, a transport means for transporting the electronic assembly through the assembly line, and a host computer for the workcells and the transport means, comprising the following steps:

performing a first activity on a first electronic assembly in the first placement workcell;

transferring information relating to the state of the second placement workcell from the second placement workcell to the host computer;

dynamically reconfiguring the first placement workcell at least partially concurrent with the step of performing a first activity and in response to the information transferred to the host computer from the second placement workcell;

transporting the first electronic assembly from the first placement workcell to the second placement workcell via the transport means;

transporting a second electronic assembly into the first placement workcell via the transport means;

performing a second activity on the first electronic assembly in the second placement workcell;

performing a third activity on the second electronic assembly in the dynamically reconfigured first placement workcell.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of relating information to the controller wherein the controller is responsive to the degree of completion of the activity that is being performed on the first and second electronic assemblies.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the operation of any additional workcells in the assembly line continues unaltered during the step of dynamically reconfiguring.

3. The method as recited 1 wherein the steps are performed in the order named.