Method for surface mounting electronic components on a printed circuit board

• US 6,802,118 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mirae Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mirae Corporation
• Inventors: Yi, Yun Hyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI V
• Application Number:
  US09/586,797
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 298/32, 297/40, 297/43, 295/93, 298/33, 198/358, 198/349, 198/370.01, 414/806
• US Class Current: 29/832
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/046 Surface mounting surface mounted components H05K3/341
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0478 Simultaneously mounting of different components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• 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 29/53178 Chip component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part

Abstract

A method of mounting electrical components on a printed circuit board includes moving the printed circuit board to a first mounting location, picking up a plurality of electrical components with a corresponding plurality of mounter heads, and then placing the electrical components onto the printed circuit board with the mounter heads. The mounter heads are arranged so that they can move with respect to each other in both the X and Y directions, which allows the mounting device to mount a plurality of electrical components onto the printed circuit board substantially simultaneously, thereby reducing the amount of time required to produce a finished PCB. In some embodiments of the invention, the printed circuit board may be moved from a first position at which a first mounting head mounts electrical components onto the printed circuit board to a second mounting position at which a second mounting head mounts electrical components on the printed circuit board. The first and second mounting positions may be located along the same conveyer, or on respective first and second conveyors, with the printed circuit board being moved back and forth between the conveyors.

Claims

1. A method for surface mounting electrical components on a printed circuit board (PCB) with a surface mounter, comprising:

locating a PCB at a first mounting position by moving the PCB in both the X and Y directions within a working area of the surface mounter;

picking up a plurality of electrical components substantially simultaneously with a corresponding plurality of suction nozzles; and

moving the plurality of suction nozzles simultaneously with respect to each other to substantially simultaneously mount the electrical components on the PCB.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locating the PCB at a second mounting position within the working area of the surface mounter; and

repeating the picking and moving steps.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving step comprises simultaneously moving the plurality of suction nozzles with respect to each other in both the X and Y directions to mount the electrical components on the PCB.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking the alignment of the electrical components held by the plurality of suction nozzles; and

selectively rotating the suction nozzles and the held electrical components based on the results of the checking step before performing the moving step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the locating step comprises:

transferring the PCB from a conveyer to a moving member; and

locating the moving member at the first mounting position.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the PCB from a first conveyer to a second conveyer before performing the locating step.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transferring the PCB from the second conveyer back to the first conveyer after performing the moving step.

8. A method for surface mounting electrical components on a printed circuit board (PCB) with a surface mounter, comprising:

locating a PCB at a first mounting position within a working area of the surface mounter;

picking up a plurality of electrical components with a corresponding plurality of suction nozzles; and

moving the plurality of suction nozzles with respect to the PCB and with respect to each other in at least one of an X and a Y-direction to substantially simultaneously mount the plurality of electrical components on the PCB.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

locating the PCB at a second mounting position within the working area of the surface mounter; and

repeating the picking and moving steps.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the moving step comprises simultaneously moving the plurality of suction nozzles with respect to each other to mount the electrical components on the PCB.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the moving step comprises moving the plurality of suction nozzles with respect to each other in both the X and Y directions to mount the electrical components on the PCB.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

checking the alignment of the electrical components held by the plurality of suction nozzles; and

selectively rotating the suction nozzles and the held electrical components based on the results of the checking step before performing the moving step.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring the PCB from a first conveyer to a second conveyer before performing the locating step.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transferring the PCB from the second conveyer back to the first conveyer after performing the moving step.