Pick and place machine with component placement inspection
First Claim
1. A pick and place machine for placing a component upon a workpiece, the machine comprising:
- a placement head having at least one nozzle for releasably holding the component;
a robotic system for generating relative movement between the placement head and the workpiece;
a first image acquisition device disposed to obtain a first view before-image of an intended placement location before placement of the component, and a first view after-image of the intended placement location after placement of the component;
a second image acquisition device disposed to obtain a second view before-image of an intended placement location before placement of the component, and a second view after-image of the intended placement location after placement of the component;
wherein the first and second views are spaced apart to provide stereovision inspection of the intended placement location; and
wherein the first image acquisition device includes a CCD array having a frame rate, and wherein the first image acquisition device causes the CCD array to acquire the first view before image and the first view after image at a rate that exceeds the readout rate of the CCD array.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved component placement inspection and verification is performed by a pick and place machine. Improvements include stereovision imaging of the intended placement location; enhanced illumination to facilitate the provision of relatively high-power illumination in the restricted space near the placement nozzle(s); optics to allow image acquisition device to view the placement location from an angle relative to a plane of the placement location, thereby reducing the possibility of such images being obstructed by the component; techniques for rapidly acquiring images with commercially available CCD arrays such that acquisition of before and after images does not substantially impact system throughput; and image processing techniques to provide component inspection and verification information.
116 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A pick and place machine for placing a component upon a workpiece, the machine comprising:
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a placement head having at least one nozzle for releasably holding the component; a robotic system for generating relative movement between the placement head and the workpiece; a first image acquisition device disposed to obtain a first view before-image of an intended placement location before placement of the component, and a first view after-image of the intended placement location after placement of the component; a second image acquisition device disposed to obtain a second view before-image of an intended placement location before placement of the component, and a second view after-image of the intended placement location after placement of the component; wherein the first and second views are spaced apart to provide stereovision inspection of the intended placement location; and wherein the first image acquisition device includes a CCD array having a frame rate, and wherein the first image acquisition device causes the CCD array to acquire the first view before image and the first view after image at a rate that exceeds the readout rate of the CCD array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification