Component placement apparatus, component placement setting calculation apparatus, program, and component placement setting calculation method

• US 8,340,803 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Instruments Co., Ltd. (Hitachi High- Tech Corporation)
• Inventors: Chida, Takafumi, Nakano, Takahiro, Izuhara, Koichi, Tsujimoto, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DOUGLAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/486,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20100071201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 700/110, 700/120, 700/121, 716/54, 716/55, 716/132
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0478 Simultaneously mounting of different components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53174 Means to fasten electrical component to wiring board, base, or substrate

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a technique that avoids occurrence of interference among multiple placement heads, when multiple placement heads simultaneously access a circuit board, and a pallet which is arranged in one direction with respect to the circuit board. When the component placement part 150 having the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up the components from the pallet 160 and simultaneously place the components on the circuit board, the controller 140 specifies a pair of component groups to be picked up simultaneously from the pallet 160 by the multiple placement heads and places the components on the circuit board, so that an area where the multiple placement heads move in overlapping manner is minimized, and the placement heads respectively pick up the components included in the pair of component groups being specified and place the components on the circuit board.

Claims

1. A component placement apparatus which allows multiple placement heads to operate to pick up components from a pallet and to operate to place the components on a circuit board arranged in one direction with respect to the pallet during one operation, wherein,

the component placement apparatus comprises a controller to perform a processing, during the one operation that the multiple placement heads, each of which moves in a different area, pick up the components from the pallet and place the components on the circuit board, for specifying a pair of component groups to be picked up from the pallet by the multiple placement heads so that an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner is minimized, and

the processing for allowing each of the placement heads to operate to pick up the components included respectively in the component groups forming the pair, and to operate to place the components being picked up on the circuit board.

2. The component placement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the controller generates the component group made up of components including a component picked up from a position being close to a predetermined coordinate, and a component to be placed at a position being close to a predetermined coordinate, and out of combinations of the component groups, the controller specifies a pair of component groups that minimizes an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner, during the one operation for picking up the components from the pallet and placing the components on the circuit board.

3. The component placement apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

among a maximum number of combinations of the component groups generable without any overlaps, the controller specifies the pair which minimizes a sum of an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up components from the pallet, and an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously place the components on the circuit board.

4. The component placement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein,

the controller assumes a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value on the pickup positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value on the pickup positions of the components included in another component group forming a combination, as an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up the components from the pallet, and

the controller assumes an additional value of a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value of x-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value of x-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in another component group forming the combination, and a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value of y-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value of y-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in another component group forming the combination, as an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously place the components on the circuit board.

5. The component placement apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

the controller divides the pallet into blocks having a width between or equal to a minimum width in which the multiple placement heads do not interfere with one another and the width of the pallet, and generates the component group from the blocks divided.

6. A component placement setting calculation apparatus which generates component placement setting information for specifying sequencing for picking up and placing components by each of multiple placement heads, when the multiple placement heads operate to pick up components from a pallet and operate to place the components on a circuit board arranged in one direction with respect to the pallet during one operation, wherein,

the component placement setting calculation apparatus comprises a controller to perform a processing, during the one operation that the multiple placement heads, each of which moves in a different area, pick up the components from the pallet and place the components on the circuit board, for specifying a pair of component groups to be picked up from the pallet by the multiple placement heads so that an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner is minimized, and

the processing for generating the component placement setting information that allows each of the placement heads to operate to pick up the components included respectively in the component groups forming the pair, and to operate to place the components being picked up, on the circuit board.

7. The component placement setting calculation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein,

the controller generates the component group made up of components including a component picked up from a position being close to a predetermined coordinate, and a component to be placed at a position being close to a predetermined coordinate, and out of combinations of the component groups, the controller specifies a pair of component groups that minimizes an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner, during the one operation for picking up the components from the pallet and placing the components on the circuit board.

8. The component placement setting calculation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

among a maximum number of combinations of the component groups generable without any overlaps, the controller specifies the pair which minimizes a sum of an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up components from the pallet, and an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously place the components on the circuit board.

9. The component placement setting calculation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein,

the controller assumes a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value on the pickup positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value on the pickup positions of the components included in another component group forming a combination, as an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up the components from the pallet, and

the controller assumes an additional value of a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value of x-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value of x-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in another component group forming the combination, and a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value of y-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value of y-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in another component group forming the combination, as an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously place the components on the circuit board.

10. The component placement setting calculation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein,

the controller divides the pallet into blocks having a width between or equal to a minimum width in which the multiple placement heads do not interfere with one another and the width of the pallet, and generates the component group from the blocks divided.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program which allows a computer to function as a component placement setting calculation apparatus which generates component placement setting information for specifying sequencing for picking up and placing components by each of multiple placement heads, when the multiple placement heads operate to pick up components from a pallet and operate to place the components on a circuit board arranged in one direction with respect to the pallet during one operation, wherein,

the program allows the computer to function as a control means to perform a processing, during the one operation that the multiple placement heads each of which moves in a different area, pick up the components from the pallet and place the components on the circuit board, for specifying a pair of component groups to be picked up from the pallet by the multiple placement heads so that an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner is minimized, and

the processing for generating the component placement setting information that allows each of the placement heads to operate to pick up the components included respectively in the component groups forming the pair, and to operate to place the components being picked up, on the circuit board.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, where the program allowing the control means to perform a processing for generating the component group made up of components including a component picked up from a position being close to a predetermined coordinate, and a component to be placed at a position being close to a predetermined coordinate, and

out of combinations of the component groups, specifying a pair of component groups that minimizes an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner, during the one operation for picking up the components from the pallet and placing the components on the circuit board.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 12, where the program allowing the control means to perform a processing for specifying, among a maximum number of combinations of the component groups generable without any overlaps, the pair which minimizes a sum of an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up components from the pallet, and an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously place the components on the circuit board.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, where the program allowing the control means to perform a processing for:

assuming, a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value on the pickup positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value on the pickup positions of the components included in another component group forming a combination, as an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously pick up the components from the pallet, and

assuming an additional value of a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value of x-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value of x-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in another component group forming the combination, and a range of coordinates of an area overlapping between from a minimum value to a maximum value of y-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in the component group and from a minimum value to a maximum value of y-coordinate on the placement positions of the components included in another component group forming the combination, as an interference amount between the placement heads when the multiple placement heads simultaneously place the components on the circuit board.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, where the program allowing the control means to perform the processing for dividing the pallet into blocks having a width between or equal to a minimum width in which the multiple placement heads do not interfere with one another and the width of the pallet, and generating the component group from the blocks divided.

16. A computer-implemented component placement setting calculation method for allowing a component placement setting calculation apparatus to generate component placement setting information for specifying sequencing for picking up and placing components by each of multiple placement heads, when the multiple placement heads operate simultaneously to pick up components from a pallet and operate to place the components on a circuit board arranged in one direction with respect to the pallet during one operation, wherein the component placement setting calculation method comprising:

specifying, during the one operation that the multiple placement heads which each move in a different area to pick up the components from the pallet and place the components on the circuit board, a pair of component groups to be picked up from the pallet by the multiple placement heads so that an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner is minimized, and

generating the component placement setting information that allows each of the placement heads to operate to pick up the components included respectively in the component groups forming the pair, and to operate to place the components being picked up on the circuit board.

17. A component placement apparatus which allows multiple placement heads to simultaneously move independently of one another to pick up components from a supply area and to place the components on a circuit board arranged in one direction with respect to the supply area during one operation, wherein,

the component placement apparatus comprises a controller to perform a processing, during the one operation that the multiple placement heads moving independently of one another pick up the components from the supply area and place the components on the circuit board, for specifying a pair of component groups to be picked up from the supply area by the multiple placement heads so that an area where the multiple placement heads move in an overlapping manner is minimized, and

the processing for allowing each of the placement heads to operate to pick up the components included respectively in the component groups forming the pair, and to operate to place the components being picked up, on the circuit board.