Method, system and device for identifying a bin in an SMT system

• US 10,322,879 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mycronic AB
• Original Assignee: Mycronic AB
• Inventors: Jacobsson, Nils, Jonasson, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda R
• Application Number:
  US15/022,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34349 Proper allocation of control components to the required task
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45026 Circuit board, pcb
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/021 Loading or unloading of containers H05K13/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0404 Pick-and-place heads or apparatus, e.g. with jaws
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0417 Feeding with belts or tapes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0419 tape feeders
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0434 with containers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/08 Monitoring manufacture of assemblages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/086 Supply management, e.g. supply of components or of substrates

Abstract

A method in an automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse configured to store bins at predetermined positions within said automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse, the method comprising receiving a bin at a port of said automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse and scanning an identity tag attached to said bin to obtain a bin ID.

Claims

1. A method for storing bins at one or more particular positions within an automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse, the automated SMD warehouse including an actuator configured to automatically handle objects within the automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse, the method comprising:

receiving a bin at a port of the automated SMD warehouse, the bin including a plurality of compartments, each compartment configured to hold a separate bin load unit, each bin load unit including a component tape reel;

scanning an identity tag attached to the bin to obtain a unique bin ID associated with the bin and to further determine a unique bin load unit ID associated with a unique identity of a bin load unit held in the bin, based on accessing an association between the unique bin ID and the bin load unit ID in Surface Mount Technology (SMT) information database;

storing the bin at a particular position within the automated SMD warehouse by the actuator; and

storing data representing an association between the particular position within the automated SMD warehouse and the obtained unique bin ID, via a communications network, as parameters in the SMT information database based on both the scanning and the storing the bin at the particular position within the automated SMD warehouse, such that the bin load unit ID associated with the unique identity of the bin load unit held in the bin is associated, in the SMT information database, with the particular position within the automated SMD warehouse.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the data representing the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID in a memory of the automated SMD warehouse.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a retrieved bin at a port of the automated SMD warehouse by the actuator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the automated SMD warehouse is a first automated SMD warehouse of an integrated automated SMD warehouse cluster,

storing the bin at the particular position includes redistributing the bin, by the actuator, from the first automated SMD warehouse to a second automated SMD of the integrated automated SMD warehouse cluster.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the automated SMD warehouse is included in an integrated automated SMD warehouse cluster,

receiving the bin at the port of the automated SMD warehouse includes redistributing the bin from a second automated SMD warehouse of the integrated automated SMD warehouse cluster to the automated SMD warehouse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data representing the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID including storing information representing the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID as parameters of a database in a memory of the automated SMD warehouse.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity tag includes an optically scanned code on a printed label or an alphanumerical display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the automated SMD warehouse is a first automated SMD warehouse of an integrated automated warehouse cluster, the integrated automated SMD warehouse cluster further including a second automated SMD warehouse,

the method includes redistributing bin load units between the first automated SMD warehouse and the second automated SMD warehouse via a first opening in the first automated SMD warehouse and a second opening in the second automated SMD warehouse,

a first actuator in the first automated SMD warehouse is configured to grip a bin load unit in the second opening and a second actuator in the second automated SMD warehouse is configured to grip a bin load unit in the first opening, such that the redistributing redistributes the bin load units from the first automated SMD warehouse and the second automated SMD warehouse by the first actuator and the second actuator.

9. A method for retrieving a bin at one or more particular positions within an automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse, the automated SMD warehouse including an actuator configured to automatically handle objects within the automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse, the method comprising:

retrieving, by the actuator, the bin from a particular position within the automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse, the bin including a plurality of compartments, each compartment configured to hold a separate bin load unit, each bin load unit including a component tape reel, the retrieving based on

receiving input data associated with an upcoming SMT job, the input data including data identifying a particular component tape reel,

identifying a unique bin load unit ID associated with a unique identity of the bin load unit,

identifying a unique bin ID of a bin in which the bin load unit is held, and

identifying the particular position as a particular position within the automated SMD warehouse at which the bin is stored; and

presenting, by the actuator, the retrieved bin at a port of the automated SMD warehouse.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the data representing the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID as parameters of a database in a memory of the automated SMD warehouse.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the data representing the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID as parameters of a database in an SMT information database via a communications network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein

the automated SMD warehouse is a first automated SMD warehouse of an integrated automated warehouse cluster, the integrated automated SMD warehouse cluster further including a second automated SMD warehouse,

the method includes redistributing bin load units between the first automated SMD warehouse and the second automated SMD warehouse via a first opening in the first automated SMD warehouse and a second opening in the second automated SMD warehouse,

a first actuator in the first automated SMD warehouse is configured to grip a bin load unit in the second opening and a second actuator in the second automated SMD warehouse is configured to grip a bin load unit in the first opening, such that the redistributing redistributes the bin load units from the first automated SMD warehouse and the second automated SMD warehouse by the first actuator and the second actuator.

13. A bin for use in a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) system, the bin configured to be loaded with one or more bin load units, the bin comprising:

a plurality of compartments, each compartment configured to hold a separate bin load unit, each separate bin load unit including a component tape reel; and

an identity tag attached to the bin in a particular position, the identity tag of the bin being a unique bin ID that is associated, in an SMT information database, with each separate unique bin load unit ID associated with each separate unique identity of each bin load unit held in the plurality of compartments, such that each separate bin load unit ID associated with the unique bin ID in the SMT information database, such that the identity tag is configured to enable retrieval of the separate unique identity of each bin load unit held in the bin from the SMT information database based on the identity tag being scanned.

14. The bin of claim 13, wherein the identity tag is attached to the bin in the particular position such that the bin is configured to enable a bar code scanner in a Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse to automatically scan the identity tag at a port of said SMD warehouse.

15. An automated Surface Mount Device (SMD) warehouse for storing or retrieving bins, the automated SMD warehouse comprising:

an actuator configured to scan an identity tag attached to a bin to obtain a unique bin ID associated with the bin and retrieve or store bins at one or more particular positions within the automated SMD warehouse, the bin including a plurality of compartments, each compartment configured to hold a separate bin load unit, each separate bin load unit including a component tape reel;

a memory storing a computer readable code; and

a processor configured to execute the computer readable code to

associate the unique bin ID of a bin with each separate unique bin load unit ID associated with each separate unique identity of each bin load unit held in a plurality of compartments of the bin,

control the actuator to scan an identity tag of the bin to obtain the unique bin ID of the bin and to further obtain each separate unique bin load unit ID of each bin load unit held in the bin,

control the actuator to store the bin at a particular position within the automated SMD warehouse, and

store data representing an association between the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID, via a communications network, as parameters in an SMT information database based on scanning the identity tag and storing the bin at the particular position, such that each bin load unit ID of each bin load unit held in the bin is associated, in the SMT information database, with the particular position within the automated SMD warehouse.

16. The automated SMD warehouse of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer readable code to

control the actuator to retrieve the bin at the particular position;

control the actuator to present the retrieved bin at a port of the automated SMD warehouse; and

store the data representing the particular position and the obtained unique bin ID in a memory of the automated SMD warehouse.