Method of supplying electric component, and electric-component mounting system

• US 20020029468A1
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Fuji Machine Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Koike, Hirokazu, Suhara, Shinsuke, Ito, Toshiya
• Granted Patent: US 6,739,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/832
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0409 Sucking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/041 having multiple pick-up tools
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0413 with orientation of the component while holding it; Drive mechanisms for gripping tools, e.g. lifting, lowering or turning of gripping tools
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0812 the monitoring devices being integrated in the mounting machine, e.g. for monitoring components, leads, component placement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 29/044 Vacuum
• 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 29/49133 with component orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53087 with signal, scale, illuminator, or optical viewer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53091 for work-holder for assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53183 Multilead component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53187 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53191 Means to apply vacuum directly to position or hold work part

Abstract

Method of transferring an electric component from a component supply device to a suction nozzle of a component-holding head, wherein a relative position between a sucking surface of the suction nozzle and an axis of rotation of the component-holding head is obtained, and the component-holding head and the component supply device are moved relative to each other on the basis of the obtained relative position, so as to minimize an error of relative positioning between the sucking surface and a predetermined sucking position of the electric component positioned at the component-supply portion. The head and the component supply device are then moved toward each other, for transferring the electronic components from the component supply device to the suction nozzle. Also disclosed is an electric-component mounting system arranged to practice the method before the electric component is mounted on a circuit substrate.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operation in which electric components are transferred one after another from a component supply device to a suction nozzle which is held by a component-holding head rotatable about an axis of rotation thereof, such that said suction nozzle extends in an axial direction of said component-holding head, each of said electric components being held by said suction nozzle by suction on a sucking surface provided at a free end of said suction nozzle, said method comprising:

a relative-position obtaining step of obtaining a relative position between said sucking surface and said axis of rotation of said component-holding head;

a relative-movement step of effecting a relative movement between said component-holding head and said component supply device on the basis of said relative position obtained in said relative-position obtaining step, so as to minimize an error of relative positioning between said sucking surface and a predetermined sucking position of said electric component positioned at said component-supply portion; and

a component supply step of moving, after said relative movement between said component-holding head and said component supply device in said relative-movement step, said component-holding head and said component supply device toward each other, for transferring one of said electronic components from said component supply device to said suction nozzle.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said relative-position obtaining step, said relative-movement step and said component supply step are effected when said component-holding head is placed in a same angular position thereof.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said relative-position obtaining step, said relative-movement step and said component supply step are effected when said component-holding head is placed in a predetermined angular position thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said relative-position obtaining step comprises:

a first image-taking step of operating an image-taking device to take a first image of said sucking surface in an axial direction of said component-holding head toward said sucking surface;

a rotating step of rotating said component-holding head about said axis of rotation by a predetermined angle;

a second image-taking step of operating said image-taking device to take a second image of said sucking surface; and

an obtaining step of obtaining a position of said axis of rotation of said component-holding head on the basis of at least said first and second images of said sucking surface taken in said first and second image-taking steps, and obtaining said relative position between said sucking surface and said axis of rotation.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein one of said first and second images of said sucking surface is taken when said component-holding head is placed in a predetermined angular position thereof.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said relative-movement step comprises moving said component-holding head to a predetermined position along a circular arc, and moving said component-supply portion of said component supply device in a direction of tangency to said circular arc.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said electric component is transferred from said component-supply portion of said component supply device to the suction nozzle held by a selected one of a plurality of component-holding heads, and a relative movement between the selected component-holding head and said component supply device is effected in said relative-movement step, on the basis of a relative positioning error of the axes of rotation of said plurality of component-holding heads, as well as said relative position obtained in said relative-position obtaining step.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said relative movement between said component-holding head and said component supply device is effected in said relative-movement step, on the basis of a positional difference between said predetermined sucking position of said electric component and a center of said component-supply portion when said electric component is ready to be transferred from said component-supply portion to said suction nozzle, as well as said relative position obtained ins aid relative-position obtaining step.

9. An electric-component mounting system for mounting electric components on a circuit substrate, comprising:

a component supply device having a component-supply portion from which said electronic components are supplied one after another;

a circuit-substrate support device for supporting said circuit substrate;

a component-holding head rotatable about an axis of rotation thereof and arranged to removably hold a suction nozzle having a sucking surface such that said suction nozzle extends in an axial direction of said component-holding head;

a head rotating device operable to rotate said component-holding head;

a relative-movement device operable to move said component-holding head, said component supply device and said circuit-substrate support device relative to each other, in a direction intersecting said axis of rotation of said component-holding head;

an axial-movement device operable to move said component-holding head and said component supply device in said axial direction toward and away from each other;

an image-taking device operable to take an image of said sucking surface in said axial direction toward said sucking surface; and

a control device operable to control said head rotating device, said relative-movement device, said axial-movement device and said image-taking device,

and wherein said control device includes

a relative-position obtaining portion operable to obtain a relative position between said sucking surface and said axis of rotation of said component-holding head;

a relative-movement control portion operable to control said relative-movement device, for effecting a relative movement between said component-holding head and said component supply device on the basis of said relative position obtained by said relative-position obtaining portion, so as to minimize an error of relative positioning between said sucking surface and a predetermined sucking position of said electric component positioned at said component-supply portion; and

a component-transfer control portion operable after said relative movement between said component-holding head and said component supply device by said relative-movement device, to control said axial-movement device to move said component-holding head and said component supply device toward each other, for transferring one of said electric components from said component-supply portion of said component supply device to said suction nozzle.

10. An electric-component mounting system according to claim 9, wherein said relative-position obtaining portion, said relative-movement control portion and said component-transfer control portions are all operable when said component-holding head is placed in a predetermined angular position.

11. An electric-component mounting system according to claim 9, wherein said relative-movement device comprises:

a head turning device operable to turn said component-holding head about a turning axis, such that said component-holding head can be sequentially stopped at a plurality of working positions which are arranged along a circular path of turning of said component-holding head; and

a component-supply-device positioning device operable to move said component supply device in a direction of tangency to said circular path of turning, to bring said component-supply portion into alignment with one of said working positions.

12. An electronic-component mounting system according to claim 9, wherein said relative-movement control portion is operable to control said component-supply-device positioning moving device for positioning said component supply device such that said error of relative positioning between said sucking surface and said predetermined sucking position of said electric component in said direction of tangency is substantially zeroed.