Method and device for monitoring electric components in a pick-and-place device for substrates

• US 6,870,622 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG (Partnertec BV)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Burger, Stefan, Duebel, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevenson, Andre′ C.
• Application Number:
  US10/240,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 356/401, 355/53, 355/77, 345/74, 250/548
• US Class Current: 356/401
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0812 the monitoring devices being integrated in the mounting machine, e.g. for monitoring components, leads, component placement

Abstract

A method and device are for monitoring electric components in a pick-and-place device for substrates. The underside of a pick-up is monitored by an optical scanner during the pick-up phase and during the placing phase of a component. A lift drive for the pick-up is provided with a position sensor that is linked with a control device. The scanner emits and receives a scanning beam oriented transversally to the direction of lift and is likewise coupled with the control device, thereby allowing monitoring of the underside of the pick-up in a direct time-related manner with the picking and placing of the component. The various lift positions are saved and compared when a threshold value of the received scanning beam is exceeded so that the inventive device also allows for a monitoring of the height of the component.

Claims

1. A device for checking electric components, comprising:

a pick-and-place head, travelable in a working plane and intended for handling the components, wherein a pick-up for the components is mounted in the pick-and-place head to be displaced perpendicularly in relation to the working plane via a lift drive between a transporting position and a functioning position, wherein a component is adapted to be sucked against the underside of the pick-up, raised by the pick-up from a pick-up position into the transporting position and, after the pick-and-place head travels into a placement position, lowered onto the substrate into the functioning position, the pick-and-place head including

an optical scanning means for checking a component on the pick-up, and for receiving at least one scanning beam oriented transversely in relation to the lifting direction and narrow in the lifting direction, wherein, in the transporting position, the underside of the pick-up is located above the scanning beam, and

control means for keeping a control check on the lifting movement of the pick-up, wherein the scanning means is coupled to the control means, the scanning means is adapted to be activated in a phase before and a phase after the suction attachment of the component, the control means is adapted to detect at least one of the presence and absence of the component on the pick-up from the scanning values of the scanning means, and the control means is adapted to assess scanning values remaining the same between the two phases as operating errors.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the transporting port position of the component, the scanning beam is arranged under the underside of said component, in its functioning position, the underside of the pick-up is located underneath the sharply focused scanning beam, the lift drive includes a displacement-measuring means for determining the lifting position of the pick-up, the displacement-measuring means is coupled to the control means, the lifting means is adapted to be activated during at least one of the raising and lowering of the component, and the control means is adapted to ascertain the position in height of at least one of the underside of the component and of the pick-up from the changes in the scanning values during the crossing of the undersides and from the respective lifting position of the pick-up, and from this is adapted to calculate the height of the component.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the scanning means is formed as a forked light barrier with a bow-shaped carrier for the optical functional parts, and wherein the scanning beam is arranged by deflecting means near the underside of the scanning means facing the substrate.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pick-and-place head is designed in the manner of a turret, and includes a stator, on which a rotor is mounted such that it can rotate step by step, wherein the rotor is provided with a multiplicity of pick-ups distributed in a circular manner, wherein the pick-up is adapted to be lowered and raised by the lift drive in a lifting station of the pick-and-place head, wherein the scanning means fastened to the stator is assigned to the lifting station, and wherein the stator of the pick-and-place head is provided outside the lifting station in addition to the scanning means, with an optics station for ascertaining the position of the component on the pick-up.

5. The device as claim ed in claim 4, wherein the scanning beam is oriented in the direction of rotation of the components.

6. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pick-and-place head is designed in the manner of a turret, and includes a stator, on which a rotor is mounted such that it can rotate step by step, wherein the rotor is provided with a multiplicity of pick-ups distributed in a circular manner, wherein the pick-up is adapted to be lowered and raised by the lift drive in a lifting station of the pick-and-place head, wherein the scanning means fastened to the stator is assigned to the lifting station, and wherein the stator of the pick-and-place head is provided outside the lifting station in addition to the scanning means, with an optics station for ascertaining the position of the component on the pick-up.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the scanning beam is oriented in the direction of rotation of the components.

8. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pick-and-place head is designed in the manner of a turret, and includes a stator, on which a rotor is mounted such that it can rotate step by step, wherein the rotor is provided with a multiplicity of pick-ups distributed in a circular manner, wherein the pick-up is adapted to be lowered and raised by the lift drive in a lifting station of the pick-and-place head, wherein the scanning means fastened to the stator is assigned to the lifting station, and wherein the stator of the pick-and-place head is provided outside the lifting station in addition to the scanning means, with an optics station for ascertaining the position of the component on the pick-up.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the scanning beam is oriented in the direction of rotation of the components.

10. A pick-and-place head for checking a component, comprising:

an optical scanning means for receiving at least one scanning beam oriented transversely in relation to a direction of lifting the component and narrow in the lifting direction, wherein, in a transporting position, an underside of a pick-up device is located above the scanning beam, and

control means for keeping a control check on the lifting movement of the pick-up device, wherein the scanning means is coupled to the control means, the scanning means is adapted to be activated in a phase before and a phase after suction attachment of the component, the control means is adapted to detect at least one of the presence and absence of the component when picked-up from the scanning values of the scanning means, and the control means is adapted to assess scanning values remaining the same between the two phases as operating errors.

11. The pick-and-place head of claim 10, wherein the pick-up device is mounted in the pick-and-place head.

12. A device for checking electric components, comprising the pick-and-place head of claim 10.

13. A device for checking electric components, comprising the pick-and-place head of claim 11.

14. The pick-and-place head of claim 10, wherein the pick-and-place head is travelable in a working plane and intended for handling the components.

15. The pick-and-place head of claim 11, wherein the pick-and-place head is travelable in a working plane and intended for handling the components.

16. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in a transporting port position of the component, the scanning beam is arranged under the underside of the component, in its functioning position, the underside of the pick-up device is located underneath the sharply focused scanning beam, a lift drive device includes a displacement-measuring means for determining a lifting position of the picked-up component, the displacement-measuring means is coupled to the control means, the lifting means is adapted to be activated during at least one of the raising and lowering of the component, and the control means is adapted to ascertain the position in height of at least one of the underside of the component and of the picked-up component from the changes in the scanning values during the crossing of the undersides and from the respective lifting position of the picked-up component, and from this is adapted to calculate the height of the component.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the scanning means is formed as a forked light barrier with a bow-shaped carrier for the optical functional parts, and wherein the scanning beam is arranged by deflecting means near the underside of the scanning means facing the substrate.

18. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pick-and-place head is designed in the manner of a turret, and includes a stator, on which a rotor is mounted such that it can rotate step by step, wherein the rotor is provided with a multiplicity of pick-up devices distributed in a circular manner, wherein the pick-up devices are adapted to be lowered and raised by a lift drive in a lifting station of the pick-and-place head, wherein the scanning means fastened to the stator is assigned to the lifting station, and wherein the stator of the pick-and-place head is provided outside the lifting station in addition to the scanning means, with an optics station for ascertaining the position of the component on the pick-up.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the scanning beam is oriented in the direction of rotation of the components.

21. The pick-and-place head of claim 16, wherein the pick-up device is mounted in the pick-and-place head.

22. A device for checking electric components, comprising the pick-and-place head of claim 16.

23. A device for checking electric components, comprising the pick-and-place head of claim 17.

24. The pick-and-place head of claim 16, wherein the pick-and-place head is travelable in a working plane and intended for handling the components.

25. The pick-and-place head of claim 17, wherein the pick-and-place head is travelable in a working plane and intended for handling the components.

20. A pick-and-place head for checking a component, comprising:

an optical scanner, adapted to receive at least one scanning beam oriented transversely in relation to a direction of lifting the component and narrow in the lifting direction, wherein, in a transporting position, an underside of a pick-up device is located above the scanning beam, and

a controller, adapted to keep a control check on the lifting movement of the pick-up device, wherein the scanner is coupled to the controller, the scanner is adapted to be activated in a phase before and a phase after suction attachment of the component, the controller is adapted to detect at least one of the presence and absence of the component when picked-up from the scanning values of the scanner, and the controller is adapted to assess scanning values remaining the same between the two phases as operating errors.

26. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein, in a transporting port position of the component, the scanning beam is arranged under the underside of the component, in its functioning position, the underside of the pick-up device is located underneath the sharply focused scanning beam, a lift drive device includes a displacement-measuring means for determining a lifting position of the picked-up component, the displacement-measuring means is coupled to the controller, the lifting means is adapted to be activated during at least one of the raising and lowering of the component, and the controller is adapted to ascertain the position in height of at least one of the underside of the component and of the picked-up component from the changes in the scanning values during the crossing of the undersides and from the respective lifting position of the picked-up component, and from this is adapted to calculate the height of the component.

27. The device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the scanner is formed as a forked light barrier with a bow-shaped carrier for the optical functional parts, and wherein the scanning beam is arranged by deflecting means near the underside of the scanning means facing the substrate.

28. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the pick-and-place head is designed in the manner of a turret, and includes a stator, on which a rotor is mounted such that it can rotate step by step, wherein the rotor is provided with a multiplicity of pick-up devices distributed in a circular manner, wherein the pick-up devices are adapted to be lowered and raised by a lift drive in a lifting station of the pick-and-place head, wherein the scanner fastened to the stator is assigned to the lifting station, and wherein the stator of the pick-and-place head is provided outside the lifting station in addition to the scanner, with an optics station for ascertaining the position of the component on the pick-up.

29. The device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the scanning beam is oriented in the direction of rotation of the components.