Patent Application
20230371223
The invention relates to a method for supplying SMT-components within feeder cartridges to a placement device for the SMT-components. The invention further relates to a supply system for supplying feeder cartridges with SMT-components to a placement device for the SMT-components, a computer program product for supplying feeder cartridges with SMT-components to a placement device for the SMT-components and a computer-readable medium on which the computer program product is stored.
The currently known supply processes for components, in particular SMT-components for the assembly of printed circuit boards (PCBs), involve extensive manual work steps by personnel. In the known state of the art, the components are usually provided rolled up on a reel via component tapes and/or belts. The component tapes and/or belts are usually moved forward by feeders and thus the components are supplied to the placement device. Up until now, the reels have usually been designed separately from the respective feeder, with a free front end of the component reel usually being inserted manually into the feeder. During a reel change or the transition between two reels, the free front end of a new component reel is usually spliced to the rear free end of the previous component reel to enable a continuous supply of components to the placement device. Modern component reels are designed as part of the feeder, for example within a feeder cartridge. The replenishment on SMT production lines by exchanging feeder cartridges is different from today's splicing process.
The splicing process doesn't need to wait until the reel is empty, so an operator has a much wider time window for the splicing process. The currently known process for exchanging a feeder cartridge advantageously is performed at a ‘spot-time’, which means at the time of a feeder cartridge running empty, a new feeder is replaced. Therefore, when the SMT-components are provided via feeder cartridges, currently there is a need for a replacement of the feeder cartridges, preferably after the last component of the respective feeder cartridge has been picked up. Advantageously, the exchange of the feeder cartridge is completed before the planned pick-up of a next SMT-component of the same type, in order to enable a smooth operation of the placement device. However, a disadvantage of known supply systems is that with a large numbers of feeder cartridges, overlapping replacement periods for the feeder cartridges occur and thereby disrupt a smooth and timely precise operation of the placement device.
In daily practice, many materials on a line have the same package and same consumption per PCB, which leads to many feeders running empty at the same time. Since there can be up to hundreds of feeders running on a production line, many feeders can run empty at the same or similar time. If multi-feeders run empty at different and/or the same placement device at the same or at a similar time, the exchange of the feeder cartridges can't be accomplished in time and production time will be lost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for supplying SMT-components within feeder cartridges to a placement device for the SMT-components, that overcome at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages in a convenient and cost-efficient way.
This object is solved by the subject matter of the claims. In particular, the object is solved by a method for supplying SMT-components within feeder cartridges to a placement device for the SMT-components according to claim 1, a supply system for supplying feeder cartridges with SMT-components to a placement device for the SMT-components according to claim 10, a computer program product for supplying feeder cartridges with SMT-components to a placement device for the SMT-components according to claim 11 and a computer-readable medium according to claim 12. Further details of the invention unfold from the other claims as well as the description and the drawings. Thereby, the features and details described in connection with the method for supplying SMT-components within feeder cartridges to a placement device for the SMT-components, the supply system, the computer program product and the computer-readable medium of the invention may be applied in connection with each other so that regarding the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention it is or can be referred to one another.
According to a first aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned object is solved by a method for supplying SMT-components within feeder cartridges to a placement device for the SMT-components, the placement device having multiple slots for installing the feeder cartridges to transfer the SMT-components from each of the feeder cartridges to the placement device. The method comprising the following steps:
The method steps described above and in the following can, if not explicitly stated otherwise, be carried out individually, together, once, several times, in parallel and/or consecutively in any order. A designation as, for example, “first method step” and “second method step” does not imply any chronological order and/or prioritization. A preferred order of the method steps comprises that the method steps are executed in the order listed.
The first feeder cartridge is to be understood as a currently in use feeder cartridge with respect to the placement device. Thereby the first slot of the placement device is occupied by the first feeder cartridge and the placement device is picking up SMT-components from the first feeder cartridge. The second feeder cartridge is to be understood as an exchange feeder cartridge for the first feeder cartridge. The second feeder cartridge contains the same SMT-components as the first feeder cartridge. The same SMT-components in the first feeder cartridge and the second feeder cartridge is to be understood as both feeder cartridges containing the same SMT-components to be provided to the placement device. The second slot is to be understood as a free slot of the placement device in which the second feeder cartridge is insertable. With respect to a large number of feeder cartridges in use with a typical placement device the first feeder cartridge, the second feeder cartridge as well as the first slot and the second slot are to be understood respectively for each combination of an in use first feeder cartridge and an exchange second feeder cartridge. The first slot and the second slot of the placement device is to be understood with regards to the respective feeder cartridges. The first slot and the second slot of the placement device can change within the multiple slots of the placement device with regards to different first feeder cartridges. Thereby, the definition of the first feeder cartridge, the second feeder cartridge as well as the first slot and the second slot are to be understood as relative definitions and not as absolute definitions. A supply system is preferably enabled to supply multiple second feeder cartridges to a placement device.
The run-out-time is to be understood as the time when the last SMT-component is taken from the first feeder cartridge. With other words, the run-out-time defines the time when the first feeder cartridge runs empty. The second feeder cartridge is supplied to the second slot of the placement device by the supply system before the run-out-time of the first feeder cartridge is reached. Thereby, a loss of production time of the placement device is avoided or minimized when the first feeder cartridge runs empty.
The method according to the invention is particularly advantageous because it enables the supplying of SMT-components within feeder cartridges to a placement device for the SMT-components in a convenient and cost-efficient way. The exchange of the feeder cartridges can be accomplished without or with a minimized loss of production time of the placement device.
The method may further comprise a step of changing a pickup-position of the SMT-components of the first feeder cartridge from the first feeder cartridge to the second feeder cartridge by the placement device and/or by the supply system when the run-out-time of the first feeder cartridge is reached. It is especially advantageous to change the pickup-position of the SMT-component of the first feeder cartridge from the first feeder cartridge to the second feeder cartridge. Preferably, the placement device and the supply system are connected to interchange data in order to communicate the new pickup-position for the SMT-components. Thereby the method according to the invention enables a continuous production by changing the pickup-position of the SMT-component of the first feeder cartridge from the first feeder cartridge to the second feeder cartridge by the placement device and/or by the supply system when the run-out-time of the first feeder cartridge is reached. Preferably, the supply system sends a signal to the placement device in which slot the second feeder cartridge is going to be or was inserted. Additionally or alternatively, the placement device is enabled to recognize, for example via a sensor unit, in which slot the second feeder cartridge was inserted.
The method may further comprise that the determining of the run-out-time comprises at least one of the following steps:
It is especially advantageous to determine and/or to calculate at least one of the aforementioned data for the first feeder cartridge and/or the placement device. The determining can be understood as a determining of a current consumption-rate, number and/or amount of free slots and/or as a determining of a forecast of the consumption-rate, number and/or amount of free slots. It is especially preferable to supply the second feeder cartridge to the second slot of the placement device with regards to the determined consumption-rate, number and/or amount of free slots. For example, if the supply system has free capacity, by means of time and/or load, to supply further second feeder cartridges and the placement device has free slots for those second feeder cartridges, the second feeder cartridges can be supplied earlier, with a time buffer to the run-out-time of the respective first feeder cartridges in order to enable a balanced load factor of the supply system and/or to decrease the load factor of the supply system in the future. The aforementioned data can be determined and/or calculated once or continuously in constant or varying time intervals.
The method may further comprise a step of comparing the determined run-out-times for all feeder cartridges by the supply system in order to identify time supply conflicts. The comparing is preferably done by a computer unit of the supply system. A time supply conflict is to be understood as at least two run-out-times being too close to each other to enable the supply system to timely supply the respective feeder cartridges. A time supply conflict is preferably to be understood as a time conflict on a single production line level, for example when the supply system is supplying feeder cartridges to a single or multiple placement devices of a single production line, or on a multi production line level, for example when the supply system is supplying feeder cartridges to a single or multiple placement devices of a multiple production lines. For example, a time supply conflict does occur when two first feeder cartridges have run-out-times within a minute or less of a time gap in between the run-out-times. It is especially advantageous when the supplying comprises a preferred supplying of second cartridges for those first cartridges that are affected by a time supply conflict since those cartridges run out at the same or a similar time and thereby will result in a larger/longer loss of production time.
The method may further comprise that each first slot is assigned to a dedicated second slot and/or that at least two first slots are assigned to a shared second slot. It is especially advantageous when each first slot is assigned to a dedicated second slot, because it minimizes or avoids space conflicts when supplying a second feeder cartridge. In other cases, for example when space requirements and/or the number of available slots do not allow for a dedicated second slot for each first slot and/or when the consumption-rate of a SMT-component is low enough, a shared second slot for at least two first slots is assigned. A shared slot is to be understood as a second slot to which second feeder cartridges for the at least two first slots is supplied to. Preferably the second feeder cartridge is switched to the original first slot, after the first cartridge is removed and/or collected from the first slot. The shared second slot is preferably designed to take up more than one feeder cartridge.
Alternatively, the second feeder cartridges for the at least two first slots are supplied to the shared second slot one after the other, especially wherein only one second feeder cartridge can be installed in the shared second slot at a time.
The method may further comprise a step of removing and/or collecting the first feeder cartridge after the run-out-time of the first feeder cartridge is reached. It is preferred when slots of the placement device are being cleared of empty first feeder cartridges in order to enable the reuse of those feeder cartridges and/or in order to make space for supplying further second feeder cartridges to the placement device. It is especially advantageous when the supply system is removing and/or collecting multiple empty first feeder cartridges at once. The supply system preferably is enabled to determine the number of empty feeder cartridges in the slots of the placement device, especially wherein the removing of the first feeder cartridges is done with respect to a number of determined free slots and/or a determined number of empty feeder cartridges in the slots of the placement device.
The method may further comprise a step of prioritising of the supplying, changing and/or removing of the feeder cartridges according to at least one priority criterium by the supply system. It is an advantageous development of the method to prioritise the supplying, changing and/or removing of the feeder cartridges according to at least one priority criterium by the supply system. The at least one priority criterium preferably includes a time in between pickups of the SMT-component by the placement device, a time and/or a rate how often the feeder cartridge is running empty, a number of the SMT-component per PCB currently produced by the placement device and/or a number of SMT-components left in the feeder cartridge. A prioritising of the supplying, changing and/or removing of the feeder cartridges according to at least one priority criterium by the supply system enables the supply system to maximise the efficiency of the placement device and thereby to reduce the cost of the production by the placement device and the loss of production time.
The method may further comprise a step of synchronizing the supplying and/or the removing of the feeder cartridges with the operation of the placement device by the supply system. The supplying, the changing and/or the removing of the feeder cartridges usually generates vibrations and/or movements of the placement device. These vibrations and/or movements tend to have a negative influence on the accuracy of the placement of SMT-components by the placement device. Therefore, it is advantageous if the supplying and/or the removing of the feeder cartridges are synchronized, timed and/or performed in a coordinated manner between the supply system and the placement device so that the supplying and/or the removing of the feeder cartridges is performed at a time when, for example, no SMT-component is being placed and/or picked up by the placement device. Preferably, the supply system and the placement device are connected in a data-communicating manner to enable the synchronizing according to the invention. For example, a request is sent from the supply system to the placement device as to whether the supplying and/or the removing of the feeder cartridges may occur. The placement device may acknowledge, reject, and/or time-delay this request. The supply system can wait for a confirmation by the placement device and/or execute another process step if a specified time value is exceeded without confirmation. Thus, the method according to the invention advantageously prevents a negative influence on the accuracy of the placement of the SMT-components by the placement device or at least reduces an influence by the supplying and/or the removing of the feeder cartridges.
The method may further comprise a step of determining distances between at least two free slots of the placement device and the placement device, especially a placing area of the placement device, wherein the second feeder cartridge is supplied to the nearest of the at least two free slots. This advantageous enhancement of the inventive method enables short travel distances for the placing head of the placement device in between the placing area of the placement device and the provided SMT-component of a supplied second feeder cartridge. It is especially advantageous when at least one priority criterium as described before is taken into consideration as well. For example, when comparing at least two second feeder cartridges that need to be supplied to the placement device in the near future, it is preferred to place the second feeder cartridge with SMT-components that is used the most for the currently produced PCBs in a slot, which is closest to the placing area. In other words, the feeder cartridges with the highest consumption-rate for the SMT-components are preferably placed in the nearest slots with regards to the placing area of the placing device. Thereby the production efficiency of the placing device is increased and the travel time of the placing head between a pickup area and a placing area for the SMT-components is reduced.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the initially stated object is solved by a supply system for supplying feeder cartridges with SMT-components to a placement device for the SMT-components. The supply system is configured to execute the method according to the first aspect. With the supply system described, all the advantages already outlined with respect to the method according to the first aspect of the invention are obtained. The supply system preferably has movement devices. For example, the movement devices are designed as rail-guided movement devices or as freely movable movement devices. For example, the movement devices comprise gripping devices for interacting with, picking up and/or delivering the feeder cartridges. In the context of the invention, the supply system enables the feeder cartridges to be picked up, for example from a storage position and/or a preparation device, and subsequently being supplied to the placement device. Preferably, the devices of the supply system comprise communication devices, wherein the communication devices enable data communication between the devices. Preferably, the supply system utilizes the same moving devices for supplying and removing the feeder cartridges. Exemplarily, the motion devices are designed as moving robot devices with gripper arms for supplying and/or removing the feeder cartridges. The supply system preferably has a computer unit for executing the method steps at least in sections. The computer unit is preferably integrated in at least one of the movement devices and/or designed separately. Preferably, the computer unit is designed for controlling and/or regulating the movement devices of the supply system. Furthermore, the computer unit is preferably designed for detecting a utilization rate of the supply system, for example in order to adapt the timing of the supplying of the feeder cartridges as a function of the utilization rate of the supply system. A supply system configured in this way is particularly advantageous, since the supply system enables the smoothest possible supplying of SMT-components in feeder cartridges to the at least one placement device. Preferably, the supply system according to the invention is designed to supply a plurality of placement devices. The supply system according to the invention advantageously avoids or at least reduces waiting of a placement device for a supply process of a feeder cartridge. Preferably the placement device comprises a feeder table, especially wherein the feeder table is designed to install the feeder cartridges into it and/or the feeder table comprises the multiple slots. The feeder table is preferably designed to be attached and/or connected to a pickup unit and/or a placing unit of the placement device.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the initially stated object is solved by a computer program product for supplying feeder cartridges with SMT-components to a placement device for the SMT-components. The computer program product comprises instructions that cause the supply system according to the second aspect to perform the method according to the first aspect. With the computer program product described, all the advantages already outlined with respect to the method according to the first aspect of the invention as well as to the supply system according to the second aspect are obtained.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the initially stated object is solved by a computer-readable medium on which the computer program product according to the third aspect is stored. With the computer-readable medium described, all the advantages already outlined with respect to the method according to the first aspect of the invention as well as to the supply system according to the second aspect are obtained.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention unfold from the following description, in which by reference to drawings
The same objects in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2022 111 830.4 | May 2022 | DE | national |
