Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Patent
1996-08-21
1998-07-14
Vo, Peter
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
29740, 29741, 29742, 29743, 29759, 29794, 1983461, 1983462, H05K 330, H05K 1302, H05K 1304
Patent
active
057785244
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of designing and producing pick and place machines, more particularly to pick and place machines for the production of electronic circuit boards, and more specifically to surface mounting machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machines for automatic assembly of surface mount components on printed circuit boards (PCB) are built according to a few basic mechanical concepts regarding the mechanical layout of their means to move PCBs into and out from the machine, their means to move the pick-up heads that pick components from component feeders and place them on the PCB, and their means--if any--to move PCBs and/or feeders during the pick and place operations.
Most machines used for such assembly can be considered to belong to three main groups, which are illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 1 shows a fixed X-axis, moving Y-axis machine; FIG. 2 shows a rotary turret machine; and FIG. 3 shows a fixed X-axis, fixed Y-axis machine.
FIG. 1 shows a machine with a fixed Y-axis shown as two linear bearings 1 and 2 and an X-axis 3 that is movable along the Y-axis. A carriage 4 is movable along the X-axis. On this carriage, there are one or several pick-up heads. The machine picks components from the component magazine banks 6 and 7 by moving the pick-up head 5 to a position above the selected component feeder, i.e. feeder 8, and moves thereafter to the printed circuit PCB 9, which is stationary during the assembly operation.
The natural way to arrange an automatic exchange of PCBs is to have a PCB conveyor 10 run in the X-direction of the machine. Far more than 50% of all component pick and place machines of the basic type shown in FIG. 1 are supplied with integral PCB conveyors. The Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association (SMEMA) in the USA has published a standard regarding the physical and signal interface between such PCB conveyors. An assembled PCB 9, positioned as shown in FIG. 1, can be moved, for example, to the right on the conveyor 10 (passing the position 11) and a new, empty PCB 12 can enter the machine from the left. Both PCBs will move in the same direction on the conveyor 10.
FIG. 2 shows a machine with a turret 21 that stepwise rotates around an axis 22 that is stationary or fixed as seen in the X- and Y-directions. The turret 21 has a number of pick-up heads in different positions, for example 23 and 24. The machine picks components from the magazine bank 25 by moving the whole bank 25 in the X-direction so that the feeder with the wanted component is placed in the pick-up position 23, which basically is fixed. The component is picked up at position 23 and follows the turret 21 during the stepwise movement of the turret and will be mounted on a PCB when the head that picked up the component reaches position 24. A PCB 26 is moved so that the correct part of the PCB is placed below the placement position 24. Practically all component pick and place machines of the basic type shown in FIG. 2 are supplied with integral PCB conveyors. In FIG. 2, a PCB to be assembled on the input conveyor is waiting in position 27 and a PCB that has just been assembled is in position 28, ready to be moved to the right on the internal conveyor 29.
FIG. 3 shows a machine having a fixed Y-axis shown as two linear bearings 31 and 32. The fixed X-axis is shown as 33. A carriage 34 an which one or several pick-up heads 35 are mounted can move along the X-axis in the X-direction. The machine picks components from two magazine banks 36 and 37 by moving the head 35 to a position above the selected feeder, for example 38, and mounts the component on a PCB 39 which is movable in the Y-direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a pick and place machine, in particular a surface mount machine, in which the time lost due to PCB board exchange is radically reduced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a surface mount machine that can be equipped with more than one independentl
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Mydata Automation AB
Vo Peter
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