JP2000298099A - Component inspection method, component control method and component sorting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely discriminate a mounted nondefective and a mounted defective and to surely discriminate whether a different component is mixed or not by a method wherein a conveyed component is endowed with a light emitting property, the component is irradiated with ultraviolet rays and the emitted light of the component is detected by a light receiving element in an inspection process. SOLUTION: As a method in which a resin component such as an engineering plastic component or the like is provided with a light emitting property, an inorganic fluorescent pigment, an organic fluorescent pigment and a fluorescent dye are mixed with a material in advance when the component is manufactured, and their mixture is molded as they are. For example, 1 to 2 wt.% of a fluorescent pigment is added to an epoxy-based adhesive so as to be dispersed, and an adhesive which is endowed with a light emitting property is obtained. A metal plate is coated with the adhesive by using a stamp, and a coating state is inspected. The adhesive which is endowed with the light emitting property is used as an adhesive. In an inspection process, emitted light is captured in a dark place by using a light receiving element, a coating state is observed while ultraviolet rays are being emitted by using a black light in a dark place, and a component is inspected. As a result, whether the component is coated with the adhesive or not can be detected with good contrast (as compared with a case in which the component is not coated with the adhesive).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a component inspection method for an assembly line for supplying a component to produce a product, a component management method for specifying a type of component having different management in manufacturing, and a plurality of components which are indistinguishable in appearance. The present invention relates to a component selection method for specifying different types of components from different types of components.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many products in many fields such as precision instruments and home electric appliances are produced and sold in the market. These products are composed of a plurality of parts, and each part has a role. Products are manufactured by a manufacturing device called an assembly line, and most of the various components are supplied by a component supply device in the assembly line.
At this time, if too many components are mounted or not mounted, the product may malfunction or fail to operate, and therefore cannot be shipped as a product defect.

[0003] For this reason, although mounting mistakes are eliminated by adjusting and improving the component supply device of the assembly line, in reality, differences in component size, weight, physical properties, and component Due to the change in the component input amount in the device and the instability of the component flow state in the component supply device, the mounting failure cannot be completely eliminated.

For this reason, the assembly line is provided with an inspection process for confirming whether various components are mounted under predetermined conditions. In the inspection process, a function is provided for detecting a mounting error and discharging an unfinished product in which the mounting error is detected from the assembly process so as not to flow to the subsequent assembly process. In the process of inspecting for mounting errors, products that are difficult to distinguish between non-defective products and defective products are judged with a margin on the non-defective products in order to prevent defective products from flowing to subsequent processes. It will be discharged.

[0005] In the case of a watch assembly line, which is a small precision instrument, a product is made up of various kinds of parts whose various parts are so small that their shapes cannot be clearly recognized by the naked eye. In the inspection process of mounting errors of such components, a method of irradiating a known light and reading a value of a luminance value of reflected light or an image processing method is used for inspection, but since it is a minute component, There is little difference between a good product and a defective product with a brightness value or processed image.Currently, an inspection standard including a margin is set to determine mounting errors, and the discharged unfinished product is inspected again by humans to determine defects. It is carried out.

[0006] In addition, even if such a small part is produced in a plurality of production zones, even if the name of the production zone, the date of manufacture, the production lot number, etc. are to be described for each part, the description is not required. It is not described because it is not a suitable shape and it is too small to fill in.

Further, since there are many small components whose shapes cannot be clearly recognized by the naked eye, even if components having similar shapes are mixed, they cannot be recognized.

[0008]

As described above, in an assembly line using the conventional inspection method, there is a problem that it is difficult to determine whether components are mounted under desired conditions without error without error. If a defective product is discharged including a margin on a non-defective product so as not to flow to a subsequent process, there is a problem in that the cost is increased because the defect is manually determined.
In addition, when several different kinds of parts are mixed in a pile of small parts having almost the same shape, there is a problem that defective discharge cannot be performed. Furthermore, if the assembly speed is increased to shorten the manufacturing process time, the supply accuracy from the component supply device will be reduced, and defective discharge will increase. There is a problem that a defect must be determined.

In addition, if a conventional part is used, there is a management problem that even if an attempt is made to investigate the history of the part after manufacturing, a detailed history cannot be known because there is no description of a serial number or the like. . Further, when different parts are mixed in the conventional parts, it is difficult to sort them out by an easy method in a short time.

In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of reliably determining whether a product is good or defective in an assembly line equipped with a component supply device and to easily determine whether a different component is mixed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a component inspection method that can perform a component inspection method, a component management method in which a history of components can be recognized even after manufacturing, and a component selection method that can remove unnecessary components in a short time by an easy method when different components are mixed.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a component, a component supply device for transporting the component, and an inspection step including at least an ultraviolet irradiation device and a light receiving element. An assembly line that imparts light-emitting properties to the components conveyed by the component supply device, irradiates ultraviolet rays in the inspection process, and detects light emission of the supplied components by the light-receiving element to determine the presence / absence and failure of the components. Is detected. An assembly line comprising a component, a component supply device for transporting the component, and an inspection step having at least a light receiving element, wherein the component conveyed by the component supply device is provided with luminescence, and the inspection is performed. The presence / absence and defect of the component are detected by detecting the light emission of the component supplied in the process by the light receiving element. Also,
An assembly line including a plurality of types of components, a component supply device that conveys the components, and an inspection process including at least an ultraviolet irradiation device and a light receiving element capable of distinguishing a plurality of types of colors. By imparting different colors of light emitting properties to the conveyed parts and irradiating ultraviolet rays in the inspection step, detecting the type of supplied parts by the color difference using the light receiving element, and detecting the light emission It is characterized in that the presence / absence and defect of the supply component are detected. Also, an assembly line including a plurality of types of components, a component supply device that transports the components, and an inspection process including a light receiving element that can determine at least a plurality of types of colors, wherein the assembly line is transported by the component supply device. By providing a light emitting property of a different color to each type of component, detecting the type of the supplied component based on the difference in color using the light receiving element, and detecting the presence or absence and failure of the supplied component by detecting light emission. Features. In addition, in a plurality of types of parts having different manufacturing controls, the parts are provided with a light emitting property that emits a different color for each type, and the manufacturing controls are different due to the different colors using an ultraviolet irradiation device. It is characterized in that types of parts are specified. In addition, for a plurality of types of parts that cannot be distinguished from each other, the parts are given a light emitting property that emits a different color for each type, and the different types of parts are identified by using a different color using an ultraviolet irradiation device. And sorting. Further, the component according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is characterized in that the component includes a metal material in which an adhesive, a liquid such as oil, an engineering plastic such as polyoxymethylene, and a metal powder are fixed with a resin.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following configuration.

The supply component of the present invention will be described. Examples of the kind of supply parts of the present invention include adhesives, liquids such as oil, engineering plastics such as polyoxymethylene, and metal materials in which metal powder is fixed with resin. As a material for imparting light emission, a known material having fluorescent characteristics and phosphorescent characteristics can be used. In general, many materials having fluorescent characteristics also have phosphorescent characteristics. According to the present invention, when a component is determined while irradiating ultraviolet light, a material that emits light during ultraviolet irradiation is stored. A material that emits light when a component is determined is included. There are various types of phosphors having fluorescent and phosphorescent properties depending on the stimulation method, such as fluorescein, eosin, minerals including uranium such as canary glass, solid phosphors such as platinum cyanide and crystalline phosphors of sulfides of alkaline earth metals, etc. There is. In the present embodiment, Ca, Ba, Mg, Z
oxides such as n and Cd, sulfides, silicates, phosphates, tungstates, etc.
Inorganic fluorescent pigments added as an activator such as wt% of Mn, Ag, Cu, Sb, Pb and baked at 700 to 1300 ° C. for 30 minutes to several hours (these also have afterglow properties.
It can be mixed with a small amount of radioactive material to make it nocturnal. ), Fluorescent dyes such as diaminostilbene dyes, fluorescein, thioflavin, eosin, and rhodamine B; organic fluorescent pigments obtained by insolubilizing a water-soluble fluorescent dye with a resin having a high ultraviolet transmittance; and Morgen L yellow itself. Organic fluorescent pigments were used. These luminescent materials have the property of emitting visible light when exposed to ultraviolet light or visible light.

As a method for imparting luminous properties, in the case of resin parts such as engineering plastics, when manufacturing various parts, an inorganic fluorescent pigment, an organic fluorescent pigment, and a fluorescent dye are mixed in the material in advance and molded as it is. With this, light emission can be imparted. In the case of a metal material in which metal powder is fixed with a resin, light emission can be imparted by mixing an inorganic fluorescent pigment, an organic fluorescent pigment, and a fluorescent dye in the resin in advance. In the case of a liquid such as an adhesive or oil, light emission can be imparted by mixing the material itself with an inorganic fluorescent pigment, an organic fluorescent pigment, or a fluorescent dye. As a method for imparting light-emitting properties with different colors, a plurality of light-emitting bodies with different light-emitting colors can be combined. For example, a variety of colors can be developed by preparing luminous bodies that emit red, blue, and green light and changing the amount and combination. The luminous intensity can be changed by the concentration of the luminous body. For example, when a fluorescent pigment was added to an epoxy-based adhesive, the presence or absence of the adhesive could be confirmed by adding about 1 to 2% by weight. In addition, when a fluorescent dye was added to the oil, the object was achieved by adding 0.1 to 1.0 wt%. When added to the UV-curable acrylic adhesive, if it is too much, the curing speed is affected. Therefore, it is preferable to keep the content at 0.01 to 5 wt% or less. In order to impart fluorescence to the engineering plastic, it is desirable to use it within a range that does not change properties such as hardness. Therefore, the addition amount is preferably 0.1 to 10 wt%. In the case of a metal material in which metal powder is fixed with a resin, a phenomenon in which the amount of addition is too large and the material becomes brittle may be caused, so that it is preferable to limit the amount to 0.1 to 15 wt%.

[0015] Since the handling properties of the component having the luminous property are not different from those of the conventional component, a known parts feeder (when the component is solid), a dispenser (when the component is liquid) and the like can be used as the component supply device. . As an ultraviolet irradiation device, an ultraviolet irradiation device such as a metal halide or a high-pressure mercury lamp can be used.However, it is better to use a light source that suppresses the irradiation of visible light called a black light by using a light-receiving element using the emitted visible light. When making a determination, contrast is easily obtained, which is advantageous. As the light receiving element, a conventional monochrome light sensor (CCD or the like) can be used when only the presence or absence of a component is determined. When discriminating several types of parts, it is possible to discriminate them based on a difference in color by using a conventional color light sensor (such as a color CCD).

(Examples 1 and 2) 1 to 2% by weight of a fluorescent pigment was added to an epoxy adhesive and dispersed to obtain an adhesive having a luminous property. There is a step of applying this adhesive to a metal plate with a stamp and inspecting the applied state. In the inspection step using an adhesive having a light emitting property, the light emission was captured in a dark place using a light receiving element, and the application state was observed to inspect the components. As a result, the determination as to whether or not the coating was performed could be detected with good contrast (compared with the case where no coating was performed). In addition, it was possible to determine the amount of application from the intensity of light emission. Similar results were obtained when the inspection was performed in a dark place using a black light while irradiating ultraviolet rays.

(Embodiments 3 and 4) There is a step of bonding a photovoltaic element to the unfinished product obtained in Embodiments 1 and 2, and then performing an inspection. In the inspection process, light emission was captured in a dark place using a light-receiving element, and a component inspection was performed by observing the adhesion state. As a result, it was possible to detect whether the adhesive protruded from the part with good contrast (compared to the case where the adhesive did not protrude). Similar results were obtained when the inspection was performed in a dark place using a black light while irradiating ultraviolet rays.

(Embodiments 5 and 6) There is a step of injecting three types of oil into a plurality of designated positions, respectively, and checking whether an appropriate amount of oil has been injected into the correct position. In the inspection process, three types of oils used in this process that have luminescent properties to produce different colors are used. In the inspection process, light is captured in a dark place using a light receiving element, and lubrication is performed. The lubrication inspection was performed by observing the condition. As a result, it was possible to detect whether or not lubrication was performed with good contrast (compared to the case where no lubrication was performed). The difference in oil could be distinguished by the difference in color. In addition, the amount of lubrication could be determined from the intensity of light emission. Similar results were obtained when the inspection was performed in a dark place using a black light while irradiating ultraviolet rays.

(Embodiments 7 and 8) There is a step of incorporating a gear made of engineering plastic and inspecting the assembled state. The gears used in this step are hardly distinguishable from the materials incorporated in other products of similar shape. Each of the gears was provided with a luminous property so as to develop different colors. In the inspection step, light emission was captured in a dark place using a light receiving element, and the built-in inspection was performed by observing the built-in state. As a result, it was possible to detect whether or not it was incorporated with good contrast (compared with the case where it was not incorporated). Since we were able to determine whether the gear was the specified gear or not based on the difference in color, we did not have to produce defective products. Similar results were obtained when the inspection was performed in a dark place using a black light while irradiating ultraviolet rays.

Example 9 A timepiece was produced by incorporating a plurality of lots of different oils and a plurality of lots of different gears.
Each component was given a light emitting property so as to emit light in a different color for each lot. As a result, it was possible to confirm the lot for each part by causing the clock parts to emit light with black light, and to manage the parts.

Example 10 Different types of gears (which emit light in a different color from the above-mentioned gears) were mixed in a large number of gears provided with light emission. Next, when light was emitted using a black light in a dark place, the mixed gears emitted light in different colors, so that they could be easily found, and components could be sorted in a short time. When a timepiece was produced by using the above-described embodiments 1 to 10, in any case, the defects at the time of assembling parts were drastically reduced, and the yield of good products was improved. Also, parts management and parts sorting were made easy.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, light emission is imparted to components, so that component inspection including presence / absence of components, quantity of components, and type of components can be performed easily and without errors. Was. In addition, it has become possible to manage parts such as small parts that cannot write characters such as lot numbers and liquid parts that cannot write characters. Further, even if a small component having a similar shape is mixed with a fine component, it can be easily and quickly selected. In addition, when parts are set in the parts supply device during production, it is possible to determine whether the correct material is being set by emitting light, so that it is not necessary to produce defective products due to errors. Was. In particular, the effect is great for liquid components that cannot be distinguished. In addition, a transmission microscope was conventionally used to check the precision of the processed part. However, by irradiating ultraviolet light from the upper surface, the precision of the part can be easily measured with good contrast. In particular, in a timepiece production line that handles precision and fine parts and manufactures products, it is now possible to accurately determine a defect at the time of assembling the parts, thereby improving the yield of non-defective products. As a result, the production cost of the watch could be reduced. In addition, a large image processing device as in the related art is not required, and the defect can be determined with a simple sensor. In addition, the present invention can reduce the production line. In addition, since watch parts can be identified, parts management not only before production but also after production can be easily performed. Therefore, even if a malfunction occurs at the customer site, the present invention makes it possible to easily know the product history such as the production time and the production zone.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An assembly line comprising: a component, a component supply device for transporting the component, and an inspection process including at least an ultraviolet irradiation device and a light receiving element. A component inspection method, comprising: imparting light emission, irradiating ultraviolet rays in the inspection step, and detecting the presence or absence of a component and a defect by detecting light emission of the supplied component by the light receiving element. 2. An assembly line comprising a component, a component supply device for transporting the component, and an inspection step having at least a light-receiving element, wherein the component conveyed by the component supply device is provided with luminescence. And detecting the presence / absence and failure of the component by detecting the light emission of the component supplied in the inspection step by the light receiving element. 3. An assembly line comprising: a plurality of types of components; a component supply device for transporting the components; and an inspection process including at least an ultraviolet irradiation device and a light receiving element capable of distinguishing a plurality of types of colors. The components conveyed by the component supply device are provided with different colors of light emitting properties for each type, and are irradiated with ultraviolet rays in the inspection process, and the types of the supplied components are detected by the color difference using the light receiving element, And a component inspection method for detecting presence or absence and a defect of a supplied component by detecting light emission. 4. An assembly line comprising: a plurality of types of components; a component supply device that transports the components; and an inspection process including a light receiving element capable of distinguishing at least a plurality of types of colors.
The components conveyed by the component supply device are provided with different colors of light emission for each type, the type of the supplied component is detected by the difference in color using the light receiving element, and the supplied component is detected by detecting the light emission. A component inspection method characterized by detecting presence / absence and a defect. 5. In a plurality of types of parts having different manufacturing controls, the parts are provided with a light emitting property that emits a different color for each type, and the manufacturing process is performed by using an ultraviolet irradiation device due to the different colors. A parts management method characterized by specifying parts of different types of management. 6. In a plurality of types of parts which are indistinguishable in appearance, the parts are provided with a light emitting property that emits light in different colors for each type, and different types of light are emitted by using an ultraviolet irradiation device. A component selection method characterized by specifying a component. 7. The component according to claim 1, wherein the component includes an adhesive, a liquid such as oil, an engineering plastic such as polyoxymethylene, and a metal material in which metal powder is fixed with a resin. Parts inspection method, parts management method and parts selection method.