JPH0343799B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a printed board feeding method to an automatic parts insertion machine that enables continuous automatic insertion of parts into a wide variety of printed boards in small quantities. .

[Conventional technology]

Generally, a circuit unit of an electronic device is composed of a printed board on which a large number of circuit components are mounted. However, depending on the type of component, mounting components on a printed board can be done using IC inserters, radial inserters,
There is a trend toward automation using automatic component insertion machines such as axial inserters.

This system for automatically inserting parts into printed circuit boards using an automatic component insertion machine (hereinafter referred to as the component insertion machine) consists of a component insertion machine and a magazine that stores a large number of target printed boards in a hierarchical manner. The printed boards in the magazine are placed on a lifting platform installed at the entrance of the magazine and raised in stages, and the printed boards in the magazine are positioned one by one on the same surface as the work table of the component inserter, and then sent to the inserter side by a pusher. It consists of a feeding system and a data processing system that reads component insertion data corresponding to the printed board fed to the work table of the component insertion machine from a data file on the center side and inputs it into the insertion machine.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The automatic component insertion system described above is suitable for processing large quantities of printed boards with the same wiring pattern (component insertion format), but it is suitable for so-called high-mix, low-volume production in which printed boards with different wiring patterns are processed in small quantities. Each time the product type is changed, data such as the drawing number and overall version number (identification symbol) of the printed circuit board to be processed must be entered, and processing such as switching the component insertion data for the component insertion machine must be performed manually, making it difficult to operate. was insufficient.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention provides a new method for feeding printed boards to an automatic parts insertion machine that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. The printed boards are stored with a gap between them so that blank feeding for two printed boards occurs, and a sensor is installed in the feeding system of the printed boards to detect whether or not the printed boards are being fed.
Furthermore, a circuit that detects blank feeding of a printed board from a logical product of a signal when the sensor detects that the printed board is not fed and the drive signal of the pusher, and a circuit that counts the output signal of the blank feeding detection circuit. When the counting circuit counts two printed board blank feed detection signals, it generates a printed board type switching signal and sends the printed board type switching signal to the data file on the center side corresponding to the type of printed board to be processed next. This feature is characterized in that parts insertion data is requested.

[Effect]

The above-mentioned printed board feeding method can automatically switch component insertion data for different types of printed boards by empty feeding of printed boards from the printed board storage magazine, and parts insertion for various printed boards in the magazine is possible. It is practical for inserting parts in high-mix, low-volume production because it can be carried out continuously.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the printed board feeding method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a conceptual block diagram of an automatic component insertion system to which the present invention is applied.
An automatic component insertion machine 1 such as an IC inserter, a central processing unit 2 that manages component insertion data, etc., a data control device 3 that controls data exchange between these, and a loader controller 4 that controls the feeding of printed boards. It is mainly composed of

The central processing unit 2 includes a data file 21 consisting of a magnetic disk device or the like that stores component insertion data corresponding to component insertion formats for various printed boards, a schedule file 22 that stores component insertion schedule data for various printed boards, and a schedule file 22 for storing component insertion schedule data for various printed boards. A floppy disk device 23 for inputting data and the like is attached. Here, to explain the component insertion schedule data, this is, for example, organized by correlating the drawing number and total edition number (identification symbol) data of the printed boards to be processed on the day with the number of the magazine in which the printed boards are stored. It is used by storing it in advance on a floppy disk medium.

On the other hand, the automatic component insertion machine 1 is provided with a loader for feeding printed boards on the entrance side and an unloader for unloading printed boards on the exit side. Both the loader and the unloader have lifting tables 61 and 62 on which the aforementioned printed board storage magazine 5 is placed, and the loader is also equipped with a pusher 63 that pushes out the printed board 7 in the magazine toward the insertion machine 1 side. . The operations of the lifting tables 61 and 62 and the pusher 63 are controlled by the loader controller 4. For this control, the printed board transport guides 11 and 12 of the insertion machine are provided with sensors 81 and 82 for detecting the transport state of the printed board 7. That is, conventionally, the operation timing of the lifting platforms 61, 62 and the pusher 63 was controlled based on the detection output of "present" feeding from these sensors, and the operation timing of the automatic parts insertion system was controlled based on the continuous detection output of "absence" of feeding. Control was in place to temporarily suspend operation. In the present invention, in addition to this, the output of the sensor 81 on the entrance side of the insertion machine is used to change the type of printed board. That is, as shown in FIG.
The output signal S1 is input to the NAND circuit G, and this circuit detects the idle feeding of the printed board by the pusher 63. In other words, even though the pusher is driven, when the sensor 81 outputs a logic value "0" signal indicating "no" feeding, the NAND circuit G outputs a logic value "1" signal, so this state is recognized as printed board blank feed. Then, this idle feeding state is defined as the end of feeding of printed boards of the same type, and a type switching signal is generated. However, since the previous printed board remains on the automatic inserter 1 when the first blank feed is detected, it is not preferable to generate the product type switching signal at this point.
Therefore, it should be generated at the next second detection. Therefore, referring to FIG. 3, the NAND circuit G
Connect counter C to
Configure to output Cs. Note that this type switching signal generation circuit PG is provided in the loader controller 4.

In connection with the configuration of the type switching signal generation circuit PG, the following ideas are introduced in the method of storing printed boards in the magazine 5. In other words, normal printed boards are stored hierarchically in this magazine with regular intervals, but when inserting parts for a wide variety of small quantities of printed boards, different types of printed boards are stored in this magazine, as shown in Figure 2. Boards 7A, 7B, and 7C are stored in a magazine 5 for each type with gaps corresponding to the dimensions obtained by thinning out two printed boards. In short, the printed boards are stored in a hierarchical storage form with space provided for each type of board to allow for the empty feeding of two boards.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the data control device 3 includes an input section 31, a processing section 32, a storage section 33, and a display section 34.
It consists of a so-called microcomputer equipped with the following. The storage unit 33 includes an area A that stores a control program, an area B that temporarily stores parts insertion data,
It consists of an area C that temporarily stores parts insertion schedule data and the like. The processing unit 32 includes the component insertion machine 1,
It has a function of performing interactive processing with the central processing unit 2 in response to requests from the loader controller 4 and the input unit 31 and reading out corresponding data from each file 21, 22 on the center side.

Next, the operation of the component insertion system having the above configuration will be explained.

First, a floppy disk medium storing component insertion schedule data is set in the floppy disk device 23, and the data is transferred to the central processing unit 23.
The data is copied to the scheduled file 22 under the control of the . Then, the number of the magazine 5 set at the entrance of the component insertion machine 1 is inputted from the input section 31 of the data control device 3 (actually, the numbers of the magazines to be processed are inputted at the same time). The input magazine number is temporarily stored in area C of the storage section 33.

This stored magazine number is read by the processing section 32 and transmitted to the central processing unit 2. The central processing unit reads component insertion schedule data corresponding to the magazine number from the schedule file 22 and transfers it to the data control device 3.
After storing this component insertion schedule data in area C of the storage unit 33, the data control device reads out data regarding the figure number and total number of editions of the topmost printed board 7A in the magazine 5 from the stored data, and performs central processing. The data is sent to the device 2, and the corresponding component insertion data is received from the data file 21 and temporarily stored in area B of the storage section 33. The stored component insertion data is given to the component insertion machine 1 through interactive processing. During this time, the loader is controlled by the loader controller 4, the printed board 7A to be processed is fed to the work table of the component insertion machine, and after the feeding is completed, the ready output of the component insertion machine is sent to the data control device 3.
is output to. After confirming this inserter ready state, the data control device 3 outputs a component insertion start signal to the component inserter 1. As a result, the inserter 1 inserts the component into the printed board 7A in accordance with the component insertion data.

When this component insertion process is completed, the loader controller 4 requests the next printed board and feeds it to the component insertion machine. In this case, if the loader (pusher 63) feeds the printed board as requested, the loader controller 4
It is recognized as a printed board of the same type as A, and a predetermined component is inserted using the same component insertion data as before. but,
Assuming that the pusher 63 performs idle feeding, the sensor 81 detects that the printed board is not being fed. This detection signal S1 is input to the type switching signal generation circuit PG of the loader controller 4, and is ANDed with the pusher drive signal Ps. When the logical product conditions match, blank feeding of the printed board is detected and counted. When this kind of empty feeding continues twice and the count reaches "2", the product type switching signal generation circuit
PG outputs a type switching signal Cs to the data control device 3.

The processing unit 32 of the data control device reads out the figure number and total edition number data of the next type printed board 7B stored in the storage unit 33 in response to the type switching signal Cs,
The corresponding parts insertion data is sent to the central processing unit 2.
request. In response to this request, the corresponding component insertion data is sent from the data file 21 to the data control device 3 from which it is read. The sent component insertion data is replaced with the previous data in area B of the storage section 33 as described above. The subsequent processing is the same as described above, so the explanation will be omitted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically request component insertion data related to various types of printed circuit boards stored in a magazine from a data file on the center side. It is possible to perform continuous component insertion processing on printed boards of various types in the same way as with a single type of printed board, which is extremely useful in practice.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram conceptually showing an automatic component insertion system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied;
The figure is a schematic diagram for explaining the printed board storage format of the printed board storage magazine, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a printed board type switching signal generation circuit. In the figure, 1 is an automatic parts insertion machine, 2 is a central processing unit, 3 is a data control unit, 4 is a loader controller, 5 is a printed board storage magazine, 7, 7
A, 7B and 7C are printed boards, 21 is a data file, 22 is a schedule file, 23 is a floppy disk device, 31 is an input section, 32 is a processing section, 33 is a storage section, 34 is a display section, 61 and 62 is the magazine lifting platform, 63 is the pusher, 8
1 and 82 indicate printed board feeding detection sensors.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pusher 63 feeds a plurality of printed boards 7 hierarchically stored in a magazine 5 one by one to an automatic parts insertion machine 1, and the insertion machine In an automatic component insertion system that receives component insertion data corresponding to the data file 21 from the data file 21 on the center side and performs component insertion processing, components are continuously inserted into various types of printed boards 7A, 7B, and 7C with different component insertion formats. In order to carry out the insertion process, these various types of printed boards are stored in the magazine 5 in a hierarchical storage format for each type, with a space provided so that at least two printed boards are fed in advance, and the printed boards are fed. The feeding system 11 is provided with a sensor 81 that detects whether or not a printed board is being fed, and further includes a signal S1 when the sensor 81 detects that the printed board is not being fed, and a drive signal PS for the pusher 63.
A circuit G that detects the blank feed of a printed board from the logical product of Printing to an automatic parts insertion machine, characterized in that when the print board type is changed, a printed board type switching signal is generated to request component insertion data corresponding to the type of printed board to be processed next from the data file. Board feeding method.