JPH04275667A - Metal die managing method, metal die, metal die using device and metal die managing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently execute the total management of plural metal dies. CONSTITUTION:A fully automatic metal die stocker 20 composed of an automatic stocker control part 21, incoming/outgoing conveyer 22, incoming/outgoing fork 23 and stocker shelf 24, etc., is connected to a metal die stock managing computer 14 composed of a central processing unit 19, hard disk 15, display screen 16, keyboard 17 and printer 18, etc., and by reading/writing management information to a data carrier 2 mounted on a metal die incoming/outgoing from the fully automatic metal die stocker 20 through a read/write head 10, the total management of the metal dies 1 is efficiently executed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to mold management technology and molds, as well as mold usage equipment and mold management systems.
In particular, it relates to techniques that are effective when applied to comprehensive management of molds used in semiconductor device assembly processes.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in the assembly process of semiconductor devices, a large number of molds are used for resin sealing by molding, cutting and molding of leads, and the like.

[0003] Conventionally, as a method for managing such molds, for example, a magnetic plate is used to mark each mold with a number unique to the mold or a product abbreviation indicating the product that can be produced with the mold. At the same time, it was common for workers to use the number as a clue to record the number of uses and maintenance history in a management ledger.

[0004] Regarding the storage of molds, a storage location with a unique number or product abbreviation for each mold is secured on a storage shelf, and the mold corresponding to the storage location is stored.

[0005]Furthermore, searching for which mold to use and taking it out from the storage shelf had to be carried out by the operator each time.

Regarding the mold management technology used in the assembly process of semiconductor devices, for example, see "Electronic Materials" 1, published by Kogyo Kenkyukai Co., Ltd., November 18, 1986.
It is described in literature such as November 1986 issue P160-P165.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Incidentally, as semiconductor devices have become more diverse and multifunctional, their package structures have also become more diverse. The molds used differ depending on the type of frame, package shape, number of pins, etc., so hundreds of molds are required.

Furthermore, in response to the increase in the number of pins and the miniaturization of dimensions, it has become necessary to strictly control the wear of the cutting edges of the molds, especially in cutting and forming molds.

Under these circumstances, when molds are managed manually as in the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is necessary to manage the cumulative number of times each mold has been used in order to understand the maintenance period, This creates a problem in that managing maintenance information requires a lot of time and man-hours.

[0010] Furthermore, when processing a wide variety of products in small quantities, setup changes (mold changes) become frequent, and tasks such as searching and transporting molds require a lot of time and man-hours. , which causes a decrease in work efficiency in the molding process, cutting process, molding process, etc.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a mold management method that can efficiently perform comprehensive management of a plurality of molds. be.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mold management technique that can reliably improve productivity in a desired production process using molds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mold that facilitates various management operations.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0015]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Among the inventions disclosed in this application, a brief overview of typical inventions will be as follows.
It is as follows.

That is, the mold management method according to the present invention is as follows:
Management information regarding the mold is written to and read from the storage medium attached to the mold at any time, and this management information is used to manage the usage limit of the mold, maintenance management, inventory management, etc.
It is designed to perform at least one of the production controls.

Furthermore, the mold according to the present invention is provided with a storage medium on which management information regarding the mold is recorded/reproduced.

The mold according to the present invention is also provided with a storage medium such as a data carrier, an IC card, a memory card, a magnetic card, or a floppy disk.

Further, the mold using device according to the present invention is a mold using device that performs a desired processing operation using a mold, and includes:
a read/write head for recording/reproducing management information regarding the mold on a storage medium accompanying the mold;
The device control section includes a head controller that controls the read/write head and a device control section that controls the entire device including this head controller, and the device control section records/reproduces management information on the storage medium of the mold. It is designed to control machining operations.

[0020] Furthermore, the mold management system according to the present invention includes:
A stocker shelf in which a plurality of molds are stored, each having a storage medium for recording/reproducing management information about itself, a mold conveying means for loading/unloading the molds with respect to the stocker shelf, and the mold. a stocker control unit that controls the conveyance means; a read/write head that is provided in a part of the mold conveyance means and records/reproduces management information regarding the mold in a storage medium attached to the mold; , a head controller that controls the read/write head, and a management computer that manages the stocking and unloading of molds by controlling the stocker control section based on management information obtained via the head controller.

[0021] Furthermore, the mold management system according to the present invention includes:
It manages molds equipped with storage media such as data carriers, IC cards, memory cards, magnetic cards, or floppy disks.

[0022] Furthermore, the mold management system according to the present invention includes:
The management information recorded on the storage medium attached to the mold includes at least a mold number unique to each of the plurality of molds;
The abbreviation of the target product manufactured by the mold, the maximum number of times the mold can be used, the number of times the mold can be used, the cumulative number of times the mold can be used, the remaining amount of the cutting edge of the mold, and the mold. The latest polishing date is used.

[0023]

[Function] According to the mold management method of the present invention described above, even when there are a large number and types of molds, it is possible to improve accuracy in selecting the desired mold, automating loading and unloading, and managing maintenance timing. At the same time, the time and man-hours required for mold management can be reduced, and comprehensive management of multiple molds can be carried out efficiently.

Furthermore, according to the mold according to the present invention, even when there are a large number and types of molds, it is possible to improve the accuracy of selecting the desired mold, automating shipping, and managing maintenance timing. It is possible to reduce the time and man-hours required for mold management, and it is possible to perform comprehensive management of multiple molds efficiently.

Furthermore, according to the mold using device of the present invention, even when the number and types of molds are large, it is possible to improve accuracy in selecting the desired mold, automating loading and unloading, and managing maintenance timing. At the same time, the time and man-hours required for mold management can be reduced, and comprehensive management of multiple molds can be carried out efficiently. Thereby, productivity in a desired production process using the mold can be reliably improved.

Furthermore, according to the mold management system of the present invention, even when the number and types of molds are large, it is possible to improve the precision of selecting the desired mold, automating loading and unloading, and managing maintenance timing. At the same time, the time and man-hours required for mold management can be reduced, and comprehensive management of multiple molds can be carried out efficiently.

As a result, productivity in a desired production process using the mold can be reliably improved.

[0028]

[Example] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a mold management method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a mold managed thereby, and an example of a mold using device and a mold management system will be explained in detail. Explain.

Although various types of molds can be used, the following explanation will be made using a cutting mold as an example.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mold 1 in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the mold 1 of this example
A data carrier 2 is attached to the . The mounting position of this data carrier 2 is set at a position facing a read/write head 10 in a later-described mold using device 13 that uses the mold 1.

[0031] Data carrier 2 attached to this mold 1
For example, as shown in Fig. 2, management of mold number 3, target product abbreviation 4, maximum number of uses 5, number of uses 6, total number of uses 7, remaining amount of cutting edge 8, latest polishing date 9, etc. Information can be recorded/played. All these data are recorded, for example, in ASCII code.

The mold number 3 is a unique number given to each mold in order to identify each mold 1,
For example, it is recorded as an ASCII code consisting of 6 digits.

The target product abbreviation 4 represents a plurality of semiconductor product types that can be produced by the mold 1 using one abbreviation. Normally, even if the product names are different, if the package type, number of pins, and lead frame type are the same, it is possible to produce them using the same mold 1. Therefore, for example, a combination of the lead frame abbreviation and the number of pins is used as the target product abbreviation 4.

The usage limit number 5 indicates the number of products cut by the mold 1 before maintenance such as regrinding is required.

[0035] The number of times of use 6 is cleared when a new mold is manufactured or when re-polishing is performed, and after that, the mold using device 13
Each time the mold 1 is used, the actual number of times it has been used is counted, and it shows how many pieces have been cut by the mold 1 so far.

[0036] The cumulative number of times 7 has been used is the total number of pieces that have been cut since the mold 1 was manufactured, and the remaining amount of the cutting edge 8 is the amount of cutting remaining on the cutting blade (not shown) in the mold 1. This shows what is left. The latest polishing date 9 indicates the date when the cutting blade of the mold 1 was polished.

FIG. 3 shows that using the mold 1 as described above,
1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold using device 13 that performs cutting of leads in, for example, a semiconductor device assembly process. The mold using device 13 includes a device control unit 12, a read/write head 10 that records and reproduces management information on a data carrier 2 attached to the mold 1, and a head controller 1 that controls the read/write head 10.
1. Although not particularly shown, the read/write head 10 is arranged so as to face the position of the data carrier 2 when the mold 1 is loaded in the mold using device 13.

Furthermore, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mold management system of this embodiment. The mold management system of this embodiment includes a mold inventory management computer 14,
It is composed of a fully automatic mold stocker 20 that operates under its control. The mold inventory management computer 14 includes a central processing unit 19 (CPU), a hard disk 15, a display screen 16 (CRT), a keyboard 17, a printer 18, and the like. Connected to the central processing unit 19 are a read/write head 10 that records/reproduces management information for the data carrier 2 in the mold 1, a head controller 11 that mediates between the read/write head 10 and the central processing unit 19, and the like. has been done.

The fully automatic mold stocker 20 also includes an automatic stocker control section 21, a loading/unloading conveyor 22, a loading/unloading fork 23, a stocker shelf 24, and the like.

Furthermore, a database 28 having a structure as shown in FIG. 5, for example, is built on the hard disk 15 of the mold inventory management computer 14. That is, the database 28 covers management information regarding all the molds 1 that enter and leave the fully automatic mold stocker 20, such as the aforementioned mold number 3, target product abbreviation 4, maximum number of uses 5, and number of times used. 6, the cumulative number of times of use 7, a storage shelf number 25 indicating the storage position of each mold 1 on the stocker shelf 24, a status flag 26, an in-use flag 27, etc. are recorded in detail for each mold 1. In addition. The status flag 26 indicates information such as whether the mold 1 has been lent to another department, is under repair, or has been discarded after its useful life has been exceeded.
The in-use flag 27 is sent out from the fully automatic mold stocker 20 to indicate that it is in use.

Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the mold management method and the mold 1, the mold using device 13, and the mold management system of this embodiment will be explained.

First, the newly manufactured mold 1 is transported to the fully automatic mold stocker 20 shown in FIG. 4 and placed on the loading/unloading conveyor 22. At this point, nothing has been written to the data carrier 2 of the mold 1 yet. Next, the new mold registration process of the mold inventory management computer 14 is activated, and a registration data input screen is displayed on the display screen 16. Through this mold new registration process, the mold number 3 of the mold 1, the target product abbreviation 4, and the maximum number of uses 5 are added.
, status flag 26, etc. are input. The data input in this way is registered in the database 28 of FIG. is written to the data carrier 2 of. Then, the writing status is automatically confirmed, and the display screen 16 displays that writing has been completed.

Next, a description will be given of the process of unloading any mold 1 stored in the fully automatic mold stocker 20 and the loading process of the retrieved mold 1 in the mold using device 13.

The operator uses the mold inventory management computer 14
The exit process is started and the exit process screen is displayed on the display screen 16. On the shipping processing screen, any one of the target product abbreviation 4 indicating the type of semiconductor product to be produced, mold number 3, and storage shelf number 25 of the stocker shelf 24 in which mold 1 is stored is displayed. Enter and request goods issue. In this example, a case will be described in which, for example, target product abbreviation 4 is input.

[0045] The mold inventory management computer 14, which is requested to perform shipping processing by inputting the target product abbreviation 4, selects a mold 1 having the specified target product abbreviation 4 from among the molds 1 registered in the database 28. Search for. If a plurality of molds 1 are found as a result of the search, those for which the status flag 26 is set are first excluded from among the plurality of molds 1. After this exclusion process, if a plurality of applicable molds 1 still exist, the mold 1 with the lowest cumulative number of uses of 7 is selected.

The storage shelf number 25 in which the mold 1 thus selected is stored is read from the database 28, and the automatic stocker control unit 21 is instructed to take out the mold 1 stored in the storage shelf number 25. request.

Automatic stocker control unit 21 that received this request
The designated mold 1 is transferred to the warehouse conveyor 2 by operating the loading/unloading fork 23 and the loading/unloading conveyor 22 as appropriate.
At the same time, the mold stock management computer 14 is notified that the shipping process has been completed. Note that at this time, the mold 1 on the loading/unloading conveyor 22 is stopped at the position of the read/write head 10.

The mold inventory management computer 14, which has received the notification of the completion of the shipping process, reads the data recorded on the data carrier 2 accompanying the mold 1, and performs, for example, the following three processes. (1) It is checked whether the read mold number 3 and the mold number 3 obtained by the above-mentioned search process match, and if they do not match, it is determined as an error.

(2) Check whether the read target product abbreviation 4 matches the target product abbreviation 4 input by the operator,
If there is a mismatch, an error will occur. (3) If the processing in (1) and (2) above is normal, the read mold number 3
In-use flag 2 of database 28 corresponding to mold 1 of
7, a predetermined symbol indicating that the mold 1 is in use is written. When the above three processes are completed, display screen 1
6 indicates the completion of the shipping process.

Next, an operator transports the mold 1 thus delivered to the mold using device 13 using a cart or the like and loads it therein. After that, the power of the mold using device 13 is turned on. After turning on the power, operate the reset switch (not shown) to
The data of the data carrier 2 is read into the device control section 12 using the read/write head 10 mounted on the mold using device 13.

Next, a semiconductor product (not shown) to be processed is set in the mold 1, and a start switch (not shown) is pressed to start processing such as cutting. When the start switch is pressed, (1) the target product abbreviation 4 input in advance is compared with the target product abbreviation 4 read from the data carrier 2, and if they are different, the process is stopped as an error. (2) Compare the usage limit number 5 read from the data carrier 2 and the usage number 6, and if they are the same or the usage number 6 is larger, it is determined as an error and the process is interrupted. The mold using device 13 is used for a predetermined unit (for example, 1 lot)
After completing the process, the number of uses 6 previously read from the data carrier 2 and held in the device control unit 12 is
The number of times the mold 1 is used in the process is added up. Similarly, it is added to the cumulative number of uses 7. The result of adding the number of uses 6 and the total number of uses 7 is calculated as the number of uses 6 of data carrier 2.
and write to the recording area with the cumulative number of uses of 7.

Next, the result of addition of the usage limit 5 stored in the device control unit 12 and the usage number 6 described above is compared,
If both are the same or the number of uses 6 is greater, an error is determined and the process is interrupted. These additions, writing to the data carrier 2, and comparison/judgment processing are performed every time one processing unit (for example, one lot) is completed.

Next, a description will be given of the operation when the processing of the product is completed and the used mold 1 is stored in the fully automatic mold stocker 20 from the mold using device 13.

First, the mold 1 removed from the mold using device 13 is transported to the loading/unloading conveyor 22 of the fully automatic mold stocker 20 using a cart (not shown), and the data carrier 2 attached to the mold 1 and the loading/unloading conveyor 22 are transported. The read/write head 10 provided on the conveyor 22 is set on the loading/unloading conveyor 22 so as to face it. Then, the warehousing process of the mold inventory management computer 14 is activated. Through this warehousing process, the data in the data carrier 2 of the mold 1 placed on the warehousing/unloading conveyor 22 is automatically read and displayed on the warehousing process screen displayed on the display screen 16.

The mold inventory management computer 14 performs the following processing using the data read in as described above. (1) Check whether the read mold number 3 has already been registered, and if it has not been registered, it is determined as an error. (2) Compare the read number of uses 6 and the maximum number of uses 5, and if the difference between the maximum number of uses 5 and the number of uses 6 is a predetermined value (for example, 5000), the database 2 in FIG.
8, a predetermined symbol indicating that the maintenance time is approaching is written in the status flag 26 of the mold 1. (3) The number of uses 6 and the maximum number of uses 5 are the same, or the number of uses 6
is larger, a maintenance request message is displayed on the display screen 16, and at the same time the database 2
A symbol indicating that maintenance is required is written in the status flag 26 of No. 8. (4) The data read from the data carrier 2 is transferred to the mold 1 in the database 28.
Write in the appropriate column. (5) Check whether there is a vacant storage shelf in the stocker shelf 24, and if a currently vacant storage shelf is found, the number of the storage shelf in question is stored in the database 28.
Write to storage shelf number 25. (6) Instruct the automatic stocker control unit 21 to store the mold 1 in the storage shelf checked in the process (5) above. Automatic stocker control unit 21
drives the loading/unloading conveyor 22 and the loading/unloading fork 23 to transport and store the mold 1 to the designated storage shelf number 25. When this storage process is completed, the mold inventory management computer 14 is notified that the storage process has been completed.

As explained above, according to the mold management method and the mold 1 of this embodiment, as well as the mold using device 13 and the mold management system, the selection, loading/unloading, and maintenance of a large number of molds 1 can be carried out. Various types of management associated with the operation of Mold 1 can be performed comprehensively and automatically without bothering workers, and the time and man-hours required for Mold 1 management work can be significantly reduced. This makes it possible to perform comprehensive management of a plurality of molds 1 efficiently. Also,
Inventory work, etc., carried out for purposes such as financial management, can be carried out efficiently and accurately in a short period of time.

As a result, productivity can be greatly improved in, for example, a semiconductor device assembly process that uses a large number of molds 1.

[0058] Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically explained based on examples, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say.

[0059]

[Effects of the Invention] Among the inventions disclosed in this application, the effects obtained by the typical inventions are briefly explained as follows.
It is as follows.

That is, according to the mold management method according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently manage a plurality of molds comprehensively.

Furthermore, according to the mold according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently manage a plurality of molds comprehensively.

Furthermore, according to the mold using apparatus of the present invention, desired production operations using molds can be efficiently carried out.

Further, according to the mold management system of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently perform comprehensive management of a plurality of molds. Further, an effect can be obtained in that productivity in a desired production process using a mold can be reliably improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mold that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the format of management information in the mold management technology of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a mold using device which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold management system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a database constructed in the mold management system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Mold 2 Data carrier 3 Mold number 4 Target product abbreviation 5　Usage limit number of times 6 Number of uses 7 Cumulative number of uses 8 Remaining amount of cutting edge 9 Latest polishing date 10 Read/write head 11 Head controller 12　Device control section 13 Mold usage equipment 14 Mold inventory management computer 15 Hard disk 16 Display screen (CRT) 17 Keyboard 18 Printer 19 Central processing unit (CPU) 20 Fully automatic mold stocker 21 Automatic stocker control section 22 Input/output conveyor 23 Input/output fork 24 Stocker shelf 25 Storage shelf number 26 Status flag 27 In use flag 28 Database

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. Writing and reading management information regarding the mold into and from a storage medium attached to the mold as needed, and using the management information to manage the usage limit of the mold;
A mold management method characterized by performing at least one of maintenance management, inventory management, and production management. 2. A mold comprising a storage medium on which management information regarding the mold is recorded/reproduced. 3. The storage medium is a data carrier, I
3. The mold according to claim 2, wherein the mold is made of a C card, a memory card, a magnetic card, or a floppy disk. 4. A mold using device that performs a desired processing operation using a mold, comprising: a lead that records/reproduces management information regarding the mold in a storage medium accompanying the mold; The device controller includes a write head, a head controller that controls the read/write head, and a device control section that controls the entire device including the head controller, and the device control section controls recording/reproduction of the management information on the storage medium. A mold using device, characterized in that the processing operation is controlled by performing the following steps. 5. A stocker shelf in which a plurality of molds are stored, which is provided with a storage medium on which management information regarding the molds is recorded/reproduced, and a mold transport means for carrying in/out operations of the molds to/from the stocker shelf. and a stocker control unit that controls the mold conveyance means, and a storage medium provided in a part of the mold conveyance means and attached to the mold to record/record management information regarding the mold. A read/write head that performs playback, a head controller that controls the read/write head, and a stocker control unit that controls the stocker control unit based on the management information obtained through the head controller to manage the storage and removal of the molds. A mold management system characterized by comprising a management computer. 6. The storage medium accompanying the mold,
6. The mold management system according to claim 5, comprising a data carrier, an IC card, a memory card, a magnetic card, or a floppy disk. 7. The management information includes at least a mold number unique to each of the plurality of molds, an abbreviation of the target product manufactured by the mold, a maximum number of times the mold can be used, and a mold number unique to each of the plurality of molds. The number of times the mold has been used, the cumulative number of times the mold has been used,
6. The mold management system according to claim 5, wherein the mold management system includes the remaining amount of the cutting edge of the mold and the latest polishing date of the mold.