Provided is a method for the throughput-optimised production of printed circuit boards on least two assembly lines, wherein: the printed circuit boards are divided into clusters; each cluster is produced using a set-up system that is carried out by changeover tables that can be attached to the assembly line, each changeover table having at least one feed device for keeping ready stocks of components; and a changeover table set and an empty changeover table set comprises changeover tables with feed devices that are empty.

A component mounting method includes independent mounting and cross lane alternate mounting. The independent mounting performs an operation of mounting a component on a first board carried in a first board transport lane from a first component supplier, and an operation of mounting a component on a second board carried in a second board transport lane from a second component supplier. The cross lane alternate mounting alternately performs an operation of mounting the component on the first board carried in the first board transport lane from the second component supplier, and an operation of mounting the component on the second board carried in the second board transport lane from the first component supplier.

A robotic device includes a first robotic device including a first articulated arm, a first clamping mechanism, and a blow-out portion. The first clamping mechanism includes a first clamping claw and a second clamping claw. The first clamping claw is attached to the first articulated arm, and has a first support surface. The second clamping claw has a second support surface to face the first support surface in a first axial direction orthogonal to the first support surface. The second clamping claw is movable in the first axial direction relative to the first clamping claw. The blow-out portion is provided to any one of the first clamping claw or the second clamping claw. The blow-out portion is capable of blowing out fluid in a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axial direction.

A board work system including: a conveying and holding device including a pair of rails configured to support a board, and a changing mechanism configured to change a distance between the pair of rails, the conveying and holding device being configured to convey the board supported by the rails and hold the board at a work position; a work device configured to perform work with respect to the board held by the conveying and holding device from an underside of the board; a moving device configured to move the work device; and a control device, the control device including an acquiring section configured to acquire a rail spacing distance that is the distance between the pair of rails, and an operation control section configured to control operation of the moving device based on the rail spacing distance acquired by the acquiring section.

A method of making a component includes applying a clamping force to the component, the component coupled to a carrier strip of a panel via a polymeric tab and separating a portion of the polymeric tab from a substrate of the component, thereby causing the component to be detached from the panel.

A component mounting machine automatically arranges backup pins at positions designated in a production job. A control device configured to control an operation of each of the component mounting machines determines whether a backup pins exists at a position where the backup pin cannot be automatically arranged in the arrangement of the backup pins designated in the production job, and when the backup pin exist at a position where the backup pin cannot be automatically arranged, excludes the backup pins at the position from the arrangement of the backup pins designated in the production job not to be automatically arranged, and automatically arranges only the other backup pins at the positions designated in the production job.

A configurable belt conveyor for manufacturing comprising first belt and an adaptable border adjacent to the belt. The adaptable border having a first configuration in which a first width of the belt is available for supporting a pallet on the conveyor belt, and a second configuration in which a portion of the belt is covered by the adaptable border, such that the second width of the belt is sized for supporting a printed circuit board (PCB). In one embodiment, the configurable belt conveyor may be configured to form a dual stream conveyor.

A support pin arrangement determination assisting apparatus including a display unit which displays an image including a board image, the board image indicating a shape and an arrangement of a component on the board, a position input unit through which an arrangement position of the support pin is input, a display processing unit which causes the display unit to display a figure to be superimposed on the board image, the figure corresponding to the support pin of which the arrangement position is input, a storage unit which stores three-dimensional shape data of an electronic component and three-dimensional shape data of the support pin, an interference judging unit which judges whether or not one or some of the support pins of which arrangement positions input interfere an already mounted component, and an alarm unit which announces occurrence of interference if the interference judging unit judges the occurrence of interference.

A component mounting machine used for effectively avoiding interference between a head main body and a station during exchange of a component holding tool attached to the head main body, the component mounting machine including a head main body to detachably hold a component holding member to hold a component; a head moving mechanism to move the head main body; a station attached to the component mounting machine main body, and to hold an exchange-use component holding member; a station moving mechanism to move the station; and a control device configured to use the station moving mechanism to change a height position in the raising and lowering direction of the station during exchange of the component holding member to be attached to the head main body in accordance with a height position in the raising and lowering direction of the head main body.

A method and a placement machine for equipping a carrier with components. The procedure includes: (a) positioning of the carrier in a first spatial location within the placement machine, such that components in a first section of the carrier are placeable by a placement head of the placement machine; (b) placement, by means of the placement head, of a multitude of marker components on the carrier in an overlap area of the carrier; (c) transferring of the carrier along a transport direction into a second spatial location within the placement machine, the second spatial location being selected such that components in a second section of the carrier are placeable by the placement head and that the marker components placed in the overlap area are optically detectable by a camera; (d) second optical detection by means of the camera of the marker components placed in the overlap area; and (e) placement of a multitude of components on the carrier in predefined placement positions within the second section, the spatial locations of the placement positions on the carrier depending at least on the result of the second optical detection of the placed marker components.