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.

Disclosed is a clinch mechanism for assembling a printed circuit board with electronic components that includes a drive shaft configured to move along a vertical axis, a stationary anvil configured to remain stationary during movement of the drive shaft, a cutter having a cutting tip, and a toggle configured to rotate about a toggle rotation axis that includes an involute gear shaped tooth configured to roll across an involute trapezoidal slot of the cutter in order to impart movement on the cutter relative to the stationary anvil. Movement of the drive shaft along the linear axis is configured to move the cutter relative to the stationary anvil, and to move the cutting tip across the stationary anvil to cut an electronic lead located between the cutting tip and the stationary anvil, and to rotate the toggle about the axis.

Methods and apparatus for applying molten solder are disclosed. A system for applying solder to a workpiece includes a conveyor for moving a first workpiece along a machine direction, and a first selective soldering nozzle to apply solder to the first workpiece while the first workpiece is moving along the machine direction. The system can also include a flux application area to apply flux to bottoms of workpieces, a heating area to heat the bottoms of the workpieces, and a conveyor to convey the workpieces. The workpiece can constantly move through multiple areas, such as a flux application area, a heating area, and a selective soldering area. As such, two or more areas can operate on the workpiece simultaneously and while the workpiece is moving. The method includes applying solder from the first selective soldering nozzle to the first workpiece while the first workpiece is moving along the machine direction.

In a component mounter, a cut and clinch unit is arranged below a circuit board that is conveyed by a conveyance device, and the cut and clinch unit can be moved to a given position by a moving device. When imaging a fiducial mark of the circuit board using an imaging device, the cut and clinch unit is moved such that an identification assistance sticker arranged on the cut and clinch unit is positioned as the background to the fiducial mark. The color of the circuit board surrounding the fiducial is white and the color of the identification assistance sticker is black. Thus, the outline of the fiducial mark is clear and the fiducial mark can be appropriately recognized based on the image data.

An electronic component mounting method is performed by an electronic component mounting system including a component mounting line formed by interconnecting component mounting units which concurrently performs component mounting work on two kinds of boards different in mounting workload. The component mounting units includes: first and second board conveyance mechanisms; a component mounting unit; a board distribution unit which receives the board from the upstream-side apparatus and distributes the received board to either the first board conveyance mechanism or the second board conveyance mechanism; and a distribution control unit which controls the first board conveyance mechanism, the second board conveyance mechanism and the board distribution unit. The electronic component mounting method comprises mixedly distributing the two kinds of the boards to each of the first and second board conveyance mechanisms based on a board request signal issued from a most-upstream component mounting unit in the component mounting line.

A robotic device according to an embodiment of the present technology 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, and is configured to be 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 and the second clamping claw, and is configured to be capable of blowing out fluid in a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axial direction.

A first conveyor belt and second conveyor belt are disposed on guide rail which is disposed so as to extend in a circuit substrate conveyance direction. Then, the circuit substrate supported by both the conveyor belts of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt is held by substrate holding device, and work is performed on the held circuit substrate. In the transfer device having such a structure, for example, when the circuit substrate on which an operation has been completed is conveyed out by the second conveyor belt, a new circuit substrate is conveyed into the transfer device by the first conveyor belt. In this way, it is possible to perform printing work on a new circuit substrate at an early stage and shorten a cycle time.

An apparatus for disassembling an electronic component from a circuit board includes a base, a controller, a positioning assembly, and a heating and suction assembly. The controller is fixed to the base. The positioning assembly is arranged on the base and coupled to the controller. The positioning assembly is configured to be controlled by the controller to position the circuit board at a first predetermined position. The heating and suction assembly is movably arranged on the base and coupled to the controller. The heating and suction assembly is moved to a second predetermined position to heat the electronic component and moved to a third predetermined position to attract and hold the heated electronic component by suction, whereby the electronic component is disassembled from the circuit board.

A mounting head includes a pickup nozzle, a shaft member, a drive unit, and a position retainer. The shaft member has a cylindrical shape and moves in an axial direction to switch a pressure applied to the pickup nozzle between negative and positive pressures. First and second movement ends in the axial direction are negative and positive pressure application positions, respectively, where negative and positive pressure, respectively, is applied to the pickup nozzle. The drive unit includes a drive source that moves a movable portion in the axial direction. The movable portion contacts the shaft member when moved in the axial direction, to move the shaft member between the negative and positive pressure application positions. During a power-off period of the drive source, the position retainer holds the movable portion in a predetermined position away from the shaft member located at the negative or positive pressure application positions.

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.