Method and Device for Selectively Separating Electronic Components from a Frame with Electronic Components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for selective separating electronic components from a frame with electronic components including at least two press parts; drive means for moving the press parts; a guide for guiding frames between the press parts; a plurality of punches in a first press part and a plurality of openings in a second press part. The invention also provides a system for in-line selective separating electronic components from a frame with electronic components and a method for selective separating electronic components from a frame with electronic components.

Claims

1. A device for selective separating electronic components from a frame with electronic components, comprising; at least two press parts which are displaceable relative to each other; drive means for moving the press parts towards and away from each other; a guide for guiding frames between the press parts; a plurality of punches installed in a first press part, which punches are connecting to individual punch controls; a plurality of openings in a second press part, opposite to the individually controlled operative punches in the first press part; and an intelligent control system connecting to the individual punch controls.

2. The separating device according to claim 1, characterised in that the punches are individually moveable between an operative position and an inoperative position.

3. The separating device according to claim 2, characterised in that the individual punch controls are cylinders.

4. The separating device according to claim 1, characterised in that the separating device comprises a drive for moving the frames along the guide between the press parts and the intelligent control system connects to the frame drive.

5. The separating device according to claim 1, characterised in that the openings in the second press part connect to at least one collecting bin for receiving punched out electronic components.

6. The separating device according to claim 5, characterised in that the separating device comprises plural collecting bins, which collecting bins are displaceable by a collecting bin drive and the intelligent control system connects to the collecting bin drive.

7. The separating device according to claim 4, characterised in that the intelligent control system is configured to control the individual punch controls and the frame drive to perform multiple successive punching operations, wherein the frame drive retains the frame in the same position along the frame guide and the collecting bin drive exchanges collection bins between said subsequent punching operations.

8. The separating device according to claim 1, characterised in that the intelligent control system is configured to control the individual punch controls and the frame drive based on information on component quality level obtained from previous operations performed on the frame with electronic components.

9. The separating device according to claim 7, characterised in that the intelligent control system is configured to use the quality level information obtained during one operation performed on the frame with electronic components to set the individual punch controls during a first punching operation and to use the quality level information obtained during another operation performed on the frame with electronic components to set the individual punch controls during a successive punching operation.

10. The separating device according to claim 1, characterised in that the punches in the first press part are installed in a line, which line of punches is oriented perpendicular to the frame guide.

11. The separating device according to claim 10, characterised in that the punches in the first press part are installed in plural lines, which lines of punches are oriented perpendicular to the frame guide.

12. A system for in-line selective separating electronic components from a frame with electronic components, comprising at least one separating device according to claim 1, and at least a loader and/or off-loader for frames with electronic components.

13. The system for in-line selective separating electronic components according to claim 12, characterised in that the system also comprises at least one inspection unit for individual inspection of the electronic components in a frame.

14. The system for in-line selective separating electronic components according to claim 12, characterised in that the system also comprises a processing unit acting on the frame with electronic components.

15. The system for in-line selective separating electronic components according to claim 14, characterised in that the processing unit is a forming unit or a trimming unit for manipulating electronic components connected to a frame, which processing unit is positioned upstream from the separating device.

16. The system for in-line selective separating electronic components according to claim 14, characterised in that the processing unit is a forming unit or a trimming unit for manipulating electronic components connected to a frame, which processing unit is positioned downstream from the separating device.

17. A method for selective separating electronic components from a frame with electronic components with a separating device according to claim 1, comprising the processing steps: A) opening the press parts by moving the press parts away from each other; B) feeding a frame with electronic components over a controlled distance forwards between the moved apart press parts; C) selective activating those punches of the plurality of punches that correspond to the positions of a first set of electronic components that during a next processing step have to be separated from the frame; and D) moving the press parts towards each other such that the activated punches on the corresponding locations separate the electronic components from the frame.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterised in that the separated electronic components are received at a controlled location and the intelligent control system registers which separated electronic components are received at which location.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterised in that the separated electronic components received at various locations are differentiated on a quality level.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterised in that step D) is followed up by re-executing steps A), C) and D) while the frame is retained in the same position between the press parts, wherein during the re-execution of step C), those punches of the plurality of punches are selectively activated that correspond to the positions of a second set of electronic components that during a next processing step have to be separated from the frame.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterised in that the selective activation of the punches during the first execution of step C) is based on quality level information obtained during a first operation previously performed on the frame with electronic components and that the selective activation of the punches during the re-execution of step C) is based on quality level information obtained during a second operation previously performed on the frame with electronic components.

22. The method according to claim 17, characterised in that the length of the forward movement of the frame during processing step B) is dependent on the number of punches and the number and orientation of electronic components in the frame.

23. The method according to claim 17, characterised in that the selective separation of the electronic components from a frame is in-line coupled with at least one other operation performed onto the frame of electronic components.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterised in that the selective separation of the electronic components from a frame is preceded by a forming or trimming operation for manipulating the electronic components connected to the frame, wherein the outcome of the forming or trimming operation determines which electronic components are separated from the frame during the selective separation.

25. The method according to claim 23, characterised in that the selective separation of the electronic components from a frame is followed up by a forming or trimming operation for manipulating the electronic components connected to the frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures, wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view on a separating device according to the present invention;

[0028] FIGS. 2A and 2B top views on a frame before selective separating electronic components from the frame (2A) and after selective separating electronic components from the frame according the method of the present invention (2B);

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view on an alternative embodiment of a separating device according to the present invention; and

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view on a system for in-line selective separating electronic components from a frame according the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a separating device 1 according the present invention having two press parts 2, 3 that are moveable towards and away from each other (see arrow P.sub.1) with drive means (not depicted here). Between the press parts 2,3 is a guide provided for moving a frame 5 with electronic components 6 (see arrow P.sub.2) to a processing position. In the upper press part 2 a plurality of punches 7 is installed, which punches 7 are connected to individual punch controls 8 (here depicted as cylinders). In the figure one of the punches 7′ is placed in a lower (active) position while the other punches 7 are all in a higher position wherein the do not protrude from a contact surface 9 of the upper press part 2. In the opposite (lower) press part 3 openings 10 are provided to allow the punches 7 to press electronic components 6 out of the frame 5 and to let the separated electronic components 11 to pass through the lower press part and to fall into a collecting bin 12. The positioning of the punches 7, the movement of the press parts 2,3 and the guiding of the frames 5 along the guide 4 are all controlled by an intelligent control system 13.

[0032] In FIG. 2A a frame (strip) 15, usually made out of metal, is shown including moulded electronic components 16 paced in array with columns 17 and rows 18 (here columns of four electronic components and rows of eight electronic components but these numbers may be varied). After the selective separating of some of the moulded electronic components 16 (e.g. due to malfunction and/or incorrect moulding of individual electronic components 16) as shown in FIG. 2B some electronic components 16 are separated from the frame 15 (here on the positions of column/row 2/3, 4/3, 4/4, 6/2 and 7/1).

[0033] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a separating device 20 according the present invention again having two press parts 21, 22 that corresponds for a substantial part with the separating device 1 as shown in FIG. 1 however here in the upper press part 21 a plurality of punches 23, 24 is installed in two parallel lines. According the positioning of the punches 23, 24 also two corresponding lines of apertures (openings) 25, 26 are provided to allow the punches 23, 24 to separate individual electronic and to let these separated electronic components to pass through the lower press part 22 and to fall into one of two collecting bins 27, 28.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a system 30 for in-line selective separating electronic components from frame 31 with electronic components. The frames arrive in a cassette 32 and an off-loader 33 removes individual frames 31 from the cassette 32 and placed them on a guide 34. In the line represented here in a first position a visual inspection unit 35 perform an inspection and in a subsequent second position a separating device 36 according the present invention separates electronic components, for instance electronic components that are inspected by the inspection unit 35 as electronic components with inaccurate dimensions. In a subsequent third operating position a forming unit 37 may for instance bend leads of the electronic components that were still remaining in the frame after passing the separating device 36. In a fourth processing position a second separating device 38 according the present invention electronic components may be separated that for instance were detected as incorrect during the previous processing step in the forming unit 37. Then as a last processing step in the in-line system 30 a loader 39 may put the processed frames 31′ in a cassette 40 again.