FEEDER TRACE LOG SAVING SYSTEM

Abstract

A trace memory that stores trace logs of multiple feeders set on a feeder setting table of a component mounter is provided in the feeder setting table, and while the component mounter is operating, trace logs of each feeder are output from the control sections of the multiple feeders on the feeder setting table to the feeder setting table, and are stored by a communication control section of the feeder setting table in the trace memory linked to identification information of each feeder. By this, it is possible to save trace logs from multiple feeders on the feeder setting table all together in a shared trace memory, such that it is not necessary to load trace memory on each feeder, thereby meeting requirements of compact feeders and lower costs.

Claims

1. A feeder trace log saving system for saving trace logs of multiple feeders that supply components to a component mounter, the feeder trace log saving system comprising: trace memory configured to save the trace logs of the multiple feeders, wherein a control section of the multiple feeders outputs the trace log of each of the feeders while the component mounter is operating, and saves the trace logs in the trace memory linked to identification information of each of the feeders.

2. The feeder trace log saving system according to claim 1, wherein the component mounter is provided with a feeder setting table on which multiple feeders are removably set, the trace memory is provided in the feeder setting table, a communication control section configured to control communication between the component mounter and the multiple feeders is provided in the feeder setting table, and the communication control section in the feeder setting table saves the feeder trace log output from each of the multiple feeders in the trace memory linked to the identification information of each of the feeders.

3. The feeder trace log saving system according to claim 2, wherein a component mounter control section outputs a component mounter trace log to the feeder setting table, and the communication control section in the feeder setting table saves the component mounter trace log output from the component mounter in the trace memory.

4. The feeder trace log saving system according to claim 1, wherein the trace memory is configured from a removable storage medium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a feeder trace log saving system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the front side of a component mounter.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a feeder setting table of the component mounter.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An embodiment of the invention is described below. As shown in FIG. 2, feeder setting table 13, on which multiple feeders 12 can be removably set, is removably attached to the front side of component mounter 11. Here, feeder 12 is a tape feeder that supplies components via component supply tape in which components are packaged lined up in a row.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, guide grooves 14 with an inverted T-shaped cross section for supporting feeders 12 vertically are provided in a top surface of feeder setting table 13, and by inserting a guide rail (not shown) with an inverted T-shaped cross section provided on a lower surface of feeder 12 into guide groove 14, feeder 12 is supported in a vertical state on feeder setting table 13.

[0018] Connector 16 for connecting a signal wire and a power supply wire of feeder 12 to connector 15 (refer to FIG. 3) of feeder setting table 13 and two positioning pins (not shown) are provided on a leading end surface of feeder 12, and by inserting the two positioning pins into position holes 17 and 18 (refer to FIG. 3) of feeder setting table 13, the attachment position of feeder 12 on feeder setting table 13 is determined and connector 16 of feeder 12 is inserted into and connected to connector 15 of feeder setting table 13.

[0019] Note that, connector 22 (refer to FIG. 1) for connecting a signal wire and a power supply wire of feeder setting table 13 to connector 21 (refer to FIG. 1) of component mounter 11 is also provided on a leading end surface of feeder setting table 13, and by attaching feeder setting table 13 to a specified position on component mounter 11, connector 22 of feeder setting table 13 is inserted into and connected to connector 21 of component mounter 11. As shown in FIG. 2, display device 23 that displays various types of information, operation panel 24, and the like, are provided on a top front surface of component mounter 11.

[0020] Trace memory 31 (refer to FIG. 1) for saving trace logs of the multiple feeders 12 set on feeder setting table 13 is provided on feeder setting table 13. Here, trace memory 31 is a rewritable non-volatile storage medium, and in the present embodiment is configured from a removable non-volatile storage medium (for example, USB memory, memory card, electromagnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, or the like).

[0021] Communication control section 32 that controls communication between component mounter 11 and multiple feeders 12 is provided in feeder setting table 13, and trace logs of each of the feeders 12 output to feeder setting table 13 from control section 33 of the multiple feeders 12 on feeder setting table 13 while component mounter 11 is operating are saved in trace memory 31 by communication control section 32 of feeder setting table 13 linked to identification information (feeder ID) of each of the feeders 12. Each time a new trace log is output from each of the feeders on feeder setting table 13 while component mounter 11 is operating, that trace log is written to trace memory 31 in chronological order, and trace logs for a specified period up to that point are saved in chronological order, with trace logs older than the specified period being deleted.

[0022] Further, with the present embodiment, control section 34 of component mounter 11 is able to output component mounter 11 trace log to feeder setting table 13, and communication control section 32 in feeder setting table 13 is able to save the component mounter 11 trace log output from the component mounter 11 in trace memory 31. Note that, an operator can operate operation panel 24 to select whether to save component mounter 11 trace logs in trace memory 31.

[0023] According to an embodiment described above, because a feeder 12 trace log is output from each of the multiple feeders 12 on feeder setting table 13 while component mounter 11 is operating and saved in trace memory 31 linked to the identification information of each of the feeders 12, it is possible to save trace logs from multiple feeders 12 on feeder setting table 13 all together in shared trace memory 31, such that it is not necessary to load trace memory on each feeder 12, thereby meeting requirements of compact feeders 12 and lower costs. Further, because it is not necessary for control section 34 of component mounter 11 to perform processing of saving multiple feeder 12 trace logs while component mounter 11 is operating, decreases in processing speed caused by large CPU loads on control section 34 of component mounter 11 due to processing of saving trace logs of multiple feeders 12 can be prevented, and it is possible to save trace logs of multiple feeders 12 in trace memory 31 without worsening productivity (cycle time). In this case, because trace logs of multiple feeders 12 are saved in trace memory 31 linked to the identification information of each of the feeders 12, when some kind of problem occurs with a feeder 12, the trace log saved linked to the identification information of the feeder 12 for which the trouble occurred can be read from trace memory 31, such that the cause of the problem with the feeder 12 can be investigated easily.

[0024] Further, with the present embodiment, because the trace logs of each of the feeders 12 output to feeder setting table 13 from the multiple feeders 12 are saved by communication control section 32 of feeder setting table 13 linked to identification information of each of the feeders 12, unlike a configuration in which trace memory 31 is provided in a different location to feeder setting table 13, it is possible to save the trace logs output from multiple feeders 12 using communication control section 32 of feeder setting table 13, which has the benefit of a simplified circuit configuration for saving the trace logs of multiple feeders 12 in trace memory 31. However, with the present invention, trace memory 31 may be provided at a different location to feeder setting table 13.

[0025] Also, with the present embodiment because trace memory 31 is configured from a removable storage medium, as well as allowing trace memory 31 to be exchanged simply, when a problem occurs with a feeder 31, trace memory 31 can be removed from feeder setting table 13 and sent to a department that investigates causes of problems (such as a company that manufactures or sells the feeder 12), such that even in a case in which component mounter 11 is not connected to a computer of the department that investigates causes of problems, the trace logs can be easily read from trace memory 31 at the department that investigates causes of problems in order to investigate the cause of the problem.

[0026] Note that, in a case in which component mounter 11 is connected via a network to a computer of the department that investigates causes of problems, a trace log sending request is sent to communication control section 32 of feeder setting table 13 from control section 34 of component mounter 11, and trace logs are read from trace memory 31 according to trace log sending requests and sent to control section 34 of component mounter 11, and control section 34 of component mounter 11 sends the received trace logs to the computer of the department that investigates causes of problems via the network.

[0027] Also, feeders 12 for which a trace log is to be saved are not limited to tape feeders set on feeder setting table 13, for example, they may be bulk feeders, stick feeders, tray feeders, die supply devices, or the like; that is, so long as the feeder is set on component mounter 11, regardless of the type, the present invention can be applied, and trace logs of two or greater different types of feeders set on component mounter 11 may be saved all together in the trace memory.

[0028] In addition, it goes without saying that various embodiments with changes that do not extend beyond the scope of the invention are possible such as those with changes to the circuit configuration that saves trace logs of multiple feeders 12 in trace memory 31.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0029] 11: component mounter; 12: feeder; 13: feeder setting table; 31: trace memory; 32: communication control section; 33: feeder control section; 34: component mounter control section