US-12628325-B2 - Manufacturing system, manufacturing method, control system, and control method

US12628325B2US 12628325 B2US12628325 B2US 12628325B2US-12628325-B2

Abstract

A manufacturing system according to the present disclosure includes one or more manufacturing apparatuses, a carrier, and a control system. Each of the one or more manufacturing apparatuses performs predetermined work on a board. The carrier carries a burden. The control system controls carrying work by the carrier. The burden includes a plurality of functional modules. Each of the plurality of functional modules provides a predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses. The carrier includes a coupling portion to be coupled to any of the plurality of functional modules. The control system has at least one functional module, selected from the plurality of functional modules and coupled to the coupling portion, carried by the carrier.

Inventors

Junichi Takahashi
Nobuyuki Kakishima
Yasuyuki Ishitani
Ryosuke Murai
Hikari Kurihara

Assignees

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20210705
Priority Date: 20200731

Claims (14)

1 . A manufacturing system comprising: one or more manufacturing apparatuses, each being configured to perform predetermined work on a board; a carrier configured to carry a burden; and a control system configured to control carrying work by the carrier, the burden including a plurality of functional modules, each of the plurality of functional modules being configured to provide a predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, the carrier including a coupling portion to be coupled to any of the plurality of functional modules, the control system being configured to have at least one functional module, selected from the plurality of functional modules and coupled to the coupling portion, carried by the carrier, the one or more manufacturing apparatuses including a mounter configured to mount parts onto the board, the plurality of functional modules including at least one of: a parts feeding module configured to feed the parts; a tray feeding module configured to feed a tray, on which the parts are placed, to the mounter; a waste collecting module configured to collect waste discharged from the one or more manufacturing apparatuses; a board loading module configured to load the board onto the one or more manufacturing apparatuses; a board unloading module configured to unload the board from the one or more manufacturing apparatuses; a maintenance module configured to provide at least one of the function of providing materiel for use to manufacture the board for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, the function of removing parts to be maintained from the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, or the function of bringing maintained parts back to the one or more manufacturing apparatuses; or a feeder refill module configured to refill the one or more manufacturing apparatuses with a feeder.
2 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to, in a state where the carrier has carried a first functional module selected from the plurality of functional modules to the one or more manufacturing apparatuses and the first functional module is currently located at a place where the first functional module is ready to provide the predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, make the carrier decouple the first functional module and instead carry a second functional module selected from the plurality of functional modules except the first functional module.
3 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the carriers one of which is the carrier, wherein the plurality of the carriers includes a first carrier and a second carrier, and the control system is configured to have the at least one functional module being carried by the first carrier decoupled from the first carrier and make the second carrier carry the at least one functional module decoupled from the first carrier.
4 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to make the carrier carry a functional module selected from the plurality of functional modules.
5 . The manufacturing system of claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to select, by reference to information about the work to be performed by the one or more manufacturing apparatuses and using a learned model generated by machine learning, the functional module to be carried by the carrier.
6 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to, when there arises any need to perform work of carrying a priority module, having a higher priority than the at least one functional module being currently carried by the carrier and belonging to the plurality of functional modules, instruct the carrier to give a higher priority to carrying the priority module than carrying the at least one functional module being currently carried.
7 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is configured to, in a state where the at least one functional module being currently carried is providing the predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, be supplied with energy by the one or more manufacturing apparatuses.
8 . A manufacturing system comprising: one or more manufacturing apparatuses, each being configured to perform predetermined work on a board; a carrier configured to carry a burden; and a control system configured to control carrying work by the carrier, the burden including a plurality of functional modules, each of the plurality of functional modules being configured to provide a predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, the carrier including a coupling portion to be coupled to any of the plurality of functional modules, the control system being configured to have at least one functional module, selected from the plurality of functional modules and coupled to the coupling portion, carried by the carrier, the at least one functional module being configured to be supplied with energy by the carrier while being coupled to the carrier.
9 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional module is configured to perform predetermined preparatory work while being carried by the carrier.
10 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion included in the carrier is couplable to two or more functional modules selected from the plurality of functional modules.
11 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes a reflective sensor configured to transmit a probe signal and detect an object based on a result of reception of a reflected signal generated by having the probe signal reflected from the object, and the carrier is configured to adjust, based on a result of detection by the reflective sensor, its relative position with respect to the at least one functional module and/or the one or more manufacturing apparatuses.
12 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes a magnetic sensor configured to detect, by magnetism, a guidance line provided on a traveling surface on which the carrier is going to travel, and the carrier is configured to travel on the traveling surface based on a result of detection by the magnetic sensor.
13 . A manufacturing system comprising: one or more manufacturing apparatuses, each being configured to perform predetermined work on a board; a carrier configured to carry a burden; and a control system configured to control carrying work by the carrier, the burden including a plurality of functional modules, each of the plurality of functional modules being configured to provide a predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, the carrier including a coupling portion to be coupled to any of the plurality of functional modules, the control system being configured to have at least one functional module, selected from the plurality of functional modules and coupled to the coupling portion, carried by the carrier, the one or more manufacturing apparatuses being configured to perform the predetermined work on the board by using parts or a material refilling a stocker while none of the plurality of functional modules has been coupled to any of the one or more manufacturing apparatuses.
14 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to make the carrier perform at least one of first carrying work of carrying any of the plurality of functional modules to the one or more manufacturing apparatuses at a destination or second carrying work of carrying any of the plurality of functional modules, currently located at a place where the functional module is ready to provide the predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses, to another place.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to a manufacturing system, a manufacturing method, a control system, and a control method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a manufacturing system, a manufacturing method, a control system, and a control method, all of which are configured or designed to carry a burden to a manufacturing apparatus. BACKGROUND ART Patent Literature 1 discloses a mounter for mounting parts onto a printed circuit board. This mounter includes a parts loader which carries, as a burden, a parts feeding unit, on which the parts to be mounted have been set in place in advance, from a parts storeroom to a parts feeding station. When the parts feeding unit is carried to the parts feeding station, the mounter starts performing the mounting operation of mounting, onto the printed circuit board, the parts that have been set in place on the parts feeding unit. The mounting line (manufacturing system) for mounting parts onto the printed circuit board includes not only the mounter but also a printer for printing solder onto the board and other devices. To have the work of feeding necessary materials (such as solder and masks) to the printer done automatically, another carrier needs to be provided. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP H07-176892 A SUMMARY OF INVENTION An object of the present disclosure is to provide a manufacturing system, a manufacturing method, a control system, and a control method, all of which are configured or designed to reduce the number of carriers to be used by the manufacturing system. A manufacturing system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes one or more manufacturing apparatuses, a carrier, and a control system. The one or more manufacturing apparatuses each perform predetermined work on a board. The carrier carries a burden. The control system controls carrying work by the carrier. The burden includes a plurality of functional modules. Each of the plurality of functional modules provides a predetermined function for the one or more manufacturing apparatuses. The carrier includes a coupling portion to be coupled to any of the plurality of functional modules. The control system has at least one functional module, selected from the plurality of functional modules and coupled to the coupling portion, carried by the carrier. A manufacturing method according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a coupling step and a carrying step. The coupling step includes coupling at least one functional module, selected from a plurality of functional modules, to a carrier. Each of the plurality of functional modules provides a predetermined function for one or more manufacturing apparatuses. Each of the one or more manufacturing apparatuses performs predetermined work on a board. The carrying step includes making the carrier carry the at least one functional module selected from the plurality of functional modules and coupled to the carrier. A control system according to still another aspect of the present disclosure includes a selection unit and a carrying instruction unit. The selection unit selects at least one functional module as a burden. The at least one functional module is selected from a plurality of functional modules. Each of the plurality of functional modules provides a predetermined function for one or more manufacturing apparatuses. The one or more manufacturing apparatuses each perform predetermined work on a board. The carrying instruction unit outputs a carry instruction, instructing that the burden be carried, to the carrier. A control method according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes a selecting step and a carrying instructing step. The selecting step includes selecting, from a plurality of functional modules, at least one functional module as a burden. Each of the plurality of functional modules provides a predetermined function for one or more manufacturing apparatuses. The one or more manufacturing apparatuses each perform predetermined work on a board. The carrying instructing step includes outputting a carry instruction, instructing that the burden be carried, to the carrier. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic system configuration for a manufacturing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the manufacturing system; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a carrier for use in the manufacturing system; FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a state where a burden is yet to be coupled to the carrier; FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a state where the burden has been coupled to the carrier; FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the carrier is carrying a parts feeding module; FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the carrier is carrying a tray feeding module; FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the carri