Method for optimizing component mounting sequence with variable pitch heads and component mounting device using the same

1. A method of determining a sequence of mounting a plurality of components on a board by using a plurality of variable pitch heads having a plurality of pitches, the method comprising:

partitioning the board into a plurality of sectors, each of the sectors comprising a plurality of mounting points arranged in parallel with a direction in which the heads are arranged;

dividing the board into a plurality of sub-boards comprising first sub-boards based on the sectors, each of the first sub-boards comprising as many mounting points as the heads; and

determining a combination of a sequence of mounting the components on the board and at least one pitch among the pitches required to mount the components on the board in a shortest time, compared to another sequence or other sequences of mounting the components on the board and another pitch or other pitches among the pitches, based on the first sub-boards.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch comprises determining a first sequence between mounting points in each of the first sub-boards and a second sequence between the first sub-boards, based on characteristics of the mounting points of the first sub-boards, and

wherein at least one of the determined first sequence and the determined second sequence is changed by having at least two of the first sub-boards exchange at least one mounting point included in each of the at least two first sub-boards.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pitch of the heads is adjusted based on a characteristic of each of the first sub-boards for the mounting the components.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the combination of the sequence and the pitch comprises:

selecting, from the sectors, a plurality of second sub-boards comprising as many mounting points as or more mounting points than the heads;

applying the plurality of pitches to mounting points in each of the second sub-boards and determining a combination of a set of first mounting points, a sequence of the first mounting points for mounting on the first mounting points and a pitch, required to mount a corresponding number of the components on the each of the second sub-boards in a shortest time, compared to another set or other sets of the mounting points in the each of the second sub-boards, another sequence or other sequences for mounting on the each of the second sub-boards and another pitch or other pitches among the plurality of pitches; and

designating an area in the each of the second sub-boards comprising the set of the first mounting points as one of the first sub-boards.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

forming at least one third sub-board comprising sectors not selected to comprise the second sub-boards and at least one mounting point not included in the determined set of the first mounting points so that the at least one third sub-board comprises as many mounting points as or more mounting points than the heads;

applying the plurality of pitches to mounting points in each of the at least one third sub-board and determining a combination of a set of second mounting points, a sequence of the second mounting points for mounting on the second mounting points and a pitch, required to mount a corresponding number of the components on the each of the at least one third sub-board in a shortest time, compared to another set or other sets of mounting points in the each of the at least one third sub-board, another sequence or other sequences of mounting on the at least one third sub-board and another or other pitches among the plurality of pitches;

designating an area in the each of the at least one third sub-board comprising the set of the second mounting points as another one of the first sub-boards; and

iterating the forming at least one of the third sub-board, the applying the plurality of pitches and the designating the area of the each of the at least one third sub-board until the board has no more mounting points than a number of the heads.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

after the iterating, forming a fourth sub-board comprising mounting points of which a number is less than the number of the heads;

determining a combination of a sequence of the mounting points for mounting on the fourth sub-board and a pitch, required to mount a corresponding number of the components on the fourth sub-board in a shortest time, compared to another sequence or other sequences for mounting on the fourth sub-board and another or other pitches among the plurality of pitches.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an axis parallel with the direction in which the heads are arranged is Y-axis, and the plurality of pitches comprise:

a Y offset value which is a distance between two mounting points included in two adjacent arrays having a same pattern of the mounting points;

1/n of the Y offset value;

a median of Y coordinate differences between the mounting points within a sector;

an average of Y coordinate differences between the mounting points within the sector;

a most frequent value of Y coordinate differences between the mounting points within the sector;

a preset minimum pitch of the heads; and

a preset maximum pitch of the heads.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards comprises determining a sequence between the first sub-boards for mounting the components such that the first sub-boards are mounted sequentially from a first sub-board having a smallest coordinate average of an axis perpendicular to the Y-axis.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards comprises determining a sequence of mounting the components on mounting points within each of the first sub-boards at the same time with determining a pitch of the at least one pitch among the pitches to be used for mounting the components on the each of the first sub-boards.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining the sequence of mounting the components on the mounting points included in the each of the first sub-boards further comprises re-determining the sequence, according a position of a component feeder in which the components are provided to be adsorbed by the heads.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining the sequence of mounting the components on the mounting points within the each of the first sub-boards further comprises changing the sequence of mounting the components on the mounting points included in the each of the first sub-boards by having at least two of the first sub-boards exchange at least one mounting point included in each of the at least two first sub-boards, and

wherein the pitch determined for mounting the components on the each of the first sub-boards is used for the changed sequence of mounting the components.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adsorbing simultaneously as many components of the components as the heads by taking into consideration a distance between the components provided in a component feeder and adjusting a pitch for each of the components.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the board is one of sections constituting an entire board, and the heads are provided in a loader of a plurality of loaders,

wherein the partitioning, the dividing and the determining are performed respectively on each of the other sections of the entire board using a corresponding loader.

14. A device for mounting a plurality of components on a board, the device comprising:

a loader comprising a plurality of variable pitch heads having a plurality of pitches; and

a controller which:

partitions the board into a plurality of sectors, each of the sectors comprising a plurality of mounting points arranged in parallel with a direction in which the heads are arranged;

divides the board into a plurality of sub-boards comprising first sub-boards based on the sectors, each of the first sub-boards comprising as many mounting points as the heads; and

determines a combination of a sequence of mounting the components on the board and at least one pitch among the pitches required to mount the components on the board in a shortest time, compared to another sequence or other sequences of mounting the components on the board and another pitch or other pitches among the pitches, based on the first sub-boards.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the controller determines the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards by determining a first sequence between mounting points in each of the first sub-boards and a second sequence between the first sub-boards, based on characteristics of the mounting points of the first sub-boards, and

wherein the controller changes at least one of the determined first sequence and the determined second sequence by having at least two of the first sub-boards exchange at least one mounting point included in each of the at least two first sub-boards.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the controller adjusts the pitch of the heads based on a characteristic of each of the first sub-boards for the mounting the components.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the controller determines the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards by:

selecting, from the sectors, a plurality of second sub-boards comprising as many mounting points as or more mounting points than the heads;

applying the plurality of pitches to mounting points in each of the second sub-boards and determining a combination of a set of first mounting points, a sequence of the first mounting points for mounting on the first mounting points and a pitch, required to mount a corresponding number of the components on the each of the second sub-boards in a shortest time, compared to another set or other sets of the mounting points in the each of the second sub-boards, another sequence or other sequences for mounting on the each of the second sub-boards and another pitch or other pitches among the plurality of pitches; and

designating an area in the each of the second sub-boards comprising the set of the first mounting points as one of the first sub-boards.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the controller determines the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards further by:

forming at least one third sub-board comprising sectors not selected to comprise the second sub-boards and at least one mounting point not included in the determined set of the first mounting points so that the at least one third sub-board comprises as many mounting points as or more mounting points than the heads;

applying the plurality of pitches to mounting points in each of the at least one third sub-board and determining a combination of a set of second mounting points, a sequence of the second mounting points for mounting on the second mounting points and a pitch, required to mount a corresponding number of the components on the each of the at least one third sub-board in a shortest time, compared to another set or other sets of mounting points in the each of the at least one third sub-board, another sequence or other sequences of mounting on the at least one third sub-board and another or other pitches among the plurality of pitches;

designating an area in the each of the at least one third sub-board comprising the set of the second mounting points as another one of the first sub-boards; and

iterating the forming at least one of the third sub-board, the applying the plurality of pitches and the designating the area of the each of the at least one third sub-board until the board has no more mounting points than a number of the heads.

19. The device of claim 18 , after the iterating, the controller further:

forms a fourth sub-board comprising mounting points of which a number is less than the number of the heads;

determines a combination of a sequence of the mounting points for mounting on the fourth sub-board and a pitch, required to mount a corresponding number of the components on the fourth sub-board in a shortest time, compared to another sequence or other sequences for mounting on the fourth sub-board and another or other pitches among the plurality of pitches.

20. The device of claim 14 , wherein an axis parallel with the direction in which the heads are arranged is Y-axis, and the plurality of pitches comprise:

a Y offset value which is a distance between two mounting points included in two adjacent arrays having a same pattern of the mounting points;

1/n of the Y offset value;

a median of Y coordinate differences between the mounting points within a sector;

an average of Y coordinate differences between the mounting points within the sector;

a most frequent value of Y coordinate differences between the mounting points within the sector;

a preset minimum pitch of the heads; and

a preset maximum pitch of the heads.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the controller determines the combination of the sequence and the pitch by determining a sequence between the first sub-boards for mounting the components such that the first sub-boards are mounted sequentially from a first sub-board having a smallest coordinate average of an axis perpendicular to the Y-axis.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein the controller determines the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards further by determining a sequence of mounting the components on mounting points within each of the first sub-boards at the same time with determining a pitch of the at least one pitch among the pitches to be used for mounting the components on the each of the first sub-boards.

23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the controller re-determines the sequence of mounting the components on the mounting points included in the each of the first sub-boards according to a position of a component feeder in which the components are provided to be adsorbed by the heads.

24. The device of claim 14 , wherein the controller re-determines the sequence of mounting the components on the mounting points included in the each of the first sub-boards by changing the sequence of mounting the components on the mounting points included in the each of the first sub-boards by having at least two of the first sub-boards exchange at least one mounting point included in each of the at least two first sub-boards, and

wherein the pitch determined for mounting the components on the each of the first sub-boards is used for the changed sequence of mounting the components.

25. The device of claim 14 , wherein the controller adsorbs simultaneously as many components of the components as the heads by taking into consideration a distance between the components provided in a component feeder and adjusting a pitch for each of the components.

26. The device of claim 14 , further comprising at least one additional loader which comprises a plurality of variable pitch heads having a plurality of pitches,

wherein the board is one of sections constituting an entire board, and

wherein the controller performs the partitioning the board, the dividing the board and the determining the combination of the sequence and the at least one pitch based on the first sub-boards on each of the other sections of the entire board using a corresponding loader.