JP2006007283A - Laser marking device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser marking device capable of enhancing treatment efficiency by simply and reliably positioning a work to a laser marker. <P>SOLUTION: A substrate push-up mechanism 16 comprising three air cylinders 17 and longitudinal pressing members 18 continuously connected to rods 171 of the air cylinders 17 is provided in the vicinity of each wall part of a substrate stage 12. A stopper member 19 corresponding to each cylinder 17 is arranged at the height position corresponding to the focus of a laser marker 10 above the substrate stage 12. The pressing members 18 are located below a substrate supporting face of a conveyor 15 when a substrate 5 is conveyed onto the substrate stage 12, and when air is fed into each cylinder 17 and the rods 171 are extended, the pressing members are moved upwardly. The substrate 5 is thus pushed up, and held and supported between the pressing members 18 and the stopper members 19. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser marking apparatus that prints various characters, marks, and the like on the surface of a workpiece by laser light. In particular, the present invention relates to a laser marking device for a flat workpiece such as a printed circuit board.

  At the printed circuit board manufacturing site, code information indicating the type information and model information of the board, individual information on manufacturing management, etc. should be written in advance at a predetermined position of the board so that the board to be processed can be confirmed in each process. I have to. In particular, in recent years, marking is often performed by laser light because of excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance.

  A typical laser marking apparatus used for this type of marking includes a table portion that supports a workpiece in a horizontal state, and an XY table mechanism for adjusting the position of the workpiece with respect to the laser marker (see Patent Document 1). .

JP 2004-74217 A

  In the laser marking apparatus, in order to appropriately mark the workpiece, it is necessary to adjust the height of the workpiece or the focal length of the laser marker so that the surface of the workpiece corresponds to the focal point of the laser marker. However, when the thickness of the substrate differs depending on the type, the above adjustment processing must be performed every time the substrate to be processed is switched. In particular, in recent printed circuit board manufacturing sites, there are various types of boards to be manufactured, and thus there is a problem that adjustment processing must be performed frequently.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problem. Even when the thickness of the workpiece to be marked varies, the positioning of the workpiece with respect to the laser marker can be performed easily and reliably, thereby improving the processing efficiency. The purpose is to greatly improve.

  In the laser marking device according to the present invention, a workpiece holding unit that receives and holds a flat plate-like workpiece and a laser marker are arranged to face each other, and the workpiece holding unit is located at a position farther from the focal point of the laser marker. The installation position is adjusted so that the workpiece is carried in, and a workpiece moving mechanism that moves the loaded workpiece in a direction approaching the laser marker is provided. In addition, a stopper member is provided between the workpiece holding portion and the laser marker so as to come into contact with the plate surface of the workpiece moved to a position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker by the workpiece moving mechanism and stop its movement. .

  In the above, it is desirable that the work holding unit supports the work horizontally or vertically. In addition, a position adjusting mechanism (such as an XY table) that moves the workpiece on a plane orthogonal to the direction from the workpiece to the laser marker in order to align the marking target position with the laser marker. Can be provided. However, the positioning of the marking target position can also be performed by moving the laser marker. Further, the workpiece may be moved only in one direction (for example, the X-axis direction), and the laser marker may be moved along a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the workpiece.

  The work holding unit may be provided with a conveyor for carrying in and out the substrate, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the work is placed on a table having a flat surface, the substrate may be carried in and out by a suction pad or the like.

  The workpiece moving mechanism can approach the laser marker or move away from the laser marker while maintaining the posture of the workpiece at the time of loading. In addition, the workpiece moving mechanism can move the workpiece together with its support member (table, holder, etc.), but is not limited thereto, and may be a device that supports and moves only the workpiece. The on / off operation of the workpiece moving mechanism and the amount of force applied to the workpiece are preferably controlled by a control device such as a computer or a programmable logic controller (PLC).

  The stopper member is for supporting the workpiece that has moved to a position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker while maintaining its posture. As will be described later, it is desirable that the stopper member is fixedly disposed at a position corresponding to the focal point. However, the stopper member is not limited to this, and can be disposed at a position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker. .

According to the marking device having the above configuration, after receiving the workpiece to be marked at a position far from the focal point of the laser marker, the workpiece is brought close to the laser marker, and the marking target plate surface (the surface on the side facing the laser marker) ) Can be positioned near the focal point of the laser marker. Therefore, even if the thickness varies depending on the type of workpiece, the plate surface can be easily focused on the laser marker, and the efficiency of the marking process can be improved.
In addition, when carrying in / out the said workpiece | work with a conveyor etc., it is desirable to return the workpiece | work after a marking process to the position at the time of carrying in.

  In a preferred embodiment of the laser marking device, the stopper member is fixedly arranged at a position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker, and a control unit is provided that drives the workpiece moving mechanism at least until the marking process by the laser marker is completed. According to this aspect, since the workpiece is supported at a position corresponding to the focal point by the stopper member while receiving the pressing force toward the laser marker side, accurate positioning can be performed without disturbing the posture of the workpiece. It can be carried out. Further, since this positioning state is maintained until the marking process is completed, the marking state can be improved.

In the laser marking device according to another preferred aspect, the work holding unit supports the work horizontally. The workpiece moving mechanism is configured to move the workpiece up and down while maintaining the horizontal state.
According to this configuration, the laser marker is disposed above the work holding unit. After receiving the workpiece at a position lower than the focal point of the laser marker, the workpiece holding unit can raise the workpiece by the workpiece moving mechanism and support the workpiece at a position corresponding to the focal point.

  Furthermore, in the laser marking device according to the above aspect, the workpiece holding portion is configured to support the workpiece between a pair of wall portions that are erected and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The workpiece moving mechanism can be arranged oppositely. Each workpiece moving mechanism in this case can be configured to include a plurality of cylinders arranged along the wall portion and a longitudinal pressing member connected to a rod of each cylinder.

  According to the above configuration, the workpiece can be pushed up to a position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker while supporting the workpiece at both end edges on the lower surface side, so that the entire lower surface such as a double-sided mounting board cannot be supported. It can correspond to the work of. In addition, by setting the length of the pressing member sufficiently, it is possible to apply a uniform pressing force to each end edge portion in the length direction and maintain the posture of the workpiece.

  Furthermore, a conveyor mechanism for carrying in and out can be provided on the inner wall surface of the wall portion while supporting the workpiece by an edge portion. According to this configuration, after the workpiece is loaded at a position below the focal point of the laser marker, the workpiece is raised to a position corresponding to the focal point to perform marking processing, and the substrate after marking is lowered to the loading position. It can be taken out later.

  According to the present invention, after accepting a workpiece at a position farther from the focal point of the laser marker, the workpiece is brought closer to the laser marker side, and the movement of the workpiece is stopped when the plate surface reaches a position corresponding to the focal point. Therefore, even if the thickness of the workpiece fluctuates, it is possible to easily and accurately align the workpiece with the laser marker, and the efficiency of the marking process can be greatly improved.

  1 and 2 show a schematic configuration of a laser marking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This laser marking apparatus is a printed circuit board 5 (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate 5”) that is provided with a two-dimensional code (hereinafter simply referred to as “code”) that represents the type information, model information, and individual information for manufacturing management of the substrate 5. The marking portion 1 including the laser marker 10 and the substrate reversing portion 2 are mounted on a base 3 having a predetermined size. A housing 4 having a size for accommodating a space including the marking portion 1 and the substrate reversing portion 2 is attached to the base 3. Further, for convenience in installing the apparatus, there are four legs 33 on the bottom surface of the base 3 that can be collected in the base 3 so that the length can be adjusted, and casters for movement. 34 are attached respectively.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on one surface of the housing 4 (the surface on the left hand side in FIG. 1), the entrance of the substrate 5 is a surface facing the entrance (the surface on the right hand side in FIG. 1). Are formed with respective outlets for the substrate 5. Further, the carry-in port is a substrate storage machine (loader) for storing a plurality of substrates 5 before the marking process, and the carry-out port is a second substrate storage machine (unloader) for sequentially collecting the substrates 5 after the marking process. ). Further, the carry-in port and the carry-out port are normally closed by a shutter, and the shutter is opened only when the substrate 5 is carried in or out.
In the following, the front-rear direction will be described with the carry-out port forming surface as the front surface of the device and the carry-in port forming surface as the rear surface of the device. An axis along the front-rear direction is an X axis, and an axis orthogonal to the X axis is a Y axis.

The marking part 1 is arranged so as to face the forming surface of the carry-in port, and the substrate reversing part 2 is arranged in front of the marking unit 1 so as to face the forming surface of the carry-out port.
The marking unit 1 has a configuration in which the laser marker 10 is disposed above the XY table unit 11. The laser marker 10 is fixedly arranged at a predetermined height position.

  Furthermore, the marking unit 1 is provided with a camera 101 and an illumination device 102 in order to inspect the marking state using an image processing technique. The camera 101 and the illumination device 102 are attached to the main body of the laser marker 10 or its support member. The camera 101 is arranged so that the substrate 5 on the XY table unit 11 can be imaged from obliquely above. The illuminating device 102 irradiates light to a region including the marking target position on the substrate 5, and the light amount and the arrangement position are adjusted so that this region is uniformly illuminated. Note that the inspection of the marking state by the camera 101 or the illumination device 102 is performed immediately after the marking by the laser marker 10 without moving the substrate.

The XY table unit 11 includes a substrate stage 12 that holds the substrate 5, an X-axis robot unit 14, and a Y-axis robot unit 13. The X-axis robot unit 14 is installed on the upper surface of the base 3, and the Y-axis robot unit 13 is mounted thereon, and the substrate stage 12 is mounted thereon. Each of the X-axis robot unit 14 and the Y-axis robot unit 13 has a reciprocating mechanism (not shown) including a ball screw. The X-axis robot unit 14 moves the Y-axis robot unit 13 and the substrate stage 12 to X. Reciprocate along the axial direction. The Y axis robot unit 13 reciprocates the substrate stage 12 along the Y axis direction.
1 and 2, reference numerals 131 and 141 denote motors for driving the ball screws of the robot units 13 and 14, respectively. However, the robot units 13 and 14 are not limited to those of the ball screw drive type, and may be configured such that the robot units 13 and 14 are directly driven by a linear motor.

  The substrate stage 12 can communicate with the carry-in entrance and the substrate reversing unit 2 by the X and Y robot units 13 and 14. The control unit 30 to be described later moves the substrate stage 12 to a position that communicates with the carry-in entrance, takes in the substrate 5, and then aligns the upper surface of the substrate 5 with the focal point of the laser marker 10 (details will be described later). )) To perform the marking process and the inspection of the marked code. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate stage 12 is moved to a position where the substrate stage 12 communicates with the substrate reversing unit 2, and the held substrate 5 is unloaded.

  When it is necessary to perform the marking process on both surfaces of the substrate 5, the substrate reversing unit 2 reverses the substrate 5 and returns it to the marking unit 1 again when the substrate 5 having been subjected to the marking process on one side is loaded. Operate. When the substrate 5 that has been subjected to the marking process on both sides or the substrate 5 that may be subjected to the marking process on only one side is received, the substrate reversing unit 2 passes the substrate 5 as it is and carries it out to the carry-out port.

The marking unit 1 and the substrate reversing unit 2 are controlled by a PLC (a control unit 30 to be described later) in which a control program is incorporated, and execute the above operation. Hereinafter, detailed configurations and operation contents of the marking unit 1 and the substrate reversing unit 2 will be described in order.
FIG. 5 shows a detailed configuration of the XY table unit 11. This figure is a perspective view in which the XY table portion 11 is broken along the X-axis direction, and the same configuration as that shown in the drawing is provided with a symmetrical positional relationship on the broken side.

  The X-axis robot portion 14 on the upper surface of the base 3 includes a main guide portion 142 including the ball screw, auxiliary guide portions 143 provided on both sides of the main guide portion 142, the motor 141, and the like. The Y-axis robot unit 13 has a structure in which the motor 131 is attached to a support frame 130. On the upper surface of the support frame 130, a main guide unit 132 having the motor 131 as a drive source in the center is provided on both sides. Each guide part 133 is mounted. The lower surface of the support frame 130 is connected to the main guide part 142 of the X-axis robot part 14.

  The substrate stage 12 has a structure in which vertical wall portions 121 are connected to both side edges of the flat bottom plate 120, and the lower surface of the bottom plate 120 is connected to the main guide portion 132 of the Y-axis robot portion 13. . In addition, on the inner surface of each wall 121, a conveyor 15 for conveying a substrate (configured by a belt 151, a plurality of rollers 152, a motor (not shown), etc.) is provided. The substrate stage 12 is configured such that a wall 121 (not shown) can move toward the other wall 121 for positioning the substrate 5 to be described later.

  Substrate push-up mechanisms 16 are provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 120 at positions near the wall portions 121, respectively. Each substrate push-up mechanism 16 includes three air cylinders 17 (hereinafter simply referred to as “cylinders 17”) arranged along the wall 121, and longitudinal pressing members connected to the rods 171 of these cylinders 17. 18 and an air tank for supplying air to each cylinder 17 (accommodated in the base 3 and not shown).

The pressing member 18 has an L-shaped cross section so as to press the edge of the substrate 5 where no components, electrodes, etc. exist, and is installed with the shorter surface facing the wall 121. The The pressing member 18 is normally positioned below the substrate support surface of the conveyor 15. However, when air is supplied to each cylinder 15 and the rod 171 extends, the pressing member 18 rises and the upper edge of the pressing member 18 rises. It contacts the lower surface of the substrate 5. When each rod 171 further extends, a pressing force is applied to each end edge of the substrate 5, and the substrate 5 is pushed up above the conveyor 15.
Note that the number of cylinders 17 is not limited to three, and three or more cylinders 17 may be used, or the vicinity of the center of the edge of the substrate 5 may be pushed up by one cylinder 17. In short, any structure that can push up the entire substrate 5 uniformly and without warping may be used.

  A plate-like stopper member 19 is provided at a position corresponding to each cylinder 17 above the substrate stage 12. Each stopper member 19 is mounted with a U-shaped support frame 191 attached to the outer surface of the wall 121 at a position above the upper end of the wall 121 so that the plate surface is horizontal and toward the inside of the substrate stage 12. It is done. Each stopper member 19 can be slid up and down in the support frame 191 so that the height (attachment position) of the stopper member 19 can be adjusted. Further, the connecting portion between the stopper member 19 and the support frame 191 has a strength sufficient to counteract the pressing force by the rod 171 and the pressing member 18. In addition, a cover plate 193 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) that covers the stopper member 19 is placed on the top of each wall 121.

  In the marking unit 1 of this embodiment, the height position of the XY table unit 11 is adjusted so that the upper edge of the substrate stage 12 is positioned below the focal point of the laser marker 10, and the lower surface of the stopper member 19 is The mounting position of the stopper member 19 is adjusted so as to correspond to the focal point. Then, after the substrate 5 carried in from the carry-in port is received by the substrate stage 12, air is supplied to each cylinder 17 of the substrate push-up mechanism 16 to push the substrate 5 upward, and the pressing member 18, the stopper member 19, The upper surface of the substrate 5 is aligned with the focal point of the laser marker 10 by being supported between the two.

6 (1) and 6 (2) show details of the alignment processing of the substrate 5 in the marking portion 1. FIG.
When the substrate is carried in, the rods of the cylinders 17 of the substrate push-up mechanism 16 are pulled in, so that the pressing member 18 is below the substrate support surface of the conveyor 15. The substrate 5 carried into the substrate stage 12 from the carry-in entrance is carried forward by the conveyor 15.

  Although not shown here, the substrate stage 12 has a second stopper member (hereinafter referred to as a “stop stopper for advancement”) for preventing the advance of the substrate 5 and a corner of the substrate 5. Positioning pins or the like that engage with the formed reference holes are provided so as to be able to appear and retract with respect to the conveyor 15. The substrate stage 12 is also provided with a sensor (not shown) for detecting that the substrate 5 has hit the forward stop stopper.

In this embodiment, the conveyor 15 is stopped in a state where the front edge of the substrate 5 abuts against the forward stop stopper. FIG. 6 (1) shows a state where the conveyor 15 is stopped. Hereinafter, when the substrate 5 is positioned as shown in FIG. 6A is referred to as “when the substrate 5 arrives at the reference position”.
When the substrate 5 arrives at the reference position, the positioning pins described above are inserted into the reference holes of the substrate 5 or one wall portion 121 of the substrate stage 12 is moved to the other wall portion 121 side, so Is adjusted to adjust the position and orientation of the substrate 5 on the conveyor 15 (hereinafter, this process is referred to as “positioning process”). This positioning process is intended to ensure the accuracy when the marking target position with respect to the laser marker 10 is aligned.

  When the above positioning process is completed, the substrate push-up mechanism 16 is operated, and a pressing force is applied to both edge portions of the substrate 5 from below. Thereby, the board | substrate 5 is lifted, maintaining a horizontal state, and is supported in the state pinched | interposed into the said stopper member 19 and the press member 18, as shown in FIG. 6 (2).

  The air supply to each cylinder 17 of the substrate push-up mechanism 16 is maintained until the marking process is completed, and the X-axis robot unit 14 and the Y-axis robot unit 13 can be operated under this state. Therefore, the marking target part can be aligned with the laser marker 10 while maintaining the distance between the upper surface of the substrate 5 and the laser marker 10. In this embodiment, each time marking is performed, the marked code is imaged by the camera 101 to inspect the marking state, and the air supply to each cylinder 17 is completed until the final marking target region is imaged. The control is continued. However, after performing the marking process first, the air supply may be canceled to return the substrate 5 to the reference position, and then the marking state may be inspected.

Next, a detailed configuration of the substrate reversing unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, FIG. 7A shows the overall configuration of the substrate reversing unit 2. The substrate reversing unit 2 includes a pair of main body frames 21 disposed on the upper surface of the base 3 at intervals corresponding to the width of the substrate 5, and a substrate rotatably attached to the inner surface of each main body frame 21. A support unit 22 and a rotation drive unit 23 for rotating each substrate support unit 22 are included.

Each substrate support portion 22 includes a support frame 24 pivotally supported by the main body frame 21 and a pair of upper and lower frames 25 and 26 supported by the support frame 24.
The upper and lower frames 25, 26 (hereinafter referred to as “upper frame 25” and “lower frame 26”) have a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and the upper frame 25 is fixedly supported on the inner surface of the support frame 24. The On the other hand, the lower frame 26 is supported so as to be raised along the inner surface of the support frame 24 via two air cylinders 29 (hereinafter simply referred to as “cylinder 29”). FIG. 7B shows the details of this mounting portion. As shown in this figure, the back surface of the main body of the cylinder 29 is attached to the inner surface of the support frame 24, and the rod 291 of the cylinder 29 is attached near the center position of the lower frame 26. The lower frame 26 is normally set to be positioned below the upper frame 25 by a predetermined distance. However, when air is supplied to the cylinder 29 and the rod 291 extends, the lower frame 26 moves upward in conjunction with the movement. Displace.

  On the inner surfaces of the upper frame 25 and the lower frame 26, conveyors 27 and 28 for carrying substrates are provided, respectively. These conveyors 27 and 28 are configured by a belt 201, a plurality of rollers 202, motors 271 and 281 provided outside the corresponding frame, and the like. In the following, when the conveyors 27 and 28 are individually referred to, they are referred to as “upper conveyor 27” and “lower conveyor 28”.

The rotation drive unit 23 includes a motor 230 as a drive source, a speed reducer 231 for adjusting a rotation speed transmitted from the motor 230, a drive shaft 232 connected to a rotation shaft of the speed reducer 231, and the drive shaft. A pair of rotation transmission mechanisms 236 for transmitting the rotation of 232 to each substrate support portion 22 and the like are included. Each rotation transmission mechanism 236 includes a drive pulley 233 attached to the drive shaft 232, a driven pulley 234 attached to the support shaft of the substrate support portion 22, and a transmission belt 235 stretched between these pulleys. Is done.
The motor 230, the speed reducer 231, the drive shaft 232, and the drive pulley 233 are accommodated in the base 3. The main body frame 21 is covered with a cover body 210 (shown in FIGS. 1 to 4).

  The substrate reversing unit 2 configured as described above is installed with the lower conveyor 28 aligned with the conveyor 15 of the marking unit 1. When the rod 291 of the cylinder 29 extends while the substrate 5 is supported on the lower conveyor 28, the lower frame 26 rises accordingly, and the substrate 5 moves between the lower conveyor 28 and the upper conveyor 27. It will be in a state of being sandwiched between.

Next, the drive shaft 232 and the drive pulley 233 are rotated by the operation of the motor 230 of the rotation drive unit 23, and the rotation is transmitted to the driven pulley 234 via the transmission belt 235. Thereby, the support shaft of each board | substrate support part 22 rotates, and the upper-and-lower part frames 25 and 26 which clamped each support frame 24 and the board | substrate 5 are axially rotated with respect to the main body frame 21. FIG. In this embodiment, the motor 230 is moved until each substrate support portion 22 rotates 180 degrees.
Although not shown in FIG. 7, the support frame 24 and the main body frame 21 are connected at a position substantially corresponding to the center position of the upper and lower frames 25 and 26. Thereby, the board | substrate support part 22 is axially rotated along the front-back direction on the basis of the center position of the upper and lower frames 25 and 26. As shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 8 to 15 sequentially show a series of operation states after the substrate reversing unit 2 carries the substrate 5, reverses it upside down, and returns it to the marking unit 1. Hereinafter, a series of operations of the substrate reversing unit 2 will be described with reference to these drawings. In these drawings, in order to clarify the operation state of the cylinder 29 and the conveyors 25 and 26, the main body frame 21 and the upper and lower frames 25 and 26 are omitted, and the support frame 24 is shown with a reduced width.

  Since the cylinder 29 of each board | substrate support part 22 is in the state which pulled in the rod 291 at the time of board | substrate carrying-in, the clearance gap of a predetermined magnitude | size is formed between the upper and lower conveyors 27 and 28. FIG. The board | substrate 5 carried out from the marking part 1 is carried in on the lower conveyor 28, as shown in FIG. At this stage, only the lower conveyor 28 is operated, and the substrate 5 is moved to the foremost position, that is, the position facing the carry-out port (FIG. 9). Next, the cylinder 29 is operated and the lower frame 26 is displaced upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, both edge portions of the substrate 5 are sandwiched between the upper conveyor 27 and the lower conveyor 28 and are fixedly supported.

  Here, the motor 230 of the rotation drive unit 23 operates to rotate each substrate support unit 22 as shown in FIG. When each substrate support part rotates 180 degrees and stops, as shown in FIG. 12, the substrate support part 22 and the substrate 5 are turned upside down. Moreover, the board | substrate 5 at this time is located in the rear marking part 1 side. In this state, as shown in FIG. 13, when the displacement of the lower frame 26 by the cylinder is released, the substrate 5 is supported by the upper conveyor 27. Thereafter, the upper conveyor 27 is operated, and the substrate 5 is carried out toward the marking unit 1 as shown in FIG. When the unloading of the substrate 5 is completed, the rotation driving unit 23 is actuated again, and each substrate supporting unit 22 returns to the original state as shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 shows the electrical configuration of the laser marking device.
This laser marking device includes a control unit 30 using a PLC (programmable logic controller). In addition to the XY table unit 11, the laser marker 10, the substrate reversing unit 2, the control unit 30 includes a carry-in port and The shutter opening / closing mechanisms 31 and 32 at the carry-out port, the image processing device 105, and the like are connected. The XY table unit 11 is controlled by the X and Y table units 13 and 14, the substrate transporting conveyor 15 and the substrate lifting mechanism 16, as well as the above-described forward stop topper and positioning pins. For the substrate reversing unit 2, the upper and lower conveyors 27 and 28, the cylinder 29, the motor 230 of the rotation driving unit 23, and the like are controlled. The control unit 30 is provided inside the base 3.

  The image processing apparatus 105 is mainly controlled by a microcomputer, and the camera 101 and the illumination apparatus 102 are connected to the image processing apparatus 105. When the marking by the laser marker 10 is completed, the control unit 30 outputs a trigger signal to the image processing device 105. The image processing device 105 drives the camera 101 and the illumination device 102 in response to the trigger signal to illuminate and image the marked code. Further, the image processing apparatus 105 captures an image from the camera 101 and recognizes a code in the image, and then determines whether the code is marked without deviating from the original marking position (position determination), Judgment (printing judgment) etc. of whether there is no defect such as chipping, bleeding, or thin part in the code is executed. These determination results are output from the image processing apparatus 105 to the control unit 30.

FIG. 17 shows the control procedure executed by the control unit 30 for the marking process by the marking unit 1. FIG. 18 shows the substrate 5 after the marking process is received by the substrate reversing unit 2 and the substrate 5 is inverted. Or the procedure of control at the time of carrying out to a carrying-out exit is shown, respectively. In the following, the procedure of processing executed from when a single substrate 5 is carried in to when it is carried out will be described along the flow shown in these drawings.
17 and 18, ST is an abbreviation for step. In the following, following this, each step is indicated as “ST”.

  When the marking unit 1 is ready to receive a new substrate 5, ST1 in FIG. 17 is “YES”, and the shutter opening / closing mechanisms 31 and 32 are driven to open the carry-in entrance (ST2). In the next ST3, the substrate stage 12 is moved to the position for connection to the carry-in entrance, and the substrate 5 to be processed is carried in.

  The board | substrate 5 carried in is conveyed ahead by the conveyor 15. FIG. If the sensor detects that the substrate 5 has arrived at the reference position, ST4 becomes “YES” and the process proceeds to ST5 to close the carry-in entrance. Next, in ST6, the positioning process described above is executed.

  Next, in ST7, by supplying air to the cylinder 17 of the substrate push-up mechanism 16, the substrate 5 is pushed upward. Accordingly, the substrate 5 is supported at a height position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker 10 while being sandwiched between the stopper member 19 and the pressing member 18.

  Thereafter, in ST8, the position of the substrate 5 is adjusted by the X-axis robot unit 14 and the Y-axis robot unit 13 while maintaining the pushed-up state, so that the marking target position on the substrate 5 is focused on the laser marker 10. To match. In the next ST9, a predetermined code is marked by the laser marker 10.

  Further, in ST10, the trigger signal is output to the image processing apparatus 105. As described above, the image processing device 105 drives the camera 101 and the illumination device 102 to illuminate and image the marked code, and the code marking is good based on the obtained image. Inspect whether or not. The result of the inspection is output from the image processing apparatus 105 to the control unit 30.

  If it is set to mark at a plurality of locations on the same surface of the substrate 5, the steps of ST8 to 10 are executed for each target position of marking. The lighting device 102 may be turned on at each marking target position and turned off immediately after imaging. However, the lighting device 102 may be turned on continuously until processing for all the marking target positions is completed. .

If it is determined in ST10 that the marking state is incomplete, ST11 is “YES” and the process proceeds to error processing (not shown).
If the code can be marked satisfactorily for all the marking target positions, ST12 is “YES”. In response to this determination, the process proceeds to ST13, and the state where the substrate 5 is pushed up by the substrate push-up mechanism 16 is released. As a result, the substrate 5 returns to the state supported by the conveyor 15.

  Thereafter, in ST14, the engagement of the positioning pins into the reference hole is released, and in ST15, the substrate 5 is carried out to the substrate reversing unit 2. Thereafter, the control shifts to the substrate reversing unit 2 in FIG.

  In the substrate reversal / unloading control of FIG. 18, after loading the substrate 5 from the marking unit 1 in ST19, it is determined whether or not the marking process of the substrate 5 has been completed. Here, if the substrate 5 is a type of substrate that performs marking processing on both sides and only one-side marking processing is completed, ST20 becomes “NO” and the process proceeds to ST21.

  In ST21, the substrate 5 is moved to the forefront position of the lower conveyor 28 and stopped. Next, in ST 22, the cylinder 29 is driven to sandwich the substrate 5 between the upper and lower conveyors 27 and 28 of the substrate support portion 22. Further, in ST23, the motor 230 of the rotational drive unit 23 is driven to rotate the substrate support unit 22 so that the substrate 5 is turned upside down.

  Thereafter, in ST24, the sandwiching support of the substrate 5 is released, and in the subsequent ST25, the substrate 5 is carried out to the marking unit 1 side and returned. When this unloading is completed, in ST26, the substrate support portion 22 is rotated again to return to the reference state shown in FIG.

  When the substrate 5 after the reversal processing is carried out to the marking unit 1 and returned in an inverted state, the marking control of FIG. 17 is started again. At this time, ST1 becomes “NO” and ST16 becomes “YES”, and the process proceeds to ST17, and the substrate 5 is loaded from the substrate inversion unit 2. Here, if it is detected by the sensor for substrate detection that the substrate 5 has arrived at the reference position, ST18 becomes “YES” and the process proceeds to ST6. Thereafter, the code is sequentially marked at each marking target position and the inspection is executed in the same procedure as described above. When all the marking processes are completed normally, the substrate 5 is carried out to the substrate reversing unit 2 again. Thereby, marking on both surfaces of the substrate 5 is completed.

  When the control of FIG. 18 is started again in response to the second substrate unloading, the determination in ST20 after loading the substrate 5 in ST19 becomes “YES” and the process proceeds to ST27, and the unloading port is opened. Open. Next, by continuing to move the lower conveyor 28 of the substrate support part 22, the loaded substrate 5 is carried out to the carry-out port as it is. When the unloading of the substrate 5 is completed, ST29 is “YES”, the unloading port is closed in ST30, and then the process is terminated.

  According to the laser marking device, after the substrate 5 is received at a position lower than the focal point of the laser marker 10 in the marking unit 1, the substrate 5 is pushed up by the substrate push-up mechanism 16 and pushed up by the stopper member 19. Since it stops at the position of the focal point, the upper surface of the substrate 5 can be easily adjusted to the focal point of the laser marker 10 even when processing a plurality of types of substrates 5 having different thicknesses. Therefore, even if the type of the substrate 5 to be processed is frequently changed, the time loss due to focusing can be eliminated, and the efficiency of the marking process can be greatly improved. Further, since both end edges of the substrate are sandwiched and supported from above and below, the horizontal posture of the substrate can be maintained and the marking state can be improved.

  Further, in the above laser marking apparatus, since the substrate reversing unit 2 is provided in the same housing as the marking unit 1, the substrate 5 on which the one-side marking process has been completed is quickly reversed and applied to the other surface. The marking process can be started.

  In the above embodiment, the XY table unit 11 is integrated with the substrate stage 12. However, instead, the laser marker 10 may be supported by the XY table unit 11. In this case, the substrate stage 12 includes a conveyor having a length corresponding to the distance between the carry-in entrance and the substrate reversing unit 2 and is fixedly arranged on the base 3.

In the above embodiment, the substrate 5 is supported horizontally in the marking unit 1. However, instead of this, the substrate 5 may be supported in a vertical state. In this case as well, it is preferable to use a substrate stage configured to support the substrate 5 at both ends, and to arrange a laser marker opposite to the substrate stage, but the distance between the two is longer than the focal length of the laser marker. It is necessary to adjust to. In addition, after the substrate 5 is carried in, the entire substrate stage is moved to the laser marker side, and the movement is stopped at a position corresponding to the focal point by the stopper member, so that the substrate surface is aligned with the focal point. Can do.
Further, similarly, the substrate reversing unit 2 can also support the substrate 5 in a vertical state, and the left and right of the substrate 5 can be reversed by rotating the shaft while maintaining the supporting state.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the laser marking apparatus concerning one Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure on a base. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which delivers a board | substrate from a marking part to a board | substrate inversion part. It is a perspective view which shows the same state as FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of an XY table part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of position alignment of the board | substrate to the focus of a laser marker. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of a board | substrate inversion part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a substrate inversion process. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a laser marking apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure at the time of a marking process. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure at the time of the inversion and carrying out process of a board | substrate.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Marking part 2 Substrate inversion part 5 Substrate 10 Laser marker 11 XY table part 12 Substrate stage 16 Substrate pushing-up mechanism 17 Air cylinder 18 Pressing member 19 Stopper

Claims (5)

In an apparatus in which a workpiece holding unit that receives and holds a flat workpiece and a laser marker are opposed to each other,
The work holding unit includes a work moving mechanism that adjusts an installation position so that the work is carried in at a position farther than a focal point of the laser marker and moves the carried work in a direction approaching the laser marker. And
Between the workpiece holding part and the laser marker, a stopper member is provided which comes into contact with the plate surface of the workpiece moved to the position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker by the workpiece moving mechanism and stops its movement. Laser marking device.   2. The stopper member is fixedly disposed at a position corresponding to the focal point of the laser marker, and is provided with a control unit that drives the workpiece moving mechanism at least until the marking process by the laser marker is completed. Laser marking device.   3. The laser according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece holding unit supports the workpiece in a horizontal state, and the workpiece moving mechanism is configured to move the workpiece up and down while maintaining its posture. 4. Marking device. The work holding part is configured to support the work between a pair of wall parts that are erected and arranged at a predetermined distance, and the work movement mechanism is arranged to face each wall part on the inner surface thereof. Has been
4. The laser marking device according to claim 3, wherein each workpiece moving mechanism includes a plurality of cylinders arranged along the wall portion, and a longitudinal pressing member connected to a rod of each cylinder.   The laser marking device according to claim 4, wherein a conveyor for carrying in and out the workpiece while supporting the workpiece by an end edge portion is provided on an inner surface of the wall portion.

Images