Abstract: The present invention provides for an electronic component mounting method and apparatus which are capable of achieving high-speed operation by varying a driving amount for an intermittent feed of an electronic component according to the electronic component's type. In order to achieve this purpose, the present invention provides an electronic component mounting method for picking up an electronic component by a pickup nozzle from a component feed unit that intermittently feeds electronic components, and mounting the picked-up electronic component onto a board. A driving amount for the component feed unit for intermittently feeding the electronic components is varied depending on the type of the electronic component.

Abstract: A method to precisely position an electronic component within a cutout on a printed circuit board before attachment to said board. A nest precisely positions and firmly holds the component in place. Inner walls of the nest match the component's dimensions while the outer walls are stepped and match the cutout dimensions. In the preferred embodiment, the nest is mounted on a top plate above the circuit board. The operator places and centers the component in the nest, by means of the nest's shape or leaf springs which hold the component centered. Components are positioned by wiggling the nest until the stepped sides engage the PCB. In an alternative embodiment, the operator turns an eccentric cam applying force to a spring, pushing the component towards one edge of the nest for alignment. Both embodiments, hold the component so the operator can fasten the component to the board with both hands.

Abstract: A component mounting apparatus have a pair of component supply sections, and first and second mounting head sections. Each of the first and second head sections has a rotary member driven about a horizontal axis, component suction nozzles attached to the rotary member, driving mechanisms for rotating corresponding component suction nozzle, and a recognition section for recognizing components sucked by the component suction nozzle. Each of the first and second mounting head section performs successive suction, recognition, posture adjustment, and mounting of the components.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electronic component mounting apparatus. In the apparatus, a rotary body for changing the direction of a component mounting section is fixed to a hollow rotary shaft with a flange. The hollow rotary shaft is provided in a hollow motor and rotated integrally with the rotary body by driving of the hollow motor. A wire extending from an electric component, which is provided in the rotary body for changing the direction of the component mounting section, is arranged in the hollow rotary shaft of the hollow motor. An end of the wire is fixed to the rotary body, and the wire is arranged with looseness or into a spiral in the hollow rotary shaft. Further a lateral surface of inside the hollow rotary shaft and a surface of a coupling shaft are coated with protective materials.

Abstract: A pin grid array insertion and extraction tool is disclosed that is used to both insert and extract pin grid array connectors. The tool comprises a rigid window frame defined by bars connected to handles wherein the bars define straight slots and ramped slots on an elongated side that engage tabs and sliders of a header and socket of a pin grid array connector. The ramped slots are used to generate mechanical advantage and bring the insertion force seen by an operator's hand down to reasonable levels when engaging or disengaging connector pins to or from their mating receptacles. By using ramped slots the insertion and extraction tool can be made very compact in almost every dimension.

Abstract: A method of detecting a position of a rotation axis of a suction nozzle of an electric-component mounting apparatus, the suction nozzle holding, by suction, an electric component, and being rotated about the rotation axis thereof to rotate the electric component held thereby, so that the electric component rotated is mounted on a component-mounting surface of a circuit substrate, the method including the step of detecting, on a position-detecting plane including the component-mounting surface of the circuit substrate, the position of the rotation axis of the suction nozzle.

Abstract: A pallet-storing block of an electronic component-mounting apparatus stores a plurality of pallets each carrying thereon a tray containing a large number of electronic components. A desired pallet selected from the pallets is moved along a transfer path, in a manner such that the desired pallet is advanced to be introduced into a pickup area which extends to cover almost all of the transfer path or withdrawn from the pickup area into the pallet-storing block. Desired electronic components are sequentially picked up from the desired pallet introduced into the pickup area and mounted on a circuit board. The desired pallet is moved to a desired position within the pickup area.

Abstract: A carrier reel according to the present invention is constituted by a flange portion having a first surface and a second surface which is opposed to and substantially parallel to the first surface, and a hub portion which is provided between the first surface and the second surface and to which the flange portion is connected. A bearing portion at which a shaft used for taking out each electronic component after carriage is supported is provide to the hub portion, and spaces for accommodating therein a drying agent, i.e., drying agent accommodating portions are formed at the part of the hub portion except the bearing portion. The drying agent is accommodated in the drying agent accommodating portions. The carrier reel having the drying agent accommodated therein is put in a damp proof bag to be sealed. The sealed damp proof bag is then packaged to be carried.

Abstract: Methods of making packages for integrated circuit devices are described. An exemplary method includes providing a substrate sheet having an array of package sites at which individual integrated circuit packages will be assembled. A continuous sheet of an adhesive film is placed on the substrate strip so as to cover the plurality of package sites. The adhesive film sheet is then cured by applying heat or pressure or heat and pressure to the substrate strip and the sheet of adhesive film. The pressure and/or heat cause the sheet of adhesive film to be permanently attached to the substrate strip. A subsequent step forms one or more apertures though the joined substrate strip and adhesive film at each package site. An integrated circuit die is mounted on the adhesive film at each package site, and bond wires are attached through the aperture between metallizations of the substrate and the integrated circuit device.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a control device and a circuit board moving device controlled in operation by the control device for holding a circuit board are provided, whereby the circuit board moving device is moved to bring a component mount position on the circuit board closest to a recognition device after the circuit board moving device is moved to bring the component mount position closest to a component feed position. In the state, a circuit board mark formed on the circuit board is detected, thereby recognizing a position of the circuit board. A transfer distance for the component by a component hold device from the recognition device to the component mount position is thus shortened, enabling high-speed mounting with higher accuracy.

Abstract: A method of IC packing/unpacking for preserving and updating data stored in the IC and the structure thereof is disclosed. The method is able to encase the IC to prevent intentional piracy and allow data preservation and update. The structure has an upper plate (10) having a trough (12) defined therein; a lower plate (20) detachably connected with the upper plate (10); a PCB (30) sandwiched between the upper plate (10) and the lower plate (20) and forming an electrical connection with the upper plate (10); an interface (60) detachably inserted into the trough (12) and being able to receive data therein; and a controller (50) electrically connected with the interface (60) for coding the interface (60).

Abstract: An electric-component holding apparatus including a component holder which holds an electric component and includes an engaging portion, a holder-holding member to which the component holder is detachably attached, a lock member which consists of a substantially rigid body, and which is supported by the holder-holding member such that the lock member is movable relative to the holder-holding member, and is engaged with the engaging portion of the component holder to lock the component holder to the holder-holding member, and a locked-state maintaining device which includes an operable member and an elastic member and which maintains, owing to an elastic force of the elastic member, a locked state in which the lock member is engaged with the engaging portion of the component holder.

Abstract: A device for processing multi-up panels includes a bad mark scanner for reading a surface of a multi-up panel and a processor receiving at least one input from the scanner for determining a bad mark on the multi-up panel. Also provided is circuit panel manufacturing assembly line having a circuit panel bad mark scanner, a panel component placement machine separate from the scanner, and a panel conveyor located at least between the circuit panel scanner and the panel component placement machine for conveying the panels. Further provided is a method for determining bad marks on multi-up panels comprising the steps of scanning a multi-up panel with a scanner so as to form scan data and determining a bad mark on the multi-up panel as a function of the scan data.

Abstract: A device for processing multi-up panels includes a bad mark scanner for reading a surface of a multi-up panel and a processor receiving at least one input from the scanner for determining a bad mark on the multi-up panel. Also provided is circuit panel manufacturing assembly line having a circuit panel bad mark scanner, a panel component placement machine separate from the scanner, and a panel conveyor located at least between the circuit panel scanner and the panel component placement machine for conveying the panels. Further provided is a method for determining bad marks on multi-up panels comprising the steps of scanning a multi-up panel with a scanner so as to form scan data and determining a bad mark on the multi-up panel as a function of the scan data.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided with a component feeding member for feeding electronic components having lead wires in a tape-bonded state, an insertion head for separating the electronic components fed from the feeding member from the tapes and inserting to holes of a board, and a fixing head facing the insertion head via the board for cutting and folding the lead wires of the inserted electronic component in the board thereby fixing the electronic component to the board. AC servo motors operating independently of each other are individually set in the insertion head and the fixing head, which are controlled by a device so as to be synchronous with each other.

Abstract: There is provided a plurality of component mounting apparatuses for sucking a plurality of components by a mounting head section and successively mounting the components onto a board located at a board positioning section. The component mounting apparatuses are arranged in parallel to one another, and a board transfer path is provided so that it penetrates the component mounting apparatuses. Even when the number of components to be mounted onto the board increases, the components are mounted on the component supply tables of the component mounting apparatuses as distributed thereto, and therefore, the whole apparatus is not dimensionally increased. The component supply tables are fixedly installed so as to become free of vibration, and the mounting head section executes the suction and the mounting of the plurality of components. Therefore, the component mounting operation speed can be remarkably increased.

Abstract: An assembling device for supplying and assembling a part on an object has a table and a first moving portion disposed above the table, where the first moving portion includes a guide and a movable body. The guide extends in a first direction parallel to a surface of the table out of a range in which the table is positioned. The movable body is movable to a position out of the range in which the table is positioned. The assembling device also has a second moving portion disposed on the table and movable in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the object being mounted on the second moving portion.

Abstract: A component mounting apparatus includes a board transfer section for carrying in one of circuit boards to a component mounting position and carrying out the circuit board after component-mounting, a component feed section for feeding to a specified position a component to be mounted onto the circuit board, a component mounting section for loading a suction nozzle matching the component to be mounted, sucking up the-component from the component feed section and moving the component to the mounting position, and mounting the component to a specified site of the circuit board, a controller for controlling operations of the individual sections to execute a productional operation of component-mounting onto the circuit boards, and a remaining-component discarding device for performing an operation of discarding a component which remains at the suction nozzle during a time period for which the component-mounting operation by the component mounting section is kept halted.

Abstract: In a rotary articulated robot having at least a plurality of offset rotary joints in which a drive arm and driven arm are driven in rotation about an offset rotary axis inclined with respect to the arm axis, a hollow rotary shaft that is driven in rotation by a motor is arranged rotatably, being inclined, at the leading end of the arm of either the drive arm or driven arm while a rotor member to which turning effort from the hollow shaft is transmitted is fixed at the base of the other arm, said hollow rotary shaft and said rotor member constituting a high reduction ratio transmission/torque increasing mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus has a holder that receives a component from a component supply and then places the component on a substrate. In operation, it is determined whether the holder makes an interference with another component mounted on the substrate. If the judgement is affirmative, an mounting of the component held by the holder is prohibited. If, on the other hand, the judgement is negative, the component held by the holder is mounted on the substrate.

Abstract: In connection with a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including a step of establishing electrical connection between terminal electrodes of a circuit board and electrode pads of a semiconductor substrate by means of ultrasonic vibration, prevention of flaws stemming from ultrasonic vibration is aimed. A semiconductor substrate is mounted on the surface of an insulation circuit board such that terminal electrodes of the insulation circuit board oppose electrode pads of a semiconductor board. Desired electrical connection is established by means of applying ultrasonic vibration between a first holding tool for holding the insulation circuit board and a second holding tool for holding the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: In the invention, there is provided an apparatus for mounting electronic components in which a plurality of mounting heads pick up electronic components concurrently from a plurality of component feeding units for mounting the electronic components on a print circuit board, with assured pick-up and holding of the electronic components.

Abstract: There is described a process for producing printed circuits comprising a laminar support, an electrically conductive track on the laminar support, and an auxiliary conductive element soldered to the conductive track. There is a provision to apply the auxiliary conductive element by means of an apparatus for applying SMD components.

Abstract: On a carriage (43) which is movable in a horizontal direction (X-direction) in an automatic component mounting machine a slide (41) is arranged which is movable vertically (in the Z-direction). The slide (41) carries a plurality of pick-up devices or pipettes (49), which by means of arms (47) are movably mounted in XY-tables attached to the slide. The XY-tables allow that the arms (47) and thus the pipettes can move, during the different movements of the carriage (43) and the slide (41), to different positions which are accurately controllable. Tee carriage can thus fetch components (51) and then have the pipettes (49) in some positions in relation to each other and then, during the displacement of the carriage to the position above a printed circuit board, the pipettes are allowed to be displaced to other positions in relation to each other, which are adapted to the intended places of the components on the printed circuit board.

Abstract: The surface mounting method includes: transferring the PCB to one conveyer among multiple conveyers capable of moving from a first transfer; transferring the PCB to another conveyer; transferring the PCB to one conveyer, while electronic parts from a parts feeder are mounted onto the transferred PCB; mounting the electronic parts from the parts feeder again onto the transferred PCB, while the PCB onto which the parts have been mounted is transferred to the second transfer; and transferring the PCB onto which the parts have been mounted again to the second transfer, while a new PCB is transferred to one conveyer of the conveyers from the first transfer.

Abstract: A gripping device for positioning a component (47) on a substrate, comprising three fingers (1, 2, 3) arranged in a triangle (7), and a drive device for moving the fingers along parallel paths (4, 5, 6) relative to each other to grip or release a component. A middle finger (2) is movable in opposite directions with respect to the outer fingers (1, 3).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately registering electronic chip bonding pads with substrate leads. Images are developed of different portions of the interface between the electronic chip and the substrate by reflecting collimated, parallel light from the bottom of the chip through transparent areas of the substrate. Image analysis of the composite, superimposed images from spaced positions containing the bonding pads and the leads provide a corrective positioning after which the electronic chip and substrate are brought into contact.

Abstract: A solvent transfer unit is made a slide type and a plurality of nozzles at a head part which suck and hold components are moved down simultaneously to transfer the flux to electronic components. In comparison with an electronic component mounting method including a transfer operation whereby nozzles are lowered one by one by a conventional electronic component mounting apparatus equipped with a rotary type solvent transfer unit, a time for moving the nozzles up, down is shortened and a total cycle time is reduced, so that production efficiency is improved.

Abstract: A method and device for feeding an electronic component are provided by which extensive shutdown of the electronic component mounting device due to lack of components is prevented, thereby enhancing the operation rate. The device has a feeder section designating unit (32) for designating a desired one of feeder sections (22), and a feeder section controller (31) for forcibly moving the feeder section which is currently feeding electronic components to a retracted position when the other feeder section has been designated by the feeder section designating unit (32) and for moving the designated feeder section which has been in a standby state to a predetermined component feeding position, by which a long-time pause of the electronic component mounting device caused by exhaustion of components is prevented and the operation rate is enhanced.

Abstract: Image sensor packages are fabricated simultaneously to minimize the cost associated with each individual image sensor package. To fabricate the image sensor packages, windows are molded in molding compound to form a molded window array. A substrate includes a plurality of individual substrates integrally connected together in an array format. Image sensors are attached and electrically connected to corresponding individual substrates. An adhesive layer attaches the molded window array to the substrate. The substrate and attached molded window array are singulated into a plurality of individual image sensor packages.

Abstract: A tube feeder for feeding a plurality of components to a pick and place machine includes an elongated channel having a first end and a second end; the first end of the channel arranged so as to receive a component from a source of the component; the second end of the channel having a pick-up location; and the pick-up location including an elevated zone on which the component can pivot.

Abstract: A method of reconfiguring a production line for fabricating printed circuit board assemblies to achieve maximum efficiency and maximum flexibility is disclosed. The production line has one or more placement stations (16, 18, 20), a reflow oven (22), a conveyor (24) and a controller (30). The controller communicates with the various components (placement stations, reflow oven, conveyor) of the production line to transfer information related to the state of assembly of some of the printed circuit board assemblies (15, 17, 19) that are being processed. The controller also communicates information related to the status of the various other stations. The operational functionality of one or more of the placement stations, the reflow oven, or the conveyor is altered in response to the communication by the controller. Other remaining modules continue operation unaltered during this step of dynamic reconfiguration.

Abstract: A fixture for assembling and testing a read/write head comprised of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) that allows gimbaling along pitch and roll axes and that utilizes an inexpensive spherical gimbal ball pressed into an etched hole in the load beam for providing a highly accurate and measurable pivot location of a slider. The head gimbal assembly includes a suspension of the type supporting a slider, and comprising the suspension. A gimbal opening is formed in the load beam, and extends therethrough so that it receives the spherical gimbal ball for attachment to the load beam. A resilient flexure is secured to the load beam and supports the slider. The backside of the gimbal ball remains visible for the option of optical bonding of the slider to the suspension and for measurement of the slider position relative to the gimbal ball subsequent to the assembly of the HGA. The fixture is comprised of a top plate for holding the suspension assembly and a bottom plate for holding the slider.

Abstract: A die holding mechanism comprising a connecting wire receiving shaft which is movable up and down, a pair of die holding levers which have die holding sections for holding the die and are installed so that these levers are free to open and close, and opening-and-closing levers that open and close the die holding levers. A die formed with connecting wires on its upper surface is pushed up by a die push-up device and the wires of the die come into contact with the connecting wire receiving shaft of the die holding mechanism. When the connecting wire receiving shaft is raised by a given amount by the upward movement of the die, the die holding levers are closed so that the die holding sections of the die holding levers are positioned beneath the undersurface of the die. Afterward, the push-up needles of the die push-up device are lowered, resulting in that the die is held by the die holding levers.

Abstract: A nozzle-mounting device for removably mounting, on a nozzle holder, a suction nozzle for holding an electric component by suction, wherein the nozzle holder includes one of a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion which respectively have an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface and which are arranged to effect a fitting engagement with each other at the inner and outer circumferential surfaces, while the suction nozzle includes the other of the first and second fitting portions, and one of the first and second fitting portions is provided with a first abutting portion located at an axially intermediate portion of mutually fitting parts of the inner and outer circumferential surfaces, while the other of the first and second fitting portions is provided with a second abutting portion arranged to be brought into abutting contact with the first abutting portion in a direction intersecting the axes of the fitting portions, and wherein a pressing device is provided to force

Abstract: According to the present invention, a control device and a circuit board moving device controlled in operation by the control device for holding a circuit board are provided, whereby the circuit board moving device is moved to bring a component mount position on the circuit board closest to a recognition device after the circuit board moving device is moved to bring the component mount position closest to a component feed position. In the state, a circuit board mark formed on the circuit board is detected, thereby recognizing a position of the circuit board. A transfer distance for the component by a component hold device from the recognition device to the component mount position is thus shortened, enabling high-speed mounting with higher accuracy.

Abstract: This invention enables the designation of alternative nozzle along with the designation of recommended nozzle. Also, this invention enables the independent set-up and registration of the data on the control during component handling for each nozzle. When both the first and second preferred nozzles are set up as valid, and both nozzles are stored in the nozzle stocker 17, the replacement with the recommended nozzle stored in the stocker 17 is made and the CPU 20 controls the operation based on the “control data (the first preferred nozzle)”. When both are set up as valid, but only the second preferred nozzle, not the first preferred nozzle, is stored in the stocker 17, the CPU 20 recognizes which nozzle is available by using the nozzle positioning data stored in RAM 22, and then the replacement with the alternative nozzle (the second preferred nozzle) is made, and the CPU 20 controls the operation according to the “control data (the second preferred nozzle)” of the alternative nozzle.

Abstract: A suction section provided with a plurality of suction nozzles is used. The suction section is moved to a parts supply section in which a plurality of parts are stored so that they can be sucked at the same time, the parts stored in the parts supply section are sucked onto the plurality of suction nozzles at the same time, and the sucked parts are mounted on a board. At this time, all suction nozzles each involving a shift amount within an allowable range in which simultaneous suction is possible are set in one group and suction nozzles each involving a shift amount outside the allowable range in which simultaneous suction is possible are set in a different group and the parts are sucked at the same time for each of the groups.

Abstract: An electronic-parts mounting apparatus includes an electronic-parts feeder. A mounting head operates for carrying electronic parts from the electronic-parts feeder. The mounting head includes a plurality of nozzles for holding the electronic parts respectively. An electronic-parts mounting portion operates for enabling the mounting head to mount the electronic parts on a circuit board. A first mechanism operates for rotating each of the nozzles. A second mechanism operates for moving each of the nozzles upward and downward. The first mechanism may include a pinion provided on an outer circumferential surface of each of the nozzles, and a rack meshing with the pinion.

Abstract: Parts P are fed from a tray parts feeder 1 in which trays 3 loaded with parts P in rows thereon are accommodated. Mount head 18 mounts the parts P onto a substrate 5 that is carried in along guide rails 6 of a substrate transfer section 4. A tray 3 is drawn out from the tray parts feeder 1 by a given pitch and positioned at a predetermined location. The apparatus has a construction such that the tray 3, as it is pulled out, passes under guide rails 6 of the substrate transfer section 4.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to form individual packaged ICs by using a single apparatus to cut wiring boards on which a plurality of IC chips are mounted.

Abstract: A high-speed automatic parts mounting apparatus is provided which is designed to move pick-up nozzles vertically to mount electronic parts on a printed circuit board in sequence. The parts mounting apparatus reads data on height of each of the electronic parts out of a memory to determine a target level of the printed circuit when the electronic parts are mounted on the printed circuit board and moves an X-Y table on which the printed circuit board is held vertically to the target level. Specifically, the level of the printed circuit board is adjusted based on the height of the electronic parts without changing a vertical stroke of the vacuum nozzles. This minimizes the vibration of the vacuum nozzles, thus avoiding a shift in orientation or mounted position of the electronic parts.

Abstract: Method of transferring an electric component from a component supply device to a suction nozzle of a component-holding head, wherein a relative position between a sucking surface of the suction nozzle and an axis of rotation of the component-holding head is obtained, and the component-holding head and the component supply device are moved relative to each other on the basis of the obtained relative position, so as to minimize an error of relative positioning between the sucking surface and a predetermined sucking position of the electric component positioned at the component-supply portion. The head and the component supply device are then moved toward each other, for transferring the electronic components from the component supply device to the suction nozzle. Also disclosed is an electric-component mounting system arranged to practice the method before the electric component is mounted on a circuit substrate.

Abstract: A component mounter which includes a component feeder carriage; mounting head having two or more suction nozzles for picking up a component from the feeder carriage; image capturing means for taking an image of each component held by the suction nozzles; and a recognizer for recognizing each component based on image data obtained by the image capturing means according to a mounting sequence of each component. Each component is immediately and individually mounted on a mounting target after recognition. This configuration allows to eliminate wasteful standby time, thus offering efficient component mounting.

Abstract: A tool which accurately controls the thickness of a thermal grease applied to an integrated circuit that is mounted to a printed circuit board. The tool includes a bracket that supports the printed circuit board and the integrated circuit. A thermal grease is applied to the top surface of the integrated circuit. A lid is attached to the bracket to capture the printed circuit board. The lid has a platen that is separated from the integrated circuit by a space which has a predetermined thickness. The space defines the thickness of the thermal grease. Any excess thermal grease is pushed out of the space by the lid so that a consistent thickness of thermal grease is applied for each integrated circuit assembly. The bracket, lid, integrated circuit and printed circuit board can be mounted to a motherboard as a single integrated circuit module. Alternatively, the lid can be detached from the base so that the grease covered integrated circuit can be removed from the tool for subsequently assembly.

Abstract: An intermittently rotated rotary mounting section 1 of a component mounting apparatus has a driver 15 at its upper part for driving the motors 11 of each of a plurality of mounting heads 10 arranged on the periphery of the rotary mounting section. A controller is built in a stationary part of the apparatus, from which power and control signals are input to the rotating driver 15. The driver 15 is formed in an annular shape, and includes a plurality of motor driver mounting plates 30, to which motor drivers 24 for controlling power supply to each motor 11 are attached. The motor driver mounting plates 30 are arranged radially around the rotation axis of the driver 15 with their planar surfaces in parallel to the rotation axis.

Abstract: There is provided a plurality of component mounting apparatuses for sucking a plurality of components by a mounting head section and successively mounting the components onto a board located at a board positioning section. By arranging the component mounting apparatuses in parallel to one another, and a board transfer path is provided so that it penetrates the component mounting apparatuses. Even when the number of components to be mounted onto the board increases, the components are mounted on the component supply tables of the component mounting apparatuses as distributed thereto, and therefore, the whole apparatus is not dimensionally increased. The component supply tables are fixedly installed to become free of vibration, and the mounting head section executes the suction and the mounting of the plurality of components. Therefore, the component mounting operation speed can be remarkably increased.

Abstract: A tape guide for guiding a carrier tape in a component mounting machine, a tape magazine for receiving the tape guide, and a system including the tape guide and the tape magazine. The carrier tape carries components that are positioned in sequence on the carrier tape and are covered by a cover tape. The tape guide includes an exposure mechanism for exposing the components at a picking position, wherein the exposure mechanism includes a separator for separating and lifting a lateral portion of the cover from the carrier tape, leaving the remaining portion of the cover at least partially attached to the carrier tape, and for bringing the lifted portion of the cover aside. The tape guide also includes a lock for enabling ready and quick attachment and detachment of the tape guide to and from the component mounting machine, a guiding for guiding the carrier tape towards a picking position, and a retainer for preventing accidental displacement of the carrier tape along the tape guide.

Abstract: A method of mounting a plurality of electric components on a circuit substrate and thereby producing an electric circuit, including the steps of taking, immediately before each of the electric components is mounted on the circuit substrate, a first image of a first portion of the circuit substrate on which the each electric component is to be mounted and a second portion of the circuit substrate that is adjacent to the first portion, mounting the each electric component on the circuit substrate, taking, immediately after the each electric component is mounted on the circuit substrate, a second image of the mounted electric component and the second portion adjacent to the mounted electric component, and inspecting, by comparing the first and second images with each other, a state in which the each electric component is mounted on the circuit substrate.

Abstract: A voice coil motor is attached to a shaft, that is installed in a component holding head, to drive the shaft in an axial direction. Also, a detecting device is arranged to detect movement of the shaft. The supply of power to the voice coil motor is controlled on the basis of a detection result of the detecting device, whereby movement of the shaft in the axial direction is controlled. The movement of the shaft in the axial direction is accordingly correctly known.