JP2011020790A - Sorting device and sorting device control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sorting device and a sorting device control method capable of reducing waste in electric power consumption by controlling a carrying speed in a carrying device to a proper value. <P>SOLUTION: The sorting device is provided so that a plurality of carrying objects 101 of a plurality of kinds stored in cassettes C1 and C2 in a horizontally superposed state and carried in from at least one carry-in port are sorted at each kind, carried to a plurality of sorting ports corresponding to the respective kinds, and carried to cassettes C3-C10 arranged in the respective sorting ports. The device grasps a carrying state and the next carrying schedule of the carrying objects 101, and discriminates whether or not a waiting time is caused after starting carrying, and reduces a stopping time of the carrying device by reducing the carrying speed in the carrying device 1 more than a rated speed when determining that the waiting time is caused. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorting apparatus installed in a clean room such as an LCD (liquid crystal) or a semiconductor factory, and a sorting apparatus control method performed using the sorting apparatus.

  Conventionally, when manufacturing a substrate such as an LCD (liquid crystal), a plurality of identical circuit patterns are formed on a large substrate (for example, a glass substrate), and the substrate is diced (cut) to obtain a desired circuit substrate. Obtained and sent to the next bonding process.

  In recent years, the rate of occurrence of circuit defects tends to increase as the circuit pattern manufacturing process becomes complicated and the scale of the circuit increases. If such a circuit defective substrate is sent to the next bonding process as it is, the bonding process is wasted. Therefore, in order to minimize the loss, a function test of each circuit pattern is performed before dicing the substrate.

  Then, based on the result of the functional test of the circuit pattern, the defective circuit is repaired by sorting the substrates according to the location of the defective circuit on the substrate, or the substrate including the defective circuit is discarded after dicing. I am doing so.

  In addition, since a plurality of types of substrates may be sequentially manufactured on the same production line, it is necessary to sort the substrates according to the types.

  In such a sorting process, a plurality of substrates that are horizontally stacked and stored in the cassette and transported to the carry-in port are taken out from the cassette one by one by the inline buffer, and each type (for each lot) by the transport device. Then, it is transported to the cassette of the sorting port to sort the substrates. In the sorting apparatus that performs such sorting, the sorting is performed at the rated speed of each of the feeding devices regardless of the waiting time of the feeding that occurs when the sorting port cassette is not empty.

  Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus tact optimization method for reducing the power consumption of a mounting processing apparatus without affecting the line tact of the mounting line.

  In Patent Document 2, the material transport cycle time actual value is calculated every time the material moves between the transport devices, and it is determined whether the value satisfies the material transport balance condition. And a conveyance control method for automatically controlling the material transfer speed of each conveyance device is described.

JP 2006-269754 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-59765

  In the conventional sorting process as described above, the inline buffer can only take out the substrates stored in the cassette one by one in order from the bottom, and cannot change the order of carrying out from the cassette of the carry-in port. Therefore, when a cassette at a certain sorting port is full and there is a board to be transported to that sorting port, the flow of the board from the loading port is stopped until the cassette at that sorting port is completely replaced. I must do it.

  In such a case, there is a waiting time until the next processing after the substrate is transported to the designated position. When waiting time occurs, reducing the transfer speed does not affect the overall processing. However, if all substrates are transferred at a constant speed, power consumption is wasted. . In the techniques described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, control that pays attention to waste of power consumption is not performed.

  Therefore, the present invention is proposed in view of the above-described circumstances, and by reducing the transport speed in the transport apparatus from the rated speed, the stop time of the transport apparatus can be reduced and waste of power consumption can be reduced. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sorting apparatus and a sorting apparatus control method that can perform the sorting.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention has any one of the following configurations.

[Configuration 1]
The sorting apparatus according to the present invention sorts a plurality of types of a plurality of objects to be transported that are stored in a cassette in a horizontally stacked state and are carried in from at least one carry-in port for each type, and a plurality of types corresponding to each type A sorting device that transports to a sorting port and unloads to a cassette installed at each sorting port, a loading-side buffer device that temporarily holds a transported object that is installed at the loading port and stored in the cassette, and a loading side A transport device that transports the objects to be transported held in the buffer device one by one to one of the sorting ports, and a delivery-side buffer device that temporarily holds the objects to be transported that are installed in the sorting ports and transported by the transport device And a control device for controlling the transport speed of the transported object in the transport device. The control device grasps the transport status of the transported object and the next transport schedule and waits after the transport starts. Determines whether the time occurs, when it is determined that the waiting time is generated is lower than the rated speed the conveying speed in the conveying device, characterized in that to reduce the downtime of the conveying device.

[Configuration 2]
The sorting apparatus control method according to the present invention uses the sorting apparatus having the configuration 1 to grasp the conveyance status of the object to be conveyed and the next conveyance schedule, determine whether a waiting time occurs after the conveyance starts, and wait. When it is determined that time will occur, the conveyance speed of the conveyance device is lowered from the rated speed, and the stop time of the conveyance device is reduced.

  In the sorting apparatus according to the present invention having the configuration 1, the control device grasps the transport status of the object to be transported and the next transport schedule, determines whether or not a wait time occurs after the start of transport, and the wait time is If it is determined that this occurs, the transport speed of the transport device is lowered below the rated speed to reduce the stop time of the transport device.

  Therefore, in the sorting device according to the present invention, the stop time of the transport device can be reduced by lowering the transport speed in the transport device from the rated speed.

  In the sorting apparatus control method according to the present invention having the configuration 2, it is possible to grasp the conveyance status of the object to be conveyed and the next conveyance schedule, determine whether or not a waiting time occurs after the start of conveyance, and when the waiting time occurs. If it is determined, the transport speed in the transport device is lowered from the rated speed to reduce the stop time of the transport device.

  Therefore, in the sorting apparatus control method according to the present invention, the stop time of the transport apparatus can be reduced by lowering the transport speed in the transport apparatus from the rated speed.

  That is, the present invention provides a sorting apparatus and a sorting apparatus control method that can reduce the stop time of the transport apparatus and reduce waste of power consumption by lowering the transport speed in the transport apparatus from the rated speed. It can be done.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the sorting apparatus based on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the sorting apparatus based on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement (1) of the sorting apparatus based on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement (2) of the sorting apparatus based on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement (3) of the sorting apparatus based on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a random access buffer apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an inline buffer apparatus. It is a front view which shows the use condition of a random access buffer apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of sorting equipment]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting device according to the present invention is stored in cassettes C1 and C2 in a horizontally stacked state, and a plurality of types of a plurality of objects to be conveyed from at least one loading port, for example, The apparatus 101 sorts the substrates 101 for each type, conveys them to a plurality of sorting ports corresponding to each type, and carries them out to cassettes C3 to C11 installed in each sorting port. The sorting device control method according to the present invention is executed by using the sorting device according to the present invention.

  In the sorting apparatus shown in FIG. 1, there are two carry-in ports, and cassettes C1 and C2 storing a plurality of substrates 101 are installed in these carry-in ports. Further, there are nine sorting ports, and cassettes C3 to C11 for storing the sorted substrates 101 are installed in these sorting ports.

  In the carry-in port of the sorting apparatus, carry-in side buffer devices B1 and B2 for temporarily holding the substrates 101 stored in the cassettes C1 and C2 are installed. The sorting port is provided with carry-out side buffer devices B3 to B11 that temporarily hold the substrates 101 stored in the cassettes C3 to C11.

  The sorting apparatus includes a transport device 1 that transports the substrates 101 held in the carry-in buffer devices B1 and B2 one by one to one of the sorting ports. The transport device 1 is a belt conveyor device or the like controlled by a control device to be described later, and the substrate 101 is transported on the delivery side buffer devices B3 to B11 of a predetermined sorting port according to the type (product type) and the inspection result. Transport to.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device of the sorting device according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device of the sorting apparatus has a transport board information management unit 2, and the transport board information management unit 2 outputs data on the number of substrates and the substrate position. Data relating to the number of substrates and the substrate position are sent to the transport time calculator 3. The transport time calculation unit 3 controls the transport speed control unit 4. The transport speed controller 4 supplies the current transport speed data to the transport time calculator 3. The transport time calculation unit 3 calculates the time required to transport the substrate based on the data on the number of substrates and the substrate position, and the current transport speed data, and controls the transport speed control unit 4.

  The conveyance speed control unit 4 sends conveyance instruction data to a conveyance device control panel 5 outside the control device. The transport device control panel 5 controls the transport device 1 based on the transport instruction data. Further, the transport device control panel 5 sends transport report data regarding the control status of the transport apparatus 1 to the transport speed control unit 4.

[Operation of sorter (sorter control method)]
In this sorting apparatus, the control apparatus controls the sorting apparatus by the sorting apparatus control method according to the present invention as follows.

[Operation of sorting device (1)]
When transporting from the loading port to the loading side buffer device,
Since there are two carry-in ports, for example, when the carry-in is being carried out from the carry-in buffer device B1, the substrate is carried into the carry-in buffer device B2 from the second carry-in port (cassette C2) from the carry-in buffer device B1. The conveyance may be completed until all of the substrates are exhausted.

  Specifically, the time until the transfer to the carry-in buffer device B2 is completed is calculated by “the number of substrates in the carry-in buffer device B1 × the transfer time to the transfer destination of each substrate”, and within this waiting time In addition, the substrate conveyance speed is controlled so that the conveyance from the second carry-in port (cassette C2) to the carry-in buffer device B2 is completed. At this time, if the transport speed is faster than necessary, the stop time of the transport device occurs.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation (1) of the sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the cassette arrives at the carry-in port in step st1, the control device proceeds to step st2, calculates the time until the carry-out from one carry-in port, and proceeds to step st3. In step st3, the control device calculates a reduction rate of the conveyance speed based on the operation rate of the process, and proceeds to step st4. In this step st3, for example, even if the sorting efficiency is reduced by 10%, the power consumption can be reduced by 20%. If there is no problem even if priority is given to the reduction of the power consumption due to the relationship with the process after the sorting process, etc. The transport speed is calculated giving priority to the power consumption reduction.

  In step st4, the conveyance speed is determined, and the process proceeds to step st5. In step st5, the transfer speed is instructed to the transfer apparatus 1, substrate transfer is started, and the process proceeds to step st6. In step st6, the time until completion of carrying out at one of the carry-in ports is compared with the time until completion of conveyance at the current conveyance speed, and the process proceeds to step st7. In step st7, it is determined whether there is no problem with the current transfer speed (whether power consumption is not wasted). If there is no problem, the process proceeds to step st8 to continue the substrate transfer, and if there is a problem, the process returns to step st2. .

[Operation of sorting device (2)]
When the substrate is transferred from the carry-in port to the sorting port, for example, when the substrate is currently being transferred to the carry-in / out side buffer device B8 and the destination of the next substrate is the carry-out side buffer device B9, the next substrate is transferred. Therefore, there is no problem even if the substrate transported to the carry-out buffer device B9 is transported at a low speed. However, in the case of the next substrate carry-out side buffer device B5, it is necessary to increase the speed within a range where it cannot catch up with the next substrate. Therefore, before unloading, the transport destination of the next substrate is confirmed, the speed at which it cannot catch up with the next substrate is calculated, and transported at the transport speed. At this time, if the transport speed is higher than necessary, a stop time of the transport device occurs.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation (2) of the sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

  That is, in step st11, the control device determines a sorting destination based on the sorting rule, and proceeds to step st12. In step st12, the transport destination of the substrate to be unloaded next is confirmed, the transport speed of the substrate unloaded first is determined, and the process proceeds to step st13. In step st12, the transport speed is determined so that the next substrate is transported at the rated speed and the subsequent substrate is transported at a low speed. For example, when the current substrate transport destination is the unloading buffer device B9 and the next substrate transport destination is the unloading buffer device B5, the substrate is transported to the unloading buffer device B5 at the rated speed, and the destination is low speed. By carrying, waste of power consumption is reduced. The processing in step st12 is repeated for the number of substrates.

  In step st13, the determined transfer speed is instructed to the transfer device, substrate transfer is started, and the process proceeds to step st14. In step st14, it is determined whether or not the substrate is overtaken (catched up). If it is not overtaken, the process proceeds to step st15. If overtaken, the process proceeds to step st16. In this step st14, considering the possibility of being overtaken by the next and subsequent substrates, the position of the substrate coming from behind is monitored during the transfer, and if a substrate that may be overtaken comes, It is necessary to return the substrate transfer speed to the rated speed.

  In step st16, the conveyance speed is returned to the rated speed, and the process proceeds to step st15. In step st15, the substrate conveyance is continued and the process returns to step st11.

[Operation of sorting device (3)]
When transporting the sorting port from the carry-out side buffer device to the cassette, if there is no substrate transported to the sorting port for a while, there is no problem even if the next substrate is transported at a low speed. Therefore, the substrate in the carry-in port is searched, the time until the next substrate is transferred to the sorting port is calculated, and the substrate is transferred so that the transfer from the carry-out buffer device to the cassette is completed within that time. To control the transport speed. At this time, if the conveyance speed is higher than necessary, the stop time results, and power consumption is wasted when the conveyance is started.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation (3) of the sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

  That is, when the carry-out buffer device of a certain sorting port is full in step st21, the control device proceeds to step st22, calculates the time until the substrate is next transferred to the sorting port, and step st23 Proceed to In step st23, a reduction rate of the conveyance speed is calculated based on the operation rate of the process, and the process proceeds to step st24. In step st24, the conveyance speed is determined, and the process proceeds to step st25. In step st25, the transfer speed is instructed to the transfer apparatus 1, the transfer of the substrate is started, and the process proceeds to step st26.

  In step st26, the time until completion of carrying out at one of the carry-in ports is compared with the time until completion of carrying at the current carrying speed, and the process proceeds to step st27. In step st27, it is determined whether there is no problem with the current conveyance speed (whether power consumption is not wasted). If there is no problem, the process proceeds to step st28 and the substrate conveyance is continued. If there is a problem, the process returns to step st22. .

[Other examples of sorting device configuration]
In this sorting device, at least one of the carry-in buffer devices B1 and B2 and the carry-out buffer devices B3 to B11 may be a random access buffer device. In the sorting apparatus shown in FIG. 1, one unloading buffer apparatus B11 among the unloading buffer apparatuses is a random access buffer apparatus.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the random access buffer device.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the random access buffer device includes a substrate support mechanism 12 that can be moved up and down on both sides of a plurality of holding portions 11 that hold the substrate 101, and the plurality of holding portions 11 are supported by the substrate support mechanism 12. The substrate 101 can be inserted into any one of the holding units 11, and any substrate among the plurality of held substrates 101 can be taken out. The substrate support mechanism 12 is controlled by a control device.

  The configuration of this random access buffer device is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2005-170675 and 2005-175429 previously proposed by the applicant of the present application.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the inline buffer device.

  Buffer devices B1 to B10 that are not random access buffer devices are inline buffer devices as shown in FIG. The in-line buffer device includes a substrate support mechanism 13 that can be moved up and down below a plurality of holding units 11 that hold a substrate 101. 101 can be inserted, and a plurality of held substrates 101 can be sequentially taken out from below. The substrate support mechanism 13 is controlled by a control device. In this inline buffer device, the insertion order and the removal order of the substrates 101 cannot be changed.

  FIG. 8 is a front view showing a usage situation of the random access buffer device.

  In this sorting apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of types of substrates 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d can be stored in the random access buffer device B11 in a grouped position for each type. The plurality of types of substrates 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d are transported in a random order. By inserting the substrates 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d into predetermined holding units 11 according to the types, the substrates 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d are provided. Can be set as a grouped position for each type.

  The substrates 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d sorted in the random access buffer device B11 as described above are carried out by type into the cassette C11 while sequentially replacing the cassette C11 of the sorting port. It is stored in a different cassette C11. That is, in this sorting apparatus, the random access buffer device B11 holds a plurality of types of substrates 101 and carries them out to different cassettes C11 for each type.

  Such a random access buffer device B11 is suitable as a transfer destination of a type (lot) of substrates 101 having a smaller number of sheets than other types. In such a sorting apparatus using a random access buffer device, it is possible to sort more types of substrates 101 than the number of sorting ports.

  The sorting apparatus according to the present invention is installed and used in a clean room such as an LCD (liquid crystal) or a semiconductor factory.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer apparatus 101 Substrate B1, B2 Carry-in side buffer apparatus B3-B11 Carry-out side buffer apparatus C1, C2 Cassette C3-C11 Cassette

Claims (2)

Multiple types of multiple items to be transported that are stored in a cassette and stacked from at least one loading port in a horizontally stacked state are sorted by type and conveyed to multiple sorting ports corresponding to each type. , A sorting device for carrying out to a cassette installed in each sorting port,
A loading-side buffer device that is installed in the loading port and temporarily holds the object to be conveyed stored in the cassette;
A transport device that transports the objects to be transported held in the carry-in buffer device one by one to any of the sorting ports;
A carry-out side buffer device that is installed in each sorting port and temporarily holds the object to be conveyed conveyed by the conveyance device;
A control device for controlling the transport speed of the object to be transported in the transport device,
The control device grasps the transport status of the object to be transported and the next transport schedule, determines whether or not a waiting time occurs after the start of transport, and if it is determined that a waiting time occurs, in the transport device A sorting device characterized by lowering the conveyance speed from the rated speed and reducing the stop time of the conveyance device. Using the sorting apparatus according to claim 1,
Grasping the transport status of the object to be transported and the next transport schedule, determining whether a waiting time will occur after the start of transport, and if it is determined that a waiting time will occur, the transport speed in the transport device is set to the rated speed. The sorting apparatus control method is characterized in that the stop time of the transfer apparatus is reduced further.

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