Market Application Background
Irregular component insertion machines are mainly used in the electronics manufacturing industry, specifically for automating electronic assembly processes. They can automatically insert irregularly shaped components such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, connectors, and buttons into designated through-holes on PCB boards through multi-station, multi-head gripping, according to a preset program, greatly improving production efficiency and reducing costs.
It is widely used in many fields such as 3C consumer electronics, automotive electronics, medical devices, industrial control, and aerospace.
With the increasing popularity and rapid upgrading of electronic products, the demand for smaller and more complex electronic components continues to grow. This has led to an increase in the demand for high-speed, high-precision irregular-shaped component insertion machines. In order to improve existing production processes and eliminate unstable factors in production, the automatic irregular-shaped component insertion machine industry is facing huge market demand.
Limitations of traditional PCB electronic component insertion solutions:
Traditional insertion solutions mainly rely on manual operation or automated insertion machines for single types of electronic components.
Manual insertion is inefficient and often results in incorrect or missing insertions, leading to unstable product quality.
Dedicated automatic component insertion machines lack flexibility and struggle to quickly adapt to the production demands of new electronic components. Upgrading technology requires replacing equipment or modifying production lines, which is costly and time-consuming, causing manufacturers challenges in cost control and material changeover.
Traditional non-standard component insertion machines are mainly controlled by three parts: a vision system, a motion control system, and a human-machine interface. The control system configuration typically involves a PC, machine vision system, and a PLC. However, the PLC's network interface efficiency is not high, resulting in insufficient production capacity.
Positive motion technology solutions:
In response to market demands, ZhengMotion has developed an application solution for high-speed irregular-shaped insertion machines based on the ultra-high-speed PCIe EtherCAT motion control card PCIE464.
The solution using PCIe 464 has the following characteristics:
• Leveraging the features of PC Windows, it can be easily and quickly connected to data centers such as MES.
• Provide a more secure procedural mechanism to prevent control system crashes.
Its advantages, such as high real-time performance, low latency, easy scalability, multi-axis synchronous control, strong compatibility, and high-speed IO control, ensure that key steps in the insertion process, such as path planning, data interaction, electronic component insertion, and clamping control, can be completed at high speed and with high precision.
• When used in conjunction with a third-party high-precision vision system, it can quickly adjust equipment parameters for material change and production, flexibly accommodate various new components, improve equipment flexibility, and meet the needs of large and small batch production.
• Through the solutions provided by Zhengdong, the automated irregular-shaped insertion machine effectively eliminates the problem of untimely data interaction, significantly improves data processing speed, simplifies the production process, and realizes a leap from irregular-shaped insertion machine to high-speed irregular-shaped insertion machine. This helps customers achieve large-scale, efficient, and intelligent production, thereby achieving high-speed and high-precision production goals.
01. Application of Ultra-High-Speed PCIe EtherCAT Motion Control Card in High-Speed Irregularly Shaped Insertion Machine
Schematic diagram of high-speed irregular-shaped insert machining
Design of a high-speed irregular shape insertion machine solution
The PCIe 464 motion control card with positive motion technology features EtherCAT cycle control up to 125μs, a high-speed PCIe interface, vision-based scanning, SS curve acceleration smoothing, and other functions. It is particularly suitable for high-speed and highly flexible motion control. When applied to high-speed irregular component insertion machines, after the insertion head picks up the component, the XY linear motion platform moves above the inspection camera to perform scanning, detecting and positioning the component pins, thereby ensuring more accurate insertion, optimizing the path, and ensuring the shortest possible XY platform running path. It can achieve a cycle time of 0.6s/pcs and a repeatability accuracy of ±0.01mm, meeting the market demand for high speed and high precision.
01. Implementation Process of Motion Control and Machine Vision
(1) Machine vision
Machine vision is primarily used for inspection, positioning, and correction. First, it identifies and positions the outer contours and pins of electronic components, and detects missing or deformed pins. Finally, it marks and positions round holes, square holes, and irregular points on the PCB board to ensure that electronic components are accurately inserted into the designated through-holes.
(2) Motion control
The industrial PC and PCIE464 motion control card efficiently coordinate to control 18 bus drivers, including linear and rotary motors and remote I/O, via EtherCAT. The position, speed, and torque modes of the drivers can be switched in real time. Simultaneously, with the vision-based snapshot function, the camera is quickly triggered to capture images, ensuring high-speed and high-precision motion control for irregularly shaped insertion machines.
02. Configuration Process of High-Speed Irregular Shape Insertion Machine
03. Core Technological Advantages of the Solution
• Compatible with operating systems such as Windows XP/7/10/11 and Linux, offering wider applicability.
A unified and open API function interface allows users to develop more flexibly and efficiently.
Compared to the PCI interface, the PCIe interface offers faster transmission efficiency and is more suitable for high-speed and high-precision applications.
• Supports hybrid development using host computer and RTBasic scripting language, greatly improving the real-time execution efficiency of instructions.
• Supports C language compilation, resulting in faster program execution and improved device operating efficiency.
• EtherCAT synchronization cycle can be as fast as 125μs, increasing equipment productivity.
• 1D/2D/3D hardware position comparison output, enabling visual imaging for uninterrupted production and shortening the overall equipment CT scan time.
• Enhanced security mechanism: Built-in RTBasic program execution ensures that programs do not crash in the event of a blue screen on Windows.
04. Solution Hardware Configuration
02. High-speed PCIe EtherCAT motion control card—PCIE464
The PCIE464 motion control card from ZhengMotion Technology provides an efficient industrial motion control solution. Users can embed the PCIE464 into a standard PC to quickly implement high-performance EtherCAT motion control functions.
In the "PC + motion control card" mode, the efficient data processing and openness of the PC can be fully utilized, as well as the high-speed PWM, multi-dimensional position comparison output (PSO) and other functions of the control card. This enables excellent multi-axis synchronous control, high-speed point-to-point control, and complex trajectory motion control, ensuring seamless real-time data interaction between the control card and the host computer. This greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of motion control. At the same time, by utilizing the characteristics of PC Windows, it can be easily and quickly connected to data centers such as MES. It is widely used in 3C electronics manufacturing, semiconductors, assembly, precision machining, lithium batteries and photovoltaics, robotics and other fields.
▌PCIE464 Motion Control Card Hardware Features
• Optional 6-64 axis motion control, supporting EtherCAT bus/pulse/stepper servo drivers
• Up to 16 axes can be linked, with the fastest EtherCAT cycle time being 125μs.
Standard configuration includes 8 inputs and 8 outputs, including 4 high-speed latch inputs and 8 high-speed PWM/PSO outputs. Additional I/O can be obtained by selecting the ACC37 connector expansion board.
Supports PWM output, precision output, PSO hardware position comparison output, and visual aerial photography.
Supports forward and inverse kinematics algorithms for 30+ robotic arm models, such as SCARA, Delta, UVW, 4-axis/5-axis RTCP...
• Supports power-loss storage and power-loss interruption, providing a more secure mechanism for programs.
• Features pitch compensation control, allowing for precise adjustments at multiple compensation points on single/multi-axis surfaces, thereby achieving higher machining accuracy.
