Yamaha’s New Trusted Technology for Even Better Surface-Mount Productivity
Introducing Smart Recognition, Yamaha’s New Trusted Technology for Even Better Surface-Mount Productivity

Smart Recognition, the latest Trusted Technology from Yamaha, enables electronic assemblers to boost productivity by using the emerging generation of surface-mount card holders, external connectors and even EMI shields compatible with high-speed inline assembly.

Use Smart Recognition, a Yamaha Trusted Technology, to:

  • Model complex, non-standard surface-mount components for high-speed inline placement

  • Use the latest surface-mount versions of parts such as SIM holders, connectors, EMI shields

  • Place the parts at high cph rates using Yamaha YS- mounters

Introduction: More Surface Mount = More Productivity

Yamaha’s YS modular mounters provide a clear example of just how fast and efficient today’s inline surface-mount equipment can be, achieving maximum placement rates of up to 50,000 cph. On the other hand, some components such as external sockets, SIM or memory card holders and EMI shields, not suited to automated placement are assembled and soldered offline using manual techniques and equipment. Of course, this is much slower than the cph rates achieved with surface-mount components. The manual processes are also labour intensive, adding appreciably to the overall cost per assembly.

To help speed up production and enable further cost savings, some suppliers are beginning to offer surface-mountable versions of these types of components. These are designed to be placed using high-speed inline equipment, and reflowed at the same time as other surface-mount components on the board, thereby eliminating traditional barriers to productivity.

Some challenges remain, however. The new surface-mount versions are not well standardised. There are thousands of slightly different product types and also a large number of proprietary variations. Moreover, there can be appreciable differences between original or high-quality parts and alternative, lower-cost, equivalents. An EMI screen, on the other hand, is likely to be a product-specific component not conforming to any industry standard.

Building Component Libraries

Most inline placement machines typically have large on-board component libraries enabling them to recognise standard packages. Accurate recognition is essential for correct positioning and alignment of each component on the board. Yamaha’s mounters and chip shooters are able to recognise standard package outlines ranging from 0402 to 20 mm 2. Users can also add custom components to the library by using the machine’s vision recognition system to create and store a model for future reference. However, enhanced image-recognition algorithms are needed to allow the equipment to recognise components such as surface-mount card receptacles, external connectors or custom EMI shields, since these tend to span a wider range of sizes and have more complex shapes than typical ICs or passives.

Smart Recognition

Responding to this challenge, Yamaha has created a new Trusted Technology that maximises flexibility for customers to place these new types of large and complex surface-mount components efficiently inline, at high speed, using one of the YS series machines.

This new Trusted Technology from Yamaha – Smart Recognition – introduces advanced vision algorithms that are capable of recognising complex shapes and fine details, enabling users to capture components such as connectors or custom shields accurately.

Using Smart Recognition to add a custom part to the machine’s library is straightforward. The user first selects the option for ‘Basic Settings’ from the Parts menu of the Yamaha mounter. The Alignment Group is then set to Special, and the Alignment Type to Smart Recognition. Then parameters can be set as appropriate for the body size, search area and lighting level needed to recognise the parts that are about to be created.

The user then presses the button to open the Parts Adjust screen, and selects the option to Create Model. The Create Model screen, as shown in figure 1, provides user controls and a Vision window to manage the process of capturing the required images of the part and its edges. In this screen, the Operation window allows the user to manage the process of optimising settings, directing the machine to pick-up the component, acquiring images, and generating the model. Each step is annotated with guide messages to help accomplish the task. The Vision window allows the user to view either the part image or the detected edge as captured by the machine.

The Create Model screen provides all the tools the user will need to complete the process of creating the model data, following the logical sequence outlined in figure 2. Figure 2. logical sequence of actions to create a model of the target component.

At this stage the user is able to optimise the image, rotate it for best recognition (figure 3), set the detection area by cropping the captured image as closely as possible, and set the number of edges (figure 4).

The edge settings require the user to select a suitable number of edges for the machine-vision system to distinguish the target component from similar parts of a slightly different size or shape. It is recommended to set no more than 499 edges, since the greater the number of edges the longer the machine will take to recognise the component. Yamaha’s new Smart Recognition provides controls that enable the user to optimise edge settings by changing the edge threshold, compressing an edge, or erasing the edge manually. The edge threshold can be adjusted by typing values or dragging a slide bar.

If edges have to be adjusted, as in step 6 of the sequence shown in figure 2, the user may need to reset the centre of the image. This can be done either automatically or manually using up/down or left/right buttons in the Create Model screen.

To complete the component-programming procedure, switching to the Vision Test screen allows the user make final adjustments to vision settings and execute a recognition test. Upon successful recognition the model is then saved.

A comprehensive set of error codes guides the user in the event that a model cannot be successfully created. In all, there are eight error codes that help the user pinpoint any possible causes of failure such as data-read or system-initialisation errors or part-related errors like sub-optimal edge settings or incorrect data. The error codes point to troubleshooting guidance that helps the user quickly remedy the problem and repeat the process to model the component successfully.

When the process is completed, the new component model is added to the library, allowing yet another time-consuming manual process to be automated and performed reliably at high-speed on the Yamaha surface-mount line.

Conclusion

The latest surface-mount versions of components traditionally assembled manually offline, such as SIM card holders, connectors and EMI shields, allow inline placement at high speed yielding significantly increased productivity and quality. Smart Recognition – Trusted Technology from Yamaha – gives manufacturers the power to take full advantage of the opportunities, by providing a fast, easy-to-use and accurate means of importing larger and more complex into their component libraries.

Smart Recognition is available on all YS series mounters.

About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section
Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards.

Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers.

Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients.

www.yamaha-motor-im.eu

 

Figure 1. The user captures all package details from the Create Model screen.

Figure 3. Rotation control in the Smart Recognition Create Model screen.

Figure 4. The component image, rotated, cropped and centred using Smart Recognition.

Contact info

Oumayma Grad
Marketing Communications Manager

Hansemannstraße 12
41468 Neuss
Germany

Office: +49 2131 2013 538
Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297
Fax: +49 2131 2013 550
Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de
Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu