Component mounting apparatus and component mounting method

A component mounting method for mounting a component onto a board by a component mounting apparatus that includes a first transport mechanism that transports a first board in a board transport direction, a second transport mechanism that is arranged in parallel with the first transport mechanism and transports a second board in the board transport direction, a first component supply section that is disposed on a lateral side of the first transport mechanism, a second component supply section that is disposed on a lateral side of the second transport mechanism, a first mounting head that is configured to pick up a component supplied from the first component supply section and mount the component onto the first board and the second board, and a second mounting head that is configured to pick up a component supplied from the second component supply section and mount the component onto the first board and the second board, and controls the first transport mechanism, the second transport mechanism, the first component supply section, the second component supply section, the first mounting head, and the second mounting head based on mounting data, wherein each of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism includes an upstream side operation area where an upstream side board holding part for positioning and holding the first board or the second board is provided, and a downstream side operation area where a downstream side board holding part that is provided on a downstream side in the board transport direction with reference to the upstream side operation area for positioning and holding the first board or the second board is provided,

• the method comprising:
• determining whether the mounting data corresponds to an independent mounting mode for executing independent mounting in which the first mounting head is used to mount the component only onto the first board and the second mounting head is used to mount the component only onto the second board, or an alternating mounting mode for executing alternating mounting in which both of the first mounting head and the second mounting head are used to mount the components sequentially onto a board that is first carried into the downstream side operation area among the first board and the second board,
• executing the independent mounting using the upstream side operation area as a mounting area where a component is mounted onto a board that is positioned and held by the upstream side board holding part when it is determined that the mounting data corresponds to the independent mounting mode;
• and
• executing the alternating mounting using the upstream side operation area as a standby area where a board carried to the downstream side operation area temporarily waits when it is determined that the mounting data corresponds to the alternating mounting mode.