Method for sorting IC-components

A method for sorting IC-components into pre-definable classes of criteria, the method comprising:

• simultaneously removing a plurality of IC-components from receiving portions of a tray using a plurality of gripping devices, each of the gripping devices having an access area that is separate from access areas associated with other gripping devices;
• moving the tray past the gripping devices;
• controlling each of the gripping devices to remove from the receiving portions of the tray only the IC-components belonging to one class of criteria assigned to the access area of the respective gripping device;
• and
• using different gripping devices to remove from the receiving portions of the tray the IC-components belonging to the same class of criteria assigned to the access area of the respective gripping device.

A system for the sorting of IC-components into pre-definable classes of criteria, the system comprising:

• a tray having a plurality of receiving portions for the IC-components;
• a plurality of gripping devices, each of the gripping devices having an access area that is separate from access areas associated with the other gripping devices;
• means for simultaneously removing a plurality of the IC-components from the receiving portions of the tray by application of the gripping devices;
• means for moving the tray past the gripping devices;
• and
• means for controlling each of the gripping devices to remove from the receiving portions of the tray only the IC-components belonging to one class of criteria assigned to the access area of the respective gripping device;
• wherein the controlling means controls the gripping devices such that different gripping devices remove from the receiving portions of the tray the IC-components belonging to the same class of criteria assigned to the access area of the respective gripping device.

A method for the sorting of IC-components in the back-end stage corresponding to pre-definable classes of criteria, wherein

• the IC-components are simultaneously removed from receiving portions of a tray by a plurality of gripping means,
• each gripping means has a pre-definable access area for the removal of IC-components from receiving portions of the tray, with the access areas of all gripping means being free of mutual overlapping,
• the tray is moved past the gripping means, and
• each gripping means removes only the IC-components belonging to one class of criteria from the receiving portions of the tray belonging to the access area of the respective gripping means;
• wherein (a) the receiving portions of the tray are arranged in mutually orthogonal columns and rows, (b) the access areas of the gripping means correspond, respectively, to a column or alternatively a row of receiving portions of the tray, and (c) the tray is moved rectangularly to the extension of the columns or the rows of the receiving portions, with the gripping means being arranged next to each other in the moving direction of the tray.

A method for sorting IC-components into pre-definable classes of criteria, the method comprising:

• simultaneously removing a plurality of IC-components from receiving portions of a tray using a plurality of gripping devices, each of the gripping devices having an access area that is separate from access areas associated with other gripping devices;
• providing the tray such that the receiving portions are arranged in mutually orthogonal columns and rows,
• providing the gripping devices such that the access areas and the gripping devices correspond, respectively, to a column or alternatively a row of the receiving portions of the tray,
• moving the tray past the gripping devices, rectangularly to the extension of columns or alternatively of the rows of the receiving portions;
• arranging the gripping devices next to each other in the moving direction of the tray;
• and
• controlling each of the gripping devices to remove from the receiving portions of the tray only the IC-components belonging to one class of criteria assigned to the access area of the respective gripping device.

A system for the sorting of IC-components into pre-definable classes of criteria, the system comprising:

• a tray having a plurality of receiving portions for the IC-components;
• a plurality of gripping devices, each of the gripping devices having an access area that is separate from access areas associated with the other gripping devices;
• means for simultaneously removing a plurality of the IC-components from the receiving portions of the tray by application of the gripping devices;
• means for moving the tray past the gripping devices;
• and
• means for controlling each of the gripping devices to remove from the receiving portions of the tray only the IC-components belonging to one class of criteria assigned to the access area of the respective gripping device;
• wherein the receiving portions of the tray are arranged in mutually orthogonal columns and rows, the access areas and the gripping means correspond, respectively, to a column or alternatively a row of the receiving portions of the tray, and the moving means moves the tray rectangularly to the extension of the columns or alternatively of the rows of the receiving portions, the gripping devices being disposed next to each other in the moving direction of the tray.