Electric-component mounting apparatus and electric-component mounting method

An apparatus for moving a plurality of operative suction nozzles which are operative to hold, by suction, respective electric components, and mounting, on a circuit substrate, the respective electric components held by the operative suction nozzles, the apparatus comprising:

• a movable member to which each of the operative suction nozzles is detachably attached;
• a supplying device that supplies the respective electric components to the operative suction nozzles attached to the movable member;
• a supporting device which supports the circuit substrate;
• a nozzle storing device which stores at least one normal suction nozzle;
• a nozzle moving device which moves the movable member to which the operative suction nozzles are attached, to an arbitrary position on a plane parallel to the circuit substrate supported by the supporting device, wherein the nozzle moving device moves the movable member to the supplying device so that the operative suction nozzles attached to the movable member receive the respective electric components from the supplying device, and moves the movable member to the supporting device so that the operative suction nozzles attached to the movable member mount the respective electric components on the circuit substrate supported by the supporting device;
• a nozzle-defect detecting device which detects a defect of said each of the operative suction nozzles;
• and
• a nozzle exchanging device which automatically operates the nozzle moving device to move the movable member to the nozzle storing device, so that the defective suction nozzle attached to the movable member is exchanged with said at least one normal suction nozzle stored by the nozzle storing device.

A method of moving at least one suction nozzle holding, by suction, at least one electric component, and mounting, on a circuit substrate, said at least one electric component held by said at least one suction nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:

• detecting a defect of said at least one suction nozzle when said at least one suction nozzle is expected to have held said at least one electric component;
• and
• automatically exchanging, upon detection of the defect, the defective suction nozzle having the detected defect, with a normal suction nozzle,
• wherein the step of automatically exchanging the defective suction nozzle comprises discarding said at least one electric component held by the defective suction nozzle, and subsequently exchanging the defective suction nozzle with the normal suction nozzle.

An apparatus for moving at least one nozzle holder holding at least one operative suction nozzle which is operative to hold, by suction, at least one electric component, and mounting, on a circuit substrate, said at least one electric component held by said at least one operative suction nozzle, the apparatus comprising:

• a supplying device which supplies said at least one electric component to said at least one operative suction nozzle;
• a supporting device which supports the circuit substrate;
• a moving device which moves said at least one nozzle holder holding said at least one operative suction nozzle to an arbitrary position on a plane parallel to the circuit substrate supported by the supporting device, wherein the moving device moves said at least one nozzle holder holding said at least one operative suction nozzle to the supplying device so that said at least one operative suction nozzle receives said at least one electric component from the supplying device, and moves said at least one nozzle holder holding said at least one operative suction nozzle holding said at least one electric component, to the supporting device so that said at least one operative suction nozzle mounts said at least one electric component on the circuit substrate supported by the supporting device;
• a nozzle-defect detecting device which detects a defect of said at least one operative suction nozzle held by said at least one nozzle holder;
• and
• a controller which automatically operates the moving device to move said at least one nozzle holder holding the defective suction nozzle having the detected defect, to a position where said at least one nozzle holder releases the defective suction nozzle, so that at said position said at least one nozzle holder releases the defective suction nozzle, and which then causes said at least one nozzle holder to hold a normal suction nozzle.