Method for handling boards in a component mounting machine and a component mounting machine for performing the method

A component mounting machine, comprising:

• a board carrier;
• a component mounting head;
• a board handling apparatus, said board handling apparatus comprising exchangeable board cassettes including a first plurality of board cassettes, which are arranged to provide unprocessed boards;
• and a second plurality of board cassettes, which are arranged to receive processed boards;
• and
• a board movement device, which is arranged to move a plurality of unprocessed boards in parallel and substantially simultaneously from said first plurality of cassettes onto said board carrier and to move a plurality of processed boards in parallel and substantially simultaneously from said board carrier into said second plurality of cassettes respectively,
• said board handling apparatus further comprising a separate elevator device for each one of said first and second plurality of cassettes, wherein said first and second plurality of cassettes are detachably attached to each respective elevator device for individual vertical displacement of each plurality of cassettes.

A method for handling boards in a component mounting machine comprising the steps of:

• a) moving a plurality of boards in parallel and substantially simultaneously from a first plurality of cassettes, arranged in parallel at the machine, onto a board carrier;
• b) processing said plurality of boards by mounting components thereon;
• c) moving said plurality of boards substantially simultaneously and in parallel from the board carrier into a second plurality of board cassettes arranged in parallel at the machine and moving a next plurality of boards from said first plurality of cassettes onto the board carrier;
• g) repeating steps b to c until said first plurality of cassettes are empty;
• and
• h) exchanging cassettes and repeating the method from step a.