Method of chip mounting onto downwardly-facing mounting surface of printed circuit board

A method for mounting an electronic component on a mounting surface of a printed circuit board comprising:

• moving a manipulator laterally in a horizontal direction and in a vertically downward direction for picking up an electronic component from an electronic component feeding device on a horizontal surface so that the electronic component is received in the manipulator from below, and then moving the manipulator holding the electronic component upwardly in a vertical direction to a printed circuit board located vertically above the manipulator,
• providing holding means located above the manipulator for holding the printed circuit board in the vertical direction above the manipulator and with a mounting surface of the printed circuit board facing vertically downward or at an inclined angle downward toward the manipulator,
• receiving the electronic component held by the upwardly moving manipulator on the mounting surface of the printed circuit board held by the holding means so that its mounting surface is facing vertically downward or at an inclined angle downward, and
• thereby enabling any debris from mounting electronic components on the printed circuit board to fall off under gravity due to the mounting of the electronic component by the manipulator being moved vertically upward toward the mounting surface of the printed circuit board facing vertically downward or at an inclined angle downward toward the manipulator.