A Tape Feeder Inspection System for Measuring Feeding Accuracy

A tape feeder of a SMD(Surface Mount Device) mounter is a device that sequentially feeds electronic components on a tape reel to the pick-up system of the mounter. As components are getting much smaller, feeding accuracy of a feeder becomes one of the most important factors for successful component pick-up. Therefore, it is critical to keep the feeding accuracy to a specified level in the assembly and production of tape feeders. This paper describes a tape feeder inspection system that was developed to automatically measure and inspect feeding accuracy using machine vision. It consists of a feeder base, an image acquisition system, and a personal computer. The image acquisition system is composed of CCD cameras with lens ...