Solectron Corporation

Mark Easton

A production operation is controlled by electronically scanning and reading printed information at intervals along a component tape. The printed information is continuously scanned and read from the carrier tape portion or the cover tape portion of the component tape as components are removed from the component tape during a production operation. In a production facility, the data from many component tapes is transmitted simultaneously to a production control system where all data is processed. The processed data is used to automatically control a production operation by using the printed information to control resources of the production operation, resources including component inventory, equipment, and facilities. Applications controlled by the printed component tape information include automatic production initial set-up verification, automatic production feed change set-up verification, feeder performance verification, material monitoring including automatic backflushing and stock check/work-in-process cycle counting, and production system control.

Method and apparatus for controlling a production operation using printed information on a component tape

A component tape includes a carrier tape with an elongate cover tape applied over pockets of the carrier tape. The component tape includes information printed on a portion of the component tape. The printed information includes a count or quantity of electronic components carried by the component tape, where the count at a particular location on the component tape indicates the position of the corresponding electronic component on the component tape. An indicator is printed corresponding to each quantity count that indicates which component position of the tape corresponds to the printed count. The printed information may also include a variety of information associated with the components, information comprising part number, tolerance and value description, batch number, lot number, component manufacturer, and component vendor. The printed information is produced by direct marking, as with laser etching or printing, or by imaging. The print type used to print the information includes alphanumeric characters and Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) technologies.

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Fife, United Kingdom

Mark Easton