Patent ID: 7114246

Claim:
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, wherein said board movement device comprises a first set of parallel movement members, which are displaceable into and out of said first plurality of cassettes and engageable with said plurality of unprocessed boards so as to perform said movement thereof onto said board carrier, and a second set of parallel movement members, which are reciprocatingly displaceable along said board carrier and engageable with said plurality of processed boards so as to perform said movement thereof into said second plurality of cassettes.