Patent ID: 7331105

Claim:
A method for placing components by at least one component placement unit, the component placement unit placing each component by moving over a distance between a component pickup position and a component placement position located on a substrate, comprising (a) calculating a total distance to be covered by the component placement unit for a number of components to be placed when the substrate is in a first position; (b) comparing the total distance to a reference value, the reference value being a calculated total distance to be covered by the component placement unit for the number of components to be placed when the substrate is in a rotated position that is rotated relative to the first position; and (c) rotating, if the total distance is greater than the reference value, the substrate onto which the components are to be placed relative to a component pickup position about an axis that extends transversely to the substrate until the determined total distance is smaller than or equal to the reference value to minimize the total distance over which the component placement unit is moved in order to place the number of components on the substrate; (d) moving the component placement unit over a distance between the component pickup position and the component placement position located on the substrate; and (e) placing a component on the substrate.