Patent ID: 7428326

Claim:
A method for ensuring vacuum nozzle condition in a component placement machine, the steps comprising: a) providing a pick/place component placement machine comprising a plurality of vacuum nozzles mounted on a head, said head being rotatable about an axis thereof and adapted for movement along an X and a Y axis above a printed circuit board, each of said plurality of vacuum nozzles being adapted to perform at least one of the operations picking, holding, orienting, transporting, and placing a component on said printed circuit board; b) providing a vision system adapted to facilitate at least one of said picking, holding, orienting, transporting and placing operations of said component; c) picking said component from a supply of components using said at least one of said plurality of vacuum nozzles; d) placing said picked component onto a printed circuit board at a predetermined location; and e) inspecting said at least one of said plurality of vacuum nozzles using said vision system, wherein said vision system comprises at least one camera, said camera being configured to capture an image of said at least one of said plurality of vacuum nozzles and configured to capture an image of said component, and further wherein said inspecting at least one of said plurality of vacuum nozzles using said vision system is accomplished substantially completely during at least one of step (c) and (d).