Method for detecting obstructed nozzles

摘要

A method of detecting whether a vacuum nozzle on a high speed component placement machine is obstructed. A vacuum nozzle (10) has a hollow tube with a vacuum port (25) and an opening (12) at one end. The hollow tube having a fiber optic wire (20) located within it such that one end of the fiber optic wire is exposed to be illuminated (50) by a remote light source (30). The fiber optic wire transmits light to illuminate the opening from the interior of the vacuum nozzle. The amount of light exiting the illuminated opening is measured (55) by a remotely located light detector (35). A decision (60) is made as to whether the opening is obstructed by comparing the measured illuminated opening to a predetermined standard.