Optimization issues in automated production of printed circuit boards: operations sequencing, feeder configuration and load balancing problems

In electronics industry, the widely used automatic placement machines insert or amount electronic components, supplied from sequential or random access feeders, to predefined locations on printed circuit boards. The sequencing of placement operations, the assignment of component types to feeder cells and load balancing in these machines directly influence productivity. In this research, such sequencing, assignment and balancing problems, arising under various machine architectures, are modeled based on a decomposition leading to travelling salesman, rural postman, assignment, quadratic assignment and/or line balancing problems. For each machine architecture a specific heuristic solution procedure, involving iterative deployment and solution of two or more of these problems is suggested. Results are presented for some test problems. An implementation in a production facility is also discussed