Comparison study of scheduling rules and set-up policies for a SMT production line

This paper examines the effects of some independent variables on the performance of an electronic manufacturing Surface Mount Technology (SMT) production line operating in a highly dynamic environment. Variables considered are: scheduling rules and set-up policies. Experimental design, ANOVA and simulation techniques (Awesim, C) are used in order to predict the performance of a SMT line on the work-in-process, the throughput time and set-up time.