AN INTEGRATED METHODOLOGY FOR SURFACE MOUNT PCB CONFIGURATION

This paper develops an integrated methodology for surface mount printed circuit board (PCB) assembly machine configuration. The methodology involves feeder bay distribution among components, component-to-feeder assignment, and machine program generation. Benefit-cost analysis and board family grouping are used to divide the surface mount machine carrier into three distinct bays: fixed, semi-fixed, and configurable. An integer programming model is then formulated for component-to-feeder assignment. A heuristic algorithm is developed to solve the integer programming model. Application of the methodology results in significant reduction in machine setup times and improvement in operational performance for a complex surface mount system.