Workload balancing in printed circuit board assembly shops

Abstract

In assembling printed circuit boards (PCB), the use of numerically or computer controlled electronic component placement machines has become quite popular in the last decades. However, serious operations research problems arise through their use such as, allocation of component types to machines, board production schedule, feeder configuration and placement sequencing. In this study, the problem of allocation of component types to machines is taken up where two non-identical machines are deployed serially on a line to complete the assembly process of PCBs. For the solution of this problem three heuristic algorithms are suggested and their performances are investigated on experimental data.