PCB Assembly Line Assignment for Balanced Component Setups

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing manufacturing facilities face challenges in achieving uniform utilization of assembly lines due to uncertainties in future piece counts of circuit board types, leading to underutilization or overload, especially in fixed component manufacturing scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A method and device utilizing mixed integer linear programming to optimize the assignment of circuit board types across multiple assembly lines, allowing for flexible component setups that can be reused over a planning horizon, and enabling redundancy by assigning additional circuit boards to underutilized lines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If fixed component setups are assigned to assembly lines for a longer term, then component expenditure and refitting time are reduced, but assembly line utilization becomes uneven due to uncertainties in future piece counts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent expenditure and refitting timeVSAvoidassembly line utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic reassignment of circuit board types to assembly lines based on real-time or near-real-time piece count information and actual line utilization. The system continuously monitors production data and adjusts assignments within the planning horizon, transforming the static fixed component setup into a dynamically adaptable configuration that responds to uncertainty in demand.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback mechanisms by collecting actual production data (piece counts, production times, utilization rates) from assembly lines and using this information to optimize reassignment decisions. The feedback loop enables the system to learn from actual performance and adjust future assignments to achieve more uniform utilization across lines.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If circuit board types are reassigned between assembly lines, then utilization uniformity improves, but setup complexity and planning difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveutilization uniformityVSAvoidsetup complexity and planning difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual or mechanical assignment processes with an automated computer-based optimization system. The control device automatically performs complex calculations, evaluates multiple scenarios, and generates optimal reassignment plans using algorithms that consider piece counts, production times, and line capacities, thereby reducing planning complexity despite the increased dynamicity of reassignments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes key parameters such as the planning horizon duration, reassignment frequency, and optimization criteria based on actual production conditions and uncertainty levels. By adjusting these parameters, the system can balance utilization uniformity against setup complexity according to specific manufacturing contexts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If more circuit board types are assigned to a single assembly line, then the number of component clusters is reduced, but the production time capacity may be exceeded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of component clustersVSAvoidproduction time capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates component clusters with universal applicability by selecting sets of circuit board types that can share the same component setup across multiple assembly lines. A single component cluster can serve multiple lines, reducing the total number of clusters needed while the optimization algorithm ensures that the aggregate production time across all lines using that cluster remains within capacity limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12495533B2Method and device for populating circuit boards by fixedly assigned components on at least two assembly lines

Publication Date: 2025.12.09 SIEMENS AG

AI summary

A method for populating circuit boards with a quantity of required component types on at least two assembly lines is provided, wherein fixedly assigned components can be mounted on each assembly line, wherein the method includes the following steps: a) acquiring circuit board types; b) acquiring component types; c) acquiring fixedly assigned component clusters for each assembly line; d) acquiring circuit board types that can be assigned to a fixedly assigned component cluster for each assembly line; e) acquiring circuit board types that can be assigned to a cluster extension for each fixedly assigned component cluster; f) determining an assignment of circuit board types to fixedly assigned component clusters and cluster extensions; and g) optimising the determined assignment until an assignment quality exceeds a predeterminable level.