Scheduling Algorithms for Computer-Aided Line Balancing in Printed Circuit Board Assembly.

Generalized Flexible Flow Line (GFFL) is a scheduling environment comprising several machine banks which the products visit in the same order but can skip some machine banks. The products are transported either in magazines or by a conveyor belt, and the change of the products demands a set-up operation of the machine. The time consumption of this operation depends on the current and the next product to be processed. This paper describes several scheduling algorithms for GFFL problem. The overall structure of these algorithms is similar, consisting of machine allocation and sequencing phases. The algorithms have been implemented and integrated into an interactive production scheduling system for electronic assembly. Sample cases are used to illustrate the operation of the system in practice.