Optimal bin location and sequencing in printed circuit board assembly

A particular problem concerning the efficient production of printed circuit boards in the electronics industry is addressed. It concerns the location of feeder bins which contain parts to be inserted in the boards. The authors address the question of identifying the optimal bin locations in order to determine the best insertion sequence of the parts. The location problem is formulated as a number of one-facility location models. The sequencing problem is formulated as a traveling salesman problem. Techniques are presented for these problems which accomodate a variety of distance norms and take into account the possibility of only certain feasible regions for the location of the bins.