A systems approach to electronic assembly optimization

There are many complex problems in the optimization of an electronics manufacturing environment, and it is the view of the authors that these problems should not be solved and optimized in isolation but analysed in the framework of a system. A systems approach oVers an overall approach for solving problems, optimizing the whole of the system rather than discrete subsystems. The research introduced in this paper integrates several techniques, namely integrated computer aided manufacturing de®nition, experimental design and response surface methods for the analysis, control and optimization of electronic manufacturing processes. Electronics manufacturing includes three major processes: printed circuit board manufacturing, semiconductor device manufacturing and electronics assembly. This paper describes a generic systematic model for optimizing electronic assembly. Computer aided systems engineering methodology is introduced and a description of how this was applied to optimize electronic assembly within a manufacturing company using historical data is given together with a process map for electronic assembly. An analysis of the overall assembly operation is then used to generate the relationship between overall yield and yield of the subprocesses.