An optimization model for selective inspection in serial manufacturing systems

Abstract

This paper describes an optimization model for allocating inspection efforts at each stage in a serial multi-stage assembly line. The model explicitly considers the economic tradeoff between product yield and inspection accuracy. The paper also shows that the use of a heuristic solution method, simulated annealing, is effective and efficient for solving the inspection allocation model. Problem instances have been developed using real production and visual inspection data provided by a local high-volume electronics manufacturer. In addition, randomly generated problems are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed heuristic.

Acknowledgement

This work was funded by the NSF Center for Advanced Vehicle Electronics (CAVE), NSF Grant Number EEC-9907749.