Role of similarity measures in PCB grouping procedures

Abstract

The problem of grouping printed circuit boards (PCBs) for simultaneous assembly on electronic assembly machines is an extension of the set-covering problem. A general approach based on cluster analysis and measure of similarity between PCBs is suggested as a basis of PCB grouping. The approach is independent of the specific similarity measure used. We show that, due to the analogy between this problem and the problem of machine cell formation in group technology, similarity measures developed for the second problem are useful as building blocks in a general framework that solves the PCB grouping problem.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

AVRAHAM SHTUB

Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA.