Optimization for Feeder Positions of Surface-Mount Machine Using Genetic Algorithm

The problem of optimizing the movement of the suction head in a surface-mount technology (SMT) machine is always one of the basic problems when designing and controlling this type of machine. The machine’s main function is to pick up components at the feeder station and then move them to the correct position on the printed circuit board (PCB). The suction head on the SMT machine has to move back and forth between many points, pickup points, and destinations. If there is a reasonable movement strategy, it will save a lot of time. Besides, because there are many slots in the feeder station to set up supply components, this order of these components also greatly affects the travel time of the suction head. And in this study, we will apply the proposed algorithm based on the genetic algorithm (GA) to find the optimal solution for setting up the feeder station. Our proposed algorithm is to find the optimal location of each supply component to optimize the movement of the suction head. Then we conduct testing and evaluation.