Method for populating printed circuit boards - by means of a pick-and-place system having a plurality of pick-and-place lines, - set-up families with associated set-ups (165, 170) being provided; - a number of printed circuit board types being assigned to each set-up family and a number of component types being assigned to each associated set-up (165, 170), - with the result that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type in a set-up family can be populated by means of components of the component types in the set-up (165, 170) on a pick-and-place line; - stocks of components of the component types in a set-up (165, 170) being able to be provided by means of set-up tables on the pick-and-place line, - a set-up (165, 170) being implemented on one or more set-up tables by equipping the set-up tables with stocks of required components; - the set-up (165, 170) comprising a fixed set-up; - the fixed set-up being fitted to a pick-and-place line, in order to populate predetermined printed circuit board types, but not the fixed set-up being removed after the end of this population, but rather being held in order to be used again in the same configuration on a pick-and-place line; the method comprising the following steps of: - detecting orders each for populating a quantity of printed circuit boards of a printed circuit board type with components of predetermined component types for a predetermined planning horizon; - assigning printed circuit board types of the detected orders to a predetermined number of fixed set-up families; - it being provided that the planning horizon of a fixed set-up is not changed; - optimizing the assignment in such a manner that a characteristic number based on all pick-and-place lines of the pick-and-place system is maximized; and - populating the printed circuit boards on one of the pick-and-place lines using one of the determined fixed set-ups, characterized in that the characteristic number comprises - a population time for the printed circuit boards whose orders can be processed using the fixed set-ups; or - a number of orders which can be processed using the determined fixed set-up; or - a number of orders to be produced for each printed circuit board type assigned to a pick-and-place line. - by means of a pick-and-place system having a plurality of pick-and-place lines, - set-up families with associated set-ups (165, 170) being provided; - a number of printed circuit board types being assigned to each set-up family and a number of component types being assigned to each associated set-up (165, 170), - with the result that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type in a set-up family can be populated by means of components of the component types in the set-up (165, 170) on a pick-and-place line; - stocks of components of the component types in a set-up (165, 170) being able to be provided by means of set-up tables on the pick-and-place line, - a set-up (165, 170) being implemented on one or more set-up tables by equipping the set-up tables with stocks of required components; - the set-up (165, 170) comprising a fixed set-up; - the fixed set-up being fitted to a pick-and-place line, in order to populate predetermined printed circuit board types, but not the fixed set-up being removed after the end of this population, but rather being held in order to be used again in the same configuration on a pick-and-place line; - detecting orders each for populating a quantity of printed circuit boards of a printed circuit board type with components of predetermined component types for a predetermined planning horizon; - assigning printed circuit board types of the detected orders to a predetermined number of fixed set-up families; - it being provided that the planning horizon of a fixed set-up is not changed; - optimizing the assignment in such a manner that a characteristic number based on all pick-and-place lines of the pick-and-place system is maximized; and - populating the printed circuit boards on one of the pick-and-place lines using one of the determined fixed set-ups, - a population time for the printed circuit boards whose orders can be processed using the fixed set-ups; or - a number of orders which can be processed using the determined fixed set-up; or - a number of orders to be produced for each printed circuit board type assigned to a pick-and-place line.