Patent ID: 8315728

Claim:
A method for determining a mounting condition of a component mounter for use in a production line, the component mounter: (i) transporting boards of different types through transportation lanes; and (ii) mounting components on the boards, the transportation lanes associating with the boards, and the production line including the component mounter including the transportation lanes aligned parallel to each other, said method comprising determining the mounting condition so that a line tact ratio being a ratio among line tacts of the transportation lanes approximates a predetermined ratio, each of the line tacts being a longest mounting time in each of the transportation lanes, and the mounting time indicating a period of time for mounting predetermined components per board, wherein said determining the mounting condition includes determining a configuration of the component mounter that intends to mount the components on the boards so that the line tact ratio approximates the predetermined ratio, and wherein said determining the configuration includes determining a count of component mounters including the component mounter for each of the transportation lanes so that the line tact ratio approximates the predetermined ratio.