Patent ID: 7603193

Claim:
An optimization method for optimizing an order of component mounting in a component mounting system having a plurality of mounters for mounting components onto a board, wherein each of the mounters includes a respective component supply unit and a respective placement head for picking up components from the respective component supply unit and for mounting the picked-up components onto the board, wherein the board includes a plurality of component patterns according to which components are mounted thereon, each of the component patterns having a same component placement structure, wherein the mounters are for mounting components onto the board according to one of (i) the component placement patterns of the board and (ii) groups of component placement patterns of the board, wherein each of the one of the component placement patterns and the groups of component placement patterns identifies a specific mounting arrangement of specific components to be mounted onto the board, and wherein the board is transported from a first mounter located upstream to a second mounter located downstream, such that the components are mounted onto the board in an order starting from the first mounter and continuing to the second mounter, the optimization method comprising: respectively allocating components to each of the mounters on one of a (i) per component placement pattern basis and (ii) per group of component placement patterns basis, such that, during the transporting of the board, the placement head of each of the mounters mounts every component of one of a respective component placement pattern and a respective group of component placement patterns, representing partial regions of the board, and such that all of the respective placement heads of the plurality of mounters mount the components onto the partial regions of the board resulting in the components being mounted onto every region of the board.