As part of the current SIPLACE setup concepts campaign, Munich-based ASM Assembly Systems is introducing the SIPLACE Precedence Finder. This new tool further reduces costly downtime and ensures higher line productivity. Some analysis and optimization processes can from time to time have a negative effect on the throughput of SMT lines.The SIPLACE Precedence Finder helps to considerably improve this. From the very first board on, the software analyses the size and position of all components, PCBs, and nozzles and optimizes the placement sequence to prevent components from colliding with each other. The SIPLACE Precedence Finder collects the geometric data and position information of the components and board from the placement list. Based on this information, the software calculates potential clashes and adjusts the placement sequence in order to provide collision-free placements. It effectively eliminates frequent causes of collisions, such as shielding (placing components on top of each other) or placement shadows as a result of overlaying nozzles. This speeds up the programming process and leads to faster new product introductions while ensuring quality and reliability from the first board on. Electronics manufacturers benefit from more productivity and less downtime caused by collisions. The Precedence Finder is particularly useful for products with multiple clusters, because unlike the layer-based model it optimizes the head cycles more effectively to deliver more real machine performance.To ensure a collision-free placement process on modern board designs, which are often very compact, it is important to take into consideration the different heights of the components, as well as their close proximity to neighboring components. The SIPLACE Precedence Finder collects the geometric data and position information of the components and of the board itself from the placement list. Based on this information, the software calculates potential placement collisions and adjusts the placement sequences in order to provide collision-free placements. Wherever components must be positioned on top of each other (for example, shields), the software ensures that the lower component is placed first. And if components with large height differences are positioned close to each other, the shorter component is placed first in order to prevent the higher neighbors from causing an obstruction and thereby resulting in a potential collision.As another special feature, the SIPLACE Precedence Finder takes the respective nozzle and gripper data into account as well. Even in cases where components are picked up off-center, critical scenarios can be defined via corresponding tolerance thresholds to effectively avoid collisions with overlaying nozzles. The Precedence Finder is particularly useful for products with multiple clusters. Unlike the layer-based model (which for instance assigns layer 1 to all the shields and layer 0 to all the other components and fully populates one layer of the entire board before the other one can be placed) the Precedence Finder can determine when and in what order each component is to be placed. This means, for example, that for a particular cluster a shield can be installed immediately after all regular components have been placed. As a result, the head can move more efficiently, and the machine?ˉs real performance rating improves. The SIPLACE Precedence Finder automates the analytical and optimization processes, which are often very complex and time-consuming. Although this whole process is computerized, experienced program technicians still have the option to verify each sequence produced by the SIPLACE Precedence Finder and to either confirm or reject each priority rule (precedence).