Integration sequencing in complex manufacturing systems

The integration and test phase of complex manufacturing machines, like an ASML lithographic machine, are expensive and time consuming. The tests that can be performed at a certain point within the integration phase depend on the modules that are integrated. Therefore, the test sequence depends on the integration sequence. Thus, by optimizing the integration sequence of these modules, more tests can be done in parallel and valuable integration and test time can be reduced. In this paper, we introduce a mathematical model to describe an integration sequencing problem and we propose an algorithm to solve this problem optimally. Furthermore, we propose two heuristics to solve large industrial problems in limited computation time. Also, we show with a case study within the development of a lithographic machine that the described method can be used to solve real-life problems. TANGRAM, test strategy, test sequencing, manufacturing machines, semiconductor industry, integration sequencing.