RESEARCH DIRECTIONS IN ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

The Workshop on Electronics Manufacturing Research was held in College Station, Texas, on February 24-26, 1992. It focused on the Industrial Engineering/Operations Research/Management Science disciplines and their capabilities in modeling, analysis, and manufacturing technology. The primary goal was to identify the critical research needs in electronics manufacturing and assembly that can be addressed by these disciplines and the means of accomplishing them.

Sponsors included the Production Systems Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), three organizations at Texas A&M University (the Department of Industrial Engineering, the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, and the Institute of Manufacturing Systems), and SEMATECH. In addition. Ford Electronics, IBM, and INTEL each sponsored one representative.

Individuals recognized for their research accomplishments in the electronics industry were invited to participate. Representing ongoing programs across the United States and Mexico in industry, government, and academia, the group identified fertile research directions as a guide for the research community and sponsoring agencies. Interacting tracks dealt with semiconductor manufacturing and circuit card (and higher level) assembly. This paper documents the important research themes identified relative to three topic areas: integrating systems, models for design and operation of production/assembly systems, and assurance sciences. It also summarizes a lively discussion which sought ways to improve the effectiveness of university/industry partnering relationships. This paper includes essential recommendations that resulted from the Workshop, but the interested reader can obtain a somewhat more detailed Final Report from Dr. Wilbert E. Wilhelm, the Principal Investigator for the Workshop project.