A case study on the operator allocation decision for TFT‐LCD inspection and packaging process

Abstract

PurposeThin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT‐LCD) is the primary flat panel display (FPD) technology, which is quickly becoming pervasive in many applications including computers, mobile phones, TV monitors, and so on. The finished product of a TFT‐LCD display device is called “module”. A module is subject to a final inspection and packaging (I/P) process before it is shipped to the customer. The I/P operations are primarily manual and the present study seeks to focus on these. The I/P process is strategically important since it directly impacts on both customer service and out‐going quality levels. The operator allocation decision for I/P operations determines the through‐put of the I/P line, and is a function of demand requirement, operator availability, and product dedication.Design/methodology/approachThis research proposes to solve the I/P process operator allocation problem by mixed‐integer programming formulations. A practical case study has been adopted for the empirical illustrations.FindingsEmpirical results are promising. The potential improvement is ranging from 9 to 20 percent against the current practice at the case study company.Originality/valueA structured experimental design shows the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed formulations in solving the problem of the case study.