Predicting times for pick and place material replenishment for a pick and place line

A method for predicting a time for replenishing pick and place material (C) for a first pick and place station (P1) of a pick and place line (100) comprising at least

• (i) the first pick and place station (P1), which is supplied with pick and place material (C) at a first feed track by a first component feeder (F), and
• (ii) a second pick and place station (P2) which is supplied with pick and place material (C) at a second feed track by a second component feed device (F), the second pick and place station (P2) being arranged upstream of the first pick and place station (P1) along a transport path (Tp) for component carriers (PCB) to be populated, the method comprising
• detecting a current filling level of pick and place material (C) from the first component feeder (F);
• determining the planned pick and place operations at least with the pick and place material (C) assigned to the first feed track, which pick and place operations are still required in order to populate all component carriers (PCB) of a current batch production in the first pick and place station (P1);
• determining a current position of at least one component carrier (PCB) along the transport path (Tp), which was populated in the second pick and place station (P2) and which is still to be populated in the first pick and place station (P1);
• and
• predicting the time for replenishing pick and place material (C) at the first feed track based on
• (i) the detected current filling level, (ii) the determined planned pick and place operations and (iii) the determined current position.