Component mounting order deciding method and component mounting order deciding apparatus

A component mounting order deciding apparatus which targets at such a component mounting machine that a component is sucked by a mounting head which is capable of sucking a component, from an array of a plurality of component cassettes in which components are placed, and the component is placed on a substrate by moving the mounting head, and which decides mounting order of components by a computer, comprising:

• a reading data obtaining section, obtaining component placement data to be obtained by reading identification information of the component stored in the component cassette which is disposed in a component supply section, component placement list preparing section, preparing a component placement list in the component supply section by associating the read identification information of the component cassette with a position where the component cassette is disposed in the component supply section, on the basis of the component placement data;
• and
• a mounting order deciding section, deciding mounting order of components on the basis of the prepared component placement list, in such a state that the array of the component cassettes is fixed, wherein the array of the component cassettes is randomly disposed in the component supply section of the component mounting machine thereby establishing for each component cassette the position where the component cassette is disposed in the component supply section, and wherein said deciding mounting order of components occurs subsequent to the array of the component cassettes being randomly disposed in the component supply section and based on the position where the component cassette is disposed in the component supply section for each component cassette.