Assembly Line Balancing

Requirements of Work
Cells
1. Identification of families of products
2. A high level of training, flexibility and
empowerment of employees
3. Being self-contained, with its own
equipment and resources
4. Test (poka-yoke) at each station in the
cell
Staffing and Balancing

Work Cells
Determine the takt time
Takt time =
Total work time available

Units required
Determine the
number of operators
required
Workers required =
Total operation time required

Takt time
Staffing Work Cells

Example
Standard time required
600 Mirrors per day required

Mirror production scheduled for 8 hours per day
60
From a work balance chart
total operation time
50
= 140 seconds
40
30
20
10
0
Assemble Paint
Test
Operations
Label Pack for

shipment
Staffing Work Cells

Example
600 Mirrors per day required
Mirror production scheduled for 8 hours per day
From a work balance chart
total operation time
= 140 seconds
Takt time = (8 hrs x 60 mins) / 600 units

= .8 mins = 48 seconds
Workers required
Total operation time required

Takt time
= 140 / 48 = 2.91
Work Balance Charts

Used for evaluating operation times in
work cells
Can help identify bottleneck
operations
Flexible, cross-trained employees can
help address labor bottlenecks
Machine bottlenecks may require
other approaches
Focused Work Center and

Focused Factory
Focused Work Center
Identify a large family of similar products that
have a large and stable demand
Moves production from a general-purpose,
process-oriented facility to a large work cell
Focused Factory
A focused work cell in a separate facility
May be focused by product line, layout, quality,
new product introduction, flexibility, or other
requirements
Product-Oriented Layouts
Fabrication line
Builds components on a series of machines
Machine-paced
Require mechanical or engineering changes to
balance
Assembly line
Puts fabricated parts together at a series of
workstations
Paced by work tasks
Balanced by moving tasks
Both types of lines must be balanced so that the time to perform
the work at each station is the same
Product-Oriented Layouts
Advantages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Low variable cost per unit

Low material handling costs
Reduced work-in-process inventories
Easier training and supervision
Rapid throughput
Disadvantages
1. High volume is required
2. Work stoppage at any point ties up the whole
operation
3. Lack of flexibility in product or production rates
McDonalds Assembly Line
Figure 9.12
Disassembly Lines
Disassembly is being considered in new
product designs
Green issues and recycling standards
are important consideration
Automotive
disassembly is
the 16th largest
industry in
the US
Assembly-Line Balancing
Objective is to minimize the imbalance
between machines or personnel while
meeting required output
Starts with the precedence relationships
1. Determine cycle time
2. Calculate theoretical
minimum number of
workstations
3. Balance the line by
assigning specific
tasks to workstations
Wing Component Example

Performance
Time
Task
(minutes)
A
10
B
11
C
5
D
4
E
12
F
3
G
7
H
11
I
3
Total time 66
Task Must Follow

Task Listed
Below
A
B
B
A
C, D
F
E
G, H
This means
that tasks B
and E cannot
be done until
task A has
been
completed

Performance
Time
Task
(minutes)
A
10
B
11
C
5
D
4
E
12
F
3
G
7
H
11
I
3
Total time 66
Task Must Follow

Task Listed
Below
A
B
B
A
C, D
F
10
E
A
G, H
5
11
B
12
C
4
G
3
11
H
Figure 9.13

Performance
Time
Task
(minutes)
A
10
B
11
C
5
D
4
E
12
F
3
G
7
H
11
I
3
Total time 66
480 available mins

Task Must Follow
per day
Task Listed
40 units required
Below
A
Production time
B
available per day
CycleBtime = Units required per
A
= 480 / 40 day
C, D = 12 minutes5 per unit
C
n
F
10
11
3
7
E
for taskFi
= Time
1B
A i
G
Minimum
G, H
4
3
Cycle time
number of =
workstations
12
= 66 / 12E
= 5.5 or 6 stations
11
H
Figure 9.13
Line-Balancing Heuristics
Wing Component
Example
1. Longest task time

Choose the available
task
480
available mins
Performance
Task Must
Follow
with
the longest task time
per day
Time
Task Listed
40 task
units required
Task2. Most
(minutes)
following tasks Below
Choose the available
A
10
with the largest
number
Cycle
time of
= 12 mins
B
11
Afollowing tasksMinimum
= 5.5 or 6
C
5
B
workstation
D 3. Ranked4 positional
BChoose the available
s task for
weight
which the sum of following
E
12
Atask times is the longest
5
F
3
C, D
C
G 4. Shortest
7 task time
FChoose
available
task
10 the 11
3
7
H
11
Ewith the shortest task time
A
B
G
F
I
3
G, H
4
3
5.
Least
number
of
Choose
the
available
task
Total time 66
D
I
following tasks
with the least12number
of 11
following tasks
E
H
Table 9.4
Figure 9.13

480 available mins
Performance
Task Must Follow
per day
Time
Task Listed
40 units required
Task
(minutes)
Below
A
10
Cycle time = 12 mins

B
11
A
Minimum = 5.5 or 6
Statio
5
C
B
workstation
n52
C B
D
4
s
11
3
7
E 10
12
A
B
F
G
F A
3
C, D
4
3
G
7
F
D E Station 3
H
11
I
I
3
G, H
12
11
Station
Total
Statiotime 66
6
E
H
n1
Statio
n4
Statio
n5
Figure 9.14

480 available mins
Performance
Task Must Follow
per day
Time
Task Listed
40 units required
Task
(minutes)
Below
A
10
Cycle time = 12 mins

B
11
A
Minimum = 5.5 or 6
C
5
B
workstation
D
4
B
s
E
12
A
F
3
C, D
Task times
G
7
F
Efficiency =
(Actual
number ofEworkstations) x (Largest cycle time)
H
11
I = 66 minutes
3
G, H x (12 minutes)
/ (6 stations)
Total
66
=time
91.7%

Assembly Line Balancing

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Requirements of Work

Staffing and Balancing

Total work time available

Total operation time required

Staffing Work Cells

Standard time required

600 Mirrors per day required

Label Pack for

Staffing Work Cells

Takt time = (8 hrs x 60 mins) / 600 units

Total operation time required

Work Balance Charts

Focused Work Center and

Low variable cost per unit

McDonalds Assembly Line

Wing Component Example

Task Must Follow

Wing Component Example

Task Must Follow

Wing Component Example

480 available mins

1. Longest task time

Wing Component Example

Cycle time = 12 mins

Wing Component Example

Cycle time = 12 mins

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