Production System Design

Flow Lines and Work Cells

Balance the workload for product layouts

Balanced lines are: We want to balance lines to

●
Faster ●
Organize the work in a linear
●
More fair (fairer?) fashion
●
Less prone to WIP ●
Satisfy demand
accumulation ●
Minimize the number of
workstations and people
required
Algorithm: RPW

Ranked
Positional
Weight
Types of Cells
Speed,
GT Flow Line dedication

GT Cell

GT Center Variety of
routings
GT Flow Lines
T M

All parts in the group M

follow the same sequence G D

D B
Processing times
are proportional
M D
GT Cells
Product Family 1 Product Family 2 Parts move from
any machine to
any other

Flow is not
unidirectional

Machines still
in proximity
GT Centers
Part Family 1 Part Family 2

Logical arrangement

Machines still in a
process layout

Each machine dedicated

to certain families

Large machines, hard to

move
How to conform the cells?

●
Classification and Coding: Grouping based on design
attributes and coding.
●
Production Flow Analysis: Analyze the operation sequence and
the production routing of a part or component through the plant.
●
Part - Machine Clustering Methodologies:
– Uses matrix methods to find clusters
– Heuristics and mathematical models
Original Process Layout
Assembly

Parts Machines

4 6 7 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A X X X X X
B X X X X
C X X X
D X X X X X
E X X X
F X X X
G
H
X X
X
X
X
X
X 5 8

2 10 12

1 3 11

A B C Raw materials
Groesbeck, 2005
Cellular Assembly

Layout
8 10 9 12
Solution
11
4 Cell1 6 Cell 3
Cell 2
7

2 1 3 5

Raw materials A C B

Groesbeck, 2005
Groesbeck, 2005
Algorithm: BOA

Binary
Ordering
Algorithm
Production capacity of workcells

Cells can have 4 3 4 3 4 3

different
5 2 5 2 5 2
numbers of
people
6 1 6 1 6 1