Line Balancing

Output (Production)
  Rate =
Designing of Product Layouts
• Goal : Arrange workers/ machines in sequence that operations need
to be performed.
• Process of deciding how to assign tasks to workstations is known as
Line Balancing
• Synchronization to achieve maximum utilization
Line Balancing
Suppose one shift – 8 hrs
Processing flow and time as follows:

1 hr 2 hr 0.5 hr
M/c A M/c B M/c C
8 units 4 units 16 units

How many units can be produced in 1 shift? 8units

• So maximum 4 units can be made in one shift….
• Cycle Time is 2hrs (highest value of time)
• Cycle Time – defined as the longest task time, it will define the production rate
Line Balancing
• Involves assigning tasks to workstations. (usually one worker assigned
to each workstation)
• E.g. Manager can use anywhere from one workstation to 5
workstation to manage 5 tasks

0.1 min 0.7 min 1.0 min 0.5 min 0.2 min
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Task 5
Line Balancing
• Suppose 5 work stations… total=2.5 min
0.1 min 0.7 min 1.0 min 0.5 min 0.2 min
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Task 5
 Longest task
=3
Hence Cycle Time = 1.0
Mathematically
Output (Production) Rate = = 480/1=480 units/shift (8hrs==480 min)
• Here,
  output required is only 200 so we added all tasks

• Suppose desired output is 200 units per day, then

• Actual (Desired) Cycle Time = ==
• 480/200=2.4 Min

• Suppose all tasks combined to one workstation ….…2.5

• Cycle Time = 2.5 min
• Output = = 480/2.5=192 units/shift

IF I WANT MORE OUTPUT THEN ALL TASKS WILL BE DIFFERENT.

IF THE OUTPUT IS LESS THAN TASKS WILL BE ADDED.

Line Balancing
•  Theoretical Minimum no. of workstations reqd =

• Average resource utilization =

• Balance Delay (Idle) = 1 – Avg. Resource utilization

• Precedence Diagram and

• Allocation of tasks to machines…
Line Balancing - Problem
A computer manufacturer needs to design assembly stations in the factory where the cabinet housing hard disk,
motherboard and other accessories is to be made. The factory currently works for one shift of 8 hours. Tasks, precedence and
duration are as follows:
a. Draw precedence diagram
b. If the cycle time is 80 seconds, what will be the daily production of cabinets be?
c. If desired production rate is 320 cabinets per day, what is the maximum permissible cycle time?
d. What is the maximum and minimum number of workstations required to maintain the production rate of 320 cabinets
per day?
e. Design an assembly set-up with 5 work stations and 6 work stations.
f. What are key inferences?
Task Precedent Description Duration (seconds)
A -- Assemble and position the base unit 70
B A Install hard disk 80
C A Install mother board 40
D A Insert ports 20
E A Install speaker 40
F B,C Connect relevant modules to mother board and disk 30
G C Install Controller 50
H D,E,F,G Visually inspect and close with cover plate 50
 Line Balancing – Problem - solution
Ta Preced Duration
The factory currently works for sk ence (seconds)
one shift of 8 hours.
a. Draw precedence A -- 70 B
diagram B A 80
F
b. If the cycle time is 80 80
C A 40 30
seconds, what will be the
daily production of D A 20
cabinets be?
E A 40 A C
c. If desired production rate
is 320 cabinets per day, F B,C 30
G H
70 40 50
what is the maximum G C 50
permissible cycle time? 50
d. What is the maximum H D,E,F 50 D
and minimum number of ,G
workstations required to 20
maintain the production
rate of 320 cabinets per
day?
e. Design an assembly set-
E
up with 5 work stations
and 6 work stations. 40 Total available time per day
f. What are key inferences? = 8 x 60 x 60 = 28,800 seconds
Solution - contd B
80
F
The factory currently works 30
for one shift of 8 hours.
a. Draw precedence A C G H
diagram
b. If the cycle time is 80 70
40 50
seconds, what will be D 50
the daily production of
cabinets be?
20
c. If desired production
rate is 320 cabinets per E b)
  Daily production rate=28800/80 sec=360 cabinets/shift
day, what is the
maximum permissible 40 c) dpr=320 cabinets
cycle time? cycle time= 28800/320= 90 sec
d. What is the maximum
and minimum number d) Maximum= 8 workstations
of workstations Minimum= =380/90= 5 workstations
required to maintain
the production rate of
With 6 workstations cycle time =6=380/x
320 cabinets per day?
e. Design an assembly X= 63.3 sec
set-up with 5 work But I cannot use this as cycle time as maximum max task
stations and 6 work time is 80 sec.
stations. Hence, task time for 6 workstations will be 80 sec.
f. What are key
inferences?
Solution - contd B
80
F
The factory currently works 30
for one shift of 8 hours.
a. Draw precedence A C G H
diagram
b. If the cycle time is 80 70
40 50
seconds, what will be D 50
the daily production of
cabinets be?
20
c. If desired production
rate is 320 cabinets per E Average utilization for 5 workstations= 380/5*90
day, what is the = 0.8444=84.44%
maximum permissible 40
cycle time? Balance delay= 1-84.44= 0.1556 =15.56%
d. What is the maximum
and minimum number Average utilization for 6 workstations= 380/6*80
of workstations = 0.7996=79.16%
required to maintain
the production rate of
Balance delay= 1- 79.16
320 cabinets per day?
e. Design an assembly =0.2084=20.84%
set-up with 5 work
stations and 6 work f) Utilization down by =5.28% (84.44-77.16)%
stations. Resources increased by 40/320=12.5% (320-360)/320
f. What are key
inferences?
 B F
80 Assign tasks based on precedents, then based on longest task
30
times
A C G H
70 40 50
D 50 Design of assembly set-up with 5 workstations
20 Workstation 1 Workstation 2 Workstation 3 Workstation 4 Workstation 5

E Task assigned A,D B C,G E,F H

40
W/s times 70+20=90 80 40+50=90 40+30=70 50
Cycle time 90 90 90 90 90
W/s Idle time 0 10 0 20 40
W/s Utilization 100% 89% 100% =70/90=78% =50/90=56%
Design of assembly set-up with 6 workstations
Workstation 1 Workstation 2 Workstation 3 Workstation 4 Workstation 5 Workstation 6

Task assigned A B C,E F,G D H

W/s times 70 80 80 80 20 50
Cycle time 80 80 80 80 80 80
W/s Idle time 10 0 0 0 60 30
W/s Utilization 87.5% 100% 100% 100% 25% 62.5%
Problem 1 – self solve
• Real Fruit Snack Strips are made from a mixture of dried fruit, food
coloring, preservatives and glucose. The mixture is pressed out into
thin sheet, imprinted with various shapes rolled and packaged.
• The precedence and time requirements for ech step is given below. To
meet demand, Real Fruit needs to produce 6000 fruit strips every 40
hour week. Design an assembly line with the fewest number of
workstations that will achieve production quota without violating
precedence constraints.
Work Element Precedence Time (min)
A Press out sheet of fruit -- 0.1
B Cut into strips A 0.2
C Outline fun shapes A 0.4
D Roll up and package B,C 0.3
Problem – self solve
• Worldstar Appliances Ltd is based at New Delhi and manufactures BlueLine of mixers and grinders
for household use. It sources the outer plastic bodies, electrical wires, electrical plugs etc.. from
external suppliers.
• The following is the precedence and task times, identify the theoretical number of machines and
complete the allocations and find the efficiency of the line.
• production quota without violating precedence constraints.
Work Element Precedence Time (min)
A Fix electrical motor assy over base -- 4
B Insert the rubber blocks in slots below plastic -- 2
base
C Connecting electrical lead to electric motor assy -- 5
D Attach outer plastic cover using base screws A,C 3
E Fix external ON/OFF switch D 4
F Attach plastic rotator on the mixer top D 2
G Final inspection of mixer B,E,F 3
H Packing the mixer unit with attachments G 2