An assembly chart oriented assembly line balancing approach

SUMMARY

The use of precedence diagrams and estimates of task times, as the only source of engineering information for assembly line balancing (ALB), is common to most ALB techniques developed to date. This paper presents a model which incorporates the information carried by an assembly chart (or a Gozinto chart) into the ALB problem in an attempt to consider engineering objectives such as improving work methods and work enrichment in the design of assembly lines. A multi-objective approach is developed which integrates the traditional objective of minimizing the idle time of the line with the objective that a minimum number of subassemblies should be handled at each workstation.