A framework for the continuous performance improvement of manned assembly lines

Abstract

This paper proposes a framework for the continuous performance improvement of manned assembly lines for major appliances. The suggested framework consists of two main activities: (1) assembly work process improvement, including time and motion study and (2) improvement of line balance efficiency. Although there have been numerous studies on this topic, most of them deal with partial issues rather than the continuous performance improvement of the whole assembly line, which this paper addresses. To develop the framework, we categorised a manned assembly line into five analysis levels, (workstation, worker, operation cycle, work element and unit motion), and identified user requirements on each level. Among these five analysis levels, the workstation level supports line balancing, while the other four (worker, operation cycle, work element and unit motion) address work process improvement. The proposed framework has been implemented and tested with various examples from Korean assembly line based manufacturers.

Keywords:

• continuous performance improvement
• major appliances
• manned assembly line
• work process improvement
• line balance