The nature of manual, moving belt flowlines with overlapping stations

Abstract

The practice of ignoring station length constraints on assembly lines where large items are attached to a moving belt at regular intervals and permitting neighbouring operators to perform their tasks within the same track sections to some extent is frequently observed in industry and has often been mooted in research publications. However, no theoretically or numerically derived results exist to demonstrate the effectiveness of such measures in alleviating the debilitating interaction of a constant, mechanically-set throughput rate and a series of work stages that each exhibit a random nature with regard to their operation times. Such considerations are important because capital investment in this type of manufacturing facility is usually high, output is also of high value and the assembly technology generally decrees that facilities are semi-permanent, and thereby emphasises pre-production planning aspects.

The following paper employs a Monte Carlo simulation model to show that under certain circumstances the adverse consequences of mechanical transfer can be overcome and to present a generalized set of figures for output efficiency for use in estimating the potential of any such line design. Finally, this is discussed in relation to those methods previously advanced for setting optimal resource allocation and/or operational procedures on both planned and established fixed-item conveyor-paced assembly lines.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

GEOFF BUXEY

Professor Visitante, Departmento de Engenharia de Producão e Sistemas, U.F.S.C., Florianópolis. S.C.,Brasil.