Chap 6 Process Selection and Facility Layout

Discussion
Line balancing Procedure
1. Identify the cycle time and determine the minimum number of workstations.
2. Make assignments to workstations in order, beginning with Station 1.
Tasks are assigned based on one of the two heuristic rules (most following tasks or greatest positional
weight) to workstations moving from left to right through the
precedence diagram.
3. Before each assignment, use the following criteria to determine which tasks are eligible to be assigned to a
workstation :
a. All preceding tasks in the sequence have been assigned.
b. The task time does not exceed the time remaining at the workstation.
If no tasks are eligible, move on to the next workstations.
4. After each task assignment, determine the time remaining at the current workstation by subtracting the sum of
times for tasks already assigned to it from the cycle time.
5. Break ties that occur using one of these rules:
a. Assign the task with the longest task time
b. Assign the task with the greatest number of followers
If there is still a tie, choose one task arbitrarily
6. Continue until all tasks have been assigned to workstations.
7. Compute appropriate measures (e.g., percent idle time, efficiency) for the set of assignments.

The following information is for 1-4

QRS Corp. is designing a product layout for a new product. They plan to use this production line ten hours a day in order
to meet forecasted demand of 900 units per day. The following table describes the tasks necessary to produce this product:

TASK Immediate Follower Time (Seconds)

a B 34
b c,d 20
c E 10
d F 16
e F 10
f G 24
g None 38
Total: 152

1. For output to equal forecasted demand, what should be the cycle time for this production?
A) 32 seconds
B) 38 seconds
C) 40 seconds
D) 76 seconds
E) 152 seconds

2. For output to equal forecasted demand, what is the minimum number of workstations needed?
A) 1
B) 3
C) 3.75
D) 4
E) 5

3. For output to equal forecasted demand, what will be the efficiency of the production line that uses the least number of
workstations?
A) 81%
B) 90%
C) 95%
1
D) 85%
E) 100%

4. If the company assigns the tasks to work stations under the “greatest number of following task” rule using a cycle time
of 70 seconds. The tiebreaker will be the longest task time. Then work station 1 includes task(s)
A) a, b, c
B) a, b, d
C) a, b, c, d
D) a, b
E) a

Problem 2. As part of a major plant renovation project, the industrial engineering department has been asked to
balance a revised assembly operation to achieve an output of 240 units per eight-hour day. Task times and
precedence relationships are as follows:
Duration Immediat Do each of the following:
(minutes e a. Draw the precedence diagram.
Task ) Followers b. Calculate the desired cycle time.
a 0.2 B c. Determine the minimum number of stations needed.
b 0.4 C d. Assign tasks to workstations on the basis of greatest number of
c 0.2 F following tasks. Use longest processing time as a tiebreaker. If ties
d 0.4 E
still exist, assume indifference in choice.
e 1.2 G
f 1.2 g
e. Compute the efficiency and percentage of idle time for the
g 1.0 end assignment in part d.

2
 Chap 6 Process Selection and Facility Layout
Problem Handout Answer Key

1. C 2. D 3 C 4 A

Problem 2 Solution. a.
1.2
.2
.2 .4
c f
b
a 1.0
1.2
.4 g
e
d

OT 8 * 60 min./day
b. CT  output  240 units / day  2 minutes

 t 4.6
c. N min    2.3 (rounds to 3) stations
CT 2.0
d. Assembly Line Balancing Table (CT = 2 minutes)
Work Station Time Remaining Eligible Tasks Assign Task
I 2 a, d a
1.8 b, d b
1.4 d, c d (tiebreaker)
1 c c
0.8 - -

II 2 e, f e or f (indifferent),
arbitrarily pick e

0.8 - -

III 2 f f
0.8 - -

IV 2 g g
1 - -
4.6
e. Efficiency   57.5%
( 4)( 2)
.8  .8  .8  1.0 3.4
Percentage of Idle Time    42.5%
(4)(2) 8.0