Assembly Line Balancing

For high volume mass or continuous production a line Layout is preferable. The equipments are laid out
according to the sequence of operations that must be performed on the raw material to convert it into the
finished product. The sequence of equipments and sequence of the stages through which the raw material
progresses from the raw material stage to the finished product stage correspond to each other. Such a Line
Layout is preferred in most of the assembling operations where a number of components have to be put
together to produce the final product. This is called Line Assembling.

Productivity Planning in Mass Production System: Assembly Line resembles to a moving conveyor
passing through a series of work stations. The time used at each work station for its operation is not equal.
If one operation takes 10 minutes and the other operation, in same line, takes 5 minutes then the rate of
production will be one unit per 10 minutes. One work station will be ideal for 5 minutes. The main
problem before assembly line layout is to reduce these ideal-times or to have equality of output at each
working station as possible. The equalizing of the output rate at different work stations is termed as
‘balancing’.

Grouping Tasks : The time problem discussed above is worked out by grouping tasks. The balancing of
line means to group the various elemental tasks involved in production into different work stations in
such a way as to have more or less equal working time at each of the work station. It is done by sharing
the work to the station which is taking less time(5 minutes) or by increasing the number of operators on
the workstation taking more time(10 minutes)

Estimating Time for Tasks : It involves gathering of information on the number of tasks involved and the
time required for each of these tasks

Sequencing Relationship between Tasks : The basic data require for line balancing are as under:
1. A list of all the tasks
2. Time required for each of the task
3. Technological sequencing requirements between different tasks

Assembly Line Balancing – Example : The assembly line for a children’s tricycle has the following
work elements identified and sequences indicated:

Immediate Work Element

Work Element Description of work Element
Predecessor of Work Time (minutes)
A Drill and make hole for fixing wheel on handle bar Nil 4
B Drill and make hole for fixing rear wheels on the frame Nil 4
C Fix seat support system B 3
D Fix handle bar to seat support system A,C 2
E Fix plastic seats D 2
F Fit plastic back-rest D 3
G Mount Front Wheel E,F 5
H Mount Rear Wheel E,F 8
I Install rubber mounting on the pipe G,H 1
J Install bell on the handle I 1

The cycle time for this problem is 8 minutes, since this is the maximum amount of station-time.
 H

E
A D
I J

F G
C
B

Fig : Precedence Diagram for Tricycle Problem

If each element task is manned by one operator, then the Balance Delay will be:
=100(10 x 8 – 34) = 57.5%
10 x 8

Visual Grouping of Work Elements: How can one group the work elements to reduce the Balance
Delay, if the rate of production (8 minutes per tricycle) is to be the same? We have to check the
Precedence Diagram visually. The following grouping is one possibility:

Work Station 1: A and B -- 8 minutes

Work Station 2: C, D and F -- 8 minutes
Work Station 3: E -- 2 minutes
Work Station 4: H -- 8 minutes
Work Station 5: G, I and J -- 7 minutes

This gives a balance delay = 100(5 x 8 – 34) = 15%

5x8
We could have grouped the stations differently, as follows:
Work Station 1: B and C -- 7 minutes
Work Station 2: A, D and E -- 8 minutes
Work Station 3: F and G -- 8 minutes
Work Station 4: H -- 8 minutes
Work Station 5: I and J -- 2 minutes
Balance Delay in this grouping also is the same, that is 15%, because the number of work station remains
same.

It does not seem to be possible in any way to reduce number of work stations. Any one of the above
grouping would produce equivalent results.