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Working Document Layout Strategies

The document discusses different layout strategies for assembly lines including balancing workstations to minimize imbalance and meet output requirements. It provides an example of developing a precedence diagram and calculating the theoretical minimum number of workstations for a Boeing assembly line. Additionally, it describes using a process layout to redesign the layout of an aircraft maintenance facility to improve material flow efficiency.

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490 views8 pages

Working Document Layout Strategies

The document discusses different layout strategies for assembly lines including balancing workstations to minimize imbalance and meet output requirements. It provides an example of developing a precedence diagram and calculating the theoretical minimum number of workstations for a Boeing assembly line. Additionally, it describes using a process layout to redesign the layout of an aircraft maintenance facility to improve material flow efficiency.

Uploaded by

Bunny
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Layout Strategies

Assembly-Line Balancing

Formula

Line balancing is usually undertaken to minimize imbalance between machines or personnel while
meeting a required output from the line. To produce at a specified rate, management must know
the tools, equipment, and work methods used. Then the time requirements for each assembly task
(e.g., drilling a hole, tightening a nut, or spray-painting a part) must be determined.

Example

DEVELOPING A PRECEDENCE DIAGRAM FOR AN ASSEMBLY LINE, On the basis of the precedence
diagram and activity times given in Boeing determines that there are 480 productive minutes of
work available per day. Furthermore, the production schedule requires that 40 units of the wing
component be completed as output from the assembly line each day. It now wants to group the
tasks into workstations.
a) Draw a precedence diagram of this operation. b) What is the cycle time for this operation? c)
What is the theoretical minimum number of workstations? d) Assign tasks to workstations.
e) What is the idle time per cycle?

Solution
Example 2
Formula

Example 3

Aero Maintenance is a small aircraft engine maintenance facility located in Wichita, Kansas. Its new
administrator, Ann Daniel, decides to improve material flow in the facility, using the process layout
method she studied at Wichita State University. The current layout of Aero Maintenance’s eight
departments is shown below
Daniel assumes that adjacent departments, such as entrance (now in work area A) and receiving
(now in work area B), have a walking distance of 10 feet. Diagonal departments are also considered
adjacent and assigned a distance of 10 feet. Nonadjacent departments, such as the entrance and
parts (now in area C) or the entrance and inspection (area G) are 20 feet apart, and nonadjacent
rooms, such as entrance and metallurgy (area D), are 30 feet apart. (Hence, 10 feet is considered 10
units of cost, 20 feet is 20 units of cost, and 30 feet is 30 units of cost.) Given the above information,
redesign Aero Maintenance’s layout to improve its material flow efficiency.

Solution ; First, establish Aero Maintenance’s current layout, as shown in Figure 9.16 . Then, by
analyzing the current layout, compute material movement:
Propose a new layout that will reduce the current figure of 6,700 feet. Two useful changes, for
example, are to switch departments 3 and 5 and to interchange departments 4 and 6. This change
would result in the schematic shown below
Theory Questions

1. What are the seven layout strategies presented in this chapter? 2. What are the three factors that
complicate a fixed-position layout? 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of process
layout? 4. How would an analyst obtain data and determine the number of trips in: (a) a hospital? (b)
a machine shop? (c) an auto-repair shop? 5. Explain the concept of cross-docking.

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