Requirements of Work

Cells
1. Identification of families of products
2. A high level of training, flexibility and
empowerment of employees
3. Being self-contained, with its own
equipment and resources
4. Test (poka-yoke) at each station in the
cell

Staffing and Balancing

Work Cells
Determine the takt time
Takt time =

Total work time available

Units required

Determine the
number of operators
required
Workers required =

Total operation time required

Takt time

Staffing Work Cells

Example

Standard time required

600 Mirrors per day required

Mirror production scheduled for 8 hours per day
60
From a work balance chart
total operation time
50
= 140 seconds
40
30
20
10
0
Assemble Paint

Test

Operations

Label Pack for

shipment

Staffing Work Cells

Example
600 Mirrors per day required
Mirror production scheduled for 8 hours per day
From a work balance chart
total operation time
= 140 seconds

Takt time = (8 hrs x 60 mins) / 600 units

= .8 mins = 48 seconds
Workers required

Total operation time required

Takt time
= 140 / 48 = 2.91

Work Balance Charts

Used for evaluating operation times in
work cells
Can help identify bottleneck
operations
Flexible, cross-trained employees can
help address labor bottlenecks
Machine bottlenecks may require
other approaches

Focused Work Center and

Focused Factory
Focused Work Center
Identify a large family of similar products that
have a large and stable demand
Moves production from a general-purpose,
process-oriented facility to a large work cell

Focused Factory
A focused work cell in a separate facility
May be focused by product line, layout, quality,
new product introduction, flexibility, or other
requirements

Product-Oriented Layouts
Fabrication line
Builds components on a series of machines
Machine-paced
Require mechanical or engineering changes to
balance
Assembly line
Puts fabricated parts together at a series of
workstations
Paced by work tasks
Balanced by moving tasks
Both types of lines must be balanced so that the time to perform
the work at each station is the same

Product-Oriented Layouts
Advantages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Low variable cost per unit

Low material handling costs
Reduced work-in-process inventories
Easier training and supervision
Rapid throughput

Disadvantages
1. High volume is required
2. Work stoppage at any point ties up the whole
operation
3. Lack of flexibility in product or production rates

McDonalds Assembly Line

Figure 9.12

Disassembly Lines
Disassembly is being considered in new
product designs
Green issues and recycling standards
are important consideration
Automotive
disassembly is
the 16th largest
industry in
the US

Assembly-Line Balancing
Objective is to minimize the imbalance
between machines or personnel while
meeting required output
Starts with the precedence relationships
1. Determine cycle time
2. Calculate theoretical
minimum number of
workstations
3. Balance the line by
assigning specific
tasks to workstations

Wing Component Example

Performance
Time
Task
(minutes)
A
10
B
11
C
5
D
4
E
12
F
3
G
7
H
11
I
3
Total time 66

Task Must Follow

Task Listed
Below

A
B
B
A
C, D
F
E
G, H

This means
that tasks B
and E cannot
be done until
task A has
been
completed

Wing Component Example

Performance
Time
Task
(minutes)
A
10
B
11
C
5
D
4
E
12
F
3
G
7
H
11
I
3
Total time 66

Task Must Follow

Task Listed
Below

A
B
B
A
C, D
F
10
E
A
G, H

5
11

B
12

C
4

G
3

11

H
Figure 9.13

Wing Component Example

Performance
Time
Task
(minutes)
A
10
B
11
C
5
D
4
E
12
F
3
G
7
H
11
I
3
Total time 66

480 available mins

Task Must Follow
per day
Task Listed
40 units required
Below

A
Production time
B
available per day
CycleBtime = Units required per
A
= 480 / 40 day
C, D = 12 minutes5 per unit
C
n
F
10
11
3
7
E
for taskFi
= Time
1B
A i
G
Minimum
G, H
4
3
Cycle time
number of =
workstations

12

= 66 / 12E
= 5.5 or 6 stations

11

H
Figure 9.13

Line-Balancing Heuristics
Wing Component
Example

1. Longest task time

Choose the available
task
480
available mins
Performance
Task Must
Follow
with
the longest task time
per day
Time
Task Listed
40 task
units required
Task2. Most
(minutes)
following tasks Below
Choose the available
A
10
with the largest
number
Cycle
time of
= 12 mins
B
11
Afollowing tasksMinimum
= 5.5 or 6
C
5
B
workstation
D 3. Ranked4 positional
BChoose the available
s task for
weight
which the sum of following
E
12
Atask times is the longest
5
F
3
C, D
C
G 4. Shortest
7 task time
FChoose
available
task
10 the 11
3
7
H
11
Ewith the shortest task time
A
B
G
F
I
3
G, H
4
3
5.
Least
number
of
Choose
the
available
task
Total time 66
D
I
following tasks
with the least12number
of 11
following tasks
E
H
Table 9.4

Figure 9.13

Wing Component Example

480 available mins
Performance
Task Must Follow
per day
Time
Task Listed
40 units required
Task
(minutes)
Below
A
10

Cycle time = 12 mins

B
11
A
Minimum = 5.5 or 6
Statio
5
C
B
workstation
n52
C B
D
4
s
11
3
7
E 10
12
A
B
F
G
F A
3
C, D
4
3
G
7
F
D E Station 3
H
11
I
I
3
G, H
12
11
Station
Total
Statiotime 66
6
E
H
n1
Statio
n4

Statio
n5

Figure 9.14

Wing Component Example

480 available mins
Performance
Task Must Follow
per day
Time
Task Listed
40 units required
Task
(minutes)
Below
A
10

Cycle time = 12 mins

B
11
A
Minimum = 5.5 or 6
C
5
B
workstation
D
4
B
s
E
12
A
F
3
C, D
Task times
G
7
F
Efficiency =
(Actual
number ofEworkstations) x (Largest cycle time)
H
11
I = 66 minutes
3
G, H x (12 minutes)
/ (6 stations)
Total
66
=time
91.7%