Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH
Volume 59, Issue 15, Pages 4670-4689Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/00207543.2020.1769874
Keywords
mixed-model assembly line balancing; fixed rate launching; variable rate launching; variable takt times; customisation; work zones; cycle time
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In today's fast-paced, high customization-demanding era, adopting a highly flexible assembly line can give companies a competitive edge. By aligning the assembly pace with the desired level of output, the optimal takt time can be determined to reduce the complexity of the mixed-model assembly line balancing problem.
In turbulent times featuring increased customisation, higher demand volatility, and shortened product life cycles, companies gain a competitive advantage by adopting a single yet highly flexible assembly line. A cornerstone of today's production systems is determining the optimal takt time (or cycle time) by aligning the assembly pace with the desired level of output. In practice, most companies rely on a fixed takt time, even when the work content between models varies considerably. We show that, in contrast to a fixed takt system, variable takt times reduce not only labour inefficiencies but also the complexity of the mixed-model assembly line balancing problem. Inspired by our industry partner Fendt, an innovation leader in the global agricultural machinery market and benchmark for a wide range of industries, we define a generalisable mixed-integer programming model that accounts for key conditions neglected in previous research - in particular, random customisation through configuration-specific task times and assembly quality by assigning operator workloads to 'zones'. Introducing such operator work zones reveals that firms need not face a time-quality trade-off whereby takt time must be prioritised over how well work is performed. Our numerical study and takt time sensitivity analysis document the effectiveness of this approach when its results are compared with those under Fendt's current takt times.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available