Mixed model line balancing for manual assembly system

Abstract

It is imperative for organisations in the automotive industry to adopt a culture of continuous improvement due to a highly competitive market environment. An automotive manufacturer had adopted a takt time of 60 minutes but has been facing challenges in meeting the daily target of vehicles produced per day. The challenges were attributed to the imbalance of the assembly line and waste generated from non-value adding activities. The focus of this work is to improve a manual automotive assembly system. Time studies were conducted, a list of tools and shovel-ware components was compiled, and work stations were allocated to all the operations. After line balancing, the bus trailer was moved from the sub-assembly bay to the production line leading to more productivity. Additionally, the centralisation of bus trailer allowed for the optimal use of the tools, and the savings that were derived amounted to R350 000 per year.