3.

Assembly Line Balancing

An assembly line is a method of production in which the parts are assembled and made into the
final product as the unit progresses from station to station. In order to develop a balanced
assembly line, it is necessary to distribute the total work content of the product among all the
workstations so that stations can complete their assigned task in approximately the same time. If
a line is perfectly balanced, each station requires identical time to complete all its assigned tasks.
However, such perfect balance is rarely possible, and the longest station time becomes the cycle
time for the assembly line.

There are a number of methods available for developing a balance assembly line. We shall
consider two procedures to determine the minimum number of stations necessary to obtain the
cycle time.

3.1: Largest Candidate Rule ( LCR )

Step -1: List the tasks in descending order of task times. Also list the corresponding immediate
predecessor task(s) for each task.

Step -2: Starting with the first station, number the remaining stations consecutively as we apply
step3.

Step -3: Beginning at the top of the task list, assign the first feasible task to the station under
consideration. Once the task is assigned, all reference to it is removed from the predecessor task
list. A task is feasible only if it does not have any predecessor or if all the predecessors have been
deleted. It may be assigned only if it does not exceed the cycle time for the station. This
condition can be checked by comparing the cumulative time for all jobs so far assigned to that
station, including the task under consideration, with cycle time. If the cumulative time is greater
than the cycle time, the task under consideration can not be assigned to the station. Go to the next
feasible task. If no task is feasible, proceed to step 5.

Step -4: Delete the task that is assigned from the first column of the task list. If the list is now
empty, go to step 6; otherwise, return to step 3.

Step -5: Create a new station by increasing the station count by 1. Return to step 3.

Step -6: All jobs are assigned, and the present station number reflects the number of stations
required. The procedure also shows the job assignments for each station. The largest cumulative
time for the individual station is the cycle time.

Efficiency = [ 1 – ( Total worker time requires per unit – Time necessary per unit of job ) /
( Total worker time required per unit ) ] * 100
40
Example -1:

Develop a balance assembly line for a job that can be broken in to 9 tasks with precedence
relationships and task times as display in the following net work. Assume a desired cycle time of
0.95.

0.33 0.15
2 5

0.7 0.25 0.42 0.40 0.88

1 3 6 8 9

4 7
0.75 0.52

Solution:

Arrange the jobs in descending order of the task times

Task Precedence Relations and Immediate Predecessors

Task Task time Immediate Predecessor(s)

9 0.88 5,7,8
4 0.75 1,2,3
1 0.70 ----
7 0.52 4,5,6
6 0.42 3
8 0.40 6,7
2 0.33 1
3 0.25 1
5 0.15 2

Iteration -1:

41
Tasks 9 and 4 both have immediate predecessors that are not yet sequenced. Task 1 can be
assigned to the first station because it does not have any preceding task. The task 1 time is 0.70
which is less than the cycle time ( 0.95 ), and tasks 2 and 3 succeeding task 1. The cumulative
time of tasks 1 and 2 ( 0.70 + 0.25 = 0.95 ) equal to the cycle time. Then station1 contained tasks
1 and 3. Delete jobs 1 and 3.

Iteration -2:

Tasks 9 and 7 both have immediate predecessors that are not yet sequenced. Task 4 succeeds
assigned tasks 1and 3 it has a time 0.75, the task 4which is preceding task 7, both cumulative
time ( 0.75 + 0.52 = 1.25 ) greater than the cycle time ( 0.95 ). Task 6 succeeding assigned task
3, and also task 2 succeeding assigned task 1, both cumulative time ( 0.42 + 0.33 = 0.75 ) which
is less than the cycle time. Then station 2 contains tasks 6 and 2. Delete jobs 2 and 6.

Iteration -3:

Tasks 9, 7 and 8 all have immediate predecessors that are not yet sequenced. Task 4 succeeds
assigned tasks 1, 2and 3 it has a time 0.75, the task 4which is preceding task 7 and both
cumulative time ( 0.75 + 0.52 = 1.25 ) greater than the cycle time ( 0.95 ). Task 4 succeeding
assigned tasks 1,2 and 3, and also task 5 succeeding assigned task 2, both cumulative time ( 0.75
+ 0.19 = 0.90 ) which is less than the cycle time. Then station 3 contains tasks 4 and 5. Delete
jobs 5 and 4.

Iteration -4:

Tasks 9 succeeding tasks 5, 7 and 8, where task 5 is assigned and remaining tasks that are not yet
sequenced. The cumulative time of both 9and 7 or 9 and 8 all of them greater than the cycle time.
Tasks 7and 8 cumulative time both ( 0.52 + 0.40 = 0.92 ) less than the cycle time ( 0.95 ). Then
station 4 contains tasks 7 and 8. Delete jobs 7 and 8.

Iteration -5:

Task 9 will be in a station 5 alone.

42
 Task Task time Cumulative Task
Station Assigned Time/ Station

1 1 0.70
3 0.25 0.95

2 6 0.42
2 0.33 0.75

3 4 0.75
5 0.15 0.90

4 7 0.52
8 0.40 0.92

5 9 0.88 0.88

Total worker time required per unit = number of cycles * cycle time

Total necessary per unit of job =  of all task times

 (5 0.95  4.40) 
Efficiency = e  1   100 92.63%
 5 0.95

3.2: Ranked Positional Weight Method ( RPW )

In this method they are ranked according to how important they are in completing all tasks
depend on them. This importance is based on the ranked position weight of each element, which
is the sum of the times for all elements that directly follow it in the precedence plus the time for
the particular task itself.

Example -2:

Develop a balance assembly line for a job that can be broken in to 9 tasks with precedence
relationships and task times as display in the following net work. Assume a desired cycle time of
0.95.

0.33 0.15
2 5

0.7 0.25 0.42 0.40 0.88

1 3 6 8 9

4 7
0.75 0.52

43
Solution:

Total time at node 1 = summation of all task times at each mode

Node 2 = 0.33 + 0.75 + 0.15 + 0.52 + 0. 40 + 0.88 = 3.03

Node 3 = 0.25 + 0.75 + 0. 42 + 0. 52 + 0. 40 + 0.88 = 3.22

Tasks ranked in descending order of RPW

Task PRW Total Time

1 4.40 0.70
3 3.22 0.25
2 3.03 0.33
4 2.55 0.75
6 2.22 0.15
5 1.95 0.42
7 1.80 0.52
8 1.28 0.40
9 0.88 0.88

Task Task Cumulative Task

Station Assigned Time Time / Station

1 1 0.70
3 0.25 0.95

2 2 0.33
5 0.15
6 0.42 0.90

3 4 0.75 0.75

4 7 0.52
8 0.40 0.92

5 9 0.88 0.88

44
 Assignment # 3
Q.1: Develop a balance assembly line for a job that can be broken in to 10 tasks with
precedence relationships and task times as display in the following net work. Assume a desired
cycle time of 0.95. Use the LCR and RPW.

0.42 0.28
2 5

0.75
8
0.65 0.50 0.13
1 3 6 0.80
10
0.58
9
4 7
0.34 0.48

Q.2: Develop a balance assembly line for a job that can be broken in to 12 tasks with
precedence relationships and task times as display in the following net work. Assume a desired
cycle time of 135. Use the LCR and RPW

45
79
2
7
12
45
5
70
10
1 3 80
90
90 8
66 12
6
27
4
11
58 9
75

45