FLOW LINE SYSTEMS

Refer Readings 1-2

A Few Snapshots of
Early Assembly Systems

Armature Winding

Initial Ford Assembly Approach

A Later Ford Line

Ford V-8 Engine

Assembly Line
However, most
component production
continued to be done on
batch basis in Functional
layout, even though
several Special Purpose
M/cs were introduced.

Flow Line Types and Design Issues

Flow Lines in
Mass Production Hierarchy
Mass
Production

Quantity
Production

Flow
Production

Flow
Process

Discrete Item
Flow Line

Transfer
Line

Assembly
Flow Line

Design Aspects of Flow Lines ..

1. Process Design
2. Physical Design Options: Layout & Handling
3. Line Configuration & Capacity
4. Line Balance & Speed
5. Coping with Variants

Design Aspects of Flow Lines (Contd.)

6. Coping with Uncertainty
7. WIP Management
8. Yield Management
9. Maintenance & Uptime
10. Information & Control Systems
11. People Aspects

Some Flow Line Terminology

Components

Activity 1

Activity 2

Activity 3

Finished Xootrs

Activity times: how long does the worker spend on the task?
Capacity=1/activity time: how many units can the worker make per unit of time
Bottleneck: process step with the lowest capacity
Process capacity: capacity of the bottleneck
Flow rate =Minimum {Demand rate, Process Capacity)
Cycle time (or takt time)=1/Flow Rate: time interval between the completion of
successive units

Flow Line Behaviour Parameters

Starving
Blocking
Incompletions
Smoothness (of flow)
Flexibility & Robustness

Other Performance Measures

Utilization = Flow Rate / Capacity
Flow Time
Work In Process
Uptime
Yield

Flow Line Process Design

Largely technical but with managerial
decisions and implications ..
Precedence structure
Series vs. Parallel work
Degree of task division/ detailing
Division between Assembly & Sub-assembly
Material supply mechanisms

Assembly/Sub-assembly Partition

B: Buffer

Material Supply Alternatives

Each item stocked Line-side, with assembly on
line, vs.
Kitting with assembly on line, or
Pre-assembly with attachment on line.
Direct On Line delivery vs. through Formal
Storage
Choices have Product Design and Material
Handling implications as well

Underlying Principles of Flow Lines

Interchangeable parts
Division of tasks
Simultaneous operation
Regularity of workflow
Minimum distance moved (Total and Backflow)