PRODUCTION PLANNING – Line

Balancing (Part 1)
Line Balancing Calculation

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Line Balancing..
Purpose is to minimize the number
of people and/or machines on an
assembly line that is required to
produce a given number of units

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A Line Process

 The desired output rate is matched to the

staffing or production plan
 Line Cycle Time is the maximum time
allowed for work at each station is
1
ct =
r
where
c = cycle time in hours
r = desired output rate or throughput rate
capacity

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A Line Process

 The theoretical minimum number of

stations is

t
TM =
ct

where
t =total time required to
assemble each unit

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A Line Process

 Idle time, efficiency, and balance delay

Idle time = nct – t

where
n =number of stations

t
Efficiency (%) = nct (100)

Balance delay (%) = 100 – Efficiency

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Line Balancing Example

EXAMPLE
Green Grass’s plant manager just received marketing’s latest
forecasts of fertilizer spreader sales for the next year. She
wants its production line to be designed to make 2,400
spreaders per week. The plant will operate 40 hours per week.

a. What should be the line’s cycle time or throughput rate per

hour be?

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall. 7–6

Line Balancing Example

EXAMPLE
Green Grass’s plant manager just received marketing’s latest forecasts of
fertilizer spreader sales for the next year. She wants its production line to be
designed to make 2,400 spreaders per week. The plant will operate 40 hours
per week.
Assume that in order to produce the new fertilizer spreader on the assembly
line requires doing the following steps in the order specified:

Work Immediate
Description Time (sec)
Element Predecessor(s)
A Bolt leg frame to hopper 40 None
B Insert impeller shaft 30 A
C Attach axle 50 A
D Attach agitator 40 B
E Attach drive wheel 6 B
F Attach free wheel 25 C
G Mount lower post 15 C
H Attach controls 20 D, E
I Mount nameplate 18 F, G
7–7
The questions

a. What should be the line’s cycle time or

throughput rate per hour be?
b. Draw a precedence diagram
c. What is the total number of workstations
or machines required?
d. Balance the line.
e. Now calculate the efficiency measures of
a five-station solution

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall. 7–8

Line Balancing Example

EXAMPLE
Green Grass’s plant manager just received marketing’s latest
forecasts of fertilizer spreader sales for the next year. She
wants its production line to be designed to make 2,400
spreaders per week. The plant will operate 40 hours per week.

a. What should be the line’s cycle time or throughput rate per hour be?
To make 2,400 spreaders per week.
The plant will operate 40 hours per week
Throughput rate/hr =
= 2400 / 40 = 60 spreaders/hr = 60 spreaders/ 60minutes
= 1 spreader/minute
Cycle Time = 1/Throughput rate=
= 1/1 = 1 minute = 60 seconds

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall. 7–9

Line balancing Example continued:
Assume that in order to produce the new fertilizer spreader on
the assembly line requires doing the following steps in the order
specified:
Work Time Immediate
Description
Element (sec) Predecessor(s)
A Bolt leg frame to hopper 40 None
B Insert impeller shaft 30 A
C Attach axle 50 A
D Attach agitator 40 B
E Attach drive wheel 6 B
F Attach free wheel 25 C
G Mount lower post 15 C
H Attach controls 20 D, E
I Mount nameplate 18 F, G
244

Throughput time = 244 sec

b. Draw a precedence diagram

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b. Draw a Precedence Diagram
SOLUTION

D
H
B 40
20
30 E
6
A
F
40 C
25
50
I

Precedence Diagram for 18

G
Assembling the Big Broadcaster
15

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Draw a Precedence Diagram
SOLUTION
The figure shows the complete diagram. We begin with work
element A, which has no immediate predecessors. Next, we add
elements B and C, for which element A is the only immediate
predecessor. After entering time standards and arrows showing
precedence, we add elements D and E,
and so on. The diagram simplifies
D
interpretation. Work element F, H
for example, can be done B 40
20
anywhere on the line after 30 E
element C is completed. 6
However, element I must A
F
await completion of 40 C
25
elements F and G. 50
I

Precedence Diagram for 18

G
Assembling the Big Broadcaster
15

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall. 7 – 12

Line balancing Example continued:
Assume that in order to produce the new fertilizer spreader on
the assembly line requires doing the following steps in the order
specified:
Work Immediate
Description Time (sec)
Element Predecessor(s)
A Bolt leg frame to hopper 40 None
B Insert impeller shaft 30 A
C Attach axle 50 A
D Attach agitator 40 B
E Attach drive wheel 6 B
F Attach free wheel 25 C
G Mount lower post 15 C
H Attach controls 20 D, E
I Mount nameplate 18 F, G
Total 244

c. What is the total number of workstations or machines

required?
=TM (total machines/workstation) = total production time / cycle time
= 244/60 = 4.067 or 5
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Total number of stations :
Assume that in order to produce the new fertilizer spreader on
the assembly line requires doing the following steps in the order
specified: (cycle time is 60 sec)

c. What is the total number of stations or machines required?

TM (total machines) = total production time / cycle time = 244/60 = 4.067 or 5

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Allocating work or activities to
stations or machines
 The goal is to cluster the work elements into
workstations so that
1. The number of workstations required is minimized
2. The precedence and cycle-time requirements are not
violated
 The work content for each station is equal (or
nearly so, but less than) the cycle time for the
line.
 Trial-and-error can be used but commercial
software packages are also available.

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d. Balance the line - step 1 (Determine No
of following task for each task)
Work Element No. of following task
SOLUTION
No of following task after Task A is A 8

B,D,E,H,C,F,G,I = 8 C or B 3
D,E,F,G 1
No of following task after Task B is
H,I 0
D,E,F = 3
No of following task after Task C is
F,G,I = 3
No of following task after Task D is D
H
H=1 B 40
20
No of following task after Task E is E
30
H=1
6
No of following task after Task F is A
F
I=1 40 C
25
No of following task after Task G is
50
I=1 I

Precedence Diagram for 18

G
Assembling the Big Broadcaster
15

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Step 2 – Observe the Line balancing
Rules:
1. Prioritize task in order of largest number
of following task
2. Prioritize task in order of longest task time

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Step 3- Balance the line
SOLUTION (NOTE: CYCLE TIME = 60 SEC)
Work Time Unassigned Candidate(s) Choice Workstation
Element Time
A 40 (60-40) = 20 NONE NONE 1
C 50 (60-50) = 10 NONE NONE 2
B 30 (60-30) = 30 E,F,G F 3
F 25 (30-25) = 5 NONE NONE 3
D 40 (60-40) = 20 E,G G 4
G 15 (20- 14) = 5 NONE NONE 4 D
H
E 6 (60-6) = 54 H,I H 5 40
B
H 20 (54-20) = 34 I I 5 20
I 18 (34-18) = 16 NONE NONE 5 30 E
Prioritize task in order of largest number of 6
following task
A
F
Prioritize task in order of longest task time 40 C
25
No. of following 50
Work Element I
task
A 8 18
G
C or B 3
Precedence Diagram for
D,E,F,G 1 15
Assembling the Big Broadcaster
H,I 0
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Summary of the balanced line
1. Prioritize task in order of largest number of following task
2. Prioritize task in order of longest task time
Work Unassigned
Time Station
Element time

A 40 20 NONE 1
C 50 10 NONE 2
B 30 30 F 3
F 25 5 NONE 3
D 40 20 E,G 4
G 15 5 NONE 4
E 6 54 H,I 5
H 20 34 I 5
I 18 16 NONE 5

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 The balanced line layout
Work Unassigned
Time Station
Element time
D
H A 40 20 NONE 1
B 40
20 C 50 10 NONE 2
30 E
B 30 30 F 3
6
A F 25 5 NONE 3
F
40 D 40 20 E,G 4
C
25 G 15 5 NONE 4
50
I E 6 54 H,I 5
18 H 20 34 I 5
G
I 18 16 NONE 5
15

Precedence Diagram Solution

The minimum number of workstations is 5 and the cycle time is

60 seconds, so the figure below represents an optimal solution
to the problem

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Calculating Line Efficiency

e. Now calculate the efficiency measures of a five-station

solution:
n = no of workstation, c = cycle time, t = throughput time

t 244
Efficiency = (100) = x 100 = 81.3%
nc 5(60)

Balance delay (%) = 100 – Efficiency = 100% - 81.3% = 18.7%

Idle time = nc – t = 5(60) – 244 = 56 seconds

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FULL ONLINE CLASS(FOC)
- EXERCISE
A plant manager needs a design for an assembly line to
assembly a new product that is being introduced. The time
requirements and
immediate Work Element Time (sec)
Immediate
predecessors for the Predecessor
work elements are A 12 ―
as follows: B 60 A
C 36 ―
D 24 ―
E 38 C, D
F 72 B, E
G 14 ―
H 72 ―
I 35 G, H
J 60 I
K 12 F, J
Total = 435

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FULL ONLINE CLASS(FOC)
- EXERCISE
 Draw a precedence diagram
 If the desired output rate (r) is 30 units per
hour, what are the cycle time and
theoretical minimum?
 Balance the line.
 What is the idle time per unit, efficiency,
and the balance delay for this solution?

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