Article ID: | iaor20022223 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 13 |
Issue: | 2 |
Start Page Number: | 138 |
End Page Number: | 150 |
Publication Date: | Mar 2001 |
Journal: | Manufacturing & Service Operations Management |
Authors: | Chand Suresh, Zeng Ting |
Keywords: | simulation: applications |
Traditionally, assembly lines are laid out in a straight-line configuration where a worker covers only adjacent stations. In a U-line layout, on the other hand, two or more non-adjacent stations can be physically close to each other, making it possible for a worker to cover nonadjacent stations. This added flexibility increases the decision space for U-line layouts and can result in better balanced lines. This paper examines the impact of stochastic task times on the relative performance of U-line and straight-line layouts. Several analytical and simulation results are presented, and insights are provided to explain the difference in the performance of U-line and straight-line layouts. To summarize our main results, although balanced U-line layouts are at least as productive as balanced straight-line layouts given deterministic task times, they can be less productive given stochastic task times if they are balanced deterministically using mean times.