Line Balancing

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–1

 LINE BALANCING

• The process of deciding how to assign tasks

to workstations
• The goal of line balancing is to obtain task
groupings that represent approximately equal
time requirements
• This minimizes the idle time along the line and
results in a high utilization of labor and
equipment

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–2

 LINE BALANCING

• Idle time occurs if task times are not equal

among workstations; some stations are
capable of producing at higher rates than
others
• These “fast stations” will experience periodic
waits for the output from slower stations or
else be forced into idleness to avoid build-ups
of work between stations

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–3

 LINE BALANCING
• Unbalanced lines are undesirable in terms of
inefficient utilization of labor and equipment
and because they may create morale
problems at the slower stations of workers
who must work continuously

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–4

 Line Balancing
TP (Total Processing Time) =  Processing Time

CT (Cycle Time) = Available Time / Actual Output

N (no. of workstations) = Total Processing Time /

Cycle Time

CL (longest Cycle Time)

DL (Balance Delay) = (N*CL – TP) / (N*CL) * 100

Efficiency = 100 - DL

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–5

 Sample Problem 1
Suppose that the work requirement to fabricate a product is divided
into 5 elemental tasks. Assume the plant is operating 8-hrs a day.
The actual output produced within the day is 480 units.

0.1 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.2

min min min min min

a. Determine the required number of workstations

b. Balance the line to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of
the plant.

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–6

 Sample Problem 2
Suppose that the work requirement to manufacture a product is
divided into 5 elemental tasks. Assume the plant is operating 8-hrs
a day. The actual output produced within the day is 400 units.

0.1 0.7 1.0 0.5 0.2

min min min min min

a. Determine the required number of workstations

b. Balance the line to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of
the plant.

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–7

 Sample Problem 3
Below is an assembly line showing list of 13 activities that needs to be
completed to produce a product. The actual time required to produce
each of the activity are as follows.

The assembly line has only 5 workers stationed on the line. Balance the
assembly line to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of the plant.

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–8

 Assembly-Line Balancing
 Objective is to minimize the imbalance
between machines or personnel while
meeting required output
 Starts with the precedence
relationships
1. Determine cycle time
2. Calculate theoretical
minimum number of
workstations
3. Balance the line by
assigning specific
tasks to workstations
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9–9
 McDonald’s Assembly Line

Figure 9.12

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 10

 Line Balancing
1. Longest task time Choose the available task
with the longest task time
2. Most following tasks Choose the available task
with the largest number of
following tasks
3. Ranked positional Choose the available task for
weight which the sum of following
task times is the longest
4. Shortest task time Choose the available task
with the shortest task time
5. Least number of Choose the available task
following tasks with the least number of
following tasks

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 11

 Sample Problem 4

Balance the line using the LONGEST and MOST following task
method to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of the plant.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 12
 Sample Problem 5

Balance the line using the LONGEST and MOST following task
method to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of the plant.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 13
 Sample Problem 6
A certain plant produces 500 units of output per day within an 8-hour
shift. You have been asked to balance the process, given the following
tasks and precedence relationships.

Use the LONGEST and MOST following task method to minimize delay and maximize
efficiency of the plant.

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 14

 Sample Problem 7
Performance Task Must Follow 480 available
Time Task Listed mins per day
Task (minutes) Below 40 units required
A 10 —
B 11 A This means that
C 5 B tasks B and E
cannot be done
D 4 B until task A has
E 12 A been completed
F 3 C, D
G 7 F
H 11 E
I 3 G, H
Total time 66
Balance the line using the LONGEST and MOST following task
method to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of the plant.
© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 15
 Sample Problem 8

Balance the line using the LONGEST and MOST following

task method to minimize delay and maximize efficiency of
the plant.

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 16

 Sample Problem 9

1. How to minimize work stations?

2. How should they be grouped?
3. What is the efficiency and balance delay?

Assume:
Worktime: 8 hrs/day
Output: 80 units / day

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 17

 Sample Problem 10
• A large manufacturer of pencil is planning
to add a new line, and you have been asked
to balance the process, given the following
task times and precedence relationships.

• Do each of the following;

a. Precedence diagram
b. Assignment of tasks to work station
c. Determine the % idle time
d. Assuming an 8-hour workday, compute the cycle
time needed to obtain an output of 400 units per day

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 19

 Duration Precedes
TASK
(in minutes) Task
A 0.2 -
B 0.4 A
C 0.3 -
D 1.3 B,C
E 0.1 -
F 0.8 E
G 0.3 D,F
H 1.2 G

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 20

 Sample Problem 11

• As a part of a major renovation

project, the IE Department has been
ask to balance a revised assembly
line to an output rate of 960 units per
8-hour day operation. Task times and
precedence relationships are as
follows:

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 21

 Duration
TASK Precedes Task
(in minutes)

A 0.2 B

B 0.4 C

C 0.2 F

D 0.4 E

E 1.2 G

F 1.2 G

G 1.0 end

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 22

 • Do each of the following:
a)Precedence Diagram
b) Determine the maximum cycle time
and
c) the minimum no. of workstations
needed
d) Assign task/s to workstation
e) Compute the percentage of idle time
and efficiency for that assignment.

© 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. 9 – 23