Page 117 - DMGT501_OPERATIONS_MANAGEMENT

Unit 4: Process Selection and Facility Layout

However, though less efficient, the new system was able to reduce the cycle time 0.060 hours i.e., Notes
the output had increased from 1960 units per month to 3200 units per month. This gave ABC
Electricals the number of assembled Contact Breakers units they required. It also pruned the
excessive costs so that ABC Electricals would eventually be more competitive.
Very often, better results are obtained when the organization is effective rather than when it is
efficient. Being more effective it reduced the costs of the product and ABC Electricals, the additional
and unnecessary costs were not passed on to the customers. The form of the final assembly line
is shown in Table 4.5.
Table 4.5: Final Assembly Line Design

Work Preceding Task Assigned Predecessor Task Operators
Station Work Task Time/Unit per station
Station (Hours)
1 - A: Contact Breaker None 0.010 1
Assembly; Take A
Molding Half and clean
burrs etc. B 0.020
B: Install contacts A,C 0.020
C: Install Springs
2 1 D: Install plastic levers A 0.040 1
etc. on Molding Half.
3 2 H: Close with other G 0.050 1
Molding Half
4 3 I: Assemble 4 of the H 0.008 1
above units
J: Insert Rivets I 0.040
5 4 K: Rivet the sandwich J 0.060 1
units
6 5 L: Switching Test under E 0.050 1
load
7 6 M: Pack Contact F 0.020 1
Breaker unit
Total 0. 354

Many other heuristics may be used instead of the Longest Operation Time (LOT) approach.
Several computerized heuristics are available, and since different heuristics can lead to different
layouts, it may be worthwhile to want to try more than one approach. Mathematical and
computer-based Heuristic models can identify and evaluate alternative layouts far more rapidly
than manual or intuitive methods. Though these models use observation and experimentation
as they do theory, they have their limitations.

4.6.3 Graphic and Schematic Analysis

Historically, assembly line layouts have used manual trial-and-error techniques and templates,
drawings, and graphical procedures. For large facilities with many tasks and work centers,
mathematical procedures are extremely complex and there is no guarantee that will ensure
finding the best possible design. The quality of the design very often depends upon the experience
and judgment of the designers and the industrial engineers.

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