An overview of

LINE BALANCING
By: Hiwa Ghaffari
A SIMPLE LINE FOR PRODUCTION OR ASSEMBLY

Workstatio Workstatio Workstatio Workstatio

n1 n2 n3 n4

Input Out
put
ACTIVITY CLASSIFICATION
Value Adding:
Any process that changes the
nature, shape or characteristics
of the product, in line with
customer requirements e.g.
machining, assembly

Non-Value Adding, but

unavoidable with current technology or
methods:
Any work carried out that does not increase
product value e.g. inspection, part movement,
tool changing, maintenance

Waste:
All other meaningless, non-essential
activities that do not add value to the
product you can eliminate immediately
e.g. looking for tools, waiting time
WASTES
Wastes are caused from:
 Transportation
 Inventory
 Motion
 Waiting
 Overproduction
 Over-processing
 Defects
(The 7 Wastes: T.I.M.W.O.O.D)
 UNBALANCED LINE : SIMPLE EXAMPLE
Over-processing
defects
Overproduction which Inventory Waiting
causes the other 6 wastes Transportation Motion

5 mins 25 mins 15 mins 10 mins

1 2 3 4

Constraint This operator This operator

Overburden must WAIT for must WAIT for
operator 2 operator 3
25

20

mins 15
10

1 2 3 4
LINE BALANCING: DEFINITION

Line Balancing is the process of assigning tasks to

workstations in such a way that the workstations have
approximately equal time requirements.
LINE BALANCING: OBJECTIVES

Main Objectives:
to equalize the work load among the operators
to identify the bottleneck operation
to establish the speed of the production line
to determine the number of workstations
to determine the labor cost of production and pack out
to establish the percentage workload of each operator
to assist in plant layout
to reduce production cost
LINE BALANCING: METHODS

•There are many ways or methods for balancing the lines.

•The common thing for all this methods is:
using both the operator and the machine in the most
efficient way, at the same time providing flexibility in
production.
BALANCED LINE: SIMPLE EXAMPLE
Promotes one- Avoids Minimises the 7 Reduces
piece FLOW overburden wastes Variation

15 mins 15 mins 15 mins 10 mins

1 2 3 4

Redistribute the work

25

20

15
10

5
CONCEPTS
Bottleneck: The work station taking the longest time.

Required Cycle Time: Takt Time

Current Cycle Time: The same as Bottleneck Time.

Flow Time (Total Work Content): Time to complete all

stations.

1 2 3 Flow time= 2+5+3=10min

2min 5min 3min Current cycle time = 5min
Bottleneck
CONCEPTS
Precedence diagram: Network showing order of tasks
and restrictions on their performance.
B
F
A D

E
G H

Total work content: Sum of the task times for all the
production tasks for the product.
Minimum number of work stations=
The quotient should be rounded to the next highest
integer.
LINE BALANCING: PREREQUISITES

 Determine minimum rational work elements.

(Smallest feasible division of work)

 Determine cycle time.

 Calculate the theoretical minimum number of

work stations.

 Draw Precedence Diagram

9-12
 LINE BALANCING: A SIMPLE ALGORITHM

1. Identify tasks whose predecessors have been assigned to a

workstation (available tasks).

2. Determine from available tasks, those that fit, i.e., those whose
tasks times time remaining to be filled at this work station.

3. Choose a task that fits by some decision rule

 task with largest time
 task with most successors
 task with greatest sum of task times of its predecessors.
4. Continue steps 1 to 3 until no task fits, then go on to next
workstation.

5. Continue steps 1 to 4 until all tasks are assigned

LINE BALANCING: EXAMPLE
Task Task Time (sec) predecessors
A 70 -
B 80 A
C 40 A
D 20 A
E 40 A
F 30 B,C
G 50 C
H 50 D,E,F,G
Total: 380

Wanted Total Product is 320 Units Per Day

A B C,D E,F G H

50 min
70 min 80 min 60 min 70 min 50 min
 LINE BALANCING: EXAMPLE
Current Conditions:
 Current Cycle Time= Bottleneck Time = 80 sec

 Current No. of Workstations: 6

 Total Product Per Day = (total time available per day)/(cycle time)
= (8×3600)/(80) = 360 units
 LINE BALANCING: EXAMPLE
According To The Problem:
 Cycle Time = (8×3600)/320 = 90 sec

 Total Work Content = 380 sec

 No. of Workstations = 380/90 = 4.22 5

LINE BALANCING: EXAMPLE
 Precedence Diagram:

B
80 sec

F
30 sec
C
40 sec

A G
H
50 sec
70 sec
D 50 sec

20 sec

E
40 sec
 LINE BALANCING: EXAMPLE
B Task Task Task time +
Time
80 sec
follower
F
task times
30 sec

C A 70 380
A 40 sec G C 80 170
70 sec
50 sec
H B 40 160
D
20 sec
50 sec
G 20 100
E 40 90
E F 30 80
40 sec
D 50 70
Workstation Workstation Workstation Workstation Workstation

1 2 3 4 5 H 50 50

A C B E H
D G F
90 sec 90 sec 80 sec 70 sec 50 sec
LINE BALANCING: EXAMPLE

Comparing Line Efficiency:

Line Efficiency =(Total Work Content)/(No. of Workstations ×Cycle Time)

Case 1: Line Efficiency = (380)/(6×80) = 79%

84%
Case 1: Line Efficiency = (380)/(5×90) = 84%
PARALLEL WORKSTATIONS

30/hr. 30/hr. 30/hr. 30/hr.

1 min. 1 min. 2 min. 1 min.

Bottleneck

30/hr. 1 min. 30/hr.

60/hr. 60/hr.
1 min. 1 min. 1 min.
30/hr.
1 min. 30/hr.

Parallel Workstations
ELIMINATE WASTE : EXAMPLE
30
30

Cycle Time (25 hrs)

25

20
17
15
15

10

1 2 3
total work content = 15 + 30 + 17 = 62 hrs

62 hrs
Line Efficiency = = 69%
(3 x 30)
 ELIMINATE WASTE : EXAMPLE
30 30
30
Takt (25 hrs) 25 25
25 25 Cycle time(25 hrs)
17
20 15
20
15
12
10
15
5
10
1 2 3
5

No. of workstations = Total Work Content 1 2 3

cycle time
62 hrs
62 hrs Line Efficiency = = 83%
= 2.48 (3 x 25 hrs)
25 hrs
→ 3 workstations
 Traditional Focus
Lean Manufacturing
• Work Longer-Harder-Faster
• Improve the Value
• Add People or Equipment Stream to Eliminate
Waste

Value
Waste
Added

LEAD TIME
 ELIMINATE WASTE : EXAMPLE
The operators cycle is broken down into elements.
These elements are put into three main categories, these being :

1. Working (man or machine)

2. Walking
3. Waiting
30
Cycle time (25 hrs)
25

20

15

Non value added activity

10

Value added activity

5

1 2 3
ELIMINATE WASTE : EXAMPLE

30

25

20

15 Operator other
freed up for
10 process or
improvement
5 team

1 2 3
‫‪REFRENCES‬‬
‫سید مهدی الوانی‪ ،‬نصرهللا میر شفیعی ؛ مدیریت تولید ؛ انتشارات آستان قدس رضوی‬ ‫‪‬‬

‫علیرضا علی احمدی؛ ارزیابی کار و زمان؛ انتشارات دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران‬ ‫‪‬‬