MANUAL ASSEMBLY OF LOTS: LEARNING AS A DRIVE FOR A SINGLE LINE CONFIGURATION

摘要

This paper shows, by using industrial learning alone, that a single sequential line is the superior layout for most repetitive manual endeavors. The paper shows analytically that, beyond a certain small quantity, a single sequential arrangement of workers leads to a minimal makespan (relative to the makespan of any other arrangement). In addition, the disadvantage of parallel stations is also highlighted and illustrated. It follows that sequential line configuration is advantageous for non-mass-production systems, and could be implemented on small lots of dozens or several hundreds of products.