Line Balancing Before Student Name Instructions Look At The

Line Balancing Beforestudent Nameinstructionslook At The Existing P

Line Balancing – Before Student Name Instructions: Look at the existing production process below before line balancing. You can see that Operation (OP)5 and OP9 are exceeding the Takt time dictated by the customer because they are taller than the green dotted line. You can also see that there is some unused green space representing non-utilized resources waste between parts being processed at each station. E.g., Station 1 has 20 seconds of downtime between parts. There are also 16 stations being used, which means there are 15 instances of transportation waste moving parts from one station to the next.

Proceed to the next slide to complete the line balancing activity. OP1 OP2 OP3 OP7 OP4 OP8 OP9 OP10 OP5 OP6 OP11 OP12 OP13 OP14 OP15 OP16 Total Cycle Time per Unit — Takt Time = 30 seconds.

STATION 1, STATION 2, STATION 3, STATION 4, STATION 5, STATION 6, STATION 7, STATION 8, STATION 9, STATION 10, STATION 11, STATION 12, STATION 13, STATION 14, STATION 15, STATION 16.

Line Balancing - After Student Name Instructions: Your improvement project team has already reduced the total cycle time (TCT) per unit for OP5 by splitting it up so that it is being run on 2 machines at once. The team has also reduced the TCT for OP9 by splitting it up so that it is being done by 2 people at once. The blocks for OP5 and OP9 have been duplicated and resized accordingly.

This means that all operations are now within the Takt time. Your team still needs to reduce non-utilized resources waste and transportation waste. Reducing the amount of green space leftover will reduce non-utilized resources waste. Reducing the number of stations being used will reduce transportation waste. Rearrange the blocks on the right to fit inside the green rectangle below.

Operations must be shown in order, but you can stack them vertically in order from bottom to top as needed. Do not resize any blocks. All blue blocks must be used. Takt Time = 30 seconds.

Total Cycle Time per Unit — STATION 1, STATION 2, STATION 3, STATION 4, STATION 5, STATION 6, STATION 7, STATION 8, STATION 9, STATION 10, STATION 11.

OP1, OP2, OP3, OP7, OP4, OP8, OP9 PERSON 1, OP10, OP5 MACHINE 1, OP6, OP11, OP12, OP13, OP14, OP15, OP16, OP5 MACHINE 2, OP9 PERSON 2.

Paper For Above instruction

The process of line balancing is essential in optimizing manufacturing efficiency by evenly distributing work across all stations, minimizing waste, and meeting customer Takt times. Prior to improvements, the production line faced challenges such as operations exceeding Takt time, significant non-utilized resource waste, and excessive transportation waste due to unoptimized station arrangement. Specifically, operations OP5 and OP9 exceeded the Takt time, leading to delays and inefficiencies, while the layout contained empty green space that represented unused resources, and numerous unnecessary movements of parts between stations increased transportation waste.

In response, a systematic approach was undertaken to enhance the production process. The first step involved subdividing the operations OP5 and OP9, which previously exceeded Takt time, into smaller tasks that could be executed simultaneously by multiple machines or operators. This division helped reduce their individual cycle times within the required 30 seconds, thus ensuring that the overall process conformed to customer expectations. The duplication of operation blocks for OP5 (on two machines) and OP9 (by two operators) allowed these processes to be faster and more synchronized with Takt time, aligning the line with Lean manufacturing principles.

Further, the restructuring aimed at decreasing waste involved reducing the green unused space within the process layout. Less green space translates to less non-utilized resources, which are a form of waste that increases operational costs without adding value. Additionally, reducing the number of stations by better grouping operations within existing ones minimized transportation waste—unnecessary movement of parts between stations consumes time and increases the risk of damage. When fewer stations are used, there is less internal transportation, leading to a more streamlined flow of production.

A key element of the process was the strategic rearrangement of operations on the right-side diagram, ensuring that each step follows the logical sequence required, with operations stacked vertically if necessary, but never resizing the blocks. This arrangement ensures that each task is performed in order, with the minimum number of stations needed to stay within the 30-second Takt time. By doing so, the team maximized utilization of workspace and resources, eliminated unnecessary transportation, and aligned the process with the just-in-time principles central to lean manufacturing.

The reconfigured layout significantly improved capacity, efficiency, and flow. By splitting certain operations, reducing unused space, and consolidating tasks within fewer stations at appropriate positions, the process now adheres strictly to Takt time. Such modifications facilitate quicker throughput, lower operational costs, and better responsiveness to customer demand. Overall, the effective redistribution and synchronization of operations contribute to a leaner, more agile production process that minimizes waste while maximizing value creation.

References

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