IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/proeco/v190y2017icp37-44.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Production logistics and ergonomic evaluation of U-shaped assembly systems

Author

Listed:
  • Zülch, Michael
  • Zülch, Gert

Abstract

In the context of production logistics, U-shaped assembly systems often present several advantages compared to straight-line systems. Therefore, such systems are usually evaluated in the planning phase using production logistics and cost-related criteria. However, some published papers illustrate that these advantages may face ergonomic drawbacks. For decision making, the evaluation must be expanded in order to consider these systems from both perspectives. In this way, unfavorable forms of work organization in U-shaped assembly systems can be detected already during the planning phase. In addition, the static methods such as spreadsheet calculations generally used for planning prove to be poorly applicable due to the overly optimistic results they generate, especially in case of model-mix systems. These aspects are especially addressed here and the difference between static and dynamic approaches are illustrated. Consequently, planning solutions must be validated dynamically by means of simulation. Only then can be judged whether the planned production logistics criteria are achievable at all. In addition, the simulation allows for more realistic statements also concerning ergonomic criteria. This approach will be demonstrated here by a near-to-reality planning case. For a comprehensive multi-criteria decision making in the face of production logistics and ergonomics the use of lexicographic ordering is shown.

Suggested Citation

  • Zülch, Michael & Zülch, Gert, 2017. "Production logistics and ergonomic evaluation of U-shaped assembly systems," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 37-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:190:y:2017:i:c:p:37-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2017.01.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092552731730004X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijpe.2017.01.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. G. J. Miltenburg & J. Wijngaard, 1994. "The U-line Line Balancing Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(10), pages 1378-1388, October.
    2. Zulch, Gert & Rinn, Andreas & Strate, Oliver, 2001. "Dynamic analysis of changes in decisional structures of production systems," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 239-252, January.
    3. Boysen, Nils & Fliedner, Malte & Scholl, Armin, 2007. "A classification of assembly line balancing problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(2), pages 674-693, December.
    4. Boysen, Nils & Fliedner, Malte & Scholl, Armin, 2008. "Assembly line balancing: Which model to use when," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(2), pages 509-528, February.
    5. Zulch, Gert & Grobel, Thomas, 1996. "Shaping the organization of order processing with the simulation tool FEMOS," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 251-260, December.
    6. Timothy L. Urban, 1998. "Note. Optimal Balancing of U-Shaped Assembly Lines," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(5), pages 738-741, May.
    7. Zulch, Gert & Brinkmeier, Bernd, 2003. "Prototyping the departmental organisation of an enterprise," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 143-151, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Scholl, Armin & Boysen, Nils, 2009. "Designing parallel assembly lines with split workplaces: Model and optimization procedure," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 90-100, May.
    2. Sikora, Celso Gustavo Stall & Lopes, Thiago Cantos & Magatão, Leandro, 2017. "Traveling worker assembly line (re)balancing problem: Model, reduction techniques, and real case studies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(3), pages 949-971.
    3. Masood Fathi & María Jesús à lvarez & Victoria Rodríguez, 2016. "A new heuristic-based bi-objective simulated annealing method for U-shaped assembly line balancing," European Journal of Industrial Engineering, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(2), pages 145-169.
    4. Boysen, Nils & Schulze, Philipp & Scholl, Armin, 2022. "Assembly line balancing: What happened in the last fifteen years?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 301(3), pages 797-814.
    5. Battaïa, Olga & Dolgui, Alexandre, 2013. "A taxonomy of line balancing problems and their solutionapproaches," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 259-277.
    6. Moreira, Mayron César O. & Costa, Alysson M., 2013. "Hybrid heuristics for planning job rotation schedules in assembly lines with heterogeneous workers," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 552-560.
    7. García-Villoria, Alberto & Corominas, Albert & Nadal, Adrià & Pastor, Rafael, 2018. "Solving the accessibility windows assembly line problem level 1 and variant 1 (AWALBP-L1-1) with precedence constraints," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 271(3), pages 882-895.
    8. Borba, Leonardo & Ritt, Marcus & Miralles, Cristóbal, 2018. "Exact and heuristic methods for solving the Robotic Assembly Line Balancing Problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 270(1), pages 146-156.
    9. Olcay Polat & Can B. Kalayci & Özcan Mutlu & Surendra M. Gupta, 2016. "A two-phase variable neighbourhood search algorithm for assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem type-II: an industrial case study," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 722-741, February.
    10. Kara, Yakup & Paksoy, Turan & Chang, Ching-Ter, 2009. "Binary fuzzy goal programming approach to single model straight and U-shaped assembly line balancing," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 195(2), pages 335-347, June.
    11. Chica, Manuel & Bautista, Joaquín & Cordón, Óscar & Damas, Sergio, 2016. "A multiobjective model and evolutionary algorithms for robust time and space assembly line balancing under uncertain demand," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 55-68.
    12. Boysen, Nils & Fliedner, Malte, 2008. "A versatile algorithm for assembly line balancing," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 184(1), pages 39-56, January.
    13. Hamta, Nima & Fatemi Ghomi, S.M.T. & Jolai, F. & Akbarpour Shirazi, M., 2013. "A hybrid PSO algorithm for a multi-objective assembly line balancing problem with flexible operation times, sequence-dependent setup times and learning effect," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(1), pages 99-111.
    14. Gokcen, Hadi & Ag[caron]pak, Kursad, 2006. "A goal programming approach to simple U-line balancing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(2), pages 577-585, June.
    15. Bautista, Joaquín & Pereira, Jordi, 2011. "Procedures for the Time and Space constrained Assembly Line Balancing Problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 212(3), pages 473-481, August.
    16. Arnd Huchzermeier & Tobias Mönch, 2023. "Mixed‐model assembly lines with variable takt and open stations," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(3), pages 704-722, March.
    17. Manuel Chica & Joaquín Bautista & Jesica de Armas, 2019. "Benefits of robust multiobjective optimization for flexible automotive assembly line balancing," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 75-103, March.
    18. M. H. Alavidoost & M. H. Fazel Zarandi & Mosahar Tarimoradi & Yaser Nemati, 2017. "Modified genetic algorithm for simple straight and U-shaped assembly line balancing with fuzzy processing times," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 313-336, February.
    19. Suresh Chand & Ting Zeng, 2001. "A Comparison of U-Line and Straight-Line Performances Under Stochastic Task Times," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 3(2), pages 138-150, January.
    20. Ibrahim Kucukkoc & David Z. Zhang, 2017. "Balancing of mixed-model parallel U-shaped assembly lines considering model sequences," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(20), pages 5958-5975, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:190:y:2017:i:c:p:37-44. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpe .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.