Assembly line balancing is an attractive means of mass manufacturing and large-scale serial production systems. Traditionally, assembly lines are arranged in straight single-model lines and the problem is known as Simple Assembly Line balancing problem (SALBP).
In this study, two heuristic assembly line balancing techniques known as the Ranked Positional Weight Technique, and the longest operational time technique, were applied to solve the problem of single-model line balancing problem in an assembling company with the aim of comparing the efficiencies of the application of the two algorithms.
By using both methods, different restrictions were taken into consideration and two different lines balancing results were obtained. From the results obtained, Longest Operating Time Technique has higher line efficiency (85.16%) as compared to Ranked positional weight technique (79.28%) and it is easy to apply. The LOT technique gave the minimum number of workstations (27) as compared to the RPW technique (29); however the line efficiency and the number of workstation of the existing line are 74.67% and 31 respectively. This implies that the LOT technique has a better reduction in operating cost.
Ant colony optimization for the single model U-type assembly line balancing problem
