Risk based worker allocation and line balancing
Date
2010-12Author
Solaimuthu Pachaimuthu, Sathya Madhan
Advisor
Krishnan, Krishna K.Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
In general, manufacturing systems could be classified into machine intensive
manufacturing and labor intensive manufacturing. From the previous studies, we can infer that
worker allocation plays an important role in determining efficiency of a labor intensive
manufacturing system. Most of the research works in the previous literature is performed in a
deterministic bed. But from the time study data that was obtained from a local aircraft company
shows a high degree of variability in worker processing times.
Thus this research presents a worker allocation approach which also considers the
uncertainty in worker processing times into account. Risk based worker allocation approach is
developed for three different scenarios. First scenario is the single task per station balanced
production line scenario, where workers are allocated to processes by minimizing the overall risk
of delay due to workers. In the second scenario, in addition to worker allocation by minimizing
the overall risk, multiple workers are allocated to processes to make the flow of products uniform
in a single task per station unbalanced production line. Prior to implementing the final approach,
a method for line balancing when variability is involved is studied and compared to the ranked
positional-weight method. The final scenario developed is a simultaneous approach to balance
and allocate workers in a multiple task per station production line. Case studies were simulated
using QUEST software and the result indicates that risk based allocation has increased
throughput and efficiency compared to deterministic worker allocation.
Description
Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.