Optimal Allocation of Work in Assembly Systems

Kenneth R. Baker, Stephen G. Powell and David F. Pyke
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Kenneth R. Baker: Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
Stephen G. Powell: Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
David F. Pyke: Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755

Management Science, 1993, vol. 39, issue 1, 101-106

Abstract: We investigate how to allocate work in stochastic assembly systems so as to maximize throughput. We use Markov models for systems with exponential processing times and simulation-based methods for other probability distributions. We find that assembly systems should be unbalanced in the direction of assigning less work to assembly and more to component stations. We also find that greater parallelism offers greater opportunity for improvement.

Keywords: assembly line; throughput; production system design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1993
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:39:y:1993:i:1:p:101-106

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