Line Balance Features
Simple interface
The tool offers a simple to use spreadsheet interface that
supports all standard Windows editing functionalities like
cut, copy & paste to get data in, manipulate & extract
results as well as search functionalities. Graphs allow
users to get a quick visual indication of utilizations and
work assignment. |
The copy and paste interface makes
input easy. |
Balancing Station View
Line Balance includes a comprehensive I/O display module
known as the Balancing Station View. It contains the bar
chart view of the balance data for each station and a
spreadsheet view of the activities assigned to each station.
This view is as manageable as any Excel data; with zoom,
copy, paste, and right click controls. Through this view you
can also manually assign or move any activities from station
to station if desired. Additionally, within the spreadsheet
view at the bottom any precedence or resource violations
that may occur are noted. This entire data set can be copied
and pasted into Excel for quick personalized report
generation. |
The Balancing Station View displays
all the output
and allows for manual manipulation of the
balance.
The Balancing Station View displays
all the Value Added
Non Value Added and Non Value but
Necessary Percentages. |
Reporting and Advanced Outputs
Reports displaying utilizations giving details like max,
min and average utilizations are available. Reports also
give task and resource details for a station which can
be used directly as Work Instructions.
Lean charting of VA/NVA percentages and times can
also be generated. They are another part of an array of
reports enhanced with Crystal Reports and can be added
to with customized reporting as well.
Reports can be saved and opened in general purpose
office applications like MS Excel or MS Word for further
analysis. For faster results, these reports can be
exported directly to MS Excel from their Explorer window
where they are first displayed.
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Reports show station and line utilization per model.
Reports show task, part and tooling assignment per station.
Reports show changes in task, part and tool assignment between alternatives.
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Flexible Automatic Balancing:
The tool allows the user to choose and set priorities between
process precedence, monumental assets or task sides as
constraints. Hence users can compare various “what-if” scenarios
by changing these priorities. Line balance can consider an
unlimited amount of tasks and stations to create a range of
reports. Input data can be pasted from any spreadsheet.
All output can be copied and pasted into other applications,
saved in files that can be read at other locations, or printed
in an easy to read format.
Additionally, future releases will contain Ergonomics
factoring for clients wanting to reduce operator stress and
injuries.
Multiple Operators and Work Zones within a Station: In
situations where adding new cells or stations may not be a
possibility, adding workers can quickly take advantage of
existing static floor space. Adding calculated numbers of
manpower necessary to the balance is the best way to optimize
production in this situation.
Multiple zone balancing also better reflects working on a part
with many on-part work locations, when "work at the part" is not
detailed enough information. This is a valuable option when any
large piece is being worked with on the front, back, left,
right, etc. sides.
Two-sided Line Balance: Line balance
can take into consideration, stations with both left and
right-side only activities, as well as activities that may be
done at either side. Setting up two work locations within a
station allows for more accurate and balanced allocation of
activities on a moving line.
Balancing for Single model or Mixed model:
The tool can balance tasks for batch production considering a
single model or a mixed model which considers model percentages.
You can select which product configurations (models, options and
percentages) to balance. In this manner, the impacts (average
and maximum) of mixed model production can be effectively
evaluated for workstations and resources.
Options: The tool allows
specifying percentages for optional tasks for optional
components in a product. This is a great way to calculate mix
percentages or take rates for any end item that isn't
consistently the exact same build setup. This take rate is
automatically calculated within the line balancing application.
Manual Override or Manual Balance:
After an automatic line balance has been created; users have the
option of fine tuning the balance by manually overriding the
balance. Alternately, the user has the option of creating an
entire balance manually. User has the flexibility to override
constraints. Warnings like precedence or resource violations
assist the user while working in a manual mode.
Lean Support: The tool allows definition of value
added (VA) work, non-value added (NVA) work as well as non-
value added but necessary (NVABN) work for lean analysis. These
percentages can be graphed in the station view.
Manpower Estimation: The tool can be used for
estimation of labor requirements to define how many operators
should be in a station. This ability overcomes problems where
adding stations is not an option and worker availability is
high.
Support for Time Standards: Process time standards can
be used using industry accepted standards like MODAPTS.
Predetermined time standards allow for quick time estimation
that is acceptable to everybody within a factory.
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Constraint Identification
The precedence diagram is a chart that allows users to
define the required assembly sequence constraints (i.e.
Precedence). The user graphically or textually, defines
the range of process tasks that must occur before
another task. This precedence constraint is then used by
the algorithm to eliminate infeasible assignments of
tasks to stations.
Proplanner's new cluster precedence capability is
unique in that precedence can be simulataneously defined
between clusters of tasks. This can even be done
textually while the task data is being input into the
application. By assigning precedence to clusters of
tasks (i.e. door assembly, chassis, engine, trim, etc).
engineers are then only required to define precedence
between tasks within the cluster they are working on,
thereby significantly reducing the effort for the
engineer.
The accuracy and versatility added by this feature
makes generating alternatives much easier for process
engineers. By setting precedence, bottlenecks can be
identified and worked around to maximize throughput and
worker utilization.
New Enhanced Precedence Authoring allows the
user to go beyond the node based organizing into a
hybrid of graphic, spreadsheet, and list view precedence
assignment.
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Arrange precedence quickly with this
graphical
interface.
Define precedence textually or graphically
between
clusters of tasks. |
Other available constraining options include:
- The algorithm can consider monumental assets like
hoists and overhead cranes while assigning work
- Task sides can be assigned as Left, Right or Either so
that the tasks of same sides can be assigned to the same
station/operator for ergonomic and plausibility reasons
- TAKT time or line speed helps keep maintaining
uniformity of work preventing bottlenecks
- Task grouping assigns a
group of tasks to the same station which allows retaining
work requiring similar asset or labor skills together. Tasks
can be grouped for easy manipulation. This user-defined
grouping saves you from having to move several tightly
related activities between work areas one at a time
- Use existing stations or create new stations
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Integration with Work Place Planner: The Line
Balancing module can automatically generate a work plan
file that the Workplace Planner can then analyze,
diagram (walking) and animate for each work station in
that line (per model), for all workstations (and
operators) on the line concurrently.
Scenarios stored as files: Scenarios can be stored
as regular files which can be exchanged between
different users. This way, backing up and transferring
data is made fast and reliable.
Another bonus to this ability is the added benefit of
being able to track different scenarios and their
effects at the same time. These can represent current
state and multiple future state possibilities. |
See how the line will work within AutoCAD
by
exporting to Workplace Planner. |
Benefits
- Reduce bottlenecks. By leveling work for each
station/operator, process flow is improved and
bottlenecks and back-ups are eliminated.
- Improve work flow.
- Quickly identify constraints. When balancing lines,
the application will automatically display resource
constraints and precedence violations.
- Reduce work overload. By identifying stations that
exceed Takt time, process engineers can reduce work
overload.
- Quick manpower estimation.
- Speed Problem Solving. Operations can be dragged and
dropped between stations for distributing workload on
stations that allows for easy construction of solution
with interactive graphing
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