Performance Analysis of a New Work Assignment in Assembly Cells

This paper addresses the work assignment problems in assembly cells. The assembly cells are known to be more flexible and productive than the traditional assembly line. To maximize the utilization of resources in assembly cells, it is important to have the line balanced. This paper presents a dynamic work assignment method where each worker performs assembly operations on a product until the next worker downstream takes it over. This pull-type assignment method balances the assembly cell in an autonomous way. The performance of the new assignment method is examined and compared with existing assignment methods.