How to carry out assembly line–cell conversion? A discussion based on factor analysis of system performance improvements

The line–cell (or line–seru) conversion is an innovation of assembly systems that has received less attention. Its essence is dismantling an assembly conveyor line and adopting a mini-assembly unit, called seru (or cell). In this paper, we discuss how to do such line–cell conversions, especially focusing on assembly cell formation (ACF) and assembly cell loading (ACL). We perform 64 arrays of full factorial experiment analysis that incorporate three factors: work stations, product types, and product lot sizes. We construct a two-objective line–cell conversion model that minimises the total throughput time (TTPT) and the total labour hours (TLH). Three non-dominated solutions obtained from the two-objective model are used to evaluate the performance of the line–cell conversion. By investigating the experimental results of the ACF and the ACL, we summarise several managerial insights that could be used to help successful line–cell conversions.

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