Title: Improved dynamic programming model implementation for balancing the U-shaped production line

Authors: Chun-Hung Cheng, Angappa Gunasekaran, Kin-Chuen Ho

Addresses: Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. ' Department of Decision and Information Sciences, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA. ' VTC School of Business and Information Systems, 20A Tsing Yi Road, Tsing Yi Island, NT, Hong Kong, China

Abstract: U-lines have been used to implement JIT manufacturing. Manufacturers find that U-lines perform better than straight line in volume flexibility, operator flexibility, material handling and product quality. In this work, we attempt to improve dynamic programming (DP) for obtaining a balance in a U-line. In this DP implementation, we consider practical characteristics of the line. This consideration eliminates producing a balance with awkward walking pattern in the line. Computational results using well-known literature problems are also presented.

Keywords: line balancing; production lines; U-lines; just-in-time; JIT manufacturing; dynamic programming; straight lines; volume flexibility; operator flexibility; materials handling; product quality; awkward walking patterns; industrial engineering.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2010.035726

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2010 Vol.6 No.4, pp.463 - 482

Published online: 03 Oct 2010 *

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