Automotive Industry
Assembly Line Balancing & Layout Optimisation
Primary Outcome35% Productivity Improvement
Business Challenge
Uneven work allocation across 14 sub-assembly stations caused severe line starvation, operator idle time, and low daily throughput.
Client Situation & Operational Bottlenecks:
- •Excessive operator movement and material handling backtracking between stations
- •High line balance delay causing 40% waiting time on bottleneck workstations
- •Congested sub-assembly area restricting forklift material feeding
- •Inconsistent cycle times ranging from 45 to 120 seconds per workstation
Our Approach
- Conducted Current State Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Line Balance Audit
- Executed MOST (Maynard Operation Sequence Technique) time-and-motion studies
- Created Spaghetti Diagrams to track operator travel routes and material movement
- Designed Yamazumi charts to redistribute work elements equally to Takt time
- Developed Future State U-shaped cellular workstation layout
- Simulated line flow and implemented gravity-fed material presentation chutes
Key Improvement Initiatives
- 1Rebalanced 14 assembly workstations to a uniform 78-second Takt time pace
- 2Installed ergonomic part presentation racks and Poka-Yoke sensor fixtures
- 3Implemented visual line management boards and hour-by-hour production tracking
- 4Trained shift supervisors on Standard Work auditing and Daily Management Systems
Before vs. After Operational Metrics
| Metric | Before Transformation | After Transformation | Quantified Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line Balance Efficiency | 62% | 95% | +33% |
| Assembly Cycle Time | 120 sec | 78 sec | 35% faster |
| Material Handling Distance | 1,450 m / shift | 1,044 m / shift | -28% |
| Daily Line Output | 240 units | 365 units | +52% |
“
The line rebalancing and layout redesign dramatically improved production pace. We eliminated operator waiting time and achieved our highest daily throughput without adding headcount.
— Operations Head, Automotive Tier-1 Manufacturer
KEY RESULTS
35%Productivity Improvement
28%Material Travel Reduced
95%Line Balance Efficiency
Services Delivered
- Plant Layout Optimisation
- Line Balancing
- Industrial Engineering
- Material Flow Analysis
- Lean Manufacturing
- Motion Study
Methodologies Used
Lean ManufacturingLine BalancingMOSTVSM5SStandardized WorkSpaghetti Diagram
Service Capability
Line Balancing
Distribute work content evenly across assembly lines to eliminate idle time and bottlenecks.
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