Chapter 2

Litrature review

2.1. line balancing

Line balancing techniques involve several constraints that have to be put into
consideration for example task assignment, task precedence, cycle time, and
resource constraints. This makes line balancing an NP- hard or complex
combinatorial problem. Vast researchers have applied line balancing technique for
improving performance of assembly lines. Fathi et al. investigated the efficiency of
the most commonly used performance measures for minimizing the number of
workstations in addressing simple assembly line balancing problem for both
straight and U-shaped lines. Kayar and Akalin compared heuristic and simulation
methods applied to the apparel line balancing problem. The authors postulated
that both techniques can be used efficiently for balancing of an assembly line. (
Ocident Bongomin, Josphat I. Mwasiagi, Eric O. Nganyi, 03 April 2020 )

An assembly line refers to the process through which parts are added to a semi-
finished product as it moves from one workstation to another in a manufacturing
line without violating the precedence relationship .When an assembly line
workload is equally distributed among the workstations, it is called assembly line
balancing (ALB).( A Hossain, KI Muneer - 2022)

Assembly Line Balancing or simply Line Balancing (LB) is the problem of assigning operations
to workstations along an assembly line in such a way that the assignment be optimal in some
sense. Ever since Henry Ford’s introduction of assembly lines, line balancing has been an
optimization of production line problem to increase efficiency. The difference between an
optimal and a sub-optimal assignment can yield economies (or waste) reaching millions of
dollars per year (Falkenauer, unkown ). The main objective of line balancing is to distribute the
task evenly over the work station so that idle time of man of machine can be minimized. Line
balancing aims for grouping the facilities or workers in an efficient pattern in order to; obtain an
optimum or most efficient balance of the capacities and flows of the production or assembly
processes (Mahto, Naveen Kumar & Dalgobind, 2013)

The fundamental of line balancing problems is to assign the tasks to an ordered sequence of stations, such
that the precedence relations are satisfied and some measurements of effectiveness are optimized.
According to (Pianthong1), 2007) minimize the balance delay or minimize the number of work stations is
one of the importance of line balancing techniques. The assembly line balancing problem has received
considerable attention in the literature, and many studies have been made on this subject since 1954 (S.
H.Eryuruk et al, 2006).
The Largest Candidate, Kilbridge and Wester (column) and Ranked Positional Weights (RPW) are
different heuristic methods commonly utilized in line balancing of bottleneck workstations and operations
and also to arrange and distribute the description element time along the workstations in the system. Each
of those methods could be results in a different type of workstations layout (P. Jaganathan, V., 2014).

Line balancing is a production strategy that involves balancing operator and machine time to
match the production rate to the takt time.

Tact timeis the rate at which parts or products must be produced in order to meet customer
demand.
For a given production line, if production time is exactly equal to takt time, then the line is
perfectly balanced. Otherwise, resources should be reallocated or rearranged to remove
bottlenecks or excess capacity. In other words, the quantities of workers and machines assigned
to each task in the line should be rebalanced to meet the optimal production rate.
2.2. DMIAC
Continuous improvement programs contain practical solutions to solve problems, even for logistic activities.
One program is the Six Sigma philosophy that uses a simple methodology through steps: Define, Measure,
Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) to improve logistic operations (Srinivasan et al., 2016). Srinivasan
et al. (2016)

2.3.Productivity improvement
Productivity is the measure of output per unit of input. In garments sewing section, the operation
breakdown of a garment consists of several long, medium and short operations and operators also
allocated on those specific operations based on their performance and grade. appointed to other types of
working. The productivity of them can be measured by how they are using their allocated resources in a
worthwhile manner e. g. time, energy, skill, etc. to achieve established goals based on the relationship
between inputs and outputs. If operators don’t make the best possible use of those resources skillfully and
wisely, they can’t get the results and accordingly line’s total production and efficiency will fall. So,
productivity improvement of individual operators is very superior. (Bheda, 2012).
Productivity is evaluated by achievement toward established goals based on relationships between inputs
and outputs of industry. The performance of an operational plan for enhancing efficiency was understood
by a mathematical analysis. Since, on shop floor, there may be hundreds of machines, employees and
thousands of bundle subassemblies all simultaneously active. The manager is responsible for optimizing
through - put and making use of employee and machine and keeping the work in progress. Failure mode
and effects analysis (FMEA) technique is one of the effective tools which can helps for prevention,
identification, control and elimination of possible errors occurred in Apparel industry. (Dhanashree
Rajput, 2018).
2.4.productive improvement by implementing line balancing through DMIAC methodology
Integrating line balancing through the DMAIC methodology allows companies to systematically analyze
process inefficiencies and implement targeted improvements for increased productivity, reduced costs,
improved product quality, and enhanced customer satisfaction. By integrating line balancing through the
DMAIC methodology, companies can identify and address bottlenecks in the production process,
optimize resource allocation, and ensure that production lines are balanced for maximum efficiency. By
integrating line balancing through the DMAIC methodology, companies can effectively identify and
eliminate bottlenecks, optimize resource allocation, and ensure that production lines are balanced for
maximum efficiency . (meena et al. 2018)

A case study demonstrates how line balancing within DMIAC reduced cycle time in an automotive
assembly line Duan et al. (2016)

This research highlights the successful application of DMIAC alongside Lean techniques (often including
line balancing) for quality improvement in textile and Garment (search on Google Scholar: [Shahada &
Alsyouf 2012 DMIAC Lean healthcare]). Shahada & Alsyouf (2012)

2.5.Work in progress

Productivity, reduce lead time and cost and improve quality. Quality is a major though many literatures on
lean implementation are comprehensively available, very few have addressed the garment industry. The
pressure placed on firms in the garment industry from international competition has been enormous. The
increase in competition has led to an increased focus on customer satisfaction as a survival of the
company in the long run” (Counc, 2000).

effective Work in Progress (WIP) management is essential for achieving operational efficiency
and competitiveness in the garment industry. The studies reviewed highlight the benefits of
implementing efficient WIP management strategies, such as reducing lead times, minimizing
inventory costs, and improving production flow. Further research is needed to explore innovative
approaches and technologies for enhancing WIP management practices in garment research to
drive continuous improvement and sustainable growth.( International Journal of Clothing
Science and Technology, 2018)

In today's competitive manufacturing environment, achieving high production efficiency and