An assembly line is a manufacturing process that breaks the manufacture of a good into steps that are completed in a pre-defined sequence. Parts are added in sequence until the final assembly is produced. Assembly lines are the most commonly used method in the mass production of products. They reduce labor costs because unskilled workers are trained to perform specific tasks. Rather than hire a skilled craftsperson to put together an entire piece of furniture or vehicle engine, companies hire workers only to add a leg to a stool or a bolt to a machine.
Assembly lines are designed for the sequential organization of workers, tools or machines, and parts. The motion of workers is minimized to the extent possible. All parts or assemblies are handled either by conveyors or motorized vehicles such as forklifts, or gravity, with no manual trucking. Heavy lifting is done by machines such as overhead cranes or forklifts. Each worker typically performs one simple operation unless job rotation strategies are applied.
The assembly line definition refers to a worker who is assigned a repeatable task and the overall process moves to another worker who performs a separate task until the product is completed. A way to produce mass goods quickly, workers don’t have to be human-robotic workers can make up an assembly line. Common examples of assembly lines include the assembly of complex products like automobiles or transportation equipment, household appliances, and electronic goods.
Automated assembly lines consist entirely of machines run by machines, with little or no human supervision. The design for an assembly line is determined by analyzing the steps necessary to manufacture each product component as well as the final product. All movement of material is simplified, with no cross flow, backtracking, or repetitious procedure. Work assignments, numbers of machines, and production rates are programmed so that all operations along the line are compatible.
In summary, an assembly line is a production process that breaks the manufacture of a good into steps that are completed in a pre-defined sequence. Parts are added in sequence until the final assembly is produced. Assembly lines are designed for the sequential organization of workers, tools or machines, and parts. They are commonly used in the mass production of products, such as automobiles, household appliances, and electronic goods.
