A novel assembly line balancing method based on PSO algorithm

Abstract

Assembly line is widely used in manufacturing system. Assembly line balancing problem is a crucial question during design and management of assembly lines since it directly affects the productivity of the whole manufacturing system. The model of assembly line balancing problem is put forward and a general optimization method is proposed. The key data on assembly line balancing problem is confirmed, and the precedence relations diagram is described. A double objective optimization model based on takt time and smoothness index is built, and balance optimization scheme based on PSO algorithm is proposed. Through the simulation experiments of examples, the feasibility and validity of the assembly line balancing method based on PSO algorithm is proved. © 2014 Xiaomei Hu et al.