ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE BALANCING PROBLEM: A SIMPLIFIED PERSPECTIVE WITH THE PRECEDENCE MATRIX

Abstract

The assembly line balancing problem (ALBP) has been an attractive research topic for decades, but the industrial application of the research findings remains limited. This can be attributed to the complexity of solution methods, restrictive assumptions, and the numerous variants of the problem in real-world settings. This article proposes using the precedence matrix as a foundation for developing efficient analysis frameworks for ALBP. We introduce algorithms for constructing the precedence matrix and using it to guide the development of feasible assembly line designs. Implemented in a spreadsheet model, the matrix framework provides a straightforward tool for organizing the balancing problem data, managing inputs to balancing heuristics, and ensuring feasible solutions. It is flexible and can be integrated with various balancing methods. In this work, we utilized simple priority rules for line balancing to demonstrate the potential of the matrix model. A performance comparison of the balancing rules showed that optimal solutions were achieved in over 60% of the test problems. The results demonstrate that the proposed matrix model is an efficient tool for production managers to evaluate potential line designs. The goal of this work is to help bridge the gap between research and practice in assembly line balancing.