You must learn about the assembly line if you are planning to start a manufacturing business. If you already have one, learning how to streamline your assembly line to boost return on investment (ROI) will be highly beneficial! This article provides detailed information on the importance of the assembly line, the types of assembly processes in manufacturing, and how it works and proves advantageous for manufacturing businesses.
What Is an Assembly Line?
An assembly line is a process of manufacturing where goods are manufactured in steps in a sequential manner. This sequence of events in the manufacturing process is pre-defined, and the entire procedure is automated.
The assembly manufacturing production process is most useful when the mass production of items is initiated in the process. It is hugely significant as it reduces labor costs significantly and increases the profitability of the company. The labor is used only to complete small unskilled tasks.
Understanding Assembly Line
In assembly line production, the process begins with semi-finished products wherein they move from one workstation to another. At every workstation, certain parts are added. This is a continuous process that goes on till the last workstation where the final product is received.
With technological advancement, today's assembly manufacturing requires minimal human supervision and operation as everything is highly automated and mechanized.
The credit for this production process can be given to Henry Ford who set up the first assembly line in 1908 for the manufacture of his Model T cars. Prior to this, the tasks were all completed with manual effort, and took a lot of time to complete the procedure.
During the assembly process in manufacturing, the task is completed in lesser time as a major part of the work is done by machines. This increases the efficiency of the output while involving minimal labor which in turn leads to reduced manufacturing costs.
The most important part of assembly line production is making the decision of which task is to be completed manually to make the procedure effective. So, for this purpose, the entire production procedure needs to be broken down into parts to ascertain which activity is to be done where and by whom. To make it effective, a design for assembly approach is used.
Importance of Assembly Line
In today's fast and very competitive world, the assembly line is of immense importance for owners of manufacturing units. It ensures production is carried out in a streamlined and efficient manner that also increases the profit margin of the company.
The assembly line production process ensures that all the stages in the production process are defined and complete. It ensures that there is no miss in any stage which in turn ensures quality. The multiple stages in the production process are methodically carried out with each minute detail in place.
Every stage of the production process has its own purpose which is successfully carried out. This guarantees a finished product that is complete in every way with quality at its best.
Consistency and quality control are key advantages of an assembly line. Since the production process is divided into separate tasks, manufacturers can focus on quality control and consistency for making a top-selling finished product.
Another key importance of assembly lines is that they can be customized to meet the needs of specific products and industries. For example, you can adjust the speed, size, and layout of the assembly line with varying degrees of complexity.
Since every aspect of the assembly line is the responsivity of a worker or team of workers, they ensure that manufacturing is being done correctly without defects. Also, spotting the defects and fixing them before the finished product is easy.
So, manufacturers are able to produce high-quality products with minimum human intervention. Only certain parts which require human activity are allotted to humans i.e. factory workers.
Therefore, an assembly line will increase productivity by maximizing efficiency and perfection with minimum costs and reduced production time. Since the entire process is streamlined, all the workers work in unison avoiding any conflict or confusion. This brings about more coordination in the process. The assembly line runs on conveyor belts which take the product from one workstation to another.
Types of Assembly Line Methods
Assembly line methods can be determined depending on their arrangement, stages, design, and production needs. Based on these few factors, we have the following types of assembly lines.
Modular Process
This assembly line has parallel assembly lines used to produce numerous small products simultaneously. As the finish point is reached, every single assembly line merges into one to produce the ultimate finished product.
Cell Manufacturing
This system does not require separate stages for every step in the production process. This is a method where there is one single assembly line with machines that complete multiple tasks in one single stage.
Team Production
Where you require high precision and superior quality you can make use of the team production assembly line method. Here you will require multiple teams to actively participate in different stages which will culminate with the final quality check stage. This warrants the best quality in production. And all the different teams are liable and answerable for every stage that they have been assigned to before it is finally handed over to the next team.
U-Shaped Assembly Line
The very name suggests its shape and method of functioning. The line has a U-shaped or curved line with workers standing in between the curves. This is beneficial in that there is no commotion and lapse in communication between every production stage.
Advantages of Assembly Line
Assembly lines benefits are several. These are what led to its invention and mass-scale adoption today. Let's take a quick look at its benefits.
- Lower costs of production by optimizing the use of labor and resources while minimizing waste.
- Allow for greater efficiency since each worker is responsible for a certain task.
- Small chunks of manufacturing tasks lead to faster production times.
- Job creation for assembly line workers needed for operation, maintenance, and inspection.
- Manufacturing time has come down without reducing the quality.
- In fact, quality is further enhanced along with productivity.
- It guarantees a more well-organized, smooth, and continual flow of production.
- Managing is more convenient with well-defined roles.
Assembly Line Example
The assembly line can be best explained with the help of the automotive industry example. It is more applicable to that industry because of the innumerable small moving and stationary parts that are involved in assembling a car into one whole product.
The process is very complex and involves numerous tiny as well as bigger parts. It begins from the time the engine is fitted into the chassis. From there, it moves to the chassis line for the assembly of the chassis.
Then you would see a car getting assembled overall and completed into one entire unit. Next, comes the installation of doors, windows, and other fixtures. Then it needs to be painted and coated with all required chemicals and so on. That happens in the next line.
Now is the time for the interiors and other decorative items that are installed into the car. It is finally tested in the testing line before the car goes to the market ready for consumer use.
Set Your Operations to Auto-Pilot With a Streamlined Assembly Line
Assembly lines have proved revolutionary in the manufacturing and production processes. They have been used for over a century due to their significant benefits in improving efficiency and profitability. However, you need to have a system in place for proper assembly line production. To streamline your assembly line, try TranZact, as it integrates various core manufacturing operations to save time and enhance productivity for SME businesses.
FAQs on Assembly Line
1. What is the assembly process?
The assembly manufacturing process makes use of machines, equipment, and workers to execute smaller chunks of the complete manufacturing jobs in a sequence. In other words, it puts together individual components or parts to create a finished product. The series of steps are inspection, testing, and assembly, where every step ensures that the final product is developed as per the required specifications and quality standards.
2. What is an example of an assembly process?
Some examples of the assembly process are the production of automobiles, electronic devices, such as smartphones and computers, the assembly of furniture, and more.
3. What are the ways in which you can have an effective and efficient assembly line?
There are some tips that you might follow to have an effective and efficient assembly line. They are:
- Have a proper plan.
- Set realistic targets.
- Ensure proper team communication.
- Implement quality control measures.
- Focus on the minimum part count.
- The ergonomics should be given good thought.
- Assembly line software should be used.
