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 area for decades; however, 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 the real-world settings. This article describes using the precedence matrix as the basis for developing simplified, more practical analysis frameworks for the ALBP. We introduce algorithms to construct the precedence matrix from basic assembly problem data and implement it within a spreadsheet model, and to utilize this matrix in assigning the assembly tasks to workstations while ensuring assignment feasibility. The structure and potential uses of the precedence matrix-based framework are presented in detail. Furthermore, we compare selected line balancing priority rules using the proposed framework to demonstrate its effectiveness. The results suggest that the precedence matrix model is a straightforward, efficient tool for line balancing analysis, that can offer substantial support to both industry practitioners and academic researchers.

Keywords

• Assembly Line Balancing
• Precedence Matrix
• Spreadsheets
• Priority Rules