Mixed Model Sequencing is one way to handle products that have different workloads on a production line. In this post I continue to describe the basics if there is only one station where products vary in workload. This is part of a (rather long) series of posts on product-dependent workload.  In my next posts I will go into situations where multiple stations are affected by product-dependent workload. Continue reading Mixed Model Sequencing – Basic Example Sequencing →

Adjusting the production sequence is a popular way of handling production lines with a product-dependent workload. This post is part of rather long series on Mixed Model Sequencing. In the last post I discussed the basics of sequencing and the calculation of the takt time. This post describes the basics of adjusting workload and buffering – but still for a simple case of only one imbalanced station. Subsequent posts will get more serious with multiple imbalances. But let’s continue with our simple single imbalance example. Continue reading Mixed Model Sequencing – Basic Example Workload and Buffering →

Your products may have different work content on your production line, which may make your line less efficient. One possible solution is Mixed Model Sequencing, a way to adjust the sequencing of your products to make the average work content stable. In previous posts I looked at the basics, at how to avoid the problem in the first place and how to play with capacity. However, especially for large complex lines (i.e., automotive), sequencing is often a suitable approach to manage different work contents. Continue reading Mixed Model Sequencing – Basic Example Introduction →

Production lines with a product mix may have different workloads at different stations for different products. This can cause waste. In this third post in the series I will look at options on how to adjust the available capacity to ease this problem. In my next post I will look at Mixed Model Sequencing to adjust workload differences. Continue reading Mixed Model Sequencing – Adjust Capacity →

Your production line may have different workloads for different product variants. This unevenness causes waste and overburden. In this series of posts I will look at ways to address this unevenness. The first post was an introduction to the topic. This second post will look at ways to simply eliminate the problem – although this may not be feasible for many cases. In the next posts I will look at adjusting the capacity and finally at adjusting the product sequence through Mixed Model Sequencing. Continue reading Mixed Model Sequencing – Just Make the Problem Go Away →

In a mixed model production line, different products may have different work content at different stations. Hence, some stations may need a longer or shorter time depending on the product. This requires careful planning of the assembly line. If this is not taken into account, it may cause significant idle time with all stations along the line. This is the first of a (very) long series of posts looking at Mixed Model Sequencing (i.e., the behavior of unbalanced workloads, and different ways to address these issues). Continue reading Mixed Model Sequencing – Introduction →