Line Balancing of Semi-Automated Line in the Paint Shop

Introduction A comprehensive analysis identified several bottlenecks in the semi-automated line in the paint shop of a manufacturing plant. These issues arose from unbalanced lines that led to part accumulation and downtime delays, as well as from concurrent unloading and loading processes. Aims and Objectives The objective is to ascertain downtime and optimize the semi-automated line in the paint shop, aiming to achieve optimal line balance. Methodology The methodology utilizes plant simulation using Siemens Tecnomatix software to replicate the paint shop environment, focusing on layout and process flows. It comprises two phases. The first involves data collection and model building, while the second focuses on built model optimization. Optimizations in the simulation software include installing a buffer conveyor to manage part accumulation and relocating the existing track to improve efficiency. Separating unloading and loading activities further helps reduce downtime. Result and Discussion The simulation results demonstrated that a strategically placed buffer conveyor significantly increased throughput in the paint shop, boosting production from eight to twelve products per hour in the sequential cyclic scenario. This approach also led to notable improvements in other loading combinations. Separating the unloading and loading processes further contributed to reducing cycle time by approximately 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Additionally, the buffer system effectively reduced waiting times, with a decrease from 72.22% to 59.85%, resulting in a more streamlined production flow. Conclusion These results highlight the effectiveness of targeted interventions and provide a solid foundation for implementing similar improvements in other manufacturing environments.