Assembly line systems include classic, automated, intermittent, and lean manufacturing models. Classic lines assemble complex products with many stations and automated processes, while intermittent lines make small quantities of customized products. Automated lines require little human intervention, and lean manufacturing uses teams of workers who change jobs frequently.
While there are many types of assembly line systems, some common variations include classic, automated, intermittent, and lean manufacturing models. These systems are often used to make different types of products. Classic assembly lines can be used to create complex items like cars, which are more or less the same across thousands of products. Intermittent assembly lines, in contrast, are often used to make a small quantity of a product based on specific, custom orders. Despite the design differences, many of these assembly lines have some shared characteristics.
In a classic assembly line, complex products are often assembled using several stations and many automated processes. The goals of many of these systems are to reduce the amount of workers required and alleviate the need to manually move workpieces. Workers and tools are often spaced out along an assembly line, performing a task before allowing the part to go to the next station. A worker might only perform a small task, like tightening a set of bolts. One of the advantages of the classic assembly line system is that unskilled or semi-skilled workers are sufficient to complete many of the manufacturing or manufacturing tasks.
An automated assembly line is generally one that requires little human intervention to operate. These can include large scale mass production systems using computer controlled machines. This type of assembly line reduces some of the hazards associated with assembly line work, which makes it especially useful when chemicals or heat would make human intervention difficult. Automated systems are often combined with other systems, depending on the product.
Intermittent assembly line systems may include the same elements as many other systems, but work pieces are often customized to specific orders. Workers and machines must adapt to changes, which often increase the final cost of production. Manufacturing guitars, for example, requires a similar process every time, even though each guitar might be different based on consumer demand and material properties.
Lean manufacturing uses teams of workers on an assembly line to create products. The main difference of this assembly line system is that workers change jobs frequently and can divide the workload in new ways, depending on the workpieces. In a way, this type of system can help alleviate many of the risks associated with classic assembly lines, including boredom and repetitive motion injuries.
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