Question 6.1: Arrange the tasks shown in Figure 6.9 into three workstation......
Arrange the tasks shown in Figure 6.9 into three workstations. Use a cycle time of 1.0 minute. Assign tasks in order of the greatest number of followers.
1. Begin with task a; it has the most following tasks. Assign it to workstation 1.
2. Next, tasks b and c each have two following tasks, but only task c will fit in the time remaining at workstation 1, so assign task c to workstation 1.
3. Task b now has the most followers, but it will not fit at workstation 1, so assign it to workstation 2.
4. There is no time left at workstation 2, so we move on to workstation 3, assigning task d and then task e to that workstation.
The initial “time remaining” for each workstation is equal to the cycle time. For a task to be eligible, tasks preceding it must have been assigned, and the task’s time must not exceed the station’s remaining time.
| Workstation | Time Remaining |
Eligible | Assign Task |
Revised Time Remaining |
Station Idle Time |
| 1 | 1.0 | a, c | a | 0.9 | |
| 0.9 | b, c | c | 0.2 | ||
| 0.2 | none | — | 0.2 | ||
| 2 | 1.0 | b, c | b | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 3 | 1.0 | d | d | 0.5 | |
| 0.5 | e | e | 0.3 | ||
| 0.3 | — | — | \underline{0.3} | ||
| 0.5 |
