Assembly Line - Assignments and Line Stations (tiasc5520m000)

Use this session to display the assembly assignments linked to a line station. This data is defined in Line Assembly Control (LAC), where the data is referred to as the Line Station Level Assignment.

 

Assembly Line

A set of consecutive line stations in which FAS (Final Assembly Schedule) items are manufactured. The items are manufactured by passing the items from line station to line station and by carrying out operations at each line station. An assembly line is subdivided into a number of line segments separated by buffers. An assembly line can be either a main line or a supplying line.

Line Station

A work center that is part of an assembly line. A line station is used in the production of FAS (final assembly schedule) items. A line station can have multiple positions, which enables more than one item to be present in one line station.

Assignment

The set of resources assigned to an assembly line for a particular period of the day. The resources are divided over the line stations to create a balanced line.

Assignments are defined for an assembly line. For each assignment, you specify the cycle time and its activity ranges, which are the period and time ranges for which the assignment is effective. The process characteristics that you define for an assignment include:

  • Man occupation
  • Machine occupation
  • Work team
  • Operations

These process characteristics are linked to other assignments that are, in turn, linked to the assembly assignment. When an assignment is in effect, the assignments that are linked to it are also in effect.

assignment types

Two types of assignments exist, both of which exist at the same time. The average assignment is used for more general purposes, whereas the nonaverage assignment has a very specific period and time range.

  • Average assignments
    Use an average cycle time that is based on the cycle times of the nonaverage assignments for the day. The average assignment is used in planning. Planning is based on cycle time, calendar, and availability type.
  • Nonaverage assignments

    Use time-based cycle times that are based on the operations performed on the line. The cycle time can vary according to the time range that is provided for the assignment.

    Nonaverage assignments are used to define order content. For generated (nonfrozen) orders, the order content is based on the first active, nonaverage assignment. For frozen orders, the order content is based on the nonaverage assignment that is in effect at the time that the order is frozen.

    Nonaverage assignments are also used to offset the lead time during sequencing. When the order is sequenced, a lead time is calculated for every order. This lead time is based on the cycle times, and the applicable cycle time is retrieved from the nonaverage assignment.

Note

An average cycle time is not a mathematical average, but is a value that you consider to be a suitable average for the nonaverage cycle times over the course of a full day.

Man Occupation

The number of employees working the line station for this assembly assignment.

Machine Occupation

The number of machines being used at the line station for this assembly assignment.

Number of Cycle Times

The time required to process one assembly order in the line station, for this assignment. The time is expressed as a number of cycles. For instance, if the cycle time is two minutes, ten minutes is expressed as five cycles.

 

Work Teams