Performance evaluation of a mixed-model assembly line with a bypass subline under line stop condition

A mixed-model assembly line is designed for production of many products of small quantities. A bypass line is installed for absorbing the difference of working time between items to be assembled on the mixed-model assembly line. When the man-hour is greatly different among the product types, however, the variation of the working delay and advancement cannot be absorbed and the line stop occurs. In this research, the length of working area, the variation of working times and the capacity of the buffer of the line are considered for performance evaluation of a mixed-model line with a bypass subline and their influence on the work completion time and the line stop time is examined by simulation experiments.