The Small Part Assembly Line.

The assembly line can be simple or flexible and complex.

The Manual Assembly Line.

The simplest (and maybe the least expensive for capital expenditure) is a series of manual stations linked by chutes or short conveyors. The manual stations can be presses or rivet stations or whatever is required by the process.

The chute or conveyor can accumulate parts in process, thus making the line non-synchronous. The line productivity is determined by the longest cycle time of a station and every attempt should be made to balance the line regarding cycle times. It may be necessary, for instance to incorporate multiple stations that have long cycle times.

The advantages of the manual line are-

• Low initial capital investment.
• Very flexible regarding the number of different parts that can be accommodated on the line. (The change over time can be low)
•  Low maintenance costs
•  Simple system means low technical back-up requirements.

• The  disadvantages are-

• High running costs.
•  Many operators required.
•  Difficult to incorporate assembly fixtures-part has to be the fixture.

The manual line is the oldest of the production line concepts. Many companies find it the best way to start-up a process and learn the difficulties of assembling their product. Once the process is completely understood then a more automated approach can be considered. The manual line can then serve as a back-up to the new automated system and/or be used for prototyping new product.

The Automated Assembly Line.

Two basics concepts spring to mind, and the first one is not a line at all! I refer to the dial indexer. As the name implies this is a circular table that indexes, one station at a time. This results in a totally synchronous system, that never the less, can be very efficient.

The photo shows a dial, designed and built by the author. Here one manual station (Station 1, the load station.), is combined with several automatic stations.

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For further information, on dial indexers, please click here.

The other concept to consider, is that of the linear transfer system. This is a conveyor system, generally a twin belt conveyor, with pallets, indexing around a closed loop system. The pallet, generic to the system, can carry a custom designed fixture, particular to the part(s) being handled.

For further information, on this style of assembly line. please click here.

A new and different type of Linear Transfer System. (LTS)

A Swiss company, called Montech, offer a unique style of LTS. This is a monorail that carries pallets that are individually motorized. A copper bus-bar, embedded in the monorail track, carries DC current to the pallets. The video below is well worth a look. As you will see, this concept can result in some interesting and very useful systems

For further information on Montech, please click here.

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