A Multi-Worker Assembly Line Rebalancing with Spatial and Ergonomic Considerations
For production managers in flexible manufacturing, this provides a method to rebalance lines with multiple workers while considering spatial feasibility and ergonomics, though it is an incremental extension of existing rebalancing approaches.
This work proposes a multi-objective optimization model for rebalancing assembly lines with multiple workers per station, incorporating spatial and ergonomic constraints. Computational experiments show the model consistently generates feasible reconfigurations, serving as a decision-support tool for industrial rebalancing.
This work addresses the Assembly Line Rebalancing Problem driven by cycle-time changes in manual assembly systems where multiple workers operate in parallel within the same station. A multi-objective optimization model is proposed that incorporates task reassignment, worker allocation, ergonomic evaluation, and explicit spatial feasibility through work-area constraints. The formulation minimizes deviations from the current configuration while promoting balanced workload and ergonomic conditions among workers. The main contribution is the extension of assembly line rebalancing to multi-worker settings with explicit spatial constraints. Computational experiments on synthetic instances demonstrate that the model consistently generates feasible reconfigurations, highlighting its potential as a decision-support tool for industrial rebalancing in flexible production environments.