Abstract:
This study examined the productivity improvement in the asseinbly line of reinforced fi-oat bumpers for pick-ups by means of reducing work period and production costs. The researcher participated in the operations in a sample factory with its engineers and workers in order to, firstly, analyse the assembly line problems in terms of techniques, working process, method, and material handling time; secondly, to find out the standard work period; thirdly, to compare the work balance in each station; and finally, to fulfill the requirements of the engineers, who need the work quality as well as the achiavement of 2lar.ned production, and of the workers, who require techniques, tools and other equipment to be improved to facilitate working and transferring materials. Participation observation and unstructured / non-directive interviews were employed as the research instruments to acknowledge factual problems and other significant information. The obtained data was analyzed and categorized as the assembly line problems in the aspects of working techniques, material movement and balance arrangement of the line. To solve the problems, the working techniques, the material movement method, and the design were improved. Tools and other equipment were also developed and provided to facilitate the operations, causing to working-time reduction prior to the balance arrangement of the assembly line. The results indicated that the standard work period and the material handling time were significantly reduced. The balance arrangement of the assembly line was nearly equal leading to the 22.7 percent improved productivity, 18.7 percent time reduction and 1.68 percent reduced production costs.