Glossary · Manufacturing systems
Assembly line
Also known as: Assembly conveyor line
German: Montagelinie
In manufacturing, an assembly line is a production line in which a product is assembled step by step at a sequence of workstations, with the product moving between them manually or by conveyor, often paced by a takt time.
- Manufacturing systems
In one sentence
An assembly line builds a product step by step at a sequence of workstations, often paced by a takt time.
Example
On the e-bike assembly line, twelve stations add frame, drive unit, battery, wiring and wheels at a takt time of four minutes.
How it applies
- Engineering: Line balancing distributes assembly tasks over stations so each station's work fits the Takt time. Stations can be manual, automated or collaborative with robots.
- Operation: Work instructions at each station, error proofing (poka-yoke) and in-line tests keep quality stable. Variant-rich lines need the right instruction for the current product.
- Safety: Moving conveyors, screwdriving tools, lifting aids and robots each bring hazards. When several machines are combined, the line can be an assembly of machinery in the EU sense; see Assembly of machinery.
- Documentation: Station work instructions are a documentation genre of their own: short, visual, variant-specific and often delivered on screens from the MES. Keep them controlled and linked to the product and routing revision.
Assembly line vs. production line
An assembly line joins components; a Production line is the broader term that includes machining, forming or process steps.