The complexity of planning and scheduling of multi-model assembly lines, joined to the dynamic behavior of these lines and the stochastic nature of the assembly times make a simulation based approach more effective to support the line scheduling. This work uses the simulation to analyze the manpower need and allocation, in different scenarios considering the number of operators, the operator's distribution on the workstations, the use of concurrency relationship of activities and the arrival sequence of engines in the line. This study was accomplished in three engines subassembly lines in a company of the automotive sector, characterized by a variable daily demand with defined delivery date for the finished products.
Assembly line; simulation; manpower allocation; multi-model line
