Abstract

Since the progression of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0), most machines in the assembly and production line have transformed into automated system and can be wirelessly controlled. In an Automated Assembly Line System (AALS), there are many different physical systems, classified according to its configurations. The two most used Automated Assembly Line Systems are U-Shaped Assembly System(USAS) and Straight-Line Assembly System(SLAS). Both configurations come with their own advantages and disadvantages which needs to be considered when designing an automated assembly line system. However, no empirical or experimental research has been done on the effects of using U-Shaped Assembly System compared to Straight-Line Assembly System in terms of Cycle Rate, Rc and overall system Efficiency, E. Therefore, this study aims to analyse and compare the two most used assembly line configurations. The analysis and comparison are achieved through findings from Microsoft Excel Calculations and simulation in Delmia Quest. The study attempts to choose the best assembly line configurations, examined in terms of the Cycle Rate, Rc and Efficiency, E. From the study conducted, the study finds the best assembly system layout in terms of Cycle Rate, Rc and Efficiency, E to be the U-Shaped Assembly System.