Data-Based Assembly Patterns for Overall Equipment Effectiveness at Semi-Automatic Assembly Lines

In industrial practice, production planning is a key factor for manufacturers and suppliers. The entire planning process spans from the appearance of the customer demand to the fulfillment of the demand. Operational execution is based on pre-planned production processes and operations using properly allocated resources. The accurate planning of assembly operations within production is an extremely complex process in terms of efficiency. Predicting stochastically variable efficiencies is difficult due to the ever-changing manufacturing conditions. This paper defines typical assembly process situations for a semi-automatic assembly line and examines their consequence for the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Firstly, a literature review demonstrates the scientific relevance. Secondly, the classification of patterns based on assembly process description parameters is described taking into account the positive and negative effects on the OEE. In addition, the assembly patterns and their characteristics are illustrated through a real automotive example.