Selection of assembly lines feeding policies based on parts features

This paper explores the impact of parts features, i.e. unit size and cost, on the total delivery cost of materials to assembly lines workstations, considered as a criterion to directly select the feeding method to be adopted for each part type. After building cost models for different materials feeding processes (kitting, line storage, and just in time delivery) a parametric analysis is carried out in order to understand whether economic breakeven points exist among available feeding alternatives on the basis of the values assumed by relevant attributes of parts. This allows to map areas where each feeding policy is more convenient and also allows a quick method to choose the best feeding policy for each part on an economic basis.