Disassembly line balancing using linear physical programming

Abstract

Disassembly is the separation of a product into its constituent parts in a systematic way. It has gained importance recently due to its vital importance in product recovery. Cost-effective implementation of disassembly operation has a direct impact on the profitability of product recovery activities (recycling, remanufacturing etc.). Although it is possible to carry out disassembly operations in a disassembly station or in a disassembly cell, the highest productivity is achieved in a disassembly line. The output of a disassembly line can be maximised only if the line is balanced. A linear physical programming-based disassembly line balancing method is proposed in this study. This method was used to balance a mixed-model disassembly line and the effectiveness of the method was illustrated by analysing the results. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.