1. Swarm Intelligence: Bucket Brigade Assembly Lines
Presented by Steve Schmitz

2. Overview Bucket Brigade Overview Bucket Brigade Operation
Design Guidelines
Benefits

3. Bucket Brigade Overview
Flow line
Less workers than stations
Each worker carries their work with them
Sequence of workers maintained
Last worker ‘pulls’ work through the line

4. Bucket Brigade Overview (cont)
Operations
Raw Material In
Workers
Finished Product Out

5. Overview Bucket Brigade Overview Bucket Brigade Operation
Design Guidelines
Benefits

6. Typical Operation Work divided into ‘cells’
Each batch has some process time
Each station performs some % of total process
Output of one cell is maximized

7. Calculating Throughput
Simplifying assumptions
Identical workers
1 worker  1 machine
Reset time is negligible
Circular flow line/Closed queue

8. Calculating Throughput (cont)
Throughput limited by:
1 worker  1 batch/time unit
1 worker  1 machine
Production Rate:
MIN{n, 1/pmax}

9. Calculating Throughput (cont)
Production limitations translate to:
Overstaffing
Bottlenecks
Conclusion: workers will self organize to time intensive tasks

10. Overview Bucket Brigade Overview Bucket Brigade Operation
Design Guidelines
Benefits

11. When to use a Bucket Brigade
Work is variations on limited skills
Work is easily transferable
Work stations are inexpensive in relation to workers
Demand varies

12. Design Guidelines Worker quantity < machine quantity
stations≈2.5*workers
Use smaller teams
Pick appropriate batch sizes
Large batches if transfer costs are high
Small batches if handling costs are high

13. Overview Bucket Brigade Overview Bucket Brigade Operation
Design Guidelines
Benefits

14. Benefits of a Bucket Brigade
Industry consistent
Pull system
No special material handling
Self balancing
Simple

15. Questions/Discussion