Editing Assembly line (section)

==Simple example==
[[File:Assembling Motors on Endless Conveyors in Bldg. 90, Overland Plant, Toledo, Ohio. - DPLA - eede5a01f410c31c9bffe29a0be37121 (page 1).jpg|thumb|right|Motor assembly line at Willys-Overland Company, Toledo, Ohio, 1920]]
Consider the assembly of a [[car]]: assume that certain steps in the assembly line are to install the engine, install the hood, and install the wheels (in that order, with arbitrary interstitial steps); only one of these steps can be done at a time. In traditional production, only one car would be assembled at a time. If [[engine]] installation takes 20 minutes, [[Hood (vehicle)|hood]] installation takes five minutes, and [[wheel]]s installation takes 10 minutes, then a car can be produced every 35 minutes.

In an assembly line, car assembly is split between several stations, all working simultaneously. When a station is finished with a car, it passes it on to the next. By having three stations, three cars can be operated on at the same time, each at a different stage of assembly.

After finishing its work on the first car, the engine installation crew can begin working on the second car. While the engine installation crew works on the second car, the first car can be moved to the hood station and fitted with a hood, then to the wheels station and be fitted with wheels. After the engine has been installed on the second car, the second car moves to the hood assembly. At the same time, the third car moves to the engine assembly. When the third car's engine has been mounted, it then can be moved to the hood station; meanwhile, subsequent cars (if any) can be moved to the engine installation station.

Assuming no loss of time when moving a car from one station to another, the longest stage on the assembly line determines the [[throughput (business)|throughput]] (20 minutes for the engine installation) so a car can be produced every 20 minutes, once the first car taking 35 minutes has been produced.