The following production line has 5 operations with elemental limes_1=0.6, 2=0.5, 3=0.3, 4=0.2, 5=0.5 (in minutes). Develop a set of workstations that would most efficiently balance the production line and decrease the idle time. Management hopes to have 120 units produced per hour. Calculate the improvement in %idle time and productivity for your new method as compared to an unbalanced line.
Expert Answer
Therefore desired cycle time or takt time = Available time / desired output = 60 minutes / 120 units = 0.5 minutes.
Desired cycle time is 0.5 minutes, but we see that the elemental time of operation 1 is 0.6 minutes. This is more than the desired cycle time. Therefore it is not possible to achieve the desried cycle time of 0.5 minutes. The minimum achievable cycle time is 0.6 minutes.
At 0.6 minute cycle time, Production rate = 60 minutes / 0.6 minutes = 100 units per hour.
Therefore maximum 100 units per hour is the possible output.