The Peeps factory in Lansing, Michigan can be described as a 3-step process cons
ID: 334858 • Letter: T
Question
The Peeps factory in Lansing, Michigan can be described as a 3-step process consisting of mixing, forming, and packaging. Peep snacks are made in batches of 1000 and have a daily demand of 75,000 units during what the plant manager likes to call "the Peep season." Mixing has a cycle time of .02 seconds with a setup time of 30 seconds; Forming has a setup time of 24 seconds and a cycle time of .03 seconds, and Packaging has a setup time of 15 seconds with a cycle time of .04 seconds. Each process step is handled by a single operator, Sarah, who is available for 8 hours a day. What is the process bottleneck if each process step is assumed to have 100% uptime?
show work
Explanation / Answer
Bottleneck is the process stage with the smallest capacity or longest cycle time, therefore let’s calculate total cycle time of each process step. Where
Cycle time = setup time + cycle time per unit* batch size
For mixing step –
Setup time = 30 seconds
Cycle time per unit = 0.02 seconds
Batch size = 1000
Therefore,
Total Cycle time for mixing = 30 seconds + 0.02 seconds * 1000
= 30 seconds + 20 seconds
= 50 seconds
For forming step –
Setup time = 24 seconds
Cycle time per unit = 0.03 seconds
Batch size = 1000
Therefore,
Total Cycle time for forming = 24 seconds + 0.03 seconds * 1000
= 24 seconds + 30 seconds
= 54 seconds
For packaging step –
Setup time = 15 seconds
Cycle time per unit = 0.04 seconds
Batch size = 1000
Therefore,
Total Cycle time for packaging = 15 seconds + 0.04 seconds * 1000
= 15 seconds + 40 seconds
= 55 seconds
As the total cycle time is longest for packaging step (55 seconds per batch), therefore bottleneck of the process is packaging.
Related Questions
drjack9650@gmail.com
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.