An assembly line with 17 tasks is to be balanced. The longest task is 2.4 minutes, and the total time for all tasks is 18 minutes. The line will operate for 450 minutes per day.

a) What are the minimum and maximum cycle times?

b) What range of output is theoretically possible for the line?

c) What is the minimum number of worksheets needed if the maximum output rate is to be sought?

d) What cycle time will provide an output rate of 125 units per day?

e) What output potential will result if the cycle time is (1) 9 minutes? and (2) 15 minutes?

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that,

Operation time output is 450mins/day

Task is 17

Longest task = 2.4mins

Total task time = 18mins

A. What are the minimum and maximum cycle times?

The minimum time cycle is the time to complete the longest time which is 2.4minutes

Minimum cycle time=2.4minutes

The maximum time cycle is the total time to complete the whole task which is 18minutes

Maximum cycle time=18minutes

B. What range of output is theoretically possible for the line?

The range of the output line ranges from the minimum cycle rate to the maximum cycle rate.

For minimum cycle rate

Output Rate=Output / minimum cycle time

Output Rate=450/2.4

Output Rate=187.5units

For maximum cycle rate

Output Rate=Output / maximum cycle time

Output Rate=450/18

Output Rate=25units

Therefore output ranges from 25 units to 187.5 units

C. What is the minimum number of worksheets needed if the maximum output rate is to be sought?

If we selected maximum output rate of 187.5units

Then the maximum output for this rate will be 187.5*18=3375minutes

Then, the minimum worksheets needed is 3375/450=7.5 which is not ideal, because we can have 7.5 worksheet

So the minimum worksheet needed is 8.

D. What cycle time will provide an output rate of 125 units per day?

Cycle time is given as

CT=Output time / output rate

CT = 450/125

CT = 3.6 minutes per cycle

E. What output potential will result if the cycle time is (1) 9 minutes? and (2) 15 minutes?

When Cycle time is 9mins

Then,

Output rate = Output time/cycle time

Output rate=450/9

Output rate = 50units

When Cycle time is 15mins

Then,

Output rate = Output time/cycle time

Output rate=450/15

Output rate = 30units