Northern Borders University Subject: Work Study IE341

Faculty of Engineering Date: 6/8/1435, Time allowed: 2 Hrs

Second Semester 1434/1435, Total Marks: 40 Points
Final Exam Instructors: Dr. Mohamed Mostafa

Answer the Following Questions

Question 1: 10 Points

A. Define productivity.
B. What is an irregular work element?
C. What is a worker-machine system?
D. What is a manual assembly line?
E. What are the objectives of using charts and diagrams to study work?
F. What is a therblig? Identify some of the ineffective therbligs.
G. Identify the five steps in the direct time study procedure.
H. What are the differences between snapback and continuous timing
method when using a stopwatch during direct time study?

Question 2: 10 Points

A work group of 20 workers in a certain month produced 8600 units of output

working 8 hr/day for 21 days.

(a) What is the labor productivity ratio for this month?

(b) In the next month, the same worker group produced 8000 units but
there were 22 workdays in the month and the size of the work group
was reduced to 14 workers. What is the labor productivity ratio for
this second month?

(c) What is the productivity index using the first month as a base?

1
Question 3: 10 Points

Production rate for a certain assembled product is 48 units/hr. The assembly

work content time is 36.3 min of direct labor. Twelve of the workstations
have two workers on opposite sides of the product, and the remaining
stations have one worker each. Repositioning time lost per cycle is 0.10 min.
The uptime efficiency of the line is 96%. It is known that the number of
workers on the line is three more than the number required for perfect
balance. Determine (a) number of workers, (b) number of workstations, (c)
balance efficiency, (d) average manning level, and (e) overall labor
efficiency on the line.
Question 4: 10 Points

The continuous timing method in direct time study was used to obtain the
times for a worker-machine task as indicated in the table below. Element C
is a machine - controlled element and the time is constant. Elements A, B,
D, E, and F are operator - controlled and were performance rated at 95%;
they are all external elements performed in sequence with machine element
C. The machine allowance is 30%, and the PFD allowance is 15%.
Determine (a) the normal time and (b) standard time for the cycle.

(c) If the operator works at 100% of standard performance in production and

one part is produced each cycle, how many parts are produced if the total
time worked during an 8-hour day is 7.25 hours?

(d) For the number of parts computed in (c), what is the worker’s efficiency
for this shift?
Element A B C D E F

Observed time (min) 0.22 0.40 1.08 1.29 1.75 2.10

‫مع تمنياتى للجميع بالتوفيق‬

2
IE 341 Final Exam Solution Date: 6/8/1435
Question 1:
Answer A : Productivity is the level of output of a given process relative to the
level of input.
Answer B : An irregular work element is an element that is performed less
frequently than once per cycle. Examples include changing tools and changing tote
pans of parts. Irregular elements do not occur every cycle, so their times are
prorated in the regular cycle time.
Answer C : A worker-machine system is a work system in which the worker
operates powered equipment.
Answer D : A manual assembly line is a work system consisting of multiple
workers who are organized to produce a single product or a limited range of
products for which demand is high. The assembly workers perform various tasks at
workstations that are physically located along the line-of-flow of the product as it
is being made.
Answer E : The objectives are (1) to permit work processes to be communicated
and comprehended more readily, (2) to allow the use of algorithms specifically
designed for the particular diagramming technique, (3) to divide a given work
process into its constituent elements for analysis purposes, (4) to provide a
structure in the search for improvements, and (5) to represent a proposed new work
process or method.
Answer F: A therblig is a basic motion element, the basic building block of
virtually all manual work. The 17 therbligs were defined by Frank Gilbreth, who
devised the word therblig by spelling his own name backwards (except for the
“th”).
The eight therbligs classified as ineffective in the text are hold, pre-position,
position, search, select, plan, unavoidable delay, and avoidable delay.
Answer G: The five steps are as follows: (1) Define and document the standard
method. (2) Divide the task into work elements. (3) Time the work elements to
obtain the observed time for the task. (4) Rate the worker’s pace to determine the
normalized time. Steps 3 and 4 are accomplished simultaneously. (5) Apply
allowances to compute the standard time.
Answer H: In the snapback timing method, the watch is started at the beginning of
every work element by snapping it back to zero at the end of the previous element.
The reader must note and record the final time for that element as the watch is
being zeroed.
In the continuous timing method, the watch is zeroed at the beginning of the first
cycle and allowed to run continuously throughout the duration of the study. The
analyst records the running time on the stopwatch at the end of each respective
element. Some analysts adapt the continuous method by zeroing at the beginning
of each work cycle, so that the starting time of any given work cycle is always
zero.
3
Question 2:
Solution 2 :
(a) LPR = 8600/20(8)(21) = 2.559 units/hr
(b) LPR = 8000/14(8)(22) = 3.247 units/hr
(c) LPI = 3.247/2.559 = 1.269 = 126.9%

Question 3:
Solution 3 :
(a) Tc = 60(0.96)/48 = 1.2 min, Ts = 1.2 – 0.1 = 1.1 min
For perfect balance, w = Min Int  36.3/1.1(1.0) = 33 workers. Actual
number of workers is three more than for perfect balance.
Therefore, w = 33 + 3 = 36 workers
(b) Given that 12 stations have 2 workers (total 24 workers), so the
remaining 12 stations have 1 worker each.
n = 12 + 12 = 24 stations
(c) Eb = 36.3/36(1.1) = 0.9167 = 91.67%
(d) M = 36/24 = 1.5
(e) Labor efficiency = E Er Eb = 0.96(1.1/1.2)(0.9167) = 0.8067 = 80.67%

Question 4:
Solution:
(a) Observed times must be determined for each element: Te(A) = 0.22 min,
Te(B) = 0.18 min, Te(C) = 0.68 min, Te(D) = 0.21 min, Te(E) = 0.46 min,
and Te(F) = 0.35 min
For elements A, B, D, E, and F,
Tnw = (0.22 + 0.18 + 0.21 + 0.46 + 0.35)(0.95) = 1.349 min
For the cycle, Tn = 1.349 + 0.68 = 2.029 min
(b) Tstd = 1.349(1 + 0.15) + 0.68(1 + 0.30) = 1.551 + 0.884 = 2.435 min
(c) Worker performance Pw = 100% for 7.25 hr worked during an 8-hour
shift
Tc = 1.349/1.00 + 0.68 = 1.349 + 0.68 = 2.029 min
Q = 7.25(60)/2.029 = 214.4 rounded to 214 pc
(d) Hstd = 214(2.435)/60 = 8.685 hr, and Ew = 8.685/8.0 = 1.086 = 108.6%