Chapter 3- Solved Problems

Problem 1
The cafeteria at Empire University has been designed to mimic a production line. The
line must be able to serve 1400 students and faculty members lunch and dinner within a
3.5 hour period. Assuming each customer spends 75 seconds in process, what is the
theoretical minimum number of stations the cafeteria has, and what is the Takt time for
the line?

Answer Problem 1

Available Production Time

Takt Time =
Required Output Rate

12600 sec
Takt Time = = 9 sec per station
1400 customers

∑Ti
Wmin = i =1

takt time

75
W min = = 8.33 or 9 stations
9

Problem 2

Empire University has recently purchased land on which it intends to build four new
classroom buildings. Studies into the number of students traveling from one building to
the next have resulted in the data given in Table 1. Assuming that all four buildings are
equally spaced 100 yards apart on the same side of the main campus drive as depicted in
Figure 1, (a) determine the initial total distance traveled, and (b) determine an improved
layout that would reduce the total distance traveled.

Figure 1- Initial Layout

Liberal Arts Science Mathematics Business

100 yds 100 yds 100 yds

Table 1
 Liberal Arts Science Mathematics Business
Liberal Arts -- 175 150 85
Science 0 -- 275 35
Mathematics 110 250 -- 76
Business 140 110 55 --

Answer Problem 2
Table 1- Modified
Liberal Arts Science Mathematics Business
Liberal Arts -- 175 260 225
Science -- 525 145
Mathematics -- 131
Business --

Initial Distance Traveled

Total Load to
Route Load Distance
Distance
Liberal Arts to Science 175 100 17500
Liberal Arts to
Mathematics 260 200 52000
Liberal Arts to Business 225 300 67500
Science to Mathematics 525 100 52500
Science to Business 145 200 29000
Mathematics to Business 131 100 13100
231600
Improved Layout

Science Mathematics Liberal Arts Business

100 yds 100 yds 100 yds

Improved Layout Solution

Improved Layout
Total Load to
Route Load Distance
Distance
Liberal Arts to Science 175 200 35000
Liberal Arts to
Mathematics 260 100 26000
Liberal Ats to Business 225 100 22500
Science to Mathematics 525 100 52500
Science to Business 145 300 43500
Mathematics to Business 131 200 26200
205700
Problem 3
A company is conducting a feasibility study into a flexible production system for tennis
shoes. The shoes the line must produce are constructed in an 11-step fashion as described
in Table 2. The line of shoe is an international best seller with a required output per day
of 4000 shoes. Based on two 8-hour shifts, (a) draw the precedence diagram, (b)
determine the takt time, (c) determine the theoretical minimum number of workstations,
(d) assign tasks to the individual workstations, and (e) determine the efficiency delay of
the proposed line.

TASK TIME (SEC) PREDECESSOR(S)

A 12 --
B 14 A
C 7 A
D 5 B,C
E 3 D
F 2 --
G 1 F
H 8 D,F
I 13 H
J 4 I
K 10 J

Answer Problem 3

A. Precedence Diagram

B
14 sec
A
12 Sec D E
5 Sec 3 Sec
C
7 Sec

H I J K
8 Sec 13 Sec 4 Sec 10 Sec

F G
2 sec 1 Sec

B. Takt Time

Available Production Time

Takt Time 
Required Output Rate
 57600
Takt Time  = 14.4 sec per station
4000 shoes

C. Minimum number of workstations

I

 Ti
Wmin  i 1

takt time

79
Wmin  = 5.48 or 6 stations
14.4

D. Assign Tasks

B
14 sec
A
12 Sec D E
5 Sec 3 Sec
C
7 Sec

H I J K
8 Sec 13 Sec 4 Sec 10 Sec

F G
2 sec 1 Sec

E. Efficiency Delay

I
Idle time  IT  Wactual CT   Ti
i 1

Idle time  IT  614 sec   79 sec = 5 sec

 
 
IT
Percent Idle Time  100% I 
 
  Ti 
 i 1 
 5 
Percent Idle Time  100%  = 6.33%
 79 

Efficiency Delay = ED = 100% - PI

Efficiency Delay = ED = 100% - 6.33% = 93.67%