KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

B.Sc. INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING,

MID-Semester Examination

Third Year, FIRST Semester

IE 355 – METHODS ENGINEERING

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FEBRUARY, 2021 TIME – 1 HOUR

INDEX NUMBER: _________________________________________________________________

YEAR: _________________________________

READ INSTRUCTIONS!!!
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS ON THE QUESTION PAPER. WRITE THE
CORRECT ANSWER BY THE QUESTION NUMBER IN THE SPACE PROVIDED
AND THEN SHADE ON THE SCANABLE FORM. DO ALL ROUGH WORK ON
THE QUESTION PAPER.

PUT THE SCANABLE SHEET IN THE QUESTION PAPER AND PASS TO BE

COLLECTED

IE 355 Index Number : __________________________________ Page 1

1. Operations analysis, as part of methods study, deals with
a. analysing the layout for an operation.
b. checking all operations in a company to ascertain if they are correctly performed by
employees.
c. applying the questioning attitude to a method.
d. taking all operation of a method through a series of ten points of scrutiny.

2. MTM stands for

a) Mean Time Measurement
b) Micro-Time Measurement
c) Methods Time Measurement
d) Manufacturing Time Measurement
3. Standard time is defined as
a) the time it takes a well trained worker to perform a series of tasks under
ordinary conditions, allowing for rest periods, fatigue and other unavoidable delays.
b) the time it takes a well trained worker to perform a task under normal
conditions, allowing for rest periods, fatigue and other unavoidable delays.
c) the time it takes a new worker to perform a task under ordinary conditions,
allowing for rest periods, fatigue and other avoidable delays.
d) the time it takes a well trained worker to perform a task under normal
conditions, allowing for avoidable delays.

4. As a Methods Engineer, what chart will you first draw if you were asked to analyse a method?
a. flow process chart
b. operator process chart
c. operation process chart
d. gang process chart

5. The least preferred method of establishing labour standards is

a) Time studies
b) Work sampling
c) Historical times standards
d) Predetermined time standards

6. Methods analysis focuses on:

a. the design of machines used to perform a task
b. how a task is accomplished
c. the raw materials that are consumed in performing a task
d. reducing the number of steps required to perform a task

7. Reach is a therblig that can be improved in the work cycle by

a. Lightening the load
b. providing fixed locations for objects that are reached for during the work cycle and
shortening the distances required for reaching
c. Improving the type of reach being performed
d. all of the above

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 Questions 8 – 6 that follow have statements followed by possible completions that make the statements
true. Use the key given below to answer the questions.

KEY
WRITE a if i only IS
b ii only TRUE
c i and ii only
d i., ii., and iii only
e i, ii, iii and iv

8.__d_ Operation analysis is:

i. A procedure used by the methods analyst to analyse all productive and non-productive elements
of an operation with thoughts of improvement. 
ii. Effective for planning new work centres as well as improving those already in operation.
iii. A technique for accomplishing the goal of methods engineering
iv. Done at least twice during the life of a method.

9.__d__ Method Study approach to job design involves the following steps:
i. Select the work to be studied and record the facts;
ii. Perform operation analysis and develop the most practical, effective and efficient
method;
iii. Install the new method and maintain its use;
iv. Standardize the methods.

10._b___ When the Operation Process Chart has been drawn, it is used in performing
v. Stopclock time study
vi. Operations analysis
vii. Work measurement
viii. Work sampling

11._b___ The most important questions that the analyst should ask when studying the events on the
operations process chart is “why?” Typically the first question that should be asked is:
ix. Why is this operation performed in this manner
x. Why is this operation necessary?
xi. Why has this material been specified?
xii. Why are these tolerances so close?

12.__c__ Motion study is practical when

xiii. Work being done at a work station is being investigated
xiv. there is sufficient volume to justify the additional study and analysis involved.
xv. the job can be described using therbligs
xvi. the job can be described just by visual observation.

13._a___ Symbols used for Operation Process Charts include

xvii. operations and inspections
xviii. storage and transport or move
xix. delays
xx. tasks and predecessors

KEY
WRITE a if i only IS

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 b ii only TRUE
c i and ii only
d i., ii., and iii only
e i, ii, iii and iv

14.__b__ Some purposes of time standards include

i. basis for procuring new equipment
ii. accurate determination and control of labour costs
iii. securing an efficient layout
iv. allowing for small variations in the method

15.__d__ Workstation design is a fundamental application of ergonomics. It should contain

i. the work table and operator space
ii places for incoming and outgoing materials
iii placement of equipment, fixtures and tools
iv material handling equipment

KEY
WRITE a if i only IS
b ii only TRUE
c i and ii only
d i., ii., and iii only
e i, ii, iii and iv

16.__e__ In performing a methods analysis for an existing job, some guidelines for selecting a job to
study are to consider jobs that
i. have a high labour content
ii. are done frequently
iii. are unsafe, tiring, unpleasant and /or noisy
iv.designated as problems (eg., quality, processing bottlenecks)

17.__d__ Work sampling is a work measurement method that is effective in determining

i. allowances applicable to a job
ii. machine and manpower utilization
iii. standards of production
iv. proportion of information that is faster and at considerably less cost.

18._d___ In the determination of sample size for a work sampling study or a time study, the size
depends on
i. how accurate you want to be.
ii the desired level of confidence.
iii. how much variation exists within the job elements.
iv. the time available for the study.

19.__e__ Ergonomics is
i. also known as human factors engineering
ii. concerned with how a person interfaces with the physical aspects of his or her work
place;
iii. concerned about designing chairs, work surfaces, control panels for all areas of human
activity
iv. the collection of measurements that describe a population

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20.__c__ The correct use of standard data allows
i. for the establishment of accurate time standards in advance of the time that the job is to be
ii. time standards to be achieved more rapidly
iii. for the simplification of managerial and administrative problems in plants where there are
unions
iv. for the use of these times to determine work standards fairly for both workers and
management.

Use the following information to answer questions 14- 18

A time study analyst timed a metal cutting operation for 50 cycles. He obtained an average
time of 10.40 minutes per cycle with a standard deviation of 1.20 minutes. The analyst rated
the worker at 125 percent. Assume an allowance of 16% of job time.

21._b___ How would you describe the speed of the worker?

a. normal
b. Very fast
c. slow
d. very slow
e. above normal

22._c___ What is the observed time for this operation?

a. 11.60 min.
b. 9.20 min
c. 10.40 min
d. 13.00 min.
e. 8.20min

23._d___ What is the normal time for this operation?

a. 2.08 min.
b. 14.50 min
c. 14.75 min.
d. 13.00 min
e. 0.208min

24. __e__ What is the allowance factor for this operation?

a. 0.96
b. 1.19
c. 0.16
d. 2.00
e. 1.16

25. _b___ What is the standard time for this work operation?
a. 15.47min.
b. 15.08min.
c. 16.82min
d. 17.26 min
e. 26.00 min

Use the information below to answer questions 19 and 23

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 A random work sample of operators taken over a 160 hr. work month at a tele-marketing firm
has produced the following:

On the phone with customer 858

Idle 220
Personal time 85
26._d___ What is the proportion of time that the operator is idle?
a. 0.74
b. 0.40
c. 0.26
d. 0.19
e. 0.24

27._d___ How many hours were used in the sampling study?

a. 118.4 hrs.
b. 128.0 hrs.
c. 41.6 hrs.
d. 160.0 hrs.
e. Cannot tell

28.__a__ How many hours were used to work in the sampling study?
b. 118.4 hrs.
c. 128.0 hrs.
d. 41.6 hrs.
e. 160.0 hrs.
f. Cannot tell

29._c___ What is the required sample size that will give a 95 % confidence level with a 3% accuracy in
this work sampling study?
a. 550
b. 1,350
c. 821
d. 1,160
e. 1,060

30.__d__ Was the initial sample size that was taken adequate?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Cannot tell
d. More than enough
e. More observations need to be taken

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