Consider a three$-$step manufacturing process with one worker at each station operating in a batch size of $4$ products$/$batch:

Assumption:

Each day starts with an empty line$/$process

Setup once only for a day at the beginning of the shift

WIP is transferred to the next step by each piece instead of batch

Step $1$ Step $2$ Step $3$

Set up Time $40$ mins $50$ mins $55$ mins

Run Time $($per unit$)12$ mins $10$ mins $8$ mins

Questions:

Identify the bottleneck

What is the daily process capacity?

What is the process capacity if one worker is assigned to Step $1+2$ and another one is to Step $3?$

Question $1$ Answer

a$.$

Q$1$: Bottleneck is Step $3$

Q$2$: Process Capacity is $52\mathrm{.}25$

Q$3$: Process Capacity is $42\mathrm{.}8$

b$.$

Q$1$: Bottleneck is Step $2$

Q$2$: Process Capacity is $42,8$

Q$3$: Process Capacity is $52\mathrm{.}25$

c$.$

Q$1$: Bottleneck is Step $1$

Q$2$: Process Capacity is $36\mathrm{.}6$

Q$3$: Process Capacity is $17\mathrm{.}73$