Process Analysis and Waiting Lines (Max 50 Points): Consider a production flow line with 3 steps/resources/workstations in series (1-2-3) and ample buffer storage between steps/ stations. Every unit has must flow through all three stations before it is completed. A concrete environment from electronics PCB manufacturing is: station 1 is board stuffing, station 2 testing, station 3 tuning. The average unit processing times at stations 1, 2, and 3 are 2.1 hours, 0.6 hours, and 1.9 hours, respectively. There are 24 working hours in a day, and 5 working days per week. Currently there is a single machine at each station and the current demand is 8 units per day. Demand is expected to grow in the future and then stabilize; peak demand is estimated to be 40 units per day.

1. Identify the bottleneck station and calculate the process capacity in parts per day for the current line (with demand of 8 units / day).

2. Utilization, Flow time: Assume no variability, sufficient inventory storage buffers, and steady state operation: Calculate the bottleneck stations utilization. How long do you expect the current line to take to produce 18 units, given its flow rate and capacity?