Question 1

The central problem in product-oriented layout planning is
A) minimizing material handling within workstations.
B) minimizing labour movement between workstations.
C) equalizing the space allocated to the different workstations.
D) maximizing equipment utilization.
E) minimizing the imbalance in the work loads among workstations.

Accepted Answer

The central problem in product-oriented layout planning is to minimize the imbalance in the workloads among workstations. This ensures that there is no bottleneck in the production process and that all workstations are operating at their maximum efficiency, leading to optimal output. While minimizing material handling and labor movement are important considerations in layout planning, the most important goal is to balance the workload. Maximizing equipment utilization and equalizing space allocation may also be important, but they are not the central problem in product-oriented layout planning.

Question 2

A production line is to be designed for a product whose completion requires 21 minutes of work. The factory works 400 minutes per day. Can an assembly line with five workstations make 100 units per day?
A) yes, with exactly 100 minutes to spare
B) no, but four workstations would be sufficient
C) no, it will fall short even with a perfectly balanced line
D) yes, but the line's efficiency is very low
E) cannot be determined from the information given

Accepted Answer

To make 100 units per day, the total work required would be 100 x 21 = 2100 minutes. However, the factory works only 400 minutes per day. This means that even with a perfectly balanced line where each workstation takes exactly the same amount of time, the line would only be able to produce 400/21 = 19.05... units per day. Therefore, the line would fall short of the target even with a perfectly balanced line.

Question 3

In assembly line balancing, the theoretical minimum number of workstations is
A) the ratio of the sum of all task times to cycle time.
B) always (when a fraction) rounded upward to the next larger integer value.
C) not always possible to reach when tasks are actually assigned to stations.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.

Accepted Answer

The theoretical minimum number of workstations in assembly line balancing is calculated by dividing the sum of all task times by the cycle time (A), and this value is always rounded up to the nearest whole number because you can't have a fraction of a workstation (B). However, due to constraints such as task ordering or other operational constraints, it might not always be possible to achieve this theoretical minimum when assigning tasks to stations (C). Therefore, all of the statements A, B, and C are correct, making D the correct answer.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a heuristic rule for assigning tasks to workstations in a product layout?
A) longest tasks first
B) in order of most number of following tasks
C) median tasks first
D) shortest tasks first
E) in accordance with positional weight

Accepted Answer

The other choices are all common heuristic rules for assigning tasks in a product layout. "Median tasks first" is not a widely used heuristic rule.

Question 5

Which of the following is a common heuristic for assembly line balancing?
A) debits near the windows, credits near the door
B) manufacturers locate near materials, retailers locate near customers
C) earliest due date first
D) ranked positional weight
E) average takt time

Accepted Answer

Ranked positional weight is a common heuristic used in assembly line balancing to prioritize tasks based on their position in the assembly process and their dependencies on other tasks. This helps in optimizing the workflow and reducing idle time between tasks.

Question 6

Four hundred and eighty minutes of production time are available per day. Scheduled production is 120 units per day. What is the required cycle time?
A) 4 minutes
B) 5 minutes
C) 6 minutes
D) 7 minutes
E) 8 minutes

Accepted Answer

The answer of Four hundred and eighty minutes of production...

Question 7

A disadvantage of product-oriented layout is that
A) there is a lack of flexibility in handling a variety of products or production rates.
B) high volume is required because of the large investment needed to set up the process.
C) work stoppage at any one point halts the whole operation.
D) All of the above are disadvantages of product-oriented layouts.
E) None of the above are a disadvantage of product-oriented layouts.

Accepted Answer

All of the above are disadvantages of product-oriented layouts. A lack of flexibility means that the layout is not adaptable to changes in products or production rates, which can make it difficult for companies to keep up with changing market demands. High volume requirements can create a barrier to entry for smaller companies or those with limited resources. A work stoppage at any point in the process can halt the entire operation, leading to costly delays and disruptions.

Question 8

The main advantage of a product-oriented layout is typically
A) high customer exposure rates.
B) employability of highly skilled labour.
C) high flexibility.
D) low capital cost.
E) low variable cost per unit.

Accepted Answer

A product-oriented layout, often used in mass production environments, focuses on organizing the production process around the product. This setup allows for specialized equipment and processes to be used more efficiently, leading to lower variable costs per unit due to economies of scale.

Question 9

Which of these layouts is most suitable for processing sugar from sugar beets or sugar cane?
A) process-oriented layout
B) fixed-position layout
C) warehouse layout
D) product-oriented layout
E) work cell layout

Accepted Answer

A product-oriented layout is best suited for processing sugar from sugar beets or sugar cane as it arranges the equipment and workstations in a sequence that optimizes the production of a particular product. In this case, the layout can be designed to accommodate the various stages involved in producing sugar, such as extraction, purification, and drying. This would enable a smooth and efficient flow of materials and minimize idle time and product handling.

Question 10

In assembly line balancing, cycle time (the ratio of available production time to scheduled production) is the
A) minimum time that a product is allowed at each workstation.
B) maximum time that a product is allowed at each workstation.
C) inverse of the minimum number of workstations needed.
D) sum of all the task times divided by the maximum number of workstations.
E) equivalent of the maximum task time among all tasks.

Accepted Answer

Cycle time is the maximum time that a product is allowed at each workstation. It is determined by the demand rate, which is the available production time divided by scheduled production. Therefore, the ratio of available production time to scheduled production is the cycle time.

Question 11

An assembly line consists of 21 tasks grouped into 5 workstations. The sum of the 21 task times is 85 minutes. The largest assigned cycle time is 20 minutes. The efficiency of this line is
A) 4.2%.
B) 17%.
C) 85%.
D) 100%.
E) 126%.

Accepted Answer

To calculate the efficiency of an assembly line, we first need to calculate the total cycle time. The cycle time is the time it takes for a unit to go through the entire assembly line. In this case, the largest assigned cycle time is 20 minutes, so we can use that as our total cycle time.

Next, we need to calculate the theoretical maximum production rate, which is the number of units that can be produced in one cycle time. To do this, we divide the total cycle time by the sum of the task times:

20 / 85 = 0.235 (rounded to three decimal places)

This means that theoretically, the assembly line can produce 0.235 units in 20 minutes.

Finally, we need to calculate the actual production rate, which is the number of units produced in one cycle time. Since the largest assigned cycle time is 20 minutes, we can assume that the assembly line is producing one unit every 20 minutes. Therefore, the actual production rate is:

1 / 20 = 0.05

To calculate the efficiency, we divide the actual production rate by the theoretical maximum production rate:

0.05 / 0.235 = 0.2128 (rounded to four decimal places)

So the efficiency of this line is approximately 21.28%, which is closest to choice C, 85%.

Question 12

Cycle time is computed as
A) desired output divided by the daily operating time.
B) daily operating time divided by the product of desired output and the sum of job times.
C) the product of desired output and the sum of job times divided by daily operating time.
D) daily operating time divided by the scheduled output.
E) 1.00 minus station time.

Accepted Answer

Cycle time is calculated as the daily operating time divided by the scheduled output, which is how long each operation in the process takes to complete in order to meet the desired production output.

Question 13

A production line is to be designed to make 500 El-More dolls per day. Each doll requires 11 activities totaling 16 minutes of work. The factory operates 750 minutes per day. The required cycle time for this assembly line is
A) one-half minute.
B) one and one-half minutes.
C) two minutes.
D) 5,500 minutes.
E) cannot be determined from the information given.

Accepted Answer

The cycle time is calculated by dividing the total available production time by the required output. Here, 750 minutes per day / 500 dolls per day = 1.5 minutes per doll, which is one and one-half minutes.

Question 14

Which of the following is true regarding fabrication lines?
A) They are the same thing as assembly lines.
B) They are the same thing as focused factories.
C) They are a special type of process-oriented layout.
D) Balancing their assembly line is more technological than worker oriented.
E) They are usually not machine-paced.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is true regarding...

Question 15

Four hundred and eighty minutes of production time are available per day. The schedule calls for the production of 80 units per day. Each unit of the product requires 30 minutes of work. What is the theoretical minimum number of workstations?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
E) 6

Accepted Answer

The answer of Four hundred and eighty minutes of production...

Question 16

In a product-oriented layout, the process of deciding how to assign tasks to workstations is referred to as
A) station balancing.
B) process balancing.
C) task allocation.
D) line balancing.
E) work allocation.

Accepted Answer

The process of deciding how to assign tasks to workstations in a product-oriented layout is referred to as line balancing. This involves ensuring that each workstation has approximately equal amounts of work and that the production line operates efficiently.

Question 17

Daily capacity of a product layout is determined by
A) operating time divided by cycle time.
B) cycle time divided by operating time.
C) operating time divided by total task time.
D) total task time divided by cycle time.
E) cycle time divided by total task time.

Accepted Answer

The daily capacity of a product layout is determined by dividing the operating time by the cycle time. This will give the number of cycles that can be completed in a day, which can then be multiplied by the number of units produced per cycle to determine the daily capacity.

Question 18

The assumptions necessary for a successful product layout include all of the following except
A) adequate volume for high equipment utilization.
B) standardized product.
C) volatile product demand.
D) All of the above are appropriate assumptions.
E) None of the above are an appropriate assumption.

Accepted Answer

The assumption of volatile product demand would not be appropriate for a successful product layout as it would require a flexible layout that can quickly adapt to changes in demand.

Question 19

A production line is to be designed for a job with four tasks. The task times are 2.4 minutes, 1.4 minutes, 0.9 minutes, and 1.7 minutes. After line balancing, the longest possible assigned task time is ________ and the shortest possible assigned task time is ________ minutes.
A) 1.8; 1.4
B) 1.6; 0.9
C) 6.4; 2.4
D) 2.4; 0.9
E) none of these

Accepted Answer

The answer of A production line is to be designed...

Question 20

If a layout problem is solved by use of "heuristics," this means that
A) there was no other way to solve the problem.
B) no computer software was available.
C) the problem has only a few alternatives to evaluate.
D) no optimum solution exists.
E) a "satisfactory" solution is acceptable.

Accepted Answer

Heuristics involve using a set of rules or guidelines to identify a satisfactory solution, rather than necessarily finding the optimal solution. Therefore, a "satisfactory" solution is acceptable when using heuristics.

Quiz 9: Layout Strategies

The central problem in product-oriented layout planning is

A production line is to be designed for a product whose completion requires 21 minutes of work. The factory works 400 minutes per day. Can an assembly line with five workstations make 100 units per day?

In assembly line balancing, the theoretical minimum number of workstations is

Which of the following is not a heuristic rule for assigning tasks to workstations in a product layout?

Which of the following is a common heuristic for assembly line balancing?

Four hundred and eighty minutes of production time are available per day. Scheduled production is 120 units per day. What is the required cycle time?

A disadvantage of product-oriented layout is that

The main advantage of a product-oriented layout is typically

Which of these layouts is most suitable for processing sugar from sugar beets or sugar cane?

In assembly line balancing, cycle time (the ratio of available production time to scheduled production) is the

An assembly line consists of 21 tasks grouped into 5 workstations. The sum of the 21 task times is 85 minutes. The largest assigned cycle time is 20 minutes. The efficiency of this line is

Cycle time is computed as

A production line is to be designed to make 500 El-More dolls per day. Each doll requires 11 activities totaling 16 minutes of work. The factory operates 750 minutes per day. The required cycle time for this assembly line is

Which of the following is true regarding fabrication lines?

Four hundred and eighty minutes of production time are available per day. The schedule calls for the production of 80 units per day. Each unit of the product requires 30 minutes of work. What is the theoretical minimum number of workstations?

In a product-oriented layout, the process of deciding how to assign tasks to workstations is referred to as

Daily capacity of a product layout is determined by

The assumptions necessary for a successful product layout include all of the following except

A production line is to be designed for a job with four tasks. The task times are 2.4 minutes, 1.4 minutes, 0.9 minutes, and 1.7 minutes. After line balancing, the longest possible assigned task time is and the shortest possible assigned task time is minutes.

If a layout problem is solved by use of "heuristics," this means that