Assume that an assembly line has three tasks that must be completed (in order, A, B, C, and D). The tasks have processing times of 8, 12, 9, and 10 minutes per unit, respectively. If the assembly line operates for 500 minutes per day with a desired output of 50 units per day, what is minimum number of workstations?
A) 4
B) 3
C) 2
D) Cannot be determined from the information given

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total processing time per unit is 8 + 12 + 9 + 10 = 39 minutes. To produce 50 units in 500 minutes, the cycle time per unit must be 500/50 = 10 minutes. The minimum number of workstations is the total processing time divided by the cycle time, which is 39/10 = 3.9, rounded up to 4.

Assume That an Assembly Line Has Three Tasks That Must