Table 7.14
The production of a particular product consists of seven work elements.The desired output rate is 60 units per hour.The work element and their precedence relationships are given.

-Use the information in Table 7.14.How many stations are required for the most efficient balance you can achieve?
A)two stations
B)three stations
C)four stations
D)five stations

Question

Table 7.14
The production of a particular product consists of seven work elements.The desired output rate is 60 units per hour.The work element and their precedence relationships are given.
 
-Use the information in Table 7.14.How many stations are required for the most efficient balance you can achieve?
A)two stations 
B)three stations 
C)four stations 
D)five stations

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the most efficient balance, we need to use the following equation:
Number of stations = Total task time / Cycle time
First, we need to calculate the cycle time:
Cycle time = 60 units per hour = 1 unit per minute
Next, we need to calculate the total task time for each work element:
A: 0.1 minute
B: 0.2 minute
C: 0.3 minute
D: 0.3 minute
E: 0.2 minute
F: 0.2 minute
G: 0.3 minute
Using these task times, we calculate the total task time for the entire process by following the precedence relationships:
Total task time = max(Total time for elements 1-2, Total time for elements 2-4, Total time for elements 4-7)
= max(0.1 + 0.2 + max(0.3, 0.3 + 0.2) + 0.3, 0.2 + max(0.3, 0.3 + 0.2) + 0.2 + 0.3)
= max(1, 1)
= 1
Finally, we plug in the values to calculate the number of stations:
Number of stations = 1 / 1 = 1
Since we can't have partial stations, the minimum number of stations required would be 2. However, we can also use 3 stations to balance the work more evenly and provide some flexibility in case of breakdowns or other interruptions. Therefore, the best choice is B, three stations.

Table 7.14 The Production of a Particular Product Consists of Seven Work