Champion Cooling has just signed a contract to assemble window air conditioners for another company. The list of tasks, including time requirements and immediate predecessors, follows. Each task may not be shortened. Initially, the plan was to make 300 units in an eight hour day but as the summer months approach, Champion Cooling finds themselves far behind in total production. They wish to reconfigure their production line in order to produce maximum output. What should their takt time be? $$\begin{array} { | l | c | c | }
\hline \text { Task } & \text { Time (min) } & \text { Predecessor } \
\hline \text { Bolt compressor to base } & 5 & \text { None } \
\hline \text { Install coils and lines } & 6 & \text { Bolt compressor to base } \
\hline \text { Install fan motor } & 7 & \text { Install coils and lines } \
\hline \text { Install switch and thermostat } & 5 & \text { Install fan motor } \
\hline \text { Charge system and test } & 10 & \text { Install switch and thermostat } \
\hline \text { Cosmetic detailing } & 7 & \text { Charge system and test } \
\hline
\end{array}$$
A)5
B)6
C)7
D)10

Question

Champion Cooling has just signed a contract to assemble window air conditioners for another company. The list of tasks, including time requirements and immediate predecessors, follows. Each task may not be shortened. Initially, the plan was to make 300 units in an eight hour day but as the summer months approach, Champion Cooling finds themselves far behind in total production. They wish to reconfigure their production line in order to produce maximum output. What should their takt time be? $$\begin{array} { | l | c | c | } 
\hline \text { Task } & \text { Time (min) } & \text { Predecessor } \
\hline \text { Bolt compressor to base } & 5 & \text { None } \
\hline \text { Install coils and lines } & 6 & \text { Bolt compressor to base } \
\hline \text { Install fan motor } & 7 & \text { Install coils and lines } \
\hline \text { Install switch and thermostat } & 5 & \text { Install fan motor } \
\hline \text { Charge system and test } & 10 & \text { Install switch and thermostat } \
\hline \text { Cosmetic detailing } & 7 & \text { Charge system and test } \
\hline
\end{array}$$
A)5
B)6
C)7
D)10

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total time required to produce one unit is the sum of all task times, which is 5 + 6 + 7 + 5 + 10 + 7 = 40 minutes. To find the takt time, which is the maximum amount of time each step should take to meet demand, divide the total available work time in minutes by the desired output. For an 8-hour day (480 minutes) aiming to produce 300 units, the takt time is 480 minutes / 300 units = 1.6 minutes. However, since the question asks for the takt time to produce maximum output, the limiting factor is the longest task, which is "Charge system and test" at 10 minutes. This means the production line can only complete a unit every 10 minutes at best, setting the takt time to 10 minutes to achieve maximum output given the constraints.

Champion Cooling Has Just Signed a Contract to Assemble Window