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CMA Intermediate · Operations Management and Strategic Management · Simulation and Line Balancing

A line is balanced with 5 workstations and a cycle time of 6 minutes. The task times total 24 minutes. What are the balance delay (idle time percentage) and efficiency?

Balance delay is 20% and efficiency is 80%. Five stations at 6 minutes give 30 minutes of capacity, of which 24 minutes is productive work. Idle time is 6 minutes, which is 20 percent of 30, and efficiency is the remaining 80 percent.

  1. ABalance delay 20%, efficiency 80%Correct
  2. BBalance delay 25%, efficiency 75%
  3. CBalance delay 4%, efficiency 96%
  4. DBalance delay 80%, efficiency 20%

Explanation

Available station time = 5 x 6 = 30 minutes. Idle = 30 - 24 = 6 minutes. Balance delay = 6/30 = 20%; efficiency = 24/30 = 80%. Using 4 stations (24/6) would wrongly ignore the fifth station actually in use.

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