Operation Management (R46C1)

Name / NIM : Jessica Novia Sugandi / 29111352

DESIGNING TOSHIBAS NOTEBOOK COMPUTER ASSEMBLY LINE
Toshihiro Nakamura, examined the prototype assembly process sheet for the newest
subnotebook computer model. This new computer was a marvel of hightech, low-cost innovation and should give Toshiba an advantage during the
upcoming fall/winter selling season.
Data :
1) Production of the subnotebook was scheduled to begin in 10 days.
2) Initial production for the new model was to be at 150 units per day,
increasing to 250 units per day the following week (management thought
that eventually production would reach 300 units per day).
3) Assembly lines at the plant normally were staffed by 10 operators who
worked at a 14.4 meter long assembly line.
4) The line could accommodate up to 12 operatiors if there was a need.
5) The line normally operated for 7.5 hours a day.
6) One notebook need is assembled every two minutes by 10 line workers.
Information :
1) To know the daily capacity, we should know the production time per day, and
time needed to assembled one notebook.
Production Time
per day

7.5 hours x 3,600 seconds

27,000 seconds

Cycle time to assembled 1

notebook

Output per day

=
=

=
=

2 minutes x 60 seconds
120 seconds / unit
27,000 seconds
120 seconds / unit
225 units

The daily capacity means the output that can be produced in one day, so the
daily capacity is 225 units.

Designing Toshibas Notebook Computer Assembly Line

Page 1

Operation Management (R46C1)

Time in each workstation and sum of task times (T)

Workstation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Sum of task times (T)

Time
(Sec.)
110
114
101
107
103
107
108
93
310
105
1258

The longest time

before Ws# 9
843
seconds

From the sum of task times (T) and cycle time, we could know the minimum number
of workstations required to satisfy the workstation cycle time constraint.

Sum of task times

(T)
Cycle time
1,258 seconds
120 seconds
10 workstations

=
=
=

And now, we can calculate the efficiency.

Efficienc
y

=
=
=

Sum of task times (T)

Actual number of workstations (Nt) x Workstation
cycle time (C)
1,258 seconds
10 workstations x 120 seconds
104.83%

Designing Toshibas Notebook Computer Assembly Line

Page 2

Operation Management (R46C1)

2) When it is running at maximum capacity, what is the efficiency of the line?

First, we have to know the maximum capacity of the assembly-line design.
We can calculate them by production time per day minus the task time from
Ws#1-9 (Ws#10 not included) divided by the longest cycle time before Ws#9
and added by 1.
Maximum
Output

Production time per day - (Total time Ws#1-8 +

Total time Ws#9)
Total time Ws#2
27,000 seconds - (843 seconds + 310
seconds)
114 seconds
226 units

=
=

+1

+1

The efficiency when its running at maximum capacity is still the same,
because the different between usual (225 units) and maximum output (226
units) is not significant. So, the efficiency still 104.8%.
3) The line could be redesigned to operate at the target 300 units per day by
overtime labor or additional workstations.
a) No overtime, additional workstations
C

=
=
=

Production time per

day
Output per day
27,000 seconds
300 units
90 seconds / unit

Sum of task times

(T)
Cycle time
1,258 seconds
90 seconds
14 workstations

=
=
=

Efficienc
y

=
=
=

Sum of task times (T)

Actual number of workstations (Nt) x Workstation
cycle time (C)
1,258 seconds
14 workstations x 90 seconds
99.80%

Designing Toshibas Notebook Computer Assembly Line

Page 3

Operation Management (R46C1)

b) Overtime
Maximum Output

300 units

299 units x 114

seconds
Product time time per
day

=
=
=

Production time per day - (Total time Ws#1-8 +

Total time Ws#9)
Total time Ws#2
Production time per day - (843 seconds + 310
seconds)
114 seconds

Production time per day - 1,153 seconds

35,239 seconds

Production time per

day
Output per day
35,239 seconds
300 units
117 seconds / unit

Sum of task times

(T)
Cycle time
1,258 seconds
117 seconds
10 workstations

=
=
=

Efficienc
y

=
=
=

Sum of task times (T)

Actual number of workstations (Nt) x Workstation
cycle time (C)
1,258 seconds
10 workstations x 117 seconds
107.50%

4) The redesigned model that should be chosen is to add the workstations.

Other issues that might Toshihiro consider when bringing the new assembly
line up to speed is the operator that should handle the workstations or add
the machine-handling in the workstations.

Designing Toshibas Notebook Computer Assembly Line

Page 4

+
1
+
1