Question 1

A feeder-selector device at one of the stations of an automatic assembly machine has a feed
rate f=25 parts/min and provide a throughput of one par in four ( =0.25). The idea cycle time
of the assembly machine is 10 seconds. The low level sensor on the feed rack is set at 10
parts, and the high level sensor is set at 20 parts.
a) How long will take for the supply of parts to be depleted from higher level sensor to lower
level sensor once the feeder selector device is turned off?
b) How long will take for the parts to be resupply from low level sensor to higher level sensor
once the feeder selector device is turned on?
c) What proportion of the time that the assembly machine is operating will the feeder-selector
devise be turned on? And Turned off?
d) For the feed rate of the machine is f=32 parts/min, recalculate a,b,c. what is your
comment?
Solution when feed rate f=25 parts/min
a) Time to deplete from nf2 to nf1
rate of depletion = cycle rate Rc = 60/10 = 6 parts/min
Time to deplate = (20-10)/6 =1.667 min
b) Time to resupply from nf1 to nf2
rate of resupply = f - Rc =25(0.25) - (60/10) = 0.25 parts/min
Time to resupply = (20-10)/0.25 =40 min
c) Total cycle of depletion and resupply = (40+1.667) = 41.667 min
proportion of time feeder-selector is on = 40/41.667 = 0.96
proportion of time feeder-selector is off = 1.667/41.667 = 0.04

Solution when feed rate f=32 parts/min

a) Time to deplete from nf2 to nf1
rate of depletion = cycle rate Rc = 60/10 = 6 parts/min
Time to deplate = (20-10)/6 =1.667 min
b) Time to resupply from nf1 to nf2
rate of resupply = f - Rc =32(0.25) - (60/10) = 2 parts/min
Time to resupply = (20-10)/2 =5 min
c) Total cycle of depletion and resupply = (5+1.667) = 6.667 min
proportion of time feeder-selector is on = 5/6.667 = 0.75
proportion of time feeder-selector is off = 1.667/6.667 = 0.25
Comment
the turning rate of feed selector to the cycle rate of the assemply machine is important.

Question 2
A synchronouos assembly machine has 8 stations at a rate 400 completed assemblies per
hour. average downtime per is.5 minute. When a breakdown occurs all subsetems (including
the feeder) stop. The frequency of breakdowns of the machine is once every 50 parts. one of
the eight stations is an automatic assembly operation that uses a feeder-selector. The
compenents fed into the selector can have any of five possible orientations, each with equal
probability, but only one of which is correct for passage into the feed track to the assembly
workload. Parts rejected by the selector are fed back into the hopper. What minimum rate
must the feeder deliver components to the selector during system uptime in order to keep up
with the assembly machine?
Solution
Tp= 60/400 = 0.15 min/assem.
Tp =Tc +F*Td = Tc + (1/50)*2.5 =Tc +0.05
Tc= 0.15- 0.05 = 0.1 min/assem.
Rc= (1/Tc) = (1/0.1) =10 assem/min
Min f =0.2 f =Tc = 10
Feed rate f = (10/0.2) =50 parts/min.

Question 3
A dial indexing machine has six station and perform assembly operations on a base part.
given the production data in table (1) Determine:
a) production rate for the assembly machine
b) Yield of good product (final good assembloed without defects)
c) Proportion uptime of the system.
Table (1)
Station

Operation

Time, sec.

defect
rate, q

jam rate of
defect, m

1 Add part A
4
0.015
0.6
2 Fasten part A
3
N/A
N/A
3 Assemble part B
5
0.01
0.8
4 Add part C
4
0.02
1
5 Fasten part D
3
N/A
N/A
6 Assemble part A
6
0.01
0.5
Relase time= 1.5 min., When a component is jammed,and
putting the machine back to work
Idexing Time = 2 sec., to move from station to station

Solution
Tc=6+2 =8 sec =
Tp=Tc+mq*Td =

0.13333 min
0.19633 min

a) Production Rate = 1/Tp =

305.60

b) Acceptable Ass. Yield= Pap = (1-q+mq) =

c) Efficiency = Tc/Tp=

67.91%

Ass/hr
0.9870519

SUM

mq

(1-q+mq)

0.009

0.994

0.008
0.02

0.998
1

0.005

0.995

0.042

0.987052

Question 4
An automated assembly machines has four work stations. the first presents the base
part, and the other 3 stations add parts to base. The production data are given Table
below. Determine:
a) proportion of good product to total product coming off the line
b) production rate of good product coming off line
c) total number defect of components and Number of assemblies containing defect
component given the starting components quantities of 100,000 for each of part
(Base, Bracket, Pin, retainer) which are used to stock the assembly line for operation
d) total number of final assemblies produced
Table (1)
Station

Operation /
Time, sec.
part

defect
rate, q

jam rate of
defect, m

1
Base
12
0.01
1
2
Bracket
10
0.02
1
3
Pin
9
0.03
1
4
Retainer
10
0.04
0.5
Downtime= 3 min., When a component is jammed,and
putting the machine back to work
Idexing Time =3 sec., to move from station to station

SUM

mq

(1-q+mq)

0.01
0.02
0.03
0.02

1
1
1
0.98

0.08

0.98

Solution
Tc =12+3 = 15 sec
Tp=Tc+mq*Td =

0.25 min
0.49 min/cycle

a) Acceptable Ass. Yield= Pap = (1-q+mq) =

0.98

b) Production Rate, Rp = 1/Tp = 122.449

Production rate of good product Rap =Pap*Rp =

120

Good ass./hr

c) Number of defective components given a stock quantities Q=100000 are:

Number of defect components for Base, Nd = Q*(1-q) =
1000
Number of defect components for Bracket, Nd = Q*(1-q) =
2000
Number of defect components for Pin, Nd = Q*(1-q) =
3000
Number of defect components for Retainer,Nd = Q*(1-q) =
4000
Hence th number of assemblies containing defect components are:
Number of assemblies containing Base defect = Nd*(1-m)=
0
Number of assemblies containing Bracket defect = Nd*(1-m)=
0
Number of assemblies containing Pin defect = Nd*(1-m)=
0
Number of assemblies containing Retainer defect = Nd*(1-m)=
2000

def
def
def
def

d) the total number of assembly produced=100,000*Pap=

98000 Assemblies

Number of good product = Total number produced - Number of

parts produced containing defect part =

96000 Assemblies

Question 5
A six-station automatic assembly machine has a cycle time of 6 seconds. The base is
added at station 1 and five identical components are delivered with part feeders at
identical stations 2 to 6 to be assemblied to the base. The base parts have zero
defects, but the other components are defective at a fraction defect rate q. when an
attempt is made to assemble a defective part the machine stops (jam rate m=1). It
takes 2.0 minutes to repairs and start the machine up after stoppage. the cost per
component is related to q and is determined by (Cost of component =0.4+(0.0048/q).
Cost of the base part is 0.8 SR .Cost to operate the aly mchine is 600.0 SR per hour.
the problem is that decreasing the quality of compnents the defect rate q increases
leading to increase of stoppage and consequently increase of productin cost, while
increasing the quality increase, i.e. reducing defect rate q, the material cost increase.
Determine:
a) the optimum defect rate which minimize the cost
b) the associated cost per assembly
c) the product rate
Solution
Product material cost, SR; Cm = 0.8 + 5(0.4+(0.0048/q) = 2.8+(0.024/q)
Prduction time,min; Tp = (Tc) +n(m)(q)(Td) = (6/60)+5*1*q*2.0 = 0.1+10q
Poduct unit cost; Cpc = Cm +CL *Tp =(2.8+(0.024/q) + (600/60)*(0.1+10q) = 3.8+100q + (0.024/q)
a) Take the derivative of cost equation with respect to q; dC pc /dq = 100 - (0.024/q2)
q2= 0.024/100 = .00024
b) Cm = 2.8+(0.0245/q) =
Cpc = 3.8 + 100q + (0.024/q)=
c) Production rate, Rp=60/TP = 1/(0.1+10q) =

Then q=

0.0155
4.35 SR
6.90 SR/assem
235.4 Assem/hr

Question 6
A six-station automatic assembly machine has a cycle time of 9 seconds. the cost of
individual components is low and the fraction defect rate of each station is q=0.02. It takes 2.0
minutes to repairs and start the machine up after stoppage. decision is to be made for either
operating under intantaneous contol (jam rate m=1) or under memory control (m=0).
Determine for both strategies:
a) the production ate of good asemblies
b) the yield of good product (proportion of final assemblies containing no defect components)
c) the proportion of uptime of the assembly
d) which control would you recommend? and why?

Solution
Instantaneous Control ; m=1
a) Prduction time,min; Tp = (Tc) +n(m)(q)(Td) =0.15 +6*1*0.02*2 =
b) Production rate, Rp=60/TP =

153.85 Assem/hr

c) Acceptable Ass. Yield= Pap = (1-q+mq) = (1-0.02+1*0.02)6 =

d) Production rate of good product Rap =Pap*Rp =
e) Efficiency = Tc/Tp= (9/60/0.39)

1
153.85 good assem/hr
38.46%

Memory Control ; m=0

a) Prduction time,min; Tp = (Tc) +n(m)(q)(Td) =0.15 +6*0*0.02*2 =
b) Production rate, Rp=60/TP =

0.15 min
400.00 Assem/hr

c) Acceptable Ass. Yield= Pap = (1-q+mq) = (1-0.02+0*0.02) =

d) Production rate of good product Rap =Pap*Rp =
e) Efficiency = Tc/Tp= (9/60/0.39)

0.39 min

0.8858
354.34 good assem/hr
100.00%

Recommendation
Unless component parts and sortation are very expensive (assuming autoamtic sorting of memory
control); then memory contro is better (production rate is much higher)

Question 7
A six station dial indexing machine performs four assembly operations. The base is loaded
manually at the station 1; the final product is unloaded at the station 6; and a component is
attached to base at stations 2 to 5. The components are delivered by a hopper feeder to
selector device for proper orientation. The system is designed with operating parameter given
in the table below :-

Station Assembly Feed Rate, f Selector,

Time, Sec.
/min.

2
4
32
0.25
3
7
20
0.5
4
5
20
0.2
5
3
15
1
Indexing time from station to station , Sec

defect
rate, q
0.01
0.005
0.02
0.01

jam rate of
defect, m
1
0.6
1
0.7
2

When a component is jammed, it takes an average 2 min to release and start the system. The
mechanical and electrical assembly machine failure is not significant and can be neglected.
It is found that the system produces assemblies far below the designed average production rate.
a) What is the designed average production rate?
b) What is the proportion of assemblies coming off the system that contain one or more defective
c) What seems to be the problems that limit the assembly system from achieving the expected
d) What is the actual production rate?

Solution
Td = 2 min,
Tc =7+2 = 9 sec. = 0.15 min
Cycle rate, Rc = 1/0.15 = 6.667 cycle/min
(a)
(mq) = 1(0.01) + 0.6(0.005) + 1(0.02) + 0.6(0.01) = 0.04
Tp = Td + (mq) * Td = 0.15 + 0.04 * 2 = 0.23 min
Rp = 60/Tp = 60/0.23 = 260.9 assemblies/hr
(b)
Pap =(1-q+mq) = (1 - 0.01 + 1 * 0.01) + (1 - 0.005 + 0.6 * 0.005) +
Pqp = 1 - Rap = 0.005
Rap = Rp * Pap = 260.9 * 0.995 = 259.6 good assemblies/hr
(c)
Station 2: f
Station 3: f
Station 4: f
Station 5: f

= 32 (0.25) = 8
= 20 (0.50) = 10
= 20 (0.20) = 4
= 15 (1.00) = 15

components/min
components/min
components/min
components/min

\ the problem is that the feeder for station 4 is slower than mavhine

(d)
if the machine operates at the cycle rate that is consistant with the
Tc = 15 sec = 0.25 min
Tp = 0.25 + 0.04 * 2 = 0.33 min
Rp = 60/0.33 = 181.8 assemblies/hr
Rap = 181.8 * 0.995 = 180.9 good assemblies/hr