2022 - 04 - 22 Direct Time Study Problems
2022 - 04 - 22 Direct Time Study Problems
Contenido
Nomenclature ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Problem statement nº1. Direct Time Study ......................................................................................... 3
Solution Problem nº1 ...................................................................................................................... 4
Problem nº2. Direct Time Study ......................................................................................................... 6
Solution Problem nº2 ...................................................................................................................... 7
Problem nº3. Direct Time Study ....................................................................................................... 10
Solution problem nº3 ..................................................................................................................... 12
Below are the results of a brief direct time study that has been considered sufficient for the level
of accuracy that is sought. Measured times are expressed in thousandths of a minute:
Element A Element B
Cycle Performance Rating Tobs Performance Rating Tobs
1 90 140 120 380*
2 105 120 80 140
3 95 132 90 125
4 95 490* 100 113
* The acyclic work element D was carried out during a cyclic work element.
In the sampling, it was observed that the performance rate of element D was 90.
During this study, 90 parts were produced, and the following observations of elements C and D
were obtained:
Element C Element D
Number of observations of the 1,100 500
element
Calculate:
a) Normal times of elements A and B (Tn[A], Tn[B])
b) Normal time of element D (Tn[D])
c) Normal time of element C (Tn[C])
d) Time granted as a Fatigue Allowance (FAT)
e) Time granted as Personal needs Allowance (PAT)
f) Standard time (Tstd)
Consider a fatigue allowance of 7% and a personal needs allowance of 5%.
A CCC element has also been identified. It consists of waiting for the press to end its automatic
cycle.
Every 20 parts, the operator performs the DDD element. This consists of fetching a new bag of 20
wires. The method indicates that this acyclic element must be done within the machine cycle time.
Nevertheless, in some cases, the operator does it when he wants.
In order to re-balance the line, it has been decided to perform a new direct time study of the
operations that are carried out in the production system.
The results of the direct time study (using a stopwatch) are as follows:
AAA Element BBB Element CCC Element
Cycle PR Time PR Time PR Time
1 90 122 80 115 - 120
2 105 105 105 519* - **
3 95 116 100 85 - 150
4 100 110 100 87 - 148
5 100 560* 90 94 - 141
* The acyclic element DDD has been detected
** No waiting time for the operator has been detected since the machine had stopped before BBB
element finished.
The measured times are in thousandths of a minute (min-3) and PR = Performance Rating. Consider
a basic fatigue allowance of 7% and a personal needs allowance of 5%.
You must calculate:
1. Normal time of the cyclic elements (Tn[AAA + BBB])
2. Normal time of the acyclic element (Tn[DDD])
3. Machine cycle time (Tm)
4. Fatigue allowance time (FAT)
5. Personal allowance time (PAT)
6. Standard time (Tstd)
-3
Tn[AAA+BBB] = 197,21 min
The frequency of this element, based on objective data, is 1 per 20 cycles. The normal time for
Element DDD to be considered per cycle will be:
• Tn[DDD] = 453/20 = 22.65 min-3
By observing the man-machine diagram of the operation below, we can calculate the Time
Machine (Tm) as follows:
• Tm = 115 + 120 = 85 + 150 = 87 + 148 = 94 + 141
• Tm = 235 min-3
According to the standard work method, the acyclic element DDD must be carried out during the
process delay.
As can be seen in Fig. 3, the total normal time is greater than the difference between TM and
Element BBB (work element performed while machine is running). We know that when the worker
performs the acyclic element DDD, there will be no process delay and the machine will wait for the
operator to return.
• Tm-Tn[BBB] = 235-87 = 148 <453
To determine the “average cycle”, we should average the activity while the machine is on as well
as while the machine is off.
Part of the acyclic work element DDD must be included while the machine is running and should
be calculated as follows:
• Element DDD during Tm : 148/20 = 7.4 min-3
Let’s assume that Machine Preparation (MP) tasks are performed with the machine off. In this
case, part of the acyclic work element DDD must be included while the machine is off and should
be calculated as follows:
• Element DDD during MP = (453-148) / 20 = 305/20 = 15.25 min-3
Assuming that DP is the Delay of the automated Process (Time in which the worker is idle
waiting for the machine to finish its automated process). The process delay (DP) can be
calculated as follows:
• DP = Tm - Tn[BBB]- Element DDD during Tm =235-89-7,4 = 138.6 ≅ 139 min-3
The fatigue allowance is calculated considering all manual work elements (in this case: AAA, BBB
and DDD).
Since the process delay PD = 0,139 min is less than 0,5 min, the entire fatigue allowance (FAT)
must be added to the normal cycle time.
• FAT = 0,07 (197 + 22.65) = 15,37 ≅ 15
• FAT = 15 min-3
The working day is 8 hours long. Traditionally, a break of half an hour is given to eat and rest.
To estimate this process delay, you have carried out a work sampling during 4 work periods of 3
hours each. During the observations, the operator was performing 3 main types of activity: (1)
feeding the machine while the machine is off, (2) fetching parts and (3) waiting for the machine to
finish its automatic cycle (process delay).
Of the 240 observations made, you observed:
- in 47 observations, the operator was feeding the machine with the machine was off,
- in 94 observations, the operator was fetching parts,
- in 94 observations, the operator was waiting for the machine to finish its automatic cycle
and
- in another 5 observations, the operator was performing personal needs.
During the duration of the working sampling study, 879 parts had been produced.
The top management considers that an additional allowance factor for personal time and fatigue
of 2.3% must be applied to the entire duration of the worker's time spent at the workplace.
Element 1 Element 2
Cycle PR Tobs PR Tobs
1 90 460 100 1,762**
2 100 1,910** 90 345
3 110 1,680* 90 355
4 120 350 90 1,690*
5 100 410 120 255
* Element that consists of fetching a container which contains 100 parts.
** Element that consists of checking the previous parts produced. This is carried out once every 30
produced parts.
• At WS2:
1. Calculate the standard time at this workstation, applying a fatigue allowance of 10%.
2. If, on a given workday, 525 parts have been produced, calculate the average work
performance rate of the operator.
If during 450 man-min, 879 parts have been produced, the standard time (Tstd) is then:
• Tstd = 450/879 = 0.512 man-min / part
The personal needs and fatigue allowance (2.3%) should be applied as follows:
• Tstd = MP + MM + FAT + PAT = (MP + MM + PD) × (1+ Apfd)
= (MP + MM + PD) × 1.023 = 0.512 man-min / part
• MP + MM + PD = 0.500 min
Using the work sampling study, we can then calculate the percentage of time of each activity type:
• % MP = 47/240 = 19.6%
• % PD = 94/240 = 39.2%
• % MM = 94/240 = 39.2%
• % PN = 5/240 = 2.1%
As Tstd has been calculated considering a normal performance rate, the production level should
have been:
• 720 / 0.512 = 1,406 parts
Consequently:
• 𝑀P = 720 × 0.196 / 1,406 = 0.100 min
• PD = 720 × 0.392 / 1,406 = 0.201 min
Tm cannot be changed at the operator's will, so it remains constant whatever the worker
performance rate is.
The average normal time of the two elements should be calculated not taking into account the
elements marked with * and **. The results are as follow:
• Tn[1] ≈ 0.415 • Tn[2] = 0.312
Element 1 Element 2
Cycle Rating Tobs Tn Cycle Rating Tobs Tn
1 90 460 414 2 90 311 279,9
4 120 350 420 3 90 319 287,1
5 100 410 410 5 120 306 367,2
Average Tn 414,67 Average Tn 311,40
The normal time of the acyclic element A (𝑇𝑛 [𝐴]) should consider the capacity of the box and the
number of metallic parts consumed per cycle. As a box holds 100 parts and 2 parts are consumed
per cycle, 𝑇𝑛 [𝐴] is calculated as follows:
𝑇𝑛 [𝐴]
1 (𝑃𝑅1,𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑒3 × 𝑇𝑜𝑏𝑠,𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒3 [1] − 𝑇𝑛 [1]) + (𝑃𝑅2,𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑒4 × 𝑇𝑜𝑏𝑠,𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒4 [2] − 𝑇𝑛 [2])
= ( )
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 2
110 90
2 (100 × 1,848 − 0.415) + (100 × 1,521 − 0.312)
𝑇𝑛 [𝐴] = ( ) = 0.027
100 2
The normal time of the acyclic element B (𝑇𝑛 [𝐵]) can be calculated following the same logic (once
every 30 produced parts):
100 90
1 (100 × 1,910 − 0.415) + (100 × 1,752 − 0.312)
𝑇𝑛 [𝐵] = ( ) = 0.049
30 2
As in 7.5 hours, 525 parts have been produced, the standard time is
• Tstd [obs] = 7.5 × 60/525 = 0.85 man-min / part