Industrial engineering calculator
Calculate pitch time in either sense: garment SMV divided by operators for line balancing, or takt time multiplied by pack-out quantity for lean material flow.
Method note: In garment line balancing, pitch time is the ideal work content per operator. In lean practice, pitch is the time to produce one pack-out unit.
Pitch time
0.3min
Assign operations so each operator carries work close to the pitch time. The heaviest station sets the line output.
Pitch time = garment SMV / number of operators
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| SMV | Total garment SMV | min |
| N | Operators in the line | persons |
Pitch = takt time × pack-out quantity
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Pack-out quantity | Units moved together (bundle, box) | pcs |
Line balancing mode: pitch time = garment SMV / operators in the line. Balanced output per hour at 100% = 60 / pitch time.
Lean mode: pitch = takt time × pack-out quantity, shown in seconds and minutes.
See pitch time for both meanings and for using control limits in balancing.
Defaults (line balancing): SMV 12.0 with 40 operators.
Lean mode with a 30-second takt and cartons of 20: pitch = 600 seconds, so one carton every 10 minutes.
In balancing, compare each operator's allocated work with the pitch time. Stations well above it are bottleneck risks; stations well below have spare time. The line balancing worksheet shows this for a whole line.
Use the line balancing definition when allocating operations to operators. Use lean pitch when setting how often a pack of finished goods should leave the line.
The output the line would reach at 100% efficiency if the work were perfectly divided so every operator carried exactly the pitch time.
Pitch time means two different things in garment factories: the average work content per operator used for line balancing, and the lean interval for moving a pack of finished goods. Formulas, examples and when to use which.
Line balancing spreads the operations of a garment across operators and machines so work flows at the target rate without piles of WIP or idle people. A practical step-by-step method with a worked example, balancing efficiency and common mistakes.
Takt time is the pace at which garments must be finished to meet demand. How to calculate it, how it differs from cycle time and pitch time, and how to use it to size and balance a sewing line.
A bottleneck is the station that limits the output of the whole line. How to find it with WIP observation and capacity studies, the common reasons a station becomes a bottleneck, and practical ways to raise its output.