Industrial engineering calculator
Calculate takt time, the pace needed to meet customer demand, from shift length, planned breaks, shifts per day and daily demand, in seconds and minutes per piece.
Takt time
30s/pc
Every workstation needs a cycle time at or below takt time. Stations above takt are the ones to balance first.
Takt time = available production time / customer demand
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Available time | Shift time minus planned breaks, for all shifts | s |
| Demand | Units required in the same period | pcs |
Available time = (shift length in minutes - planned breaks) × shifts per day. Takt time = available time / daily demand. The result is shown in seconds and minutes per piece, with the output per hour the line needs.
See takt time for how to use it in line sizing.
Defaults: 9-hour shift, 60 minutes of breaks, 1 shift, demand of 960 pieces per day.
Divide the garment SMV by the takt time in minutes to get the minimum operators at standard pace, then allow for realistic efficiency. With SMV 12 and takt 0.5 minutes, the line needs 24 operators at 100% efficiency, or about 37 at 65%.
No. Takt time is the pace demand requires. Cycle time is how long a station actually takes. Every station's cycle time must be at or below takt time to meet demand.
Yes. Takt time uses available working time, so planned breaks are removed from the shift length.
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.
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.
Lean means removing work that adds no value and making production flow. The eight wastes as they appear in cutting and sewing, the lean tools that work in garment factories, and a realistic order to start.