Pitch time is a term you will hear in two different ways. Both are useful, but they are not the same number. Say which one you mean.
Meaning 1: average work per operator (line balancing)#
In garment line balancing, pitch time is the ideal amount of work each operator should carry:
A T-shirt with SMV 12.0 on a line of 40 operators has a pitch time of 12.0 / 40 = 0.30 minutes. If the work were perfectly divided, each operator would have exactly 0.30 minutes of work per garment.
Using control limits#
Perfect division is rare. Many engineers set a band around the pitch time and try to keep each operator's load inside it. A common approach:
- Upper limit: pitch time × 1.15
- Lower limit: pitch time × 0.85
For a pitch time of 0.30 minutes, the band is 0.255 to 0.345 minutes. An operator loaded with 0.40 minutes is a likely bottleneck; one with 0.20 minutes has spare time. The 15% figure is a planning convention, not a standard; choose a band that suits your lines.
Theoretical operators per operation#
An operation with SMV 0.75 and a pitch time of 0.30 needs 2.5 operators. You then round this by combining or sharing operations. See line balancing.
Meaning 2: lean pitch (pack-out interval)#
In lean manufacturing, pitch is the time interval for moving a standard pack of finished product:
With a takt time of 30 seconds and a carton of 20 pieces, pitch is 600 seconds (10 minutes). Every 10 minutes, one carton should leave the line and new work should be released. This helps supervisors see quickly whether the line is on schedule, instead of waiting for the end of the hour.
Which one to use#
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Allocating operations to operators | Pitch time = SMV / operators |
| Setting material release and pickup intervals | Lean pitch = takt × pack quantity |
| Checking whether demand can be met | Takt time |
Worked example: line pitch with bands#
A shirt has SMV 22.0 and the line has 44 operators.
- Pitch time: 22.0 / 44 = 0.50 min
- Band: 0.425 to 0.575 min
| Operator | Load (min) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.48 | Within band |
| 2 | 0.61 | Above band: bottleneck risk |
| 3 | 0.39 | Below band: spare time |
| 4 | 0.52 | Within band |
Move some work from operator 2 to operator 3 if they use the same machine type, or give operator 2's manual elements (trimming, marking) to a helper.
Use the pitch time calculator for both definitions.
Related guides#
- Bottleneck analysis: what to do with stations above the pitch band.
- SMV calculation: building the garment SMV that pitch time is based on.
- WIP control: controlling work in progress once the line is balanced.
- Operator skill matrix: placing the right operators on heavily loaded stations.
Frequently asked questions#
Is pitch time the same as takt time? No. Takt time comes from customer demand. Line pitch time comes from the garment SMV divided by operators. When the line is sized correctly for demand at standard pace, the two are close, but they answer different questions.
Should helpers be included in the operator count? Include everyone who carries a share of the garment's work content. If helpers do work that is part of the SMV (trimming, marking, folding), count them; if not, leave them out and be consistent.
What if an operation is much longer than pitch time? Split it between several operators, or look for a method change that reduces its work content. See line balancing.
What if many operations are much shorter? Combine short operations on the same machine type, keeping the sequence practical for bundle flow.