A Small Electronics Company Assembles Microchips for Use in Computers

question 1

Essay

A small electronics company assembles microchips for use in computers, printers and fax machines. They want to set up an assembly line to make their operation more efficient and plan to use line balancing with the longest-task-time heuristic. The demand for microchips is 70 per hour, and the productive time per hour is 52 minutes. The following table provides details on their operation. $\begin{array}{ccc}\text { Task } & \text { Time (n minutes) } & \text { Predecessor(s) } \\\text { A } & 0.54 & \text { none } \\\text { B } & 0.34 & \text { A } \\\text { C } & 0.11 & \text { A } \\\text { D } & 0.09 & \text { A } \\\text { E } & 0.43 & \text { B, C } \\\text { F } & 0.22 & \text { D } \\\text { G } & 0.62 & \text { E } \\\text { H } & 0.35 & \text { F, G } \\\text { I } & 0.21 & \text { H } \\\text { J } & 0.57 & \text { H } \\\text { K } & 0.33 & \text { I. J }\end{array}$
a.What is the cycle time?
b.What is the theoretical minimum number of workstations?
c.What tasks go into the first workstation?
d.How many workstations are needed for the entire line?
e.What is the assembly-line efficiency?

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Definitions:

Upper-Income Groups

Segments of the population with higher than average income levels, usually associated with greater purchasing power and consumption patterns.

Lower-Income Groups

Demographic groups characterized by income levels that are below the median for a given area, often facing financial constraints.

Generational Cohort

A group of people born in the same period who share similar cultural experiences, attitudes, and values, influencing their consumer behavior.

Purchase Behaviors

The decision-making processes and acts of consumers in buying and using products.