Process Engineering & Optimization Flashcards

Takt time in a manufacturing process is calculated as:

Answer: Available production time divided by customer demand rate

Takt time sets the pace of production by dividing available production time by the rate of customer demand.

Which statistical tool is used to quantify the relationship and strength of correlation between two process variables?

Answer: Scatter diagram

A scatter diagram plots pairs of data points to visually assess and quantify the correlation between two variables.

In FMEA, Risk Priority Number (RPN) is calculated by multiplying:

Answer: Severity × Occurrence × Detection

RPN = Severity × Occurrence × Detection, and higher RPN values indicate failure modes requiring immediate corrective action.

A manufacturing engineer implements continuous flow to replace batch processing. The primary benefit is:

Answer: Reduced work-in-process inventory and shorter lead times

Continuous flow reduces WIP buildup and waiting time between operations, dramatically cutting total lead time.

Which type of maintenance strategy schedules equipment service based on calendar intervals regardless of actual condition?

Answer: Preventive (time-based) maintenance

Preventive maintenance uses fixed time intervals (e.g., monthly or annually) to service equipment before failures occur.

In process engineering, 'cycle time' refers to:

Answer: Time required to complete one unit of production at a given workstation

Cycle time is the actual elapsed time to produce one unit at a specific process step, used to balance workloads against takt time.

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) recommends that process improvement efforts should focus first on:

Answer: The constraint (bottleneck) that limits overall system throughput

TOC, developed by Eliyahu Goldratt, states that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link—improving non-constraints yields no system-level gain.