Setup for a stamping operation required a time-consuming fixture installation and testing that took 4 hours
each time a different part was to be produced; typically, 12 hours’ production was made for inventory of a
given stamping before the machine was stopped to permit setup for a new part. After careful process
analysis, fixtures and transfer methods were revised to permit setup in 15 minutes. Discuss the
implications for this change on (a) optimum batch size, (b) order frequency, and (c) machine and labor
productivity.
Sample Solution