Reference no: EM131452906

Question: A new forging plant must supply parts to the automotive industry. Because forging is a hot operation, the plant will operate 24 hr/day, five day/wk, 50 wit/yr. Total output from the plant must be I0.000.0011 forgings/yr in batches of 1250 parts/batch. Anticipated scrap rate = 3%. Each forging cell will consist of a furnace to heat the parts, a forging press, and a trim press. Parts are placed in the furnace an hour prior to forging: they are then removed and forged and trimmed one at a time. On average the forging and trimming cycle takes 0.6 rain to complete one part. Each time a new batch is started, the forging cell must be changed over, which consists of changing the forging and trimming dies for the next part style. It takes 2.0 hr on average to complete a changeover between batches. Each cell is considered to be 96% reliable during operation and 100% reliable during changeover. Determine the number of forging cells that will he required in the new plant.