Production worked example

Bottleneck Capacity at 63% expected uptime: a worked example

Suppose expected uptime falls to 63%. This page works the full calculation at that level so you can see exactly which result moves and by how much. Find the limiting process step and the good-unit capacity it allows for a line or cell.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Step 1 cycle time: 35 sec (held at the documented default)
  • Step 2 cycle time: 52 sec (held at the documented default)
  • Step 3 cycle time: 44 sec (held at the documented default)
  • Step 4 cycle time: 41 sec (held at the documented default)
  • Hours per shift: 8 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Shifts per day: 2 shifts (held at the documented default)
  • Expected uptime: 63 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 88)
  • Expected yield: 96 % (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Bottleneck cycle = longest process step cycle time.
  • Good capacity works out to 670 units / day at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Bottleneck cycle works out to 52 sec at these inputs.
  • Gross capacity works out to 1,108 units / day at these inputs.
  • Yield loss works out to 438 units / day at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where expected uptime sits at 88% and the headline result is 936 units / day, this scenario comes in 28.41% below the baseline at 670 units / day.
  • It identifies the slowest of four process steps and converts the day's available run time into good units after uptime and yield losses. When the numbers land here, the stressed input is the lever to work; the walkthrough above shows exactly how much each output recovers as it climbs back toward the baseline.

Results at a glance

  • Good capacity: 670 units / day (headline result)
  • Bottleneck cycle: 52 sec
  • Gross capacity: 1,108 units / day
  • Yield loss: 438 units / day

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Bottleneck Capacity calculator, set expected uptime to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.