Conveyors worked example

Buffer Size at 68% buffer availability: a worked example

Suppose buffer availability falls to 68%. This page works the full calculation at that level so you can see exactly which result moves and by how much. Estimate usable buffer quantity between two machines from positions, turns, uptime, and good release rate.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Physical buffer slots available: 120 slots (held at the documented default)
  • Expected buffer turns per shift: 4 turns / shift (held at the documented default)
  • Buffer availability: 68 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 95)
  • Good parts released from buffer: 99 % (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Gross buffered quantity = buffer slots × buffer turns.
  • Usable buffer quantity works out to 323 parts at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gross buffer movement works out to 480 parts at these inputs.
  • Slots lost to unavailability works out to 154 parts at these inputs.
  • Parts lost during release works out to 3.26 parts at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where buffer availability sits at 95% and the headline result is 451 parts, this scenario comes in 28.42% below the baseline at 323 parts.
  • It computes the usable number of parts a buffer can pass per shift by multiplying physical slots and turns, then derating for availability and good-release percentage. 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

  • Usable buffer quantity: 323 parts (headline result)
  • Gross buffer movement: 480 parts
  • Slots lost to unavailability: 154 parts
  • Parts lost during release: 3.26 parts

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Buffer Size calculator, set buffer availability to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.