Electronics Manufacturing worked example

SMT Placement Rate at 59% placement line efficiency: a worked example

This worked example runs the smt placement rate numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 59% placement line efficiency instead of the typical 82%. Estimate effective SMT placement output from panel cycles, placements per panel, and real placement-line efficiency.

The inputs for this scenario

  • SMT panel cycles per hour: 42 panel cycles / hr (held at the documented default)
  • Component placements per panel cycle: 850 placements / panel (held at the documented default)
  • Placement line efficiency: 59 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 82)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Gross placement rate = SMT panel cycles per hour × component placements per panel cycle.
  • Effective SMT placement rate works out to 21,063 placements / hr at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gross placement rate works out to 35,700 placements / hr at these inputs.
  • Placements lost to line inefficiency works out to 14,637 placements / hr at these inputs.
  • Placement line efficiency works out to 59 % at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where placement line efficiency sits at 82% and the headline result is 29,274 placements / hr, this scenario comes in 28.05% below the baseline at 21,063 placements / hr.
  • Use it when quoting build time for a new assembly, validating whether a line will hit takt, or comparing nameplate CPH against measured throughput during a process audit. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Effective SMT placement rate: 21,063 placements / hr (headline result)
  • Gross placement rate: 35,700 placements / hr
  • Placements lost to line inefficiency: 14,637 placements / hr
  • Placement line efficiency: 59 %

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live SMT Placement Rate calculator, set placement line efficiency to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.