Lean Manufacturing & Operations worked example

Bottleneck Cycle Time with base processing time per unit of 110 sec: a worked example

What does the result look like when base processing time per unit reaches 110 sec? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use this calculator to determine the true effective cycle time of your slowest station, including setup and minor stops, so you know the real constraint limiting line output.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Base processing time per unit: 110 sec (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 45)
  • Amortized setup time per unit: 3 sec (unchanged)
  • Minor stop allowance per unit: 2 sec (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Effective Bottleneck Time = Processing Time + Amortized Setup + Minor Stops) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 115 sec / unit for effective bottleneck cycle time, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 110 sec / unit for element 1.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 3 sec / unit for element 2.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2 sec / unit for element 3 + 4.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where base processing time per unit sits at 45 sec and the headline result is 50 sec / unit, this scenario comes in 130% above the baseline at 115 sec / unit.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when base processing time per unit is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It assumes setup is evenly amortized across a known batch size and treats minor stops as a steady per-unit number, so it will misstate the constraint if batch sizes vary widely or stoppages are bursty.

Results at a glance

  • Effective bottleneck cycle time: 115 sec / unit (headline result)
  • Element 1: 110 sec / unit
  • Element 2: 3 sec / unit
  • Element 3 + 4: 2 sec / unit

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Bottleneck Cycle Time calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.