Finishing worked example

Coating Line Bottleneck at 7.2% downtime & handling allowance: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop downtime & handling allowance to 7.2%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the stage time that constrains coating line output from work required, process rate, and allowance.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Stage throughput required (parts or line ft): 120 ft or parts (held at the documented default)
  • Conveyor / stage process rate: 12 ft / min (held at the documented default)
  • Downtime & handling allowance: 7.2 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 10)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Base time = required amount รท process rate.
  • Adjusted run time works out to 10.72 parts / hr at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Base run time works out to 10 parts / hr at these inputs.
  • Allowance applied works out to 7.2 % at these inputs.
  • Process rate works out to 12 pieces / min at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where downtime & handling allowance sits at 10% and the headline result is 11 parts / hr, this scenario comes in 2.55% below the baseline at 10.72 parts / hr.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to downtime & handling allowance, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It sizes one stage in isolation; the true line bottleneck is the stage with the highest adjusted time, so run every stage before drawing conclusions.

Results at a glance

  • Adjusted run time: 10.72 parts / hr (headline result)
  • Base run time: 10 parts / hr
  • Allowance applied: 7.2 %
  • Process rate: 12 pieces / min

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Coating Line Bottleneck calculator, set downtime & handling allowance to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.