How do you calculate an indexing machine's cycle time?

Add the index move, the settle and locate time, the longest process dwell and any load and unload time outside the dwell. 1.8 + 0.7 + 5.5 + 2.0 = 10 s, so the machine makes 3,600 ÷ 10 = 360 an hour, 60 more than a 300 an hour requirement, the Indexing Conveyor Cycle calculator's own example.

Why does the longest station set the dwell?

Every station on a dial or transfer moves together, so the machine cannot index until the slowest station has finished. Splitting the longest operation over two stations shortens the dwell for all of them.

What is dwell available?

The longest dwell the machine can have and still meet the required output: 3,600 ÷ required output minus the move, settle and handling times. If a process needs more, the machine cannot meet the rate without changing something.

What is index overhead?

The share of the cycle spent moving and settling rather than working: (move + settle) ÷ total cycle. A high share points to a faster indexer or servo profile; a low share means the dwell is what to attack.

Does it include downtime?

No. It is the machine's cycle rate. Breakdowns, waiting for parts, blocked outfeeds and rejects reduce what a shift delivers; track those separately.

Does the workbook use macros?

No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test machines and shows Self-check: PASS.

Production and Throughput

Indexing Conveyor Cycle Excel Template

Indexing cycle = index move + settle and locate + process dwell + load and unload, and output = 3,600 ÷ cycle seconds. Give every rotary dial, walking beam or pallet indexer a row and see its units an hour against what the schedule needs, how much of the cycle is spent moving, and the longest dwell the required rate leaves room for.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This indexing conveyor cycle template is a working Excel workbook for automation and manufacturing engineers, line builders and production planners. Each indexing machine is one row with its type, the product it builds, and its timed cycle elements: the index move, the time to settle and lock in position, the longest process dwell at any station, and any loading and unloading not done during the dwell, with the output the schedule needs. The workbook gives the total cycle, the share of it spent moving rather than working, the units an hour it delivers, the gap to the required output, and the longest dwell the required rate leaves room for. It ships with seven machines at a fictional assembly plant, so every tile and chart is filled in when you open it.

In the example a valve body dial indexes in 1.8 s, settles in 0.7, dwells 5.5 and loads in 2.0: a 10 s cycle, 360 an hour, 60 more than the 300 required. A gearbox cover pallet indexer needs 12 s of screwdriving dwell; at the 200 an hour the schedule asks for, the cycle only leaves 9.8 s, so it gives 178 an hour, 22 short. A filter cartridge dial with a worn locator takes a full second to settle and is 40 an hour short of 400.

Each machine is assumed to run without stops; breakdowns, starving, blocking and rejects come on top. The download is a plain .xlsx with no macros. A CSV with live formulas is also included for other tools; the dashboard, charts and self-check are in the .xlsx.

What this template includes

Setup sheet with your plant and the near-capacity threshold
Machines table, one row per indexing machine: type, product, index move, settle and locate, process dwell, load and unload, and required output, with a Check column
Per machine: total cycle, index overhead share, dwell plus handling, cycle output, output gap, load, a status in words and the dwell available at the required rate
Dashboard with four tiles (machines, machines short of required output, largest shortfall, average index overhead), cycle output against required output, each cycle split into move, settle, dwell and handling, and the machine table
Method sheet with every formula, and a Verify sheet that re-checks the formulas against an independent reference and the Indexing Conveyor Cycle calculator (Self-check: PASS)
CSV with live formulas for the Machines table; the dashboard, charts and self-check are in the .xlsx

Suggested use case

Use it to check indexing machines against a new demand, to see whether the dwell or the index itself limits a machine, or to size the dwell a new station can have on an existing dial.

How to use it

On Setup, type your plant and the near-capacity threshold.
On Machines, give each indexing machine a row: type, product, index move, settle and locate, process dwell, load and unload, and required output.
Fix anything the Check column names.
Open the Dashboard: cycle output against required output, and where each cycle's time goes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate an indexing machine's cycle time?: Add the index move, the settle and locate time, the longest process dwell and any load and unload time outside the dwell. 1.8 + 0.7 + 5.5 + 2.0 = 10 s, so the machine makes 3,600 ÷ 10 = 360 an hour, 60 more than a 300 an hour requirement, the Indexing Conveyor Cycle calculator's own example.
Why does the longest station set the dwell?: Every station on a dial or transfer moves together, so the machine cannot index until the slowest station has finished. Splitting the longest operation over two stations shortens the dwell for all of them.
What is dwell available?: The longest dwell the machine can have and still meet the required output: 3,600 ÷ required output minus the move, settle and handling times. If a process needs more, the machine cannot meet the rate without changing something.
What is index overhead?: The share of the cycle spent moving and settling rather than working: (move + settle) ÷ total cycle. A high share points to a faster indexer or servo profile; a low share means the dwell is what to attack.
Does it include downtime?: No. It is the machine's cycle rate. Breakdowns, waiting for parts, blocked outfeeds and rejects reduce what a shift delivers; track those separately.
Does the workbook use macros?: No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test machines and shows Self-check: PASS.