Professional Courses
Industry-relevant training in Business, Technology, and Design to help professionals and graduates upskill for real-world careers.
Categories
Interactive Games
Fun, engaging games to boost memory, math fluency, typing speed, and English skills—perfect for learners of all ages.
Typing
Memory
Math
English Adventures
Knowledge
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to Balance Number of Trucks
Unlock Audio Lesson
Today, we're discussing the balance number of trucks needed for a single loader. The balance number is crucial because it helps us maximize productivity. Can anyone tell me what this balance number is derived from?
Is it based on the cycle times of the trucks and loader?
That's correct! The balance number of trucks is calculated by dividing the truck cycle time by the loader cycle time. If we have a truck cycle time of 39.5 minutes and a loader cycle time of 5.5 minutes, what would that give us?
It would give a balance number of 7.18 trucks.
Excellent! Now, why is this balance number important in our operations?
Because it helps ensure that we have the right amount of trucks to keep the loader busy without wasting resources.
Exactly! So we would typically round this number. What would be the options we could consider?
We could round it to either 7 or 8 trucks.
That's right, and we need to consider the economic impact of both options. Let's delve deeper into this.
Economic Impact of Varying Truck Numbers
Unlock Audio Lesson
Now that we understand how to calculate the balance number, let's explore how changing the number of trucks affects productivity and costs. If we start with 5 trucks, how would we calculate the productivity?
We would multiply the individual truck productivity by the number of trucks, right?
Exactly! If each truck has a productivity of 12.53 cubic meters per hour, what would be the productivity with 5 trucks?
That would be 62.65 cubic meters per hour.
Correct! Now, as we increase the number of trucks to 6, what happens to our productivity?
The productivity increases to 75.18 cubic meters per hour.
Very good! But once we exceed the balance number, what changes in terms of productivity?
It becomes controlled by the loader's capacity, so even with more trucks, productivity stays at that loader limit, right?
Exactly! That's why we'll see inefficiencies if we go beyond our balance point. Let's move on to the unit cost analysis.
Calculating Unit Production Costs
Unlock Audio Lesson
Now that we've covered productivity, let's dive into how we can calculate unit production costs. Can anyone explain how we derive this cost?
Is it total cost divided by productivity per hour?
That's right! So, if we have a total cost of 10,950 rupees for 5 trucks, and our productivity is 62.65 cubic meters per hour, what would the unit cost be?
It would be 174.78 rupees per cubic meter.
Great job! And what happens to the unit cost as we increase the number of trucks up to the balance number?
The unit cost decreases as productivity increases.
Correct! But remember, beyond the balance number, productivity doesn't increase. Can anyone tell me why that's a problem?
Because the cost increases without any benefit in productivity, leading to inefficiency.
Excellent! So our goal is to find that balance to maintain efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Final Review and Summary
Unlock Audio Lesson
Let's summarize what we've learned about the effect of trucks on productivity. What is the significance of the balance number?
It helps optimize the number of trucks needed for loader operations.
And we learned that exceeding it leads to inefficiencies.
Exactly! And how does the unit production cost change with varying truck numbers?
It decreases up to the balance number but increases beyond that.
Perfect! Always remember, optimizing our resources leads to better efficiency and reduced costs. Great job today, everyone!
Introduction & Overview
Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.
Quick Overview
Standard
The section explores the calculations for determining the optimal number of trucks per loader, emphasizing the significance of maintaining balance for productivity optimization. It delves into how varying the number of trucks affects unit production costs and the overall economics behind these decisions.
Detailed
Effect of Trucks on Productivity
This section focuses on understanding the balance number of trucks required for one loader, emphasizing the relationship between truck cycle time, loader cycle time, and productivity. The balance number is derived from the equation:
Balance Number of Trucks = Truck Cycle Time / Loader Cycle Time
With a truck cycle time of 39.5 minutes and a loader cycle time of 5.5 minutes, the balance number is calculated as 7.18, leading to decisions of rounding it to either 7 or 8 trucks. The economics of varying truck numbers is assessed, with productivity and unit production costs analyzed across different configurations.
Notably, productivity is primarily governed by the truck cycle time when the number of trucks is less than or equal to the balance number. Conversely, when the number of trucks exceeds the balance number, productivity is limited by the loader's capacity, highlighting the importance of energy and resource optimization in operations. The section emphasizes that increasing trucks beyond the balance number leads to higher costs without additional productivity gain, advocating for a balance number approach in decision-making.
Key Insights:
- Productivity increases with more trucks until it reaches a balance point.
- Beyond the balance number, trucks will idle as they wait for the loader, leading to unnecessary costs.
- The economic analysis of truck-loader combinations illustrates that reducing the number of trucks can lower costs, while exceeding the balance may inflate unit costs without productivity benefits.
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Calculating Balance Number of Trucks
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Now let us find the balance number of trucks needed for one loader. So, that depends upon your the balance number of trucks per loader going to serve by one loader is equal to your truck cycle time divided by load of cycle time. So, you have estimated the truck cycle time earlier, so estimated it is 39.5. (Refer Slide Time: 39:23) The truck cycle time is 39.5 and the loader cycle time is 5.5, we have calculated the loader cycle time as 5.5. So, this gives me the balance number of 7.18.
Detailed Explanation
To determine the efficient number of trucks needed to keep a loader operating optimally, we calculate the balance number of trucks. This is done using the formula: Balance Number of Trucks = Truck Cycle Time / Loader Cycle Time. In this case, the truck cycle time is 39.5 minutes, while the loader cycle time is 5.5 minutes. When we divide these values, we find the balance number of trucks to be approximately 7.18. This means that ideally, around 7 to 8 trucks should be used to support one loader effectively.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a restaurant kitchen where one chef (the loader) can only prepare a certain number of meals (the cycle time). If too many waitstaff (the trucks) are available to pick up the meals, they end up standing around waiting for the chef to prepare food, which is inefficient. Just as the right balance of trucks is crucial for productivity, having the right number of waitstaff relative to the number of chefs ensures that food is served efficiently, minimizing waiting time.
Impact of Truck Numbers on Productivity
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
So, just to give you a better explanation I am just working out what will be the economics when I go for different number of trucks. Say if I go for 5 number of trucks, 6, 7, 8 and 9, how the productivity will vary, how the unit production cost will vary? We will work it out and see, so that will get a clear picture on what is the effect of number of trucks, and what is the effect of increasing the number of trucks beyond the balance number on the unit production cost.
Detailed Explanation
To truly understand the impact of the number of trucks on productivity, it’s essential to evaluate different scenarios. If we analyze how productivity changes with 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 trucks, we can see different results. As the number of trucks increases to 7 (the balance point), productivity will rise. However, if we add more trucks beyond this point, while it might seem like productivity would continue to increase, in reality, there is a limit dictated by the loader's capacity. This effect can also lead to increased costs, as more trucks generally mean higher operational expenses without corresponding gains in productivity.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a highway toll booth. If there are five lanes (trucks) and traffic is flowing nicely, efficiency is high. If we add lanes, keeping the same number of toll booths (loaders), the added lanes start to make cars wait because they can’t be processed any faster. This is akin to adding more trucks than needed; there’s no increase in productivity, just more waiting and potentially higher toll costs!
Determining Productivity with Different Truck Counts
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
So, basically how to estimate the job production? So, it is nothing but your single truck productivity multiplied by number of trucks, that will give you the job production. So, provided the number of trucks are lesser than the balance number. In that case you can calculate by that, because when the trucks are lesser than the balance number or equal to balance number your truck cycle time will govern the productivity.
Detailed Explanation
The job production can be calculated by multiplying the productivity of a single truck by the total number of trucks, as long as this number does not exceed the balance number. For example, if one truck can handle a certain volume efficiently when there are fewer trucks, then multiplying this volume by the number of trucks gives the job production capacity. However, if the number of trucks meets or exceeds the balance number, the loader’s limitations will start to restrict output despite having more trucks.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a school with one teacher (the loader) and a set number of students (the trucks). If there are too few students, the teacher can give a lot of attention and the class is productive. If there are too many students beyond what the teacher can handle effectively, additional students won’t improve overall learning—they’ll just add to the chaos. This is similar to how productivity peaks with the right number of trucks.
Effects of Exceeding Balance Number of Trucks
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
But beyond the balance number, so you can see that number of trucks are more so the truck will be waiting for the loader unless the loader is available your truck cannot do the job. So, the productivity here will be controlled by your loader.
Detailed Explanation
When the number of trucks exceeds the balance number, productivity is negatively impacted; the additional trucks become idle, waiting for the loader to be available. Thus, regardless of how many trucks are present, productivity cannot increase beyond what the loader can process, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs, since those trucks still need operation.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a bakery where there is one oven (the loader) and several bakers (the trucks). If there are too many bakers but only one oven, the bakers have to wait for their turn to put their items in the oven, which leads to wasted time and resources even though you have more bakers, similar to having too many trucks waiting for the loader.
Calculating Production Costs with Different Numbers of Trucks
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Now let us work out the economics because most of the decisions are based upon the economics. People are more concerned about the unit production cost associated with the machine.
Detailed Explanation
Analyzing the economics of truck-loader combinations involves calculating the unit production cost—essentially how much it costs to produce one unit of output. This involves considering both the operational costs of the trucks and the loader. Different combinations can be evaluated to determine the most cost-efficient scenario based on productivity and expenses.
Examples & Analogies
Think about budgeting for a party. If you have too few people cooking (the trucks) compared to how much food needs to be prepared (the loader), the cost to feed everyone per person could rise. By analyzing the costs of hiring more cooks but understanding they won't necessarily prepare more food, you can make smarter choices about your party planning.
Evaluating Optimal Truck Numbers
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
If I go for 7 my unit production cost is 162.47. If I go for 8 trucks my unit production cost is 176.67, so it is preferable to round it to the lower number.
Detailed Explanation
When evaluating unit production costs, it is important to analyze costs associated with different numbers of trucks. If using 7 trucks yields a lower cost compared to 8, it’s more economically advantageous to choose the lower number. This decision also builds in some flexibility or downtime for the loader, allowing it to work more efficiently without unnecessary constraints caused by an excess number of trucks.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine allocating hours for studying before an exam. If you plan for 8 hours but find you can learn everything you need in 7, studying for an extra hour might just lead to burnout without any added benefit. Similarly, opting for fewer trucks limits costs while maintaining efficiency, just like effective study time management.
Definitions & Key Concepts
Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.
Key Concepts
-
Balance Number of Trucks: The optimal number of trucks that ensures loaders are not overburdened or underutilized.
-
Truck Cycle Time vs Loader Cycle Time: Understanding how these times affect overall productivity and efficiency in operations.
-
Economic Decision Making: The importance of evaluating costs and productivity when determining the number of trucks required.
-
Productivity Limits: The significance of knowing that loader capacity limits productivity beyond a certain point.
Examples & Real-Life Applications
See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.
Examples
-
Example 1: When using 5 trucks with a truck productivity of 12.53 cubic meters per hour, total productivity equals 62.65 cubic meters per hour.
-
Example 2: Increasing the number of trucks to 8 does not increase productivity beyond 90 cubic meters per hour, which is limited by the loader.
Memory Aids
Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.
🎵 Rhymes Time
-
To balance trucks is key, seven's where we should be!
📖 Fascinating Stories
-
Imagine a farmer with 7 trucks perfectly loaded by a single loader, maximizing productivity without waiting and wasting time and money.
🧠 Other Memory Gems
-
P.E.T. – Productivity, Economics, Timing: Always balance your trucks for optimal efficiency.
🎯 Super Acronyms
BNT
- Balance Number of Trucks - Keep this in mind for productivity gains.
Flash Cards
Review key concepts with flashcards.
Glossary of Terms
Review the Definitions for terms.
-
Term: Truck Cycle Time
Definition:
The time taken by a truck to complete a full cycle of loading, transporting, and unloading.
-
Term: Loader Cycle Time
Definition:
The time taken by a loader to load the truck.
-
Term: Balance Number of Trucks
Definition:
The optimal number of trucks that should be working with a single loader for maximum efficiency.
-
Term: Unit Production Cost
Definition:
The cost incurred to produce one unit of output, calculated as total cost divided by total productivity.
-
Term: Productivity
Definition:
The output produced per unit of time, often measured in cubic meters per hour in this context.