Calculators
Cycle Time Calculator
Calculate average cycle time per unit, throughput per hour and the bottleneck step from process step times.
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- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Finding production bottlenecks
- Line balancing
- Capacity planning
- Continuous improvement projects
About this tool
What the Cycle Time Calculator does
Cycle time is the time to complete one unit through a process step or a whole process. In a sequential line, throughput is limited by the slowest step, the bottleneck. This calculator shows each step’s cycle time, the bottleneck and the line’s maximum output per hour.
Formula
- Line cycle time = the longest step time (the bottleneck)
- Throughput per hour = 3,600 ÷ bottleneck seconds
- Balance efficiency = total step time ÷ (steps × bottleneck time)
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Process steps | 5 entries |
| Production hours per day | 15 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Bottleneck step | Assembly |
| Maximum units per hour | 48.0 |
| Line cycle time | 75.0 |
| Maximum units per day | 720 |
| Total processing time per unit | 3.8 |
| Line balance efficiency | 61.3% |
How to read the result
Improving any step other than the bottleneck does not increase output; focus improvement where the constraint is.
Low balance efficiency means operators at faster steps wait; rebalancing work content frees capacity.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
The time to complete one unit at a process step or across a process.
The slowest step, which limits the output of the whole process.
Reduce the bottleneck's cycle time or add capacity there.
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