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Data & software

Bottleneck

A bottleneck is the step in a production process with the least capacity, which limits the output of the whole line.

Also known as production bottleneck, constraint, bottleneck station, line balancing

A production line can only run as fast as its slowest station. Work piles up in front of the bottleneck while stations after it wait, so improving any other step adds nothing to output.

In prefab lines the bottleneck often moves with the product mix. A wall with many openings loads the framing station, a closed panel loads the sheathing and insulation, which is why measuring real cycle times per station matters.

Related terms
Production planningProduction planning decides what a factory produces, in what order and on which line, to meet delivery dates with the capacity available. DowntimeDowntime is the time a machine or production line is not producing, whether because of breakdowns, changeovers, waiting for material or planned maintenance. Wall production lineA wall production line is a sequence of linked stations that takes a wall from framing through to a finished panel.
From term to production line

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