BIZOMAT Tools · Planning
Production Capacity Planner
Can the current production setup meet demand?
Calculates monthly theoretical and effective capacity from machines, shifts, hours, uptime and cycle time, and compares capacity options.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Machines / lines | assets | Machines or lines that can make the product |
| Shifts / day | shifts | Shifts per day |
| Hours / shift | hr | Productive hours per shift |
| Working days / month | days | Working days per month |
| Expected uptime | % | Measured uptime (or availability × performance) |
| Average cycle time | sec/unit | Average cycle time per unit in seconds |
| Monthly demand | units | Monthly demand |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Machines / lines
- What it is
- The number of machines or production lines that can make this product family, working in parallel.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in assets: assets. The form accepts 1 assets or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 2 assets as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion.
- Get it right
- Count only assets that can run the product at the entered cycle time.
What this means: Shifts / day
- What it is
- How many shifts each machine or line runs on a working day.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in shifts: shifts. The form accepts 1 shifts or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 2 shifts as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion; the options table shows one extra shift.
- Get it right
- Use the shift pattern you can actually staff, not the one you hope to run.
What this means: Hours / shift
- What it is
- The productive hours in one shift after planned breaks and meetings.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in hr: hours. The form accepts 0.1 hr or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 8 hr as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion.
- Get it right
- Take breaks off the shift length; uptime then covers breakdowns and changeovers.
What this means: Working days / month
- What it is
- The number of days a month the machines run, after weekends, public holidays and planned shutdowns.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in days: days. The form accepts 1 days or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 22 days as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion.
- Get it right
- Use the days for the month you are planning; it varies month to month.
What this means: Expected uptime
- What it is
- The share of scheduled time the machines actually produce at rate, after breakdowns, changeovers and slow running, from measured records.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 1% to 100%.
- Example
- The form opens with 85% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Effective capacity rises in proportion.
- Get it right
- Use measured uptime, or availability × performance from OEE data; do not include quality losses unless demand is in good units.
What this means: Average cycle time
- What it is
- The average time one machine takes to produce one unit, across the product mix in the family.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in sec/unit: sec/unit. The form accepts 0.01 sec/unit or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 45 sec/unit as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity falls in proportion as cycle time grows.
- Get it right
- Enter seconds per unit, not minutes. Weight the average by the volume of each product.
What this means: Monthly demand
- What it is
- The number of units required in the month, from orders and the forecast.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in units: a count of units. The form accepts 0 units or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 40000 units as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Load rises in proportion; capacity does not change.
- Get it right
- Use monthly demand to match working days per month.
Method and formulas
- Theoretical = machines × shifts × hours × 3,600 × days ÷ cycle seconds
- Effective = theoretical × uptime
- Load = demand ÷ effective
Limitations
- Single product family; labour and changeovers not modelled
Typical uses
- Monthly capacity planning
- Deciding between shifts, uptime and cycle-time improvements
Who it is for
- Production planners
- Operations managers
What you get
- Load against effective capacity
- Options table: extra shift, uptime +5 points, cycle −10%
Interpreting the result
- Cost the most effective option from the table before committing
BIZOMAT tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.