Takt Time Calculator
Calculate the pace of production needed to meet customer demand — available time divided by units required.
How it works
- 1Enter the total available production time for your shift in minutes (e.g. 450 for a 7.5-hour shift).
- 2Enter the customer demand — the number of units required during that period.
- 3The calculator divides available time by demand to give you takt time in min/unit, plus the equivalent in seconds and the required hourly rate.
Use cases
- Lean manufacturing teams setting line-balance targets and identifying bottleneck stations.
- Production planners comparing cycle time to takt time to flag capacity shortfalls before a shift.
- Industrial engineers designing new assembly lines to ensure throughput meets customer pull.
Frequently asked questions
What is takt time and how is it calculated?
Takt time is the maximum allowable time between completing successive units to meet demand. Formula: Takt time = Available production time ÷ Customer demand. Example: 450 min ÷ 90 units = 5 min/unit.
What is the difference between takt time and cycle time?
Cycle time is how long a process actually takes to produce one unit; takt time is how fast it must produce one unit. If cycle time exceeds takt time, the line cannot keep up with demand and will fall behind.
Should breaks be subtracted from available time?
Yes. Available time should reflect net productive time — total shift length minus scheduled breaks, meetings, and planned maintenance. For an 8-hour shift with 30 min of breaks, use 450 min as the available time.
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