Takt time calculator
Calculate demand pace from net production time, compare it with observed cycle time, and see the required hourly rate.
Result
Inputs used
- Scheduled time (min)
- 480
- Excluded breaks (min)
- 30
- Customer demand (units)
- 600
- Observed cycle (sec/unit)
- 40
| Net available time | 450 min |
|---|---|
| Takt time | 45 sec/unit |
| Required pace | 80 units/hour |
| Takt minus observed cycle | 5 sec/unit |
Observed cycle meets takt on these inputs. Stops, yield and product mix can still prevent meeting demand.
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Formula and worked example
Takt time = (scheduled minutes − excluded breaks) × 60 / customer demand. A 480-minute shift with 30 minutes of breaks and demand for 600 units gives 450 × 60 / 600 = 45 seconds per unit. Required pace is 80 units per net production hour. A measured 40-second cycle has five seconds of margin before losses.
Use the same period for demand and time. Do not subtract breakdowns merely to make takt easier to achieve: takt expresses customer pace. Record the planning boundary and model actual losses with the production capacity calculator or OEE calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is takt time the same as cycle time?
Takt comes from demand; cycle time comes from observing the process. A machine can meet takt while the overall line misses delivery because of stops, rejects or an upstream constraint.
What if demand is zero?
There is no finite takt target for a zero-demand period. This tool requires positive demand rather than displaying an invented pace.
Reference
Lean Enterprise Institute: takt time defines the production-time to demand relationship. The shift example above is illustrative, not a plant benchmark.
Go deeper
Cite this page: Takt time calculator
, Shopfloor. https://shopfloor.space/tools/takt-time-calculator/