TAHA Engineering Toolsby TAHA Knowledge Lab

Industrial & Manufacturing

Cycle Time Calculator

Observed average time per unit from operating time and units completed.

Inputs

A timeline of operating time with nine unevenly spaced unit completions above, and the same time divided into nine equal average cycle times below.Units completed123456789average cycle timeProductive operating time
Top: units are completed at uneven intervals during the operating time. Bottom: the average cycle time divides the same operating time equally between the units completed. Diagram not to scale.

Time the process was actually running for this output — exclude breaks and stoppages you do not want averaged in.

Optional. Gives a second, separate average over all units produced, including rejects.

Result

Average cycle time per good unit
30
Good units per hour
120units/hour

Over 450 min of operating time, one good unit was completed on average every 30 s (120 units/hour).

  • This is an observed average over the time you entered. It is not the machine’s ideal cycle time, and it is not takt time (which is set by customer demand).

Educational estimate — check the assumptions below.

About this calculator

Cycle time is how long it takes, on average, to complete one unit. This calculator finds the observed average cycle time from records: how long the process ran and how many units it completed. Compare the result with your takt time (the pace customers need) and with the machine’s ideal cycle time (its fastest possible pace) to see where time is being lost.

Formula

Average cycle time = Productive operating time ÷ Units completed

Units per hour = Units completed ÷ Operating time in hours

All times are converted to seconds before dividing. The time basis is the operating time you enter: if it includes stoppages, they are spread across every unit.

Worked example

A cell ran for 450 minutes and completed 900 good units; 950 units were produced in total.

  • Operating time = 450 × 60 = 27 000 s
  • Average cycle time per good unit = 27 000 ÷ 900 = 30 s → 3600 ÷ 30 = 120 good units per hour
  • Average time per unit produced = 27 000 ÷ 950 = 28.42 s (126.7 units per hour)

Assumptions and limitations

  • The result is an average. Individual cycles may be faster or slower.
  • Use the same period for time and units. If the operating time includes breakdowns, the average includes them too — exclude them if you want the running cycle time only.
  • Observed cycle time is different from ideal cycle time (used in OEE) and from takt time (available time ÷ customer demand).

References

  • Standard work-measurement and lean definitions of cycle time, takt time and throughput.