Resources / Takt time
Free calculator
Takt time calculator
Enter the shifts, their length, the breaks and the daily customer demand. The calculator returns the takt time and, if you add the slowest step’s cycle time, how close the line runs to it.
In short
Takt time is the pace at which one unit has to be finished to meet customer demand: available working time divided by the units demanded in that time. It is set by demand, not by the capacity of the process.
The formula
Available time is in minutes and takt time is shown in seconds. Breaks are taken out because nothing is produced during them; unplanned stops are not, since takt describes demand, not what the line achieves.
Slowest step compared with takt
| Cycle time vs takt | What it means |
|---|---|
| Above 100% | The line cannot meet demand at this pace |
| 85% to 100% | Demand is met with little margin |
| Below 85% | Spare capacity, worth checking for waiting |
Worked example
A line works 2 shifts of 480 minutes with 40 minutes of breaks each, giving 880 minutes a day. Customer demand is 880 units a day, so takt time is 880 × 60 ÷ 880 = 60 seconds. The slowest step takes 65 seconds, 108% of takt: that step cannot keep up with demand.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between takt time and cycle time?
Takt time is the pace demand requires; cycle time is how long a step actually takes. A step whose cycle time is longer than takt is a bottleneck for meeting demand.
Should breaks be subtracted from available time?
Yes, planned breaks and meetings come off, because no units are made then. Breakdowns and other unplanned stops stay in, since takt measures demand rather than performance.
What happens to takt time when demand changes?
It changes with it: more demand in the same time means a shorter takt. That is why takt is recalculated whenever demand or working hours change.
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