Question

Completely and thoroughly explain how a Predetermined Time System, such as MTM or MOST, could be used to establish labor standards for a company that makes any type of metal products. Be specific in your answer and identify as many different specific examples as you can where a Predetermined Time System could be used to establish engineered standards for the different operations that are required to make any type of metal products

Answer 1

Predetermined Motion Time System

A predetermined motion time system (PMTS) may be defined as a procedure that analyzes any manual activity in terms of basic or fundamental motions required to perform it. Each of these motions is assigned a previously established standard time value and then the timings for the individual motions are synthesized to obtain the total time needed for performing the activity.

The main use of PMTS lies in the estimation of time for the performance of a task before it is performed. The procedure is particularly useful to those organizations which do not want troublesome performance rating to be used with each study.

Applications of PMTS are for

(i) Determination of job time standards.

(ii) Comparing the times for alternative proposed methods so as to find the economics of the proposals prior to production run.

(iii) Estimation of manpower, equipment and space requirements prior to setting up the facilities and start of production.

(iv) Developing tentative work layouts for assembly lines prior to their working in order to minimize the amount of subsequent re-arrangement and re-balancing.

(v) Checking direct time study results.

A number of PMTS are in use, some of which have been developed by individual organizations for their own use, while other organizations have developed and publicized for universal applications.

Some commonly used PMT systems are:

• Work factor (1938)
• Method Time Measurement (1948)
• Basic Motion Time (1951)
• Dimension Motion Time (1954)

Important considerations which may be made while selecting a PMT system for application to particular industry are:

by some constant or by the application of an adjustment allowance.

1. Cost of Installation. This consists mainly of the cost of getting expert for applying the system under consideration.

2. Application Cost. This is determined by the length of time needed to set a time standard by the system under consideration.

3. Performance Level of the System. The level of performance embodied in the system under consideration may be different from the normal performance established in the industry where the system is to be used. However, this problem can be overcome by 'calibration' which is nothing but multiplying the times given in the PMT Tables

   Advantages and limitations of using PMT systems

   Advantages

   Compared to other work measurement techniques, all PMT systems claim the following advantages:

4. There is no need to actually observe the operation running. This means the estimation of time to perform a job can be made from the drawings even before the job is actually done. This feature is very useful in production planning, forecasting, equipment selection, etc.
5. The use of PMT eliminates the need of troublesome and controversial performance rating. For the sole reason of avoiding performance rating, some companies have been using this technique.
6. The use of PMT forces the analyst to study the method in detail. This sometimes helps to further improve the method.

7. Limitations

   There are two main limitations to the use of PMT s

8. A bye-product of the use of PM times is a detailed record of the method of operation. This is advantageous for installation of method, for instructional purposes, and for detection and verification of any change that might occur in the method in future.
9. The PM times can be usefully employed to establish elemental standard data for setting time standards on jobs done on various types of machines and equipment.
10. The basic times determined with the use of PMT system are relatively more consistent.

11. Consistency of Standards. Consistency of standards set by a system on various jobs is a vital factor to consider. For this, the system can be applied on a trial basis on a set of operations in the plant and examined for consistency in the so obtained operation times.

12. Nature of Operation. Best results are likely to be achieved if the type and nature of operations in the plant are similar to the nature and type of operations studied during the development of the system under consideration.