Question

AlwaysRain Irrigation, Inc., would like to determine capacity requirements for the next four years. Currently two production lines are in place for making bronze and plastic sprinklers. Three types of sprinklers are available in both bronze and plastic: 90-degree nozzle sprinklers, 180-degree nozzle sprinklers, and 360-degree nozzle sprinklers. Management has forecast demand for the next four years as follows:

	YEARLY DEMAND
	1 (IN 000s)		2 (IN 000s)		3 (IN 000s)		4 (IN 000s)
Plastic 90	30		44		57		55
Plastic 180	14		17		18		17
Plastic 360	48		57		65		66
Bronze 90	6		7		8		9
Bronze 180	1		2		6		5
Bronze 360	10		10		16		17

Both production lines can produce all the different types of nozzles. The bronze machines needed for the bronze sprinklers require three operators and can produce up to 11,000 sprinklers. The plastic injection molding machine needed for the plastic sprinklers requires two operators and can produce up to 199,000 sprinklers. Three bronze machines and only one injection molding machine are available.

What are the capacity requirements for the next four years? (Assume that there is no learning.) (Enter the demand values in thousands. Round your answers to 2 decimal places.)

	Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4
Plastic
Demand for plastic sprinklers
Percentage of capacity used		%		%		%		%
Machine requirements
Labor requirements
Bronze
Demand for bronze sprinklers
Percentage of capacity used		%		%		%		%
Machine requirements
Labor requirements

Answer 1

Answer:

capacity requirements for the next four years:

	Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4
Plastic
Demand for plastic sprinklers		92		118		140	138
Percentage of capacity used		46.2%		59.3%		70.3%	69.3%
Machine requirements		0.46		0.59		0.70	0.69
Labor requirements		0.92		1.19		1.41	1.39
Bronze
Demand for bronze sprinklers		17		19		30	31
Percentage of capacity used		51.4%		57.5%		90.9%	93.9%
Machine requirements		1.55		1.73		2.73	2.82
Labor requirements		4.64		5.18		8.18	8.45