Let's consider a manufacturing facility that produces two different products:
Product A requires a production cycle every 42 minutes
Product B requires a production cycle every 28 minutes
To efficiently manage production and avoid synchronisation issues, the manufacturing facility wants to find the lowest common multiple (LCM) of the production cycle times for both products.
To find the LCM of 42 minutes and 28 minutes, we can use a little-known function on our calculator found above the degrees button labeled FACT. The FACT button converts a number to its prime factors. In this case we find:
42 = 2 x 3 x 7
28 = 2² x 7
Multiply through by all unique prime factors, choosing the factor with the highest power only. In this case, we choose 2², 3 and 7. Then:
LCM = 2² x 3 x 7 = 84
By using the LCM of 84 minutes, the manufacturing facility can schedule the production cycles in a way that aligns with the LCM, ensuring that both Product A and Product B production cycles occur simultaneously at regular intervals. This synchronisation helps optimise the utilisation of resources, reduces downtime, and improves overall efficiency in the manufacturing process.
In summary, by determining the LCM of production cycle times, manufacturing facilities can synchronise their operations, optimise production schedules, and enhance productivity in the manufacturing process.
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