The Bubba Chump Shrimp Company processes and packages shrimp

The Bubba Chump Shrimp Company processes and packages shrimp for sale to wholesale seafood distributors. The shrimp are transported to the main plant by trucks that carry 1,000 pounds (lb) of shrimp. Once the continuous flow processing of the shrimp begins, no inventory is allowed in buffers due to spoilage and all of the shrimp must be processed within 12 hours to prevent spoilage. The processing begins at the sorter, where the trucks dump the shrimp onto a conveyor belt that feeds into the sorter, which can sort up to 500 lb per hour. The shrimp then proceed to the desheller, which can process shrimp at the rate of 400 lb per hour. However, after 3 hours and 45 minutes of processing, the desheller must be stopped for 15 minutes to clean out empty shrimp shells that have accumulated. The veins of the shrimp are then removed in the deveining area at a maximum rate of 360 lb per hour. The shrimp proceed to the washing area, where they are processed at 750 lb per hour. Finally, the shrimp are packaged and frozen. What is the daily process capacity of the processing plant (excluding the packaging and freezing)?

Solution

for 3 hours, total shrimps processes = 400 x 3 = 1200 lbs but in next hour only 300 lbs will be processed , so total 1500 lbs shrimps be processed. Now as there are 3 cycles of 4 hours each in a day within 12 hours of prevent spoilage, so daily processing capacity of the processing plant (excluding the packaging and freezing)

= 1500 x 3 = 4500 lbs per day.

This is the total daily capacity of the desheller.

Further total daily capicity of the devininer = 360 x 12 = 4320 lbs per day.

Now as there is a 15 minute stopping every 4 hours there so clearly plant will work for total 11 hours 45 minutes at the rate of 360 lb per hours.

So total shrimps processes = 360 x 11 + 360 x 3/4 = 3960 + 270 = 4230 lbs

that is required daily process capacity of the processing plant.

Answer