Glossary · Manufacturing systems
Bottleneck
Also known as: Constraint (production), Bottleneck resource
German: Engpass
In manufacturing, a bottleneck is the resource, such as a machine, station or process step, whose capacity limits the throughput of the whole production system.
- Manufacturing systems
In one sentence
A bottleneck is the machine, station or process step whose capacity limits the throughput of the whole production system.
Example
The paint booth processes 40 parts per hour while all other stations manage 55, so it determines the line's output.
How it applies
- Engineering: Line design places buffers before and after the bottleneck so it never starves or blocks. Improvements at non-bottlenecks don't raise output.
- Operation: Losses at the bottleneck are lost output for the whole system. Maintenance, changeovers and breaks at the bottleneck deserve special planning. Bottlenecks can shift with product mix.
- Analysis: Work in process (WIP) typically accumulates in front of the bottleneck, which helps to find it. Simulation and data from MES help when the bottleneck moves.
- Documentation: Mark the bottleneck in line documentation and explain why maintenance and changeover procedures for that resource have priority. Operators then understand why certain instructions are stricter.
Bottleneck vs. constraint
In production, the terms are often used as synonyms (theory of constraints). In systems engineering, a Constraint (systems engineering) is a limitation on design choices, which is a different concept.