Translate available time, cycle time and OEE into a realistic units-per-shift, day, week and year capacity figure — so you know whether your process can meet forecasted demand.
Enter your values on the left, then press Calculate.
480 min shift, 2.5 min cycle time, 72% OEE, 160 units demanded. Enter the lab and see if the process can actually meet that demand.
Use the calculator above to convert available time, cycle time and OEE into an honest, defensible production capacity figure. Most capacity claims assume ideal conditions; this one accounts for the real-world losses captured by OEE, so the number can be used for quoting, planning and capital cases without later embarrassment.
Production capacity is the number of good units a process can realistically produce in a given period. It is not the same as ideal capacity, which assumes the equipment never stops and never produces a reject. Realistic capacity adjusts for the losses captured by OEE — availability, performance and quality.
Capacity = (Available Time ÷ Cycle Time) × OEE. Available time is net planned production time, cycle time is the time per unit at the constraint, and OEE multiplies in the real-world losses. Without the OEE term you get theoretical capacity, which is almost always over-promised.
A line has 480 minutes of net planned time per shift, an ideal cycle of 2 minutes per unit, and a measured OEE of 75%. Ideal capacity = 480 ÷ 2 = 240 units. Realistic capacity = 240 × 0.75 = 180 units per shift.
Quoting against ideal capacity means missing delivery promises in 25% of cases. Quoting against realistic OEE-adjusted capacity sets honest expectations and exposes the size of the prize — the gap between 180 and 240 is where the improvement programme lives.
OEE-adjusted capacity prevents over-quoting, justifies capital decisions on real performance, and gives the improvement team a clear target — close the gap between realistic and ideal capacity.
Use this any time you quote delivery dates, build a capital business case, size a new shift pattern, or argue whether a constraint really needs new equipment versus an OEE improvement programme.
Capacity ties directly to OEE: every percentage point of OEE improvement is an equivalent percentage of additional realistic capacity, with no new equipment, no new shifts and no new spend.
Compare the realistic capacity figure against demand. If realistic capacity is below demand, calculate the OEE improvement needed to close the gap before approving capital spend. Re-run the calculation after each OEE improvement so the impact is quantified.
Pair capacity with OEE measurement and constraint analysis. The resources below help convert capacity gaps into structured improvement programmes.
The number of good units a process can realistically produce in a given period. Realistic capacity accounts for availability, performance and quality losses, not just ideal speed.
Capacity = (Available Time ÷ Cycle Time) × OEE. Without the OEE term you get theoretical capacity, which is almost always over-stated.
Theoretical capacity assumes the equipment never stops and never produces a reject. Realistic capacity adjusts for the real-world losses captured by OEE — typically 25-40% lower than theoretical.
Improve OEE. Every percentage point of OEE improvement delivers an equivalent percentage of additional realistic capacity, usually at a fraction of the cost of new equipment.
Use the OEE of the constraint step (the slowest, most loaded asset). Capacity is set by the constraint, not by the average across the line.
Want to learn how production capacity planning fits into Lean process design? The Lean Associate course covers this in full.
View Lean Associate →