Evaluation of Standard Times for Some Local Blacksmith’s Products

Abstract

The practice of menial farming in the southwestern part of Nigeria have necessitated the need for the blacksmith industry to produce farm implements for the need of their immediate environment (farmers). With increased cost and time of production, coupled with demand size, reduced productivity and in order to meet the customer’s schedule, the study was conceived to evaluate the standard time to start and finish a product to manage production time and to estimate the optimum production capacity of the blacksmith workstation. After a careful survey of the local blacksmiths and with the aid of a stopwatch and study time chart, standard time was evaluated for harvester, digger and axe. These implements are the most commonly used items by the locals. The standard time for the local blacksmith’s axe, digger and harvester production was estimated to be 1458.35, 1931.44 and 936.66 Seconds respectively. It can therefore be concluded that the blacksmiths working for 8 hours a day will produce either (i) about 20 units of axe per day, (ii) 15 units of digger per day, or (iii) 31 units of harvester per day, or (iv) 7 units each, of the products per day