Question

National Cranberry Cooperative Case Study

1. Quantify independently the capital investments in bin conversions and a light meter system.
Some additional information about National Cranberry is as follows. You may assume that:
- On an average "busy" day there are 17,100 bbl delivered over the 12-hr period (7 am to 7 pm). This is based on a "typical" busy day in September.
- Wet berries are 72% of all berries.
- Holding bins 17-24 are exclusively for wet berries.
- Capacity of the dumpers is 3,000 bbl / hr (it takes on average 7.5 minutes to dump a truck, a truck holds on average 75 bbl, so from Little's Law, each of the five dumpers will take 600 bbl/hr).

Answer 1

The National Cranberry Cooperative case study requires calculations to determine the necessary investments for bin conversions and a light meter system, considering average daily deliveries, the proportion of wet berries, and the dumper capacity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The National Cranberry Cooperative case study involves quantifying capital investments for potential improvements, which include bin conversions and a light meter system.

Given that 17,100 barrels (bbl) are delivered on an average busy day and that 72% of those berries are wet, the associated holding bins (17-24) must adequately handle this quantity. Since each dumper has a capacity of 3,000 bbl/hour, we can calculate the necessary capital investments for bin conversions based on the requirements to process wet berries during peak times.

Capital investments in a light meter system would also require analysis to determine the financial outlay versus the potential efficiency gains in the sorting process. This cost would be influenced by the average volumes processed and the efficiency improvements expected from the new system.