Final answer:
The payback period for the investment in new machinery is approximately 5.424 months.
Step-by-step explanation:
The payback period for the investment in new machinery can be calculated by dividing the initial cost of the investment by the annual cash flows. In this case:
Payback period = Initial Cost / Annual Cash Flows
Therefore, the payback period for this project is:
Payback period = $1,450,000 / ($640,000 + $720,000 + $900,000 + $950,000) = $1,450,000 / $3,210,000 ≈ 0.452 years
Since the payback period is less than 1 year, we convert it to months:
0.452 years × 12 months/year ≈ 5.424 months
Therefore, the payback period for this project is approximately 5.424 months.