Mixed Deck — All CPM Topics Flashcards

What is the primary purpose of a 5S workplace organization program in a plant environment?

Answer: Create a safe, organized, and standardized work environment

5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) establishes a disciplined, visual workplace that supports safety and efficiency.

Which of the following BEST describes 'takt time' in production flow planning?

Answer: The available production time divided by customer demand rate

Takt time synchronizes production rate to customer demand: available time ÷ units demanded, setting the pace for a balanced production line.

Under EPA's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a 'large quantity generator' of hazardous waste must accumulate waste on-site for no more than:

Answer: 90 days

RCRA regulations limit large quantity generators to no more than 90 days of on-site hazardous waste accumulation before it must be sent to a permitted facility.

In procurement, what is 'specification creep' and why is it a concern?

Answer: Progressive addition of requirements to a purchase specification that increases cost and complexity

Specification creep occurs when stakeholders incrementally add requirements, inflating costs, limiting the supplier pool, and extending lead times without proportional value.

A plant manager reduces finished goods inventory by 20% through improved scheduling. The most direct P&L benefit is:

Answer: Reduced inventory carrying costs (storage, insurance, obsolescence) and improved cash flow

Lower inventory levels directly reduce carrying costs—warehouse space, insurance, risk of obsolescence, and the opportunity cost of capital tied up in stock.

In production control, 'input/output control' is used primarily to:

Answer: Monitor and regulate the flow of work into and out of work centers to control queue lengths

Input/output control compares planned versus actual input and output at work centers so managers can adjust releases or capacity to maintain target queues.

Autonomous maintenance in TPM primarily shifts which responsibility to operators?

Answer: Basic equipment care such as cleaning, lubrication, and inspection

Autonomous maintenance empowers operators to perform routine care tasks, freeing maintenance technicians for more complex work.

Which type of bearing failure is associated with fluted (corrugated) damage patterns on the raceway, typically caused by electrical current passage?

Answer: Electrical erosion (EDM pitting/fluting)

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) damage from stray currents through bearings creates characteristic fluted patterns on raceways.

What is the purpose of VPP's 'on-site evaluation' conducted by OSHA?

Answer: To verify that the site's safety and health management system meets VPP criteria

VPP on-site evaluations assess whether the worksite's safety and health management system effectively protects workers and meets VPP requirements.

The primary advantage of a combined heat and power (CHP) system over separate heat and power generation is:

Answer: Overall system efficiency of 70–90% by utilizing waste heat from power generation

CHP achieves 70–90% overall efficiency by capturing and using heat that would otherwise be wasted, compared to the ~30–50% efficiency of conventional power generation alone.

In the context of osha recordkeeping & vpp, what role does continuous professional development play for CPM practitioners?

Answer: It ensures practitioners remain current with evolving standards, technologies, and best practices

Continuous professional development is essential in osha recordkeeping & vpp because it ensures CPM practitioners remain current with evolving standards, technologies, and best practices, maintaining competency throughout their careers.

What distinguishes a 'net change' MRP run from a 'regenerative' MRP run?

Answer: Net change recalculates only the items affected by recent transactions, while regenerative re-plans the entire database

Net change MRP updates only items impacted by changes since the last run, making it faster and more responsive than a full regenerative run.

Which statement about contribution margin is CORRECT in the context of plant P&L management?

Answer: Contribution margin equals revenue minus total variable costs and represents coverage for fixed costs

Contribution margin (revenue minus variable costs) shows how much each unit contributes toward covering fixed costs and generating profit once fixed costs are covered.

Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, employers with 100+ employees generally must provide how many days advance notice before a mass layoff?

Answer: 60 days

The WARN Act requires covered employers to provide 60 calendar days of advance written notice to employees, unions, and local government officials before a qualifying plant closing or mass layoff.

Which maintenance concept focuses on designing equipment so that it can be easily and quickly restored to operating condition after a failure?

Answer: Maintainability

Maintainability is the measure of how easily and quickly a failed system can be restored to its functional state, often expressed as Mean Time To Repair (MTTR).

Which of the following layout configurations is BEST for a job shop producing many different low-volume products?

Answer: Process (functional) layout

Process layouts group similar equipment together, providing the flexibility needed for high-variety, low-volume job shop production.

A union steward accompanies an employee to a disciplinary investigative interview. This right is known as:

Answer: Weingarten rights

Weingarten rights (from NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 1975) give unionized employees the right to have a union representative present during investigative interviews that could result in discipline.

An energy balance analysis for a manufacturing process is primarily used to:

Answer: Identify all energy inputs, outputs, and losses to prioritize improvement opportunities

An energy balance maps all energy inputs against useful outputs and losses, applying conservation-of-energy principles to quantify waste and identify the highest-impact opportunities.

In JIT inventory management, 'heijunka' refers to:

Answer: Leveling production volume and mix to create smooth, predictable demand on suppliers

Heijunka (production leveling) smooths out demand variability on suppliers and upstream processes by producing a consistent mix and volume each day.

Which of the following is an example of 'industrial ecology' applied in a manufacturing plant?

Answer: Using waste heat from one production process as an input energy source for another process

Industrial ecology seeks to mimic natural ecosystems by using the waste or by-products of one process as resources for another, reducing total material and energy throughput.