MTM and Standard Time Measurement

Stopwatch time study, MTM analysis from video, and comparing standard time with actual time

Standard time is the time a qualified operator needs to complete an operation with a defined method at a defined pace. In garment production, planning, line balancing, efficiency measurement and bonus calculation all rest on it. argemas sets standard time in two ways: stopwatch time study and MTM (Methods-Time Measurement). Actual times collected on the shop floor are compared with this standard by operator, operation and order.

1. Stopwatch method: the argemas Standard Time Measurement Module

On the shop floor the method engineer selects the operation on a tablet and records each stage of its execution in real time. The operator's pace during the measurement, the pace rating, is entered into the system. Statistical cleaning algorithms running on argemas remove outliers; the average is taken and multiplied by the pace rating. The final operation time is saved to the plant's operation bank and used as the standard in planning and productivity work.

2. MTM method: the argemas MTM Module

MTM breaks a manual operation into basic motions and assigns each motion a predetermined standard time by the factors that affect it. Times are expressed in TMU: 100,000 TMU = 1 hour, 1,666.7 TMU = 1 minute, 27.8 TMU = 1 second. Because no pace rating is needed, the result does not depend on who measures, and the time data is universal.

In the argemas MTM Module the operation is recorded on video and uploaded; the motions are analysed over time intervals against the system's comprehensive database of production motions, the required machine parameters are entered, and the operation time is calculated automatically. @rgeMTM calculates TMU values for pressing and marking times as well as sewing. The operations created are saved to the library with their attributes, so standards are applied consistently across the whole plant.

The working method is defined and the time to be allowed is set before production starts.
The optimal method is identified; the method engineer can define new motions.
No pace rating is needed; no time has to be measured.
Time data is universal and usable in every area.

How standard time is compared with actual time

The value of a standard time shows when it is compared with the actual. Most plants never measure how many minutes an operation whose master data says "1,000 pieces in 37 minutes" really takes on the floor. argemas MES collects the pieces each operator produces and the time spent on each operation through the bundle system, barcodes or RFID; it calculates efficiency as pieces produced × standard time / time worked and reports the gap between the master-data standard and the actual time by operator, operation and order. The difference between today's operator and tomorrow's becomes visible.

Where standard time is used

The argemas Work Plan Module turns operations into a library with standard times measured by MTM or stopwatch, machine requirements and variant details; operator count, target output and machine requirements are calculated from that library automatically. Line balancing, assigning orders to lines, performance measurement and the bonus system rest on the same standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MTM, stopwatch time study and comparing standard with actual time.

Standard time is set by stopwatch time study or MTM and written to the operation bank. On the shop floor argemas MES collects the pieces each operator produces on each operation and the time spent, through bundles, barcodes or RFID; it calculates efficiency as pieces produced × standard time / time worked. The gap between the master-data time and the actual time is reported in real time by operator, operation and order.

MTM (Methods-Time Measurement) breaks an operation into basic motions and assigns each a predetermined standard time in TMU; no pace rating is needed and the result does not depend on who measures. In the stopwatch method the operation is timed on the floor, a pace rating is applied and the measurements are cleaned statistically. argemas supports both: the MTM Module works from video, the Standard Time Measurement Module from a tablet.

Yes. The operation is recorded on video and uploaded; the motions are analysed over time intervals against the system's database of production motions, machine parameters are entered and the time is calculated automatically. @rgeMTM also calculates pressing and marking times in TMU, not only sewing; operations are saved to the library.

A TMU (Time Measurement Unit) is the unit in which MTM expresses basic motion times: 100,000 TMU = 1 hour, 1,666.7 TMU = 1 minute, 27.8 TMU = 1 second. Every basic motion has a defined standard TMU value; the operation time is the sum of those values.