MES & Shop FloorFree calculatorPDF, Excel, Word exportDiscrete Manufacturing

Pitch Interval Calculator

Pitch is the time it takes to make one pack-out quantity at takt. It is the beat used by a water spider or material handler and the interval at which a production control board is checked.

Your numbers

Available production time per day

min

After breaks, meetings and planned stops.

Customer demand per day

units

Pack-out quantity

20 units

Units in the container or tote moved at each pitch.

Shifts per day

Your results

Pitch

25 min

Takt times pack-out quantity.

Pitches per shift

Takt time

Seconds per unit.

Pitches per day

Set the shift count to match how the available time was entered, since available time is the daily total.

Save results:

Pitch (minutes) vs pack-out quantity

Sweeps Pack-out quantity from 5 to 60, holding your other inputs fixed.

Live takt and pitch from your ERP

An optional conversation about calculating takt and pitch from live demand.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use it

Enter the net available time per day, customer demand per day and the quantity that goes into one container. Takt is shown in seconds per unit. Pitch is takt multiplied by the pack-out quantity. The result tells you how often a container must be completed and moved. Use the slider to see how container size changes the rhythm. Smaller containers give faster feedback but need more frequent moves.

The formulas

Takt time equals available time divided by demand. Pitch equals takt times pack-out quantity, so a takt of 75 seconds and a container of 20 gives a pitch of 25 minutes. Pitches per day is demand divided by pack-out. These are used in Mike Rother and John Shook's Learning to See style value stream design, where pitch sets the increment of work released to the floor.

Takt = available time / demand
Pitch = takt x pack-out
Pitches per day = demand / pack-out
Choose a pack-out that gives a pitch you can manage

Choosing a pitch

A pitch of 5 to 60 minutes is common. Shorter pitches expose problems faster but demand more material movement. Longer pitches are easier to run but hide issues for longer. Pick a pack-out size that is a natural container, not one that forces repacking. If your pitch is under a few minutes, a withdrawal route may not be practical and a supermarket with kanban could suit better.

Common mistakes

Many teams use gross shift time rather than net available time, which makes the pitch too long. Others change container size without recalculating, or let the pitch drift when demand changes. Recalculate when demand moves by more than 10 percent. In ERP, planning bucket and run quantity should reflect the pitch if you are scheduling to it.

Using gross time instead of net
Not recalculating on demand change
Odd pack-out sizes that force repacking
Confusing pitch with takt

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between takt and pitch?

Takt is the rate for one unit. Pitch is the rate for one container. Pitch gives a practical interval for moving material and checking progress without watching every single piece.

How do I pick a pack-out quantity?

Use the natural container or tote quantity that the customer or next process uses. Avoid sizes that require counting. Smaller is usually better for flow as long as the move frequency is workable.

Does pitch change with demand?

Yes. If demand rises, takt falls and pitch shortens for the same container. Recalculate and re-time the water spider route when demand changes meaningfully.

Is pitch used with kanban?

Yes. Pitch sets the withdrawal rhythm, while kanban cards or containers carry the signal. They are complementary tools in a pull design.

Netray can help connect demand and available time in your ERP to a live takt and pitch view for each cell.

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