An automobile manufacturer is considering a change in an assembly line that should save moneyby reducing labor and material cost. The change involves the installation of four new robots thatwill automatically install windshields. The cost of the four robots, including installation and initial programming, is $400,000. Current practice is to amortize the initial cost of robots over two years on a straight-line basis. The process engineer estimates that one full-time technician will be needed to monitor, maintain, and reprogram the robots on an ongoing basis. This person will cost approximately $60,000 per year. Currently, the company uses four full-time employees on this job and each makes about $52,000 per year. One of these employees is a material handler, and this person will still be needed with the new process. To complicate matters, the process engineer estimates that the robots will apply the windshield sealing material in a manner that will result in a savings of $0.25 per windshield installed. How many automobiles need to be produced over the next two years to make the new robots an attractive investment? Due to the relatively short horizon, do not consider the time value of money.

Managerial Accounting: The Cornerstone of Business Decision-Making
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Author:Maryanne M. Mowen, Don R. Hansen, Dan L. Heitger
Publisher:Maryanne M. Mowen, Don R. Hansen, Dan L. Heitger
Chapter12: Capital Investment Decisions
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Problem 51P: Newmarge Products Inc. is evaluating a new design for one of its manufacturing processes. The new...
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An automobile manufacturer is considering a change in an assembly line that should save money
by reducing labor and material cost. The change involves the installation of four new robots that
will automatically install windshields. The cost of the four robots, including installation and initial programming, is $400,000. Current practice is to amortize the initial cost of robots over two years on a straight-line basis. The process engineer estimates that one full-time technician will be needed to monitor, maintain, and reprogram the robots on an ongoing basis. This person will cost approximately $60,000 per year. Currently, the company uses four full-time employees on this job and each makes about $52,000 per year. One of these employees is a material handler, and this person will still be needed with the new process. To complicate matters, the process engineer estimates that the robots will apply the windshield sealing material in a manner that will result in a savings of $0.25 per windshield installed. How many automobiles need to be produced over the next two years to make the new robots an attractive investment? Due to the relatively short horizon, do not consider the time value of money.
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