Spindle hours

Definition

Machine time actually cut, which is the capacity a shop sells, not the floor it has.

Why It Matters

Shops are sold on the machine list, which is a list of assets and not a measure of throughput. What matters is how many hours each spindle actually runs, because an idle machine is depreciation and a bottleneck machine is the whole business. A shop with nine machines and one that runs three shifts has a capacity problem a buyer can fix with capital, or a demand problem no capital reaches. Ask for hours by machine, and read them against the age and last service record of each.