1. Determine and comment on the overall yield (the number of batches that make it all the way through Furnace L divided by the number that started at Furnace A) of disc brakes at FB Badpoore.
2. Determine the utilization of Furnace L.
3. Suggest improvements to the system.

FB Badpoore Aerospace makes carbon brake discs for large airplanes with a proprietary “cross weave” of the carbon fibers. The brake discs are 4 feet in diameter but weigh significantly less than conventional ceramic brake discs making them attractive for airplane manufacturers as well as commercial airliners. Processing the discs at FB Badpoore requires heat treating the discs in a sequence of 12 electric, high pressure, industrial grade furnaces (simply called Furnace A, Furnace B, Furnace C, . . . , Furnace L) each of them fed with a proprietary mixture of chemicals. All brake discs visit each of the 12 furnaces in the same order, Furnace A through Furnace L. These dozen furnaces each follow their own very specific set of simultaneous temperature and pressure profiles. An example of one such profile is depicted in Figure 13.6. All profiles are 12 hours in duration. All 12 furnaces are top loading. Additionally, each of them are cylindrical in shape, 15 feet in diameter, and about 10 feet in depth. They are arranged in an “ egg- carton- like” array ( six on one side and six on the other), loaded and un-loaded via their top facing round ends by three overhead ten ton bridge cranes, and located in part of the factory known as the furnace deck.