Max Chips is a manufacturer of prototype chips based in Dublin, Ireland. Next year, in 2018, Max Chips expects to deliver 615 prototype chips at an average price of $65,000. Max Chips' marketing vice president forecasts growth of 55 prototype chips per year through 2024. That is, demand will be 615 in 2018, 670 in 2019, 725 in 2020, and so on.

The plant cannot produce more than 590 prototype chips annually. To meet futuredemand, Max Chips must either modernize the plant or replace it. The old equipment is fully depreciated and can be sold for $3,700,000 if the plant is replaced. If the plant is modernized, the costs to modernize it are to be capitalized and depreciated over the useful life of the updated plant. The old equipment is retained as part of the modernize alternative. The following data on the two options are available:

	Modernize		Replace
Initial investment in 2018	$37,100,000		$66,500,000
Terminal disposal value in 2024	$6,800,000		$14,500,000
Useful life	7 years		7 years
Total annual cash operating cost per prototype chip	$49,000		$40,000

Max Chips uses straight-line depreciation, assuming zero terminal disposal value. For simplicity, we assume no change in prices or costs in future years. The investment will be made at the beginning of 2018, and all transactions thereafter occur on the last day of the year. Max Chips' required rate of return is 16%. There is no difference between the modernize and replace alternatives in terms of required working capital. Max Chips has a special waiver on income taxes until 2024.

Requirement 1. Calculate the cash inflows and outflows of the modernize and replace alternatives over the 2018

- 2024 period. First, determine the cash inflows and outflows of the modernize alternative over the 2018 to 2024

period.

Requirement 2. Calculate payback period for the modernize and replace alternatives.

Requirement 3. Calculate net present value of the modernize and replace alternatives.

	Units	Net cash	Initial	Proceeds from
Year	sold	contributions	investments	sale of equipment
Jan 1, 2018
Dec 31, 2018
Dec 31, 2019
Dec 31, 2020
Dec 31, 2021
Dec 31, 2022
Dec 31, 2023
Dec 31, 2024