The operator sets up the various pieces of equipment in the stage for 

 each run and clears the system at the end of the run. During the run, the 

 operator makes certain that there is sufficient steam pressure to condition 

 the mash and that the pellet mill motors are operating at or close to 

 their rated capacity. Occasionally, a plug-up occurs in a pellet mill which 

 the operator must clear. Frequent checks of the finished pellets and 

 crumbles are made to assure proper hardness and size, since the oversizes 

 and fines must be recycled through the pellet mill. Excessive recycling 

 can reduce the finished feed output per unit of time. 



Table 3 gives the man-equivalents required for this stage which in- 

 crease from 0.4 for Mill A, to 1.0 for Mills B through F. 



5. Miscellaneous — There are a number of minor needs for labor 

 in a mill. These include such jobs as bin supervision, housekeeping 

 chores not performed by the other personnel, running errands, and fill- 

 ing in for other personnel that are absent. Man-equivalents needed for 

 these activities are given in Table 3. 



6. Total Labor Inputs — Table 3 gives the total man-equivalents 

 for production labor and they range from 2.3 for Mill A to 5.0 for Mill F. 

 However, the number of man-equivalents for production labor does not 

 increase continuously with mill size and output because of major changes 

 in manufacturing technology. In Mills A, A' and B with their large labor 

 input in the mixing stage, the total man-equivalents increase from 2.3 

 to 5.0. Mills B' and C have fewer man-equivalents than B, 4.0 and 4.4, 

 and the man-equivalents for Mills D, E, and F vary from 3.8 to 5.0. 

 Labor productivity in production increases continuously over the range 

 in mill sizes from 1.1 to 8.7 tons per man-hour.^ 



Man-equivalents for maintenance and repair, shown in Table 3. vary 

 from 0.3 for Mill A to 2.0 for Mill F. 



The total man-equivalents for production and maintenance increase 

 from 2.6 for Mill A to 7.0 for Mill F. Productivity increases from 1.0 ton 

 per man-hour to 6.2 for Mill F. 



7. Total Labor Costs — Wages for production and maintenance 

 labor vary considerably in New England. The wage rate adopted for pro- 

 duction labor is $1.85 an hour plus 37 cents an hour in fringe benefits. 

 Maintenance personnel receive a base wage of $2.00 an hour plus 40 

 cents an hour in fringe benefits. 



Table 4 gives the annual dollar cost and the average labor cost per 

 ton. As mill size and output are increased, the average cost per ton falls 

 rapidly from Mill A through Mill D. Over the range of sizes considered, 

 average cost for labor decreases from $2.26 to $.36 a ton. Decreases in 

 production labor costs account for the greater share of the cost reduc- 

 tion. The average production labor cost decreases from $1.96 to $.26 a 

 ton while the average maintenance labor cost decreases from S,30 to 

 $.11 a ton. 



5 Mills generally measure productivity in terms of man-hours per ton. For produc- 

 tion labor, man-hours per ton decrease from 0.93 for Mill A to 0.11 for Mill F. 



14 



