The design department of a cardboard factory has a computer-operated

Question

The design department of a cardboard factory has a computer-operated machine that makes cuts and prepares fold lines from a standard flat piece of cardboard so that a full-size prototype can be folded and built into three dimensions. Designers constantly use the machine, which is overloaded with pending cut-outs to create, to test their sketches and, as a rule, need to build at least 5 prototypes before having a design authorized for production. To increase the department's efficiency, the factory manager is planning to introduce a rule demanding that the designers build the first three prototypes manually with pens, rulers, and cutter knives.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the reason to expect that the factory manager's plan will succeed?

(A) The computer-operated prototype builder needs to be manually fed a new piece of cardboard for every prototype that it prepares although with this help it can make 40 times more prototypes than a designer can in the same amount of time.

(B) The constant workload placed on the machine leads to an increase in the number of malfunctions it experiences, and repairing it is very expensive.

(C) Because the factory only purchased the computer-operated machine one year ago, all the designers know how to convert two-dimensional sketches into accurate three-dimensional prototypes manually.

(D) Since the last prototype is the most critical in the process, the authorization of the product depending upon it, building it manually would not be as accurate as allowing the machine to prepare the cut-out.

(E) Instead of checking thoroughly for mistakes, the designers are often hasty in sending their sketches to be created by the machine since doing so requires none of the effort entailed in building a prototype by hand.

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saugata64 · Answer

Option E clearly explains why efficiency is required in the department.

saugata64 · Answer

Goal : To increase efficiency
Action : A rule demanding that the designers build the first three prototypes manually with pens, rulers, and cutter knives
We have to find a strengthener which can lie on the line of reasoning given in the passage.

C & D are irrelevant. 
Option A states one way how the efficiency can be improved but gives no info whether such practice is already in place.
Option B states that repairing could be expensive, fact which might be true, but doesn't explain how efficiency could be improved.
Option E explains why the machine is getting overloaded, and thus can be a strengthener because it strengthens the conclusion that the goal could be acheived if the action is taken.

oscarrussell · Answer

Option (E) most strengthens the reason to expect that the factory manager's plan will succeed. This option suggests that designers tend to rush their sketches to the machine without thorough checks, presumably because using the machine is much easier than manually building prototypes. By requiring the first three prototypes to be built manually, the designers would be forced to engage more deeply with their designs from the outset, potentially catching mistakes earlier and refining their designs before relying on the computer-operated machine. This increased initial manual effort could lead to higher quality early prototypes and possibly reduce the total number of prototypes needed before a design is authorized for production, thus alleviating the machine's workload and increasing department efficiency.

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The design department of a cardboard factory has a computer-operated machine that makes cuts and prepares fold lines from a standard flat piece of cardboard so that a full-size prototype can be folded and built into three dimensions. Designers constantly use the machine, which is overloaded with pending cut-outs to create, to test their sketches and, as a rule, need to build at least 5 prototypes before having a design authorized for production. To increase the department's efficiency, the factory manager is planning to introduce a rule demanding that the designers build the first three prototypes manually with pens, rulers, and cutter knives.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the reason to expect that the factory manager's plan will succeed?

(A) The computer-operated prototype builder needs to be manually fed a new piece of cardboard for every prototype that it prepares although with this help it can make 40 times more prototypes than a designer can in the same amount of time.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Strengthening question, first break down the argument. The first two sentences are premises which provide factual data; the last sentence is the plan based on this data - the conclusion:

Premise A: a machine makes cut-outs which then are folded into 3D prototypes
+
Premise B: the machine is overused by designers to test their sketches; they need five prototypes for every product
=
Factory manager's plan: to increase efficiency, designers should build 3 of the 5 prototypes by hand

Possible assumption: though probably slower, building by hand has some kind of advantage

Strengthening Data: ?

You are required to find data that supports the claim that the factory manager's plan will increase the efficiency of the department. The correct answer could be one that confirms the argument's assumption.

If anything, this answer choice weakens the manager's plan by showing how much more efficient the machine is. The fact that a person is needed to feed a piece of cardboard for each prototype seems like a minor disadvantage when compared with the huge difference in production times.

(B) The constant workload placed on the machine leads to an increase in the number of malfunctions it experiences, and repairing it is very expensive.

Incorrect.

Although this answer choice supports the idea that the current situation is inefficient, it doesn't support the manager's plan in particular. Even if repairs are expensive, we have no basis for comparison - we do not have enough information to determine whether the price of repairs is greater than the cost of designer time wasted by building prototypes manually.

(C) Because the factory only purchased the computer-operated machine one year ago, all the designers know how to convert two-dimensional sketches into accurate three-dimensional prototypes manually.

Incorrect.

The fact that the manager's plan is possible does not mean that it will make the department more efficient. Even if the designers are good at building prototypes manually, we are not told if they can do it faster or better than the machine can.

(D) Since the last prototype is the most critical in the process, the authorization of the product depending upon it, building it manually would not be as accurate as allowing the machine to prepare the cut-out.

Incorrect.

According to the manager's plan, the last two prototypes are built by the machine and not manually. Therefore, this answer choice is irrelevant, and neither weakens nor strengthens that plan.

(E) Instead of checking thoroughly for mistakes, the designers are often hasty in sending their sketches to be created by the machine since doing so requires none of the effort entailed in building a prototype by hand.

This answer choice confirms the assumption behind the plan, showing an advantage to handcrafting. If the machine has made the designers careless, then making them construct prototypes by hand will encourage them to make less mistakes in the design.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The design department of a cardboard factory has a computer-operated

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