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What is a Plant Layout?Plant layout is a plan of optimum management of facilities which include; personnel, operating equipment, storage space, material handling equipment, and all other support services It includes the arrangement and location of work centres and various service centres like inspection, storage, and shipping within the manufacturing/factory building. Plant Layout identically involves the allocation of space and the arrangement of equipment in such a manner that overall operating cost is minimised.[James Lundy] It begins with plant location and continues through three categories, namely:
Stages of the procedure of Plant Layout
Plant Layout ProcedurePhase 1 - Information gathering
Phase 2 Production and Flow Analysis
Phase 3 - Support Services
Phase 4 - Implementation and Evaluation
Principles of Plant Layout:
Layout evaluation:Objectives of a Good Plant Layout:The main objectives are revealed through the attainment of the following facts;
These factors above cannot be reached simultaneously. Factors influencing Facility Layout:
Principles of Layout
A good layout is one that integrates men, materials, machines and supporting activities and others in a way that the best compromise is obtained. no layout can satisfy each and every principle of a good layout.
A good layout is one that permits the minimum movement between the operations. The plant and machinery in case of product layout and departments in case of process layout should be arranged as per sequence of operations of most of the products. A straight line is the shortest distance between any two points. men and materials should be made to move along the straight path.
A good layout is one that makes the materials move only in the forward direction, towards the completion stage. When a straight line flow is not possible, other flows like a U-shaped flow, circular or zig-zag flow may be adopted but the layout must ensure that materials move in a forward direction.
A good layout is one that makes effective use of available space both horizontal and vertical Backtracking and duplicated movements consume more time, involve unnecessary materials handling, add to costs and lead to inefficiency. Raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods should be piled vertically one above another rather than being strewn on the floor. Pallets or equivalent should be made use of to pile up several layers one above another.
A good layout is one that makes men, machines and materials ready and observable at all times All departments should be integrated, convenient to service and easy to supervise Enclosures, cupboards, offices, partitions should be avoided except when their utility is established beyond doubt.
A good layout is one that makes all servicing and maintenance points readily accessible Machines should be kept sufficiently apart and with reasonable clearance from the wall so that lubrication, adjustment, replacement of belts, removal of parts at times of repair can be done conveniently by the maintenance staff The area of electrical panels and fire extinguishers should be kept free from obstructions. Types of Plant Layout:
Product Layout:
Advantages of a good, well planned and designed Layout:1. Labour costs
2. Production control
3. Supervision
4. Other manufacturing costs
5. Workers
Process Layout:Involves the arrangement of similar machines in a group in one department/one area according to the functions performed in the department e.g. welding machines. Advantages of a Good Process Layout:
Disadvantages a Bad Process Layout:
Fixed position layout:
Cellular Manufacturing(CM) Layout:Machines are grouped into cells, and each group makes a family of parts which require similar operation and service. It lies in between process layout and line layout. Importance of Cellular Plant Layout:
Why Layout problems exist
1. Nature of the product: The nature of the product to be manufactured has a significant influence on plant layout. Small and light products can be moved from one machine to another with minimum effort and time and therefore line layout would be more suitable. Stationary layout would be suitable for heavy and bulky products. In case of production of large variety of non-standardized products, process layout is ideal. 2. Production volume: Line layout should be preferred if standardized commodities are manufactured on a large scale. Functional layout is suitable if production is based on customers orders. It is better suited for low volume job production. 3. Location of the site: The topology and size of the site influences the choice of a particular layout. The idea is to maximise the utilisation of space. Layout should also suit the factory building. The positioning of elevators, stairways, parking lots and storage points also influence the layout. 4. Type of machines: Stationary layout is preferable if machines are heavy and emit more noise. Such heavy machinery can be fitted on the floor. Adequate space should be provided for the location of machines and also there should be sufficient space between them to avoid accidents. 5. Climate: Temperature, illumination, ventilation should be considered while deciding on the type of layout. These factors should be considered in order to improve the health and welfare of employees. 6. Service facilities: The layout should provide for the comforts and welfare of the employees. It should have adequate provision for rest rooms, drinking water, lavatory. There should be sufficient space for free movement of workers. 7. Safety of employees: While deciding on a particular type of layout, the safety of employees should be given importance. The layout should provide for obstruction free floors, non-slippery floors, protection against dangerous fumes, excess heat, strong odours etc. 8. Type of production: Layout plans differ according to the type of production. In case of job orders, production of non-standardised products are undertaken, and therefore functional or process outlet is suitable. Line layout would be suitable when there is mass production of standardized goods. 9. Type of process: In the case of intermittent type of production (bi-cycle manufacturing, electronics), functional layout is suitable. For synthetic type of Production (cement and automobile industries), line layout is preferable. 10. Management policies: Policies of the management relating to type of product, quality, scale of production, level of plant integration, type of production, possibility of future expansion etc., influence the type of layout to be adopted. Characteristics of an Efficient LayoutThe designing of a plant layout should be such that it should maximise the return and minimise the cost of production. The following are the characteristics of a plant layout:1. Smooth flow of production Plant layout should be in such a way that there must be a smooth flow of production. Raw materials and workers must have access to each machine without any difficulty and delay. 2. Maximum utilisation of available space An efficient plant layout must be such that may utilize the maximum of the space available. 3. Facilitating the movement of men, materials and machines, etc. There must be sufficient space left in between different machines so that raw materials, workers and machines move very easily from one place to another, without the fear of accident. 4. Involves minimum handling The various machines in a good layout must be arranged in such a manner that the product of one operation may pass on to the next operation with a minimum of handling. It will reduce wastage of raw materials and labour hours. 5. Provides better working conditions A good plant layout must have facilities such as water, ventilation, retiring room, etc., in the plant. It should also safeguard the health of the workers. 6. Flexibility A good layout must be flexible enough so as to incorporate any change in the management policies. It must be capable of incorporating, without major change, new equipment to meet technological changes and or progress, or increased production requirements or to eliminate waste. 7. Location of stores The stores/storage in a plant must be located in such a place from where raw materials, tools, equipment and other materials may be supplied to the departments concerned easily, without any delay. 8. Facilitates supervision and control The position of workers must be arranged in such a way that it facilitates supervision, coordination and control. 9. Provision of safety There must be complete safety for workers engaged on a machine(s). Necessary instructions must be given to them about the risks involved while working on certain types of machines. The Provisions of Factories Act must be followed at all times. 10. Co-ordination and integration If the plant layout is efficient enough, it is possible to achieve maximum with coordination and integration among men, machines and materials. A decision to manufacture some new or modified products may necessitate a reorganisation of the existing plant or provision of additional facilities. The reasons for change are due to variation in the level of demand, change in the location of product markets, change in style and obsolescence or failure of existing equipment. Thus, development of a proper layout for a plant calls for careful planning. Such planning involves considerations of the technical aspects of the machinery and equipment and processes of manufacture, etc. Company related Management executives can benefit considerably by involving a highly qualified engineer(s) and or maybe management consultants while designing a plant layout. In this way, plant layout is a joint product of both the disciplines, namely, engineering and management. #Production #PlantLayout #ProductionProcesses #QualityAssurance #QualityControl #ProductionManagement #ProductionLayoutManagement What are the 4 types of facility layouts?Describe four major types of facility layouts: process, product, cellular, and fixed position.
What is product facility layout?Product Layout: Definition
The product layout definition is when a facility is designed by placing people and equipment by sequencing the order of the production process. The product layout is also known as the line layout because the production process is organized into an assembly line.
What are the types of layout design?There are four basic types of layouts: process, product, hybrid, and fixed position.
Which layout is used in manufacturing of heavy product?PRODUCT LAYOUT: It is also known as line layout. It implies that various operations on raw material are performed in a sequence and the machines are placed along the product flow line i.e. machines are arranged in the sequence in which the raw material will be operated upon.
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