Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2014 Vol II,

IMECS 2014, March 12 - 14, 2014, Hong Kong

Improvement Printing Industry Plant layout for

Effective Production
A. Watanapa*, W. Wiyaratn, and P. Kajondecha

AbstractThis research was aimed at planning the layout of

the factory and the location of additional machine to increase
the productivity based on the systematic layout planning
pattern (SLP) to design a virtual model of the factory to meet
the maximum requirements of the factory extension. There
were 9 models for the layout planning and only one best model
would be chosen according to the suitability and the
practicalities for the printer. 3 potential models were analyzed
and it was found that Model A-3 has become the best one which
met most of the practicalities. The working time would be 1.592
hour and the length of work would be 384.618 meters in total.

Index Termsplanning, layout, productivity, systematic,

printing.

I. INTRODUCTION

ayout planning is defined as the work or the plan for the

installation of machine, tools, devices or other objects
required for the production process under the conditions
of the structure and the existing building so that the
production becomes safe and highly efficient. The layout
planning must be conducted with care in order to meet the
requirements for the production demands and the production
process. The Systematic Layout Planning Pattern (SLP) is an
approach based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and
computer software called Arena. Moreover, there must be a
match of balance between production line and delivery line
to reduce the transferring time and the waiting time. Some
virtual design computer programs are also used such as
Arena and Microsoft Visual Basic in relation to the principle
in seeking answers in two ways which are CRAFT and
Simulated Annealing. This solution will reduce the cost and
the waste in production resources so that the area of the
factory can be maximized and the working place becomes
suitable for the efficiency and the productivity of the factory.
Planning and controlling the productivity is usually
aimed at maximizing the use of limited resources and at
satisfying the customers. The resources in this context can be
defined as all facilities for production such as machine,
W. Wiyaratn. is with Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology,
King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
(e-mail: [email protected])
P. Kajondecha. is with printing and packaging technology, Faculty of
Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkuts University of
Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand (e-mail: phichit.kaj@
kmutt.ac.th)
A. Watanapa. is with the Production Technology education, Faculty of
Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkuts University of
Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand (corresponding author to
provide: e-mail: anucha.wat@ kmutt.ac.th).

ISBN: 978-988-19253-3-6
ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)

equipment, labor and raw materials for the production. To

maximize the usefulness of the limited resources, the factory
managers must be responsible for this and they could work
with the department of planning and controlling the
productivity to predict, plan, outline, analyze, control the
goods in the warehouse, and control the production process.
The basics and the technique in controlling production could
also be applied in other services such as controlling the
goods in the warehouse of the department store when the
economic situation reaches a high competition status.
Conform Co., Ltd. is a large-scaled printing house with
the registered capital of 150 million Baht. The company
receives orders for printed materials and continuous business
forms and the company designs as well as prints all kinds of
business forms such as continuous papers, standard forms,
invoice rolls, coupons, tickets, labels, share papers,
confidential envelopes, stickers, code labels, and the like.
The company is considered to be one of the leaders in
printing business in Thailand. Currently, the company
provides service to governmental sectors as well as private
sectors including financial institutions and various
companies with the likelihood that the company will expand
according to the economic situation of the country.
Therefore, Conform Co., Ltd. recognizes the significance
of business expansion by increasing the potential of the
factory to improve the productivity. As such, the company
needs to expand and add additional factory units. For the
extra areas, the company need to do a systematic layout
planning so the resources such as machine, devices, tools
and objects could be installed to meet the production process
and the flow of the factory so that the productivity could be
maximized. The company needs to install 7 more printers to
increase the productivity. By doing so, the company needs to
do a new layout planning to expand the area and to increase
the productivity. This would improve the printing industry
and enhance the income of the nation.
II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research would follow the procedure.

1.

The data about the new factory plan were collected.

The existing area for the new layout was 1,322.94
square meters in size and its shape was shown below.

2.

There are 7 more printers to be installed. These are 4

four-color offset printers and 3 five-color offset
printer. One more paper cutter is also needed. Each
machine has its own requirements about the size and
the working space. Moreover, the flow and the
delivery of the materials are not similar.

IMECS 2014

Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2014 Vol II,
IMECS 2014, March 12 - 14, 2014, Hong Kong

3.

The pathway in the new factory layout must meet the

standard size which is 2.5 3 meters.

4.

The data would be analyzed according to a) the new

layout planning in which printers and paper cutter
would be moved without taking into consideration the
cost of moving them as well as the cost of building
and designed the extra space; b) the design of storage
area for the raw materials within the factory site.

system is a Make-to-Order approach and after the production

process ends (Fig. 2), the products will be shipped to the
customers immediately. In the production process, the steps
will follow the Double Stage Processing procedure in which
each manufacturing machine would work independently,
namely, each product will be made continuously until it is
finished within only one machine. At the present time,
Conform Co., Ltd. had a limited space but the number of
orders has increased. Due to the increasing number of
orders, the production could not meet the demands and the
time required by the customers. The factory layout planning,
therefore, seems to be a good solution so that the company
could improve the production procedure and that the
products could meet the demands and the deadline as
required by the customers. The area and the plan need to be
mapped out so that it is suitable to the production process.
The flow of the production must be systematic and the
delivery must be convenient. With the current area, however,
it is impossible; hence, the need for a layout planning.
The company usually produces the goods based on a
Make-to-Order approach. For the production, the item would
be passed from one machine to the other. There were two
types of printers: four-color printers and five-color printers.
The production flow chart and the operation process chart
are shown below (Figs. 3 and 4).
During the time of research, Conform Co., Ltd., installed

Fig. 1. Intended area for expansion

III. GATHERING AND EXAMINING THE DATA FROM THE SITE

The researchers got into the site of Conform Co., Ltd. to
gather the data about the factory as well as the old layout
planning to do a new layout planning. The data provided will
be useful for the modification of the layout planning, the
requirements for the size and the considerations for the
limitations and areas for the machine to be installed. Other
issues include the size and the number of the production
machine, the amount and the required space for storage, the
size and the direction of the pathway for delivery of raw
materials and products, the existing space for machine and
tools for delivery. The data used in this research would be
based on the Systematic Layout Planning pattern (SLP)

Fig. 2. Printing Procedure

Delivery of paper to the material warehouse

Delivery of paper to the printers
Templates and inks requested

IV. PROBLEM ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO THE DATA

When the relevant data were gathered, the next step was
to analyze the problems which occurred to the layout
planning and the production line. Afterwards, an approach to
the layout planning would be adopted to solve such
problems.

Printers installed with ink and tested

Printed paper checked
Pass
Print test
Pass

V.

E VALUATION AND SUMMARY

The evaluation was made by comparing the existing

factory layout planning with the new one proposed by the
researchers according to the SLP technique. The data would
be compared to do a new layout planning to expand the
factory of Conform Co., Ltd.
A. Research Results
The production of goods by Conform Co., Ltd. is usually
made to order by customers. In other words, the production

ISBN: 978-988-19253-3-6
ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)

Not Pass

Printed paper checked

Product does
not meet the
standards

Print test
Printed paper checked
Pass
Real Print
Delivery to the goods warehouse
Fig. 3. Printing Production flow chart

IMECS 2014

Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2014 Vol II,
IMECS 2014, March 12 - 14, 2014, Hong Kong
their machines according to the process layout planning.
This means that the large machines were installed and fixed
at a particular place. Around the same area of the printer,
there were also other departments to share the area which
included the area for color and template storage, the area for
paper sheet preparation before feeding into the printer, the

for a forklift vehicle to enter and exit for delivery purpose.

The forklift vehicle could only run to the paper warehouse
and then inside the area, another handlift vehicle would
deliver items or goods. In this particular layout planning, the
goods warehouse and the material warehouse would be
situated far from each other but the printers would be closely

Printed material

Templates inserted

Inks added

Printers set up

Print

Printed works compared with the originals

Print

Printed works compared with the

Print

Final product
Fig. 5. Current Layout Planning in 3D
Fig. 4. Operation Process Chart

area for storing the printed papers and the area for delivery
of the final products. To expand the area in this research, the
company had a plan to install 3 more four-color printers and
4 more five-color printers for the production line which
would emerge as a new line within the factory.
VI.RESULTS FROM DATA ANALYSIS
According to the layout planning of Conform Co., Ltd.
(see Fig. 5), the expansion of the area within the factory to
increase the productivity included the following issues:
The company would install 7 more machines along with
the area expansion. This means that the layout must be
convenient for delivery and suitable for storage. Each
machine would work independently so that the work could
be completed in one machine. The layout planning would
focus on the delivery of raw materials and the final products
so that the time for these processes would be kept to the
minimum. Then, the From-To-Chart, Activity, Relationship
was drawn up in order to modify the design of the layout
planning according to the SLP pattern. It was found that
activities A, B and E referred to the department of material
warehouse, the department of printer and the department of
goods warehouse, respectively. These activities were closely
related to one another. As for activities D and C, which
referred to the department of cutting and the department of
quality control, they were closely related to each other.

According to Fig. 6 of the redesigned layout planning

(Model 1.1) and Fig. 7 which is another redesigned layout
planning (Model A-1) in 3D format, there would be a gate

ISBN: 978-988-19253-3-6
ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)

installed so that the delivery of paper from the material

warehouse to the printers could be done easily. Moreover,
the delivery of paper from the printers to the goods
warehouse would not be too far. The cutting machine would
not be far away from the goods warehouse and therefore the
delivery of paper from the goods warehouse to the cutting
machine would be very convenient.
According to Fig. 8 of this redesigned layout planning
(Model A-2) and Fig. 9 of the layout planning (Model A-2)
in 3D format, the goods warehouse and the material
warehouse would be closely situated so that the production
procedure could be operated continuously. In other words,
when the paper is delivered out of the material warehouse to
the printers, the paper could be delivered to the goods
warehouse straightaway according to the production process.
The cutting machine which is situated near the goods
warehouse means that it is convenient to cut the papers. The
handlift vehicle could deliver the paper out of the printers to
the goods warehouse and then the forklift vehicle could
deliver the paper inside and outside the material warehouse
and the goods warehouse.
According to Fig. 10 of the redesigned layout planning
(Model 1.3) and Fig. 11 of the layout planning (Model A-3)
in 3D format, the forklift vehicle could enter and exit the
printer area. The printers would be situated near the material
warehouse and the goods warehouse. Therefore, the paper
could be delivered out of the material warehouse to the
printers using the forklift vehicle. There would be space to
store goods or papers but the area of the material warehouse
and the area of the goods warehouse would be smaller in
size, compared to Models A-1 and A2. The cutting machine

IMECS 2014

Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2014 Vol II,
IMECS 2014, March 12 - 14, 2014, Hong Kong

Fig. 8.

Redesigned Layout Planning (Model A-2)

Fig. 6. Redesigned Layout Planning (Model 1.1)

Fig. 7.

Redesigned Layout Planning (Model 1.1) in 3D format

would be situated near the goods warehouse so that it is

convenient to cut papers.

Fig. 9. Redesigned Layout Planning (Model A-2 ) in 3D format

VII.CONCLUSION
After the layout planning for the factory had been done
with 3 new models, it was found that Model A-1 could be
operated within 5743.08 seconds for the length of 392.43
meters. Model A-2 could be operated within 5749.92
seconds with the length of 398.22 meters. Model A-3 could
be operated within 5733.00 seconds with the length of
384.618 meters, or with the least time and the least distance.
Therefore, Model A-3 would be the most suitable model for
the new layout planning of the factory because it could
reduce the time and the length of the operation.

ISBN: 978-988-19253-3-6
ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thanks national Research
Council of Thailand for financial support.

IMECS 2014

Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2014 Vol II,
IMECS 2014, March 12 - 14, 2014, Hong Kong
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ISBN: 978-988-19253-3-6
ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online)

Fig. 10. Redesigned Layout Planning (Model A-3)

Fig.11. Redesigned Layout Planning (Model A-3 ) in 3D format

IMECS 2014