Chapter 7

Facility/Plant Layout
 Facilities Layout
• Facility layout can be defined as the arrangement of
machinery, equipment and other industrial facilities –
such as receiving and shipping departments, tools rooms,
maintenance rooms, employee amenities, workstations,
machines, and stock-holding points within a facility,
with particular emphasis on movement of work
(customers or materials) through the system, for the
purpose of achieving the quickest and smoothest
production at least cost.
• Each process type (project, job shop, cell, assembly line,
continuous) has it corresponding basic layout
• The best layout is the one that minimizes flow distance,
or flow unit flow cost and maximizes throughput rate.
 Importance of Layout Decisions

• Requires substantial investments of money

and effort
• Involves long-term commitments
• Has significant impact on cost and
efficiency of short-term operations

6-3
 Objectives of Facility Layout
• Minimize material handling costs
• Utilize space efficiently
• Utilize labor efficiently
• Eliminate bottlenecks
• Facilitate communication and interaction between workers,
between workers and their supervisors, or between workers
and customers
• Reduce manufacturing cycle time or customer service time
• Eliminate waste or redundant movement
• Reduces congestion that impedes the movement of people
or material
• Reduce hazards to personnel
• Reduce accidents
• Incorporate safety and security measures
• Ease of maintenance activities
 The Need for Layout Decisions
Inefficient operations
For Example: Changes in the design
High Cost of products or services
Bottlenecks

Accidents
The introduction of new
products or services

Safety hazards
 The Need for Layout Design
Changes in
environmental Changes in volume of
or other legal output or mix of
requirements products

Morale problems
Changes in methods
and equipment
 Factors Influencing Layouts
• Materials
• Product
• Workers
• Machinery
• Type of Industry
• Location
• Managerial Policies
– Provision for expansion
– Extent of automation
– Make or buy
– Purchasing Policy
– Personnel Policy
 Basic Layout Types
 Product Layout
— Layout that uses standardized processing operations to
achieve smooth, rapid, high-volume flow
— Linear arrangement of workstations to produce a specific
product
 Process Layout
— Layout that can handle varied processing requirements
— Centers/machines grouped by process they perform
 Fixed Position Layout
— Layout in which the product or project remains
stationary; workers, materials, and equipment are
moved as needed
— Used in projects where the product cannot be moved
 Hybrid Layouts
 Cellular layouts
– group machines into machining cells
 Flexible manufacturing systems
– automated machining & material handling systems
 Mixed-model assembly lines
– produce variety of models on one line
 Basic
Basic Layout
Layout Types
Types

TYPE OF TYPE OF
PROCESS LAYOUT
PRODUCT
CONTINUOUS
(LINE)
PROCESS
INTERMITTENT
(FUNCTIONAL)

SPECIAL PROJECT FIXED POSITION

 Process Layout
 A Process Layout (also called a job shop or functional
layout) is a format in which similar equipment or
functions are grouped together. For e.g. machines
performing drilling operations are installed in the
drilling department, machines performing casting
operations are grouped in casting department, etc.
 A part being worked on then travels, according to the
established sequence of operations from area to area.
 E.g. Hospitals where areas are dedicated to particular
types of medical care such as maternity wards and
intensive care units.
 Process Layout
• A process layout is a characteristic of intermittent
operations
• General purpose machines are used
• The distance between departments is kept as short as
possible to avoid lengthy movement of materials
• Though machines are grouped in one department, the
department themselves are located in accordance of
sequence of operations. E.g. Steel plant: melting, casting,
rolling, twisting
• Large amount of work-in-process inventory while low
finished goods inventory
 Process Layout
Process Layout
(functional)
Grinding Forging Lathes
Dept. A Dept. C Dept. E

Painting Welding Drills

Dept. B Dept. D Dept. F

Milling
Office machines Foundry
Used for Intermittent processing
Job Shop or Batch Processes
 Advantages of Process Layouts
• Reduced investments on machines as they are general
purpose
• Greater flexibility in production
• Better supervision due to specialization
• Greater scope for expansion as the capacities of
different lines can be easily increased
• Not particularly vulnerable to equipment failures as it is
easier to handle breakdown of equipment by
transferring work to another machine or station
• Possible to use individual incentive plans as workers
have greater control over their performance
 Disadvantages of Process Layouts
• In-process inventory costs can be high
• Challenging routing and scheduling
• Equipment utilization rates are low
• Material handling slow and inefficient
• Complexities often reduce span of supervision
• Requires more floor space
• Accounting and purchasing are more involved
• Production time is more as work-in-progress has to
travel from place to place
 Product Layout
• A Product Layout (also called a assembly lines) is one in
which the machines are arranged in one line, depending
upon the sequence of operations.
• Materials are fed into the first machines and finished
products come out of the last machine
• This type of layouts are there in chemical, paper, sugar,
rubber, refineries and cement industries.
• If there is more than one line of production, there are as
many lines of machines. Thus special purpose machines
are used.
• These are suitable for mass production and repetitive
operations in which demand is high and stable.
 Product Layout

Raw
Station Station
Station Station
Station Station
Station Finished
materials 1 22 33 44
or customer item

Material Material Material Material

and/or and/or and/or and/or

labor labor labor labor

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4

Used for Repetitive or Continuous Processing

 Advantages of Product Layout
• High rate of output
• Low unit cost
• Labor specialization
• Low material handling cost
• High utilization of labor and equipment
• Established routing and scheduling
• This type of layout avoids bottleneck
• Requires less floor area per unit of production
• Work-in-process is reduced and thus investment on it is
also minimized
 Disadvantages of Product Layout
• Expensive layout
• Creates dull, repetitive jobs
• Poorly skilled workers may not maintain equipment or
quality of output
• Fairly inflexible to changes in volume
• Highly susceptible to shutdowns as any breakdown of
equipment along the production line can disrupt the
whole system
• Needs preventive maintenance
• Individual incentive plans are impractical
 Product vs. Process Layouts
Dimension Product Process
Material handling costs Low High
Occurrence of Less More
bottlenecks
Investment in work-in- Less More
process
Investment on machines High Low

Throughput time Lower Higher

Handling of breakdown Difficult Easier
Scope for expansion Less More
Flexibility in production Less More
Floor area required Less More
 Fixed Position Layouts
• Fixed Position Layout: Layout in which the product or
project remains stationary, and workers, materials, and
equipment are moved as needed because the cost of
moving them would be less than the cost of moving the
product.
• Nature of the product dictates this type of layout
– Weight
– Size
– Bulk
• E.g. Large construction projects, ships, boilers, aircraft,
generators, etc.
Fixed Position Layouts
 Characteristics of Fixed Position
Layout
• Men and machines can be used for a variety of
operations producing different products.
• The investment on layout is very small.
• The worker identifies himself with the product and
takes pride in it when the work is complete.
• The high cost of and difficulty in transporting a bulky
product are avoided.
• Low equipment utilization
• The workers called to the work site are highly skilled at
performing the special tasks they are requested to do
 Cellular Layouts
• Cellular Layouts attempt to combine the flexibility
of a process layout with the efficiency of a product
layout.
• Based on the concept of GT (Group Technology),
similar machines or activities are grouped into
work centers called cells, to process families of
parts or customers with similar requirements.
• Each cell in the Cellular layout is formed to
produce a single parts family – a few parts, with all
common characteristics, as they require the same
machines and have similar machine settings.
 Cellular Layouts
• The cells are arranged in relation to each other
so that material movement is minimized.
• Large machines that cannot be split among cells
are located near to the cells that use them.
• The layout of machines within each cell
resembles a small assembly line.
• The layout between cells is process layout
 Cellular Layout
HM
1. Identify families
of parts with VM

similar flow paths Worker 3

2. Group machines VM

into cells based on L

part families
3. Arrange cells so Worker 2
material G

movement is L
minimized Final
inspection

4. Locate large
shared machines at S Worker 1
Finished
part

point of use Out

In
 Advantages of Cellular Layout
• Lower work-in-process inventories
• Shorter flow times in production
• Reduced material handling cost
• Reduced setup time
• Easier to control
• Simplified production planning (material and labor)
• Improved visual control and fewer tooling changes
• Overall performance often increases by lowering
production costs and improving on time delivery
 Disadvantages of Cellular Layout

• Inadequate part families

• Poorly balanced cells
• Increased capital investment
• Reduced manufacturing flexibility
• Increased machine down-time as machines are
contained to cells and may not be used all the
time
• Duplicate pieces of equipment may be needed so
that parts need not be transported between cells
 Functional vs. Cellular Layouts
Dimension Functional Cellular
Number of moves many few
between departments
Travel distances longer shorter
Travel paths variable fixed
Job waiting times greater shorter
Throughput time higher lower
Amount of work in higher lower
process
Supervision difficulty higher lower
Scheduling complexity higher lower
Equipment utilization lower higher
 Service Layouts
• Warehouse and storage layouts
• Large, well organized and amply lighted
parking areas and well designed walkways
• Service layouts must be aesthetically pleasing
as well as functional
• E.g. Banks, Educational Institutes, Airports,
Offices, Retail stores, Hospitals, Malls,
Restaurants, Theatre, etc.
 Flexible Manufacturing Systems
• A Flexible Manufacturing System consists of numerous
programmable machine tools connected by an automated material
handling system and controlled by a computer network
• Its basic characteristics is its capability of producing an enormous
variety of items
• It combines flexibility with efficiency
• Tools change automatically from large storage carousels at each
machine
• With a variety of programmable machine tools and large tool
banks, an FMS can produce thousands of different items as
efficiently as a thousand of the same item
• This efficiency is derived from reductions in setup and queue
times
 Mixed-Model Assembly Lines
• Assembly line that processes more than one
product model
• Important factors in the deign and operation of
mixed-model assembly lines:
– Line Balancing
– U-Shaped lines
– Flexible Workforce
– Model Sequencing
 A U-Shaped Production Line

In 1 2 3 4

Workers

Out 10 9 8 7
 Designing Process Layouts
Information Requirements:
1. List of departments
2. Projection of work flows
3. Distance between locations
4. Amount of money to be invested
5. List of special considerations
6. Location of key utilities
 Layout Design Procedure
• Statement of specific objectives, scope and factors to be
considered
• Collection of basic data on sales forecasts, production
volumes, production schedules, part lists, operations to be
performed and their sequences, work measurement,
existing layouts, building drawings, etc.
• Preparation of various kinds of charts such as flow process
charts, flow diagram, etc.
• Designing the production process
• Planning the material flow pattern and developing the
overall materials handling plan
• Calculation of requirement of work centers and equipments
• Planning individual work centers
 Layout Design Procedure
• Selection of materials handling
• Determining storage requirements
• Planning of auxiliary and service facilities
• Determination of routing, space requirements for each work
station, service department, employee facilities, etc.
• Draw building specification to fit the requirements of the
layout
• Preparation of floor plan indicating location of doors,
windows, stair case, lifts, etc.
• Preparation of tentative or drafts layout plans
• Preparation of detailed layout and get approval of top
management
• Preparation of work schedule for the installation of layout
 Design Product Layouts: Line
Balancing

Line Balancing is the process of assigning

tasks to workstations in such a way that the
workstations have approximately equal time
requirements.
 Line Balancing Process
1. Draw and label a precedence diagram.
2. Calculate the desired cycle time required for the line.
3. Calculate the theoretical minimum number of workstations.
4. Group elements into workstations, recognizing cycle time
and precedence constraints.
5. Calculate the efficiency of the line.
6. Stop if theoretical minimum number of workstations on an
acceptable efficiency level reached. If not, go back to step
4.
 Assembly Line Balancing Concepts
Question:
Question: Suppose
Suppose you
you load
load work
work into
into the
the three
three work
work
stations
stations below
below suchsuch that that each
each willwill take
take the
the
corresponding
corresponding number
number of of minutes
minutes as
as shown.
shown. What
What isis
the
the cycle
cycle time
time of
of this
this line?
line?

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

Minutes
per Unit 6 7 3
Answer:
Answer: The
The cycle
cycle time
time of
of the
the line
line isis always
always determined
determined
by
by the
the work
work station
station taking
taking thethe longest
longest time.time. In
In this
this
problem,
problem, the
the cycle
cycle time
time of
of the
the line
line isis 77 minutes.
minutes. There
There isis
also
also going
going to
to be
be idle
idle time
time at
at the
the other
other two two work
work stations.
stations.
 Assembly Line Balancing Concepts

Production
Productiontime
timeper
perday
day= 420
420mins
mins = 129 units
Max Production =
Max Production = = 3.25 mins / unit = 129 units
Bottleneck
Bottlenecktime
time 3.25 mins / unit

Production
Productiontime
timeper
perperiod
period
Required Cycle Time, C =
Required Cycle Time, C = Required output per period
Required output per period

Theoretical
TheoreticalMin.
Min. Number
Numberof
ofWorkstations,
Workstations, NNt t

Sum
Sum of
oftask
tasktimes
times (T)
(T)
NNt ==
t Cycle
Cycletime
time(C)
(C)

Sum
Sum of
of task
task times
times (T)
(T)
Efficiency =
Efficiency = Actual number of workstations (Na) x Cycle time (C)
Actual number of workstations (Na) x Cycle time (C)
 Assembly Line Balancing
Question Bowl Concepts
If the production time per day is 1200 minutes
and the required output per day is 500 units,
which of the following will be the required
workstation cycle time for this assembly line?

a. 2.4 minutes
b. 0.42 minutes
c. 1200 units Answer: a. 2.4
d. 500 units minutes
e. None of the above (1200/500=2.4
minutes)
 Assembly Line Balancing Concepts
Question Bowl

You have just finished determining the cycle time

for an assembly line to be 5 minutes. The sum of
all the tasks required on this assembly is 60
minutes. Which of the following is the theoretical
minimum number of workstations required to
satisfy the workstation cycle time?

a. 1 workstation
b. 5 workstations Answer: c. 12
c. 12 workstations
d. 60 workstations
workstations
e. None of the above (60/5=12)
 Assembly Line Balancing Concepts
Question Bowl

If the sum of the task times for an assembly line is

30 minutes, the actual number of workstations is 5,
and the workstation cycle time is 10 minutes, what
is the resulting efficiency of this assembly line?
a. 0.00
b. 0.60
c. 1.00
d. 1.20
e. Can not be computed from the data above

Answer: b. 0.60 (30/(5x10)=0.60)

 Sum 1
You have been assigned the job of setting up an electric
fan assembly line with the following tasks:
Task Time Predecessors
A 2 -
B 1 A
C 3.25 -
D 1.2 A, C
E 0.5 D
F 1 E
G 1 B
H 1.4 F, G
Calculate the cycle time and theoretical minimum number of
workstations if we want to assemble 100 fans per day and production
time per day is 420 minutes. Also balance the assembly line using
longest-task-time rule and calculate the efficiency of this line.
 Sum 2
An assembly line is to operate eight hours per day with a desired
output of 240 units per day. The following table contains information
on this product’s task times and precedence relationships:

Task Time (Seconds) Predecessors

A 60 -
B 80 A
C 20 A
D 50 A
E 90 B, C
F 30 C, D
G 30 E, F
H 60 G

Balance the assembly line using longest-task-time rule and calculate

the efficiency of this line.
 Sum 3
The desired daily output for an assembly line is 360 units. This
assembly line will operate 450 minutes per day. The following table
contains information on this product’s task times and precedence
relationships:
Task Time (Seconds) Predecessors
A 30 -
B 35 A
C 30 A
D 35 B
E 15 C
F 65 C
G 40 E, F
H 25 D, G
Balance the assembly line using largest number of following task
rule. Use the longest-task-time rule as secondary criterion and
 Sum 4
Some tasks and the order in which they must be performed according to their
assembly requirements are shown in the following table. These are to be combined
into workstations to create an assembly line. The assembly line operates 7.5 hours
per day. The output requirement is 1,000 units per day.
Task Preceding Tasks Task Time (Sec)
A - 15
B A 24
C A 6
D B 12
E B 18
F C 7
G C 11
H D 9
I E 14
J F, G 7
K H, I 15
L J, K 10
Conti..
1. What is the workstation cycle time?
2. Balance the line using the highest number of
followers rule, based on the 1000-unit forecast,
stating which tasks would be done in each
workstation.
3. What is the efficiency of your line balance?
4. If demand is to be increased to 1,100 units, what
action would you take?
5. What action would you take if you can operate only
7.5 hours per day?
 Sum 5
Consider the following tasks, times and predecessors for
an assembly of set top cable converter boxes:
Task Element Time (Minutes) Element Predecessors
A 1 -
B 1 A
C 2 B
D 1 B
E 3 C, D
F 1 A
G 1 F
H 2 G
I 1 E, H

Given a cycle time of four minutes, develop two alternative

layouts. What is the efficiency of each layout?
Sum 6
A firm uses a serial assembly system and needs
answers to the following:
a) A desired output of 900 units per shift (7.5 hours) is
desired for a new processing system. The system
requires product to pass through four stations where
the work content at each station is 30 seconds. What
is the required cycle time for such a system?
b) How efficient is your system with the cycle time
calculated?
c) Station 3 changes and now requires 45 seconds to
complete. What will need to be done to meet demand
(assume only 7.5 hours are available)? What is the
efficiency of the new system?
Sum 7
• The Sun River beverage company is a regional
producer of teas, exotic juices and energy
drinks. With an interest in healthier lifestyle
there has been an increase in demand . Sun
River bottles their sugar-free product 5 hours a
day, 5 days a week. Each week, there is a
demand for 3,000 bottles of this product.
Calculate cycle time.