Facility Layout

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 Learning Objectives
 List some reasons for redesigning layouts.
 Describe the basic layout types.
 List the main advantages and
disadvantages of product layouts and
process layouts.
 Solve simple line-balancing problems.
 Develop simple process layouts.

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 Process Selection and
Figure 6.1
System Design

Facilities and
Forecasting Capacity Equipment
Planning

Product and Layout

Service Design

Process
Technological Selection Work
Change Design

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 Facilities Layout
 Layout: the configuration of
departments, work centers, and
equipment, with particular emphasis on
movement of work (customers or
materials) through the system.

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 Objectives of Layout Design
1. Facilitate attainment of product or service
quality
2. Use workers and space efficiently
3. Avoid bottlenecks
4. Minimize unnecessary material handling costs
5. Eliminate unnecessary movement of workers
or materials
6. Minimize production time or customer service
time
7. Design for safety

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 Basic Layout Types
 Product layouts
 Process layouts
 Fixed-position layout
 Combination layouts

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 Basic Layout Types
 Product layout
 Layout that uses standardized processing
operations to achieve smooth, rapid, high-
volume flow
 Process layout
 Layout that can handle varied processing
requirements
 Fixed-position layout
 Layout in which the product or project
remains stationary, and workers, materials,
and equipment are moved as needed

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 Product Layout
Figure 6.4

Raw
Station Station Station Station Finished
materials 1 2 3 4 item
or customer
Material Material Material Material
and/or and/or and/or and/or
labor labor labor labor

Used for Repetitive or Continuous Processing

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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
 Routing accounting and purchasing

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 Disadvantages of Product 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
 Needs preventive maintenance
 Individual incentive plans are
impractical

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 A U-Shaped Production Line
Figure 6.6

In 1 2 3 4

Workers

Out 10 9 8 7

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 Process Layout
Figure 6.7
Process Layout
(functional)

Dept. A Dept. C Dept. E

Dept. B Dept. D Dept. F

Used for Intermittent Processing

Job Shop or Batch Processes

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 Product Layout
Figure 6.7 (cont’d)
Product Layout
(sequential)

Work Work Work

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

Used for Repetitive Processing

Repetitive or Continuous Processes

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 Advantages of Process Layouts
 Can handle a variety of processing
requirements
 Not particularly vulnerable to equipment
failures
 Equipment used is less costly
 Possible to use individual incentive
plans

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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
 Special attention for each product or
customer
 Accounting and purchasing are more
involved
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 Fixed-Position Layouts
 Fixed-position Layout: Layout in which the
product or project remains stationary, and
workers, materials, and equipment are
moved as needed
 Nature of the product dictates this type of
layout
 Weight
 Size
 Bulk
 Large construction projects
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 Cellular Layouts
 Cellular Production
 Layout in which machines are grouped into
a cell that can process items that have
similar processing requirements
 Group Technology
 The grouping into part families of items with
similar design or manufacturing
characteristics

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 Functional vs. Cellular Layouts
Table 6.3
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

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 Service Layouts
 Service layouts must be aesthetically
pleasing as well as functional

 Types;
 Warehouse and storage layouts
 Retail layouts
 Office layouts

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