Facility layout

Contents 1- What is Facility layout? 2- Importance of layout decision. 3- Characteristics of a good layout 4- Types of manufacturing layout. 5- Service layout.

1-What is facility layout?

1- What is facility layout? A layout is the physical configuration of :-departments, work stations, and equipment . It is the spatial arrangement of physical resources used to create the product.

2- Importance of layout decision

2- Importance of layout decision The need for layout planning arises both in the process of designing new facilities and in redesigning existing facilities. Layout decisions are important for three basic reasons: 1-They may require substantial investments of money and effort 2-They may involve long-term commitments, which makes mistakes difficult to overcome 3-They may have significant impact on the cost , efficiency and productivity of operations In brief, layout decisions tend to be:- Infrequent Expensive to implement Studied and evaluated extensively Long-term commitments

3- Characteristics of a good layout

3-Some characteristics of a good layout Reduces bottlenecks in moving people or material.(If the rate at which each processing area handles work is unbalanced, or one area is slower or has stopped working due to problems with equipment, materials, or people) Minimizes materials-handling costs, and minimize delays in material handling Reduces hazards to personnel. Utilizes available labor and space effectively and efficiently. Provides flexibility. Provides ease of supervision. Facilitates coordination and face-to-face communication where appropriate.

4- Types of manufacturing layout

Types of manufacturing layout Manufacturing plants use three basic types of layout: (a) Product layout, (b) Process layout, and (c) Fixed-position layout. In addition, there is one hybrid that is referred to as a group technology or cellular layout, which is a combination of process and product layout.

Types of manufacturing layout Product Layout:- linear arrangement of workstations to produce a specific product- used for repetitive processing Process Layout:- (job-shop layout or layout by function) machines grouped by process they perform- used for intermittent processing Fixed Position Layout:- used in projects where the product cannot be moved- used when projects require special layout

Intermittent operations Repetitive (continuous) operations Types of manufacturing and service operations:- Two types of operations:- Intermittent operations Repetitive (continuous) operations made- to- order products Standardized products made -to- stock low product volume high volume labor -intense capital -intense large product mix small product mix general purpose equipment special purpose equipment interrupted product flow continuous product flow

Layout types (a) Process Layout (b) Product Layout Foundry Milling machines Lathes Grinding Painting Drills Office Welding Forging (a) Process Layout Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 (b) Product Layout 5

Product layout

Product layout - Product layout is appropriate for producing one standardize product , usually in large volume. (Without high standardization , many of the benefits of repetitive processing are lost) Each unit of output requires the same sequence of operations from beginning to end. - Work centers and equipment are arranged in a line to afford specialized sequence of tasks. Each work center performs one highly specialized part of the total product buildup sequence . The work is divided into a series of standardized tasks, permitting specialization of labor and equipment The large volumes handled by these systems usually make it economical to invest substantial sums of money in equipment and job design Automatic car washes, cafeterias (where a customer's tray moves through a series of stations to assemble the components of a meal ) , automobile makers, and soft drink use product layout.

Product layout advantages 1- Achieve a high degree of labor and equipment utilization, (High rate of output )which tends to offset their high equipment cost. 2- Because items move quickly from operation to operation, the amount of work-in-process is often minimal 3-Low unit cost 4- Labor specialization- reduces training costs and time and results in a wide span of supervision 5- Material handling is simplified because units follow the same sequence of operations 6-Routing and scheduling which are established in the initial design of the system( they do not require much attention once the system is operating) 7-Routine accounting, purchasing and inventory control 8-Short unit- production time, 9- Low labor-skill requirements .

Product layout disadvantages 1- A breakdown in one machine can cause an entire production line to shut down (operations are so closely tied to each other that the entire system is highly vulnerable to being shut down because of mechanical failure or high absenteeism ) 2- Since the layout is determined by the product, a change in product design or the introduction of new products may require major changes in the layout; thus flexibility can be limited 3- The jobs in a product –layout facility, such as those on mass production line, may provide littlie job satisfaction. This primary because of the high level of division of labor often required, which usually results in monotony (The intensive division of labor usually creates dull, repetitive jobs that provide little opportunity for advancement and may lead to morale problems and to repetitive stress injuries) 4- Needs preventive maintenance (preventive maintenance- periodic inspection and replacement of worn parts or those with high failure rate –reduce the probability of breakdowns during operations) 5- Large investments: special-purpose equipment

Product Layout IN OUT

Process layout

Process layout A process layout consists of a functional grouping of machines or activities that do similar work. For example , all drills presses may be grouped together in one department, and all milling machines in another. Depending on the processing they require, parts may moved in different sequences among departments ( A part being worked on travel from one area to the next, according to the specific sequence of operations required) This type of layout often found in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing plants that use an intermittent process. Process layout are designed to process items or provide services that involve a variety of processing requirements. The variety of jobs that are processed required frequent adjustments to equipment. This causes discontinuous work flow which is referred to as intermittent processing.

Process layout Process layout are quite common in service environment. Examples include hospital, universities, banks, auto repair shops, airlines, and public libraries. Universities have separate schools or departments that concentrate on one area of study such as business , engineering, science or math. A hospital provides a good example of a process layout in the service sector; customers (patients) go to Radiology for X-rays and to the lab for blood tests .

Process Layout - work travels to dedicated process centers Milling Assembly & Test Grinding Drilling Plating

Process layout advantages 1- Compared to product layout, process layout generally require a lower investment in equipment (General –purpose equipment used is often less costly than the specialized equipment used in product layout and is easier and less costly to maintain) 2- The diversity of jobs inherent process layout can lead to increased working satisfaction .(Diversity of tasks: changing work assignments make work more satisfying for people who prefer variety.) 3- Because items are often processed in lots (batches) there is considerably less interdependence between successive operations than with a product layout. 4- Maintenance costs tend to be lower because the equipment is less specialized than that of product layout, 5- Flexibility: equipment and personnel can be used where they are needed + The systems can handle a variety of processing requirements)

Process layout disadvantages 1- In-process inventory costs can be high if batch processing is used in manufacturing systems 2- routing and scheduling pose continual Challenges 3- Equipment utilization rates are low (It is not uncommon for such systems to have equipment utilization rate under 50 percent because of routing and scheduling complexities related to the variety of processing demands being handled) 4- Material handling slow and inefficient, and more costly per unit than in product layout 5- Job complexities often reduce span of supervision and result in higher supervisory costs than with product layout 6- Special attention necessary for each product or customer( e.g., routing, scheduling machine setups) and low volumes result in higher unit cots than with product layout 7- Accounting, inventory control and purchasing are much more involved than with product layout

Fixed-position layout

Fixed-position layout Layout in which the product or project remains stationary, and workers, materials, and equipment are moved as needed . Move machines and/or workers to the site; products normally remains in one location for its entire manufacturing period. Examples: Large construction projects (buildings, power plants, dams) Shipbuilding, production of large aircraft Rockets used to launch space missions

Disadvantages of fixed position layout Since the same workers are involved in more operations, skilled and versatile workers are required. The necessary combination of skills may be difficult to find and high pay levels may be necessary. Movement of people and equipment to and from the work site may be expensive. Equipment utilization may be low because the equipment may be left at a location where it will be needed again in a few days rather than moved to another location where it would be productive.

Fixed position layout

5 - Service layout

Types of service layout We use the three basic types of manufacturing facility layout that were described earlier this chapter as a framework for identifying the types of layout that are used in operations. 1- Process Layout: The support services for an emergency room in a hospital offer a good example of a process layout, with radiology, blood analysis, and the pharmacy each being located in a specific area of the hospital. Patients requiring any of these specific services therefore must go to the locations where they are provided.

Types of service layout 2- Product layout: A good service example of a product layout is a cafeteria line where all of the stations (for example, salads, hot and cold entrees, desserts, and beverages) are arranged in a specific order, and customers visit each station as they move through the line. 3- Fixed-Position Layout: Examples of fixed-position layout in services include (A) an automobile repair shop (where all of the processes such as brake repair, oil change, etc., typically take place in the same location), (B) an operating room in a hospital (where the patient remains in a given location on the operating table), and (C) a table at a restaurant where all of the different courses in a meal are brought to the customer (and in some cases even prepared at the table in front of the customer).