1. Design of a Flexible Shopfloor Layout for a Fabrication Jobshop
Different from traditional method
Comprehensiveness of analysis

2. Details about Company X
Fabrication jobshop
Unstable part mix
Unstable production volumes
Variety of customers
Variety of materials

3. Concerns of Company X High order throughput times
High WIP (Work-In-Progress) levels
Poor space utilization
Chaotic flows of material in current layout
Absence of aisles

4. Checklist to Assess the Current Layout
Evaluate existing facility
Identify core problems
Identify areas for improvements
Evaluate new layout to gauge improvements

5. Employee Feedback on Checklist
Availability of manufacturing equipment
“We are not flexible or efficient”
Inventories
“We are not running what we want to ship today”
Space utilization
“We have the opportunity to use our space better”

6. Solution Design of a flexible shopfloor layout Robust layout
Changes in part mix
Changes in production volumes
Facilitate subsequent improvement strategies
Setup reduction
Scheduling
Designed a layout form flexibility
If cells were necessary, let the flows tell us that
(Do not force a pre conceived solution)

7. Input Data Product routings Layout drawing
Sequence analysis chart
Layout drawing
Equipment inventory (Plant List)

8. Sequence Analysis Chart

9. Modifications to Sequence Analysis Chart
No BOM structure
Incorporated new processes, ex: HAA
Machine names not unique, ex: TA, BB
Converted TA to TA1, TA2, TA3
Converted BB to BBa, BBb, BBc, etc. based on machine capabilities
Tree Routings
Splitting workcenters -
To allow for separate locations
( Why? - Migration Zones)

10. Flexible Configuration for BB
BBa = {5,9}  BBc
BBb = {5,9}  BBd
BBc = {3,4}
BBd = {6,7}
BBe = {BBf, BBa,b, BBd}
BBf = {1, 2, BBc}
{ } = Primary Machines
 = In case of overload,
orders get transferred to
Secondary Machines

11. Present Layout

12. Methodology Samples From-To Chart Robust Layout Block Layouts
Migration Zones

13. Methodology Samples From-To Chart Robust Layout Block Layouts
Migration Zones

14. Criteria for Selecting Part Samples
Aggregate
The complete set
Customers
Top 3 in terms of volume
Lucent, ABB, (Ohaus and ITI)
Materials
Top 2 in terms of volume
CRS and AL
Did not work with one Sample

15. Customer Vs. Volume

16. V=(lot size) * (# of lots/yr.)
Start
Input data file
End of file Y A
Stop N
Read:
Lot size &
# of lots/year
Flowchart for
Computer Program
Compute
V=(lot size) * (# of lots/yr.) B

17. B D C A Read: Machine Name Unique Update Machine Unique Machine ListY N
Any more
machines D Y C N A

18. C D Read: Machine Name Unique Update Machine Unique Machine ListY
Update
Unique Machine List
Update
From-To Chart
with V D

19. Block Layouts Symbolic representation of machines
Relative positions of machines in the shopfloor (7x4 grid)

20. Optimal Block Layout

21. Create Initial Random Solution
Start
Create Initial Random Solution
All Possibilities Completed?
Apply Pairwise Interchange Algorithm N Y
Is the Solution Better? N Y
Update Best Solution
Is User Happy with the Best Solution? N Y
Stop
Report Best Solution

22. Aggregate Layout

23. Layout for Lucent Parts

24. Layout for ABB Parts

25. Layout for ITI and Ohaus Parts

26. Layout based on Aluminum Parts

27. Layout based on Cold Rolled Steel Parts

28. Migration Zones of Machines
Region of movement of a particular machine when layouts created for different samples are superimposed.
The smaller the migration zone the more robust the layout. 2 1
Migration Zone 3 4 5

29. Migration Zones

30. Migration Zones (contd)

31. Proposed Layout (1)

32. Proposed Layout (2)

33. Proposed Layout (3)

34. Criteria for Evaluation of Layouts
Material handling cost
Space utilization
Aisle structure
Order throughput times
WIP Levels
Last two points --
Needs time to develop a simulation model

35. Flow Intensity - Current Layout

36. Flow Intensity - Proposed Layout (1)

37. Flow Intensity - Proposed Layout (2)

38. Flow Intensity - Proposed Layout (3)

39. Benefits of Proposed Layouts
Material Handling

40. Benefits of Proposed Layouts (contd)
Space reclaimed
New equipment, ex: Laser
New department, ex: Paint Booth
Visual (line-of-sight) scheduling
WIP reduction
Elimination of “junk” equipment

41. Contributions to Industrial Practice
Multi-sample approach to generating block layouts
Migration zones of machines
Automated generation of From-To chart
Integrated use of STORM and FactoryFlow for optimization support to user of FactoryFlow