1

Facility Layout

OBJECTIVES

Facility Layout and Basic Formats

Process Layout

Layout Planning

Assembly Line balancing

Service Layout

Facility Layout
Defined
Facility layout can be defined as the process by which the
placement
of
departments,
workgroups
within
departments, workstations, machines, and stockholding points within a facility are determined
This process requires the following inputs:
Specification of objectives of the system in terms of output
and flexibility
Estimation of product or service demand on the system
Processing requirements in terms of number of operations
and amount of flow between departments and work centers
Space requirements for the elements in the layout
Space availability within the facility itself

Machine Objectives of
Facility Layout
Arrangement of areas within a facility to:

Minimize material-handling
costs
Utilize space efficiently
Utilize labor efficiently
Eliminate bottlenecks
Facilitate communication and
interaction
Reduce manufacturing cycle
time
Reduce customer service time
Eliminate wasted or redundant
movement
Increase capacity

Facilitate entry, exit, and

placement of material, products,
and people
Incorporate safety and security
measures
Promote product and service
quality
Encourage proper maintenance
activities
Provide a visual control of
activities
Provide flexibility to adapt to
changing conditions

Basic Production Layout Formats

Process Layout (also called job-shop or

functional layout)
Product Layout (also called flow-shop
layout)

Group Technology (Cellular) Layout

Fixed-Position Layout

Process Layout

Similar equipment or functions are grouped together, ex:

all lathes in one area, all drilling machines in one area.

A part being worked on then travels, according to

established sequence of operations, from area to area.

Used in hospitals, such as maternity ward, ICU, ICCU etc.

Manufacturing Process Layout

Process Layout of an Automobile Service Station

Final
Inspection

Underbody
Repairs

Engine
Repairs

Oil
Replacement

Wheel
Alignment

Electrical
Repairs

Paint
Booth

Car washing
& cleaning

Office

Spare
Parts
Store

Interiors,
Door Repairs,
etc.

Dents
Repair

Advantages & Disadvantages of Process Layout

Work-In-Process
(WIP) Inventory is
usually high in
batch processing

A low output rate

and, thus, high cost
of item per unit

Material handling is
time consuming as no
fixed route is there

Disadvantages

Maintenance cost is
low because of low
cost general purpose
machines

Advantages

Process
Layout

The system is flexible to

design changes in
products or processes in
comparison to product
layout

Routing &
scheduling is tedious
and time consuming
for different
products
High cost of supervision
because of special
treatment to every product
to be processed
The system promotes
creativity on part of
workers due to variety of
tasks performed by them

Breakdown of a machine
does not lead to halt in
production as substitute
machines are kept ready
for such situations

10

Process Layout: Interdepartmental Flow

Given

The flow (number of moves) to and from all

departments
The cost of moving from one department to
another
The existing or planned physical layout of the
plant

Determine

The best locations for each department,

where best means maximizing flow, with
minimizing costs

11

Process Layout: CRAFT Approach

Computerized Relative Allocation of
Facilities Technique

It is a heuristic program; it uses a simple

rule of thumb in making evaluations:

"Compare two departments at a time and

exchange them if it reduces the total cost of
the
layout."

It does not guarantee an optimal solution

CRAFT assumes the existence of variable

path material handling equipment such as
forklift trucks

Process Layout: Systematic Layout

Planning

Numerical flow of items between departments

Can be impractical to obtain

Does not account for the qualitative factors that may
be crucial to the placement decision

Systematic Layout Planning

Accounts for the importance of having each

department located next to every other department
Is also guided by trial and error
Switching

departments then checking the results of the

closeness score

12

13

Designing Process
Layouts

Goal: minimize material handling costs

Block Diagramming
minimize nonadjacent loads
use when quantitative data is available

Relationship Diagramming
based on location preference between areas
use when quantitative data is not available

14

Block Diagramming

Unit load
quantity in which
material is normally
moved

Nonadjacent load
distance farther
than the next block

STEPS
create load summary chart
calculate composite (two
way) movements
develop trial layouts
minimizing number of
nonadjacent loads

15

Example of Systematic Layout

Planning: Reasons for Closeness
Code

Reason

Type of customer

Ease of supervision

Common personnel

Contact necessary

Share same price

Psychology

16

Example of Systematic Layout

Planning:
Importance of Closeness
Line
code

Numerical
weights

Value

Closeness

Absolutely necessary

16

Especially important

Important

Ordinary closeness OK

Unimportant

Undesirable

80

17

Example of Systematic Layout Planning:

Relating Reasons and Importance
From

2
I
6

1. Credit department

3
U
-U
--

2. Toy department
3. Wine department
4. Camera department
5. Candy department
Closeness rating

Letter

Note here
that the (1)
Credit Dept.
and (2) Toy
Dept. are
given a high
rating of 6.

Reason for rating Number

To

4
A
4
I
1
U
--

5
U
-A
6
X
1
Note
X

Area
(sq. ft.)
100
400
300

here that
100
the 1(2) Toy Dept.
and the (5)
100
Candy Dept. are
given a high
rating of 6.

18

Example of Systematic Layout Planning:

Initial Relationship Diagram

1
I
2

3
4

5
A
Note here again, Depts. (1) and
(2) are linked together, and
Depts. (2) and (5) are linked
together by multiple lines or
required transactions.

The number of lines

here represent paths
required to be taken in
transactions between
the departments. The
more lines, the more
the interaction between
departments.

19

Product Layout
Difference between process and product
layout is the pattern of work flow.
Equipment or departments are dedicated to
a particular product line
Duplicate equipment is employed to avoid
backtracking, and a straight-line flow of
material movement is achievable.
Used when the batch size of a given
product or part is large relative to the no. of
different products or parts produced.

20

A Product Layout
In

Out

21

Comparison of Product
and Process Layouts
Product
Sequential
arrangement of
activities
Continuous, mass
production, mainly
assembly

Description

Type of process

Product

Demand
Volume
Equipment

Process

Functional
grouping of
activities
Intermittent, job
shop, batch
production, mainly
fabrication
Standardized, made Varied, made to
to stock
order
Stable
Fluctuating
High
Low
Special purpose
General purpose

22

Comparison of Product
and Process Layouts
Product

Limited skills
Low in-process, high
finished goods
Storage space
Small
Material handling Fixed path (conveyor)
Aisles
Narrow
Scheduling
Part of balancing
Layout decision
Line balancing
Goal
Equalize work at each
station
Advantage
Efficiency
Workers
Inventory

Process
Varied skills
High in-process, low
finished goods
Large
Variable path (forklift)
Wide
Dynamic
Machine location
Minimize material
handling cost
Flexibility

23

Advantages & Disadvantages of Product Layout

Lesser supervision
& labor training
costs (as labor is
trained only for a
specialized task)
Easier material
handling and
lesser inventory
costs
Maintenance cost
is fairly high to
ensure smooth
running of the
line

A high
output rate
and, thus,
low cost of
item per unit

High
efficiency of
labor &
equipment

Advantages
Product
Layout
Disadvantage
s

Inflexible to design
changes in products
or processes (the
changes in line are
usually expensive)

No need of routing or
scheduling once the
line is operational (as it
is already done during
the design of the line)
Monotonous repetitive
tasks lead to frustration
on part of workers

Breakdown of a
machine or high
absenteeism of
workers leads to halt in
production

24

Assembly line

Special case of product layout.

Refers to progressive assembly linked by

some material handling device.

25

An Assembly Line (Product Layout)

Racks containing
headlight sub-assembly

Racks containing
backlight sub-assembly

Racks containing
steering wheels
sub-assembly

Workstation 1

Workstation 2

Workstation 3

Car 1

Car 2

Car 3

Conveyor

26

A U-shaped Assembly Line

3
4

The entry &

exit points
are nearby

A single worker

5
8

27

Assembly Lines Balancing Concepts

Question: Suppose you load work into the three work
stations below such that each will take the corresponding
number of minutes as shown. What is the cycle time of
this line?

Station 1

Station 2

Station 3

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

28

Example of Line Balancing

Youve just been assigned the job a setting

up an electric fan assembly line with the
following tasks:

Task
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H

Time (Mins)
2
1
3.25
1.2
0.5
1
1
1.4

Description
Assemble frame
Mount switch
Assemble motor housing
Mount motor housing in frame
Attach blade
Assemble and attach safety grill
Attach cord
Test

Predecessors
None
A
None
A, C
D
E
B
F, G

29

Example of Line Balancing:

Structuring the Precedence Diagram
Task Predecessors
A
None
B
A
C
None
D
A, C
A

Task Predecessors
E
D
F
E
G
B
H
E, G
B

G
H

30

Example of Line Balancing:

Precedence Diagram
Question: Which process step defines the maximum
rate of production?
2
A

1
B

1
G

3.25

1.2

.5

1.4
H

Answer: Task C is the cycle time of the line and

therefore, the maximum rate of production.

31

Example of Line Balancing: The Bottleneck

Max Production =

Task
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H

Production time per day

420 mins
=
= 129 units
Bottleneck time
3.25 mins / unit

Time (Mins)
2
1
3.25
1.2
0.5
1
1
1.4

Description
Assemble frame
Mount switch
Assemble motor housing
Mount motor housing in frame
Attach blade
Assemble and attach safety grill
Attach cord
Test

Predecessors
None
A
None
A, C
D
E
B
E, G

32

Example of Line Balancing:

Cycle Time

Determine

Question: Suppose we want to assemble

100 fans per day. What would our cycle
time have to be?
Answer:
Required Cycle Time, C =

C=

Production time per period

Required output per period

420 mins / day

= 4.2 mins / unit
100 units / day

33

Example of Line Balancing: Determine

Theoretical Minimum Number of
Workstations
Question: What is the theoretical minimum number of
workstations for this problem?

Answer:

Theoretical Min. Number of Workstations, N t

Nt =

Sum of task times (T)

Cycle time (C)

Nt =

11.35 mins / unit

= 2.702, or 3
4.2 mins / unit

34

Example of Line Balancing: Determine the

Efficiency of the Assembly Line
Efficiency =

Sum of task times (T)

Actual number of workstations (Na) x Cycle time (C)

11.35 mins / unit

Efficiency =
=.901
(3)(4.2mins / unit)

35

Group Technology
(Cellular Layout):

group dissimilar machines into work centers

(called cells) that process families of parts with
similar shapes or processing requirements

36

111
3333

Lathe
Machines

2222
3333

1
1
1

2
2
2
2222
4444

Foundry

4444

Fitting
shop

1
1
1

2222

Paint
Shop

111
2222

3
3
3

1
1

Drilling
Machines

1
1
1

3333
4444

3333
4444

Welding
Shop

Process Layout of a Factory

Manufacturing Cell 1
111

Lathe

Drilling

Fitting

Welding

Paint

111

Paint

2222

Welding

3333

Manufacturing Cell 2
2222222222

Foundry

Lathe

Fitting

Manufacturing Cell 3
3333333333

Lathe

Fitting

Drilling

Manufacturing Cell 4
444444444444444444444

Foundry

Drilling

Welding

4444

Cellular Layout

37

Cellular Layouts

1.

2.

3.

4.

Identify families of parts with similar

flow paths
Group machines into cells based on
part families
Arrange cells so material movement is
minimized
Locate large shared machines at point
of use

38

Group Technology (Cellular Layout):

Benefits
1. Better human relations
2. Improved operator expertise
3. Less in-process inventory and
material handling
4. Faster production setup

39

Advantages and
Disadvantages
of Cellular Layouts
Advantages

Reduced material
handling and transit time
Reduced setup time
Reduced work-in- process
inventory
Better use of human
resources
Easier to control
Easier to automate

Disadvantages

Inadequate part families

Poorly balanced cells
Expanded training and
scheduling of workers
Increased capital
investment

40

Group Technology:
Transition from Process Layout
1. Grouping parts into families that
follow a common sequence of steps
2. Identifying dominant flow patterns
of parts families as a basis for
location or relocation of processes
3. Physically grouping machines and
processes into cells

41

Fixed Position Layout

Question: What are our primary considerations
for a fixed position layout?

Answer: Arranging materials and equipment

concentrically around the production point in
their order of use.

42

Schematic Diagram to show Fixed-position Layout of a Space

Shuttle

Raw
Materials

Computer
Experts

Equipments

Assemblies

Technicians

Fuel

43

Retail Service Layout

Goal--maximize net profit
square foot of floor space
Servicescapes

per

Ambient Conditions
Spatial Layout and Functionality
Signs,
Symbols,
and
Artifacts

44

Question Bowl
Which of the following is a process that involves
developing a relationship chart showing the
degree of importance of having each
department located adjacent to every other
department?
a.
Systematic layout planning
b.
Assembly-line balancing
c.
Splitting tasks
d.
U-shaped line layouts
e.
None of the above

Answer: a. Systematic layout planning

45

Question Bowl
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

d.

500 units

e.

None of the above

Answer: a. 2.4
minutes
(1200/500=2.4
minutes)

46

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 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
workstations
d.
60 workstations
(60/5=12)
e.
None of the above

47

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)

48

Question Bowl
Which of the following are ways that we can
accommodate a 20 second task in a 18
second cycle time?
a.

Share the task

b.

Use parallel workstations

c.

Use a more skilled worker

d.

All of the above

e.

None of the above

Answer: d. All of the above

49

Question Bowl
Which of the following are ambient conditions that
should be considered in layout design?
a.

Noise level

b.

Lighting

c.

Temperature

d.

Scent

e.

All of the above

Answer: e. All of the above