Facility Layout

Dr. Everette S. Gardner, Jr.

Machine shop process layout

Receiving

GrinMills

Raw

ders

Large number

matl.

of
storage
bly

Assem-

low volume

products
Drills

Planers
Finished
Lathes

Part A
Part B

Inspecgoods
Automatics

tion

storage

Facility Layout

Product layout
Receiving

Raw matl.
storage

Fabrication
line-part B
Fabrication
line-part A

Finished
goods
storage

Planer
Lathe

Drill
Mill
Mill
Drill

Small number
of
high volume
products

Grinder
Mill
Assembly line

Automatic

Facility Layout

Possible solutions to the process

layout problem
6 Department problem has 6! or 720 possible
solutions:
A

I.E., there are 720 different arrangements of the 6

departments on the 6 locations on the grid.
Facility Layout

Possible solutions to the process

layout problem (cont.)
Problem complexity grows exponentially:
Nbr. depts.
10
15
20
50

Solutions
3,628,800
1.31 x 10^12
2.43 x 10^18
3.04 x 10^64

Facility Layout

Solutions considered by Craft

N! solutions to problem with N depts.
Craft considers only
N(N-1) pairs of exchanges,
2
starting with each
dept.

Facility Layout

Craft initial layout of furniture

plant
A

G
I

J
TOTAL COST = $2524.68
Facility Layout

Craft final layout

A E

G F B H J D

TOTAL COST = $766.68

Facility Layout

Synopsis of assembly line

balancing

1. Set up a precedence table.

2. Compute required cycle time:

C = (production time) / (required output in units)
3. Compute minimum cycle time:
CMIN = time for longest task
4. Compute minimum number of stations:
SMIN = (sum of all times) / C
Facility Layout

Synopsis of assembly line

balancing (cont.)
5.

Select rule by which tasks are assigned to work

stations.
Examples:
(1) select tasks with longest operation times first or
(2) select tasks with largest number of following tasks
first

6.

Assign tasks to the first work station until the

sum of the task times are equal to the cycle
time, or no other tasks are feasible. Repeat for
stations 2, 3, until tasks are assigned.

7.

Evaluate the efficiency of the balance:

E = (sum of all times) / (actual nbr. of stations x C)
Facility Layout

10

Line balancing quiz

1.1
A

0.4
0.3
B
0.5
E
C
1.2 0.4
D
F

1.1
G

0.7
I

0.3
J

0.8
H

Balance this production line to achieve an output of 367

units per day. Available production time is 8 hrs. less a 40
min. lunch break. Use the largest number of following tasks
rule to select tasks for work stations. Break ties with the
longest operation time.
Facility Layout

11

Multiple solutions in line

balancing
6

4
F

7
3

5
H

A
5
D

5
G

2
E
Facility Layout

12

Number of solutions

Multiple solutions in line

balancing (cont.)
84

25
3
1

Stations
Facility Layout

13

Volvo layouts
Rotating
round table
with definite
cycle time -facilitates teamwork

Facility Layout

14

Volvo layouts (cont.)

Horseshoe
conveyor
sections to
enable worker
communications

Facility Layout

15

Volvo layouts (cont.)

Interim storage
areas to separate
line into definite
supervisory groups

Storage

Supervisor
B

Supervisor
A

Facility Layout

16

Volvo layouts (cont.)

Machines grouped
in banks of 3
so workers can
exchange jobs and
assist each other
in set-up

Facility Layout

17

Volvo continued
E
S

S
E
S

S
E

Connections of subassembly islands feed parts/components to

end-assembly islandseach island functions as a separate
team
Facility Layout

18