Facilities Layout

Industrial
Industrial Management
Management 11
Prepared by:
Industrial Systems Engineering Research Group
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Learning Objectives

List some reasons for layouts

design
Describe the basic layout types
List the advantages and
disadvantages of layout designs.
Develop simple process layouts
(using computer software)

Facilities Layout

Layout: the configuration of departments,

work centers, and equipment, with
particular emphasis on movement of work
(customers or materials) through the
system.

Product layouts

Process layouts

Fixed-Position layout

Combination layouts

Objective of Layout
Design
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Facilitate attainment of product or service

quality
Use workers and space efficiently
Avoid bottlenecks
Minimize unnecessary material handling
costs
Eliminate unnecessary movement of
workers or materials
Minimize production time or customer
service time
Design for safety

The Need for Layout

Design
Inefficient operations
For Example:

High Cost
Bottlenecks

Changes in the design

of products or services

Accidents
The introduction of new
products or services

Safety hazards

The Need for Layout

Design (Contd)
Changes in
environmental
or other legal
requirements

Changes in volume of
output or mix of
products
Morale problems

Changes in methods
and equipment

Basic Layout
Product layout

Utilizes standardized processing

operations to achieve smooth, rapid,
high-volume flow

Process layout
Able to handle variety process
requirements

Fixed Position layout

Product (or project) remains stationary,
whereas workers-materials-equipment

Product Layout

(sequential)

Utilizes standardized process operations to achieve smooth, rapid,

high-volume flow

Raw materials
or customer

Station
1

Station
Station
22

Station
Station
33

Material

Material

Material

Material

and/or
labor

and/or
labor

and/or
labor

and/or
labor

Station
Station
44

Used for Repetitive or Continuous Processing

Finished
item

Advantages of Product
Layout

High volume production (high prodn

rate)
Low cost per unit product
Low cost in material handling
High utilization of labour-equipment
Labour specialization (specific works)
Established routing and scheduling

Disadvantages of Product
Layout

Repetitive jobs
Low skill workers may not maintain quality
of output (impair quality)
Not flexible to change in volume.
Impair output rate when breakdown
(shutdown)
Preventive maintenance is critical.

Process Layout
Process Layout (functional)
Dept. A
(Stamping)

Dept. C
(Milling)

Dept. E
(Etching)

Dept. B
(Lathe)

Dept. D
(Grinding)

Dept. F
(Coating)

Used for Intermittent processing

Job Shop or Batch Processes

Process Layout
Able to handle variety of process requirements

Used for Intermittent processing

Job Shop or Batch Processes

Advantages of Process
Layouts

Able to handle variety of process

requirements.
Not affected production rate when machine
failures.
Low cost in equipment utilization.
Possible to create individual (worker)
incentive plans

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

Fixed Position Layout

Large construction project (in real world)
Nature of product:
Weight
Size
Bulk
Fixed Position Layout
(Simulation)

Improved Layouts by using Work Cell

2/26/16

Industrial Engineering

16

U-Shaped Production Line

In

4
5

Workers

6
Out

10

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

Functional vs. Cellular

Layouts
Dimension

Table 6.3

Functional

Cellular

Number of moves
between
departments

many

few

Travel distances

longer

shorter

Travel paths

variable

fixed

Job waiting times

greater

shorter

Throughput time

higher

lower

Amount of work in
process

higher

lower

Supervision
difficulty

higher

lower

Scheduling
complexity

2/26/16

higher

Industrial Engineering

lower

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