INTRODUCTION

Classification of layout, advantages and limitations of different layouts, layout design

procedures, over view of the plant layout.
Process lay out and product lay out selection, specification, implementations and fallow up
comparison of product and process lay out

A plant layout can be defined as the arrangement of physical facilities such as machinery,
equipment, furniture etc. within the factory building in a manner so as to have quickest flow of
material at the lowest cost and with the least amount of handling in processing the product from
the receipt of material to the shipment of the finished product.

Plant layout is an important decision as it represents long-term commitment. An ideal plant

layout should provide the optimum relationship among output, floor area and manufacturing
process. It facilitates the production process, minimizes material handling, time and cost, and
allows flexibility of operations, easy production flow, makes economic use of the building,
Promotes effective utilization of manpower, and provides for employee’s convenience, safety,
Comfort at work, maximum exposure to natural light and ventilation. It is also important because
it affects the flow of material and processes, labor efficiency, supervision and control, use of
space and expansion possibilities etc.

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF PLANT LAYOUT

The main goal of the plant layout is to maximize the profit by arrangement of all the plant
facilities to the best advantage of total manufacturing of the product
The objectives of plant layout are:

1. Streamline the flow of materials through the plant.

2. Facilitate the manufacturing process.
3. Minimize materials handling and cost.
4. Movement made by workers are minimized
5. Effective utilization of men, equipment and space.
6. Plant maintenance simpler.
7. Flexibility of manufacturing operations and arrangements.
 8. Provide for employee convenience, safety and comfort.
9. Minimize investment in equipment.
10. Minimize overall production time.
11. Maintain flexibility of arrangement and operation.
12. Facilitate the organizational structure
13. A good layout permits materials to move through the plant at the desired speed with the
lowest cost

TYPES OF LAYOUT

As discussed so far the plant layout facilitates the arrangement of machines, equipment and other
physical facilities in a planned manner within the factory premises. An entrepreneur must 15
possess an expertise to lay down a proper layout for new or existing plants. It differs from plant
to plant, from location to location and from industry to industry. But the basic principles
governing plant layout are more or less same. As far as small business is concerned, it requires a
smaller area or space and can be located in any kind of building as long as the space is available
and it is convenient. Plant layout for Small Scale business is closely linked with the factory
building and built up area.

a. Product or line layout

b. Process or functional layout
c. Fixed position or location layout
d. Combined or group layout
PRODUCT OR LINE LAYOUT

It is appropriate for producing one standardized product, usually in large volume. It is also called
as flow-shop layout or straight line layouts. The machines are arranged according to the
progressive steps by which the product is made.
Example: chemical, paper, rubber, refineries, cement industry, quarry under this, machines and
equipment’s are arranged in one line depending upon the sequence of operations required for the
product.

The materials move from one Workstation to another sequentially without any backtracking or
deviation. Under this, machines are grouped in one sequence. Therefore materials are fed into the
first machine and finished goods travel automatically from machine to machine, the output of
one machine becoming input of the next, e.g. in a paper mill, bamboos are fed into the machine
at one end and paper comes out at the other end. The raw material moves very fast from one
workstation to other stations with a Minimum work in progress storage and material handling.
The grouping of machines should be done keeping in mind the following general principles.

a. All the machine tools or other items of equipment’s must be placed at the point
demanded by the sequence of operations
b. There should no points where one line crossed another line.
c. Materials may be fed where they are required for assembly but not necessarily at one
point.
d. All the operations including assembly, testing packing must be included in the line
A line layout for two products is given below.

ADVANTAGES: Product layout provides the following benefits:

1. Products complete in lesser time.

2. Low cost of material handling, due to straight and short route and absence of
Backtracking
3. Smooth and uninterrupted operations
4. Continuous flow of work
5. Optimum use of floor space
6. Shorter processing time or quicker output
7. Less congestion of work in the process
8. Simple and effective inspection of work and simplified production control

DISADVANTAGES: Product layout suffers from following drawbacks: a. High initial capital
investment in special purpose machine

• Breakdown of one machine will hamper the whole production process

 • Lesser flexibility as specially laid out for particular product.
• The pace or rate of working depends upon the output rate of the slowest machine
• It is difficult to increase production beyond the capacities of the production line

PROCESS LAYOUT:

In this type of layout machines of a similar type are arranged together at one place.
E.g. Machines performing drilling operations are arranged in the drilling department, machines
performing casting operations be grouped in the casting department. Therefore the machines are
installed in the plants, which follow the process layout. Hence, such layouts typically have
drilling department, milling department, welding department, heating department and painting
department etc.

The process or functional layout is followed from historical period. It evolved from the
handicraft method of production. The work has to be allocated to each Department in such a way
that no machines are chosen to do as many different job as possible i.e. the emphasis is on
general purpose machine. The work, which has to be done, is allocated to the machines
according to loading schedules with the object of ensuring that each machine is fully loaded.
Suitable when product having standard features is to be produced in large volumes.
The specialized machines and equipment’s are arranged one after another in the order of
sequence required in the production process.
Process layout is shown in the following diagram.

Process layout showing movement of two products the grouping of machines

according to the process has to be done keeping in mind the following principles
• The distance between departments should be as short as possible for avoiding long
distance movement of materials
• The departments should be in sequence of operations
 • The arrangement should be convenient for inspection and supervision

ADVANTAGES: Process layout provides the following benefits

a. Lower initial capital investment in machines and equipments. There is high degree of
machine utilization, as a machine is not blocked for a single product
b. The overhead costs are relatively low
c. Change in output design and volume can be more easily adapted to the output of variety
of products
d. Breakdown of one machine does not result in complete work stoppage
e. Supervision can be more effective and specialized
f. There is a greater flexibility of scope for expansion.

DISADVANTAGES: Product layout suffers from following drawbacks

a. Material handling costs are high due to backtracking

b. More skilled labor is required resulting in higher cost.
c. Time gap or lag in production is higher
d. Work in progress inventory is high needing greater storage space
e. More frequent inspection is needed which results in costly supervision
Suitability: Process layout is adopted when
1. Products are not standardized
2. Quantity produced is small
3. There are frequent changes in design and style of product
4. Job shop type of work is done
5. Machines are very expensive
Thus, process layout or functional layout is suitable for job order production involving non-
repetitive processes and customer specifications and non-standardized products, e.g. tailoring,
light and heavy engineering products, made to order furniture industries, jewellery.

COMBINATION LAYOUT:

A combination of process and product layout combines the advantages of both types of layouts A
combination of layout is possible where an item is being made in different types and sizes. Here
machinery is arranged in a process layout but the process grouping is then arranged in a sequence
to manufacture various types and sizes of products it is to be noted that the sequence of operation
remains same with the variety of products and sizes of operation

F Forging Hammer H Hobbing machine

HT Heat treatment Furnace GF gear finishing machine

FIXED POSITION OR LOCATION LAYOUT:

Fixed-position layout: An arrangement in which service or manufacturing site is fixed in place;

employees along with their equipment, come to the site to do their work

When due to size, shape and other characteristics constraints, the products cannot be moved, the
machine and operators move around the product.

Example: construction of a building, assemble of an aircraft or ship.

In this type of layout, the major product being produced is fixed at one location. Equipment labor
and components are moved to that location. All facilities are Brought and arranged around one
work center. This type of layout is not relevant for small scale entrepreneur. The following figure
shows a fixed position layout regarding shipbuilding.

Fixed position Layout

ADVANTAGES: Fixed position layout provides the following benefits

a. It saves time and cost involved on the movement of work from one workstation to
another.
b. The layout is flexible as change in job design and operation sequence can be easily
incorporated.
c. It is more economical when several orders in different stages of progress are Being
executed simultaneously.
d. Adjustments can be made to meet shortage of materials or absence of worker by changing
the sequence of operations.

DISADVANTAGES: Fixed position layout has the following drawbacks

a. Production period being very long, capital investment is very heavy

b. Very large space is required for storage of material and equipment near the product.
c. As several operations are often carried out simultaneously, there is possibility of
confusion and conflicts among different workgroups.

SUITABILITY: The fixed position layout is followed in following conditions

1. Manufacture of bulky and heavy products such as locomotives, ships, boilers, generators,
wagon building, aircraft manufacturing, etc.
2. Construction of building, flyovers, dams.
3. Hospital, the medicines, doctors and nurses are taken to the patient (product).

While designing or planning a layout, a good designer must have the following in mind:
1. Traders
2. Service centers and establishment

TRADERS

When two outlets carry almost same merchandise, customer’s visuals buy in the one that is more
appealing to them. Thus the customers are attracted and kept by good layout that is good lighting
attractive colors, good ventilation, air conditioning, modern design and arrangement and even
music. All of these thing s mean customer convenience, customer appeal and volume
The customer is always impressed by a service and efficiency and quality. Hence, the layout is
essential for handling merchandise which arranged as per the space available and the type and
magnitude of goods to be sold keeping in mind the convenience of customers.

SERVICE CANTERS AND ESTABLISHMENTS

Service establishments as such as Hotels, restaurants must give due attentions to client
convenience, quality of services, efficiency in delivering services and pleasing office ambience.
In today’s environment the client look for ease in approaching different departments of a service
organization and hence the layout should be design in a fashion, which allows client s quick and
convenient access to the facilities offered a service establishments