04 Facility Layout

Facility layout
Slide 1 of 96
Facility layout
 Definition: Refers to the arrangement of space-

consuming components with in a space, a productive
system or facility. This may be in form of
departments, workstations, storage areas, aisles, and
common areas. The space consuming components
include;
o Machines
o Materials
o Manpower
Slide 2 of 96
Factors Influencing Layout
 Output (product/service) design-product or service

design affects the layout of a facility. Design issues
that have to be considered include:
o Dimensions/weights of components
o Perishability/obsolescence
o Customer interaction requirements
 Capacity design-capacity design affects layout by
determining the:
o Output rate and output flexibility, and
o The level of capacity intensity
Slide 3 of 96
 Process design-the way a product or service is

produced will influence layout. Design issues include
the:
o Sequence of processing operations for each output
o Processing equipment required for each operation
o Floor space requirements of equipment
o Inventory storage requirements for raw materials,

work in progress, and finished goods
Slide 4 of 96
 Facility location-the current site: what flexibility does

it have in terms of:
o Size and configuration
o Expansion options
 Job design-the tasks that constitute work, and the
activities necessary to complete the tasks. These
influence:
o Work stations operations and outputs
o Work station layout
Slide 5 of 96
 Support services-these are resources that support the
primary production functions. They include:
o Maintenance, supervision, employee
facilities/needs
o Loading docks, storage, aisles, elevators
Slide 6 of 96
Objectives of Facility Layout
 Ensure a smooth flow of work, material, people, and

information through the system
 Minimize material handling costs
 Utilize space efficiently
 Utilize labour efficiently
 Facilitate communication and interaction between
workers and their supervisors, workers and customers
 Reduce manufacturing cycle time and customer
service time
 Eliminate wasted or redundant movement
Slide 7 of 96
Objectives of Facility Layout
 Facilitate the 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 operations or activities
 Allows high machine or equipment utilisation
 Improve productivity
 Allows ease of maintenance
 Provide flexibility to adapt to changing conditions.
Slide 8 of 96
Types of layouts
Layouts are grouped into two main categories;

Basic layouts
o
Process/functional layouts

Product, and

Fixed-position.

hybrid layouts
o
Cellular layouts

Flexible manufacturing systems, and


Mixed-model assembly lines.


We discuss basic layouts first.

Slide 9 of 96
Process Layouts/Functional Layouts
 Groups similar activities together in departments or

work centres according to the process or function
they perform.
 For examples In a machine shop
o All drills would be located in one work centre,
o Lathes in another work centre, and
o Milling machines in still another work centre.
Slide 10 of 96
 Manufacturing Process Layout

Milling
Lathe Department Department Drilling Department
M M D D D D
L L
M M D D D D
L L
G G G P
L L
G G G P
L L
Grinding Painting Department
Department
L L
Receiving and A A A
Shipping Assembly
Slide 11 of 96
 Process Layout in Services
Women’s
lingerie Shoes Housewares
Women’s Cosmetics Children’s

dresses and jewelry department
Women’s Entry and Men’s

sportswear display area department
Slide 12 of 96
 In a department store
o Women’s clothes,
o Men’s clothes,
o Children’s clothes,
o Cosmetics, and
o Shoes are located in separate departments.
Slide 13 of 96
Characteristics of Process Layout
 Are primarily in job shops, or firms that produce

customized (intermittent operations)
 Handles a variety of low-volume products that may

require different processing requirements and
sequences of operations
 The equipment in a process layout is general purpose
 Workers are skilled at operating the equipment in

their particular departments.
Slide 14 of 96
Advantages of Process Layout
 Flexibility in the production process
 Better control of manufacturing cost
 Efficient
 Easy to handle the problems
 Better supervising (experts will be there in each

department)
 Higher individual incentive
Slide 15 of 96
Disadvantages of Process Layout
 Manufacturing time increases
 Controlling will be costly and complex
 Material handling is slow and costly
 More work space required
 Equipment utilisation rates are low
 Accumulation of work-in progress
 Inefficient.
Slide 16 of 96
Product Layouts/Assembly Lines
 Arrange activities in a line according to the sequence

of operations that need to be performed to
produce/assemble a particular product.
In
Out
Slide 17 of 96
Characteristics of Product Layout
 Each product or service has its own "line" (sequence

of operation) specifically designed to meet its
requirements.
 The flow of work is orderly and efficient, moving
from one workstation to another down the assembly
line until a finished product comes off the end of the
line.
 Since the line is set up for one type of product or
service, special machines are needed to match a
product's specific processing requirements.
Slide 18 of 96
Characteristics of Product Layout
 Product layouts are suitable for mass production or repetitive

operations in which demand is stable and volume is high.
 The product or service is a standard one made for a general

market, not for a particular customer. Because of the high level
of demand, product layouts are more automated than process
layouts, and the role of the worker is different.
 Workers perform narrowly defined assembly tasks that do not

demand as high a wage rate as those of the more versatile
workers in a process layout.
Slide 19 of 96
Advantages of Product Layout
 High rate of output.
 Low unit costs as fixed costs of specialised equipment spread over many
units.
 Labour specialisation reduces training costs and time.
 High utilisation of labour and equipment.
 Economical material handling activities.
 Simplification of the production planning and control systems.
 Routing and scheduling are included in the initial design of the system and
do not require much attention once the system is in operation
 Accounting purchasing and inventory control are fairly routine.

Slide 20 of 96
Disadvantage of product layout
 Division of labour usually creates dull, repetitive jobs with

little opportunity for advancement and may lead to morale
problems.
 System is inflexible in response to changes in volume of
output or changes in product or process design
 System is susceptible to shutdowns caused by equipment
breakdowns or employee absenteeism
 Preventive maintenance , the capacity for quick repairs and
spare parts inventories are necessary expenses.
 High capital investment.
 Difficult in expansion.
Slide 21 of 96
Comparison of Product and Process Layout
Product Process
Description Sequential arrangement Functional grouping of
of activities activities
Type of process Continuous, mass Intermittent, job shop,
production, mainly batch production, mainly
assembly fabrication
Product Standardized, made to Varied, made to order
stock
Demand Stable Fluctuating
Volume High Low
Equipment Special purpose General purpose
Workers Limited skills Varied skills Slide 22 of 96
Comparison of Product and Process Layout
Product Process
Inventory Low in-process, high High in-process, low
finished goods finished goods
Storage space Small Large
Material Fixed path (conveyor) Variable path (forklift)
handling
Aisles Narrow Wide
Scheduling Part of balancing Dynamic
Layout decision Line balancing Machine location
Goal Equalize work at each Minimize material
station handling cost
Advantage Efficiency Flexibility Slide 23 of 96
Fixed-Position Layouts
 The product, because of its fragile, bulky, or heavy

nature, remains in one location for the entire
manufacturing cycle. All physical components,
equipment, workers, materials, and other resources
are moved to the location where the product is being
produced. e.g. shipyards, buildings, drilling for oil
and aircrafts.
Slide 24 of 96
Characteristics of Fixed Layout
 It commonly found in industries which manufacture large size

products, such as aircrafts, houses and ships among others
with a low volume production rate.
 Materials and equipment are arranged concentrically around
the production point in their order of use.
 Required resources must be portable so that they can be taken
to the job for "on the spot" performance.
 The workers called to the work site are highly skilled at
performing the special tasks they are requested to do.
 In some industries equipment is leased or subcontracted,
because it is used for limited periods of time.
Slide 25 of 96
Advantages of Fixed Layout
 Layout is fully flexible and is capable of absorbing any sort of

change in product and process.
 Lower labour cost (people are drawn from functional

departments)
 Time saving
 Less floor space because machines and equipment are in

moving position.
 Most suitable way of assembling large and heavy products.
Slide 26 of 96
Disadvantages of fixed layout:
 High capital investment
 Unsuitability for manufacturing or assembling small products in large

quantities. It is suitable only in case where product is big or the assembling
process is complex.
 For many fixed-position layouts, the work area may be crowded so that
little storage space is available. This also can cause material handling
problems.
 Oftentimes, the administrative burden is higher for fixed-position layouts.

The span of control can be narrow, and coordination difficult.
 Equipment utilization is low because it is often less costly to leave

equipment idle at a location where it will be needed again in a few days,
than to move it back and forth.
Slide 27 of 96
Designing Process Layouts
 In designing a process layout, we want to minimize

material handling costs, which are a function of:
o The amount of material moved, and
o The distance it is moved.
 This implies that departments that incur the most

inter-department movement should be located closest
to each other, and those that do not interact should be
located further away.
Slide 28 of 96
Techniques Used to Design Process Layouts
oBlock diagramming
oRelationship diagramming
 Block Diagramming
 Procedure
 We begin with data on historical or predicted movement of
material between departments in the existing or proposed
facility. This information is typically provided in the form
of a from/to chart, or load summary chart.
 The next step in designing the layout is to calculate the

composite movements between departments and rank them
from most movement to least movement.
Slide 29 of 96
Techniques Used to Design Process Layouts
 Finally, trial layouts are placed on a grid that graphically represents the
relative distances between departments in the form of uniform blocks.
 The objective is to assign each department to a block on the grid so that

nonadjacent loads are minimized.
 The term nonadjacent is defined as a distance farther than the next block,
either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
 The trial layouts are scored on the basis of the number of nonadjacent
loads.
 The process of trying different layout configurations to reduce the number

of nonadjacent loads continues until an acceptable layout is found.
Slide 30 of 96
Procedure
 Establish information about the space required for each

department.
o Recommendations for workspace around machines can be

requested from equipment vendors or found in safety
regulations or operating manuals and through templates of
equipment layouts.
o Workspace allocations for workers can be specified as part

of job design, recommended by professional groups, or
agreed upon through union negotiations.
 Create block diagram can be created by blocking in the work

areas around the departments on the grid.
Slide 31 of 96
Procedure
 Adjust the initial block diagram for the desired or

proposed final shape of the building. Standard
building shapes include rectangles, L shapes, T
shapes, and U shapes.
 An initial block diagram
 A final block diagram
 Notice that the space requirements vary
considerably from department to department, but
the relative location of departments has been
retained from the grid.
Slide 32 of 96
Procedure
(a) Initial block diagram (b) Final block diagram
1 4
1 2 4 2
3 5 3 5
Slide 33 of 96
Relationship Diagramming
 The block diagram procedure is appropriate for designing process layouts

when quantitative data are available.
 However, in situations for which quantitative data are difficult to obtain or

do not adequately address the layout problem, the load summary chart can
be replaced with subjective input from analysts or managers.
 Richard Muther developed a format for displaying manager preferences for

departmental locations, known as Muther's grid.
 The preference information is coded into six categories associated with the
five vowels, A, E, I, O, and U, plus the letter X.
 The vowels match the first letter of the closeness rating for locating two
departments next to each other.
Slide 34 of 96
 Muther’s grid
Slide 35 of 96
 The diamond-shaped grid is read similar to mileage charts on a road map.

For example, reading down the highlighted row in the figure above, It is;
 Okay if the offices are located next to production
 absolutely necessary that the stockroom be located next to production
 important that shipping and receiving be located next to production
 Essential that the locker room be located next to production, and
 Absolutely necessary that the tool room be located next to production.
 The information from Muther's grid can be used to construct a relationship

diagram that evaluates existing or proposed layouts.
Slide 36 of 96
 A schematic diagram of the six departments from figure below

is given in a grid.
(a) Relationship diagram of original
layout
Shipping
Offices Locker and
room receiving
Key: A
E
Toolroom Production I
Stockroom
O
U
X
Slide 37 of 96
(b) Relationship diagram of revised layout
Stockroom
Offices Shipping
and
receiving
Toolroom Production Locker Key: A

room E
I
O
U
X
Slide 38 of 96
 Lines of different thicknesses are drawn from department to

department.
 The thickest lines (three, four, or five strands) identify the

closeness ratings with the highest priority, departments that
should be located next to each other.
 The priority diminishes with line thickness. Undesirable

closeness ratings are marked with a zigzagged line. Visually,
the best solution would show short heavy lines and no
zigzagged.
Slide 39 of 96
 Thin lines can be of any length and for that reason are sometimes
eliminated from the analysis. An alternate form of relationship
diagramming uses colours instead of line thickness to visualize closeness
ratings.
 Figure (a) above, It is obvious that production, shipping and receiving are
located too far from the stockroom and that the offices and locker room are
located too close to one another.
 Figure (b) above Shows a revised layout, and evaluates the layout with a
relationship diagram.
 The revised layout appears to satisfy the preferences expressed in

Muther's grid.
 The heavy lines are short and within the perimeter of the grid.
 The lengthy lines are thin, and there are no zigzagged lines.
Slide 40 of 96
Computerized Layout Solutions
 The diagrams just discussed help formulate ideas for the

arrangement of departments in a process layout, but they can
be cumbersome for large problems. Fortunately, several
computer packages are available for designing process layouts
including;
1. CRAFT (Computerized Relative Allocation of Facilities

Technique)
o This takes a load summary chart and block diagram as input and then
makes pair-wise exchanges of departments until no improvements in
cost, the output is a block diagram after each iteration
o It is sensitive to the initial block diagram used; that is, different block
diagrams as input will result in different layouts as outputs.
Slide 41 of 96
Computerized Layout Solutions
2. CORELAP (Computerized Relationship

Layout Planning).
o Uses non-quantitative input and relationship diagramming
to produce a feasible layout for up to forty-five
departments and different building shapes
o It attempts to create an acceptable layout from the

beginning by locating department pairs with A ratings
first, then those with E ratings, and so on.
o The output is a revised block diagram after each iteration

for a rectangular-shaped building, which may or may not
be optimal.
Slide 42 of 96
Service Layouts
 Most service organizations use process layouts. This makes

sense because of the variability in customer requests for
service.
 Service layouts are designed in much the same way as process

layouts in manufacturing firms, but the objectives may differ.
 In retail establishments, the objective is usually related to

maximizing profit per unit of display space.
 Grocery stores take this approach when they locate milk on

one end of the store and bread on the other, forcing the
customer to travel through aisles of merchandise that might
prompt additional purchases.
Slide 43 of 96
Designing Product Layouts
 Arranges machines or workers in a line according to the operations that

need to be performed to assemble/produce a particular product
Input to the Product Layout Decision
 Jobs are broken down into their smallest indivisible portions, called work
elements.
o A work element is an element of work on the product line.
 Work elements are grouped into workstations so products flow through the
assembly line smoothly
o A workstation is any area along the assembly line that requires at least
one worker or one machine.
 The process of equalizing the amount of work at each workstation is called
line balancing.
Slide 44 of 96
Line Balancing
 Is the problem of assigning operations to workstations along an assembly

line, recognizing time and precedence constraints.
 Precedence requirements
o Are physical restrictions on the order in which operations are

performed on the assembly line.
 Cycle time restrictions (Waiting time)
o Cycle time refers to the maximum amount of time the product is

allowed to spend at each workstation if the targeted production
rate is to be reached.
Slide 45 of 96
 Desired cycle time

 Is calculated by dividing the time available for production
by the number of units scheduled to be produced
Example
A company wanted to produce 120 units in an eight-hour day.
The cycle time necessary to achieve that production quota, is
Slide 46 of 96
 Cycle time can also be viewed as the time between

completed items rolling off the assembly line.
Example
 Consider the three-station assembly line shown below.
It takes 12 minutes (4 + 4 + 4) for each item to pass completely

through all three stations of the assembly line.
The time required to complete an item is referred to as its flow
time, or lead time.
Slide 47 of 96
 Actual Cycle Time of the Line

 The actual cycle time, Ca, is the maximum workstation time
on the line.
 It differs from the desired cycle time when the production
quota does not match the maximum output attainable by the
system.
 Sometimes the production quota cannot be achieved
because the time required for one work element is too
large.
 To correct the situation, the quota can be revised
downward or parallel stations can be set up for the
bottleneck element.
Slide 48 of 96
 Actual Cycle Time of the Line

 When fully operational;
oThe line will be processing three items at a time
oEvery 4 minutes a new item enters the line at
workstation 1
oAn item is passed from workstation 1 to workstation 2
oAnother item is passed from workstation 2 to
workstation 3, and
oA completed item leaves the assembly line.
oThus, a completed item rolls off the assembly line every
4 minutes, this 4-minute interval is the actual cycle time
of the line.
Slide 49 of 96
 Line Efficiency (E)  Theoretical Minimum

Number of Workstations (N)
Slide 50 of 96
 The total idle time of the line

 Also called balance delay, is calculated as
(1 - efficiency).
 Efficiency and balance delay are usually expressed as percentages.
The line balancing summary:
 Draw and label a precedence diagram.
 Calculate the desired cycle time required for the line.
 Calculate the theoretical minimum number of workstations.
 Group elements into workstations, recognizing cycle time and
precedence constraints.
 Calculate the efficiency of the line.
 Determine if the theoretical minimum number of workstations or an
acceptable efficiency level has been reached. If not, go back to step 4.
Slide 51 of 96
Heuristics for Assigning Tasks in Line
Balancing
 Longest task time: choose task with longest operation
time
 Most following tasks: choose task with largest
number of following tasks
 Ranked positional weight: choose task where the
sum of the times for each following task is longest
 Shortest task time: choose task with shortest
operation time
 Least number of following tasks: choose task with
fewest subsequent tasks
Slide 52 of 96
Line Balancing
 Example
Real Fruit Snack Strips are made from a mixture of dried fruit,
food colouring, preservatives, and glucose. The mixture is
pressed out into a thin sheet, imprinted with various shapes,
rolled, and packaged. The precedence and time requirements for
each step in the assembly process are given below. To meet
demand, Real Fruit needs to produce 6,000 fruit strips every 40-
hour week. Design an assembly line with the fewest number of
workstations that will achieve the production quota without
violating precedence constraints.
Slide 53 of 96
Line Balancing
 Solution
First, we draw a precedence diagram.
Element A has no elements
preceding it, so node A can be placed
anywhere.
Element A precedes element B, so
the line segment that begins at node A
must end at node B.
Element A precedes element C.


Again, a line segment from node A

must end at node C.
Slide 54 of 96
Line Balancing
 Solution
Elements B and C precede element D, so the
line segments extending from nodes B and C
must end at node D. The precedence diagram
is completed by adding the time requirements
beside each node.
Next, we calculate the desired cycle time and the theoretical minimum
number of workstations:
Slide 55 of 96
Line Balancing
 Solution
Round them to 3 work stations
We must group elements into workstations so that the sum of the element
time at each workstation is less than or equal to the desired cycle time of 0.4
minutes.
Examining the precedence diagram, let us begin with A since it is the only
element that does not have a precedence. We assign A to workstation 1. B
and C are now available for assignment. Cycle time is exceeded with A and
C in the same workstation, so we assign B to workstation 1 and place C in a
second workstation. No other element can be added to workstation 2, due to

cycle time constraints. That leaves D for assignment to a third workstation.
Elements grouped into workstations are circled on the precedence diagram.
Slide 56 of 96
Line Balancing
 Solution
We must group elements into workstations so that the sum of
Our assembly line consists of three workstations, arranged as

follows:
Slide 57 of 96
Line Balancing
 Solution
 Since the theoretical minimum number of workstations
was three, we know we have balanced the line as
efficiently as possible.
 The assembly line has an efficiency of
 Discussion Qns.
1. What is the difference between block and relationship diagramming?
2. How do service layouts differ from manufacturing layouts?
3. What are the objectives of line balancing?
4. Describe several heuristic approaches to line balancing.
Slide 58 of 96
Computerized Line Balancing
 There are software packages that do line balancing

for large systems including;
 IBM's COMSOAL (Computer Method for Sequencing
Operations for Assembly Lines)
 GE's ASYBL (Assembly Line Configuration Program)
 These can assign hundreds of work elements to

workstations on an assembly line.
 They are commercially available but do not guarantee
optimal solutions. They use various heuristics to
balance the line at an acceptable level of efficiency.
Slide 59 of 96
Computerized Line Balancing
 Exceptionally, the POM for Windows software lets the user

select from five different heuristics:
 Ranked positional weight
 Longest operation time
 Shortest operation time
 Most number of following tasks
 Least number of following tasks.
 These heuristics specify the order in which work elements are
considered for allocation to workstations.
 Elements are assigned to workstations in the order given until
the cycle time is reached or until all tasks have been assigned.
Slide 60 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
 Hybrid layouts modify and/or combine some aspects

of product and process layouts.
They include;
Cellular layouts
o
Flexible manufacturing systems

o
Mixed-model assembly lines

o
Cellular layout
 Groups dissimilar machines into work centers (called
cells) that process families of parts with similar

shapes or processing requirements
Slide 61 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
A family of A family of related

similar parts grocery items
 This combines the flexibility of a process layout

with the efficiency of a product layout.
Slide 62 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
 Based on the concept of group technology (GT)

 Dissimilar machines are grouped into work centres
called cells
 Cells process parts with similar shapes or processing
requirements.
 The arrangement minimises material movement.
 Large machines that cannot be split among cells are
located near to the cells that use them (point of use)
 Each cell resembles a small assembly line. Thus, line-
balancing procedures can be used to arrange the
machines within the cell.
Slide 63 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
 The layout between cells is a process layout

Consider the Figure below
 Machines are grouped by function into four distinct
departments.
 Component parts are manufactured in the process
layout section of the factory

 Manufactured parts are later assembled into a finished
product on the assembly line
 The parts follow different flow paths through the
shop, for parts A, B, and C
Slide 64 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
Assembly
4 6 7 9
5 8
2 10 12
1 3 11
A B C Raw materials
Slide 65 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
 Notice;
 The distance that each part must travel
 The irregularity of the part routings.
 Paperwork is needed to direct the flow of each

individual part and operation performed on it
 Workers are skilled at operating the types of

machines within a single department
 Works can operate more than one machine at a time.

Slide 66 of 96
Hybrid Layouts
 Figure below
 Gives the complete part routing matrix for the eight parts processed
through the facility.
 In its current form, there is no apparent pattern to the routings.
Machines
Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A x x x x x
B x x x x
C x x x
D x x x x x
E x x x
F x x x
G x x x x
H x x x
Slide 67 of 96
Production Flow Analysis (PFA)
 Is a Group Technology (GT) technique that reorders part

routing matrices to identify families of parts with similar
processing requirements.
 GT /Cellular Manufacturing is philosophy that seeks to exploit the
commonality in manufacturing and uses this as a basis for grouping
components and resources.
 The reordering process can be as simple as listing which parts
have;
 Four machines in common
 Three in common
 Two in common, and the like
 Or as sophisticated as pattern-recognition algorithms from
the field of artificial intelligence.
Slide 68 of 96
 Reordering the figure above results in the cell

arrangements showed below
Machines
Parts 1 2 4 8 10 3 6 9 5 7 11 12
A x x x x x
D x x x x x
F x x x
C x x x
G x x x x
B x x x x
H x x x
E x x x
Slide 69 of 96
 Cell 1, consisting of machines 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10, will

process parts A, D, and F
 Cell 2, consisting of machines 3, 6, and 9, will

process products C and G
 Cell 3, consisting of machines 5, 7, 11, and 12, will

process parts B, H, and E
 Below is the complete/revised cellular layout

showing the three cells feeding a final assembly line
Slide 70 of 96
 Revised Cellular Layout

Assembly
8 10 9 12
11
4 Cell 1 Cell 2 6 Cell 3
7
2 1 3 5
A B C
Raw materials
Slide 71 of 96
 Part-flows for parts A, B, and C are much more direct than

those in the process layout.
 There is no backtracking or crisscrossing of routes, and the
parts travel a shorter distance to be processed.
 Parts G and E cannot be completely processed within cells 2
and 3 to which they are assigned
 Therefore the two cells are located in such a fashion that the
transfer of parts between the cells does not involve much extra
movement.
 The U shape of cells 1 and 3 facilitates the rotation of workers
among several machines.
Slide 72 of 96
 Workers
operate
more than
one
machine.
 workers
are
assigned a
path to
follow
among the
machines
that they
operate
Slide 73 of 96
Advantages of Cellular Layouts
 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 of Cellular Layouts
 Inadequate part families
 Poorly balanced cells
 Expanded training and scheduling of workers
 Increased capital investment
Slide 74 of 96
Flexible Manufacturing Systems
 A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a group of

numerically-controlled machine tools, interconnected
by a central control system.
 The various machining cells are interconnected, via
loading and unloading stations, by an automated
transport system.
 Types of FMS layouts
 Progressive layout: All parts follow the same progression
through the machining stations.
 Closed-loop layout: Parts can easily skip stations or can
move around the loop to visit stations in an alternate order.
Slide 75 of 96
Flexible Manufacturing Systems
 Types of FMS layouts

 Ladder layout: Machine tools appear to be located on
the steps of a ladder, allowing two machines to work
on one item at a time. (figure (a) below)
 Open-field layout: The most complex and flexible
FMS layout. (figure (b) below) It allows material to
move among the machine centres in any order and
typically includes several support stations such as;
 Tool interchange stations
 Pallet or fixture build stations
 Inspection stations
 Chip/Coolant collection systems.
Slide 76 of 96
Ladder Layout
Slide 77 of 96
Open-field Layout
Slide 78 of 96
Mixed-Model Assembly Lines
 A type of assembly line in which assemblers work on

all different models of a product in the same assembly
line.
 To achieve mixed model assembly line layout designers;
 Reduced the time needed to change over the line to produce
different models.
 Trained their workers to perform a variety of tasks and
allowed them to work at more than one workstation on the
line, as needed.
 Changed the way in which the line was arranged and
scheduled.
Slide 79 of 96
Factors Influencing the design and operation of
mixed-model assembly lines
 Line balancing: In a mixed-model line, the time to complete a
task can vary from model to model
 U-shaped lines: This ensures an interactive line arrangement
so that workers can assist one another as needed
 Flexible workforce: If the desired cycle time is exceeded at
any station on the line, other workers are notified to come to
the aid of the troubled station
 Model sequencing: Since different models are produced on the
same line, model assemblies are mixed so that a short model
(requiring less than the average time) follows a long one
(requiring more than the average time).
Slide 80 of 96
Balancing U-Shaped Lines
Precedence diagram:
A B C
Cycle time = 12 min

D E
(a) Balanced for a straight line (b) Balanced for a U-shaped line
A,B C,D E
A,B
9 min 12 min 3 min
24 24
Efficiency = = = .6666 = 66.7 % C,D
3(12) 36
E
24 24
Efficiency = = = 100 % 12 min 12 min
2(12) 24
Slide 81 of 96
Discussion Questions
 How are manufacturing cells formed? How does the

role of the worker differ in cellular manufacturing?
 How does a cellular layout combine a product and

process layout?
 Describe a flexible manufacturing system. How does

it differ from a cellular layout?
 How do mixed-model assembly lines differ from

traditional assembly lines? What additional decisions
are required?
Slide 82 of 96
Slide 83 of 96

04 Facility Layout

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04 Facility Layout

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Facility layout

 Definition: Refers to the arrangement of space-

 Output (product/service) design-product or service

 Process design-the way a product or service is

o Sequence of processing operations for each output

o Processing equipment required for each operation

o Floor space requirements of equipment

o Inventory storage requirements for raw materials,

 Facility location-the current site: what flexibility does

 Support services-these are resources that support the

primary production functions. They include:

o Maintenance, supervision, employee

o Loading docks, storage, aisles, elevators

 Ensure a smooth flow of work, material, people, and

 Facilitate the entry, exit, and placement of material,

Layouts are grouped into two main categories;

Flexible manufacturing systems, and

Mixed-model assembly lines.

We discuss basic layouts first.

 Groups similar activities together in departments or

 For examples In a machine shop

o All drills would be located in one work centre,

o Lathes in another work centre, and

o Milling machines in still another work centre.

 Manufacturing Process Layout

 Process Layout in Services

Women’s Cosmetics Children’s

Women’s Entry and Men’s

o Shoes are located in separate departments.

 Are primarily in job shops, or firms that produce

 Handles a variety of low-volume products that may

 The equipment in a process layout is general purpose

 Workers are skilled at operating the equipment in

 Flexibility in the production process

 Better control of manufacturing cost

 Easy to handle the problems

 Better supervising (experts will be there in each

 Higher individual incentive

 Manufacturing time increases

 Controlling will be costly and complex

 Material handling is slow and costly

 More work space required

 Equipment utilisation rates are low

 Accumulation of work-in progress

 Arrange activities in a line according to the sequence

 Each product or service has its own "line" (sequence

 Product layouts are suitable for mass production or repetitive

 The product or service is a standard one made for a general

 Workers perform narrowly defined assembly tasks that do not

 High rate of output.

 Labour specialisation reduces training costs and time.

 High utilisation of labour and equipment.

 Economical material handling activities.

 Simplification of the production planning and control systems.

 Accounting purchasing and inventory control are fairly routine.

 Division of labour usually creates dull, repetitive jobs with

 The product, because of its fragile, bulky, or heavy

 It commonly found in industries which manufacture large size

 Layout is fully flexible and is capable of absorbing any sort of

 Lower labour cost (people are drawn from functional

 Less floor space because machines and equipment are in

 Most suitable way of assembling large and heavy products.

 High capital investment