PLANT LAYOUT
By
Neeraj Kumar
Assistant Professor
School of business, Upes dehradun
Definitions of Plant layout
• A method of organizing the elements of a production
process, in which similar processes and functions are
grouped together.
• Plant Layout is the physical arrangement of equipment
and
facilities within a plant.
• It is the organization of physical facilities like machinery,
equipment & the allocation of space for the various
activities of the plant & personnel working in the plant.
Facility Layout
• Facility layout may be defined as the arrangement of machinery,
equipment, and other amenities in a facility, which should ensure a
smooth movement of materials.
• According to Moore, facility layout is the plan of or the act of
planning an optimum arrangement of facilities, including personnel,
operating equipment, storage space, material handling equipment, and
all other supporting services along with the design of the best
structure to contain these facilities.
Plant Layout
• Layout is a Fundamental of every organization and enterprise.
• Kitchen, Retailers, offices, service organization and all the
enterprises have a specific layout.
• Previously Layouts were based on intuition, experience and
judgment.
• With the complexities and competition now scientific methods are
used.
• The Layout comes in picture after the location has been finalized.
• Development of good layout depends on decisions already taken on
location, capacity, facility, manufacturing method and material
handling techniques.
Objectives of Facility Layout
• The primary 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.
• Streamline the flow of materials.
• Facilitate the manufacturing process.
• Maintain high turnover of high in-process inventory.
• Minimize materials handling and cost.
• Effective utilization of men, equipment, and space.
• Make effective utilization of cubic space.
• Provide the employee convenience, safety, and comfirt.
• Minimize investment in equipment.
• Minimize overall production cost.
Factors Affecting a Facility Layout
• Materials
• Product
• Machinery
• Type of Industry
• Management Policies
Factors to be considered in
plant layout
Building Men Machiner Materials Moveme
y nt Waiting time Services &
Changes
Factors Affecting a Facility Layout
1) Building & Structure :Depend on type of production system
(Intermittent / Continuous)
• Intermittent System : Building & Shades are constructed & layouts
done in shades with best possible options & then machinery will be
brought inside.
• Continuous System: Arrange machines first then construction
around . It should withstand & offer support to cranes / hoists /
trolleys etc.
2) Men
• Number of people.
• Unskilled (More space ) / Skilled (Less space i.e. Computer
operator).
• Physic of workers ( ex. height ).
3)Machinery
• Type of machine :
• General purpose machines : Compact in size & requires less
space.
• Special Purpose machines (SPM) : Large in size, complicated,
high level of automation.
• Number of machines :
• Level of automation (Semi / fully automated)
• Higher complexity (wider space).
4) Material
• Nature of material ( Flammable / inflammable / Hazardous &
Non-Hazardous , Corrosive , Methalene , mercury , oils , fuels)
• Form of material ( Solid / Liquid / Powder etc)
• Quantity of material to be handled.
• Cycle Time: Consumption of material.
5) Movement
• Movement of people / machines / cranes (length & frequency)
• Purpose of movement (With load / without load / Quantity of load)
6)Waiting Time :
• Cycle time for completeting each activity.
• Intermittent –
• Uncertain & High.
• More storage places between machines & facilities.
• Continuous –
• Defined & low.
7) Services and changes
Changes :
• Production Volume
• Product type & design
• Process type
• Varieties
• Frequency of change ( Ex 5 years)
Services:
• Electrical supply
• Pneumatic supply ( Air supply)
• Water supply
• Chilling process – Cooling Tower
• Air ventilation –Ducting
• Fire extinguishers – Water sprinklers
Types of Plant layout
• Functional Layout ( Process Layout)
• Line Layout ( Product Layout)
• Static Product Layout ( Fixed Position)
• Group Layout ( Cellular Layout)
• Combination layout ( Hybrid Layout)
Process Layout (Functional Layout)
• Group similar activities together in departments or
work centers according to the process or function
they perform.
• Example 1: In a machine shop, all drills would be
located in one work center, lathes in another work
center, and milling mach ines in still another work
center.
• Example 2: In a department store, women’s clothes,
men’s clothes, children’s clothes, cosmetics, and
shoes are located in separate departments.
Characteristic of Process Layout
• Intermittent operations,
• service shops,
• Job shops,
• batch production,
• Serve different customers with different needs
• The volume of each customer’s order is low, and the
sequence of operations required to complete a
customer’s order can vary considerably.
• More versatile workers
Process Layout (Functional Layout)
• Also called as process layout.
• Its best suited for intermittent type of operation.
• Machines on layout are called as general-purpose machines.
• It involves a grouping together of like machines in one section / dept.
Example :
• Machines performing grinding operation are installed in grinding
dept.
• Machines performing drilling operation are installed in drilling
dept.
• Heat Treatment / Painting etc.
Process Layout
• Advantages :
• Easy to handle machine breakdown by transfer of to another
machine.
• Greater Scope for expansion.
• Investment on equipment will be comparatively low .
• Full utilization of equipment.
• Disadvantages :
• Requires more floor space.
• Difficulty in movement of material.
• Production control is difficult.
• High production time as material has to travel from place to
place.
Product Layout (Line Layout)
• Arrange activities in a line according to the sequence
of operations that need to be performed to assemble a
particular product.
• Each product has its own “line” specifically designed
to meet its requirements.
• Since the line is set up for one type of product or
service, special machines can be purchased to match a
product’s specific processing requirements.
• Conveyors are the most common material handling
equipment for product. It is an integral part of the
assembly process.
Product Layout (Line Layout)
• Storage space along an assembly line is quite small
because in-process inventory is consumedin the
assembly of the product as it moves down the
assembly line.
• Product layouts are suitable for mass production or
repetitive operations in which demand is stable and
volume is high.
• Target general market, not for a particular customer.
• More automated than process layouts.
Product Layout
Product Layout
Advantages :
• Smooth & regular flow of finished goods.
• Shorter processing time due to less travel , storage & inspection frequency.
• Reduced material handling.
• Low-cost labors & lesser training requirement.
• Use of special purpose machines (SPM) ,automatic or semi automatic.
• Easy production control.
Disadvantages :
• The major concern in a product layout is balancing the assembly line
• Heavy capital investment.
• Non flexible layout .
• Risk of total production line shutdown..
Static Product Layout ( Fixed Position)
• Product produced is too fragile, bulky, or heavy to
move.
• This type of layout involves the movement of men &
machines to the product which remains stationary.
• Equipment utilization is low because it is often less
costly to leave equipment idle at a location.
• The equipment is leased or subcontracted because it is
used for limited periods of time.
• The fixed cost would be relatively low, whereas the
variable costs would be high.
• Suitable when one or a few pieces of identical heavy
products are to be manufactured.
• Assembly consists of large number of heavy parts. The
cost of transportation or these parts is very high.
Static Product Layout ( Fixed Position)
• Examples
Raw Material
1. Aircraft Assembly
Machine & 2. Flyover Bridge Finished
equipment Product
3. Water Dam
Labors 4. Ships
Contd…
Advantages :
• The investment on layout is very small.
• The high cost & difficulty in transporting a bulky product are avoided.
• The workers identify themselves with a product in which they take interest
and pride in doing the job.
Disadvantages :
• High cost of operation.
• Very high duration of project.
• Rework will be very costly.
Combination layout ( Hybrid Layout)
• Combines elements of both product (line) layouts and process
(functional) layouts.
• Designed to accommodate the specific needs of an organization
that requires flexibility for varied products but still wants the
efficiency of linear workflows for certain processes
• Possible where an item is being made in different types and
sizes.
• 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.
• Fabrication of parts ----Process Layout
• Assembly of parts ----Product layout
Ex : Soap Manufacturing Machines
Combination layout ( Hybrid Layout)
Combination layout: Advantages
• Improved Efficiency: High-volume items or
processes can be streamlined using product layouts,
while more flexible areas handle customization.
• Versatility: It can handle both standardized mass
production and more complex or customized
products.
• Balanced Workflow: Allows an organization to
balance flexibility and cost-efficiency in production,
depending on the needs of each stage of
manufacturing or service delivery.
Group Layout ( Cellular Layout)
• A group layout is a facility layout where workstations
or machines are grouped into “cells” to process
similar types of products or components.
• The group of equipment is called “ cell “
• The arrangement of cells is called a “cellular Layout”.
• Each cell is designed to perform a specific set of taks
for a particular family of products that share similar
processing requirement.
Cellular Layout: Key characteristics
• Products or components with similar processing steps are
grouped into dedicated cells.
• Each cell operates semi-autonomously, producing a
specific family of products.
• Reduces transportation and handling time between
processes.
• Balances the flexibility of process layouts with the
efficiency of product layouts.
• Improves coordination and communication within the
cell, leading to faster production cycles.
Example: Bicycle Manufacturing
Cell 1
3
1 2
1 2
3 Cell 3
5 4
Cell 2 Cell 4
Cellular Layout: Advantages
Increased efficiency: Reduces movement of materials and
people between different functions.
Better flexibility: Can handle a variety of products or
components with similar processing needs.
Reduced work-in-process inventory: Streamlines operations
within the cell, resulting in less work waiting between processes.
Improved quality control: Operators in the same cell can easily
inspect and correct defects as they work on similar products.
Shorter lead times: The product family is produced in a focused
manner, which reduces waiting and improves throughput.
