What is Facility Layout?  The layout facility is the physical location of the various departments/units of the facility within the premises of the facility.  The departments may be located based on the considerations such as: Less walking distance Logical sequence of the processing requirements of the product Emergency services, etc

Factors affecting Layout o Material o Product o Machinery o Labour o Location o Managerial Policies o Type of Industry

Scope of Facility Layout Related to material Less material handling and minimum transportation cost Less waiting time for in-process inventory. Related to work place Safe working conditions from the point of ventilation, lighting, etc. Minimum movement of workers Least chances of accidents, fire, etc. Proper space for machines, worker, tools, etc.

Performance related objectives Simpler plant maintenance Increased productivity, better product quality, and reduced cost Least set-up cost and minimal change-over Objective related to flexibility Scope for future expansion

Types of Layouts 1) Process Layout suitable when product having standard features is to be produced in large volumes. the specialized machines and equipments are arranged one after another in the order of sequence required in the production process. CAR 1 CAR 2 CAR 3 Conveyer

Advantages of Process Layout: Greater Flexibility Better and more efficient supervision possible through specialization Capacity of different product line can be expanded easily. Better utilization of men and machine. Disadvantages: More floor space More work in progress More distance travelled by the product.

2) Product 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.

Advantages: Mechanization of materials is possible and material handling cost can be reduced. It requires less floor area. It facilitates better production control. Production bottlenecks are avoided. Disadvantages: Expansion of product line is difficult. There is difficulty is supervising. Breakdown of equipment disrupts the production.

3) Grouping Technology Layout Grouping technology layout of cellular manufacturing layout is made for a single part family i.e parts with common characteristics. In this layout dissimilar machines are grouped into cells and each cell functions like product layout. Advantage and Disadvantages: It reduces material handling cost and simplifies machine changeovers. It reduces in-process inventory and automate the production but reduces the flexibility.

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. Advantage: Less investment is required in this layout and less transport cost as bulky machines are not moved. 4) Fixed Position Layout