Factors Affecting the Layout Design
Transcript of Factors Affecting the Layout Design
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GENERAL FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN A LAYOUT DESIGN
Flow of materials
The flow of materials is very important in any layout, and it becomes all the more important
when it is and assembly line. Whenever the layout is being designed it should be designed in
such a way that the flow of materials is not being hindered. There are basically two types of
flow in any layout, namely the internal flow and the external flow. The internal flow consists
of the flow within the layout or how the materials move from one machine to another. Since
it is an assembly line layout the flow of material is very important. The layout should
facilitate the flow of the material. The external flow means the flow external to the layout, ie,
the flow of the raw materials and the finished goods. The raw material pallet should be kept
in such a way that they are near the aisles for easy transportation and also the finished goods
pallets or trolleys should also be kept near the aisles for the easy movement.
Distance travelled
The distance travelled is one of the performance criteria whenever the layouts are being
designed. The distance travelled should be tried to reduce at any cost. The distance travelled
is always considered to be the additional cost. The movement requires time and the time
spent in travelling is the time lost. But we cannot eliminate the moment completely since it is
an ultimate necessity. Even though the movement is a non value addition process this is
unavoidable. Thus all the care should be taken to reduce the movement as much as possible.
This can be done by keeping those machines closer which have larger flow between them
closer. In case of sub-assemblies they should be kept close to the main assembly lines.
Material movement
The material movement mostly refers to the external movement of the materials. This
becomes important when the complete layout has to be designed. The material movement
from the raw materials warehouse to the assembly lines and finally to the finished goods area.
The layout should be so designed that this flow is facilitated and flow is continuous without
any one point having a very large traffic. This will lead to the smooth material flow and easy
handing of the inventories.
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Operator’s convenience
Operator’s convenience should also be taken into consideration while designing a layout.
This is also very important since the operator is the one who is in the shop and who has to do
the operation. Therefore it’s the duty of the layout designer to take care of the ergonomic
factors while designing a layout. Most of the shop floor operations are inherently tiring and
require a great deal of physical work. So the layout should be designed in such a way that the
operators effort is being reduced and he or she does not have to undergo high amount of
physical strain. The operator’s mental setup also comes into the action. For example in
western countries the operators are used to work in the counter clockwise direction but in
eastern countries it’s the other way around. Therefore the work place design as well as the
layout design should be done keeping these factors in mind.
Space available
Space is always a constraint in the design of the layout in any case. The challenge is to come
up with the best layout within the given space. The space is not always available as a luxury
since the space comes only at a price. Moreover the available space should be used wisely
since the space wasted is the money wasted. It can be seems that by closely analysing the
space utilization in almost of the existing layout and by careful rearrangement more space can
be found out.
Country Laws and Norms
The country laws and norms should also be kept in mind before the layout is being designed.
In many countries it has its own standards for the minimum space that should be there for the
operator to operate in the machine. This should be followed strictly. Depending upon these
conditions the layout should be re-designed or modified. Many times these factors tend to be
neglected which may give rise to the legal issues. These laws clearly state all the points
regarding the minimum space required, the maximum working hours, the wages and its
calculations and the overtime wages too. For example in India the minimum space between
any two operators should be 1.2m.
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Types of operations
The type of operation is another major factor while designing the layout. A layout engineer
should have a very good idea about the type of the operation and the difficulties faced by the
operator. He should also be well aware of the issues arising while the operation is going on.
The type of operation like those requiring high precision like that of a watch manufacturing
will have a different set of issues regarding the layout design than that of a job shop or a
foundry shop. Thus when layout designer designs the layout he should be well acquainted
with the operations himself. The best way to be aware of the issues are by going to the floor
and spending time over there, observing the operations, noting down the factors affecting the
operations, doing a FUSA study, talking to the operators, etc.
Environmental Conditions
The environmental condition in which the operator has to operate is also an important factor
that should be considered. For example in a watch factory the entire facility is arir
conditioned and the humidity is also kept under control. This is important since the part are
too small and the accuracy is highly required. But when it comes toa foundry shop the
especially the conditions prevailing near the furnace is completely different. Thus in a watch
factory if the machines can be located close by then in a foundry shop there should be enough
space between the machines for giving enough space for the operator to move and to
reposition himself. Thus while designing the layout the exact conditions prevailing should be
known and the spacing between the machines and facilities should be given taking all these
factors into consideration.
Type of the layout followed
The type of the layout followed comes from the manufacturing philosophy followed by the
firm. The firm can adopt a line layout, or process layout. The firm can also adopt a cellular
layout. So as a layout designer these information should be considered and the layouts should
be designed. The layout consideration for a product layout will not be same for the process
layout. If the product demand is not large enough to justify a dedicated line for the product
then there is no point in designing a product layout and arguing this might reduce the other
cost like material handling cost. Thus the layout designer should actually consider the
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different parts that are being manufacture and their demand and how it can be grouped or the
layout can be designed to achieve an overall profitability.
Size of the finished goods
The size of the finished goods should also be considered. In assembly operations usually the
size of the produc goes on increasing with every operation. Thus this size also has to be
considered. For example in a automobile assembly line the size of the layout restricts the
number of the automobiles in the line but when we consider the layout of a small motor
assembly the size of the product does not increase to a large extent at each assembly station.
If the size of the finished goods is large enough that it cannot be moved by hands then the
layout should also have the space for the manoeuvring of the products also. Therefore the
layout designer should consider this factor also.
The above given factors are just a general view of the real life scenario. In every shop floor
there might be conditions that are unique to that shop. For a layout designer to design a good
layout he has to spent time in the shop floor and try to get himself familiarized with the
conditions existing there and the firms production philosophies.