FourMainTypesofPlantLayout

ArticlesharedbySmritiChand
Keepinginviewthetypeofindustryandvolumeofproduction,thetypeoflayouttobeselectedis
tobedecidedfromthefollowing:
1.ProductorLineLayout
2.ProcessorFunctionalLayout.
3.FixedPositionLayout.
4.CombinationtypeofLayout.
1.ProductorLineLayout:
Ifalltheprocessingequipmentandmachinesarearrangedaccordingtothesequenceofoperationsofthe
product,thelayoutiscalledproducttypeoflayout.Inthistypeoflayout,onlyoneproductofonetypeof
productsisproducedinanoperatingarea.Thisproductmustbestandardizedandproducedinlarge
quantitiesinordertojustifytheproductlayout.
Therawmaterialissuppliedatoneendofthelineandgoesfromoneoperationtothenextquiterapidlywith
aminimumworkinprocess,storageandmaterialhandling.Fig.8.3showsproductlayoutfortwotypesof
productsAandB.

AdvantagesofferedbyProductLayout:
(i)Lowerstotalmaterialhandlingcost.
(ii)Thereislessworkinprocesses.
(iii)Betterutilizationofmenandmachines,
(iv)Lessfloorareaisoccupiedbymaterialintransitandfortemporarystorages.
(v)Greatersimplicityofproductioncontrol.
(vi)Totalproductiontimeisalsominimized.
LimitationsofProductLayout:
(i)Noflexibilitywhichisgenerallyrequiredisobtainedinthislayout.

(ii)Themanufacturingcostincreaseswithafallinvolumeofproduction.
(iii)Ifoneortwolinesarerunninglight,thereisaconsiderablemachineidleness.
(iv)Asinglemachinebreakdownmayshutdownthewholeproductionline.
(v)Specializedandstrictsupervisionisessential.
2.ProcessorFunctionalLayout:
Theprocesslayoutisparticularlyusefulwherelowvolumeofproductionisneeded.Iftheproductsarenot
standardized,theprocesslayoutismorelowdesirable,becauseithascreatorprocessflexibilitythanother.
Inthistypeoflayout,themachinesandnotarrangedaccordingtothesequenceofoperationsbutare
arrangedaccordingtothenatureortypeoftheoperations.Thislayoutiscommonlysuitablefornon
repetitivejobs.
Sametypeofoperationfacilitiesaregroupedtogethersuchaslatheswillbeplacedatoneplace,allthedrill
machinesareatanotherplaceandsoon.SeeFig.8.4forprocesslayout.Therefore,theprocesscarried
outinthatareaisaccordingtothemachineavailableinthatarea.

AdvantagesofProcessLayout:
(i)Therewillbelessduplicationofmachines.Thus,totalinvestmentinequipmentpurchasewillbereduced.
(ii)Itoffersbetterandmoreefficientsupervisionthroughspecializationatvariouslevels.
(iii)Thereisagreaterflexibilityinequipmentandmanpowerthusloaddistributioniseasilycontrolled.
(iv)Betterutilizationofequipmentavailableispossible.
(v)Breakdownofequipmentcanbeeasilyhandledbytransferringworktoanothermachine/workstation.
(vi)Therewillbebettercontrolofcomplicatedorprecisionprocesses,especiallywheremuchinspectionis
required.
LimitationsofProcessLayout:
(i)Therearelongmaterialflowlinesandhencetheexpensivehandlingisrequired.
(ii)Totalproductioncycletimeismoreowingtolongdistancesandwaitingatvariouspoints.
(iii)Sincemoreworkisinqueueandwaitingforfurtheroperationhencebottlenecksoccur.
(iv)Generally,morefloorareaisrequired.

(v)Sinceworkdoesnotflowthroughdefinitelines,countingandschedulingismoretedious.
(vi)Specializationcreatesmonotonyandtherewillbedifficultforthelaidworkerstofindjobinother
industries.
3.FixedPositionLayout:
Thistypeoflayoutistheleastimportantfortodaysmanufacturingindustries.Inthistypeoflayoutthemajor
componentremaininafixedlocation,othermaterials,parts,tools,machinery,manpowerandother
supportingequipmentsarebroughttothislocation.
Themajorcomponentorbodyoftheproductremaininafixedpositionbecauseitistooheavyortoobig
andassuchitiseconomicalandconvenienttobringthenecessarytoolsandequipmentstoworkplace
alongwiththemanpower.Thistypeoflayoutisusedinthemanufactureofboilers,hydraulicandsteam
turbinesandshipsetc.
AdvantagesOfferedbyFixedPositionLayout:
(i)Materialmovementisreduced
(ii)Capitalinvestmentisminimized.
(iii)Thetaskisusuallydonebygangofoperators,hencecontinuityofoperationsisensured
(iv)Productioncentersareindependentofeachother.Hence,effectiveplanningandloadingcanbemade.
Thustotalproductioncostwillbereduced.
(v)Itoffersgreaterflexibilityandallowschangeinproductdesign,productmixandproductionvolume.
LimitationsofFixedPositionLayout:
(i)Highlyskilledmanpowerisrequired.
(ii)Movementofmachinesequipmentstoproductioncentremaybetimeconsuming.
(iii)Complicatedfixturesmayberequiredforpositioningofjobsandtools.Thismayincreasethecostof
production.
4.CombinationTypeofLayout:
Nowadaysinpurestateanyoneformoflayoutsdiscussedaboveisrarelyfound.Therefore,generallythe
layoutsusedinindustriesarethecompromiseoftheabovementionedlayouts.Everylayouthasgotcertain
advantagesandlimitations.Therefore,industrieswouldtolikeuseanytypeoflayoutassuch.
Flexibilityisaveryimportantfactory,solayoutshouldbesuchwhichcanbemoldedaccordingtothe
requirementsofindustry,withoutmuchinvestment.Ifthegoodfeaturesofalltypesoflayoutsareconnected,
acompromisesolutioncanbeobtainedwhichwillbemoreeconomicalandflexible.
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