Overview of plant layout and its objectives and types Plant layout is a business structure in which the resources such as materials, equipment and workforce are properly placed and organized within the selected site. It is the planning to ensure that the available space is utilized to the maximum capacity. This systematic arrangement makes sure that the product is manufactured in both efficient and economical ways. The movement of material and positioning of value added operations have a big impact on cost too. Group50’s plant layout consultants have years of lean manufacturing experience in optimizing distribution centers in companies such as GE, Black & Decker, Sunbeam, P&G, and many others. They are project management experts and have the ability to work with their clients from start to finish. Their consultants provide training workshops for the various systems and skills levels required to effectively operate a newly designed factory, work cell or system. They understand how to leverage the intersection of people, process and technology to:
Optimize cost Minimize working capital Reduce lead times Ensure high quality levels
Objectives of plant layout
Maximum and efficient utilization of the factory space Movement of machinery and manpower in an easy manner Reduce the material handling costs Enhance the productive levels Increase the employees’ morale and efficiency
Reduce the risks of accidents Eliminating the bottlenecks and delays in the production of the product Provide easy supervision and control Types of layout
Product or line layout Process or functional layout Fixed position or location layout Combined or group layout
Product or line layout This type of layout works best for the industries that involve repetitive assembly or continuous flow. In product layout, the materials and resources are arranged sequentially and move from one workstation to another in the form of a line. When a product has to be manufactured in large quantities, this type of layout is very much suitable. Raw materials are fed into the first machinery and then they automatically move from one machine to another; making the output of one machine, the input for another. Process or functional layout Process layout is where the machines for carrying out the similar operations are placed at one place. This type of layout is suitable for the firms where the products are manufactured in low volume or are customized. In this, the operations involving the similar function are grouped together and the work is allocated in a manner that no machinery has to perform a different task. Fixed position or location layout In fixed position layout, the products are manufactured at a fixed location. This type of layout is suitable for the products that are too heavy or large to move. All the resources are placed near the work center itself. Combined or group layout
This layout is a combination of all the other three types of layout. It is suitable for the manufacturing units that produce products in large quantity but in a noncontinuous manner. Group50’s consultants use multiple techniques including material flow modeling, value stream mapping, Kaizen, continuous improvement programs and others. Their plant layout consultants have deep experience in utilizing the latest technologies and best practices in manufacturing facilities. Their consultants are trusted resources who have spent their careers in corporate America and who have worked at every level and in every business function. To find out more, talk to a plant layout consultant at Group50.
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