FACILITY LAYOUT
PROBLEM
Mohamed Iqbal Pallipurath
FACILITY LAYOUT
PROBLEM
Once a firm has
decided where a
facility will be
located, the next
important decision is
the Arrangement of
people and
Equipment within
the facility.
FACILITY LAYOUT
PROBLEM
Facility Layout problem involves the
location of departments (or sections)
within the facility AND the arrangement
of people and equipment within each
department.
FACILITY LAYOUT
PROBLEM
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The layout decision will certainly affect
the Flow of materials, in-plant
Transportation cost, equipment
utilization, and general productivity and
effectiveness of the business.
Therefore, plant layout should be
carefully arranged, AND It must satisfy
specific objectives.
FACILITY LAYOUT
PROBLEM
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Usually the layout is planned to minimize a
particular criterion:
For example, minimizing total traveling time,
total cost, total delays, etc.
There are also situations in which the layout
may be designed to maximize a criterion:
For example, maximize quality, flexibility, or
space utilization.
Layout Types
- Process Layout:
- Fixed Layout:
- Product Layout:
Process Layout
Similar pieces of equipment that
perform similar functions are grouped
together. For example; all drill
machines are grouped and placed
together.
Product Layout
The pieces of equipment required to
make a Particular product are grouped
together, as in an Automobile assembly
line.
Fixed Layout
The equipment is brought to the object
being processed, and the object does
not move. Example; house
construction.
Layout Types
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The selection of the layout type
depends on: 1) the firm’s operations
strategy, 2) the forecast volume of
production, 3) the physical
characteristics of the product, 4)
availability of the resources, and 5) the
type of process technology that will be
used.
Layout Types
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Regardless of the layout type selected,
Today’s harsh competition forces
manufacturer firms to build new facilities that
can be easily transformed to other types of
facilities.
This means that the companies are becoming
more flexible in changing their facility layouts
in order to respond future needs of the
organization.
Quantitative Models for
Facility Layout Decisions
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Arranging people and equipment in a
facility can quickly become complex.
The greater the variety of ways in
which products are carried through the
facility, the greater the number of
potential layouts.
Quantitative Models for
Facility Layout Decisions
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When there are many alternatives to
consider, the analytic models that we
describe in the following are helpful.
Minimizing
Communication Cost
If there is
considerable traffic
between pairs of
departments, a firm
may want to
Minimize the cost of
inter-departmental
travel.
Example
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Frontec Company wants to arrange
Four of its departments in a Row so
that the Total Distance Traveled
between Departments is minimized.
This part of the building will contain
four departments arranged in a row.
Example
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Frontec wishes to minimize the total
daily inter-departmental distance
traveled.
The number of daily communications
between each pair of department is
shown below:
Example
Example
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Assume that adjacent departments are 20
feet apart.
We will use a trial-and-error approach to this
problem.
Assume that we selected the following
configuration for the departments: A-B-C-D.
For this configuration, Total communication
cost (based on distance) is as follows:
Example
Example
Example
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In terms of total daily communication
distance, (B-A-C-D) is the preferred
alternative.
But the firm has to consider all of the
24 (4! = 4x3x2x1) possible
configurations before it knows if this is
the optimal configuration.
Example
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This trial-and-error approach becomes
time-consuming as the number of
departments increases AND It also
becomes complex when the cost of
communications vary between
departments.
Systematic Layout
Planning
Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) is an
organized approach to facility Layout
planning.
Systematic Layout
Planning
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The heart of SLP is the Activity
Relationship Chart and Diagrams that
neatly summarize vast amounts of
quantitative and Qualitative
information.
Example
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A small accounting Firm, GUNTAŞ
Accounting, has rented Space in a new
one-floor building.
The firm has allocated 6000 square
meter to its seven departments as
follows:
Example
Example
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In the first step of Systematic Layout
Planning, we analyze interactions
between departments AND we assess
the desirability of placing departments
together.
Example
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The firm has carefully analyzed its
operations to Determine the importance
of Locating specific departments Close
Together.
The results of this analysis are
summarized in the following Activity
Relationship Chart:
Example
Example
Example
Example
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This Activity Relationship Diagram is
essentially an Illustration of the
Information Contained in the Activity
Relationship Chart.
All departments in this diagram are
Represented by equal size boxes.
The next step is to anticipate the space
required for each Department.
Example
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Since the space assignments are given
before, the following Activity
Relationship Diagram shows the relative
Sizes of Each Department:
Example
Example
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In this stage, there are no restrictions
on the length and width of each
department
In the final step, we should develop and
evaluate several alternative layouts,
while keeping in mind the Practical
Limitations.
Example
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Some examples of Practical Limitations in this
case were as follows:
1- It is considered that offices for partners
(2), the meeting room (7) and the reception
area (1) should be close to each other.
2- It is important that the juniors (4) and the
managers (3) be close together.
Example
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As a result of these limitations, An
alternative floor plan is developed as
follows:
Example
Example
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This floor plan may be revised many times
until the best layout has been found.
Usually departments are positioned one by
one, Beginning with the department with
the Highest A or E ratings.
Systematic Layout Planning is essentially an
organized Trial-and-Error Approach.
Example
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Therefore, unless all possible layouts are
considered, There is no way to know if an
Optimal Solution been Reached.
However, there are a number of Heuristics
that can be used to Generate good solutions
Quickly.
Heuristics: Trial-and-error solutions that do
not give optimal solution but easy to apply.
Example
Layout planning Heuristics are of two
types:
- Those which start with an initial layout
and proceed to modify it (These are
called Improvement Heuristics), and
- Those which start the Layout analysis
from scratch (Construction Heuristics.)
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Example
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The most widely known algorithm
requiring an Initial Layout developed by
hand is the Computerized Relative
Allocation of Facilities Technique
(CRAFT).
CRAFT was developed for situations in
which Materials Handling Costs were a
major consideration.
Example
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Therefore, its goal is to Minimize the Total
Cost of Moving Items between Departments.
It attempts to improve an Initial Layout by
switching the locations of pairs of
departments.
It begins with one department, AND one by
one Analyzes the effect on total travel cost of
switching those departments.
Example
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While the Original CRAFT was used only for
single-story buildings,
An extension of CRAFT called SPACECRAFT
can handle multistory buildings.
Some examples of Construction Heuristics
include CORELAP (Computerized Relationship
Layout Planning) and ALDEP (Automated
Layout Design Program).
Example
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These heuristics start with an empty
floor area and proceed to fit
departments.
ALDEP can be used in a multistory
building. It generates many alternative
layouts.
Example
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CORELAP on the other hand, can lay
out only single story buildings.
Both programs use closeness codes
defined in the Activity Relationship
Charts.
Example
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A Final Note: In general, Because
technologies change rapidly, facilities
and technologies must be modified to
suit the market requirements.
Example
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It is better to have Low-cost,
extendable physical facilities Than to
modify existing structures.
These extendable facilities can be
replaced with more suitable structures
designed for the life of the changing
products or services.
Storage and Warehouse
Layouts
In a storage Layout, The
most important criterion
is the Ease of Storage
and Retrieval.
Aisles in a storage need
to be little wider than the
equipment for moving
and handling stock.
Storage and Warehouse
Layouts
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And equipment should be selected that
allows the Fullest use of the internal
Height of the Building.
There are differences between
Automated and Manually picked store
houses.
In a storehouse using Automated
Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS),
Storage and Warehouse
Layouts
- There need to be no or little Light.
- The aisles need to be wider than the largest
dimension of the biggest stock item.
- Buildings can be higher, and there no
restrictions about the weights.
- A crane is dedicated to each aisle, picking
from either side.
- Therefore, a crane breakdown means no
access to the affected aisle until it is repaired.
Storage and Warehouse
Layouts
In a manual system, on the other hand,
- Good lightening levels are required.
- Heavy items should be stored at knee
level or lower.
- Storage package sizes should be no
heavier than one person can handle.
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