1

What Is L ayo ut
Pla nnin g
 Planning for the location of all machines, employees,
workstations, customer service areas and flow patterns of
materials and people around into and within buildings.
 Layout planning is determining the best physical arrangement of
resources within a facility
 Facility resource arrangement can significantly affect productivity
 Two broad categories of operations:
 Intermittent processing systems – low volume of many
different products
 Continuous processing systems – high volume of a few
standardized products
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Typ es of L ayo uts

 Four basic layout types consisting of;

 Process layouts - Group similar resources
together
 Product layouts - Designed to produce a specific
product efficiently
 Hybrid layouts - Combine aspects of both process
and product layouts
 Fixed-Position layouts - Product is too large to
move; e.g. a building
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Pr ocess Layouts
 Process layout unique characteristics include;

 General purpose & flexible resources

 Facilities are more labor intensive

 Lower capital intensity & automation

 Higher labor intensity

 4

Pr ocess Layouts -
contin ued
Here machines of similar type are arranged
together at one place.
Drilling dept, welding dept, heating dept, painting
dept.
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Pr oduct L ayouts

Machines are grouped in sequence and

finished goods travel from machine to
machine.
In a paper mill, bamboos are fed into machine
and paper comes from other end
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Hyb rid L ayo uts

 Combine elements of both product & process

layouts
 Maintain some of the efficiencies of product
layouts
 Maintain some of the flexibility of process layouts
 Examples:
 Group technology & manufacturing cells
 In soap plant, manufacturing is arranged on product
line principle but other services like heating, water
treatment plant are arranged on functional basis.
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Fix ed-Po sit ion Layo ut

 Used when product is large

 Product is difficult or impossible to move,
i.e. very large or fixed
 All resources must be brought to the site
 Scheduling of crews and resources is a
challenge
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 Designing product layout

 Step 1: Identify tasks & immediate predecessors
 Step 2: Determine the desired output rate
 Step 3: Calculate the cycle time
 Step 4: Compute the theoretical minimum
number
of workstations
 Step 5: Assign tasks to workstations (balance
the
line)
 Step 6: Compute efficiency, idle time & balance
delay
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Assembly line balancing

Precedence diagram: circles=tasks,
arrows show the required sequence.
Determine cycle time:

Determine required workstations

(theoretical minimum)

Set rules for assigning tasks (number of

following tasks, longest task time)
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1. Assign tasks to first workstation,

using rules and staying within cycle
time. Repeat for following
workstations until all tasks are
assigned.
2. Evaluate line efficiency:
3. Rebalance if efficiency is not
satisfactory.
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Process Layout: Interdepartmental Flow

Arrange departments consisting of like processes in a
way that optimizes relative placement.
Toy factory: shipping and receiving dept., plastic molding
dept., stamping dept., metal forming dept., sewing
dept., painting dept.
Given
 The flow (number of moves) to and from all departments
 The cost of moving from one department to another
 The existing or planned physical layout of the plant
 Determine
 The “best” locations for each department, where best
means maximizing flow, which minimizing costs
 12

Process Layout: CRAFT Approach

 It is a heuristic program; it uses a
simple rule of thumb in making
evaluations:
 "Compare two departments at a time
and exchange them if it reduces the
total cost of the layout."

 It does not guarantee an optimal

solution
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Process Layout: Systematic Layout
Planning
At times
 Numerical flow of items between departments
 Can be impractical to obtain
 Does not account for the qualitative factors that
may be crucial to the placement decision so
SLP is used.
 Systematic Layout Planning
 Accounts for the importance of having each
department located next to every other
department
 Is also guided by trial and error
 Switching departments then checking the results of
the “closeness” score
 14

Assembly Lines Balancing Concepts

Question: Suppose you load work into the three work
stations below such that each will take the corresponding
number of minutes as shown. What is the cycle time of
this line?

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

Minutes
per Unit 6 7 3
Answer: The cycle time of the line is always
determined by the work station taking the longest
time. In this problem, the cycle time of the line is 7
minutes. There is also going to be idle time at the
other two work stations.
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Example of Line Balancing

 You’ve just been assigned the job a setting

up an electric fan assembly line with the
following tasks:
Task Time (Mins) Description Predecessors
A 2 Assemble frame None
B 1 Mount switch A
C 3.25 Assemble motor housing None
D 1.2 Mount motor housing in frame A, C
E 0.5 Attach blade D
F 1 Assemble and attach safety grill E
G 1 Attach cord B
H 1.4 Test F, G
 16

Example of Line Balancing:

Structuring the Precedence Diagram
Task Predecessors Task Predecessors
A None E D
B A F E
C None G B
D A, C H E, G

A B G
H

C D E F
 17

Example of Line Balancing:

Precedence Diagram
Question: Which process step defines the
maximum rate of production?
2 1 1
A B G 1.4
H

C D E F
3.25 1.2 .5 1
Answer: Task C is the cycle time of the line and
therefore, the maximum rate of production.
 18

Question: Which process step

defines the maximum rate of
production?
Production time per day 420 mins
Max Production = = = 129 units
Bottleneck time 3.25 mins / unit
2 1 1
A B G 1.4
Task Time (Mins) Description H Predecessors
A 2 Assemble frame None
B 1 Mount switch A
C C 3.25 DAssemble motor
E housing F None
D 3.25 1.2 Mount motor
1.2 .5 housing in1 frame A, C
E 0.5 Attach blade D
Answer:
F Task
1 C is the cycle
Assemble timesafety
and attach of the grillline and E
therefore,
G the
1 maximum rate of production.
Attach cord B
H 1.4 Test E, G
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Question: Which process step defines the
maximum rate of production?
Question: Suppose we want to assemble 100 fans per day.
What would our cycle time have to be?
2 1 1
1.4
A B G
H

Answer:
C D E F
3.25 1.2 .5 1
Production time per period
Required Cycle Time, C =
Required output per period
420 mins / day
C= = 4.2 mins / unit
100 units / day
 20

Example of Line Balancing: Determine

Theoretical Minimum Number of
Workstations

Question: What is the theoretical minimum

number of workstations for this problem?
Theoretical Min. Number of Workstations, N t
Answer:

Sum of task times (T)

Nt =
Cycle time (C)

11.35 mins / unit

Nt = = 2.702, or 3
4.2 mins / unit
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Example of Line Balancing: Rules To Follow

for Loading Workstations

 Assign tasks to station 1, then 2, etc. in sequence. Keep

assigning to a workstation ensuring that precedence is
maintained and total work is less than or equal to the cycle
time. Use the following rules to select tasks for assignment.

 Primary: Assign tasks in order of the largest number of

following tasks

 Secondary (tie-breaking): Assign tasks in order of the

longest operating time
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Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

 23

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2)
 24

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2)
B (2.2-1=1.2)
 25

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2)
B (2.2-1=1.2)
G (1.2-1= .2)

Idle= .2
 26

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2) C (4.2-3.25)=.95
B (2.2-1=1.2)
G (1.2-1= .2)

Idle= .2
 27

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2) C (4.2-3.25)=.95
B (2.2-1=1.2)
G (1.2-1= .2)

Idle= .2 Idle = .95

 28

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2) C (4.2-3.25)=.95 D (4.2-1.2)=3

B (2.2-1=1.2)
G (1.2-1= .2)

Idle= .2 Idle = .95

 29

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2) C (4.2-3.25)=.95 D (4.2-1.2)=3

B (2.2-1=1.2) E (3-.5)=2.5
G (1.2-1= .2)

Idle= .2 Idle = .95

 30

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2) C (4.2-3.25)=.95 D (4.2-1.2)=3

B (2.2-1=1.2) E (3-.5)=2.5
G (1.2-1= .2) F (2.5-1)=1.5

Idle= .2 Idle = .95

 31

Task Followers Time (Mins)

A 6 2
2 1 1
1.4 C 4 3.25
A B G
H D 3 1.2
B 2 1
E 2 0.5
C D E F
F 1 1
3.25 1.2 .5 1
G 1 1
H 0 1.4

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3

A (4.2-2=2.2) C (4.2-3.25)=.95 D (4.2-1.2)=3

B (2.2-1=1.2) E (3-.5)=2.5
G (1.2-1= .2) F (2.5-1)=1.5
H (1.5-1.4)=.1
Idle= .2 Idle = .95 Idle = .1
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Example of Line Balancing: Determine the

Efficiency of the Assembly Line
Sum of task times (T)
Efficiency =
Actual number of workstations (Na) x Cycle time (C)

11.35 mins / unit

Efficiency = =.901
(3)(4.2mins / unit)
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Q1. An assembly line is to operate 8 hrs per day

with desired output of 240 units per day. Given
the task time and precedence relationships:
Task Time Predecessor
A 60 -
B 80 A
C 20 A
D 50 A
E 90 B,C
F 30 C,D
G 30 E,F
H 60 G
 34

Draw precedence diagram

What is workstation cycle time?
Balance this line using longest task time
What is the efficiency of line balance
 35

B
E
80
90

A G H
C
60 30 60
20

F
D 30

50
 36

 C = production time per day/required

output per day = (8 hour/day)(3600
seconds/hour)/240 units per day = 120
seconds per unit

 Efficiency =(T/Na*C) = 420/4*120=

.875 or 87.5%
 37

Work station Task Task time Idle time

1 A 60
D 50 10
II B 80
C 20 20
III E 90
F 30 0
IV G 30
H 60 30
 38

Group Technology:
Benefits
1. Better human relations

2. Improved operator expertise

3. Less in-process inventory and

material handling

4. Faster production setup

 39

Group Technology:
Transition from Process Layout
1. Grouping parts into families that
follow a common sequence of steps

2. Identifying dominant flow patterns

of parts families as a basis for
location or relocation of processes

3. Physically grouping machines and

processes into cells
 40

Fixed Position Layout

Question: What are our primary

considerations for a fixed position layout?

Answer: Arranging materials and equipment

concentrically around the production point in
their order of use.
 41

Retail Service Layout

 Goal--maximize net profit per
square foot of floor space
 Servicescapes
 Ambient Conditions
 Spatial Layout and Functionality
 Signs, Symbols, and Artifacts
 42

 Warehouse Layout
Considerations:
 Primary decision is where to locate
each department relative to the
dock
 warehouse layouts; more docks,
less storage space, and less order
picking
 43

 Office Layout Considerations:

 Almost half of workforce works in an office
environment
 Human interaction and communication are the primary
factors in designing office layouts
 Layouts need to account for physical environment and
psychological needs of the organization
 One key layout trade-off is between proximity and
privacy
 Open concept offices promote understanding & trust
 Flexible layouts incorporating “office landscaping” help
to solve the privacy issue in open office environments