Plant Layout

PLANT LAYOUT

WHAT IS PLANT LAYOUT, EXPLAIN THE PRINCIPLES AND TYPES OF LAYOUTS?

The concept of plant layout has great significance in industrial organizations. Today every organization is giving much importance to plant layout. The success of an organization is also based on its plant layout. The systematic arrangement of men, machinery and equipment in a given plant area. So, as to achieve maximum production with minimum cost is called plant layout. It means keeping the machinery and equipment with in a given plant area. It can be defined as the process of determining a spatial location for the creation of physical production facilities suitable to manufacture a product.

Principles of plant layout:-

The main principles of plant layout are:
1.Minimizing per unit cost.
2.Optimizing quality.
3.Effective use of manpower, machinery, equipment and space.
4.Employee’s convenience, safety and comfort.
5.Realization of production targets with in a stipulated time period.
6.Achieving organizational goals in most efficient and effective manner.
7.To achieve maximum production with minimum cost.

Types of plant layout:-

The pattern of plant layout is based on number of products (P) and production quantity(Q). There are there types of plant layouts.
1.Product layout
2.Process layout
3.Fixed layout
1.Product layout:-
If the layout is designed for a particular product to be produced, it is called product layout. The logical sequence in the production process forms the basis for the arrangement of machinery under this layout. It means in this case the machinery is arranged in the logical sequence for different operations. It facilitates greater degree of automation to minimize errors and fatigue’s. The following chart shows the production of commodity ‘X’ and its operations it requires six operations.
i.Drilling
ii.Boaring
iii.Grinding

Advantages:-
a. Faster and greater production.
b. Lower cost of material handling.
c. Easy monitoring.
d. Effective use of resources.
e. Team work benefits.
f. Maximum production with minimum cost.
g. Smooth and continuous work flow.
h. Product completes in lesser time.
i. Better coordination.
j. Simple production planning and control.
k. Less in process inventory.


Disadvantages:-

a. Little flexibility.
b. Discontinuity in production lightly.
c. Monitoring each worker made difficult.
d. Use capital outlays.
e. Threat of duplication.

2. Process layout:-

It is also called functional layout. If the layout is designed for different products and for different processes, it is said to be called process layout. In this case the machinery and equipment is arranged in a separate sections. For different products and for different operations. For example there are two products P and Q to be produced.

Advantages:

a. Maximum utilization of resources.
b. Flexibility.
c. Continuity.
d. Interesting to workers.
e. Easy to monitoring.
f. Convenient to workers.

Disadvantages:

a. Higher material handling cost.
b. Larger production cycle.
c. Monitoring may be complex.
d. Higher inspection cost.
e. Higher wagible.

3. Fixed layout:-

If the layout is designed in a fixed position it is said to be called fixed layout. Here the material components remains stationary. Men, machinery tools … Etc. are brought to that location and assembled the product. Generally we can observe this type of layouts in large projects.