Facility Layout
The physical disposition of the facilities of a plant and its various parts for the purpose of achieving quickest and smoothest production is referred to as the layout of the plant. As per the definition of Knowles and Thomson, plant layout involves:
(i) Planning and arranging manufacturing machinery, equipment and services for the
first time in completely new plants.
(ii) The improvements in layouts already in use in order to introduce new methods
and improvements in manufacturing procedures.
Apart from initial layout of machines and other facilities, the subject of plant layout contains improvement or revisions in the existing layout if there is any subsequent development in the methods of production. Put in other words, a plant layout is a floor plan for determining and arranging the machinery and equipment in the best manner so as to allow quick flow of material with minimal cost and least handling process from the stage of receipt of raw material to shipment of finished product.
Management uses a good deal of expertise in order to secure an appropriate layout for all plants. Since there is no set pattern of layout for all plants, the use of expertise is required. Layout is not a permanent feature, the initial layout is almost never going to be the final or permanent, since changes take place in product design, production methods and the size of the plant. These changes compel revision of existing layout. Layout differs from plant to plant, location to location and industry to industry. However, the principles that govern a plant layout remain more or less the same.
Similar to location decisions, layout decisions also have long-term consequences in terms of cost and the company's ability to serve its customers. While designing a layout, an organization should identify the objectives of its strategy that have to be supported by the layout and many other factors that affect and are affected by the layout. The overall objective of designing a layout is to provide a smooth work flow of material through the factory, or a comfortable traffic pattern, for both customers and workers in an organization.
Some of the major objectives of an ideal layout are given below:
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Providing enough production capacity
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Reducing material handling costs
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Reducing accidents and hazards to personnel
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Reducing congestion and utilizing the space efficiently and effectively
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Efficient utilization of labor and increase in employees morale
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Easy supervision
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Easy maintenance and high machine/equipment utilization
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Improve in productivity
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