Objectives of Layout
1. To ensure smooth flow of materials on manufacturing shop floor.
2. Provision of better supervision and control of operations.
3. To explore ways to eliminate waste.
4. To ensure safety for workmen as well as machines.
5. Economies in materials, facilities manufacturing process and handling of semi-finished and finished goods.
6. To ensure that work proceeds from one point to another point inside the plant without any delay i.e. to avoid congestion and bottlenecks.
7. To occupy minimum space.
8. To ensure production optimization.
9. To design in such way that layman can easily walk through the plant.
10. Provision of medical facilities and cafeteria at suitable and convenient places.
11. To provide efficient material handling system.
12. To suggest improvements in production process and work methods.
Principles of Facility Layout/Plant Layout
1. Flexibility
Allow for flexibility, specially where the products are likely to change frequently.
2. Travel
The operator, material and information should take minimum time for travelling from one work station no another.
3. Investment
The initial capital cost in deciding and implementing layout should be minimum possible and should permit minimum installations and use of resources.
4. Safety
A good layout is one that ensures safety for workmen as well as machines and equipment.
5. Ease and satisfaction
The operator should feel maximum ease in performing his assigned work and duties and this bring out his best in the productivity. That will result in better satisfaction to the operator and the supervisor.
6. Utilization of space
Optimum utilization of cubic space should be made. There shall be minimum spacing between machines after allowance for movement of men and materials have been made.
7. Sequence of workstations
The best layout is possible only if the sequence of operations is followed in designing the layout, particularly in assembly lines.
8. Integration
The layout should be well-knit and integrated so that the whole production process is carried out with minimum cost and looks like a compact unit of production.
