EE2063

Chapter 5
Process Flow and Layout

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To design is to conceive the looks, arrangement
and working of something before it is created.

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What objective process design has? Appropriate Performance

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Faculty
 Processes
There are different process types.
- Project
- Jobbing
- Batch
- Mass
- Continuous
Process types are defined by the volume and variety of items they
process.
Low Volume High Volume

High Variety Low Variety

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 The position of a process on
the volume-variety
continuum shapes its overall
design and the general
approach to managing its
activities

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 Manufacturing process types
Process Process

High
tasks flow Project
Diverse/ Intermittent
complex
Jobbing

Variety
Batch

Mass

Contin-
Low

uous
Repeated/ Continuous
divided Low Volume High

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Project processes shipbuilding, movie production
Large fabrication operation e.g. turbo generators,
computer system installation
One-off, complex, large scale, high work content
products

Resources devoted exclusively

Specially made, every one customised

Defined start and finish: time, quality and cost objectives

Many different skills have to be coordinated.

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Jobbing processes- toolmakers, furniture

Very small quantities: one-offs, or only a few required

Each product share resources with others

Specially made. High variety, low repetition. Strangers

every one customised

Skill requirements are usually very broad

Skilled jobber, or team, to complete whole product.

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Batch Processes- food preparation ( different dish but same processes)

Higher volumes and lower variety than for jobbing

Standard products, repeating demand. But can make

specials

Specialised, narrower skills

Set-ups (changeovers) at each stage of production.

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Mass (line) processes automobile (each product almost the same)

Higher volumes than batch, narrow variety ( in terms of

fundamentals of product design)

Standard, repeat products (runners)

Low and/or narrow skills

No set-ups, or almost instantaneous ones.

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Continuous processes water treatment

Extremely high volumes and low variety: often single

product operating for longer periods.

Standard, repeat products (runners)

Highly capital-intensive and automated

Few changeovers required

Difficult and expensive to start and stop the process.

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 LAYOUT
The relative positioning The allocation of tasks
of transforming to transforming
resources resources

The flow of
transformed
resources

Layout involves the relative positioning of

transformed and transforming resources within
operations and the allocation of
tasks, which together dictate the flow
of transformed resources
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The relationship between functional and layout types

A process type does not necessarily imply only one

particular basic layout

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Volume and variety characteristics of layout types
High Variety Low

Flow is Low Volume High

intermittent
Fixed-position layout

Regular flow more

feasible
Functional / Process
layout

Cell layout

Product layout

Flow becomes
Regular flow more important
continuous

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 Objective of Layout Design
* Provide enough production capacity.
* Reduce materials-handling costs .
* Conform to site and building constraints .
* Allow space for production machines.
* Allow high labor, machine, and space utilization and productivity.
* Provide for volume and product flexibility.
* Provide for employee safety and health.
* Allow ease of supervision .
* Allow ease of maintenance.
* Achieve objectives with least capital investment

6-16 Faculty
 Facilities Layout
Layout: the configuration of departments,
work centers, and equipment, with
particular emphasis on movement of work
(customers or materials) through the system
Product layouts
Process layouts
Fixed-Position layout
Cellular Layout

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 Importance of Layout Decisions
Requires substantial investments of money
and effort
Involves long-term commitments
Has significant impact on cost and
efficiency of short-term operations

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 Basic Layout Types
Product layout
Layout that uses standardized processing
operations to achieve smooth, rapid, high-volume
flow
Process layout
Layout that can handle varied processing
requirements
Fixed Position layout
Layout in which the product or project remains
stationary, and workers, materials, and equipment
are moved as needed

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 Product Layout

Raw
Station Station Station Station Finished
materials 1 2 3 4 item
or customer
Material Material Material Material
and/or and/or and/or and/or
labor labor labor labor

Used for Repetitive or Continuous Processing

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Faculty
 Depositing
Mixing Ingredients Panning Polishing Packaging
and Curing

Product Layout at Just Born, Inc.

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 Advantages of Product Layout
High rate of output
Low unit cost
Labor specialization
Low material handling cost
High utilization of labor and equipment
Established routing and scheduling

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 Disadvantages of Product Layout

Creates dull, repetitive jobs

Poorly skilled workers may not maintain
equipment or quality of output
Fairly inflexible to changes in volume
Highly susceptible to shutdowns
Needs preventive maintenance
Individual incentive plans are impractical

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 Process Layout
Milling

Assembly
Grinding
& Test

Drilling Plating
Process Layout - work travels
to dedicated process centers

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 Advantages of Process Layouts
Can handle a variety of processing
requirements
Not particularly vulnerable to equipment
failures
Equipment used is less costly
Possible to use individual incentive plans

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 Disadvantages of Process Layouts
In-process inventory costs can be high
Challenging routing and scheduling
Equipment utilization rates are low
Material handling slow and inefficient
Complexities often reduce span of supervision
Special attention for each product or customer

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 Fixed Position Layouts
Fixed Position Layout: Layout in which the
product or project remains stationary, and
workers, materials, and equipment are moved
as needed.
Nature of the product dictates this type of
layout
Weight
Size
Bulk
Large construction projects
Ship/Boat production
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 Advantages of Fixed-Layout
The investment on layout is very small.
The layout is flexible as change in job
design and operation sequence can be easily
incorporated.
Adjustments can be made to meet shortage
of materials or absence of workers by
changing the sequence of operations.

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 Disadvantages of Fixed-Layout
As the production period being very long so
the capital investment is very high.
Very large space is required for storage of
material and equipment near the product.
As several operations are often carried out
simultaneously so there is possibility of
confusion and conflicts among different
workgroups.

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 Cellular Layout
In a cellular layout, small teams of
workers handle all aspects of
building a component, a family of
components, or even a finished
product.

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 Selecting a layout type

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1) The nature of the basic layout types

Manufacturing Basic layout Service

process types types process types
Project processes
Project processes Fixed Professional
position layout services

Jobbing processes
Process layout
Service shops
Batch processes
Cell layout

Mass processes Mass services

Product layout
Continuous processes

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2) Advantages and disadvantages

Fixed Process Cell Product

- Very high mix - High mix and - Good compromise Lo- w unit costs for high
position
and product layout
product flexibility betweenlayout
cost and layout
volume
layout
flexibility flexibility
- Product/customer - Relatively robust - Fast throughput. - Gives Opportunities
not moved or if in the case of for specialization of
disturbed. disruptions equipment
- Group work can
Advantages - High variety of - Easy supervision
result in good
- Gives Opportunities
tasks for staff of equipment of for specialization of
plant motivation equipment

Low utilization of Can be costly to

resources. rearrange existing Can have low mix and
- Very high unit cost. layout flexibility
Can have very high Not very robust to
Can need more plant
Disadvantages WIP
and equipment disruption
- Scheduling space
and activities can be
difficult. Complex flow. Work can be very
repetitive.

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3) Consider total cost
(a) The basic layout types have different fixed and
variable cost characteristics which seem to determine
which one to use. (b) In practice the uncertainty about
the exact fixed and variable costs of each layout means
the decision can rarely be made on cost alone
(a) (b)
Costs

Costs
Fixed-position

Process

Cell

Product

Use Use Use Use ? ? ? ?

fixed- process cell product
position
Volume Volume
Use product
Use cell or product
Use process or cell or product
Use process or cell
Use process
Use fixed-position or process
Use fixed-position
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