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The Layout of a facility is the physical location of the various departments/units/work centers within the premises of the facility. The departments are generally located based on considerations such as:
Less
walking distances Logical sequence of the processing requirements Emergency requirements (entry & exits etc)
TYPES OF OPERATIONS
Continuous Operations: Standardized products Produce high volume of products Capital intense operations Continuous product flows Narrow product mix
Intermittent Operations Customized products Produce low volume of products Labor intense operations Interrupted product flow & frequent schedule changes Variety of product
PROCESS LAYOUT
The arrangement of a facility so that work centers or departments are grouped together according to their functional type. The machines and equipments are arranged in no particular sequence and are different for different types of product. Process layout is appropriate for intermittent operations when the work flow is not consistent. Examples include banks, hospitals, office buildings etc.
PRODUCT LAYOUT
The arrangement of a facility so that work centers or equipments are in a line to afford a specialized sequence of tasks. The production process involves repetitive tasks to be performed on items arranged in a sequence. Product layout is suitable when products having standardized features are to be produced in large volumes. The specialized machines and equipments are arranged in the order of sequences in the production process, thus forming a production line called Assembly line.
The important aspect is the placement of all the machines and equipments so that overcrowding does not take place.