MECHENG352 - Facilities Layout

Question 1

What is systems engineering?

Answer 1

An approach to the design and management of complex sociological, economic and technological systems that consist of a number of differing components

Question 2

Why is systems engineering methodology important?

Answer 2

Traditional methods have become inadequate, problems do not fit into any one discipline, technology and systems are becoming increasingly complex

Question 3

What is systems thinking?

Answer 3

Discipline for seeing wholes. Framework for seeing interrelationships rathjer than things

Question 4

What is the largest contributor to a company’s total operating expenses?

Answer 4

Material handling (20-50%) - effective facility planning can reduce this by 10% to 30%

Question 5

Factors motivating facility planning

Answer 5

New equipment & processes, improvement of plant productivity based on changes, employee health and safety, energy conservation

Question 6

Facility “Planning” process

Answer 6

1. Define objective of facility
2. Determine interrelationships among all activities
3. Determine space requirements for all activities
4. Generate alternative facility plans - then evaluate alternates, select the most optimum, implement and review

Question 7

Facility design goals

Answer 7

■ Minimised materials-handling costs.
■Maximised and efficientuse of space.
■Ease of accessibilityby support services
e.g. maintenance.
■Few, or no, bottlenecksin moving material or people.
■Flexibility.
■Facilitated communicationbetween all those involved.
■Reduced manufacturing cycle time or
customer servicetime.
■Eliminated or reduced waste.
■Compliance with health and safety standards.

Question 8

3 subsets of layout or flow within a facility

Answer 8

1. Flow within the workstations.
2. Flow within the departments.
3. Flow within the plant.

Question 9

Types of layouts

Answer 9

1. Fixed position layout
2. Product layout
3. Process layout
4. Group layout

Question 10

What dictates plant layout?

Answer 10

1. Product type
2. Manufacturing quantity

Question 11

Fixed-position layout: Advantages and disadvantages

Answer 11

Advantages
* less movement of the work item
* more continuity of work force
Disadvantages
* need for skilled and versatile workers
* costly movement of equipment
* low equipment use

Question 12

Fixed-position layout

Answer 12

In this case, very large items
such as aircraftorships stay in
a fixed location, and all the
equipment and personnel are
brought to it.

Question 13

Process layout: Advantages and disadvantages

Answer 13

Advantages
* flexibility of equipment
and worker
* big variation of products
possible
* low-cost general
purpose equipment
* higher job satisfaction

Disadvantages
* costly material handling and low equipment use
* complex control and supervision
* high-cost skilled labour

Question 14

Product layout

Answer 14

It is also called mass production
layout or line layout.
It is employed when the product is
produced through a continuous process
such as automobile and home appliance
lines.

Question 15

Product layout: Advantages and disadvantages

Answer 15

Advantages
* high utilisationof equipment
* reduced material handling
* less in-process inventory
* simplified production planning.

Disadvantages
* lack of process flexibility
* high-cost specialisedequipment
* worker monotony
* dependent operations

Question 16

Group or Cellular layout benefit

Answer 16

This layout is effective in
overcoming many deficiencies
of batch-type manufacturing,
including excessive setup times,
high in-process inventories, and
long throughput times.

In cellular manufacturing, the benefits of economy of scale can
be achieved with batches of small sizes, thus making
implementation of just-in-time manufacturing feasible.

Question 17

What are heuristics?

Answer 17

In engineering, heuristicsare experience-based
methods used to reduce the need for calculations.
Heuristics are fallible and do not guarantee a correct
solution. It is important to understand their limitations
when applying them.
They offer time saving approximations in preliminary
process design.

Question 18

Muther’s systematic layout planning procedure

Answer 18

1. Input data and activities
2. Relationship diagram
3. Space relationship diagram
4. Develop layout alternatives
5. Evaluation