Topic 3

Question 1

What is a fundamental concept for classifying production systems and products?

Answer 1

The volume-variety spectrum is a fundamental concept for classifying production systems and products.

Question 2

What are the main groups of processes on the volume–variety spectrum?

Answer 2

The main groups of processes on the volume–variety spectrum are Project, Job shop, Batch production, and Mass production.

Question 3

How is plant layout defined?

Answer 3

Plant layout is the organisation of the physical arrangement of facilities so that a process can be as efficient as possible

Question 4

What are the three basic layout strategies in manufacturing?

Answer 4

The three basic layout strategies are Process layout, Product layout, and Hybrid layout.

Question 5

What are the characteristics and uses of a Process layout?

Answer 5

A Process layout is generally used for low volume and job shop manufacturing. It has the advantage of high flexibility but results in complex product flow paths. Load Distance calculations can be used to help find the optimum layout.

Question 6

What are the characteristics and uses of a Product layout?

Answer 6

A Product layout is generally used for high volume manufacturing. It has the advantage of simple product flow but is inflexible. Precedence diagrams and line balancing can be used to find the optimum layout.

Question 7

What are the characteristics and uses of a Hybrid layout?

Answer 7

A Hybrid layout is generally used for medium to high volume batch manufacturing. It is based on group technology – the grouping of products into families with similar processing needs.

Question 8

What are the advantages of process layout?

Answer 8

• High utilisation of resources,
• High flexibility for introduction of new part design,
• Flexibility for recovery from manufacturing disturbances (e.g. breakdown, shortage
of tools)

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of process layout?

Answer 9

• High in‐process material,
• High storage space,
• Long throughput,
• Complex control

Question 10

What are the advantages of product layout?

Answer 10

• Smooth product flow,
• Short throughput,
• Low work‐in‐process inventories

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of product layout?

Answer 11

• Low flexibility for the introduction of new part design
• Any work stoppages stops whole process

Question 12

What are the advantages of hybrid layout?

Answer 12

• High utilisation of resources,
• Short throughput time
• Reduced machine set‐up time
• Low work‐in‐process inventories
• More flexible than product layout
• In early days, essential step towards increasing automation

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of hybrid layout?

Answer 13

• Less flexible than process layout
• More complex to control than product layout

Question 14

How is flexibility defined in the context of a production system?

Answer 14

Flexibility is the range of products, production batch sizes, and lead times that can be handled by a production system.

Question 15

What is the downside of having too much flexibility in a production system?

Answer 15

Too much flexibility may be a bad thing – standardisation of activities could save costs, so there is a missed cost-saving opportunity.

Question 16

What is the economic penalty of having too little flexibility in a production system?

Answer 16

Too little flexibility can lead to an economic penalty. For a highly standardised process, there are high production changeover costs associated with changing tooling and starting and stopping production.

Question 17

How does automation impact the flexibility of manufacturing systems?

Answer 17

Automation can extend the flexibility of manufacturing systems.