Question: A machine shop located on the outskirts of Los Angeles accepts custom orders from a number of high-tech firms in southern California. The machine shop consists of four departments: A (lathes), B (drills), C (grinders), and D (sanders). The from-to chart showing distances in feet between department centers is given here.
The shop has accepted orders for production of four products: P1, P2, P3, and P4. The routing for production of these products and the weekly production rates are
Assume that products are produced in batches of size 25.
a. Convert this information into a from-to chart giving numbers of materials handling trips per week between departments.
b. If the cost to transport one batch 1 foot is estimated to be $1.50, convert the from to chart you found in part (a) to one giving the materials handling cost per week between departments.
c. Develop an activity relationship chart for these four departments based on the results of part (b). Assume that A is assigned to the highest cost and O to the least, with the rankings E and I assigned to the costs falling in between the extremes.
d. Suppose that the machine shop is located in a building that is 60 feet by 80 feet. Furthermore, suppose that departments are rectangularly shaped with the
Sketch a layout consistent with the rel chart you obtained in part (c).