Factors Influencing Plant Layout
While choosing the layout for a factory the following factors should be taken into consideration:
- Management Policy: Management has to decide on many matters, e, g, nature and quality of products size of the plant integration of production process plans for expansion amount of inventory in stock employee facilities etc.
- Management Process: The type of manufacturing process, e, g, synthetic analytical continuous intermittent and repetitive non repetitive, will govern the type of plant layout.
- Nature of Project: The type of product to be manufactured affects plant layout in several ways. Small and light products can be moved easily to the machines whereas for heavy and bulky products the machine may have to be moved. Large and heavy equipment requires assembly bays. One or a few standardized products can better be produced through product layout while process layout is more useful for producing a large variety of non standardized products. Quality and fragility of the product also influences the layout.
- Volume of Production: The plant layout and material handling equipment in the large scale organization will be different from the same in the small scale manufacturing industry.
- Types of Building: The plant layout in a single storey building will be different from that in a multi-storey building. The covered area, the number of story elevators and stairs parking and storage area all affect the layout.
- Type of Equipment: the use of single purpose and multipurpose machines substantially affects the plant layout. Similarly noisy and vibrating machines require special attention in the plant layout decision.
- Availability of Total Floor Area: The allocation of space for machines workbenches sub store aisles etc is made on the basis of the available floor area. Use of overhead space is made in case of shortage of space.
- Arrangement of Material Handling Equipment: The plant layout and material handling services are closely related and the latter has a decisive effect on the arrangement of production process and plant services. It is necessary to provide adequate aisles for free movement of materials handling equipment such as hand truck, fork truck etc.
- Service Facilities: The layout of factory must include proper service facilities required for the comfort and welfare of workers. These include canteen, lockers, drinking water first aid etc.
- Possibility of Future Expansion: Plant layout is made in the light of future requirements and installations of additional facilities.