Industrial Engineering & Management
PLANT LAYOUT
Plant Layout is the arrangement of machines, equipment and other physical
facilities in a planned manner.
We design Plant Layout according to many factors like- Machinery , Product ,
material etc. On the basis of arrangement of the factors we have following 4
types of Plant Layout-
• Process or Functional Layout: In this type of layout, similar machines or
functions are grouped together (e.g., all drilling machines in one area). It
is used when production is job-oriented or batch-oriented with low
volume and high variety.
• Production or Line Layout: In this type of layout, machines are arranged
in a sequence required to manufacture a specific product. It is used
when production is continuous or mass with a high volume and low
variety.
• Fixed Position Layout: In this type of layout, product remains stationary,
and workers, tools, and equipment are moved to the site. It is used
when product is bulky, heavy, or immovable.
• Cellular Layout: In this type of layout, machines are grouped into cells
based on similar operations or part families. It is used when medium
volume and medium variety of products are produced.
• Combination Layout: In this type of layout, we connect all the good
features of all the types of layout to obtain a compromise solution
which will be more economical and flexible. It is used when products
require both batch and continuous operations.
When designing a plant layout for a new enterprise, several factors must be
considered:
• Availability of raw material: The plant should be located at a place
where the supply of raw material is assured at a minimum
transportation cost.
• Nearness to the market: Since goods are produced for sale, so it is very
essential that the factory should be located near their market, where
the buyers for the product are concentrated.
• Transport facility: Transport facilities are essential for bringing raw
materials to the factory and for carrying the finished products from the
factory to the market. A place which is well connected by rail and road is
of good location.
• Availability of power: Power is essential to the move the wheels of the
industry. For example, in an iron and steel industry coal is used as a
source of power, so the factories are located near the coalfields. The
non availability of power may become a survival problem for such
industries.
MATERIAL HANDLING
Material handling refers to the movement of materials from the store room to
the machine and from one machine to the next during the process of
manufacturing. Material handling includes the movement of material either
manually or mechanically, either as a single team or in batches within the
plant.
Objectives:-
• Reduction in waste of time and manufacturing cycle time.
• It minimises the delays and interruption by making available the
materials at the time of use and right quantity.
• It increases the productivity of plant by effective utilisation of capacity.
• It provides safety in material handling through improvement in working
condition.
• The damages to material are reduced.
• Reduction in labour cost and reduction in fatigue.
• Increased safety and improved layout.
• Improved routing facility and improved handling system.
WORK STUDY
Work study is finding the best possible manufacturing procedure which
involves least time and does not cause fatigue to the workers. This is achieved
by eliminating unnecessary motions involved in a certain procedure or by
changing the sequence of operation of the process itself.
Work study may be defined as the body of knowledge concerned with the
analysis of the work methods and the equipment used in performing a job, the
design of an optimum work method and the standardization of proposed work
methods.
Basic Procedure:-
• Select the job: First step is to select the job for which study is to be
done.
• Record the data: The data for the job is then recorded and comparison
of the present data is done with other related jobs and methods.
• Analyse the data: After recording the information, analyse and examine
the important facts and figures that can be used for raising the
productivity of company later on.
• Select the method: When the job is analysed completely, select the
best possible method for it by a suitable and trained person. The
method adopted must be easy, simple and economical.
• Calculate the standard time: The standard time is calculated for an
operation. First of all basic time for operation is calculated and
allowance is added to it to obtain the standard time.
• Define and install the new method: The new method is defined and
installed for that job because it is economical and simple. The method
is used for various types of similar jobs.
• Maintain the new method: The new method adopted for job and
standard time calculated is maintained for further operations and
production.
WORK MEASUREMENT
Work measurement is a technique of finding the time required to do a
particular job at a defined level of performance. The time can be calculated in
minutes, hours or even seconds in some cases. The time thus calculated is
known as standard time. Work measurement sets the standard time for job at
standard output level.
Objectives:-
• To correct loading of labour and machinery.
• To maintain the sound incentive scheme.
• To reduce or eliminate the ineffective time.
• To set standard time for job.
• To improve method of doing work.
Applications:-
• The work study provides the basis for comparing various methods.
• Work study is essential for assessing staff and equipment required for
production.
• Work measurement is essential for better utilisation of machine and
labour.
• The labour on the job is properly balanced by the use of work
measurement.
• For securing efficient layout the work measurement is essential.
PRODUCTION PLANNING
Production planning is the process of developing a strategy for the production
of a company’s products and services. It describes how goods will be
manufactured, the expected demand for those goods, and any production
requirements such as materials or labour.
In most cases, the production planning process will outline the company’s
production goals and how they’ll track success, as well as include a schedule
for ensuring products are made in time to meet the forecasted demand.
SCHEDULING
Scheduling involves fixing priorities for each job and determining the starting
time and finishing time for each operation, the starting and finishing date for
each part and sub assembles. Scheduling lays down the time table for
production indicating the total time required for manufacturing the product.
DISPATCHING
Dispatching is the routine of setting productive activities in motion through
the release of orders and necessary instructions according to pre-planned
times and sequence of operations embodied in route sheets and loading
schedules.
In other words, once a job is in an area where an operation is to be performed,
it has to be determined when and by whom the job will be processed and also
the sequence of waiting orders to be processed. The decision of assigning the
various jobs to different machines and equipment is called dispatching.
PRODUCTION CONTROL
Production control is the process of overseeing, managing, and controlling the
tasks involved in producing goods or services. It uses different control
techniques with the aim to meet production targets on schedule and
according to the set quality. The main goal of production control is to ensure
that all resources and manpower available are utilized in the best way
possible to achieve optimum performance in the production system.
