Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

Review Questions
11.1 Define the term facility layout.
Answer: Facility layout refers to the size and shape of a facility, and the relative locations
and shapes of the functional areas (e.g., departments), equipment, workstations, storage
spaces, aisles, and common areas (e.g., rest rooms, cafeteria) in it.
11.2 What are the objectives in layout planning?
Answer: The objectives listed in the text are (1) efficient movement of materials and
people, (2) logical work flow and minimum travel distances between operations, (3)
efficient utilization of space, (4) safety and satisfaction of workers and others who use the
facility, (5) flexibility to meet changing future requirements, and (6) advancing the
operational mission of the facility.
11.3 What is the difference between a process layout and a product layout?
Answer: A process layout is a layout in which the equipment is arranged according to
function. A product payout is a layout in which the equipment and workers are arranged
along the line of flow of the work units.
11.4 What are some of the principal advantages of a process layout over a product layout?
Answer: Advantages of a process layout include (1) versatility to cope with product
variety, (2) general purpose equipment, (3) higher-skilled labor, and (4) less risk of
equipment obsolescence.
11.5 What are some of the principal advantages of a product layout over a process layout?
Answer: Advantages of a product layout include (1) higher efficiency, (2) higher
production rates, (3) lower-cost labor, and (4) lower work-in-process.
11.6 What is a fixed-position layout?
Answer: A fixed-position layout is a layout in which the product remains in one location in
the plant during its fabrication, and the equipment and workers are brought to the product
to work on it.
11.7 Identify the typical application areas of the three basic layout types in terms of production
quantity and product variety.
Answer: A process layout is suited to low and medium production quantities where
product variety is medium or high. A product layout is suited to high production and low
product variety. In addition, it must be possible to divide the total work content of the
product into much smaller work elements that can be assigned to workstations along the
line of flow. A fixed-position layout is suited to low production quantities and high product
variety, and the product is large and heavy and therefore cannot be easily moved.
11.8 What is a cellular layout?
Answer: In a cellular layout, the work units flow between workstations, roughly as in a
production line, but each workstation is equipped to deal with a variety of part or product
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styles without the need for time-consuming changeovers. The cellular layout attempts to
combine the efficiency of a product layout with the versatility of a process layout.
11.9 What are the similarities and differences between a construction project layout and a fixedposition layout?
Answer: In both layouts, the product is large and heavy and so the workers and equipment
are brought to the product. The difference between them is that when the product is
completed in a fixed-position layout, it is transported away from the site and the workers
and equipment remain, whereas when the product is completed in a project layout, the
workers and equipment are transported away from the site and the product remains.
11.10 What is the difference between the traditional office layout and the open office concept?
Answer: The traditional office layout uses permanent walls to define private offices. The
open office concept refers to an office layout that consists of large open areas in which
modular furniture and partitions are used rather than permanent walls to designate and
separate workstations.
11.11 What are the differences between a site layout, a block layout, and a detailed layout?
Answer: A site layout shows how the building is located on the property, indicating
position and orientation relative to roads and rail sidings. A block layout shows the
arrangement and sizes of departments in the building. And a detailed layout shows how
workstations and equipment are arranged in each department.
11.12 In systematic layout planning, what are the P-Q-R-S-T data requirements? Specifically,
what do P, Q, R, S, and T stand for?
Answer: P-Q-R-S-T data requirements refer to the data that are needed in order to design
the plant layout. P stands for product. What product(s) will be produced? Q stands for
quantity. How many units of each product will be produced annually? R stands for routing
data, which identifies the manufacturing processes that will be required in the plant. S
stands for supporting services, such as utilities, rest rooms, lockers, cafeteria, entrances,
and exits. T stands for time issues, such as how many shifts the plant will operate and the
schedule for the plant layout project.
11.13 What are some of the charting techniques used to analyze material flows?
Answer: Charting techniques mentioned in the text for layout planning are the operation
chart, flow process chart, from-to chart, and part routing matrix.
11.14 What do the closeness ratings A, E, I, O, and U mean?
Answer: A = absolutely necessary for the departments to be next to each other, E =
especially important, I = important, O = ordinary, and U = unimportant.
11.15 Identify some of the factors that may influence the assignment of a particular closeness
rating to a pair of departments.
Answer: The factors mentioned in the text are (1) material flow, (2) need for contact
between personnel, (3) use of the same equipment, (4) sharing of common records, (5)
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sharing of supervision or technical support staff, (6) use of same utilities, (7) high noise
level, and (8) emission of fumes, odors, etc.
11.16 What is an activity relationship chart?
Answer: The activity relationship chart is a tabular display of the closeness ratings among
all pairs of activities or departments.
11.17 What is an activity relationship diagram?
Answer: The activity relationship diagram is a graphical means of displaying the closeness
ratings among pairs of activities. It uses blocks (or nodes) to represent the activities, and
the blocks are connected by lines indicating the closeness ratings. The closeness ratings in
the diagram are identified either by color or by number of lines and type of lines.
11.18 What is a space relationship diagram?
Answer: The space relationship diagram is an extension of the activity relationship
diagram in which the blocks representing departments have areas proportional to the areas
computed in the previous space determination step of SLP.
11.19 What are some of the modifying considerations that are likely to influence the layout
design?
Answer: The modifying considerations mentioned in the text are (1) personnel
requirements such as space for rest rooms, locker rooms, food services, and plant entrances
and exits; (2) material handling methods, (3) storage facilities, (4) aisle space, (5) offices,
(6) building features such as ceiling height, floor load capability, support column locations;
and (7) site conditions, including the placement and direction of the building on the
property, provision of parking space, and landscaping.
11.20 What are some of the practical limitations that may influence the layout design?
Answer: The practical limitations mentioned in the text are (1) the budget that has been
established for designing and constructing the facility, (2) building codes, (3) safety
requirements such as those defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA),
and (4) whether the layout must fit into an existing building.

Problems
Activity Relationship Charts
11.1 A factory has five production departments: M (milling), D (drilling), T (turning), G
(grinding), and F (finishing). Products are routed for processing through these departments in
the quantities and sequences indicated in the table below. (a) Based on these data, construct
the from-to chart. (b) Develop the activity relationship chart for these five departments,
given that the from-to chart is the only basis for it.
Product

Quantities per day

Sequence

25

M-D-G

T-G-F

10

T-F
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4

50

D-M-D-G-F

25

M-T-F

15

M-G

Solution: (a) From-to chart and (b) activity-relationship chart. To determine the closeness
ratings in (b), the following divisions were used: A = number of trips > 75; E = number
of trips = 50 to 75; I = number of trips = 25 to 49; O = number of trips = 1 to 24, and
U = zero trips.
(a)
From\To
M
D
T
G
F

From-to chart
M
D
T
75
25
50
-

G
15
75
5
-

(b) Activity-relationship chart

M
D
T
M
A
I
D
U
T
G
F

F
35
55
-

G
O
E
O
-

F
U
U
I
E
-

11.2 A college office building has five departments: A (accounting office), B (bursars office), C
(credit department), D (data processing department), and E (educational support services).
Paper forms are routed for processing through these departments in the quantities and
sequences indicated in the table below. (a) Based on these data, construct the from-to chart.
(b) Develop the activity relationship chart for these five departments, given that the from-to
chart is the only basis for it.
Product

Quantities per day

Sequence

20

A-B-D

13

B-E-A

10

E-C

30

D-A-B-D

25

A-C-E-B

18

C-B-E-D-A

Solution: (a) From-to chart and (b) activity-relationship chart. To determine the closeness
ratings in (b), the following divisions were used: A = number of trips 50; E = number
of trips = 35 to 49; I = number of trips = 20 to 34; O = number of trips = 1 to 19, and
U = zero trips.
(a)
From\To
A
B
C
D
E

From-to chart
A
B
C
50
25
18
48
13
25
10

50

31
25

18

(b) Activity-relationship chart

A
B
C
A
A
I
B
O
C
D
E

D
E
A
U
-

E
O
A
E
O
-

11.3 A manufacturing plant has six production departments: M (milling), D (drilling), T (turning),
G (grinding), F (finishing), and A (assembly). Products are routed for processing through
these departments in the quantities and sequences indicated in the table below. (a) Construct
the from-to chart for the data. (b) Develop the activity relationship chart for the six
departments, given that the from-to chart is the only basis for it.
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Product

Quantities per day

Sequence

40

M-D-F-A

50

T-G-F

20

T-D-F

60

G-F-A

70

M-D-M-G-F

30

T-M-F-A

10

M-T-G

Solution: (a) From-to chart and (b) activity-relationship chart. To determine the closeness
ratings in (b), the largest total number of trips (180) was divided by 4 to specify divisions.
The following divisions were used: A = number of trips = 135 to 180; E = number of
trips = 90 to 134; I = number of trips = 45 to 89; O = number of trips = 1 to 44, and U
= zero trips.
From\To
M
D
T
G
F
A

M
70
30

D
110
-

T
10
20
-

G
70
60
-

F
30
60
180
-

130
-

M
D
T
G
F
A

M
-

D
A
-

T
O
O
-

G
I
U
I
-

F
O
I
U
A
-

A
U
U
U
U
E
-

Workstation and Area Requirements

11.4 Two alternative plant layout designs are being proposed to produce a new product. The
production will consist exclusively of labor-intensive assembly. The first alternative is a
300,000 sq ft building (single-story) and will use a one-shift operation. The second
alternative is a 100,000 sq ft building (single-story) and will use a three- shift operation.
Under these assumptions, the production capacities of the two plants will theoretically be
equal. Compare the two alternatives in terms of the following criteria: (a) construction costs,
(b) flexibility to adapt to the ups and downs in product demand, (c) labor availability, (d)
work flow and material handling?
Answer: (a) Because the three-shift building is one-third the size of the one-shift building,
its construction costs will be significantly less. Building costs are often estimated largely on
the basis of area. (b) The one-shift building will be more flexible in coping with increases in
demand. The three-shift building will be more flexible in dealing with decreases in demand.
(c) The same total number of workers is required (approximately) for the two alternatives.
However, the three-shift building will have to operate evening and late night shifts. Labor is
sometimes more difficult to hire for these less desirable shift hours. (d) Theoretically, less
material handling equipment will be required for the three-shift operation, but its utilization
will be much greater, perhaps resulting in reliability and maintainability problems. Work
flow should also be improved because distances are less.
11.5 A certain type of machine will be used to produce three products: A, B, and C. Sales
forecasts for these products are: 52,000, 65,000, and 70,000 units per year, respectively.
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Production rates for the three products are, respectively, 12, 15, and 10 pc/hr; and scrap rates
are, respectively, 5%, 7%, and 9%. The plant will operate 50 weeks per year, 10 shifts per
week, and 8 hours per shift. It is anticipated that production machines of this type will be
down for repairs on average 10 percent of the time. (a) How many machines will be required
to meet demand? (b) If each machine requires a floor area of 30 m2, and there is a 25% aisle
allowance that must be added to the total machine space, what is the total plant area that
must be planned for these three new products?
Solution: (a) Workload WL = (52,000/12)/0.95 + (65,000/15)/0.93 + (70,000/10)/0.91
WL = 4561.4 hr + 4659.5 hr + 7692.3 hr = 16,913.2 hr/yr
Available time per machine AT = 50(10)(8)(0.90) = 3,600 hr/yr
Number of machines n = 16,913.2/3600 = 4.7 rounded up to 5 machines
(b) Total plant area for three new products TA = 5(30)(1 + 0.25) = 187.5 m2
11.6 Future production requirements in a machine shop call for several automatic bar machines to
be acquired to produce three new parts (A, B, and C) that have been added to the product
line. Annual quantities and cycle times for the three parts are given in the table below. The
machine shop operates one 8-hour shift for 250 days per year. The machines are expected to
be 95% reliable, and the scrap rate is 3%. (a) How many automatic bar machines will be
required to meet the specified annual demand for the three new parts? (b) If each bar
machine requires a floor area of 175 ft2, and there is a 30% aisle allowance that must be
added to the total machine space, what is the total machine shop area that must be added for
the three parts?
Part

Annual demand

Machining cycle time

25,000

5.0 min

40,000

7.0 min

50,000

10.0 min

Solution: (a) Workload WL = (25,000)(5)/0.97 + (40,000)(7)/0.97 + (50,000)(10)/0.97

WL = 128,866 + 288,660 + 515,464 = 932,990 min/yr = 15,550 hr/yr
Available time per machine AT = 8(250)(0.95) = 1,900 hr/yr
Number of machines n = 15,550/1900 = 8.2 rounded up to 9 bar machines
(b) Total plant area for three new products TA = 9(175)(1 + 0.30) = 2047.5 ft2
11.7 A one-product plant will operate 250 days per year using a single 8-hour shift each day. Sales
requirements are 100,000 units per year. The product consists of two major components: A
and B (one of each component goes into each unit of product). The operations required to
produce each component are given in the table below, as are the associated standard time and
scrap rates. Proportion uptime is expected to be 90% during each 8-hour shift. Determine
how many machines are required of each type, assuming that a product layout will be used.
Therefore, no machine will be shared between operations, thus eliminating the need for setup
changes.
Component
A

Operation
1

Machine

Production time

Lathe

7.0 min/pc
6
.

Scrap rate
3%

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A

Milling machine

10.0 min/pc

5%

Lathe

5.0 min/pc

3%

Milling machine

13.0 min/pc

6%

Drill

4.0 min/pc

4%

Solution: Available time AT = 250(8)(0.90) = 1,800 hr/yr per machine

Workload for operation 1 = WL1 = 100,000(7/60)/0.97 = 12,028 hr
Number of machines for operation 1 = n1 = 12,028/1800 = 6.7 rounded up to 7 machines
Workload for operation 2 = WL2 = 100,000(10/60)/0.95 = 17,544 hr
Number of machines for operation 1 = n2 = 17,544/1800 = 9.7 rounded up to 10 machines
Workload for operation 3 = WL3 = 100,000(5/60)/0.97 = 8,591 hr
Number of machines for operation 1 = n3 = 8,591/1800 = 4.8 rounded up to 5 machines
Workload for operation 4 = WL4 = 100,000(13/60)/0.94 = 23,050 hr
Number of machines for operation 1 = n4 = 23,050/1800 = 12.8 rounded up to 13 machines
Workload for operation 5 = WL5 = 100,000(4/60)/0.96 = 6,944 hr
Number of machines for operation 1 = n5 = 6,944/1800 = 3.9 rounded up to 4 machines
11.8 A machine shop must acquire several CNC horizontal milling machines to produce three
new parts (A, B, and C) that have been added to the shops product line. Annual quantities,
cycle times, and scrap rates for the parts are given in the table below. The machine shop
operates two 8-hour shifts for 250 days/year. The machines are expected to be 90% reliable.
(a) How many CNC milling machines will be required to meet the specified annual demand
for the three new parts? (b) If each CNC machine requires a floor area of 350 ft2, and there is
a 30% allowance that must be added to the total machine space for aisles and parts storage,
what is the total shop area that must be planned?
Part
A
B
C

Annual demand
30,000
40,000
50,000

Machining cycle time

15.0 min
8.0 min
10.0 min

Scrap rate
5%
8%
3%

Solution: (a) Workload WL = (30,000)(15)/0.95 + (40,000)(8)/0.92 + (50,000)(10)/0.97

WL = 473,684 + 347,826 + 515,464 = 1,336,974 min/yr = 22,283 hr/yr
Available time per machine AT = 2(8)(250)(0.90) = 3,600 hr/yr
Number of machines n = 22,283/3600 = 6.2 rounded up to 7 machines
(b) Total plant area for three new products TA = 7(350)(1 + 0.30) = 3185 ft2
11.9 A factory has just signed a contract with one if its best customers to produce 40,000 units of
a certain part annually. The part will be made on a processing machine designed specifically
for the part. The machine costs $200,000, and its reliability (availability) is estimated at 95%.
The standard time for each unit is 16.5 min. The plant normally operates one shift (40
hours/week, 50 weeks/year). Assume scrap rate = 2% and worker efficiency = 100%. (a)
How many machines will be needed to meet production requirements? (b) If the plant were
to operate a second shift (40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year) just for production of this part, and
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direct labor cost for the operation = $10/hour, how much money would the company save by
reducing the number of machines required?
Solution: (a) AT = 40(50)(0.95)(1.0) = 1900 hr/yr per machine
WL = 40,000(16.5/60)/(1 0.02) = 11,224.5 hr/yr
n = 11,224.5/1900 = 5.9 rounded up to 6 machines
(b) AT = 2(40)(50)(0.95)(1.0) = 3800 hr/yr per machine
WL is the same as in (a)
n = 11,224.5/3800 = 2.95 rounded up to 3 machines
Savings = 3 machines x $200,000 = $600,000
No labor savings because the number of hours of operation (workload) remains the same
11.10 A plastic injection molding plant will be built to produce 6 million molded parts per year.
The plant will run three 8-hour shifts per day, five days per week, 50 weeks per year. For
planning purposes, the average order size = 5,000 moldings, average changeover time
between orders = 6 hrs, and average molding cycle time per part = 30 sec. Assume scrap rate
= 2 %, and average uptime proportion (reliability) per molding machine = 97 %, which
applies to both run time and changeover time. (a) How many molding machines are required
in the new plant? (b) If each molding machine requires a floor area of 300 ft2, and there is a
35% allowance that must be added to the total machine space for aisles and work-in-process,
what is the total plant area that must be planned?
Solution: (a) AT = 3(40)(50)(0.97) = 5820 hr/yr per machine
Number of orders per year = 6,000,000/5,000 = 1200 orders/yr
Run time/order = 5,000(0.5/60)/(1-0.02) = 42.52 hr/order
Setup time/order Tsu = 6.0 hr/order (given)
Annual production run workload WLrun = 1200(42.52) = 51,024 hr/yr
Annual setup workload WLsu = 1200(6.0) = 7,200 hr/yr
Total annual workload WL = 7,200 + 51,024 = 58,224 hr/yr
n = 58,224/5820 = 10.004 rounded up to 11 molding machines
However, to save the price of the eleventh molding machine, the plant manager might
authorize a small amount of overtime to work some Saturdays to accomplish the small
amount of the workload that would be accomplished by the eleventh machine. There would
also be a savings in floor space required.
(b) Plant floor area for the 10 machines TA = 10(300)(1 + 0.35) = 4050 ft2
If 11 machines are installed, TA = 11(300)(1 + 0.35) = 4455 ft2
11.11 A plastic thermoforming plant will be built to produce 5.5 million parts per year. The plant
will run two 8-hour shifts per day, five days per week, 50 weeks per year. For planning
purposes, the average batch size = 2,000 thermoformed parts, average changeover time
between batches = 1.5 hrs, and average thermoforming cycle time per part = 60 sec.
Production workers perform both setups and production runs. Assume scrap rate = 2%, and
average uptime proportion (reliability) per thermoforming machine = 90 %, which applies to
both run time and changeover time. The number of production workers in the plant each shift
is equal to the number of machines. In addition to production workers, supervisors and
material handling workers add 20% more personnel each shift. Each thermoforming machine
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requires a floor space 15 ft wide by 18 ft long. Additional space requirements in the facility
include (1) aisle space allowance of 30% must be added to the total area required for
machines, (2) storage for raw materials and finished parts of 2000 sq ft, (3) rest rooms and
locker space, for which 10 sq ft is allowed per employee in the plant, (4) office space of 500
sq ft, and (5) utility space of 250 sq ft. What is the total area of the thermoforming plant, not
counting the area taken up by walls?
Solution: AT = 2(40)(50)(0.90) = 3600 hr/yr per machine
Number of batches per year = 5,500,000/2,000 = 2750 batches/yr
Run time/order = 2,000(1.0/60)/(1-0.02) = 34.01 hr/order
Setup time/order Tsu = 1.5 hr/order (given)
Annual production run workload WLrun = 2750(34.01) = 93,537.4 hr/yr
Annual setup workload WLsu = 2750(1.5) = 4,125 hr/yr
Total annual workload WL = 4,125 + 93,537.4 = 97,662.4 hr/yr
n = 97,662/3600 = 27.1 rounded up to 28 molding machines
Total area TA = 28(270)(1 + 0.30) + 2,000 + 500 + 250 + 10w
w = 2 shifts(28 machines)(1 + 0.20) = 67.2 rounded up to 68 workers
TA = 9,828 + 2,750 + 10(68) = 13,258 ft2
11.12 A small company that specializes in converting pickup trucks into rear-cabin vehicles has
just received a long-term contract and must expand. Heretofore, the conversion jobs were
customized and performed in a garage. Now a larger building must be occupied, and the
operations must be managed more like a production plant. Three models will be produced:
A, B, and C. Annual quantities for the three models are as follows: A, 700; B, 400; and C,
250. Conversion times are as follows: A, 20 hr; B, 30 hr; and C, 40 hr. Defect rates are as
follows: A, 11%; B, 7%; and C, 8%. Work teams of three workers each will accomplish the
conversions. Each work team will require a space of 350 ft2 in the plant. Reliability
(availability) and worker efficiency of the work teams are expected to be 95% and 90%,
respectively. Although the defect rates are given, no truck is permitted to leave the plant with
any quality defects. Accordingly, all of the defects must be corrected, and the average time to
correct the defect is 25% of the initial conversion time. The same work teams will
accomplish this rework. (a) If the plant is run as a one shift (2000 hr/yr) operation, how
many work teams will be required? (b) If the total floor space in the building must include
additional space for aisles and offices, and the allowance that is added to the working space
is 30%, what is the total area of the building?
Solution: (a) AT = 2000(0.95)(0.90) = 1,710 hr/yr
Production workload WLprod = 700(20) + 400(30) + 250(40) = 36,000 hr/yr
Defect correction workload WLcor = 700(0.11)(20)(0.25) + 400(0.07)(30)(0.25) + 250(0.08)
(40)(0.25) = 795 hr/yr
Total workload WL = 36,000 + 795 = 36,795 hr/yr
n = 36,795/1710 = 21.5 rounded up to 22 work teams
(b) Plant area TA = 22(350)(1 + 0.30) = 10,010 ft2
11.13 A final assembly plant for a certain automobile model is to have a capacity of 225,000 units
annually. The plant will operate 50 weeks/yr, two shifts/day, 5 days/week, and 7.5
hours/shift. It will be divided into three departments: (1) body shop, (2) paint shop, (3)
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general assembly department. The body shop welds the car bodies using robots, and the paint
shop coats the bodies. Both of these departments are highly automated. General assembly
has no automation. There are 15.0 hours of direct labor content on each car in this third
department, where cars are transported through workstations by a continuous conveyor.
Determine (a) hourly production rate of the plant, (b) number of workers and workstations
required in general assembly if no automated stations are used, the average manning level is
2.5, balancing efficiency = 90%, proportion uptime = 95%, and a repositioning time of 0.15
min is allowed for each worker. (c) If each workstation in the general assembly department is
7.2 m long (parallel to the workflow) and 9.1 m wide, determine the length of the production
line and the elapsed time a car spends in the department. (d) If an aisle allowance of 20% is
added to the area occupied by the actual production line, find the total area in the department.
Solution: (a) Production rate Rp = 225,000/50(2)(5)(7.5) = 60 cars/hr = 1.0 car/min
(b) Tc = 60(0.95)/60 = 0.95 min and Ts = 0.95 0.15 = 0.80 min
Direct labor content or direct labor hours per car DLH = 15 hr = 900 min
w = 900/1.0 = 900 workers and n = 900/2.5 = 360 workstations
Note the important technical difference between direct labor hours per car DLH and total
work content Twc. The relationship is that DLH includes the lost time due to repositioning,
line balancing, and proportion uptime. Total work content time is just the time actually
required to build the car. Thus, Twc = 900(0.95)(0.90)(0.80/0.95) = 648 min = 10.8 hr/car.
Using Eq. (4.19) from our assembly line chapter,
Twc
Twc
=
Er EbTc
EbTs
60 EEr Eb
w = 648/0.80(.90) = 900 workers, which is the same number of workers as before using
direct labor hours.

w = Minimum Integer

R pTwc

(c) Given that Ls = 7.2 m, Ws = 9.1 m, and n = 360 workstations,

Total line length L = 360(7.2) = 2592 m
Elapsed time on the line ET = L/vc where vc = conveyor speed of the line.
Assuming that tolerance time Tt = Tc, then vc = Ls/Tc = 7.2/0.95 = 7.58 m/min
Thus, ET = 2592/7.58 = 341.9 min = 5.7 hr
(d) Workstation area As = 7.2(9.1) = 65.52 m2
Plant area TA = 360(65.52)(1 + 0.20) = 28,305 m2

Adjacency Scores
11.13 Determine the adjacency score and layout efficiency rating for the block layout in Figure
11.15(b), using the closeness ratings for Example 11.1 given in Table 11.5 and the numerical
values in Table 11.8.
Solution: Adjacency score AS = CR14 + CR13 + CR24 + CR25 + CR15 + CR56 + CR36
AS = 1 + 3 + 0 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 3 = 16
ASmax = 22
Layout efficiency rating LER = 16/22 = 0.727

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Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

11.14 Determine the layout efficiency rating for the block layout shown below, given the
closeness ratings between pairs of departments in the table at the right of the layout. Use
the numerical values for closeness ratings in Table 11.8.
5

To

From

2
3

5
6

Solution: AS = CR56 + CR26 + CR14 + CR34 + CR15 + CR45 + CR46 + CR24 + CR23
AS = 0 + 0 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 3 + 2 - 5 = 9
ASmax = 22
Layout efficiency rating LER = 9/22 = 0.409
11.15 In the preceding problem, what changes in the locations of the departments can be made to
improve the layout efficiency rating? All departments must retain their current shape and
orientation in the layout, but departments can be relocated within the existing building shape.
Solution: Rearrange departments as follows:
5

AS = CR56 + CR26 + CR13 + CR34 + CR15 + CR35 + CR46 + CR24

AS = 0 + 0 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 15
ASmax = 22 as in the previous problem
Layout efficiency rating LER = 15/22 = 0.682
11.16 The block layout shown below consists of seven departments, all of equal size at 100 ft on a
side (department area = 10,000 sq ft). The table at the right indicates the closeness ratings
between the seven departments. (a) Determine the layout efficiency rating for the current
layout. (b) It is desired to improve the efficiency rating by rearranging departments.
Determine a revised layout that obtains a layout efficiency rating = 1.0, given that the
building shape must remain the same, but the departments can be moved around within the
building.

11
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Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

5
6

To
From

2
3
4

5
6
7

Solution: (a) AS = CR12 + CR67 = 1 + 4 = 5

ASmax = 1 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 15
LER = 5/15 = 0.333
(b) Two layouts that provide 100% layout efficiency ratings are the following:

3
7

4
6

3
7

AS = CR12 + CR15 + CR23 + CR35 + CR37 + CR67

For both layouts, AS = 1 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 15
ASmax = 15
LER = 15/15 = 1.00 = 100%

Case Problem: Process Layout

11.17 Landlubber Ultramarine (LU), Inc. is a manufacturer of metal products for the maritime
industry. Its product line is highly regarded by the leisure boat industry. However, its
manufacturing plant is in need of modernization. The current facility is an old dilapidated
building on the south side of town. LU is considering the construction of a new plant, and
you have been called in to participate in the layout planning of the new facility. Principal
manufacturing processes performed in the new LU plant will be sand casting, sheet metal
stamping, machining, and mechanical assembly. These are very similar to the current
processes and so reliable data are available on operation times, material flows, and other
aspects of the plant operations.
The new plant will consist of 10 departments, including the corporate office. It will operate
one 8-hour shift per day, 5 days per week. Because of equipment downtime, operator breaks,
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Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

etc., each work center is only expected to operate 7.5 hours per shift. The plant is shut down
two weeks per year for vacation.
The attached exhibits provide the necessary data for completing a block layout design for
the plant. From the information provided together with your engineering judgment, you
should submit the following as your solution to this problem: (a) Activity relationship chart
based on the from-to chart, other data provided, and your own judgment. (b) Activity
relationship diagram, which should locate the 10 departments into the most logical
arrangement. (c) Table showing calculated values of numbers of work cells, work cell areas
for each work cell type, department areas, and numbers of workers of each type (e.g.,
production workers, supervisors, material handling workers, etc.). The table should
indicate the total areas of departments, grand total area in the plant, and number of workers
in the plant. Use a spreadsheet program to make the computations. (d) Space relationship
diagram, showing how the floor space of each department is determined. (e) Block layout
for the plant. Do not include details of machine and equipment locations within
departments except for the following: (i) Show locations of aisles in the plant. All materials
and parts will be moved by fork-lift trucks in these aisles. (ii) Show locations of worker
locker and washroom facilities. (iii) The overall dimensions for the building should be
shown on the drawing. (f) A brief report detailing your procedure and justifying your
design. The report should be prepared using a word processor.
State any assumptions and show the computations you must make to solve the problem.
Exhibit 1: LU departments
Dept. No.

Name and brief description

Foundry. Operations include pattern and core making, mold-making, pouring, trimming and cleaning.

Forming Department. Operations include: forging and extrusion.

Machine Shop, which performs turning, milling, drilling, and other machining operations.

Finishing Department. Metal parts are cleaned, plated, and painted before assembly.

Assembly Department, where products are assembled for shipment. Electronics subassemblies used in
the product are not made at LU but are purchased from a vendor and assembled here. Individual
operators assemble the products; no assembly lines are used due to the variety of products and small
lot sizes produced.

Packaging and Shipping, which packs the products and ships them to the company's distribution
outlets.

Tool, Mold, and Die Shop, which makes patterns for Dept. 1, dies for Dept. 2, fixtures for Dept. 3,
and assembly tools and workholders for Dept. 5. This department includes a tool crib mainly used by
Dept. 3.

Receiving and Receiving Inspection. All materials and supplies shipped to LU come in and are
inspected here.

Storage Department, used for raw materials and some finished product. Work in progress (WIP) is
stored on the shop floor.

10

Office. Company officers, personnel, accounting, sales, and other business functions are located here.

Exhibit 2: From-to Chart between LU departments, fork-lift truckloads per week.

To Dept.

4
13
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Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

From Dept. 1

180

12

21

25

238

15

90

15

22

30

300

45

33

250

41

18

50

14

30

30

126

92

11

237

350

160

68

120

60

12

Notes: (a) Trips to and from the Office (Dept. 10) are not included in the chart. (b) Only trips in
which materials are moved are counted here. Return trips or trips in which no materials are moved are
not included in the from-to chart. This is why the number of trips "to" a department may not equal the
number of trips "from". (c) All trips are made by forklift trucks that are the only mechanized
materials handling equipment used by the company. (d) Numbers in the chart represent average trips
per week. Only current products are included in the data. Future product flow is expected to be
similar. (e) The Finishing Department (Dept. 4) should be segregated from other departments to the
extent possible because of fumes and odors.

Exhibit 3: Production Rates, Demand Rates, and Scrap Allowances for current and anticipated
future business.
Process
Dept. 1
Core making
Mold making
Melting and pouring
Cooling
Mold removal
Trimming and cleaning
Dept. 2
Forging
Extrusion
Dept. 3
Turning
Drilling
Milling
Sawing
Dept. 4
Cleaning
Electroplating
Painting
Dept. 5
Assembly
Dept. 6
Packaging
Dept. 7
Boring
Turning

Operation time

Annual demand

Scrap rate

8.0 min per part

6.0 min per part
1.0 hr per 50 parts
4.0 hr per 50 parts
1.0 min per part
1.5 min per part

30,000 parts
55,000 parts
55,000 parts
55,000 parts
55,000 parts
55,000 parts

5%
5%
2%
0%
7%
4%

1.5 min per part

3.0 min per part

200,000 parts
300,000 parts

10%
10%

10.0 min per part

2.0 min per part
15.0 min per part
3.0 min per part

35,000 parts
40,000 parts
42,000 parts
25,000 parts

3%
2%
4%
6%

5.0 min per 40 parts

10.0 min per 40 parts
3.0 min per part

450,000 parts
300,000 parts
150,000 parts

0%
4%
6%

40 min per product

45,000 products

0%

4.0 min per product

45,000 products

0%

60 min per tool

20 min per tool

1000 tools
700 tools

0%
0%

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Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

Drilling
Milling
Shaping
Miscellaneous

15 min per tool

45 min per tool
15 min per tool
20 min per tool

2500 tools
2000 tools
100 tools
3000 tools

0%
0%
0%
0%

Notes: (a) Operation times are average standard time values in minutes, rounded to the nearest
minute, and include an allowance for setup times. (b) Annual demand rates apply for the current and
anticipated future product mixes.

Exhibit 4: Production and Support Space Requirements

Department
1. Foundry

2. Forming
3. Machine shop

4. Finishing

5. Assembly
6. Packaging & Shipping
7. Tool, Mold, and Die Shop

Process
Core making
Mold making
Melting
Cooling
Mold removal
Trimming and cleaning
Forging
Extrusion
Turning
Drilling
Milling
Sawing
Cleaning
Electroplating
Painting
Assembly
Packaging
Boring
Turning
Drilling
Milling
Shaping
Miscellaneous

Facility type
Sand box
Sand box
Melting furnace
Cooling bays
Sand box
Bench
Forging press
Extrusion press
Lathe
Drill press
Milling machine
Saw
Cleaning tank
Electroplating tank
Painting booth
Assembly bench
Packaging bench
Boring machine
Lathe
Drill press
Milling machine
Shaper
Bench

Space (a)
4mx5m
3mx5m
5mx5m
7mx8m
4mx5m
3mx5m
6mx8m
5mx7m
4mx8m
4mx5m
4mx5m
2mx4m
2mx8m
3 m x 10 m
6mx5m
3mx5m
4mx5m
5mx8m
4mx8m
4mx3m
5mx5m
3mx5m
4mx4m

Notes: (a) Space indicated represents dimensions of area needed per machine or work center. To
obtain the total area in the department needed for this work center type, multiply by the (closest larger
integer) number of work centers. (b) Each operating department (Depts. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) should be
provided with an enclosed supervisor's office to afford desk space for the supervisor, department
secretary, and files. This space should be 100 sq m. (c) In Departments 1 through 5, temporary
storage space for work-in- progress should be provided: 120 sq m in each department. (d) Although
precise dimensions are given in the "space needed" column, the shape of the workspace is somewhat
flexible so long as the total area is provided. (e) One production worker per cell unless otherwise
noted. (f) Number of material handling workers = 20% of production workers.

Exhibit 5: Non-production Space Requirements

Dept.

Description and space requirements

Tool crib should be allocated 300 sq m.

Receiving/Receiving Inspection should be allotted 500 sq m of floor space.

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Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

9

Storage Room should be allotted 1000 sq m.

10

Office space should be provided as follows:

Activity Space
Area (sq m)
Lobby
50
Main offices
1000
Sales offices
100
Secretarial/typing pool
60
Rest rooms
100
Hallways
20% of above total

Notes: (a) The Storage Room (Dept. 9) should be located adjacent to the Receiving and Receiving
Inspection Department (Dept. 8) for easy access. (b) Receiving (Dept. 8) and Packaging and Shipping
(Dept. 6) should each be provided with at least one truck dock. (c) Except for a modest provision in
the Storage Room (Dept. 9), the inventory of finished product is to be maintained at the Company's
Distribution Center. (d) Aisles for Fork Lift trucks between departments are to be 3 m wide
throughout (to allow for two-way travel). To allow for this extra aisle space, add 25% to each
operating department (Depts. 1 through 7). (e) Allowance for lavatories, washroom and lockers for
the labor force should be approx. 3 sq. m. per worker on day shift. The space provided for lavatories,
washroom, and lockers should be in two rooms (for men and women). The rooms should be next to
each other and centrally located in the plant if possible. (f) No provision is to be made for food
service for the employees. Vending machines are to be located outside the locker room. (g)
Supervisor-to-worker ratio in the factory = 1:15. Number of clerical staff per supervisor = one.

Solution: This is a design problem that requires individual analysis and creativity on the part
of the student. There is no single correct design solution. However, the calculations of areas
and number of workers should agree fairly closely with the following tabulation, prepared on
an Excel spread sheet.
Dept
1 Foundry

Process
OpTime YrD(k)
Coremaking
8
30
Moldmaking
6
55
Melting
1.2
55
Cooling
4.8
55
Mold removal
1
55
Trim & clean
1.5
55
Office
WIP store
2 Forming Forging
1.5
200
Extrusion
3
300
Office
WIP store
3 Maching Turning
10
35
Drilling
2
40
Milling
15
42
Sawing
3
25
Office
WIP store
4 Finishg Cleaning
0.125
450
Electroplate
0.25
300
Paint
3
150

q
0.05
0.05
0.02
0
0.07
0.04

A(cell)
20
15
25
56
20
15

M
2.25
3.09
0.60
2.35
0.53
0.76

M(Int)
3
4
1
3
1
1

0.1
0.1

48
35

2.96
8.89

3
9

0.03
0.02
0.04
0.06

32
20
20
8

3.21
0.73
5.83
0.71

4
1
6
1

0
0.04
0.06

16
30
30

0.50
0.69
4.26

1
1
5

16
.

TA
60
60
25
168
20
15
100
120
144
315
100
120
128
20
120
8
100
120
16
30
150

A/dept

w AL

568

710

w
3
4
1
3
1
1

Tw

13
3
9

679

848.8

12
4
1
6
1

496

620

12
1
1
5

Solutions Manual: Ch11-Plant Layout-s

5 Asby

6 Pack
7 Tool Rm

Office
WIP store
Assembly
Office
WIP store
Packaging
Boring
Turning
Drilling
Milling
Shaping
Misc.

40

45

15

16.00

16

4
60
20
15
45
15
20

45
1
0.7
2.5
2
0.1
3

0
0
0
0
0
0
0

20
40
32
12
25
15
16

1.60
0.53
0.12
0.33
0.80
0.01
0.53

2
1
1
1
1
1
1

8 Recving
9 Storage
Total wrkrs
10 Office
MH wrkrs
Supervisrs
Clerical
Total wrkrs
Rest room
Total area

17
.

100
120
240
100
120
40
40
32
12
25
15
16

416

520

7
16

460
40

575
50

300
500
1000

375
500
1000

1310

1572

276

276

6045

7047

2
1
1
1
1
1
1

16
2

68

68

13.6
4.5

14
5
5
92