When it comes to lean manufacturing, the practicality of layout planning is very significant. In most cases, it would act as the best solution present in the proved phase of DMAIC methodologies. DMAIC methodologies are largely present in Six sigma projects. Thereby, the probability of occurrence of errors can be greatly reduced in the management techniques.
It is crucial to understand that layout planning has a direct and indirect effect on the quality of a product and an organisation’s services. It has a great influence in providing more flexibility, and alternative conditions can also be managed well. A smooth flow of the material, its work, along with easy incorporation of the safety measures, is ensured.
Types of Layout
The nature of processes would be different for different services. Based on this, the layout can also be changed to have an effective service or manufacturing process. The most common type of layout includes:
- Product Layout
- Process Layout
- Cellular Layouts
- Fixed Position Layout
Product Layout
In a product layout, the workstations are structured and organised to produce a particular product. The processing operations are also standardised to maintain a high volume, rapid, smooth and repetitive flow, which is required for any standard product. In this way, a high production volume and a stable quantity for production can be achieved.
The advantages of an optimised product layout include low unit cost and a higher output rate, and utilisation of equipment and labour. Established scheduling and routing techniques are also added advantages. However, there are a few disadvantages also to take note of. They cause the job to be repetitive and dull with lesser flexibility on the product design. There are also high chances for equipment failures and a requirement for greater investment in justified equipment. The requirement for greater raw materials and inventory for finished goods are other disadvantages.
Process Layout
Unlike product layout, process layout has an intermittent and non-repetitive approach to handle the processing requirements. Therefore, it takes a more job shop, functional and batch shop layout. The machines are also grouped according to their function with other similar equipment. In this manner, the raw material required will be less, with a finished inventory for goods. However, the Work In Process (WIP) inventory will be higher.
In process layout, the equipment failures for the general one are less costly. Much less than the specialised equipment. But, as mentioned, the WIP inventory cost is higher, and the material handling would be slow and inefficient, with low utilisation of the machines. The routing, scheduling and supervision process also requires sophistication.
Cellular Layout
In a Cellular Layout, the advantages of both the process and product layout are present. They are more commonly seen in lean manufacturing as well. In this layout, similar parts are identified and grouped. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a similar design and production quality which is technically known as group technology (GT).
On the technical side, as there are a lot of similar parts, they are usually classified into part families and manufactured together with similar processing steps. The production facilities are also organised into cells for manufacturing, and they would be specialised in the production of one particular part. All of these would be greatly advantageous in the Six sigma game.
Fixed Position Layout
In the Fixed Position Layout, the product or project cannot be moved and remains stationary throughout. However, the materials, workers and equipment are moved according to the requirement. In such a layout, the requirement of highly skilled labourers is a must. The fixed costs are very low in the layout, but the variable costs are very much variable.
The above article gives a summary of layout planning for Six sigma projects. You can enrol in a course to know more about this topic.
