GEETHANJALI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Transcription

1 GEETHANJALI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY PLMH COURSE FILE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 1

2 GEETHANJALI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (Name of the Subject / Lab Course) Plant Layout and Material Handling (JNTU CODE ) : Programme : UG Branch: MECH Version No : 01 Year: IV Updated on : 06/12/2015 Semester: II No. of pages : 68 Classification status (Unrestricted / Restricted ) Distribution List : Prepared by : 1) Name :Mr.B SUBBARAO 2) Sign : 3) Design : Assoc. professor 4) Date : 06/12/2015 Verified by : 1) Name : 2) Sign : 3) Design : 4) Date : * For Q.C Only.1) Name : 2) Sign : 3) Design : 4) Date : Approved by : (HOD ) 1) Name : 2) Sign : 3) Date : 2

3 Contents S.No. Item Page No. 1. Cover page 2 2. Syllabus copy 4 3. Vision of the Department 5 4. Mission of the Department 5 5. PEOs and POs 6 6. Course objectives and outcomes 7 7. Brief importance of the course and how it fits into the curriculum 8 8. Prerequisites if any 8 9. Instructional Learning Outcomes Course mapping with PEOs and POs Class Time table Individual Time table Lecture schedule with methodology being used / adopted Detailed notes Additional topics University previous Question papers of previous years Question Bank Assignment Questions Unit-wise quiz questions Tutorial Problems Known curriculum Gaps (If any) and inclusion of the same in lecture schedule Discussion topics, if any References, Journals, websites and E-links if any Quality measurement Sheets 68 a. Course end survey b. Teaching Evaluation 25. Students List Group-Wise students list for discussion topics 68 3

4 2. Syllabus copy 4

5 3. Vision of the Department The Mechanical Engineering Department strives to be recognized globally for Outstanding education and research Reading to well-qualified engineers, who are innovative, entrepreneurial and successful in solving problems of society. 4. Mission of the Department 1. Impartent quality education to students to enhance their skills and make them globally competitive. 2. Prepare its graduates to pursue life-long learning, serve the profession and meet intellectual, ethical challenges. 3. Maintain a vital, state of the art research to provide its students and faculty with opportunities to create, interpret, apply and disseminate knowledge. 5

6 5. PEOs and POs Program Educational Objectives (PEOs): The Programme Educational Objectives of Mechanical Engineering Programme are developed to provide guidance to graduating Mechanical Engineers, so that they can contribute effectively to the advancement of needs of Mechanical Engineering Profession. The graduates from Mechanical Engineering program are expected to demonstrate within three to five years of graduation that 1. They practice Mechanical Engineering in all areas of Design, Thermal and Manufacturing Engineering in all types of industrial sectors. 2. They competent in advanced Research and Development and creative efforts in Mechanical Engineering and allied areas of Science and Technology. 3. They practice Mechanical Engineering in a professional, responsible and ethical manner for the benefit of the industry and society. Program Outcomes (POs): The program Outcomes of the Department of Mechanical Engineering are to educate graduates, who by the time of graduation will be able to demonstrate: 1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering. 2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. 3. An ability to design a system, components or process to meet desired needs. 4. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams. 5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. 6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. 7. An ability to communicate effectively. 6

7 8. An ability to apply their broad education towards the understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. 9. A recognition of the need for and the ability to engage in life-long learning. 10. A knowledge of contemporary issues. 11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. 6. Course Objectives and Outcomes Course Objectives: After the completion of this course the students will be able to: 1. Understand and be able to complete the following charts with regard to a specific Product, assembly chart, route sheet, operations process chart, from-to chart, and activity relationship chart 2. Identify equipment requirements for a specific process 3. Understand the benefit of an efficient material handling system 4. Understand what effect process layout has on the material handling system 5. Recommend improvements to existing plant layouts from the standpoint of material handling and product flow 6. Design flexibility into a plant layout to accommodate changes in product volume or product line 7. Integrate concepts and techniques learned through this course in order to design and efficient plant layout in a team environment. Course Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to: 7

8 CO 1. Identify the role that each department plays in achieving the goals of an organization; CO 2. Explain the problems in organizing, planning and controlling the use of men, money, materials and machines for industrial production; and CO 3. Apply industrial engineering principles to solve the problems in organizing, planning and controlling the use of men, money, materials and machines for industrial production. 7. Brief Importance of the Course and how it fits into the curriculum Study of the arrangement of physical facilities and material handling to optimize the interrelationships among operating personnel, material flow, and the methods required in achieving enterprise objectives efficiently, economically, and safely. 8. Prerequisites if any 9.Instructional Learning Outcomes a) Describe and determine the effect of product, process, and schedule design parameters on plant layout and materials handling systems design. b) Identify the characteristics of product and process layouts and their needs in terms of materials handling. c) Develop and analyze plant layouts using manual and computer aided software methodologies. d) Identify and select various types of material handling equipment. e) Design material handling systems for a variety of scenarios pertaining to manufacturing and service industry. 8

9 10. Course mapping with PEOs and POs Mapping of Course with Programme Educational Objectives: S.No 1 Course component Industrial Management code Course Semester PEO 1 PEO 2 PEO 3 PLMH II Mapping of Course outcomes with Programme outcomes: *When the course outcome weightage is < 40%, it will be given as moderately correlated (1). *When the course outcome weightage is >40%, it will be given as strongly correlated (2). Pos PLMH CO 1: a.. Identify the role that each department plays in achieving the goals of an organization CO 2: Explain the problems in organizing, planning and controlling the use of men, money, materials and machines for industrial production Industrial Management CO 3: a. Apply industrial engineering principles to solve the problems in organizing, planning and controlling the use of men, money, materials

10 and machines for industrial production. 11.Time table of concerned class 10

11 12. Individual time table SL.No. 13. Lecture schedule with methodology being used / adopted Unit No. Total No. of Periods Week No. Topic to be covered in One lecture Regular/ Additional Teaching aids used LCD/OHP/BB Remarks 1 I WEEK 1 Introduction to Plant layout and Material Handling. Regular BB 2 Classification of Layout Regular BB 3 Advantages of different layouts Regular BB/LCD 4 Limitations of different layouts Regular BB/LCD TUTORIAL 5 Over view of plant layout Regular BB 6 WEEK 2 Layout Practices Additional BB/LCD 7 Different types of plant layouts Regular BB/LCD 11

12 8 Tutorial class Regular BB 9 II Process layout Regular BB 10 Product layout Regular BB 11 WEEK 3 Lay out Selection Regular BB/LCD 12 Lay out specification Regular BB/LCD TUTORIAL 13 Lay out implementation and follow up 14 Comparison of Process layout and Product layout Regular BB BB/LCD 15 III Heuristics for plant layouts BB/LCD 16 WEEK 4 ALDEP Regular BB/LCD 18 CORELAP Regular BB/LCD TUTORIAL BB/LCD 17 CRAFT Regular BB/LCD 18 IV Group layout Regular BB/LCD 19 Fixed passion layout Regular BB/LCD 20 WEEK 5 Quadratic assignment method Regular BB/LCD 21 TUTORIAL BB/LCD 22 Branch and bound method Regular BB/LCD 23 Problems practice Regular BB/LCD 24 Problems practice Regular BB/LCD 25 Problems practice Regular BB/LCD 26 V WEEK 6 Introduction aterial Handling Regular BB/LCD 27 Principles Regular BB/LCD 28 TUTORIAL BB/LCD 12

13 29 Classification of MH Equipment Additional BB/LCD 30 Relationship of MH to PL Regular BB/LCD 31 TUTORIAL Regular BB/LCD 32 VI WEEK 7 Basic MH system Regular BB/LCD 33 Selection Regular BB/LCD 34 MH Path method Regular BB/LCD 35 MH Equipment Regular BB/LCD 36 MH Function Oriented system Regular BB/LCD 37 WEEK 8 Practice methods Regular BB/LCD 38 Correlation between methods 39 VII Methods to minimize the cost of MH system Regular Regular BB/LCD BB/LCD 40 MH maintenance Regular BB/LCD 41 Maintainec of Equipment Regular BB/LCD 42 WEEK 9 Tutorial Regular BB/LCD 43 Safety in Handling Regular BB/LCD 44 VIII Ergonomics of MH equipment Regular BB/LCD 45 Design Regular BB/LCD 46 Miscellaneous euipments Regular BB/LCD 47 WEEK 10 Revision of unit-i Regular BB/LCD 48 Revision of unit-i Regular BB/LCD 49 Revision of unit-ii Regular BB/LCD 50 Revision of unit-ii Regular BB/LCD 51 Revision of unit-iii Regular BB/LCD 13

14 52 WEEK 11 Revision of unit-iii Regular BB/LCD 53 Revision of unit-iv Regular BB/LCD 54 Revision of unit-iv Regular BB/LCD 55 Revision of unit-v Regular BB/LCD 56 Revision of unit-v Regular BB/LCD 57 Revision of unit-vi Regular BB/LCD WEEK Revision of unit-vi Regular BB/LCD 59 Revision of unit-vii Regular BB/LCD 60 Revision Unit- VII Regular BB/LCD 61 Revision of unit-viii Regular BB/LCD 62 WEEK 13 Revision of unit-viii Regular BB/LCD UNIT I 14. Detailed Notes A plant layout can be defined as follows: Plant layout refers to the arrangement of physical facilities such as machinery, equipment, furniture etc. with in the factory building in such a manner so as to have quickest flow of material at the lowest cost and with the least amount of handling in processing the product from the receipt of material to the shipment of the finished product. According to Riggs, the overall objective of plant layout is to design a physical arrangement that most economically meets the required output quantity and quality. According to J. L. Zundi, Plant layout ideally involves allocation of space and arrangement of equipment in such a manner that overall operating costs are minimized. Plant layout is an important decision as it represents long-term commitment. An ideal plant layout should provide the optimum relationship among output, floor area and manufacturing process. It facilitates the production process, minimizes material handling, time and cost, and allows flexibility of operations, easy production flow, makes economic use of the building, promotes effective utilization of manpower, and provides for employee s convenience, safety, comfort at work, maximum exposure to natural light and ventilation. It is also 99 important because it affects the flow of material and processes, labor efficiency, supervision and control, use of space and expansion possibilities etc. TYPES OF LAYOUT As discussed so far the plant layout facilitates the arrangement of machines, equipment and other physical facilities in a planned manner within the factory premises. An entrepreneur must 14

15 possess an expertise to lay down a proper layout for new or existing plants. It differs from plant to plant, from location to location and from industry to industry. But the basic principles governing plant layout are more or less same. As far as small business is concerned, it requires a smaller area or space and can be located in any kind of building as long as the space is available and it is convenient. Plant layout for Small Scale business is closely linked with the factory building and built up area. From the point of view of plant layout, we can classify small business or unit into three categories: 1. Manufacturing units In case of manufacturing unit, plant layout may be of four types: (a) Product or line layout (b) Process or functional layout (c) Fixed position or location layout (d) Combined or group layout (a) Product or line layout: Under this, machines and equipments are arranged in one line depending upon the sequence of operations required for the product. The materials move form one workstation to another sequentially without any backtracking or deviation. Under this, machines are grouped in one sequence. Therefore materials are fed into the first machine and finished goods travel automatically from machine to machine, the output of one machine becoming input of the next, e.g. in a paper mill, bamboos are fed into the machine at one end and paper comes out at the other end. The raw material moves very fast from one workstation to other stations with a minimum work in progress storage and material handling. The grouping of machines should be done keeping in mind the following general principles. a) All the machine tools or other items of equipments must be placed at the point demanded by the sequence of operations b) There should no points where one line crossed another line. c) Materials may be fed where they are required for assembly but not necessarily at one point. d) All the operations including assembly, testing packing must be included in the line A line layout for two products is given below. Advantages: Product layout provides the following benefits: a) Low cost of material handling, due to straight and short route and absence of backtracking b) Smooth and uninterrupted operations 15

16 c) Continuous flow of work d) Lesser investment in inventory and work in progress e) Optimum use of floor space f) Shorter processing time or quicker output g) Less congestion of work in the process h) Simple and effective inspection of work and simplified production control i) Lower cost of manufacturing per unit Disadvantages: Product layout suffers from following drawbacks: a. High initial capital investment in special purpose machine b. Heavy overhead charges c. Breakdown of one machine will hamper the whole production process d. Lesser flexibility as specially laid out for particular product. Suitability: Product layout is useful under following conditions: 1) Mass production of standardized products 2) Simple and repetitive manufacturing process 3) Operation time for different process is more or less equal 4) Reasonably stable demand for the product 5) Continuous supply of materials Therefore, the manufacturing units involving continuous manufacturing process, producing few standardized products continuously on the firm s own specifications and in anticipation of sales would prefer product layout e.g. chemicals, sugar, paper, rubber, refineries, cement, automobiles, food processing and electronics etc. UNIT-II Process layout: In this type of layout machines of a similar type are arranged together at one place. E.g. Machines performing drilling operations are arranged in the drilling department, machines performing casting operations be grouped in the casting department. Therefore the machines are installed in the plants, which follow the process layout. Hence, such layouts typically have drilling department, milling department, welding department, heating department and painting department etc. The process or functional layout is followed from historical period. It evolved from the handicraft method of production. The work has to be allocated to each department in such a way that no machines are chosen to do as many different job as possible i.e. the emphasis is on general purpose machine. The work, which has to be done, is allocated to the machines according to loading schedules with the object of ensuring that each machine is fully loaded. Process layout is shown in the following diagram. 16

17 Product A: Product B: Process layout showing movement of two products The grouping of machines according to the process has to be done keeping in mind the following principles a) The distance between departments should be as short as possible for avoiding long distance movement of materials b) The departments should be in sequence of operations c) The arrangement should be convenient for inspection and supervision Advantages: Process layout provides the following benefits a) Lower initial capital investment in machines and equipments. There is high degree of machine utilization, as a machine is not blocked for a single product b) The overhead costs are relatively low c) Change in output design and volume can be more easily adapted to the output of variety of products d) Breakdown of one machine does not result in complete work stoppage e) Supervision can be more effective and specialized f) There is a greater flexibility of scope for expansion. Disadvantages: Product layout suffers from following drawbacks a. Material handling costs are high due to backtracking b. More skilled labour is required resulting in higher cost. c. Time gap or lag in production is higher d. Work in progress inventory is high needing greater storage space e. More frequent inspection is needed which results in costly supervision Suitability: Process layout is adopted when 1. Products are not standardized 2. Quantity produced is small 3. There are frequent changes in design and style of product 4. Job shop type of work is done 5. Machines are very expensive 17

18 Thus, process layout or functional layout is suitable for job order production involving non-repetitive processes and customer specifications and nonstandardized products, e.g. tailoring, light and heavy engineering products, made to order furniture industries, jewelry. (c) Fixed Position or Location Layout In this type of layout, the major product being produced is fixed at one location. Equipment labour and components are moved to that location. All facilities are brought and arranged around one work center. This type of layout is not relevant for small scale entrepreneur. The following figure shows a fixed position layout regarding shipbuilding. Advantages: Fixed position layout provides the following benefits a) It saves time and cost involved on the movement of work from one workstation to another. b) The layout is flexible as change in job design and operation sequence can be easily incorporated. c) It is more economical when several orders in different stages of progress are being executed simultaneously. d) Adjustments can be made to meet shortage of materials or absence of workers by changing the sequence of operations. Disadvantages: Fixed position layout has the following drawbacks a. Production period being very long, capital investment is very heavy b. Very large space is required for storage of material and equipment near the product. c. As several operations are often carried out simultaneously, there is possibility of confusion and conflicts among different workgroups. Suitability: The fixed position layout is followed in following conditions 1. Manufacture of bulky and heavy products such as locomotives, ships, boilers, generators, wagon building, aircraft manufacturing, etc. 2. Construction of building, flyovers, dams. 3. Hospital, the medicines, doctors and nurses are taken to the patient (product). (d) Combined layout Certain manufacturing units may require all three processes namely intermittent process (job shops), the continuous process (mass production shops) and the representative process combined process [i.e. miscellaneous shops]. 18

19 In most of industries, only a product layout or process layout or fixed location layout does not exist. Thus, in manufacturing concerns where several products are produced in repeated numbers with no likelihood of continuous production, combined layout is followed. Generally, a combination of the product and process layout or other combination are found, in practice, e.g. for industries involving the fabrication of parts and assembly, fabrication tends to employ the process layout, while the assembly areas often employ the product layout. In soap, manufacturing plant, the machinery manufacturing soap is arranged on the product line principle, but ancillary services such as heating, the manufacturing of glycerin, the power house, the water treatment plant etc. are arranged on a functional basis. FACTORS INFLUENCING LAYOUT While deciding his factory or unit or establishment or store, a small-scale businessman should keep the following factors in mind: a) Factory building: The nature and size of the building determines the floor space available for layout. While designing the special requirements, e.g. air conditioning, dust control, humidity control etc. must be kept in mind. b) Nature of product: product layout is suitable for uniform products whereas process layout is more appropriate for custom-made products. c) Production process: In assembly line industries, product layout is better. In job order or intermittent manufacturing on the other hand, process layout is desirable. d) Type of machinery: General purpose machines are often arranged as per process layout while special purpose machines are arranged according to product layout e) Repairs and maintenance: machines should be so arranged that adequate space is available between them for movement of equipment and people required for repairing the machines. f) Human needs: Adequate arrangement should be made for cloakroom, washroom, lockers, drinking water, toilets and other employee facilities, proper provision should be made for disposal of effluents, if any. g) Plant environment: Heat, light, noise, ventilation and other aspects should be duly considered, e.g. paint shops and plating section should be located in another hall so that dangerous fumes can be removed through proper ventilation etc. Adequate safety arrangement should also be made. Thus, the layout should be conducive to health and safety of employees. It should ensure free and efficient flow of men and materials. Future expansion and diversification may also be considered while planning factory layout. APPLICABILITY OF PLANT LAYOUT Plant layout is applicable to all types of industries or plants. Certain plants require special arrangements which, when incorporated make the layout look distinct form the types already discussed above. Applicability of plant layout in manufacturing and service industries is discussed below. In case of the manufacturing of detergent powder, a multi-storey building is specially constructed to house the boiler. Materials are stored and poured into the boiler at different stages on different floors. Other facilities are also provided 19

20 around the boiler at different stations. Another applicability of this layout is the manufacture of talcum powder. Here machinery is arranged vertically i.e. from top to bottom. Thus, material is poured into the first machine at the top and powder comes out at the bottom of the machinery located on the ground floor. Yet another applicability of this layout is the newspaper plant, where the time element is of supreme importance, the accomplishment being gapped in seconds. Here plant layout must be simple and direct so as to eliminate distance, delay and confusion. There must be a perfect coordination of all departments and machinery or equipments, as materials must never fail. Plant layout is also applicable to five star hotels as well. Here lodging, bar, restaurant, kitchen, stores, swimming pool, laundry, shaving saloons, shopping arcades, conference hall, parking areas etc. should all find an appropriate place in the layout. Here importance must be given to cleanliness, elegant appearance, convenience and compact looks, which attract customers. Similarly plant layout is applicable to a cinema hall, where emphasis is on comfort, and convenience of the cinemagoers. The projector, screen, sound box, fire fighting equipment, ambience etc. should be of utmost importance. A plant layout applies besides the grouping of machinery, to an arrangement for other facilities as well. Such facilities include receiving and dispatching points, inspection facilities, employee facilities, storage etc. Generally, the receiving and the dispatching departments should be at either end of the plant. The storeroom should be located close to the production, receiving and dispatching centers in order to minimize handling costs. The inspection should be right next to other dispatch department as inspections are done finally, before dispatch. The maintenance department consisting of lighting, safety devices, fire protection, collection and disposal of garbage, scrap etc. should be located in a place which is easily accessible to all the other departments in the plant. The other employee facilities like toilet facilities, drinking water facilities, first aid room, cafeteria etc. can be a little away from other departments but should be within easy reach of the employees. Hence, there are the other industries or plants to which plant layout is applicable. UNIT-III 20

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44 UVNIT-IV Fixed-Position Layouts In fixed-position layouts, the materials or major components remain in a fixed position, and workers, materials, and equipment are moved as needed. Fixed-position layout is used when product is very bulky, heavy or fragile Fixed-position layouts are used in large construction projects (buildings, power plants, and dams), shipbuilding, and production of large aircraft and space mission rockets. Fixed-position layouts are widely used for farming, firefighting, road building, home building, remodeling and repair. 44

45 Hybrid (mixed) Layouts Actually, most manufacturing facilities use a combination of layout types. An example of a hybrid layout is where departments are arranged according to the types of processes but the products flow through on a product layout. For instance, supermarket layouts are fundamentally of a process nature, and however we find most use fixed-path material-handling devices such as roller-type conveyors both in the stockroom and at checkouts, and belt-type conveyors at the cash registers. Hospitals also use the basic process arrangement, although frequently patient care involves more of a fixed-position approach, in which nurses, doctors, medicines, and special equipment are brought to the patient. UNIT-V 1. Overview of Material Handling Material handling (MH) involves short-distance movement that usually takes place within the confines of a building such as a plant or a warehouse and between a building and a transportation agency. 1 It can be used to create time and place utility through the handling, storage, and control of material, as distinct from manufacturing (i.e., fabrication and assembly operations), which creates form utility by changing the shape, form, and makeup of material.2 It is often said that MH only adds to the cost of a product, it does not add to the value of a product. Although MH does not provide a product with form utility, the time and place utility provided by MH can add real value to a product, i.e., the value of a product can increase after MH has taken place; for example: The value (to the customer) added by the overnight delivery of a package (e.g., Federal Express) is greater than or equal to the additional cost of the service as compared to regular mail service otherwise regular mail would have been used. The value added by having parts stored next to a bottleneck machine is the savings associated with the increase in machine utilization minus the cost of storing the parts at the machine. Principles of Material Handling Although there are no definite rules that can be followed when designing an effective MHS, the following Ten Principles of Material Handling, 3 as compiled by the College-Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CIC-MHE) in cooperation with the Material Handling Institute (MHI), represent the distillation of many years of accumulated experience and knowledge of many practitioners and students of material handling: 1. Planning Principle. All MH should be the result of a deliberate plan where the needs, performance objectives, and functional specification of the proposed methods are completely defined at the outset. 2. Standardization Principle. MH methods, equipment, controls and software should be standardized within the limits of achieving overall performance objectives and without sacrificing needed flexibility, modularity, and throughput. 3. Work Principle. MH work (defined as material flow multiplied by the distance moved) should be minimized without sacrificing productivity or the level of service required of the operation. 4. Ergonomic Principle. Human capabilities and limitations must be recognized and respected in the design of MH tasks and equipment to ensure safe and effective operations. 45

46 5. Unit Load Principle. Unit loads shall be appropriately sized and configured in a way that achieves the material flow and inventory objectives at each stage in the supply chain. 6. Space Utilization Principle. Effective and efficient use must be made of all available (cubic) space. 7. System Principle. Material movement and storage activities should be fully integrated to form a coordinated, operational system which spans receiving, inspection, storage, production, assembly, packaging, unitizing, order selection, shipping, and transportation, and the handling of returns. 8. Automation Principle. MH operations should be mechanized and/or automated where feasible to improve operational efficiency, increase responsiveness, improve consistency and predictability, decrease operating costs, and to eliminate repetitive or potentially unsafe manual labor. 9. Environmental Principle. Environmental impact and energy consumption should be considered as criteria when designing or selecting alternative equipment and MHS. 10. Life Cycle Cost Principle. A thorough economic analysis should account for the entire life cycle of all MHE and resulting systems. Characteristics of Materials The characteristics of materials affecting handling include the following: size (width, depth, height); weight (weight per item, or per unit volume); shape (round, square, long, rectangular, irregular); and other (slippery, fragile, sticky, explosive, frozen). Figure 1 shows an example of alternate ways of handling a dry bulk material: as containerized (bagged) items on pallets handled using unit handling equipment (boxcar, pallet, fork truck), or as bulk material handled using bulk handling equipment (hopper car, pneumatic conveyor, bulk storage bin). UNIT-VI MH Equipment Selection Given the material flow requirements for one or moves, MHS alternatives can be determined by selecting appropriate MH equipment that, in some way, satisfies the requirements. An important issue is the classification level from which the MH equipment is selected: High Level categories of equipment, e.g., conveyors, cranes, industrial trucks, positioning equipment 46

47 Intermediate Level equipment types within categories, e.g., chute or roller conveyors, pallet jack or pallet truck industrial trucks Low Level equipment models within an equipment type, e.g., an Acme Model X diesel-powered counterbalanced lift truck with a rated lift capacity of 5,000 lbs. General Types of Materials Handling Equipment Tompkins and White divide materials handling equipment into five classifications. They give the following list but note that numerous variations can exist within each category: 1. Conveyors 2. Monorails, hoists, and cranes 3. Industrial trucks 4. Containers and supports 5. Auxiliary and other equipment Factors Affecting the selection of Materials Handling Equipment The selection of materials handling equipment requires the attaining of proper balance between the production problem, the capabilities of the equipment available, and the human element involved. The ultimate aim is to arrive at the lowest cost per unit of material handled. Equipment factors to be taken into consideration may well include the following: Adaptability: the load carrying and movement characteristics of the equipment should fit the materials handling problem. Flexibility: Where possible the equipment should have flexibility to handle more than one material, referring either to class or size. Load capacity: Equipment selected should have great enough load-carrying characteristics to do the job effectively, yet should not be too large and result in excessive operating costs. Power: Enough power should be available to do the job. Speed: Rapidity of movement of material, within the limits of the production process or plant safety, should be considered Space requirements: The space required to install or operate materials handling equipment is an important factor in its selection. Supervision required: As applied to equipment selection, this refers to the degree of automaticity designed into the equipment. Ease of maintenance: Equipment selected should be easily maintained at reasonable 47

48 cost. Environment: Equipment selected must conform to any environment regulations. Cost: The consideration of the cost of the equipment is an obvious factor in its selection. Accounting for Materials Handling Costs The cost of materials handling arises from two sources: the cost of owning and maintaining equipment and the cost of operating the system. General cost-accounting practice classifies the cost of handling materials as an indirect cost or overhead. This classification is based on the position that the movement of the materials does not contribute to their physical change or add value to them as a product or as a component part thereof. In some manufacturing situations, such as a carbon black plant where the material is constantly moving during the production process, this contention of the cost accountants might be challenged. However, the problem of classification of unit handling costs of most situations is more of an academic than a practical nature. Relation of Materials Handling to Flow of Material and Plant Layout The pattern of flow of materials in a plant definitely affect the materials handling costs. The production process should be so planned and the machines and benches soarranged that the handlings of materials are reduced to a minimum with as little backtracking of goods as possible. The type of manufacturing is a major factor in this respect. In the layout of a plant for continuous manufacture the pattern of flow is planned will in advance; because of balanced machine and assembly lines, it lends itself to a wellplanned flow of component parts, subassemblies, and assemblies. This makes it possible to plant the handling of materials in advance, procure and install the best equipment for the job, and design for a minimum materials handling cost. However, one installed, the plan lacks flexibility- usually it cannot be changed without major expense. Storage Material in storage is generally thought to be stationary or idle. But the use of conveyors as storage devices is quite popular. These conveyors may be overhead and constantly moving, yet utilizing ceiling space storage. Such an installation is pictured in figure Other storage installations may be like the skate conveyors shown in figure 12-11b. In one Midwestern furniture plant the complete floor of the finish drying room is covered by a large slat conveyor that moves very slowly: pieces placed on this floor at one side of the room are dry when they reach the other side. Packaging Whether packaging is or is not a phase of materials handling is to some degree an academic question. The unit load is in itself a package. Generally speaking, however, the term packaging is used to cover the preparation of the final product for shipment, particularly if the product is a consumer good. From the viewpoint of a material handling problem, packaging of the incoming materials as well as of the outgoing product directly affect materials handling methods and equipment and the resultant materials handling costs. The designing of the package of a product, although usually identified as a separate activity or function, is closely interrelated with materials handling, methods of production, and marketing. Attractively packaged good on the shelves and counters of the store, as well as the identification of 48

49 large shipments on trucks and railroad cars, are effective advertising and sales promotion. UNIT-VII Factors Affecting the selection of Materials Handling Equipment The selection of materials handling equipment requires the attaining of proper balance between the production problem, the capabilities of the equipment available, and the human element involved. The ultimate aim is to arrive at the lowest cost per unit of material handled. Equipment factors to be taken into consideration may well include the following: Adaptability: the load carrying and movement characteristics of the equipment should fit the materials handling problem. Flexibility: Where possible the equipment should have flexibility to handle more than one material, referring either to class or size. Load capacity: Equipment selected should have great enough load-carrying characteristics to do the job effectively, yet should not be too large and result in excessive operating costs. Power: Enough power should be available to do the job. Speed: Rapidity of movement of material, within the limits of the production process or plant safety, should be considered Space requirements: The space required to install or operate materials handling equipment is an important factor in its selection. Supervision required: As applied to equipment selection, this refers to the degree of automaticity designed into the equipment. Ease of maintenance: Equipment selected should be easily maintained at reasonable cost. Environment: Equipment selected must conform to any environment regulations. Cost: The consideration of the cost of the equipment is an obvious factor in its selection. Accounting for Materials Handling Costs The cost of materials handling arises from two sources: the cost of owning and maintaining equipment and the cost of operating the system. General cost-accounting practice classifies the cost of handling materials as an indirect cost or overhead. This classification is based on the position that the movement of the materials does not contribute to their physical change or add value to them as a product or as a component part thereof. In some manufacturing situations, such as a carbon black plant where the material is constantly moving during the production process, this contention of the cost accountants might be challenged. However, the problem of classification of unit handling costs of most situations is more of an academic than a practical nature. Relation of Materials Handling to Flow of Material and Plant Layout The pattern of flow of materials in a plant definitely affect the materials handling costs. The production process should be so planned and the machines and benches so arranged that the handlings of materials are reduced to a minimum with as little backtracking of goods as possible. The type of manufacturing is a major factor in this respect. 49

50 In the layout of a plant for continuous manufacture the pattern of flow is planned will in advance; because of balanced machine and assembly lines, it lends itself to a wellplanned flow of component parts, subassemblies, and assemblies. This makes it possible to plant the handling of materials in advance, procure and install the best equipment for the job, and design for a minimum materials handling cost. However, one installed, the plan lacks flexibility- usually it cannot be changed without major expense. Storage Material in storage is generally thought to be stationary or idle. But the use of conveyors as storage devices is quite popular. These conveyors may be overhead and constantly moving, yet utilizing ceiling space storage. Such an installation is pictured in figure Other storage installations may be like the skate conveyors shown in figure 12-11b. In one Midwestern furniture plant the complete floor of the finish drying room is covered by a large slat conveyor that moves very slowly: pieces placed on this floor at one side of the room are dry when they reach the other side. Packaging Whether packaging is or is not a phase of materials handling is to some degree an academic question. The unit load is in itself a package. Generally speaking, however, the term packaging is used to cover the preparation of the final product for shipment, particularly if the product is a consumer good. From the viewpoint of a material handling problem, packaging of the incoming materials as well as of the outgoing product directly affect materials handling methods and equipment and the resultant materials handling costs. The designing of the package of a product, although usually identified as a separate activity or function, is closely interrelated with materials handling, methods of production, and marketing. Attractively packaged good on the shelves and counters of the store, as well as the identification of large shipments on trucks and railroad cars, are effective advertising and sales promotion. Organization For Effective Materials Handling Good materials handling practice is the responsibility of all members of the manufacturing team, form the top management down to the trucker working in the aisle of the plant. Very few other elements of manufacturing activity must be so carefully considered by each function in the manufacturing organization. Optimum effectiveness of materials handling procedures can only be attained if each individual recognizes and plays his part. Education and training in materials handling are prerequisite to minimum materials handling costs. UNIT-VIII The Unit Load Concept A unit load is either a single unit of an item, or multiple units so arranged or restricted that they can be handled as a single unit and maintain their integrity. Advantages of unit loads: 1. More items can be handled at the same time, thereby reducing the number of trips required and, potentially, reducing handling costs, loading and unloading times, and product damage. 2. Enables the use of standardized material handling equipment. 50

51 Disadvantages of unit loads: 1. Time spent forming and breaking down the unit load. 2. Cost of containers/pallets and other load restraining materials used in the unit load 3. Empty containers/pallets may need to be returned to their point of origin. Basic ways of restraining a unit load: Self-restraining one or more units that can maintain their integrity when handled as a single item (e.g., a single part or interlocking parts) Platforms pallets (paper, wood, plastic, metal), skids (metal, plastic) Sheets slipsheets (plastic, cardboard, plywood) 51

52 Reusable containers tote pans, pallet boxes, skid boxes, bins, baskets, bulk containers (e.g., barrels), intermodal containers Disposable containers cartons, bags, crates Racks racks Load stabilization strapping, shrink-wrapping, stretch-wrapping, glue, tape, wire, rubber bands Basic ways of moving a unit load: Use of a lifting device under the mass of the load (e.g., a pallet and fork truck) Inserting a lifting element into the body of the load (e.g., a coil of steel) Squeezing the load between two lifting surfaces (e.g., lifting a light carton between your hands, or the use of carton clamps on a lift truck) Suspending the load (e.g., hoist and crane) Unit Load Design Unit loads can be used both for in-process handling and for distribution (receiving, storing, and shipping). Unit load design involves determining the: 1. Type, size, weight, and configuration of the load 2. Equipment and method used to handle the load 3. Methods of forming (or building) and breaking down the load. Selecting unit load size for in-process handling: Unit loads should not be larger than the production batch size of parts in process if the unit load size is larger, then a delay would occur if the load is forced to wait until the next batch of the part is scheduled to start production (which might be days or weeks) before it can be transported. Large production batches (used to increase the utilization of bottleneck operations) can be split into smaller transfer batches for handling purposes, where each transfer batches contains one or more unit loads, and small unit loads can be combined into a larger transfer batch to allow more efficient transport (e.g., several cartons at a time can be transported on a hand truck, although each carton is itself a unit load and could be transported separately); thus: Single part Unit load size Transfer batch size Production batch size When parts are transferred between adjacent operations, the unit load may be a single part. smaller unit load sizes, and long distance moves larger unit load sizes. The practical size of a unit load (cf. the Unit Load Principle) may be limited by the equipment and aisle space available and the need for safe material handling (in accord with the Safety Principle). Selecting unit load size for distribution (see Figure 2): Containers/pallets are usually available only in standard sizes and configurations. Truck trailers, rail boxcars, and airplane cargo bays are limited in width, length, and height. The existing warehouse layout and storage rack configuration may limit the number of feasible container/pallet sizes for a load. Customer package/carton sizes and retail store shelf restrictions can limit the number of feasible container/pallet sizes for a load. 52

53 Major Equipment Categories Old adage (that applies to a lack of MH equipment knowledge): If the only tool you have is a hammer, it s amazing how quickly all your problems seem to look like nails. The different types of MH equipment listed in Table 2 can be classified into the following five major categories [Chu]:6 I. Transport Equipment. Equipment used to move material from one location to another (e.g., between workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage area, etc.). The major subcategories of transport equipment are conveyors, cranes, and industrial trucks. Material can also be transported manually using no equipment. II. Positioning Equipment. Equipment used to handle material at a single location (e.g., to feed and/or manipulate materials so that are in the correct position for subsequent handling, machining, transport, or storage). Unlike transport equipment, positioning equipment is usually used for handling at a single workplace. Material can also be positioned manually using no equipment. III. Unit Load Formation Equipment. Equipment used to restrict materials so that they maintain their integrity when handled a single load during transport and for storage. If materials are self-restraining (e.g., a single part or interlocking parts), then they can be formed into a unit load with no equipment. IV. Storage Equipment. Equipment used for holding or buffering materials over a period of time. Some storage equipment may include the transport of materials (e.g., the S/R machines of an AS/RS, or storage carousels). If materials are block stacked directly on the floor, then no storage equipment is required. V. Identification and Control Equipment. Equipment used to collect and communicate the information that is used to coordinate the flow of materials within a facility and between a facility and its suppliers and customers. The identification of materials and associated control can be performed manually with no specialized equipment. 53

54 Transport equipment (see Table 2) is used to move material from one location to another, while positioning equipment is used to manipulate material at a single location. The major subcategories of transport equipment are conveyors, cranes, and industrial trucks. Material can also be transported manually using no equipment. 54

55 The following general equipment characteristics can be used to describe the functional differences between conveyors, cranes, and industrial trucks (see Table 3): Path: Fixed move between two specific points Variable move between a large variety of points Area: Restricted move restricted to a limited area Unrestricted unlimited area of movement Move frequency: Low low number of moves per period, or intermittent moves High high number of moves per period Adjacent move: Yes move is between adjacent activities No move is between activities that are not adjacent 15. ADDITIONAL TOPICS 55

56 16. University previous Question papers 56

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59 17. Question Bank Short-Answer Questions 1. What is plant layout? What are its advantages? 2. What do you understand by facility location or plant location? 3. Write a short note on the parameters that affect the location of a plant in a foreign country. 4. Differentiate between line layout and process layout. 5. What is group technology? Long-Answer Questions 1. Discuss the steps involved in selecting a location for a facility. 2. Explain the parameters that affect plant location. 3. Why is facility location important for the success of an organization? 4. Discuss the factor and location rating method. 5. How is the break-even concept used in location decision? 6. What is layout planning? What is its relevance to an organization? 7. What is the relevance of group technology? Explain with examples. 1. Determining all new methods for the handling of new materials or products and selecting the equipment to be utilized. 2. Conducting research in materials handling methods and equipment. 3. Conducting education and training for all manufacturing personnel in good material handling practices. 4. Establishing controls of current materials handling costs by analysis of costs and comparison to budgets of either unit or total materials handling costs. 5. Initiating and conducting a continuing materials handling cost-reduction or cost improvement program. 6. Determining measurements for effectiveness of materials handling that can become the yard sticks for progress in this activity. 7. Developing and conducting a preventive maintenance program for all materials handling equipment. 59