Facility location:-

Location of facility is problem associated with the planning phase of the factory or even a service sector.
The planning activity starts with locating the site such that no change is needed for years to come. It is a
very vital decision, which has a very long implication. This type of decision is called strategic decision. It
is not very easy to answer the location problem because of

Uncertainty in future
Constrains and limitation of resource to produce a site etc.
Complexity and conflicting factors associated with the site selection problems.

Factors affecting facility location:-

S.no categories factor

1 Process inputs Ram material, personnel, Transportation of rawmaterial,
Work force availability, Availability of water and power,
road rails, etc..

2 Process output market nearness

3 process characteristics environment such as noice, pollution weather etc..

4 Personnel preference preference of executives or entrepreneur

5 Govt policies Tax exemption, legal requirements, incentives, availability of loan/land etc.

6 cost facotrs Cost of land, cost of transportation and wages of unskilled labour.

7 competition Location of other industries in that area, market force for competition.

8 Intangible facors International consideration, Room for expansion and growth

school, churches,medical.

Objectives of Good facility plant layout:-

1. Objectives related to material:-

Less material handling and minimum transportation cost.
Less waiting time for in process inventory.
Fast travel of the material inside the factory without congestion or bottle necks.
2. Objectives related to work place:-
a. Suitable design of work station and their proper placement.
b. Safe working condition from the point of ventilation, lighting etc.
c. Maintain the sequence of operation of the parts by adjacently locating the succeeding
facilities.
d. Minimum movement of worker
e. Less chances of accident, Fire etc.
 f. Proper space for machine, worker, tool etc.
g. Utillisation of the vertical height available in the plant.
3. Performance related objectives:-
a. Simpler plant maintainance.
b. Increased productivity, better qulity and reduced cost.
c. Least setup cost and minimum change over.
d. Exploitation of buffer capacity, common worker for different machines etc.
4. Objectives related to flexibility:-
a. Scope for future expansion
b. Consideration of varied product mix
c. Consideration of alternate routings.

Principles of Plant layout or facility layout:-

1. principle of least material handling:

Place facilities as per sequence of part opearation.
Proper location of storage and packaging area.
Smooth and continuous flow of materials.
Utillisation of vertical height in material transport.
2. Principle of worker effectiveness:-
Integration of similar facilities at same location eg: milling machines may be placed at
same location
Sufficient space for worker movement
Sufficient for movement of material between machines
Safe working environment
3. Principles of High Productivity:-
Flexibility to expand, Re-routing, varied product mix.
Scope to use multi skilled operator.
Proper utillisation of resources etc.
4. Principle of Group technology.
Group similar parts in one family
For each par family, design a machine cell, Machine cell is a combination of machines
which caters to all the processing requirements of corresponding part family.
As far as possible minimize the inercell transfer of parts.