A process layout is a type of facility layout in which the floor plan is arranged with

similar processes or machines located together. For example, a machine shop with

mills located together, lathes located together, saws located together, and so on, is
arranged with a process layout. This differs from a product layout in which
equipment is arranged based on sequential steps involved in manufacturing a
product, as on an assembly line.

A process
layout is a type of facility layout in which the floor plan is arranged with
similar processes or machines located together.
Design of a process layout begins with a needs analysis. This analysis takes into
account a number of factors to ensure that the final layout is sufficient for all the
necessary functions of the facility. The needs analysis assesses what departments
will occupy the facility, how much space each will require, and how each will be
configured. Details regarding the types of equipment required and the quantity of
each are also determined in this phase of the design process.
 Hybrid
layouts may be necessary when shared equipment is used in one area of the
factory and a product needs to be moved from one station to the next in
another.
Next, location analysis is done to determine the locations of each department. This
analysis defines two location variables for each department. A department’s
absolute location is the space it occupies with respect to the facility. Its relative
location is its placement relative to other departments in the facility.

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Once these analyses are complete, a block layout is documented showing the
general overall layout of the departments in the plant floor plan. This not only
accounts for the relative locations of the departments, but also for the amount of
space each will occupy. From this block layout, a more detailed layout is
developed with specific locations of each piece of equipment. This ensures that
there is room for equipment to be configured as needed, space between
workstations, and room for workers and vehicles to move around safely. With the
process layout complete, the facility is then ready for equipment installation.

In a low-rate or medium-rate production facility, a process layout may be a more

efficient choice than a product layout. Any particular piece of equipment may be in
use more often because it can be used for more than one product. In a product
layout situation with low throughput, multiple units may be needed for separate
product lines even though they sometimes sit idle. A process layout is also more
amenable to custom jobs as the equipment is not dedicated to specific tasks in
specific workflows. This type of layout is also sometimes referred to as a flexible
flow layout.
A plant floor plan may be entirely set up with one particular type of layout. In
some manufacturing environments, however, the workflow and available
equipment may not obviously call for either a process layout or a product layout. A
floor plan set up such that one portion is a process layout and another portion is a
product layout is called a hybrid layout.