The Layout of Workcentres in a Job Shop Situation.

Abstract

This thesis deals with an extended approach to the problems of rearranging the layout of workcentres within an existing job shop to suit a change in manufacturing
conditions.

Initially these problems are identified as:
1. The need to utilise an adequate
representation of facilities and layout
area.
2. The need to consider subjective and
quantitative factors at a detailed
level.
3. The influence of the overall
manufacturing system on the
arrangement of workcentres.
4. Whether in reality the benefits
claimed of a layout arrangement
are in practice obtained through the
lifespan of the layout.

To investigate these problems a two stage approach is suggested dealing firstly with the creation of static layout designs and secondly with the dynamic simulation of
layout changeovers.

The static layout model utilises materials movement as a quantitative criterion in an interactive designer-heuristic approach which firstly locates pregrouped sets of workcentrees and secondly locates individual workcentres within the areas allocated to each set.

Having created an initial and a final layout arrangement an interactive simulation model is proposed for evaluating
the changeover from initial to final layout under varying conditions. Features of the simulation model include:

1. A more complex but realistic
evaluation of materials movement
costs.
2. The use of workplace relocation and
materials movement costs.
3. The use of a parallel present value
financial analysis to account for the
influence of time on costs.
4. An inbuilt automatic changeover
heuristic.

A computerised suite of programs is then introduced to include these models, giving consideration to the best possible
combination of equipment and program for the design process.

Finally a number of the new parameters introduced are examined using an industrial test case and conclusions
drawn on their behaviour, with test results presented to support these.

Date of Award	Sept 1975
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aston University