Unit 16 Factory Layout

Exercise 1.

Read the text. Complete the text using these words.

batches	changeover	construction	continuous
equipment	flexibility	functions	location
placement	rehandling	series	shut-downs

The layout of a production facility – the (1) … of departments, workstations, machines, stock-holding points, and so on – obviously depends on the type of production being carried out. Some plants, especially those involving furnaces that take a long time to heat up, as in steel and glass production, are designed for a single (2) …process, without any start ups and (3) … Other plants are designed for assembly line production, in which the same (4) …of steps is repeated again and again, but not 24 hours a day. Yet assembly lines are generally designed and equipped to give the (5) … to make different products without needing to change the layout, and with (6) …times between production processes that are as short as possible. This is especially the case today when product life cycles are tending to shorten.

There are three basic production layouts. The first is product layout or flow-shop layout, as in a standard production line or assembly line, in which (7) …or work processes are arranged according to the progressive steps by which the product is made. The ideal is perhaps a straight –line flow pattern, in which workstations are close together, and there is a smooth work flow between departments and work centres, without any backtracking or (8) …of materials, or the need to store materials between different stages of production.

Some assembly lines produce the same basic product for months at a time; others are used to making ( 9 ) … of different products, or even smaller job lots.

The second basic production layout is process layout or job-shop layout or layout by function, in which similar equipment or (10) …are grouped together. This layout is used in some factories and, outside of manufacturing , in buildings such as schools and hospitals. Schools, for example, often have classrooms close together in one part of the building, science laboratories in another, offices in a third, and so on; hospitals have general wards, specialized departments, operating theatres, and so on.

The third production layout is fixed position layout, in which the product remains at one (11) …, because of its large size or shape. This is used, for example, in shipbuilding and on (12) …sites.

Since it is not always possible to use one layout exclusively, many manufacturing facilities are a combination of two types. For example, some car factories are based on a flow-shop layout with an assembly line, but also have elements of a process layout, such as separate areas for spray-painting and vehicle testing.

Listening

You are going to listen to some information about Valentino Chocolates.

Background:

Valentino Chocolates are made in Turin. They are luxury products with a unique taste and have won many international awards.

Expansion

The company has expanded rapidly over the past ten years. It now has almost 300 employees, 75 company-owned shops, and a turnover of €90 million. However, in the last two years, sales growth has slowed down and costs have risen. This has caused a fall in profits.

(CD)Task 1.

Listen to this excerpt from a board meeting. Make notes under the four headings below: