EQUIPMENT UPGRADE LAYOUT UPDATE

PROJECT INCLUDES:

IMEG was hired by a leading manufacturer of abrasive products to develop proposed layouts of their facility to determine the optimal location of a new piece of manufacturing equipment, which will replace equipment currently central to multiple production processes. The customer wanted layouts ranging from minimal to major rearrangements of equipment and needed an objective way to compare them that could be utilized for short and long-term decision making.

THE PROBLEM

proposed layout

Current layout out of date and missing major ventilation system
Production area lacks space for new piece of equipment and support items
Equipment being retired cannot be removed until new piece is implemented
No way to objectively compare layout options based on customer's key criteria

THE PLAN

Field measure the facility's ventilation system and finished goods packaging areas
Update the current facility layout in AutoCAD
Develop detailed layout options incorporating the new equipment with a range of current machine movement
Calculate travel distance for each layout option
Develop a thorough plant layout analysis the customer can use to compare the current and proposed layout options based on factors including investment costs and travel distance

material flow

THE RESULTS

Centralized space for the new equipment and support items
Reduced travel distance, with a 7-19% decrease compared to current travel
Improved material flow, including additional transport aisleways
Flexibility to adapt for future equipment purchases or demand fluctuations