Improvement in Plant Layout Using Material Handling Technique

Amrita Kirtane, Dr. Nagendra Sohani

Abstract: The work in the present paper is based on study conducted in a medium job type small scale industry located at Pune; Maharashtra; which manufactures couplings. While manufacturing the parts; there is one modes of material handling that is with the help of trolley. The Existing Plant Layout of the Company has been designed in such a way that there is no optimum utilization of the resources. Travel Chart Technique is applied to minimize wastes of time; manpower and money and to generate higher profits for the same work from the same resources. Two improved layout have been developed by considering the material handling costs ; First Improved layout is developed by making only one change [ Assembly Section ( f) and Fabrication ( g) are interchanged their positions] to existing layout ; This reduces the materials handling costs by Rs.136 per day ; Second Improvement layout is developed by making one more change [ Fabrication section ( g) and Machine shop- 2 ( c) are interchanged their positions]. It reduces the material handling costs by Rs.364.625 per day.

Keywords: Material Handling, Travel Chart, Total Quality Management, Quality control, Plant Layout