ABSTRACT
Given that a good layout minimizes the cost of moving material and people, these data can assist a designer in layout planning.
1. Frequency of trips or fl ow of material or some other measure of interaction between departments
2. Shape and size of departments 3. Floor space available 4. Location restrictions for departments, if any 5. Adjacency requirements between pairs of departments, if any
Some of these data are not essential (e.g., location restrictions for departments), but knowing the frequency of trips between departments, and the shape and size of departments, is necessary to make a preliminary layout. The frequency of trips between departments is used to determine the interaction between department pairs. If frequency data are not available, the facility designer must at least have subjective information about the traffi c or fl ow intensities between departments (e.g., heavy, medium, and low). In fact, as discussed in Section 3.2.4.2, the relationship chart uses qualitative measures to determine the desired closeness between departments. Designers must know the dimensions of each department, along with the space requirement for each. For machines and workstations, space must be allowed for clearance between them and aisle space for material handling systems (MHSs) that serve the machines.
