ABSTRACT
A number of Human Factors guidelines, for example, Oborne (1982), Woodson and Conover (1964), and Woodson (1981), provide information of relevance to the design of factory layouts. The advice given includes that factories should be laid out to minimise travel distances of components and people, to group machines and workplace areas according to common functions, and to layout a complete area so that the movement of components as they are transformed into the final product follows a physically logical sequence. On top of these considerations are those concerning, for instance, safety, shielding from noise and noxious substances, personal space, and anthropometry. Whilst the guidelines provide useful general advice, complications are largely undiscussed.
