Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering Transport Technology / Logistic Engineering
F.E. Droogsma Layoutplanning met behulp van de computer.
Literature survey, Report 91.3.LT.2806, Transport Technology, Logistic Engineering.
This report deals with the process of layoutplanning and the factors which influence the layout of a factory. An important aspect of this report is a study of literature of the role that computers can play in solving the layoutproblem.
In this report, several aspects related to the layoutplanningproblem are analysed: the general causes, which makes a company decide to initialize a layoutstudy; the stage of preparation for a layoutstudy;
the requirements of which a layout must comply with;
the organizational and social assumptions of a company, which influence the layoutplanningprocess; problems, the layoutdesigner has to deal with, during the layoutplanningprocess.
Special attention has been given to international developments in the industrial sector (especially in Japan). These developments resulted in a high interest of Western compagnies for productionmanagement and logistic matters in their company. The consequences of changes in the organizational structures and routingpatterns for the layout are influential.
Since 1950 a multiplicity of systematic methods for solving the layoutplanning problem has been proposed. In 1963 the first computersystem was introduced and eversince many (heuristie) computerprograms have been developed. The results however of these programs are very unsatisfactory. The multicriteria nature of the layoutplanning problem lies at the bottom of these disappointing results. The contribution of man to a satisfactory solution of this problem seems up until now indispensable. Therefore recently there is a tendency to find the solution of the layoutplanning problem in interactive computerprograms.
Two programs (INTALA and SCALP) which are the product of this development are being evaluated in this report. The results are encouraging, although one must realize that the part of the computer is restricted to an advisive task.
Reports on Logistic Engineering (in Dutch)
