Page 27 - Facility Management Module

INTRODUCTION OF FACILITIES PLANNING

3.8 Material Flow Pattern

The pattern of material flow is an important consideration in the plant layout decision

because good layout aims at minimizing flow of materials. The flow pattern of materials
helps in eliminating bottlenecks, rushing and backtracking and ensures good supervision
and control.

The various flow patterns of materials is shown in Figure 8. The material flow systems
can be classified on the basis of the availability of floor space as.
1. Horizontal flow system: usually devised for a single story building when the flat
floor area is available.
2. Vertical flow system: this system is used in case of multi-storey buildings and
limited area is available.

Characteristics of different flow patterns.
a. Straight line
ii. Shortest route and must have roads on both sides.
iii. Plant area has long length and narrow width.
iv. Unsuitable for longer production lines.

b. U-type
i. Less difficulty in returning empty containers
ii. Suitable for longer production lines
iii. Requires square like floor area.
iv. One side road link will be required.

c. Serpentine (Inverted S-Shape)
i. Requires roads on both sides.
ii. Suitable for longer production lines
iii. Difficulty in returning empty containers
iv. Requires square like floor area.

d. Comb or Dendrite Arrangement

Material flow pattern can be shown through Figure 3.3 below.

BPLK 7 SUBJECT CODE