NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Faculty of Engineering

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Course: Workshop Technology

Course Code: EIE 1103

Revision Work: 10 Points

Differentiate between plant location and plant layout

Student Name and Number: Marvellous Thabo Mpofu N02123199W

Lecturer(s) Name:

Eng.A,N.Mnkandla
Eng.G.Munhuwamambo

Due Date: 26 January 2022

INTRODUCTION

Before any kind of production has begun, the engineer of concern has several crucial factors to
consider. These factors have to be carefully analysed during the planning phase so that there is
a maximum quality output of the final product for the minimum possible cost. Two of these
factors are the location of the production plant, and the layout of the production line in the
plant. It is therefore important for the engineer to note the differences between the two factors
so as to make a more informed conclusion pertaining the location and layout of the plant. Below
are the differences between the location of the particular plant and the layout implemented
therein.

What constitutes the biggest difference between plant location and plant layout are the
definitions the terms ‘plant location’ and ‘plant layout’. According to Abishek Dixit, et al, in
their paper titled An Approach Towards Plant Location and Plant Layout, the plant location is
the choice of the region or a particular site for setting up the particular plant or factory. They
go on to define the plant layout as, rather, the “technique of locating machines, processes and
plant services within the factory so as to achieve the right quantity and quality of output at the
lowest possible cost of manufacturing”

Besides the fixed plant layout structure, most plant layouts are made to be flexible enough to
accommodate change and alterations in the future, this change may be due to an increased
product demand or the need to improve the quality of the product. (accountlearning.com/plant-
layout). However, the plant location cannot be changed once the decision has been made and
implemented.

Before establishing the location of the particular plant, it is important to consider the
distribution or marketing finished products, such as, how close the plant is to the target market
and how close it is to the distribution line of the finished product. On the other hand, when
implementing a certain plant layout, the distribution and marketing of the final product are not
usually considered. (A. Dixit, An approach towards plant location and plant layout, 2015).

The plant layout is largely affected by the product to be made in that particular plant, it is also
affected by the types of machining processes that the product will go through during the
production process, whereas the location of the plant is largely affected by the type of business
that one is starting, for instance, it would make more economical sense for the geographical
location of a milk processing plant to be near the raw milk supply. (Accountlearning.com/top-
10-factors-influencing-design-of-plant-layout)

The other difference between the plant location and the plant layout is that the plant location is
the first consideration that is made, it is in the initial step, while the determination of the plant
layout is done thereafter, factoring in the shape and size of the established plant. (A. Dixit, An
approach towards plant location and plant layout, 2015).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, factoring in the differences between the plant layout and plant location goes a
long way to help the engineer in charge to make an informed decision as he/she designs the
particular plant.
REFERENCES

1. Accountlearning.com/top-10-factors-influencing-design-of-plant-layout
https://accountlearning.com/top-10-factors-influencing-design-of-plant-
layout/#:~:text=Top%2010%20Factors%20influencing%20design%20of%20plant%2
0layout,the%20safety%20of%20employees%20should%20be%20given%20importan
ce.
2. Accountlearning.com/plant-layout-objectives-steps-involved-in-designing
https://accountlearning.com/plant-layout-objectives-steps-involved-in-
designing/#:~:text=Changes%20in%20process%20and%20techniques%20of%20prod
uction%20necessitate,is%20flexible%20to%20change.%20Objectives%20of%20plant
%20layout
3. Dixit, A. and Dave, V., 2015. An approach towards plant location and plant
layout. International Journal of Engineering Sciences & Management Research, pp.65-
68.
4. Kumar, S.A. and Suresh, N., 2006. Production and operations management. New Age
International.
5. Singh, A.K., 2019. Plant Location and Layout.