Dimensionless Block Diagram

You are the manufacturing engineer for a company that manufactures Snow Plows for the aftermarket industry.

This is a large factory that employs $100$ shop employees and about $30$ office staff. The company has outgrown its'

present facility and needs your help in determining the layout for a new factory. It is your responsibility to come up

with the "rough" layout showing the relationships of the departments to each other. The size of the facility is not a

concern at this point.

Your assignment is to take the information below and work through an Activity Relationship Diagram, the

Worksheet, and the resulting Dimensionless Block Diagram. Use the relationship diagram blank from Blackboard

$($or create your own!$).$ The Dimensionless Block Diagram can be submitted as a digitized copy of the arranged

cutouts, or be completed electronically with Excel, Visio, or other software. You will identify and count the "check

marks" for potential layout deficiencies as instructed in the text. Also identify the product flow through the plant

with an arrow through the critical departments.

Deliverable Items:

Completed Activity Relationship Diagram

Completed Activity Relationship Worksheet

Completed Dimensionless Block Diagram

a$.$ Summary of "check$-$marks" against your layout

b$.$ Flow shown with arrow through the factory

Data

The components of the snow plow assembly are in three forms:

Frame made from steel tubing, with a basic process that consists of:

a$.$ Saw cut tubing from bulk stock.

b$.$ Drill$/$Tap required holes.

c$.$ Deburr

Plow blades made from steel plate, with a basic process that consists of:

a$.$ Sheet metal laser cut from $6^{\text{'}}{12}^{\text{'}}$ sheet stock of varying gauge thicknesses.

b$.$ Deburr if required, only about $50\%$ of the parts need their edges deburred.

c$.$ Roll$-$shape blade

Purchased hardware

All steel material for the items in $(1)$ and $(2)$ begin their process when they are received in the Raw Materials

Storage area, the purchased hardware is received$/$stored in Purchased Materials Storage. After the basic processes

mentioned above, the components from $1$ and $2$ move to Weld where the frame and blade are joined together.

After welding, they proceed to Grind where the welds are made aesthetically acceptable. After grinding, the

assemblies move to Final Assembly where the purchased hardware is added. Next is Powder Coat, where a finish

is applied, then proceeds to the Curing Oven. After the finish is complete, they go to Final Pack, then to Stores

until they are shipped,

Some other considerations:

The laser cutting process emits smoke and potentially harmful fumes.

The smoke removal system on the laser cutter uses filters that are replaced weekly.

The welding process is loud and produces smoke, fumes, hazardous arcs, and arc flashes. Their

smoke collector filters are replaced at a similar interval to the ones on the laser.

Purchased Materials Storage stocks drills, saw blades, resin for the powder coating, filters, and

grinding wheels that are replaced as necessary by the staff of the department using the supplies.

The baking oven for the powder coating process generates significant heat and has an unpleasant

smell.

The departments within your facility:

Raw Materials Storage

Purchased Materials Storage

Saw Dept.

Laser Dept.

Drill$/$Tap Dept.

Grind Dept.

Weld Dept.

Powder Coat

Curing Oven

Final Assembly

Final Pack

Locker Rooms

Rest Rooms

Offices for Engineering, Accounting, Sales, etc.

Reception Area

Cafeteria for all employees

Stores