$\backslash$table$[[,\backslash$table$[[],[$Storage$]],$Processing,$\backslash$table$[[$Quality$],[$Control$],[($QC$)]],\backslash$table$[[],[$Shipping$]],\backslash$table$[[$Administrative$],[$Offices$]]],[\backslash$table$[[$Quality Control$],[($QC$)]],50,450,-,400,0],[\backslash$table$[[],[$Shipping$]],0,300,400,-,5],[\backslash$table$[[$Administrative$],[$Offices$]],0,10,0,5,-]]$

Assignment Tasks

Material Flow Analysis:

Calculate the total daily material handling cost for each layout option provided below.

Identify inefficiencies in terms of material movement and suggest improvements.

Evaluate Proposed Layouts: The company has shortlisted two potential layouts:

Layout A:

Receiving & Storage and Processing are adjacent.

Quality Control is located farthest from Packaging & Shipping.

Administrative Offices are placed near the Processing Area.

Layout B:

Receiving & Storage is centrally located.

Quality Control is adjacent to both Processing and Packaging & Shipping.

Administrative Offices are placed farthest from production areas.

Evaluate the layouts based on material handling costs and operational efficiency. Include a sketch or diagram for better visualization.

$3.$ Design an Improved Layout:

Using the data provided, propose an optimized layout.

Justify your design decisions based on space requirements, material flow, and cost$-$efficiency.

Include a diagram or schematic of your proposed layout.

Recommendations:

Summarize your findings and recommend the best layout for SmartGears Manufacturing.

Include any additional considerations $($e$.$g$.,$ future scalability, employee workflow$).$Case Study: Designing an Optimal Layout for a Manufacturing Plant

Background:

You are a layout consultant hired by SmartGears Manufacturing, a company producing highprecision gear systems for the automotive industry. The company plans to establish a new manufacturing facility with a total available space of $20,000$ square meters. The goal is to design a layout that minimizes material handling costs and optimizes production efficiency.

The plant must include the following areas:

Receiving and Storage Area

Processing Area $($Machinery and Workstations$)$

Quality Control $($QC$)$ Area

Packaging and Shipping Area

Administrative Offices

Each area has specific space requirements and material flow interactions with other areas, as described below.

Space Requirements:

$\backslash$table$[[$Area$,$Required Space $($sq$.$ meters$),$Notes$],[$Receiving & Storage,$5,000,$Must be located close to the Processing Area.$],[$Processing$,10,000,$Central to all operations.$],[$Quality Control $($QC$),2,000,$Located between Processing and Packaging.$],[$Packaging & Shipping,$2,000,$Close to QC and exit points.$],[$Administrative Offices,$1,000,$Should have minimal interaction with other areas.$]]$

Material Flow Matrix:

The material handling cost is $$2$ per meter moved per unit. The table below shows the daily material flow $($in units$)$ between areas:

$\backslash$table$[[,\backslash$table$[[],[$Storage$]],$Processing,$\backslash$table$[[$Quality$],[$Control$],[($QC$)]],\backslash$table$[[],[$Shipping$]],\backslash$table$[[$Administrative$],[$Offices$]]],[\backslash$table$[[],[$Storage$]],-,500,50,0,0],[$Processing$,500,-,450,300,10]]$