In
manufacturing engineering
Manufacturing engineering or production engineering is a branch of professional engineering that shares many common concepts and ideas with other fields of engineering such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, and industrial engineering.
Manufac ...
, a product layout refers to a production system where the work stations and equipment are located along the line of production, as with
assembly line
An assembly line, often called ''progressive assembly'', is a manufacturing process where the unfinished product moves in a direct line from workstation to workstation, with parts added in sequence until the final product is completed. By mechan ...
s.
Usually, work units are moved along line (not necessarily a
geometric line, but a set of interconnected work stations) by a
conveyor
A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves materials from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the transport of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow ...
. Work is done in small amounts at each of the work stations on the line. To use the product layout, the total work to be performed must be dividable into small
tasks that can be assigned to each of the workstations.
Because the work stations each do small amounts of work, the stations utilize specific techniques and equipment tailored to the individual job they are assigned. This can lead to a higher production rate.
See also
*
Process layout
References
*Mikell P. Groover (2007). Work Systems: The Methods, Measurement & Management of Work. Prentice Hall.
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Industrial engineering
Production and manufacturing