Plant Layout & Material Flow Flashcards
7 cards from real CPM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Plant Layout & Material Flow flashcards as text
What does the term 'spaghetti diagram' refer to in plant layout analysis?
Answer: A diagram tracing the actual travel path of a product or worker through the facility
A spaghetti diagram maps all the actual movement paths in a facility, revealing excessive travel distances and inefficient layouts.
Which type of storage system uses horizontal carousels or vertical lift modules to bring parts to the picker?
Answer: Goods-to-person system
Goods-to-person systems (carousels, VLMs, mini-loads) bring items to a stationary picker, reducing travel time and improving ergonomics.
A plant uses 'zone picking' in its warehouse. This strategy primarily improves:
Answer: Order picking productivity by assigning pickers to fixed areas
Zone picking assigns each picker to a specific storage zone, reducing travel distance and allowing specialization for faster order fulfillment.
Which layout analysis tool assigns a numerical score to alternative plant layouts based on weighted criteria?
Answer: Muther's Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) scoring matrix
SLP's rating/scoring approach evaluates each layout alternative against weighted factors (flow, safety, flexibility) to select the best option.
In material flow analysis, 'backtracking' refers to:
Answer: Material moving backward against the primary flow direction
Backtracking occurs when material moves in the reverse direction of the main production flow, adding travel distance and disrupting throughput.
A cross-docking operation eliminates which warehouse activity?
Answer: Long-term storage
Cross-docking transfers inbound goods directly to outbound transport with minimal or no storage, eliminating the need for long-term warehousing.
Which of the following BEST describes the 'unit load' principle in material handling?
Answer: Moving the largest practical quantity in a single handling event to reduce trips
The unit load principle maximizes the size of each move (pallet, tote, container) to minimize the number of handling events and total cost.