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
Which of the following layout configurations is BEST for a job shop producing many different low-volume products?
Answer: Process (functional) layout
Process layouts group similar equipment together, providing the flexibility needed for high-variety, low-volume job shop production.
A plant manager is redesigning dock door assignments. Which factor should carry the MOST weight?
Answer: Frequency and volume of loads handled at each dock
Assigning dock doors based on load frequency and volume minimizes internal travel distance and reduces congestion at the receiving/shipping interface.
In lean manufacturing, 'point-of-use storage' means:
Answer: Keeping materials and tools at or near the point where they are consumed
Point-of-use storage eliminates the travel required to retrieve materials from a distant storage area, reducing handling time and WIP.
What is the main disadvantage of a fixed-position layout?
Answer: Workers and equipment must be brought to the product, increasing coordination complexity
Fixed-position layouts (e.g., shipbuilding, aircraft) require all resources to be scheduled and moved to a stationary product, complicating logistics.
A plant's value stream map shows a large WIP triangle between two processes. What does this indicate?
Answer: There is a significant inventory buildup caused by push production or pace mismatch
Large WIP triangles on value stream maps signal inventory accumulation from push scheduling or a mismatch in production rates between consecutive processes.
Which of the following BEST describes 'takt time' in production flow planning?
Answer: The available production time divided by customer demand rate
Takt time synchronizes production rate to customer demand: available time ÷ units demanded, setting the pace for a balanced production line.
When performing a capacity layout study, 'theoretical capacity' differs from 'demonstrated capacity' because:
Answer: Demonstrated capacity is based on actual historical output, accounting for real-world losses
Demonstrated capacity reflects actual achieved output including downtime, quality losses, and speed reductions, making it more realistic for planning.