Layout of Facilities
Layout refers to the arrangement of facilities. A plant layout refers to the arrangement of machinery equipment and other industrial facilities such as receiving and shipping departments tools rooms, maintenance rooms and employee amenities for the purpose of achieving the quickest and smoothest production at the least cost.
According to shubin " Plant layout is the arrangement and location of production machinery work centres and auxiliary facilities and activities ( expectation , handling of material storage and shipping for the purpose of achieving efficiency in manufacturing products or supplying consumer services"
According to Keith and Gubellini "Plant layout deals with the arrangement of the physical facilities and the manpower which are required to manufacture a product or perform a service"
According to j. Lundy "Plant layout ideally involves the allocation of space and the arrangement of equipment in such a manner that overall operations costs be minimized".