ORGANISATION OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES

I. FACTORY BUILDING

Factory building is a factor which is the most important consideration for every industrial enterprise.

A modem factory building is required to provide protection for men, machines, materials, products

 



 

 

or even the company’s secrets. It has to serve as a part of the production facilities and as a

factor to maximise economy and efficiency in plant operations. It should offer a pleasant and

comfortable working environment and project the management’s image and prestige. Factory

building is like skin and bones of a living body for an organisation. It is for these reasons that

the factory building acquires great importance.

Following factors are considered for an Industrial Building:

A. Design of the building.

B. Types of buildings.

A. Design of the Building

The building should designed so as to provide a number of facilities—such as lunch rooms,

cafeteria, locker rooms, crèches, libraries, first-aid and ambulance rooms, materials handling

facilities, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, etc. Following factors are considerations in the

designing of a factory building:

1. Flexibility: Flexibility is one of the important considerations because the building is likely

to become obsolete and provides greater operating efficiency even when processes and technology

change. Flexibility is necessary because it is not always feasible and economical to build a new

plant, every time a new firm is organised or the layout is changed. With minor alternations, the

building should be able to accommodate different types of operations.

2. Product and equipment: The type of product that is to be manufactured, determines

column-spacing, type of floor, ceiling, heating and air-conditioning. A product of a temporary

nature may call for a less expensive building and that would be a product of a more permanent

nature. Similarly, a heavy product demands a far more different building than a product which

is light in weight.

3. Expansibility: Growth and expansion are natural to any manufacturing enterprises. They

are the indicators of the prosperity of a business. The following factors should be borne in mind

if the future expansion of the concern is to be provided for:

(i) The area of the land which is to be acquired should be large enough to provide for the

future expansion needs of the firm and accommodate current needs.

(ii) The design of the building should be in a rectangular shape. Rectangular shapes

facilitate expansion on any side.

(iii) If vertical expansion is expected, strong foundations, supporters and columns must be

provided.

(iv) If horizontal expansion is expected, the side walls must be made non-load-bearing to

provide for easy removal.

4. Employee facilities and service area: Employee facilities must find a proper place in

the building design because they profoundly affect the morale, comfort and productivity. The

building plan should include facilities for lunch rooms, cafeteria, water coolers, parking area and

the like. The provision of some of these facilities is a legal requirement. Others make good

working conditions possible. And a good working condition is good business.




 




  

Service areas, such as the tool room, the supervisor’s office, the maintenance room, receiving

and dispatching stations, the stock room and facilities for scrap disposal, should also be included

in the building design.

B. Types of Buildings

Industrial buildings may be grouped under three types:

1. Single-storey buildings,

2. Multi-storey buildings

The decision on choosing a suitable type for a particular firm depends on the manufacturing

process and the area of land and the cost of construction.

1. SINGLE-STOREY BUILDINGS

Most of the industrial buildings manufacturing which are now designed and constructed are single

storeyed, particularly where lands are available at reasonable rates. Single-storey buildings offer

several operating advantages. A single-storey construction is preferable when materials handling

is difficult because the product is big or heavy, natural lighting is desired, heavy floor loads are

required and frequent changes in layout are anticip

Advantages

Advantages of single-storey building are:

1. There is a greater flexibility in layout and production routing.

2. The maintenance cost resulting from the vibration of machinery is reduced considerably

because of the housing of the machinery on the ground.

3. Expansion is easily ensured by the removal of walls.

4. The cost of transportation of materials is reduced because of the absence of materials

handling equipment between floors.

5. All the equipment is on the same level, making for an easier and more effective layout

supervision and control.

6. Greater floor load-bearing capacity for heavy equipment is ensured.

7. The danger of fire hazards is reduced because of the lateral spread of the buildin