EPPM, Singapore, 20-21 Sep 2011

THE STUDY OF PRODUCTION SYSTEM

RE-ALLOCATION IN SAFETY SHOES
MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Chisa Apichotborworn, Sittichok Rashaniphon, Warit Sarideepan
and Veeris Ammarapala1

Abstract
This paper discussed systematic approach for the re-allocation of production line in Safety
Shoes Co. Ltd., in Thailand. The production system can be classified in to 2 main production
lines base on the shaping processes. The first one is traditional production line and the second
one is called STROBEL production line. The main objective of this study is to reduce the
traveling distance and time to transport raw materials and Work in Process (WIP) circulating
in the factory. After several rounds of data collection, the research team analyze system
layout by modifying the Simplified Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) technique to make it
more suitable to the scope of the study and timeframe. From the analysis, the new layout
design could help reduce the traveling distances for about 36% of that of the traditional
method, and about 33.5% of that of the STROBEL method. The results are being proposed to
the executives of Safety Shoes Co., Ltd. for their considerations.
Keywords: plant layout, production system re-allocation, relationship diagram

Introduction
These days, the manufacturing industry has become more competitive than over the past
decade. Every organization has to improve and adjust their operating system in order to
survive the global challenges. In manufacturing organizations, to improve their system might
mean to reduce the excess costs that come from the wastes in production line. One of the
techniques that is wildly used in the manufacturing industry is Planning Layout Techniques
that can be applied to reduce the cost that may occur when the facility layout is not designed
in an effective way. This inefficiency may be the cause of problems such as, longer traveling
distance than necessary, not very well planned storage area and losses of Work in Process
(WIP) inventories.
The system layout and reallocation is important because after the factory had first planed
its layout and launched their operations a while, the unexpected problems, result from many
factors such as workers, machines and the environment, may occur. As a result, many
manufacturing companies have to reallocate their production layouts to be more suitable and
effective.
In Thailand, nowadays, the sales figure of safety equipments has become relatively high
when compared to other production industry because safety has become a topic of main
concern in every business. Not only to reduce the number of accidents and injuries at their
work site, but many manufacturing companies were also forced to comply with the industrial
safety standards by their customers. In addition most of the safety equipments are required
for the comfortable work and can be used to protect the assets of the company.
___________________________________
1

Sirindannhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University. Thailand, E-mails:

veerisi@yahoo.com

33

The Study of Production System Re-allocation in Safety Shoes Manufacturing Company

This paper discusses about the problems that occurred in the Safety Shoes Co., Ltd
production layout. Further, system reallocation techniques were discussed in order to improve
their existing layout to make it more suitable and to increase the efficiency of production
lines.
Safety Shoes Co.Ltd.
Safety Shoe Co., Ltd is a leading manufacturing company that produces and distributes safety
shoes under the Pangolin Trademark. Currently, they have a production capacity of 500,000
pairs per annum. These safety shoes are produced under four different models, which are
Direct PU injection outsole; Direct PVC injection outsole; Direct vulcanized rubber outsole
and Cementing outsole.
The above products share most of the production facilities except the shoes shaping and
the outsole processes. The shoes shaping process was separated into two different production
lines, which are traditional shaping line and STROBEL shaping line. The outsole process was
separated in to 4 main lines according to the types of shoes, as aforementioned. Figure 1
shows the production department of Safety Shoes Company that starts from cutting
department and ending at the packing department.

Figure 1: Safety Shoes Co. Ltd. Production process

Methodology
According to Tompkin, et al., the Muthers Simplified Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) is
one of the most practical and organized technique in reallocating the layout of manufacturing
facility. It involved with 10 steps which are:
1. Flow of materials
2. Activity Relationship
3. Relationship Diagram
4. Space Requirements
5. Space Available
6. Space Relationship Diagram
7. Modifying Considerations
8. Practical Limitations
9. Develop Layout Alternatives

34

EPPM, Singapore, 20-21 Sep 2011

10. Evaluation
In this study, the research team utilized three prominent tools from Muthers SLP techniques.
They are as follows:
1. Relationship Chart
2. Flow process chart
3. Flow Process Diagram

Data Collection Process

Primary Data is collected by conducting the interview of factory manager and staff who are
responsible for each production process. The information gather are such the daily production
rate, production capacity of each department, number of workers in each production stage,
the methods applied to transport or handle the materials, work in process and finished goods
inventory levels. Further, the related problems occurred in the factory were also recorded.
Secondary Data is the document that the company gave to us such as the production process
chart and responsibility in each department, the size of the plant, the detailed of machine that
use in the production lines, organization information and product description in each type.

Data Analysis
After the primary and secondary data were collected, they were analyzed to find problems
inherited in the former layout of the factory. As shown in Figure 2, the former layout has a
complicated material handling that could cause the loss in transfer of Work in Process (WIP).
Figure 3 illustrates the flow of materials according to the former layout of the company. Note
that the analysis of the paper focuses more on the traveling distances between production
stations.
After the data were collected, in the preliminary analysis as shown in Table 1, it was found
that the traveling distances of both production methods (traditional and STROBEL) are about
the same. Even though the production line of STROBEL appears to be a little smoother than
the traditional production line, but with a closer examination, the production flow was not
smooth and can be difficult to operate. Therefore, the STROBEL layout should be modified
to reduce the waste of time caused by the long traveling distance.
The next step is to utilize the relationship chart and relationship diagram as shown in
Figure 5 and Figure 6. The relationship diagram shows the relationship of the overall
activities on the production line. It helps in identifying relationship of activities and the
importance of each activity. Also, it helps reallocating the most appropriate location for each
station.
After the relationship diagram was attained, the highest priority activities that should be
put together were the ones from the absolutely necessary relationship, and then the lower
priority activities can located farther away.

35

The Study of Production System Re-allocation in Safety Shoes Manufacturing Company

Figure 2: Former Layout of Safety Shoes Factory

Figure 3: Flow Process Diagram of Former Layout in Safety Shoes Factory

(Traditional Shaping method)

36

EPPM, Singapore, 20-21 Sep 2011

PRODUCT/ DISTANCE (m.)

TRADITIONNAL
METHOD

STROBEL METHOD

Figure 4: Flow Process Diagram of Former Layout in Safety Shoes Factory

(STROBEL Shaping Method)

Table 1: Material Traveling Distance of Traditional and STROBEL Method of the Former
Layout
PU Injection
PVC Injection
Cementing
Vulcanized

294
282
281
280

37

289
277
281
275

The Study of Production System Re-allocation in Safety Shoes Manufacturing Company

38

EPPM, Singapore, 20-21 Sep 2011

Figure 5: Relationship Chart of the Safety Shoes Production Activities

Figure 6: Relationship Diagram of the Safety Shoes Production Activities

Production System Re-Allocation
In addition to the constraints from the above relationship diagram, the factory manager and
production staff suggested the following constraints to be concerned when re-allocating the
production facility:
- The fixed structure and area of the factory are fixed as former layout.
- PVC and PU departments cannot be re-allocated as they are continuous processes. There
will be technical problems if the two departments are moved to the new area.
- Warehouse cannot be re-allocated as there is the second floor space inside the warehouse
area.
- The technician office and office cannot be moved.
- Each department would require about the same size of working area as before.
After taking all criteria into consideration, the newly allocated production plan are as
shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10.

39

The Study of Production System Re-allocation in Safety Shoes Manufacturing Company

Figure 9: The New Design

Figure 10:The Flow Process Diagram of the New Design

The Results
As shown on Figure 9, in this re-allocated production facility design, a warehouse was added
at another side of the factory in order to allow the easily transfer of raw materials to the
cutting area. Moreover, the cementing area was moved closer to the packing area to replace
the former vulcanizing area. The cutting area was moved to the left. Then, the other cutting
area and raw material quality checking area were moved nearer to the warehouse.
According to the new design, the flow of production was separated in to two paths. Each
path has two types of product. The first path has cementing outsole parts and vulcanized
outsold parts. The second path has PVC outsole parts and PU outsole parts. The new paths
can reduce the confusions among flow processes in the production lines. From the Tables 2
and 3, it is clearly shown that the traveling distances are significantly reduced when
compared to the former layouts. By reducing the travelling distances, the company could
reduce the transportation costs, labor costs. Moreover, the new design makes the flow of
production process become smoother and more convenient to work with.
40

EPPM, Singapore, 20-21 Sep 2011

Table 2: Materials Traveling Distances of the Traditional Method

Product
PU Injection
PVC Injection
Cementing
Vulcanized

New Re-layout
Planning
189
171
183
169

Former Layout
294
282
286
280

Table 3: Materials Traveling Distances of the STROBEL Method.

Product
PU Injection
PVC Injection
Cementing
Vulcanized

New Re-layout
Planning
194
176
188
174

Former Layout
289
277
281
275

Conclusion
Re-layout planning is one of the methods that can be used to improve the productivity in the
production or manufacturing factory with a low cost of investment. The improved production
process can help reduce the unnecessary time and costs that may come from waiting time for
materials, long travelling distance. It can also help increase efficiency of machines and
workers.
The system re-allocation that was modified by using the above technique can help reduce
the total flow distance dramatically in all types of products. Moreover, the paths of product
flow are separated in to two lines, in each line for two types of products. This separation
helps reduce the overlapping of the flow.
The results in study were obtained from the analysis. The new design has not been
implemented in real situation due to the short period of time to study and some limitations in
the re-location process of the department. To fully utilize the re-layout planning, it is
suggested that more studies should be conducted in order to apply the layout that matches all
the criteria and limitations.

41

The Study of Production System Re-allocation in Safety Shoes Manufacturing Company

References
Apple J. M., Plant Layout and Material Handling, John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1977
Manual on plant layout and material handling by economic development foundation,
Manila, Asian Productivity Organization, 1971
M. Khoshnevisan, Optimal Plant Layout Design for Process-focused Systems, School of
Accounting & Finance, Griffith University, Australia
Narissara K, Eajpan T and Suttichok C, Aggregate production planning with uncertain
supply of raw material ,Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat
University, Thailand 2007
Somsuk, N., A Study and Improvement of Plant LayoutApproach to Improve
Productivity,Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Eastern
Asia University, Thanyaburi, Pathumthani,2007
Glomjit, P., Layout planning for safety, Industrial engineering and management school,
Silpakorn University, Thailand, 2008
Muther R. and Wheeler, J. D., Simplified systematic layout planning, U. S. A., 1994
Wongnongwaeng, S., Analysis study for re-layout of supporting area in heat treatment
plant, College of innovation, Thammasat University, Thailand, 2007
Tompkins J.A. White J.A. Bozer Y.A. and Tanchoco J.M.A., Facilities Planning, John
Wiley &Sons Inc., U.S., 2003

42