Plant Layout Improvement

Industry:
Construction and Heavy Equipment Manufacturing

About the Customer:
A global leader in construction equipment manufacturing, this company entered the Indian market in 1979. With its first facility established in Ballabhgarh, India, the company expanded operations over the years and currently runs three manufacturing plants across India. Known as the world’s largest backhoe loader factory, the Ballabhgarh facility serves as the company’s India headquarters, meeting both domestic and international demand.

The Backdrop:
The Ballabhgarh facility, with its extensive production lines for backhoe loaders, faced increasing demand as infrastructure projects expanded across India. Originally set up with a fully manual fabrication line, the plant’s layout limited production efficiency and provided minimal space for safe gangways and effective material movement.

To scale up production and accommodate higher output requirements, the company decided to convert its manual fabrication processes to robotic ones and sought a complete reorganization of the plant layout. The goal was to boost production capacity, enhance safety, and optimize space utilization without expanding the facility footprint.

The Challenge:
The primary challenge was to reconfigure the layout to support the new automated production lines while maximizing available space within the existing plant. Specific objectives included:

  • Conversion of Manual Fabrication to Robotic Processes: Achieving automation in fabrication required a layout that accommodated robotic systems without disrupting production flow.
  • Space Optimization for Increased Output: The layout needed to liberate more floor space to support higher output and additional equipment.
  • Improved Material Flow and Safety: Efficient gangways for material handling, along with safe, unobstructed movement for workers and equipment, were essential.

The Expectations:
The customer expected a complete redesign of the plant layout to facilitate the shift to robotic fabrication and meet higher production targets. They sought a layout that would ensure smooth, unidirectional material flow, optimize floor space, and provide flexibility for future changes or expansion.

The Solution:
Leveraging its deep expertise in material handling and industrial plant design, Sparkline proposed a layout tailored to the customer’s requirements. Sparkline’s approach involved an innovative structural redesign, optimizing space and enabling the conversion to an automated, robot-supported production line.

Key elements of Sparkline’s solution included:

  1. Optimized Structural Design: To maximize usable space, Sparkline designed a unique three-column structure to form two bays, rather than the traditional four-column setup. This saved floor space by eliminating the need for additional columns, which allowed more room for horizontal material handling equipment such as stackers and forklifts. The column sizes were meticulously calculated to support both current and potential future load requirements.
  2. Unidirectional Material Flow: Sparkline’s layout promoted efficient, unidirectional flow of materials, reducing movement between operations. This streamlined approach minimized handling time, reduced the risk of bottlenecks, and maximized productivity within each step of the production process.
  3. Flexible and Future-Proof Layout: The layout was designed to accommodate changes, offering flexibility for future upgrades or expansions. The strategic arrangement of bays, workstations, and material flow paths ensured the layout could evolve with the company’s needs over time.
  4. Enhanced Visibility and Safety: By carefully arranging workstations, machinery, and gangways, Sparkline ensured maximum visibility for operators and staff. This clear layout improved safety, reducing the chances of accidents and creating a more organized and efficient workspace.
  5. Integration of Material Handling Solutions: The redesigned layout incorporated existing overhead cranes and lightweight rail systems to support automated processes, ensuring seamless movement of materials between operations.
  6. Aesthetic and Functional Layout**: Sparkline’s layout not only met functional requirements but also maintained an aesthetically pleasing design, aligning with the company’s modern production standards.

A Statement of Overall Benefit:
Sparkline’s reconfigured plant layout transformed the facility into a streamlined, high-output operation. The innovative structural design and efficient use of space facilitated the transition to robotic fabrication, supported smooth material flow, and enhanced safety, all within the existing plant footprint.

Benefits:

  • Maximized Space Utilization: By eliminating unnecessary columns, Sparkline created additional space for gangways and material handling equipment, allowing for efficient use of available space.
  • Reduced Movement Between Operations: The unidirectional material flow minimized unnecessary transport between workstations, boosting production efficiency.
  • Improved Visibility and Safety: The layout design provided clear visibility of materials, equipment, and personnel, reducing risks and enhancing the overall safety of the workspace.
  • Future Flexibility: The flexible layout can accommodate future modifications or expansions, ensuring the facility remains adaptable to evolving production demands.

Sparkline’s layout redesign enabled the customer to increase production output, enhance operational efficiency, and achieve seamless integration of robotic automation—all within an optimized, functional, and future-ready workspace.