Abstract
Appropriate arrangement of machinery in a manufacturing environment can have a positive impact on the productivity of a
company. A detailed work study carried out at a furniture manufacturing company revealed that parts travelled long distances
before the final product is produced owing to the positions of machinery and crisscrossing process flows. This paper looks at how
the plant layout was re-organized by mapping process flows and regrouping of the machinery according to their functions and
products using machine distance matrices. Challenges relating to the plant layout, process flows, materials handling and
transportation as well as assembly procedures were established, coupled with grouping machines according to functions and the
least distance between interacting workstations. Using the machine distance matrices, processes were mapped and equipment reorganized
to allow for continuous flow of production, resulting in significant reductions in transportation distances among
interacting workstations and elimination of crisscrossing process paths.