The design and layout of an industrial facility is an important part of a business’s overall operation and production. Your industrial building floor plan should encourage a smooth and effective flow of people, work, materials and information.
5 Factors to Consider for an Effective Industrial Floor Plan
To ensure maximum operational efficiency and layout effectiveness, business owners must consider several criteria before designing an industrial floor plan.
1. Movement
In order to ensure a smooth flow of operation, your facility design should support the continuous movement of products and materials along a production path. It’s also important to consider the flow of people in your factory. Prevent inefficient movement and eliminate downtime by understanding how people will move around the building and what obstacles might hinder them.
2. Functionality
Good industrial layout design allows for maximum functionality and productivity to help your business meet its production goals. Optimize your floor space to gain additional square footage for ease of movement and accessibility.
3. Material Handling
Efficient material handling helps recover time and money previously lost to production bottlenecks. Material handling equipment, such as cranes and conveyor belts, are used for easier and more efficient product and material handling. A well-planned industrial layout will reduce operator travel time between machines. Understanding the dimensions and requirements of these pieces of equipment is essential for a well-executed industrial building floor plan.
4. Security
Safety and security should be a top priority when designing your industrial floor plan. Your security and fire protection system should be taken into account to ensure that all detectors, sprinklers, and other emergency equipment, as well as escape routes, are accounted for.
5. Flexibility
It’s important that you approach your industrial building design with the future in mind. Your floor plan should be flexible to accommodate expansion and workflow or production changes.