Implementation of lean manufacturing principles and believing in continuous improvement are the tools which help industries to sustain global competition. With the escalation in population, the demand for technology is increased more than ever. This leads to the steady increase in production rates of existing models and even introduction of new product models. These factors often results in “layout modification” of manufacturing industries. Plant layout improves resource utilization and provides means for application of lean tools such as 5S, seven wastes, kanban, Just In Time (JIT), etc. These tools not only contribute in reducing cost but also benefit the organization by improving product quality. This paper provides a comprehensive comparison of different approaches used in layout design. The study also simplifies the application of systematic layout planning (SLP) in the development of new layout. SLP is a technique used for layout development and material flow improvement. A case study of layout design using SLP is presented for a multinational company which manufactures a product with high variety. The results include four possible rearrangements of production departments. These layout alternatives are evaluated on basis of improved accessibility and material flow efficiency criteria. Thus, the economic benefits achieved by overall integration of facility are highlighted. The results illustrate the impact of layout design on elimination of waste and the economic benefits achieved by reducing overall material flow and lead time.

Novel compositions of methylcellulose in ethylene, propylene and butylene glycol were investigated for their thermal gel formation. These compositions have previously been found useful for inkjet-printing-based additive manufacturing processes as support materials. Experimental techniques such as viscosity measurements between 20 °C–150 °C–20 °C, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used and the results showed that the gel formation upon cooling is caused by polymer–polymer association. The results also show that, for methylcellulose, propylene glycol is a better solvent than ethylene glycol and butylene glycol. Since no chemical reaction is involved, these gels can be used as support materials for jetting-based additive manufacturing processes.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has a greater potential to construct lighter parts, having complex geometries with no additional cost, by embedding cellular lattice structures within an object. The geometry of lattice structure can be engineered to achieve improved strength and extra level of performance with the advantage of consuming less material and energy. This paper provides a systematic experimental evaluation of a series of cellular lattice structures, embedded within a cylindrical specimen and constructed according to terms and requirements of ASTMD1621-16, which is standard for the compressive properties of rigid cellular plastics. The modeling of test specimens is based on function representation (FRep) and constructed by fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. Two different test series, each having eleven test specimens of different parameters, are printed along with their replicates of 70% and 100% infill density. Test specimens are subjected to uniaxial compressive load to produce 13% deformation to the height of the specimen. Comparison of results reveals that specimens, having cellular lattice structure and printed with 70% infill density, exhibit greater strength and improvement in strength to mass ratio, as compared to the solid printed specimen without structure.