{"id":43999,"date":"2023-03-22T15:26:32","date_gmt":"2023-03-22T19:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/?post_type=case_study&p=43999"},"modified":"2025-09-23T14:43:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T18:43:40","slug":"critical-steps-to-facility-layout-planning-with-flexpipe-at-rw-america-l-p","status":"publish","type":"case_study","link":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/ca_en\/case_study\/critical-steps-to-facility-layout-planning-with-flexpipe-at-rw-america-l-p\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Steps to Facility Layout Planning with Flexpipe at R+W America L.P."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Justin Fleming, an engineer for R+W America L.P.<\/a> \u2013 a division of R+W Antriebselemente GmbH in Germany \u2013 was tasked with laying out R+W\u2019s America L.P.\u2019s new manufacturing facility in West Chicago, Illinois. Facility layout planning is a long, detailed, labor-intensive, and arduous process. However, once successful, companies benefit from considerable cost savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faced with this daunting task, Justin turned to Flexpipe\u2019s tube and joint system. With Flexpipe, Justin maximized his shop floor, warehouse, and inventory space, standardized his material handling structures<\/a>, and reduced inventory, material handling, and warehouse storage costs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more about how Justin used Flexpipe to accomplish all these things and more.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facility Layout Planning<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Facility layout planning is about creating a manufacturing layout that maximizes the facility\u2019s square footage and allows for easy movement of parts, materials, and semi-finished goods. It\u2019s not just about deciding where machinery and equipment should go. It\u2019s not just about designating the inventory and warehousing locations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A successful facility layout involves seamlessly integrating everything into a cohesive plan. It\u2019s about anticipating potential hazards, obstructions, or obstacles before going live with production. Companies must consider the available floor space relative to the material handling structures<\/a>, equipment, tools, and machinery that will eventually be installed to have a successful layout.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You want a seamless flow of work. However, as the saying goes, even the best-laid plans sometimes run amok. Eventually, you\u2019ll need to change or adjust something, and for Justin, Flexpipe became the immediate solution\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOnce I saw the Flexpipe modular piping solution, I was all for it. I can design, build, adjust, change, and modify my material handling structures and workbenches at a fraction of the cost of having another company build a customized flow rack, cart, workbench, or trolley. There is no comparison; spend $150 or $200 with Flexpipe or have a company customize a solution for $1200 or more.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Common Approaches to Laying Out Your Shop Floor. <\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Companies can use a couple of methods to lay out their shop floor. Spaghetti diagrams<\/a> allow companies to define how materials and work-in-process (WIP) parts will move from one manufacturing cell to the next.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A line is used for each product line or material to define the traffic flow. Those lines start from incoming material reception, quality inspection, and kitting through each manufacturing work cell. If the lines dart back and forth over long distances multiple times – from one workstation or manufacturing cell to the next – then transit times will be too high and cycle times too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Approaches<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another pre-production planning<\/a> approach involves doing a mock layout of your shop floor. You can put tape on the floor to designate structures, equipment, and machinery. Some companies use cardboard boxes. In other cases, companies build small Flexpipe structures and test out the layout with a Flexpipe cart to identify any tight-fitting areas or potential hazards as the cart moves around.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch Royal Container’s journey to successful planning with Flexpipe Creator <\/strong>to see how they realize the pre-production planning using the Flexpipe Creator design tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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