BASICS OF A GOOD BATTERY PLANT LAYOUT

By Alwyn P Rodrigues – Sr. Consultant Battery Business

@coachingforwinners.com

LAYOUT DESIGN PARAMETERS

The requirements from an ideal layout is:

1. Long-term saving in OPERATIONAL COST

2. Optimum capital investment.

3. Scope for easy future expansion.

4. Esthetically World Class.

# Key is operational cost NOT Capital Investment. This can

make or break your company

LAYOUT BASICS

The Battery Factory Layout is in 3 sections:

1. The Departmental layout – Process wise

2. Cell Layout – Layout of machines and storage areas within the sections

3. External Utility layout – the proper placement of the utilities around the processes.

$ The inter-relationship between the processes is very

important – as given in the next slide

MAIN PROCESSES alloy storage

area grid storage

area Plate Storage

area Dry Battery

Storage area scrubber

Fume Extraction

system

cooling water tower

raw lead storage

scrap storage effluent

treatment plant

Stores Packing & Despatch

Acid Mixing

GRID CASTING Y Y N N Y N Y N N N N N N

PASTING N Y Y N N N N N N Y N N Y

OXIDE MILL N N N N Y N N Y N N N N N

PLATE FORMATION N N Y N N Y N N N Y N N Y

PLATE CUTTING N N Y N Y N N N Y N N N N

JAR FORMATION N N N Y Y Y N N N Y N Y Y

ALLOY BLENDING Y N N N N N N Y Y N N N N

ASSEMBLY N N Y Y Y N N N N N Y Y N

SMALL PARTS CASTING Y N N N N N N N N N N N N

LIST OF PROCESSES Refining optional

Alloy Blending optional

Oxide Manufacture can be bought out

Grid Casting Inhouse

Pasting Inhouse

Curing Inhouse

Plate Formation Inhouse

Plate Cutting / Brushing Inhouse

Assembly Inhouse

Jar Formation Can be outsourced

LIST OF MAJOR UTILITIES

Dry Scrubbers

Wet scrubbers

ETP

STP

Acid Dilution Plant

O2 and DA bank

HT house

Generators

Scrap Storage

LAYOUT DESIGN FUNDA

1. There should be no backward movement of material. Location of all processes / storage areas should be such that material is handled ideally only once. If horizontal place is less go vertical.

2. The areas earmarked for each Section should be keeping in mind future maximum expansion. The setup of PCBs, laying of cables, provisions for extraction systems, drainage lines etc cannot be done later without considerable disruption and expenditure.

LAYOUT DESIGN FUNDA

3. A Factory grows in Volume slowly. Hence all utilities should be based

on Unitary system. Each utility should be designed small but with the

possibility of adding as the volume grows. This should be done with

the advice of very knowledgeable and expert persons otherwise the

operational costs itself will make the project unviable.

LAYOUT DESIGN FUNDA

4. As given above the interconnected -ness and interdependance of

the processes should be well understood and implemented. Vastuu

experts should also be be made aware of the heavy expenses and

losses of not following these guidelines. They can always suggest

counterbalancing measures but will definitely not like to force a

layout which will be financially inadvisable.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

The Jar Formation and Plate Formation area require " Special

Acidproof flooring" as well as "Fume Extraction System" as well

as enclosure to separate from other working areas. Hence It is

much cheaper - capital investment as well as operating cost - to

keep both the processes in one area. Since acid effluent is

generated the maximum from these 2 processes the access to

the Effluent Treatment Plant should be short and not passing

other sections as far as possible.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

Lead is the heaviest material. Transportation of the same

should be within easy and short distances. Since Alloys for

GridCasting and Pure Lead for Oxide Mill are the bulk of the

material consumption the Alloy and Pure Lead Storage

should be near these 2 processes. In case most of the lead

is bought out then the Lead Stores should be near these 2

processes.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

Containers sets are not heavy but very bulky. Similarly items like

separators. Hence Container Stores should be near Assembly. The

space available in Assembly is normally limited but the production

may go on in all 3 shifts, hence container sets should be easily

transportable in every shift as the need arises.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

Material handling should be minimum - preferably 1 time. Items like plates tend to

get easily damaged during multiple handling hence storage areas should be well

placed. Grid Storage should be between Grid Casting and Pasting. Cured Plate

Storage should be between Pasting and Plate cutting. Dry Battery storage should

be near the Jar Formation Area. In fact material handling should be one of the

top considerations while designing the layout. Modern methods for handling the

different components required are available and should be planned with the help

of knowledgeable experts.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

In case Alloy Blending or Smelting is to be setup, it should be slightly

separate though near the points of consumption. The process is to a

certain extent dirty as it involves scrap and can give off a lot of

smoke as well as poisonous fumes. Hence the whole process needs

to be put in a separate shed with easy accessiblity to both input and

output.

ADVANTAGES OF A GOOD LAYOUT

Since all inter-related processes are in sync the capital cost of laying

FE ducts / Heavy duty cables / acid resistant drain systems is

minimised.

The unitary method also brings down capital cost as expansion can be

carried out later with minimum cost and disruption.

Mainly the operational cost comes down drastically as supervision /

operator / maintenance / QA strength can be optimised and only

essential operations can be run as and when required.

Acid, being very corrosive can be restricted to fixed areas and

maintenance costs can be minimised.