Basic Principles of Brick Manufacturing Workshop Layout Design

Basic Principles of Brick Manufacturing Workshop Layout Design

Designing an efficient and safe brick manufacturing workshop requires a well-planned layout of equipment and areas. This directly impacts production efficiency, logistics costs, personnel safety, and future development potential. The layout design should follow the following core principles:

I. Process Priority Principle: Ensuring Smooth, Unidirectional Material Flow

This is the primary principle, aiming to create an efficient "assembly line."

Follow the production process: The layout must closely follow the complete process of "raw material entry → storage → batching and mixing → molding and pressing → brick curing → finished product stacking."

Avoid cross-flow and backtracking: Ensure that the movement routes of materials (raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products) are the shortest, most direct, and unidirectional, strictly avoiding route intersections, backtracking, or the need for intermediate secondary handling. This minimizes handling distance, time, and equipment investment.

II. Functional Zoning Principle: Achieving Clear Management

Divide the workshop into clearly defined independent functional areas for easier management and safe production.

Main zones:

Raw material storage area: Near the entrance, with a hardened ground surface and a rain shelter.

Production operation area: The core area, where mixers, feeders, and brick-making machines are concentrated.

Brick curing area: Requires the largest area, adjacent to the brick outlet, requiring a flat, well-ventilated ground surface with sun and rain protection.

Finished product stacking and shipping area: Near the exit, with strong ground load-bearing capacity for easy loading.

Auxiliary areas: Separate maintenance room, power distribution room, tool room, and office area, maintaining a safe distance from the production area.

III. Safety and Space Reservation Principles

Ensure safe passages: Sufficiently wide (recommended not less than 1.5-2 meters) and clearly marked safety passages must be reserved between equipment and areas for personnel movement, operation, and emergency evacuation.

Reserve operating and maintenance space: Sufficient space must be left around key equipment such as brick-making machines and mixers for easy operation, maintenance, mold replacement, and troubleshooting.

Reserve flexibility for future development:  Appropriate open space should be reserved at the end or side of the production line to allow for future equipment additions, capacity expansion, or process upgrades, avoiding difficulties in later modifications.

IV. Adaptation to Local Conditions and Flexibility Principle

Adapt to the site shape: Make full use of the existing site shape. Common layouts include:

"I" shape linear layout: Best suited for long and narrow spaces, the process is clear at a glance, and logistics are simplified.

"L" or "U" shape layout: Suitable for approximately square spaces, allowing for more compact space utilization, but requiring careful design of logistics connections at the corners.

Consider the environment and utilities:  Place dust-generating processes such as mixers downwind or implement enhanced dust control; rationally plan power, water, and gas lines to be close to the main equipment.

Summary: Process first, then layout

The planning method for an excellent layout is: first draw a detailed process flow chart and an ideal material flow chart on paper, then simulate equipment placement based on the actual dimensions of the workshop, and repeatedly refine the efficiency and safety of material and personnel flow.

A good layout should make the entire production process appear smooth, orderly, safe, and easy to manage. It continuously saves you hidden costs (handling, energy consumption, time) in daily operations and is an important physical foundation for improving production efficiency and competitiveness. This initial design investment will bring long-term operational benefits.