Product Layout - Disconnected Flow

any products or components (eg toys, shoes, many electronic components) are required in volumes which do not justify continuous operation, but are part of a family of items which have identical process sequences. In this case it may be economically feasible to install a production line, comprising the required processes laid out in sequence, with spaces between processes to accommodate work-in- progress inventory.

This arrangement, disconnected-flow (see figure below), has higher unit costs than connected-flow systems, but, by virtue of the work-in-progress provision, is less vulnerable when a single process breaks down. Another notable feature of this arrangement is that, at any instant, it is likely that one section of the line is processing a batch of one member of the product family, whilst other sections are working on batches of other members.