Process Diagrams

Structure

• The diagrams are composed by three parts:Header, Body and Summary. A general structure isshown as follows:

General Considerations

•Note that the time is given in

minutes; this is a standard for all the

diagrams.

• The diagram always is going to be

drawn from right to left, even if it

has simultaneous processes or not.

• The time is placed in the upper-leftcorner of the symbol.

General Considerations• The distance is written meters and in thelower-left corner of the symbol.

• A brief description of every step of the

process is written at the right side of the

symbol.

• When numbering the process rememberthat you have to do it according to its

function in the diagram, and when you

have a simultaneous process you have

to write the number on the left first and

then in the right, as shown in the

example.

Summary (Operations Diagram)

Operations Diagram

• This diagram is a graphic representation of theoperations and inspections in a production process.In this diagram we’ll include the following symbols:

Description Symbol

Operation: is when the process has

materials transformation, or involves

any action or activity for the creation

of products.

Inspection: is when we check how the

process is going and also the quality of

the product during the manufacturing

process.

Combined: this is an operation-

inspection step and is used when in the

process you have to check the

products during an operation.

Example: Making of Hot Chocolate

Process Flow Diagram

• The process flow diagram is a graphic

representation of the steps that follows a

chronologic sequence of activities in a process or

procedure, identifying them with symbols

according to its nature, and also includes all the

considered important information that is needed

for analysis.

• This helps us discover and eliminate waste and

delays, making the process more efficient and

increase the productivity in the manufacturing

industry.

Process Flow Diagram

• The additional activities that appear in this

diagram are:

Description Symbol

Delay: this is used when nothing is

being done in the process, It could be

the wait for other parallel process to

finish before adding the product to

the assembly line.

Transportation: is when the product is

moved more than 1.5 meters to the

next step. This is because the human

body can move something from one

side to other between 0 and 1.5 m and

its irrelevant according to standards.

Stored: this is used at the beginning of

the process when the materials are

taken from the raw materials storage

and at the end of it in the finished

product storage.

Process Travel Diagram

• This diagram uses the same symbolism as

the process flow and also the same

structure, the only difference is that we

draw the diagram in a plan view of the

manufacturing plant.

• Remember to always draw the symbols in

a 1 cm2 area. This is a standard for all the

diagrams that you’re going to draw.

Example: Production of Ketchup

Summary (Process Travel Diagram)