Análisis de la localización y distribución interna de una planta deshidratadora de frutas en la zona 3 de Ecuador

Abstract

In the post-harvest stage in Zone 3 of Ecuador, there is a significant loss of agricultural products, specifically fruits because these are not utilized by consumers and are discarded in landfills. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the location and internal layout of a fruit dehydration plant in Zone 3 of Ecuador. The methodology applied in this study was quantitative, focusing on numerical measurements for data collection and analysis. Three location methods (weighted factor rating method, center of gravity method, and Brown and Gibson method) and three plant distribution methods (process-oriented plant layout, product-oriented plant layout, and systematic plant layout planning) were used in this study. Through this methodology, it was determined that the city of Amato is the best location for the dehydration fruit plant in the zone 3 because the results from all three evaluation methods concurred with this city. The most optimal plant layout is the systematic plant layout planning (SLP) because it showed better performance for both operators and the machinery required for the production of dehydrated fruit snacks, chocolate-coated dehydrated fruits, and fruit tea.