Factory planning

The economy is currently healthy, so there are is a boom in factory expansions to accommodate volume growth and product diversification. They are mainly intended to create additional capacities for machinery, production and associated logistics as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, very few of them use the opportunity to optimise production strategies and the principles of manufacturing control at the same time. For instance, the benefits of material flow-oriented machinery segmentation, the introduction of pull-control systems and the adaptation of master data and scheduling principles can be implemented far better and with greater efficiency during construction of a new factory. When requested to do so by our clients, we integrate these issues as part of factory planning projects and hence create synergy for the achievement of operational excellence in the new facility.

Factory planning is so much more than simply the layout planning with regard to the arrangement of machines and production facilities and the planning of a suitable production building. To achieve efficiency and minimal-waste value flows, production aspects must be harmonised with a layout suitable for the material flow. The supply and disposal of material to and from production and assembly areas must be set up systematically and laid out for possible automation. Intelligent driverless transport systems and automatic handling technology offer completely new opportunities that must be utilised – without hindering processes with inflexible linear controls, as used to be the case. Excessively broad lanes and the waste of floorspace thus associated are also things of the past. Thinking first and foremost of the building plans in the course of factory planning or plant structure planning is generally the wrong approach to take. The planning should start on the inside and work outwards, following the ideal processes and underpinning technology. For the design of the building this means also being able to implement the ideal material flow and layout concepts as far as possible. Of course, it goes without saying that this is not always possible due to construction law, fire prevention and economic framework conditions. This makes it all the more important that the implementation of a new factory or the modernisation of one is conceived as an interdisciplinary task.

Efficiency improvement projects are recognised methods of achieving cost targets and creating urgently required capacity for new products and volume growth. The numerous factories maintained by western European companies in eastern Europe are perfect examples of this kind of project. Rapid growth and the scarcity of human resources often bring companies to the limits of their capacities, exhausting any cost benefits that previously existed. In these cases they frequently initiate reorganisation projects to achieve short-term alleviation, but usually without any lasting effects. At this point it is high time to establish sustainably optimised factory structures at these seemingly low-cost locations. Measures may include the relocation of production units during layout optimisation, reorganisation of material flows in the facilities and on the company grounds, as well as the introduction of automation technology. A variety of external warehouses and satellite locations should be consolidated and grouped around a central location through appropriate investment in warehouse/transport technology and factory structures. It goes without saying that this process must adhere to lean production principles and introduce highly automated Logistics 4.0 solutions.