Factory Planning

With the aim of identifying bottlenecks and deriving optimizations, we generate a value stream and material flow analysis of your production. This enables us to create an actual record of processes and identify potential efficiencies for material flow and material provision, information flow, and logistics (warehouse dimensioning and storage strategies) in your company.

In structure and layout planning, we develop various rough and detailed layout variants together with you in an iterative process in accordance with the basic procedure specified in VDI 5200. In doing so, we combine our extensive planning experience with powerful software tools and sound analysis methods.

To support decision-making, we use multi-criteria evaluation methods such as utility value analyses. In addition, we use Sankey diagrams to visualize material and energy flows, as well as mathematical optimization approaches to identify the best possible solution for your requirements.

We follow five established project planning steps:

• Analysis production program
• Function determination
• Dimensioning
• Structuring
• Design

Technical evaluation

Material flow simulation is a proven method for planning production and logistics systems. It accompanies the entire life cycle of a system – from the initial concepts to implementation and ongoing operation. Simulation allows complex temporal processes in production to be represented and design variants or adjustments to be tested without having to make costly interventions in the real system. 

We use established tools such as Siemens Plant Simulation for simulation. The integrated standard functions can be extensively parameterized and enable the modeling of a wide range of real systems. For more complex environments or control logics, we link these basic elements to form complex modules through case-specific programming.

Simulation thus supports various tasks as a design tool, for example:

• Identifying bottlenecks and optimizing material flow and layout.
• Testing production planning and control strategies.
• Performing integrated energy analysis and examining the potential for load flexibility.

Economic evaluation

The simulation of the production process can be expanded to include a cost simulation. This allows different scenarios – such as plant modifications – to be evaluated not only in terms of their performance but also from an economic perspective. The evaluation is carried out in three steps:

1. Determination of key figures for cost and revenue accounting
   These include, for example, machine hourly rates, unit costs, or total costs.
2. Performing the investment calculation
   This is done by automatically comparing several planning variants.
3. Calculating static and dynamic investment figures
   These include, for example, the net present value or the payback period. 

Ecological assessment

For ecological assessment, the simulation can be expanded to include the analysis and optimization of energy consumption. Existing or adapted modules can be used to integrate energy data into the simulation in order to:

• make peak loads and total energy consumption in production visible in addition to productivity.
• identify energy hotspots and reduce them through adapted production control.
• improve the dimensioning and use of autonomously operating, battery-powered transport systems and their charging strategies.
• create transparency and plan efficiency measures in other material flows such as compressed air or water circuits.

These building blocks for technical, economic, and ecological evaluation can be combined as desired depending on the issue at hand to give you a holistic picture of planned adjustments to your production or logistics. 

Increase your production performance with our customized energy data collection. In the first step, we analyze your system and collect all relevant energy data – from electricity consumption and compressed air usage to waste heat flows.

Based on this data, we develop a customized measurement concept that collects the necessary information at optimal time intervals – even during special production phases. We evaluate the load profiles in detail and identify critical areas in order to derive targeted technical and economic measures.

In addition, we collect comprehensive thermal measurement data in order to precisely analyze the climatic conditions in your production halls. This enables us to identify further potential for increasing energy efficiency and stabilizing the indoor climate.

To efficiently evaluate your entire system or specific sub-areas, you can benefit from our extensive experience with a wide range of simulation tools. These powerful tools enable us to perform precise analyses and make informed decisions that increase the efficiency of your system and optimize your production processes:

• MATLAB Simulink: model-based testing of control functions
• Polysun: Simulation of energy supply, building services, and other storage systems, converters, and consumers to dynamically design an optimized overall building system
• Ansys tools: Detailed flow and system simulations