Expertise

The utilization of simulations for the development of path planning algorithms for autonomous indoor multicopters is of primary importance. It offers a secure and cost-effective setting for the testing and optimization of algorithms. This article considers and examines the currently used simulation options with regard to their suitability for the development of path planning algorithms for autonomous indoor multicopters. The use of autonomous multicopters represents an innovative solution to simplify the process of layout recording and inventories. This article focuses on the voxel-based simulation VSim, developed and named by the author. In light of the extant literature, the article elucidates the simulation environments that are most commonly utilized. Subsequently, a selection of simulations is compared with VSim. The time efficiency and resource usage of the simulation environments are examined based on more than 1,500 test runs. Furthermore, the observations of the test executions are described in detail, and finally, the simulations with all investigated parameters are compared. Additionally, the potential for parallelization is explored and discussed.

Layout, Path planning, Recording, Aircraft, Optimization, Testing

Constantly increasing production volumes and new challenges in production environmentswith the same amount of space are forcing manufacturing companies to deal with the planning of production layouts. The problem often is a non-existent or outdated production layout plan. Autonomous multicopters can help by simplifying layout capture. That's why a voxel-based simulation is investigated to develop and train path planning algorithms with and without artificial intelligence. First, the temporal behavior and the resource utilization of the simulation is investigated. Then, the time factor of simulation is compared to real time and what advantages companies and developers have when using it.

UAS, digital twin, simulation, voxel-based, layout design

The structured and future-orientated planning of factory layouts is an important factor in maintaining a company's competitiveness. The basis for planning is a daily updated recording and visualisation of the factory environment. Current mapping methods require a great deal of manual labour and time for this process, are limited in their flexibility of use and do not represent the process holistically. In this thesis, a novel factory layout recording method using a drone is investigated. Photogrammetric recordings and automated data processing are used to map the recording process holistically and enable planning during the recording. Automation approaches and greater flexibility can be used to make the factory layout recording process more efficient, less costly and more structured.

Factory layout planning, UAV, segmentation, 3D model, automation

This article examines the use of point clouds as a geometric data basis for factory planning and compares different mapping techniques for generating these point clouds. Data and information acquisition is a crucial step in factory planning and thus in developing efficient production processes. In this context, different mapping techniques are analysed: photogrammetry (using drones and action cameras) and LiDAR scans (performed both from drones and from the ground).

The methodology and results of this investigation are discussed in detail, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each mapping technique. The focus is on comparing the generated point clouds in terms of completeness, recognisability and geometric tolerance. This comparison provides valuable insights into which technique is best suited for the data acquisition of factory planning.

The outlook of this paper includes the further development of recording techniques, particularly with regard to autonomously flying drones. In the future, these could enable more efficient and precise data acquisition for factory planning and thus further strengthen the basis for optimising production processes.

drone, photogrammetry, LiDAR, point cloud, factory planning, data acquisition

The article addresses a method for generating project schedules for factory relocations based on a planned layout concept in reorganisation projects. The layout is modelled in a cell grid with cells of uniform edge length. The factory objects are arranged in this grid for both the actual and the target layout state. Further input parameters relate to the required time and personnel resources according to several operations. A two-stage optimisation algorithm is presented, which first checks a given solution for layout feasibility and then generates and solves a project scheduling problem on this basis. Accordingly, elements of the facility layout problem are integrated into a resource constrained project scheduling problem. The process steps of generating and evaluating of the project schedule are further embedded in a genetic algorithm, which successively improves the solution. The project schedules for relocation are evaluated through a combination of the resulting project duration and the downtimes of all factory objects. The aim of the optimisation is to minimise both objective values considering a weighting factor. The article concludes by validating the method using a practical example.

factory planning, relocation planning, reorganisation, project scheduling, project planning

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are floor-bound systems,
consisting of several components that can organise the logistical transport of materials in an automated and driverless manner.
The advantages associated with the introduction of AGVs can be particularly interesting for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
can be particularly interesting. By specifically increasing the degree of automation in the organisation of internal processes with the help of AGVs, an increased volume of material transport can be handled reliably and with high availability.
can be handled reliably and with high availability without
without having to tie up more personnel at the same time. This means that personnel resources can be utilised more efficiently and relieved by using AGVs.

Digital route network planning, digital factory planning, AGV introduction

Volatile markets and increasing product variance lead to more complex internal material flows. In order to cope with this, a significant increase in the flexibility and adaptability of prevailing intralogistics systems is necessary. (Small-scale) modular conveyor systems can be used to make intralogistics more flexible. Obstacles for the practical use are the low distribution as well as the high investment costs. In order to reduce reservations as well as risks, an evaluation and optimization method as well as an applicationoriented planning tool for modular conveyor system layouts were developed in a research project. It enables both planning service providers and users to evaluate modular conveyor systems and to exploit their potential.

Conveyor Technology, Layout Planning, Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, Software

Supply chain resilience is massively gaining importance for manufacturing companies in times of severe disruption due to crises. Supplier selection is a key aspect of building a resilient supply chain. Currently, however, there is no holistic method for supplier selection that takes resilience into account. This paper therefore presents a research project that aims to develop an assessment measure for resilience in the context of supplier selection. The aim is to consider the existing resilience from the supplier company’s perspective and the required resilience from the selecting company's perspective.

Logistics, Supplier Selection, Resilience, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management

The realization of a planned layout concept represents a complex subtask within factory planning. In particular, the temporal arrangement of the necessary relocation steps, taking into account existing restrictions, is usually carried out manually according to the current state of the art. Therefore, an easy-to-use method for planning a factory move for reorganization projects was developed in a research project, which can be applied by companies in a practical context.

factory planning, removal planning, project scheduling, optimization, operations research

Although factory planning is widely recognized as a way to significantly enhance manufacturing productivity, the associated costs in terms of time and money can be prohibitive. In this paper, we present a solution to this challenge through the development of a Software-in-the-loop (SITL) framework that leverages an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in an autonomous capacity. The framework incorporates simulated sensors, a UAS, and a virtual factory environment. Moreover, we propose a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agent that is capable of collision avoidance and exploration using the Dueling Double Deep Q-Network (3DQN) with prioritized experience replay.

Artificial Intelligence, reinforcement learning, Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The realization of reorganization projects represents a complex and independent planning task within the framework of factory layout planning. Only little methodical knowledge exists, which considers the temporal, spatial and organizational restrictions in the creation of a schedule. This paper aims to present the interdependencies in the planning and execution of realization projects and thus to provide a basis for discussion for further investigations in the field of scheduling factory relocations for the reorganization of factory objects.

factory planning, relocation planning, project planning, effect modeling

Factory planning can increase the productivity of manufacturing significantly, though the process is expensive when it comes to cost and time. In this paper, we propose an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) framework that accelerates this process and decreases the costs. The framework consists of a UAV that is equipped with an IMU, a camera and a LiDAR sensor in order to navigate and explore unknown indoor environments. Thus, it is independent of GNSS and solely uses on-board sensors. The acquired data should enable a DRL agent to perform autonomous decision making, applying a reinforcement learning approach. We propose a simulation of this framework including several training and testing environments, that should be used for developing a DRL agent.

drone, UAS, deep reinforcement learning

The reorganization of factory objects in the restructuring of existing factories is associated with numerous challenges. This article provides an overview of possible conflicting goals and key factors influencing the success of the project.

Factories are subject to continuous change. Ever shorter development cycles in the manufacture of different products lead to an increased need for restructuring of affected manufacturing structures. In the context of factory planning projects, the focus is on the design of the layout under the influence of individual framework conditions. The relocation steps necessary for realization are usually determined only after the layout design has been completed. However, the planning and preparation of the relocation represents an independent project task with regard to the objectives and complexity. Within the scope of the research project on the "Development of a Method for the Optimal Planning of the Relocation of Factory Objects in the Course of the Realization of a New Factory Layout" (OptiFaU), fundamental interrelationships in the planning and execution of factory relocations are investigated and discussed with regard to their significance for the success of the project. The aim of the project is to provide planning persons (e.g. relocation service providers or factory planners) with a possibility to evaluate relocation alternatives.

relocation planning, project planning, scheduling, factory planning, reorganization

Storage planning is an important element of the factory planning and a significant competitive factor in times of an increasing global market. The selection of a suitable storage, commissioning and transport system (sct system) is a major challenge for companies, because of the increasing number of new sct systems with different features. The level of automation and versatility of these systems are intransparent and the required level of both for a certain company is unknown. To identify the level of versatility of sct systems a method based on versatility characteristics assigned to the versatility enablers was developed. To determine the required versatility of sct systems for a particular company, a catalogue of change drivers was created. For the level of automation of sct systems, the requirements resulting from product characteristics and performance requirements of the warehouse were identified. The performance of the sct systems depends on the automation level, which can be set by influencing factors such as the degree of digitalization. The required level of automation must be determined by restrictions of the company and the identified possibilities of the systems. At the same time, it is required to consider the costs of the systems as well as their possible combinations. Therefore, to save costs, the aim is also to consider systems which do not fit perfectly to the required versatility and automation level for a company but are still at an acceptable level.

storage, commissioning and transport systems, automation and versatility

In this paper, a new solution for the facility layout problem is presented. The approach was integrated into a planning software. The aim of the MeFaP research project was mainly the development of a user-friendly decision support regarding the facility layout problem for small and medium-sized companies. Therefore, a realistic modelling of the planning problem was focused on. Thus, a path planning with area allocation was integrated, for example. The metaheuristic Tabu Search was selected as a solution approach. To ensure an efficient optimisation, the optimisation is performed in two steps, once without and then with route planning. The experiments were performed with the objectives material flow distance, temperature and cleanliness, which are briefly described. The results of the experiments were compared with current solution approaches.

facility layout problem, factory planning, multi-criteria, metaheuristic, tabu search, software

Planning a factory is a major challenge, especially for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies that have little experience. We explain how factory planning projects work and which digital tools simplify and accelerate planning.

factory planning, analysis, structural planning, dimensioning, warehouse planning, layout evaluation

In Germany, demand for commercial drones is forecast to increase by 200% by 2025. As the use of drones increases, so does the danger they pose. This article describes a research project that aims to develop an acoustic operational monitoring system to improve the safety of critical components.

UAS, drones, operational monitoring

The development of a method for the optimal planning of the relocation of factory objects is being addressed by the IPH - Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover gGmbH within the framework of a research project. The design of a relocation plan, taking into account temporal and spatial restrictions, represents a complex planning problem. The method to be developed enables a comprehensive evaluation of a relocation plan with regard to different target criteria. The mathematical optimisation model is to be implemented with the help of a heuristic solution procedure. The intuitive implementation within a software environment further supports the easy applicability.

Factory Planning, Relocation, Project Scheduling, Preparation for Realisation, Operations Research

In the production of stock goods, manufacturing companies are faced with uncertain customer demand. In order to counter uncertainties, an increased inventory is necessary in order to be able to meet customer demand. The costs incurred are influenced by the ordering behaviour given the forecast uncertainty. Ordering behaviour is largely determined by the ordering policy. Therefore, the influence of forecast uncertainty and ordering policy on the resulting storage costs was investigated by means of sensitivity analyses. Accordingly, forecast uncertainties require larger inventories under the (t, S) policy than under the (s, q) policy.

stock planning, ordering policy, forecasting

Unmanned aerial systems have changed the industry dramatically. The rapidly advancing technological development of so-called Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) makes it necessary to address the design of future operational scenarios at an early stage.

UAS, Drones, Navigation

Software for an Automated Multidimensional Factory Layout Optimisation: Layout planning is a complex planning task in the context of factory planning, which up to now has usually needed to be carried out manually. Although many optimisation methods for the underlying problem have been developed in the past, they were only applicable to a small group of experts, mostly from universities. Therefore, an easy-touse software for layout planning was developed in a research project to provide companies with access to these optimisation methods.

Factory planning, facility layout planning, optimization, operations research, software

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) cover a wide range of applications not only outdoors but also indoors. The use of UAS has already been successfully tested and validated in some of these application areas, such as factory layout digitization or in-plant material transport. The current state of technical development of UAS for flight control, collision avoidance and flight performance basically allows their use in production operations. It is still unclear which legal and thus also insurance-related, technical and operational prerequisites must be created by applying companies for the use in production operations. This white paper discusses these issues. A technical and operational risk analysis is then presented, which is supplemented by a catalog of measures for the proper introduction and use of UAS technology. Potential risks are considered, even though the risks can be reduced by safety mechanisms and appropriate sensor technology as the degree of automation of UAS increases.

Drones, intralogistics, automated transport

The assembly of XXL-products is often organized according to the job-site principle. With this principle, the assembly objects are arranged stationary and the necessary resources and materials are brought there. If several job-site assemblies are arranged simultaneously at the assembly area, an area-allocation-planning is necessary to prevent the available area from becoming a bottleneck. The area allocation planning can follow different design variants, which differ regarding the degree of freedom in the area arrangement, their organizational framework conditions as well as the tolerance against external influences. The possible general design variants and how they differ in terms of performance, planning reliability and resulting costs for
different framework conditions has not been researched yet.

This study shows that companies can optimally align their area-allocation-planning regarding the performance indicators productivity, planning reliability and expenditure by the implementation of an appropriate design variant. For this purpose, the special characteristics of job-site organized assemblies are analyzed, relevant influencing factors identified and the possible variants for the design of the area-allocation-planning are derived. In order to evaluate and compare them with each other, a simulation model is applied which maps the area allocation planning for all design variants depending on the influencing factors. The results of a simulation study carried out with this model confirm the different characteristics of the design variants and their individual suitability for specific conditions.

assembly, job-site-principle, area allocation planning, xxl-products

Factory planning is an important tool for
manufacturing companies to raise their efficiency and to
maintain their competitiveness by changing market or
customer requirements. A special challenge is the acquisition
of layout data and the processing of this data in suitable
planning tools. Current approaches still measure manually
or have to transfer acquired data from laser scanners by
hand into planning tools, which leads to a high effort and
error proneness.
This paper presents a holistic concept for automated
and systematic data acquisition and processing for factory
planning processes.

3D factory planning, automated drone flight, point cloud processing, 3D layout scan

How can the restructuring of a factory layout be planned efficiently and without errors? Thanks to digital three-dimensional factory planning, the quality of planning projects can be improved and the implementation period shortened. This is demonstrated by the exemplary use of a digital tool in a project of the Mittelstand 4.0 Kompetenzzentrum Hannover at Zerspanungstechnik Kuhn Edelstahl GmbH.

factory planning, digital factory, digital twin, drone

If companies select a suitable transport system already during the factory planning stage, they can avoid subsequent adjustments and save a lot of time and costs. The IPH is developing a software demonstrator for automated layout and transport system planning.

factory planning, fuzzy logic, transport selection, routing

The selection of storage, commissioning and transport systems (sct systems) is very complex due to the large number of available systems on the market and influencing factors. One important influencing factor is automation. To classify the degrees of automation of sct systems and to determine the individually required automation a method is proposed below.

automation, storage, commissioning and transport systems

The structured and future-orientated planning of factory layouts is an important factor in maintaining the competitive ability. However, conventional planning methods with 2D Layouts reach their limits because they can no longer map the increasingly complex factory structures in detail. Alternatives are offered by 360° environmental scanning methods, which currently only serve as a template for postmodeling. This article presents a method for planning directly in the factory image. The aim is to make the factory planning process more effective and less error-prone.

3D-factory layout, factory planning, production planning, point cloud, point cloud processing

In current approaches to factory planning, the influences of transport systems are not taken into account in the layout planning process. Means of transport selection and transportation network planning takes place downstream of layout planning. The effects of transport system selection on the design of the factory layout are therefore only considered at the end of the factory planning process. The selection of certain transportation systems can therefore require extensive adjustments to the layout. This article describes a concept for an expert system that integrates transportation network planning into the layout planning process in addition to transportation system selection. The expert system should interpret the expert knowledge for the selection of transport systems on the basis of fuzzy logic and generate the later factory layout, as well as the transport networks, automatically on the basis of defined input data.

factory planning, layout planning, transport systems, fuzzy logic

By using digital tools in the factory planning process, the planning quality can be improved and the duration of the project can be shortened. In order to exploit these potentials, data consistency must be guaranteed throughout the planning process. In this article, digital factory planning tools, used at the Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover (IPH), will be presented and their applications and requirements will be discussed.

digital factory planning, factory planning process, data consistency, digital tools

The selection of a storage commissioning and transport system in times of industry 4.0 often takes place based on the automation that these systems bring with them. It is difficult to assert the actual level of automation from these systems. This paper presents general approaches for the determination of automation. After it will give a presentation of the developed method to identify the level of automation from systems.

level of automation, storage, commissioning and transport systems, storage planning, logistics

Drones are often used in outdoor areas. Though drone are able to do more, e.g. to measure and digitalize the indoor layout structure of production environments. Further more it is possible to plan the production structure directly in the digital model with image processing algorithms. The combination of both step allows a faster and more efficient production planning process. 

drone, layoutscan, production planning, digitalization

Abstract: For factory planning projects the layout capturing and layout processing process need a huge amount of effort, because they are typically done by hand. These processes could be accelerated and optimized by using a drone and automated analysis algorithms. Furthermore, this article shows a way to raise the digitization level for industrial processes. The key aspect lies on the usage of a drone in indoor environment and the processing of three-dimensional point cloud models for factory planning processes.

drone, factory planning, 3D-factory layout, object recognition

Structured factory planning is a key to ensure the competitiveness concerning to the increasing pressure from globalization and the high market dynamic. Companies though avoid to do factory planning projects, because of the high effort. For this reason, the processes of factory layout capture and factory layout assessment are in need of improvement in order to increase the efficiency, which will be achieved through new technologies and a semi automation of the processes.

factory planning, drone, photgrammetry, laserscan, image data processing

The article deals with the development of an automated 2D- and 3D-layout-acquistion technology. For that purpose, a semi-autonomous UAV is to be used, to acquire 2D- or 3D-aerial images. An automated stitching or mapping algorithm can match the images together and create a scale image of the factory layout. The automation will also be able to interpret the scanned layout, e.g. detection and measurement of different functional areas. The acquired data can directly be used for factory planning, e.g. creating digital 3D-images or physical 3D-printed images.

drone, threedimensional factory layout, object recognition in point clouds, factory planning

Future factory planning projects are much easier and cheaper than today. With a drone it es possible to scan a factory layout during the flight in a short time. To achieve this benefits, researchers of the IPH are developing a new factory planning method.

drone, threedimensional factory layout, object recognition in point clouds, factory planning

Currently used methods for factory layout planning are limited in their evaluation methods. Factory evaluation is either qualitative or quantitative, but limited to a few objectives. These deficits were overcome by the development of a quantitative, multidimensional ad hoc factory evaluation method. On this basis, it is now possible to develop a method for factory layout planning that reduces the planning effort and significantly increases the quality of the solution.

facility layout planning, factory planning, operations research, mathematical modelling

The storage planning is an important component of the factory planning and describes an improvement potential in the times of an increasing global competition. The selection of a suitable storage, commissioning and transport system is a big challenge especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. In a research project of IPH – Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover a method for companies will be created to determine the necessary level of versatility and automation to choose an optimal system. This article introduces the research project and explains the approach and first results.

storage planning, sct systems, versatility, automation, software demonstrator

Researchers at the Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover (IPH) have developed a software programme for an objective evaluation of factory layouts. With this tool, you can select your optimum layout numerically instead of following your gut instincts.

factory planning, layout evaluation, optimization procedures

Whether aircraft, ships or construction machines: The assembly of so-called XXL products requires a lot of space. Researchers at IPH are currently developing a method which enables companies to find an ideal layout. By this means, they can save space and increase their productivity.

XXL products, area arrangement

Evaluation of factory layouts can currently be carried out by experts or by means of simulation models. The review by an expert can be carried out quickly and with little effort, but the assessment is only qualitative and subjective in nature. A quantitative, objective evaluation is possible by simulation models. However, these are more expensive and time-consuming than the expert review. For small and medium enterprises (SMEs) simulation models are often too great a financial or capacitive load. To fill this gap, a research project enables a low-maintenance quantitative and therefore objective evaluation of factory layouts. The basis for this are the appropriate modeling of the factory layout and the calculation rules, which will be presented by two examples..

factory evaluation, factory planning, layout review

This article describes the necessity of considering temporal dynamics in the arrangement of assembly areas for large-scale products. This is justified by the fact that the available area represents a bottleneck and thus using of an intelligent arrangement of the areas can lead to an increased utilization of the factory.

XXL-products, assembly area arrangement

A factory planning is currently being assessed either at low cost and qualitatively by experts or quantitatively by a simulation model. A review by simulation model is both more costly and time-consuming and a big burden for small and medium enterprises. This article describes the procedure of a research project and the selection of evaluation fields that will in future allow a low-maintenance and at the same time quantitative factory evaluation.

factory planning, quantitative factory evaluation, simulation model

The assembly of large-scale products is usually organized in the construction-site principle. For each assembled product, the area requirement increases with assembly time. So for each product a defined area is reserved, that corresponds to the maximum expansion of the product. As the existing area is limited, the single products are competing for it. This results in an increased area requirement and a poor use of area. Therefore time-variable and competing area requirements should be considered in the facility layout planning.

layout problem, time dynamics, competing areas

In order to guarantee successful long term factory investments, factory layouts need to be flexible and versatile. Thus, a planning and design method is introduced that is based on a synergetic interaction of production process and factory space as well as the accompanying project management of the planning and construction phase. The method integrates several interdisciplinary perspectives, e. g. logistical processes, architecture and building equipment and appliances. Within numerous factory layout planning projects IPH was able to prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the introduce method.

factory planning, layout planning, green-field-planning, brown-field-planning

In order to guarantee successful long term factory investments, factory layouts need to be flexible and versatile. Thus, a planning and design method is introduced that is based on a synergetic interaction of production process and factory space as well as the accompanying project management of the planning and construction phase. The method integrates several interdisciplinary perspectives, e. g. logistical processes, architecture and building equipment and appliances. Within numerous factory layout planning projects IPH was able to prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the introduce method.

factory planning, layout planning, green-field-planning, brown-field-planning

Content of the lecture as part of the by the IFA and IPH conducted factory planning seminar was the presentation of the procedure and the results of a factory planning project with an automotive supplier.

factory planning, conceptual layout, automotive supplier

The first challenge in the planning process of production systems is the creation of a rough draft of the system with minimal time and cost. From this an offer for the customer is then derived. This article describes a model-based approach for rough planning and its demonstrative implementation. The approach allows modeling at a high abstraction level. This reduces the modeling effort, the possible modeling errors and the documentation effort considerably.

production system, operations planning, performance prediction, simulation, variant documentation

The lecture introduced IPH – Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover gGmbH with its three fields of activity: forming technology, logistics and automation technology. Furthermore, research and consulting projects were discussed. In addition, the challenges regarding the planing of adaptable factories were presented as a major focus of current research.

research and development, factory layout planning, resource efficiency, adaptability

The lecture introduced IPH – Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover gGmbH with its three fields of activity: forming technology, logistics and automation technology. Furthermore, research and consulting projects were discussed. In addition, the challenges regarding the planing of adaptable factories were presented as a major focus of current research.

research and development, factory layout planning, resource efficiency, adaptability

The lecture introduced IPH – Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover gGmbH with its three fields of activity: forming technology, logistics and automation technology. Furthermore, research and consulting projects were discussed. In addition, the challenges regarding the planing of adaptable factories were presented as a major focus of current research.

factory layout planning, practical use case, adaptability

In 2022 germanys last nuclear power plants will be shut down. In addition to the decision to phase out nuclear power a worldwide shortage of fossil fuels will lead to a steady rise in energy costs. Therefore the IPH develops procedures and methods, which will help companies to reduce their energy costs.

energy costs, occupancy plan, energy consumption

The increasing complexity of factory planning tasks requires new methods and tools for accumulating planning stages. To make the process of factory planning for their clients more efficiently the IPH and RMA have developed in numerous successful projects and a joint as far as possible parallel action for the implementation of factory planning. Through constant exchange of information and coordination of the offices from both sides of methods and tools the efficiency of factory planning projects jointly implemented could be increased in terms of "power form". The basic idea is a parallel development of the factory of process and space perspective.

factory planning, complexity

Cyclically interlinked production systems are commonly used production facilities. In the bidding phase manufacturers of these systems define their capability and operating efficiency to the customers despite of numerous insecurities. Up to now, no planning approach exists to assure these planning results. On this account a method to choose a configuration of these systems in the bidding phase was developed and is presented in this paper. Data mining models are built to predict performance figures of production systems. To predict the operating efficiency of a system configuration, characteristic curves are used. On this basis the planner decides, whether an offer is generated or the system configuration is changed. This paper shows that the newly developed method is suitable to assess configurations of cyclically interlinked production systems in terms of performance and cost effectiveness. It allows the identification of better configurations in respect of the objective criteria. Furthermore, the presentation and discussion of test results in terms of quality and the limitations of the method are discussed. The method is validated on the basis of two practical examples.

interlinked production systems, planning, characteristic curves, data mining

Dieses umfassende Handbuch stellt einen methodisch fundierten und praxiserprobten Ansatz zur Konzeption, Gestaltung und Umsetzung wandlungsfähiger Produktionsstätten vor, die in einem strategischen Verbund zur reaktionsschnellen Versorgung globaler Märkte agieren. Es gibt einen Überblick zur Fabrikplanungsmethodik mit ihren Phasen und Gestaltungsfeldern. Zur inhaltlichen Orientierung sind die Gestaltungsfelder den Fabrikebenen sowie der Prozesssicht der Ingenieur:innen und der Raumsicht der Architekt:innen zugeordnet. Das Buch richtet sich an Produktionsmanager:innen und Fabrikplaner:innen sowie an Studierende des Maschinenbaus, des Wirtschaftsingenieurwesens und der Betriebswirtschaft mit Schwerpunkt Produktion und Logistik.

Folgende Themen werden behandelt:

• Synergetische Fabrikplanung: Verknüpfung von Produktions- und Gebäudeplanung (Prozess- und Raumsicht) sowie Planungsgrundlagen und Produktionsanforderungen
• Erfolgsfaktoren der Fabrik: Veränderungsfähigkeit, Nachhaltigkeit, Digitalisierung, Kommunikation
• Strategie und Zielfestlegung von Fabrikplanungsobjekten: Unternehmens- und Umfeldanalyse, Veränderungstreiber, Handlungsfelder, Standortplanung
• Grundlagenermittlung: Aufnahme und Auswertung von Objekt- und Prozessdaten
• Konzeptplanung: Strukturentwicklung und -dimensionierung, Groblayoutplanung, Generalbebauung, Gebäudegestaltung
• Detailplanung: Transporte, Verkehrswege, Feinlayout, räumliche Arbeitsbereichsgestaltung und räumliche Arbeitsplatzgestaltung
• Projektmanagement und Umsetzung: Projektorganisation, Projektplanerstellung, Kapazitätsplanung, Vertragsanbahnung und -gestaltung, Projekthandbuch, Kostenermittlung und -kontrolle
• Fabrikbetrieb: Produktionsplanung und -steuerung (PPS), Arbeitsorganisation und Kompetenzentwicklung, Facility Management

factory planning, factory building, logistics

Trotz weitgehender Einigkeit über die Herausforderungen in der Fabrikplanung unterscheiden sich Lösungsansätze und Forschungsschwerpunkte. Dieser Beitrag bietet eine systematische Analyse über die wissenschaftlichen Aktivitäten im Forschungsgebiet der Fabrikplanung der vergangenen fünf Jahre. Zentrale Forschungsaktivitäten, Themenfelder und Trends werden literatur- und datenbasiert identifiziert. Die Ergebnisse liefern praxisrelevante Implikationen und geben gezielte Orientierung für zukünftige wissenschaftliche sowie industrielle Initiativen.

Fabrikplanung, Forschungsaktivitäten, Trends

Die Motivation zur Erstellung dieses Papers entstand aus zahlreichen Diskussionen mit Vertretern produzierender Unternehmen und der unzureichenden Antwort der Wissenschaft auf die Fragestellung, welche Organisationsform die geeignetste für einen spezifischen Anwendungsfall darstellt. Dabei beginnt die Problematik schon bei der reinen Beschreibung der unterschiedlichen Organisationsformen der Produktion. Die in der Literatur bestehenden Systematiken differenzieren zumeist zwischen Fertigung und Montage – und dass unter der Verwendung ähnlicher Begrifflichkeiten bei unterschiedlicher Bedeutung. Dass auf diesem Wege zum einen kein einheitliches Verständnis entstehen und zum anderen keine gezielte Auswahl der für den betrachteten Anwendungsfall geeignetsten Organisationsform erfolgen kann, liegt auf der Hand. Das vorliegende Paper bietet sowohl der Wissenschaft als auch dem praktischen Anwender durch die entwickelte Beschreibungssystematik einen Überblick über mögliche Organisationsformen in der Produktion und damit allgemein eine Beschreibung sowohl der Fertigung als auch Montage. Mit der Variantenmix-Produktion wird zudem eine Organisationsform vorgestellt, die die neuartigen Entwicklungen in der Praxis systematisch beschreibbar macht und somit bei der Ausgestaltung spezifischer Organisationsformen unterstützt. Die hier dargestellte Beschreibungssystematik für die Organisationsformen der Produktion bildet zudem die Grundlagen für weitere Arbeiten am Institut für Fabrikanlagen und Logistik (IFA), die sich auf die Erforschung der Planung und Gestaltung neuartiger Organisationsformen sowie die Auswahl der für einen spezifischen Anwendungsfall geeignetsten Organisationsform aufgrund entsprechender Vor- und Nachteile fokussieren.

Variantenmix-Produktion, Matrix-Produktion, Modulare Montage, Fertigungsprinzip, Montageorganisation, Produktionssysteme