Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

Factory Planning and Intralogistics

Are you considering reorganizing your factory to make it fit for the future? Do you want transparency instead of complex structures that have become established over the years? Has your material flow become very complex over time? Do your production processes involve long distances and high complexity? Or do you want to expand your factory and take the opportunity to restructure your plants at the same time? Do you want to build a new factory and need expert knowledge from a partner with a wealth of planning experience? Are you thinking about integrating another site into your production network or transferring parts of your operations to a new location? Is cost pressure becoming an issue in your production but you are unsure how to cut costs effectively?

We offer you replanning or development planning, expansion planning or restructuring of complete factories, selected production areas or individual production lines. We analyze your production and uncover waste and optimization potential. In factory design, we support you in the conception of a lean, changeable and people-oriented factory and accompany you through to the realization of the finished factory. Together in an integrated project team with your experts and ours, we develop individual, customized solutions.

You are still undecided about the right approach for your factory planning project? In a joint jump-start workshop, the experienced experts at Fraunhofer IPA will give you an introduction to the planning procedure of VDI Guideline 5200 "Factory Planning", for which we were in charge. You will get to know our methods, which have been proven in a large number of projects across all industries, and which are necessary to achieve planning reliability. We coordinate the task description with you and determine the ideal planning team together. So you can start planning optimally prepared.

We are pleased to support you in your factory planning project in the following areas:

 

Planning Changeable Factories

Do you want to expand production or build a new factory hall? Do you want to exploit the flexibility of existing structures to a maximum or plan for the future with changeability in mind? Fraunhofer IPA carries out factory planning projects, including simulations, and designs factories to be modular and adaptable.

more info
 

Site Roles and Production Networks

Do you produce goods at more than one location? Fraunhofer IPA helps you systematically analyze your factories distributed nationally or abroad and design the way value is allocated. We give you end-to-end support, from defining the roles of the various sites to configuring your production network.

more info
 

Visualizing the Strategic Factory Vision

How do you communicate the results of complex projects and strategic realignments to the people concerned in an emotionally convincing and focused way? At Fraunhofer IPA, we develop concept maps for strategically important projects as a way to better communicate the factory vision.

more info
 

© littlewolf1989 - stock.adobe.com

Production Logistics

Do you want to use tugger trains instead of forklifts, and replace tugger trains with AGVs? Do you want to store materials and purchased parts centrally or repack and supply directly? Fraunhofer IPA plans material supply and intralogistics according to design guidelines that are optimally adapted to your production processes.

more info
 

Validating Factory Plans and Rapid Plant Planning

Do you want to solve problems associated with your ongoing factory planning or validate your own factory concept? Do you need to make groundbreaking decisions under extreme time pressure before the details of a factory concept can be worked out? With its longstanding experience, Fraunhofer IPA gets to grips with current factory planning projects in no time and identifies new potentials.

more info
 

© pressmaster - stock.adobe.com

Planning Support

Are you planning a fundamental change to your factory but have no routine in factory planning projects? Experienced factory planners from Fraunhofer IPA accompany you during the planning phase and coordinate procedures and interim results with you at regular intervals. This lowers planning risks, reduces internal efforts, and guarantees a methodical approach.

more info