Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
Fraunhofer IPA developed a material flow oriented production within a changeable factory layout at Diehl Aerospace.
Structuring production and optimizing of the area-productivity rate at Diehl Aerospace
In Short
To create space for offices, Diehl Aerospace is planning to concentrate its production area into two floors instead of three. As part of a project with Fraunhofer IPA, a changeable and compact factory concept based on lean production methods was developed.
In Detail
Diehl Aerospace is a manufacturer of aircraft equipment and employs around 1,100 people. The focus at its Frankfurt site is on the development and maintenance of avionics systems for civil and military platforms.
To create new office space, Diehl Aerospace in Frankfurt is planning to concentrate its production area into two floors instead of three. At the same time, the company wanted to use the reorganization phase to optimize the production process according to the principles of lean production in cooperation with Fraunhofer IPA.
First of all, a value stream analysis was carried out. Then the floor space was analyzed in terms of requirements, monuments as well as degree of usage. In addition, relationships between the functional areas were ascertained and evaluated with the “Set2Flow” tool. Based on the detailed analysis of the situation, production was optimized using value stream design. In a final step, the results of the analysis and the value stream design were combined in a value stream-oriented and changeable factory concept, taking into account future growth potential. Thanks to the consistent value stream approach and the detailed analysis of the functional areas, a higher degree of concentration was achieved than originally planned.
The developed factory concept enables a material flow driven production process in a changeable layout that can also be optimally used for future products. At the same time, a significant improvement in the relevant key performance indicators for area-utilization was achieved.
Insight into the project
“Thanks to the methodological and professional support provided by Fraunhofer IPA, we were able to achieve an excellent planning result within the ambitious project time frame. The dedicated team has helped us see our production structure from a completely different perspective. With the new factory concept, we are optimally positioned for the future despite the decrease in floor space.”
Daniel Kunowski, Head of Industrial Process Engineering