Collaborative Factory Planning

What is collaborative factory planning?

Collaborative factory planning is a method for organizing and implementing factory planning projects. It is used in connection with model-based collaboration or Building Information Modeling (BIM). This method provides approaches and opportunities to better meet challenges such as ever shorter product life cycles and to integrate different planning areas into the factory planning process. In contrast to conventional projects, specialist planners work closely together in collaborative factory planning. This promotes transparency and planning quality. As a result, potential planning errors can be identified and rectified at an early stage, which reduces time and costs. This integrative and holistic approach to factory planning makes a decisive contribution to the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry, which is an advantage in increasingly dynamic market situations.

The future of collaborative factory planning

Ganzheitliche Fabrikmodelle als Grundlage für die digitale Fabrikplanung mit AR
© Fraunhofer IGCV
Integration of XR technologies in planning to increase immersiveness

Current developments in various sectors, including chip manufacturing, electromobility and climate-neutral/positive technologies, are shaping the industrial landscape. An increasingly holistic approach is taking center stage, whereby ecological sustainability in particular must become assessable through digitalization.

In this context, the immersiveness of applications is gaining in importance, especially in planning, where model-based, object-oriented approaches are increasingly being used. The integration of such technologies enables a more precise analysis and optimization of processes, which in turn contributes to a more efficient use of resources.

In addition, technological trends such as the digital twin and the metaverse are emerging, which will significantly increase data availability, quality and consistency. These developments open up new horizons for the seamless integration of data into various work processes and help to increase innovation and flexibility in companies. It will be crucial to actively shape these trends and integrate them into corporate strategies in order to make the most of the opportunities presented by the digital era.

Collaborative factory planning @Fraunhofer IGCV

Our research goal in the field of collaborative factory planning is to create a comprehensive, efficient and future-oriented production environment. To this end, our experts conduct research in the following areas in particular:  

 

Smart Factory Planning

Use of digital technologies for planning and designing production and logistics systems

 

Digital Inventory Solutions

Making factories visible: Digital Factory Planning with holistic 3D models and AR/VR integration

 

Building Information Modeling BIM

Networking construction and production system planning with BIM

Advantages for your company

Our services and benefits

Inventory digitization services

We provide support in the acquisition and processing of point clouds and digital factory models. The data obtained serves as the basis for measurement, modelling or optimization in factory planning!

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The challenge

  • A lack of data makes planning with digital factory models difficult.
  • Plant and building models are often not available or are outdated.
  • The location-independent recording of necessary data such as path widths or distance measurements is also difficult.

Your added value:

  • Use point clouds as a digital planning basis
  • Simplify collaboration and transparency in factory planning projects
  • Avoid planning errors by working with precise models.

Our range of solutions:

  • In a workshop (digital or on-site), we work with you to identify individual use cases for the use of point clouds and digital factory models.
  • We use our laser scanners to create point clouds with linked panoramic images for selected areas. The scope can range from one part of a building to several entire buildings.
  • The data is processed and made available to you for use on a browser-based platform. This data can be used as a basis for meetings, for surveying or as a modeling basis in factory planning.
  • Depending on the defined use cases, we support you with processing measures or determine possible utilization potentials with you.

Potential analysis for production systems

We offer a comprehensive analysis and optimization of your production processes in order to increase efficiency, flexibility and transparency and make current trends such as the digital twin or Industry 4.0 tangible. The added value lies in the targeted implementation of optimization potential with clear measures and strategic support

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The challenge

  • Are you struggling with insufficient efficiency in your production processes and thus failing to meet your ambitious targets?
  • Does a lack of flexibility in your production system prevent you from adapting quickly to changing conditions?
  • Is the integration of new systems into existing production processes proving to be a complex task?
  • Is your production opaque and lacking transparency? Do you collect a lot of data but are unable to use it profitably?
  • Are terms such as the digital twin, the industrial metaverse, the digital/glass factory or Industry 4.0 difficult to grasp trends for you without recognizable real benefits for your production?

Our range of solutions

Analysis of the current state of your company

  • Definition of target dimensions tailored to your situation and your company
  • Process mapping and modeling of processes in process diagrams, identification of bottleneck processes
  • Recording degrees of freedom and restrictions

Production system profiling

  • Presentation of the strengths and weaknesses of your company/production system with regard to your specific corporate goals
  • Main aspects can be: performance analysis, efficiency evaluation, resource utilization, quality control, cost analysis, bottleneck analysis

Identification of optimization potentials

Based on the profiling and the analyses, concrete optimization potentials are identified, taking into account your specific degrees of freedom

Quantification of potential and planning of measures

  • The potentials are quantified with the help of tools specifically selected for the use case. Simulation tools can be used here, for example.
  • We then derive specific implementation measures

Objective strategy development and implementation support

  • Tailor-made strategy to leverage the identified potential
  • We support you in the implementation of your successful change

Factory planning strategy

We provide you with comprehensive support in the analysis, optimization and validation of your factory planning process. In doing so, we rely on workshops, process presentations, evaluations, software selection and the development of a future-oriented planning scenario.

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The challenge

  • Are you struggling with an increasingly frequent need for rescheduling?
  • Is a lack of collaboration and a multitude of interfaces slowing down your planning processes?
  • Do you repeatedly encounter problems in factory planning projects due to a lack of standards (processes, roles, responsibilities)?

Your added value:

  • Increase the efficiency of your factory planning processes for significant time and cost savings
  • Improve the results of your planning
  • Avoid planning errors by optimizing your factory planning strategy

Our range of solutions:

  • Identification of your specific challenges in the current factory planning process and the goals for an optimized factory planning process
    • Conducting a workshop with representatives of the relevant organizational units
    • Structured and prioritized challenges and goals
  • Mapping of your current process including all roles, activities and software used
    • Development of a process representation (e.g. BPMN or SIPOC) and evaluation of optimization potentials
    • Structured actual process including identified potential
  • Evaluation of your future factory planning process
    • Development of the optimized factory planning process including identification of suitable software
    • Organizational and technical factory planning process of the future
  • Joint validation of the new factory planning process based on a case study
    • Development and implementation of a planning scenario
    • Validated factory planning process of the future

 

Research projects on the topic of factory planning

AI Production Network Augsburg

Starting point: 

Making production even more efficient with the help of artificial intelligence and thus supporting local companies - that is the goal of the AI production network in Augsburg.

Aim:

The aim of the AI production network is to research new AI concepts and technologies for production. The knowledge gained flows directly into industrial application through a joint association of numerous research partners and business development networks.

»FaBIM«

Holistic planning, construction and operation of factories using Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Starting point:

In Germany, over 5,800 factory buildings requiring approval are built every year. Around 60% of these projects fail to meet their cost targets due to information deficiencies that make planning, approval procedures and coordination more difficult.

Aim:

The "FaBIM" research project aims to develop a holistic approach for the planning, construction and operational phases of a factory. The aim is to create a common open BIM-based data environment (Common Data Environment) to enable the exchange and management of project and product information based on the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC).

Research Institution for Battery Cell Production

Starting point:

  • Trend towards sustainable, environmentally friendly energy supply
  • Increasing demand for energy storage for e-mobility, for example e-mobility
  • No environment for testing new products and production technologies

Aim:

  • Pooling battery expertise in Germany and providing an innovative innovative test environment for new products and technologies
  • An open research factory for research and development purposes is therefore to be set up at the Münster site.

»eTruckpro«

Starting point:

Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise in recent years. The climate-friendly conversion of road-based commercial vehicles must therefore make an important contribution to reducing emissions. 

Aim:

Development of a procedure for the introduction of mixed production for the symbiotic manufacture of electric and conventional trucks 

Further reference projects on the subject of factory planning

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Fraunhofer IGCVirtuell

Titelbild, Kachel, Icon zu Querschnittslösungen
© Fraunhofer IGCV | Bernd Müller

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Cooperation with Fraunhofer IGCV

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Industry solutions

The key sectors of Fraunhofer IGCV:

  • Mechanical and plant engineering
  • Aerospace
  • Automotive and commercial vehicles

Competences

We are shaping the way into the future of efficient engineering, networked production and intelligent multi-material solutions.