The spatial arrangement of assembly, plant and machine stations should be carefully considered when planning a factory in order to benefit from an optimal flow of materials. The right layout planning improves the internal conditions in the factory.
Layout planning is an essential part of factory planning and takes into account the arrangement of production segments in a production system. When planning factories and production sites, disruptive factors in the material flow can be identified and avoided in advance using detailed layout planning. Based on material flow movements, transport routes and information flows, warehouse elements are strategically placed — because processes are only efficient and interlock easily in the correct order. In order to find out the best arrangement, layout planning is carried out step by step: Starting from ideal planning in various layout variants, planning through rough layout to detailed work comes ever closer to reality. Finally, a preferred variant of the developed layout plan is selected and implemented.
Modern visualization of layout planning in VR
Make your layout planning comprehensible for everyone involved: The future-oriented layout planning of operational functional units in virtual reality (VR) makes the space requirements of the elements real. Sober 2D plans on the computer become an interactively experiential 3D presentation of the planning. You simulate actual work processes in the software to identify problems in material flow, transportation and ergonomics.
The disadvantages of two-dimensional display programs are avoided. You avoid the time-consuming process of layout development in CAD systems, as the production segments in VR can be placed and adjusted even by laymen with just a few clicks. Despite all meticulousness, reality is only insufficiently represented in 2D representations; errors are inevitable. With layout planning in VR, you create a realistic representation of the layout and design of the factory, which makes the material flow quickly comprehensible and comprehensible. The VR view also provides a transparent starting point and a basis for interdisciplinary discussion, which makes your location planning tangible for everyone involved in the process.
In order for production planning to be implemented as realistically as possible, local restrictions must be taken into account. During visualization, the location-specific requirements are taken into account so that the resulting restrictions for layout planning can be seen.
Restriction due to location requirements:
The characteristics of products and equipment must be taken into account when planning the layout. Product weight, space requirements and the type of transport significantly influence organizational planning. In addition to material-related planning, the working person must also not be forgotten. The framework conditions for humane workplace design must be met.
Restriction due to location conditions:
Local conditions on site can restrict layout planning. This includes the size of existing buildings and the particular topographical requirements of the company site and the surrounding area. In addition, further restrictions imposed by the legislator (Trade Code, Workplace Code, Occupational Safety Act) must be observed when interpreting the planning.
Ideally, good layout planning as a process optimization measure contributes to optimal production utilization so that economic potential can be exploited. With an efficient occupancy strategy, you perfectly coordinate process engineering, logistics and information technology for an optimal material flow.
Find a holistic solution to core problems
The specific objectives of layout planning can be adapted to corporate goals. Priorities can be set to minimize costs and time or to expand operational flexibility and adaptability.
The disadvantages of two-dimensional display programs are avoided. You avoid the time-consuming process of layout development in CAD systems, as the production segments in VR can be placed and adjusted even by laymen with just a few clicks. Despite all meticulousness, reality is only insufficiently represented in 2D representations; errors are inevitable. With layout planning in VR, you create a realistic representation of the layout and design of the factory, which makes the material flow quickly comprehensible and comprehensible. The VR view also provides a transparent starting point and a basis for interdisciplinary discussion, which makes your location planning tangible for everyone involved in the process.
Factories today have to face new problems at ever shorter intervals. Adaptability is therefore more important today than ever. It is essential to make the production process as error-free as possible. Layout planning enables you to create ideal conditions for productive work in your factory and to identify problems early on. With good factory planning, you remain flexible even for expanding individual areas. With layout planning, you graphically represent the production process and take into account key aspects such as transport routes and material flow.
There is a lot of potential for optimization, especially when it comes to existing factory plans. Factory planning problems can result in disruptions in the flow of materials and information and thus have a direct impact on the overall productivity of the factory. With the right layout planning, you can easily prevent internal problems and lost productivity. Involve various employees in the planning process to uncover hidden problems and optimize the individual facets of the entire factory.
When arranging your factory planning, also take material flow planning into account and benefit from minimized processing times and lower transport costs. By avoiding unnecessary interim storage, routes and waiting times, you save time and money. From incoming goods to logistics areas to manual production, all parties involved benefit from the smooth flow of good layout and material flow planning.
Designing workplaces in a humane manner is now an employer's duty. The physical and mental stress on employees as a result of work is thus to be minimized. For layout planning, this means that you offer your employees ergonomic workplaces and must comply with legal requirements such as working hours, lighting, noise and the like.
The ergonomics of the workplace can be analyzed and mapped with Halocline software. Critical movement processes and unnecessary transport routes are identified and can be adapted quickly and easily. The arrangement of the equipment within easy reach can be adjusted from an ergonomic point of view, but can also be positioned sensibly depending on the frequency of use.
With the appropriate layout, layout planning is the basis for planning the ideal use of factory space. In order to create a good material flow with ideal access to equipment, it helps to stick to industrial engineering procedures. Proven diagrams and route plans help you replan your factory layout and optimize your layout. However, the rule of thumb for layout planning is: From rough planning to detailed layout! Start with the basics, determine the available space requirement and think across divisions. For example, you should only implement the arrangement of individual equipment at your employees' workplaces once the transport routes and interfaces have been defined.
Halocline helps you to make your layout planning visible: The interactive implementation using virtual reality enables you to fully exploit your potential. Transport and space problems are quickly identified in the 3D view and avoided during implementation. Recreate your factory planning in a time-efficient and live way thanks to the intuitive use of our software!
So that you don't have to decide the arrangement of machines and equipment purely out of your gut, there are a few methods that you can use to plan production facilities. The methods help you achieve the optimum at all stages of expansion — regardless of whether it's new planning or planned layout optimizations of existing halls.
Go through all areas and explain the processes. What processes take place when goods are received? What processes take place in the logistics areas? What space do you need for floor vehicles? In your opinion, where can material flow planning be improved in advance? Where are there too long processing times? Critically question established processes and dare to look closely.
The first step is to create the ideal layout. In terms of ideal planning, you implement the ideal factory plan for you regardless of restrictions (whether financial, personnel or time). In this step, you will identify the maximum potential for your production planning through an unbiased approach to design. During ideal planning, you can also create several variants and test them in the next steps. The ideal layout forms the basis for the real layout, in which an attempt is made to come as close as possible to the ideal idea, taking into account the restrictions.
Once you're happy with the ideal layout, it's about turning the ideal into reality. The real layout forms the basis for implementation planning, taking into account operation-related influencing factors and restrictions. During planning, you gradually go into detail and implement measures from previous analyses. You will probably not be able to implement your ideal plan 1:1. It is therefore best to consider evaluation criteria that will allow you to evaluate the variants of the real layout in order to find the most suitable solution for you. Here too, think of the future: Ideally, ensure that the individual sub-areas allow expansions without much effort for foreseeable long-term growth.
rough layout: The previously identified restrictions and influencing factors are included in the rough planning. You adapt the plans from the ideal layout to the specific structural conditions of your factory. Restrictions within the hall can be caused, for example, by existing gates, ramps, supply facilities or the like. In the case of existing buildings, you restrict the ideal layout more and may be forced to replan entire parts. In the case of a new building, the ideal layout is easier to transfer to the rough layout. When planning a factory, however, take into account the restrictions that may arise as a result of location-specific, legal or country-specific aspects.
Fine layout: In a detailed layout, you work out your ideas and approaches from the rough layout. You go into detail and depict workplaces and machines. In this step, in addition to material flow planning, you should also consider the principles of workplace design. So consider the ergonomic design of the workplaces and think, for example, of noise protection and appropriate lighting — daylight at best — to keep the workload for your employees as low as possible.
Implementation planning: Based on the benefit analysis, you have decided on a variant. To implement your preferred variant, you define a project plan that records the individual action steps in the correct order, including scheduling, responsibilities and budget planning.
Halocline offers you comprehensive software that enables you to determine and visualize the ideal layout plan for you on an intuitive interface. The 3D illustration presents your production structure transparently, so that you can uncover critical points in the material flow, information flow and workplace design while planning and also make it possible for other planning participants to experience in the simulation. You can easily implement layout optimizations directly in the software.
Your benefits at a glance:
In practice, planning the location of production sites is often more tricky than originally thought. In order to eliminate sources of error as much as possible, it is therefore advisable to reproduce the production process as closely as possible and to call in employees from various areas for feedback. For optimal shop floor planning, take into account the space requirements and the various transport relationships between objects, machines and employees.
Expand your options for effective factory design with intuitive layout planning. Regardless of whether you are looking for layout improvements to your existing factory planning or are striving for location planning from scratch — with VR, you benefit from the latest technologies in the area of layout planning!
