Thomas Weber 
You know this situation? The production area is running out of space; an extension has already been under discussion. Now the order situation is very good and the management asked you to elaborate a concept as quickly as possible. Preliminary considerations make already clear that the new factory hall is to be performed in system … Read more
What is the benefit of having our whole factory layout in 3D? No-one will ask that question in such simple terms. But there are indeed many simple questions which float around in the mind; especially if you are responsible for the assessment of investments in digital factory planning. But is the question perhaps already obsolete? … Read more
When it comes to material flow analyses, many people immediately think of Sankey charts or factory layouts with material flow arrows. Such kinds of representations give a good overview as to where and in which intensity the material flows. However, often the question arises where it is most effectively to start optimizing the material flows. … Read more
In the fall semester 2019/20, several groups of master students of the Engineering and Management Department (09) of the Munich University of Applied Sciences were faced with the task to plan new assembly lines and factory sections, with weighing up different alternatives for action. Part of the task set by teacher Prof. Dr. Spitznagel was … Read more
Factory design from value stream to layout. Sounds logical and is logical. Central idea is the so-called line back principle. It comprises designing the factory layout inside-out. Or put another way: The factory planning is to be developed starting from the center of value creation towards auxiliary facilities. What is the problem? If this concept … Read more
Any manager would no doubt agree that optimized use of the available production and logistics areas is a key goal of factory planning. After all, floor space is a limited resource. Where optimization is on the agenda, value adding and waste are shifted into the focus of attention. But how can these factors be determined … Read more
Spaghetti diagrams have proven themselves under the aspect of “Lean Production”; the approach opens up optimization approaches very quickly, even in the digital world.