Digital Factory Planning TU Braunschweig

At the end of 2017, the Institute for Factory Management and Corporate Research (IFU) at the Technical University of Braunschweig commissioned the company Garamantis to develop innovative factory planning software. The software was to be based on multi-touch and virtual reality technology and enable intuitive planning. Garamantis presented a beta version to the public just a few weeks after the start of the project. In June 2018, the company handed over the final version to TU Braunschweig and has been continuously developing it ever since.

Collaborative planning of a factory on a multi-touch table

With the new software, IFU has created a unique tool for practical factory planning. Several planners can work simultaneously on a 65-inch ultra-HD multi-touch table. They place machines and configure production halls in real time to arrive at the optimum solution as quickly as possible. When they place capacitive markers on the table surface, the machines appear as 3D models in the virtual factory design. These markers are flexible: the planner selects the appropriate machine type from a displayed list and adapts it directly.

Optimised planning thanks to intelligent software

Once the planners have positioned the machines as 3D models, the software immediately offers useful tips and suggestions for improvement. For example, it provides information on safety clearances, fire protection and health and safety regulations. All regulations and content are stored in a central web-based content management system. This ensures that the design is compliant.

In the next step, the planners link the machines together and create material flows using touch gestures. The software helps to maximise material throughput and identify potential bottlenecks at an early stage. If the flow of material through a machine comes to a standstill, the software suggests integrating another machine of the same type to optimise throughput. Factory planning is not considered complete until all the software’s instructions and messages have been taken into account.

Integration of aisles and forklift routes

Routes and aisles for forklifts can also be added using intuitive touch gestures. As Garamantis has developed the software as a multi-user application, several planners can work at the same table without getting in each other’s way.

External visualisation and real-time performance data

The scheduling software has interfaces for external visualisation. For example, performance data can be displayed in real time on an additional screen to reflect the current status of the design. This data includes power consumption, noise emissions, total load and material throughput of the scheduled machines.

Real-time virtual reality link for immersive planning

To make planning as realistic as possible, the software offers a direct link to virtual reality technology. A planner can enter the planned factory with VR glasses and move freely in the virtual environment. They can make live adjustments or operate simple tools as if they were at a workbench.

Successful cooperation between IFU and Garamantis

The successful collaboration between IFU and Garamantis shows how the combination of expertise in factory design and technical know-how in software development creates a practical and powerful tool that takes factory design to a new level.