Background

Flender GmbH is a leading manufacturer of gearboxes with production sites worldwide. Flender manufactures the components itself or purchases them. The assembly, testing, and painting steps are always carried out in-house. 

The main assembly plant is located in Vörde. The gearboxes for onshore and offshore wind turbines ("wind gearboxes") are becoming increasingly powerful and heavier (>100t). Some of the existing halls are no longer high enough and do not have sufficient crane capacity. The logistics for the large components are space-consuming and complex.

Flender wants to gear its assembly plant in Vörde towards the new generation of wind turbines. 

Flender commissioned Projektingenieure (PI) to design this restructuring.

Results

• Evaluation of several potential locations for expansion
• Restructuring of the plant
• Production organised according to process steps and weight classes
• Insourcing of the supply of large components
• Extension buildings
  • Production hall for assembly, testing and dispatch (plan)
  • Logistics hall
• Plan for migration during ongoing production

PI services

Factory planning, process planning, logistics planning

Concept design
analogous to VDI 5200, phases 1 to 3

• Capacity requirements, material flows and logistics areas simulated in scenarios
• Potential new locations for expansion visited and evaluated
• Production segments defined: by weight classes, product lines and process steps
• Logistics concept (material flow, staging areas, conveyor systems, storage systems) created
• Layout start and modular extensions created
• Resources (personnel, equipment, buildings, infrastructure) dimensioned
• Investments determined
• Master plan for implementation created

Detailing
analogous to VDI 5200, phases 4 and 5

• Detailed processes and storage technology for the logistics hall
• Budget and schedule for the entire project updated

Topics

Process design: Process cost calculation

Factory planning: Value stream, production segments, material flow, layout, scalability, step-by-step expansion, facilities/infrastructure/buildings, cleanliness, environmental protection

Process planning: Plant engineering, simulation of capacity requirements, automation, interlinking, energy efficiency, IT, control technology, machine and process data acquisition, Industry 4.0

Logistics planning: Material supply strategy by part, simulation of movements/inventories, load carrier design, conveyor technology: Warehouse technology/transport technology, order picking technology, fire protection

Trades

Assembly cells, washing machines, test benches, painting plant, 150-ton gantry cranes, 40-ton semi-gantry cranes, AGVs, heavy-duty transport systems