Development of a holistic, scalable factory concept for industrial housing manufacturing
Challenge
No existing blueprint for automated series production of housing modules
The client ADMARES solves challenges in the construction industry by replacing traditional construction sites with the production of industrialized and digitized housing. With a background in efficient shipbuilding and the process-oriented offshore industry, they have been working since 2018 to develop the first automated and robotic factory to produce fully equipped buildings under controlled conditions without relying on traditional skilled labor. EDAG PS was commissioned as general contractor with the detailed factory planning including orderable equipment packages.
To realize this vision, the product needed to be further industrialized, there was no standardized production and logistics solutions, which resulted in the following challenges:
New process development for over 20 production and logistics areas
No suppliers available for holistic, standardized system solutions
Iterative optimization of (production/logistics) concepts based on further product industrialization
Adherence to the budget framework with high agility in terms of process, product and equipment
Vision
Application of innovative planning methods and production processes and their digital validation
With an international project team of 35 people and agile project management, EDAG developed a holistic factory concept. Thanks to close cooperation with the customer and targeted KPI tracking, it was possible to achieve the ambitious project goals in terms of
- Budget
- Schedule
- Quality
can be achieved.
Digital planning and simulation tools are used right from the start to ensure efficiency and interface consistency. In addition, the desired factory output is secured. In close coordination with the customer’s product development department, “simultaneous engineering” ensured that all requirements and changes were taken into account in the overall concept. The early involvement of suppliers and the adaptation of proven manufacturing processes from a wide range of industrial sectors led to the best possible design of the production and logistics processes.
The project can only be implemented successfully if:
- Established project management procedures
- Many years of cross-industry expertise in product and factory development
- Digital twin in the Nvidia Omniverse with interfaces to Plant Simulation and Process Simulate
- Extensive supplier network
Solution
Your business case in safe hands:
Creating trust by proving economic viability and scalability.
As a general contractor, we guarantee a fixed budget and rely on a digital twin of the factory for validation. Standardized supplier management and agile planning methods enable us to manage and optimize complexity. Iterative planning processes and technical expert workshops served as a formula for success for the continuous optimization of key figures. The reduction in production costs and optimized space consumption ensure ROI and create confidence among investors.
Potential investors can experience the factory by visualizing the simulation and planning results in the Omniverse. The (customer) vision became “reality” in the VR glasses at an early planning stage.
The success of the project is essentially expressed:
- Cost-down of the first investment framework by approx. 30 %
- Functional production and logistics concepts secured by suppliers
- Secured production volume based on simulation results
- Value stream optimized space concept
- Resiliently designed logistics processes across the entire supply chain
Challenge
The ideal factory for serial housing manufacturing within the target framework of budget and area
- The ambitious vision of realizing a series production of prefabricated housing results from the high demand for long-term affordable living space.
- The attractive housing prices can only be guaranteed by efficient production.
- As there is no blueprint for this, existing production methods and logistics processes must be adapted to requirements or newly developed.
- Together with a product that is being optimized at the same time, this poses considerable challenges in terms of production and logistics planning.
Serial production from raw material to finished product from a single source
The vision of series production of complete homes in a factory to create affordable living space must be industrialized under defined key figures. There is no blueprint for this anywhere in the world.
Product changes in parallel with the design of new production processes and overall factory development
The objective of creating affordable living space leads to continuous adjustments to the product. It is therefore necessary to take these changes into account in an iterative planning process.
- Ongoing product industrialization
- No standard processes
- system suppliers
- Challenging timeframe and budget constraints
Vision
Agile and digitalized planning methods to master the complexity and maturity of the product
- Application of the EDAG standard planning process as a basis
- Targeted adaptation of the planning modules to the project/product-specific requirements
- Use of digital planning tools right from the start to master the dynamic project environment
- Ongoing and milestone-driven coordination with the customer’s product development department
Digital planning as the key to project success
From a wide range of options for digital planning (central data platform, layout and dynamic simulation).
Thanks to the tools selected in consultation with the customer, it was possible to master complex interfaces in terms of data consistency.
In addition, various scenarios were efficiently analyzed in order to identify the best possible concept variant based on the key figures.
Industrialization expertise combined with product know-how
Thanks to its many years of experience in the modular construction of e.g. ship cabins and hotels, the customer ADMARES has a high level of expertise in the development of visionary product solutions. The experience gained from more than 50 years of engineering and factory planning enables EDAG to optimally integrate new product ideas that are still under development into a factory concept
- Agile project management and customized planning tools
- Data consistency across all interfaces
- Validated concepts through dynamic simulation
- Standardized planning process
- Ongoing coordination between product development and factory planning
Solution
Factory solutions tailored to the customer’s business case
The client’s business plan provides clear guidelines in terms of budget, schedule and quality.
EDAG coordinates the factory concept according to this target triangle and delivers tailor-made solutions.
Budget
The budget is determined, among other things, by the investment in production/logistics equipment, as well as by the space and building infrastructure required.
Over 300 international supplier contacts enabled the budget-optimized validation of the factory concepts.
An optimal material flow ensured by the simulation and guaranteed a space-optimized arrangement of the production/logistics equipment.
Schedule
The overarching schedule resulting from the business case is based on the planned market launch of the product.
In the role of general contractor, EDAG coordinated and harmonized the individual schedules for construction, product and factory planning.
In addition, the equipment suppliers’ schedules were managed to ensure that production could start on time.
A rapid market launch was ensured by consolidating concept and detailed planning. Agile planning and optimized processes are the key to success here.
Quality
The quality of the finished product is significantly influenced by the manufacturing process and logistical handling. It is important to bear in mind that these are essentially large-volume and sensitive parts.
During planning, production methods and logistical processes (transportation, storage, handling, etc.) were designed to meet the product requirements and fulfill criteria such as tolerances, surface quality, drying, finishing, etc.
Suppliers whose equipment meets these criteria were identified as part of the supplier management process.
Further topics in the area of individual production solutions
Development of a holistic, scalable factory concept for industrial housing manufacturing
Production power at its best: flexibility and increased efficiency at Ebusco
