Agricultural machinery manufacturer LEMKEN uses simulation for plant design
LEMKEN is an international manufacturer of agricultural equipment for soil preparation, sowing and crop protection. The family-run company employs more than 1,100 people worldwide.
Initial situation: New sandblasting plant to be integrated into the existing system
LEMKEN was planning a new sandblasting plant and wanted to use SimPlan to simulate and validate its integration into the existing production system. At the same time, several layout alternatives were to be evaluated.
Objective: Increase production volume, optimise wind-down and start-up
The aim was to integrate the new plant efficiently whilst increasing the overall production volume. To this end, different layout variants and strategies were to be examined to ensure an optimal production wind-down at the end of the week and a smooth start-up at the beginning of the following production period. Additionally, the focus was on the use of the loading and unloading stations: which products should be loaded and unloaded at which stations, whether buffer spaces in front of a station would improve its loading capacity, and whether the higher volume of units would necessitate an additional loading station.
Solution: Power & Free modules in Plant Simulation
SimPlan used Plant Simulation for the simulation, utilising Power & Free modules in version 10.1. Licence-free Pack&Go models were employed, which were designed to be user-friendly with buttons and drop-down lists.
Results: Optimal layout alternative and number of trolleys determined
The simulation identified the optimal layout alternative and the expected throughput. In addition, the appropriate number of trolleys was defined, and it was determined whether further loading and unloading stations would be required.
Simulation as the basis for the layout decision at LEMKEN
The case study demonstrates how LEMKEN was able to use a simulation to objectively compare several layout variants for a new plant and to validate the capacity planning for loading and unloading stations.
