An international automotive supplier in the e-mobility sector planned the development of a new production facility for battery housings in Germany. The objective was to design a highly automated site that could accommodate future volume growth while ensuring efficient, disruption-free production supply and reliable delivery capability.

The client required a fully scalable factory structure with clearly defined material flows, automation strategies, and investment transparency. The project’s complexity called for a planning approach that combined technical feasibility with data-driven validation.

Miebach was responsible for the overall structural planning of the site, including layout design, intralogistics, and automation strategy. A key innovation was the use of simulation-driven planning methodology, which allowed all logistics and production processes to be modeled in a virtual environment.

Based on a volume model developed by Miebach for the planned peak year, space requirements, process logic, throughput rates, transport frequencies, batch sizes and peak loads were visualized and evaluated in detail.

The result was an integrated intralogistic and production concept covering inbound processes, warehouse design, production supply, and automated transport systems. An AGV solution for both large and small load carriers was embedded into the layout, complemented by strategically placed decoupling buffers to prevent process bottlenecks.

Fig. 1: Smart Greenfield Factory Planning

Through simulation-based validation, critical interfaces were identified early, multiple layout variants were compared, and a reliable implementation strategy was defined to guide investment planning.

Simulation-based factory planning enabled a robust design of all logistics-related processes. More than ten potential bottlenecks were identified and eliminated before construction began.

The developed layout ensures a scalable, fully automated supply to production with high operational reliability. The use of simulation technology enabled the automotive supplier to make informed decisions based on realistic process behavior and provided full transparency regarding space utilization, resource efficiency, and automation potential.

The early integration of layout, technology, logistics flow, and investment strategy accelerated implementation and established a reliable foundation for the site's realization and ramp-up.