Success Story in Mechanical and Plant Engineering: HOMAG optimizes assembly space and plans ahead with AREAPLAN

HOMAG transforms assembly space planning with AREAPLAN

As a global leader in woodworking machinery, HOMAG Group AG faces the complex challenge of managing high and fluctuating space demands during the assembly of its specialized machines. At its Holzbronn site alone, HOMAG produces around 650 machines annually – ranging from standard panel saws to custom-built solutions for the furniture industry. Each machine requires a unique footprint, and with limited floor space, efficient planning is critical to avoid bottlenecks and delays. To address these challenges, HOMAG turned to AREAPLAN, our advanced assembly space planning software. By replacing manual, Excel-based planning with a digital solution, HOMAG has significantly improved the efficiency, transparency, and accuracy of its assembly space planning across multiple sites.

Key Highlights

Initial situation:

• High and fluctuating space demands in final assembly across a 6,000 m² production area
• Manual space planning in Excel led to various challenges, including the upkeep of machine data

Project features:

• Implementation completed in just four months
• Manual data transfer from SAP to Excel and then to AREAPLAN will soon be replaced by automated integration via iTAC Software AG’s MES/MOM system
• The Holzbronn site now uses AREAPLAN exclusively for assembly space planning, with other locations set to follow

Benefits of assembly space planning:

• More efficient use of available space by interleaving different machine layouts
• Improved forecasting and planning accuracy
• Faster, more transparent rescheduling
• Significantly enhanced data quality
• Meeting high and changing space demands

High and variable space requirements

HOMAG Plattenaufteiltechnik GmbH in Holzbronn, part of the HOMAG Group and a subsidiary of the Dürr Group, specializes in panel saws for the furniture industry – from standard to custom machines. These machines require varying amounts of space during assembly.

“We build around 650 machines a year at the Holzbronn site, which means our space requirements in assembly are both high and constantly changing. Even a small machine can be five to six meters wide and four to five meters long. That makes precise planning essential. Previously, we used Excel for space planning, which caused a number of issues,” explains Matthias Heldmayer, Assembly Manager at HOMAG Plattenaufteiltechnik GmbH.

Moving beyond inefficient Excel planning

Excel’s limited functionality made it difficult to manage complex assembly layouts. Space was divided into fixed squares, which didn’t reflect the actual machine configurations. Data had to be entered and updated manually – an error-prone and time-consuming process.

This lack of transparency often led to confusion:
“Is the machine still there, or has it already been dismantled? When is it scheduled for removal? Is another machine supposed to take its place – and now needs to be rescheduled because the space is still occupied? These were the kinds of questions we faced regularly,” says Matthias Heldmayer.

Simplifying complexity with AREAPLAN

AREAPLAN streamlines the entire planning process – from importing order lists and creating projects to scheduling machines on the assembly floor. It enables more efficient use of space by allowing machines to be arranged based on their actual layout.

Currently, order data is exported from SAP to Excel and then imported into AREAPLAN. The software automatically detects changes – such as time shifts – and updates scheduled projects accordingly. In the future, this process will be fully automated via iTAC’s MES/MOM system, ensuring AREAPLAN always works with the latest data. Planned hall layouts will also be fed back into SAP.

“The benefits were clear almost immediately. AREAPLAN is now a core part of our assembly planning. What used to be based on gut feeling is now backed by accurate forecasting,” says Matthias Heldmayer.

He add: “We can now reschedule quickly and transparently if a part is delayed. Data quality has improved significantly, and we’re better equipped to plan future machine setups.”

An assembly planning tool that looks ahead

The project launched in 2022 at the Holzbronn site. After just four months, final assembly planning -covering 6,000 m² – is now handled entirely with AREAPLAN. Other HOMAG sites are preparing to adopt the tool as well.

With AREAPLAN, HOMAG has taken a major step toward more efficient, forward-thinking planning. Continuously adapted to meet the evolving needs of each site, the tool reduces manual effort and increases overall planning reliability.

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