SAINT GOBAIN Brüggemann Holzbau commissioned a continuous assembly line for its new modular timber construction plant in Neuenkirchen, Germany. Since October 2023, prefabricated building modules have been moved from one assembly station to the next on application-specific LOXrail trolleys. Our floor-level rail transport system with five tracks spans two production halls.
Capacity boost by 1800 modules
Brüggemann increased its production area by about 6.000 m2 by taking over an existing production hall and adding another one next to it. The plant expansion adds a capacity of up to 1800 timber construction modules per year, targeting, for example, schools, daycare centers, student dormitories and residential buildings throughout Germany.
Project highlights:
- Five-track assembly line based on LOXrail25
- Floor-level rail installation across 141.5 meters
- 100 low-height transport trolleys, each with a payload capacity of 5 tons
Parallel precision
Five parallel LOXrail tracks with a 25-mm shaft diameter serve as the transport medium for the assembly line. The project, which was carried out in two stages, proceeded quickly and without complications. First, we installed 84.5 meters of LOXrail tracks in the floor of the brand-new hall. After the existing hall had been cleared, the line could be extended there. Employing laser-based ground surveying and special mounting devices, we achieved exact track widths with minimum tolerances of ±0.5 mm across the full line distance of 141.5 meters. Since the rail tracks are flush with the floor, they do not pose an obstacle for employees or industrial trucks. At the end of the assembly line, an overhead crane picks up the construction modules for loading and shipping.
Productivity boost without auxiliary drive
Each of the construction modules, which weigh up to 20 tons, sits on four LOXrail trolleys and is simply moved by hand through the various assembly stations, without any auxiliary drive. We customized 100 transport trolleys based on our EcoLine. Their low-height design enables unhindered accessibility for all production steps – from the construction of the outer shell with insulation, windows and façade cladding to the interior fittings with electrical and sanitary installations, building services, floors, doors and paintwork. Wheels and handles at the sides of the transport trolleys are provided for manual return to the start of the line, saving the use of additional conveyors.
This is what the user says:
“The entire project went very smoothly, from the initial contact and meeting, including a factory tour at LOSYCO, to the final order negotiation and subsequent project implementation. Our experiences with the LOXrail system have been very good so far. We have completed the first construction projects in the new production line. The renovation of the existing hall has also been completed by now, so that we can use the full line length for our next projects, which will be modular construction for school and office buildings.”
Tobias Brüggemann, Managing Director at SAINT-GOBAIN Brüggemann Holzbau GmbH
The full application story has been published in German in the trade journal bmH bauen mit Holz, issue 5/2024.