In brief
Factory area planning links the production programme, process hours, equipment, labour, storage and traffic to transparent space requirements. Production, storage, traffic, technical, safety and expansion areas are reported separately.
What does factory area planning cover?
Factory area planning records existing areas by function, analyses their use and derives target areas from the future production and logistics programme. It is closely linked to layout and material flow planning: a sufficient numerical area may still be unusable if its geometry, column grid, clear height or traffic relationships do not fit.
VDI 3644:2010-08 links programme, area, hours, labour and resources. The current DIN 277:2021-08 provides the building-area terminology; older classifications should not be carried forward without review.
Report area components separately
| Area component | Typical content | Why separate it? |
|---|---|---|
| Production and work area | Equipment, workplaces, operating and maintenance zones | Direct link to technology and capacity |
| Storage and buffer area | Inventory, load carriers, staging | Depends on coverage, inventory and storage technology |
| Traffic and transfer area | Vehicle routes, walkways, crossings, handovers | Results from material flow and safety design |
| Technical and ancillary area | Utilities, supply, disposal and social functions | Only partly dependent on production volume |
| Expansion reserve | Defined growth or conversion area | Must not disappear into an invisible blanket allowance |
From current state to target area
- Set a reference year: use a consistent twelve-month basis and flag exceptional conditions.
- Create functional areas: use planning units rather than copying the cost-centre structure.
- Record current areas: document area, machines, workplaces, staff, hours and utilisation together.
- Adjust the baseline: identify vacancies, temporary solutions, overcrowding and obsolete structures.
- Project the volume basis: translate products, volumes, shifts, technology and automation into scenarios.
- Calculate target areas: distinguish fixed areas from scalable areas.
- Check geometry: transfer numerical demand into functional diagrams and layout alternatives.
Use space metrics correctly
Space metrics help plausibility checks and early scenarios, but do not replace technical sizing. A square-metre value per machine, workplace or production hour is transferable only when product, technology, shift model, automation and area definition are comparable.
Fixed areas such as central utility rooms respond differently to growth than machine or storage areas. Separating them prevents a linear projection from systematically oversizing or undersizing the factory.
Brownfield considerations
In an existing facility, target area and usable geometry must be distinguished. Columns, escape doors, floor loads, utilities, heights, fire protection and construction phases may limit use. Temporary relocation and interim areas can determine the implementation plan even though they disappear from the final layout.
Technical basis
- VDI 3644:2010-08, analysis and planning of operational areas.
- DIN 277:2021-08, areas and volumes in building construction.
- VDI 5200 Part 1:2011-02, factory-planning procedure.
For application, see factory planning, warehouse planning and dimensioning.