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Simulation · Minimal Factory · Ruhr area

Bochum car plant · from sheet metal to the car train

A car plant as a model you can walk through: press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly and test field, plus a plant tour in 16 stops up to the “marriage” and the car train.

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Trailer

Real are location, terrain and surroundings (official NRW elevation data, OpenStreetMap). The halls have been demolished, their position is interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.

On the former plant site in Bochum-Laer, the car plant stands again as a block model: press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly, test field and the ramp where finished cars drive onto the train. Thousands of people work in shifts, robots weld and paint, trucks bring parts. A plant tour flies low through the halls in 16 stops, from the press shop via the “marriage” to the car train.

Five controls steer the plant: investment (one to four lines on the northern area), workforce, supply, quality and market. If more is built than sold, the stockpile in the north-east fills up to the emergency sale at a 40% discount; if parts are missing, assembly stops. You see where it gets tight first, and what an extra line brings without people and parts.

Real are location, terrain and surroundings from official NRW elevation data and OpenStreetMap. The halls have been demolished, their position on the site is interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values, and one working day lasts ten seconds. The page is for museums and exhibitions, schools and universities, industrial heritage and local history.

Factory tour (16 stops)

  1. 01

    Press shop · press line

  2. 02

    Body shop · underbody

  3. 03

    Body shop · side panels and framing

  4. 04

    Body shop · respot, doors, measuring

  5. 05

    Paint shop · dip tanks

  6. 06

    Paint shop · booths

  7. 07

    Assembly · doors off

  8. 08

    Assembly · cockpit

  9. 09

    Assembly · overhead conveyor

  10. 10

    Assembly · marriage

  11. 11

    Assembly · wheels

  12. 12

    Assembly · seats and glass

  13. 13

    Assembly · filling

  14. 14

    Assembly · first start

  15. 15

    Test area

  16. 16

    Shipping · car train

A site at work

01

A site at work

Bochum car plant: On the former plant site in Bochum-Laer the car plant stands again: press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly, test field and the ramp to the car train.

Press shop

02

Press shop

Press shop – Steel coils are cut into blanks; five presses form floor, side panels, roof, doors and bonnets – panel sets for the body shop.

What is shown – why – for whom

Ce qui est montré Pourquoi Pour qui
Press shop with five presses for floor, side walls, roof, doors and bonnets PourquoiShows how steel coils become the sheet sets for the body shop. Pour quimuseum, teaching
Body shop with welding robots PourquoiShows how the body shell grows from floor, side panels, roof and doors, with around 5,000 spot welds per car. Pour quiteaching, history of technology
Paint shop with dip tank, filler, colour, clear coat and dryer PourquoiShows how a car is protected against rust and painted. Pour quimuseum, teaching
Assembly with overhead conveyor, marriage and test field with roller test bench PourquoiShows when the drivetrain comes into the body from below and how every car is checked. Pour quimuseum, exhibition
Finished-car lot, ramp and car train with eight cars per double-deck wagon PourquoiShows how the finished cars leave the plant. Pour quiteaching, industrial heritage
Parts store, gate, car parks and canteen PourquoiShows that a car plant was also a place for thousands of people. Pour quilocal history, exhibition
Five controls with output, stockpile and daily result PourquoiShows connections in operations, not operating figures. Pour quieconomics teaching
Body shop · respot, doors, measuring

03

Body shop · respot, doors, measuring

Body shop · respot, doors, measuring – Thousands of spot welds make the body rigid. Then doors and hoods are fitted, and in the measuring frame lasers check that everything sits to the millimetre.

Five levers, one works

04

Five levers, one works

Full investment – four lines: further line halls on the north site with body shop, paint, assembly and testing.

Films from the model

  • Above Bochum car plant

    A flight across the whole site: low approach, the production line, then across the works to the long shot – everything moving, with the sound of the works.

  • Through the halls

    The factory tour glides low through the halls: from the press shop through body shop and paint shop to the marriage, the test field and the car train.

  • A working day in time-lapse

    In time-lapse working days pass in seconds: shifts at the gate, traffic on the supply and dispatch routes, the stockpile (yard of finished vehicles) changing along.

  • A works grows

    Investment step by step: new lines appear, the workforce grows with them, then more supply and a boom in the market.

  • Bottleneck – the works respond

    First materials run short and the plant only runs in part, then the market takes too little and the stockpile fills up – in the boom the works recover.

  • Using the software

    With the full interface: the works with five levers, slump and boom, one hall and the factory tour through the halls.

Facilities and areas in the model

  • Press shop

    Steel coils are cut into blanks; five presses form floor, side panels, roof, doors and bonnets – panel sets for the body shop.

  • Body shop

    Here the body grows: floor, sides, roof, doors. About 5,000 weld spots per car – in 1962 by welders with guns, later by robot arms.

  • Paint shop

    Dip bath against rust, primer, colour, clear coat, oven. From 1984 Bochum was the world’s first plant to paint with water-based paint. Paint robots in the booths.

  • Assembly

    The longest hall: people on the line fit wiring, cockpit, seats and glass. At the “marriage” the drivetrain rises into the body, then the wheels.

  • Test field

    Every car goes onto the roller test: engine, brakes, lights. Whatever is wrong goes to rework.

  • Yard · train

    Finished cars wait on the yard and then drive over the ramp onto the car train – eight per double-deck wagon. When the train is full it leaves.

  • Parts store

    Trucks bring parts for assembly, forklifts or driverless vehicles take them to the line. Without parts, assembly stops.

  • Gate · canteen

    The shifts come through the gate; the workers’ cars fill the car parks. The canteen feeds thousands.

When things get tight

05

When things get tight

Yard of finished vehicles filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.

Medium long shot

06

Medium long shot

Medium long shot – the production line: robots weld, car bodies move through the halls.

Processes in the model

Factory tour (16 stops)

  1. 01Press shop · press line
  2. 02Body shop · underbody
  3. 03Body shop · side panels and framing
  4. 04Body shop · respot, doors, measuring
  5. 05Paint shop · dip tanks
  6. 06Paint shop · booths
  7. 07Assembly · doors off
  8. 08Assembly · cockpit
  9. 09Assembly · overhead conveyor
  10. 10Assembly · marriage
  11. 11Assembly · wheels
  12. 12Assembly · seats and glass
  13. 13Assembly · filling
  14. 14Assembly · first start
  15. 15Test area
  16. 16Shipping · car train

From sheet metal to the car

  1. 01Press shop
  2. 02Body shop
  3. 03Paint shop
  4. 04Assembly
  5. 05Test field
  6. 06Yard · train

Expansion

  1. 01investment: further line halls on the north site
  2. 02body shop, paint, assembly and testing on each line
  3. 03set the workforce to match
  4. 04the yard in the north-east shows what is not sold

Bottleneck and recovery

  1. 01supply short – the store empties
  2. 02materials missing – the plants only run in part
  3. 03market in a slump – the stockpile grows until the fire sale
  4. 04boom – the stockpile empties, the result rises

What the model can be used for

  • Museum and exhibition

    The plant tour shows the whole way in 16 stops: press line, underbody, dip tanks, booths, cockpit, marriage, wheels and finally the car train. Each stop comes with one sentence.

    Pour quimuseums, visitor centres, exhibitions

  • School and university

    How does a coil become a car? Press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly and test field follow in the order the car passes through them. Terms like body shell, dip-coat paint and roller test bench sit where they belong.

    Pour quischools, universities, vocational training

  • Industrial heritage and local history

    The plant stands again on the site in Bochum-Laer, halls and surroundings where they used to be. You see how shifts, the gate, car parks and the car train shaped the district.

    Pour quiindustrial heritage, city marketing, local history societies

  • Understanding operations

    Investment, workforce, supply, quality and market act at once on output, stockpile and result. It becomes visible why a fourth line without parts and sales costs money, and what a full finished-car lot has to do with the car train.

    Pour quieconomics teaching, further training

Body shop · side panels and framing

07

Body shop · side panels and framing

Body shop · side panels and framing – The side panels glide in from north and south. In the framing gate, floor, sides and roof are clamped into shape and tack-welded – from here on it is a body.

The whole software

08

The whole software

Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.

What you can change

Controls

  • Investment: Number of lines (1 to 4): more money builds more, less shuts them down; without more people they only run in part.
  • Workforce: Enough people for all lines – output rises, and so does success. Too many people cost wages without more output.
  • Supply: More material arrives – the plant no longer has to wait. Levels short, normal and double; supply security costs money.
  • Quality: More quality means less scrap and fewer breakdowns but costs testing and maintenance (levels low, normal, high).
  • Market: Slump, normal or boom. In a slump more is made than sold: the stockpile grows and success drops. In a boom the market takes more: the stockpile empties and success rises.

Disruptions

  • Too few people: Workers are missing, part of the plant stands still.
  • Material missing: Supply is not enough; once the store is empty the plants only run in part (message: “Parts store empty – supply is short”).
  • Too much built: More is made than the market takes: the stockpile grows; when it is full the surplus goes at a 40 % discount (message: “Stockpile full – fire sale at a discount”).
  • Market wants more: Demand is greater than the works can make; once the stockpile is empty orders are lost (message: “Stockpile empty – orders are lost”).
  • Bottleneck: Assembly: Parts missing – more parts trucks.
  • Bottleneck: Yard full: The car train is away.

What the model brings

  • 01

    The real terrain as a stage

    Plant, tracks and surroundings stand on terrain from official elevation data. You show the site as it lies, not as a diagram.

  • 02

    A plant tour through the hall

    In 16 stops the tour flies low through the halls. You understand the sequence before you steer the plant yourself.

  • 03

    Bottlenecks without damage

    Parts run short, the finished-car lot is full, the car train is on its way. You see where it gets tight first, and set it back.

  • 04

    For big screens and the browser

    Runs in the browser and on large projections. A working day in fast motion lasts ten seconds.

  • Autowerk Bochum: Auf dem früheren Werksgelände in Bochum-Laer steht das Autowerk wieder: Presswerk, Rohbau, Lackiererei, Montage, Prüffeld und die Rampe zum Autozug.
    Bochum car plant: On the former plant site in Bochum-Laer the car plant stands again: press shop, body shop, paint shop, assembly, test field and the ramp to the car train.
  • Autowerk Bochum von der anderen Seite – derselbe Ort in der Nachmittagssonne aus Südwesten, mit langen Schatten der Hallen und Gerüste.
    Bochum car plant from the other side – the same site in the afternoon sun from the south-west, with long shadows of halls and structures.
  • Halbtotale – die Fertigungsstraße: Roboter schweißen, Karossen ziehen durch die Hallen.
    Medium long shot – the production line: robots weld, car bodies move through the halls.
  • Weit draußen bei Bochum-Laer – Gelände, Häuser und Bäume stammen aus amtlichen Höhendaten, am Rand läuft die Welt weich ins Dunkel aus.
    Far out near Bochum-Laer – terrain, houses and trees come from official elevation data; at the edge the world fades softly into the dark.
  • Von oben – Autowerk Bochum als Modell aus Quadern: jede Zelle ein Quader, Gebäude und Gelände nach Höhendaten und OpenStreetMap.
    From above – Bochum car plant as a model of blocks: every cell a block, buildings and terrain from elevation data and OpenStreetMap.
  • Autowerk Bochum schräg von oben – Presswerk, Rohbau, Lackiererei, Montage, Prüffeld, Fertigplatz · Zug auf einen Blick.
    Bochum car plant from above at an angle – Press shop, Body shop, Paint shop, Assembly, Test field, Yard · train at a glance.
  • Rundherum Bochum-Laer: Straßen, Gleise und Wasser aus OpenStreetMap, Häuser und Bäume aus den Höhendaten – nur die Anlage in der Mitte ist eigens gebaut.
    All around Bochum-Laer: streets, tracks and water from OpenStreetMap, houses and trees from the elevation data – only the plant in the middle is built specially.
  • Auf Augenhöhe – die Fertigungsstraße, so nah wie vom Zaun aus.
    At eye level – the production line, as close as from the fence.
  • Presswerk – Coils aus Stahl werden zu Blechen geschnitten; fünf Pressen formen daraus Boden, Seitenwände, Dach, Türen und Hauben – Blechsätze für den Rohbau.
    Press shop – Steel coils are cut into blanks; five presses form floor, side panels, roof, doors and bonnets – panel sets for the body shop.
  • Rohbau – Hier wächst die Karosse: Boden, Seitenteile, Dach, Türen. Rund 5.000 Schweißpunkte je Auto – 1962 von Schweißern mit Zangen, später von Roboterarmen.
    Body shop – Here the body grows: floor, sides, roof, doors. About 5,000 weld spots per car – in 1962 by welders with guns, later by robot arms.
  • Lackiererei – Tauchbad gegen Rost, Füller, Farbe, Klarlack, Trockner. Ab 1984 lackierte Bochum als erstes Werk der Welt mit Wasserlack. Lackroboter in den Kabinen.
    Paint shop – Dip bath against rust, primer, colour, clear coat, oven. From 1984 Bochum was the world’s first plant to paint with water-based paint. Paint robots in the booths.
  • Montage – Die längste Halle: Leute am Band bauen Kabelbaum, Cockpit, Sitze und Scheiben ein. Bei der „Hochzeit“ kommt der Antrieb von unten in die Karosse, dann die Räder.
    Assembly – The longest hall: people on the line fit wiring, cockpit, seats and glass. At the “marriage” the drivetrain rises into the body, then the wheels.
  • Prüffeld – Jedes Auto fährt auf den Rollenprüfstand: Motor, Bremsen, Licht. Was nicht stimmt, geht in die Nacharbeit.
    Test field – Every car goes onto the roller test: engine, brakes, lights. Whatever is wrong goes to rework.
  • Fertigplatz · Zug – Fertige Autos warten auf dem Platz und fahren dann über die Rampe auf den Autozug – acht je Doppelstockwagen. Ist der Zug voll, fährt er ab.
    Yard · train – Finished cars wait on the yard and then drive over the ramp onto the car train – eight per double-deck wagon. When the train is full it leaves.
  • Teilelager – Lkw bringen Teile für die Montage, Stapler oder fahrerlose Fahrzeuge fahren sie ans Band. Fehlen Teile, steht die Montage.
    Parts store – Trucks bring parts for assembly, forklifts or driverless vehicles take them to the line. Without parts, assembly stops.
  • Tor · Kantine – Durch das Tor kommen die Schichten; auf den Parkplätzen stehen die Autos der Belegschaft. Die Kantine versorgt Tausende.
    Gate · canteen – The shifts come through the gate; the workers’ cars fill the car parks. The canteen feeds thousands.
  • Rohbau nah – Roboter schweißen, Karossen ziehen durch die Hallen.
    Body shop close up – robots weld, car bodies move through the halls.
  • Montage nah – Leute am Band, die Karossen ziehen im Takt weiter.
    Assembly close up – people on the line, the bodies move on in rhythm.
  • Presswerk · Pressenstraße – Vom Coil zur Platine, dann durch fünf Pressen hintereinander: Jede gibt dem Blech ein Stück mehr Form – Boden, Seitenwand, Dach, Tür. Der Hallenkran wechselt die schweren Werkzeuge.
    Press shop · press line – From coil to blank, then through five presses in a row: each gives the sheet a little more shape – floor, side panel, roof, door. The overhead crane changes the heavy dies.
  • Rohbau · Seitenwände und Framing – Von Nord und Süd schweben die Seitenwände heran. Im Portal werden Boden, Seitenwände und Dach in Form gespannt und geheftet – ab hier ist es eine Karosse.
    Body shop · side panels and framing – The side panels glide in from north and south. In the framing gate, floor, sides and roof are clamped into shape and tack-welded – from here on it is a body.
  • Rohbau · Ausschweißen, Türen, Messen – Tausende Schweißpunkte machen die Karosse fest. Dann kommen Türen und Hauben dran, und im Messrahmen prüfen Laser, ob alles auf den Millimeter sitzt.
    Body shop · respot, doors, measuring – Thousands of spot welds make the body rigid. Then doors and hoods are fitted, and in the measuring frame lasers check that everything sits to the millimetre.
  • Lackiererei · Tauchbäder – Am Pendelförderer taucht die Karosse in drei Becken: entfetten, phosphatieren, dann der Tauchlack (KTL), der sie innen und außen gegen Rost schützt. Danach geht es in den Ofen.
    Paint shop · dip tanks – Hanging from the pendulum conveyor, the body dips into three tanks: degreasing, phosphating, then the electro-coat that protects it against rust inside and out. Then into the oven.
  • Montage · Cockpit – Ein Hebegerät schwenkt das fertige Cockpit – Armaturenbrett mit Lenkung, Instrumenten und Lüftung – durch die Türöffnung ins Auto. Zwei Leute schrauben es fest.
    Assembly · cockpit – A lifting device swings the complete cockpit – dashboard with steering, instruments and ventilation – through the door opening into the car. Two people bolt it in.
  • Montage · Hochzeit – Der wichtigste Moment: Motor, Getriebe und Achsen kommen auf einem Hubtisch von unten, die Karosse senkt sich darauf. In der Fabrik heißt das „Hochzeit“.
    Assembly · marriage – The key moment: engine, gearbox and axles rise on a lift table from below and the body is lowered onto them. In the factory this is called the “marriage”.
  • Prüffeld – Spur und Scheinwerfer einstellen, auf dem Rollenprüfstand Gas geben und bremsen, in der Regenkabine auf Dichtheit prüfen, im Lichttunnel den Lack ansehen. Was nicht stimmt, geht in die Nacharbeit.
    Test area – Set the wheel alignment and headlights, accelerate and brake on the rolling road, check for leaks in the rain booth, inspect the paint in the light tunnel. Anything wrong goes to rework.
  • Versand · Autozug – Fertige Autos warten auf dem Platz, dann fahren sie über die Rampe auf den Doppelstock-Autozug. Ist er voll, fährt er ab.
    Shipping · car train – Finished cars wait on the yard, then drive over the ramp onto the double-deck car train. When it is full, it leaves.
  • Investition klein – nur Linie 1 läuft, die übrigen Plätze liegen als Fundament mit Markierung da.
    Small investment – only line 1 runs, the other plots lie ready as marked foundations.
  • Investition voll – vier Linien: weitere Linienhallen auf der Nordfläche mit Rohbau, Lack, Montage und Prüfung.
    Full investment – four lines: further line halls on the north site with body shop, paint, assembly and testing.
  • Jede Anlage beschriftet – die Hallen von der Anlieferung bis zum Versand; oben der Werktag mit der Menge je Tag, rechts der Erfolg in einer Zahl.
    Every facility labelled – the halls from delivery to dispatch; at the top the working day with the daily output, on the right success in one number.
  • Die Fertigungsstraße beschriftet – Name und Nummer stehen direkt im Bild.
    The production line labelled – name and number right in the picture.
  • Erfolg in einer Zahl – 100 heißt: besser geht es bei diesem Markt nicht; darunter das Ergebnis je Tag, oben die Menge je Werktag.
    Success in one number – 100 means it cannot get better in this market; below it the result per day, at the top the output per working day.
  • Wo ein Regler wirkt, leuchtet ein Ring – hier nach einem Wechsel am Markt: Fertigplatz · Zug.
    Where a lever acts, a ring lights up – here after a change in the market: Yard · train.
  • Material fehlt – die Zulieferung ist knapp, das Lager leer: die Montage wird gebremst, Karossen stauen sich.
    Materials missing – supply is short, the store is empty: assembly slows down and bodies back up.
  • Halde der fertigen Fahrzeuge läuft voll – es entsteht mehr, als verkauft wird; ist kein Platz mehr, geht der Überschuss mit 40 % Abschlag weg.
    Yard of finished vehicles filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.
  • Zu wenig Leute – die Belegschaft reicht nicht für alle Linien, ein Teil der Anlage steht.
    Too few people – the workforce is not enough for all lines, part of the plant stands still.
  • Die ganze Software – oben der Werktag mit Uhr und Menge, rechts der Erfolg in einer Zahl, unten die Kacheln für Werk und Anlagen.
    The whole software – at the top the working day with clock and output, on the right success in one number, below the tiles for works and facilities.
  • Werk steuern – fünf Regler: Investition, Belegschaft, Zulieferung, Qualität und Markt; die Kette zeigt sofort, was daraus wird.
    Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.
  • Ein Regler, sofort sichtbar – Markt auf Flaute: die Lage oben erklärt den Engpass, die Halde wächst, das Ergebnis je Tag sinkt.
    One lever, visible at once – market set to slump: the status line explains the bottleneck, the stockpile grows, the daily result drops.
  • Karte einer Halle – Rohbau: was dort ist, wie viele Leute dort arbeiten und die Leistung der Halle.
    Hall card – Body shop: what is there, how many people work there and the hall’s output.
  • Karte der Montage – die längste Halle, Leute am Band und die Leistung im Takt.
    Assembly card – the longest hall, people on the line and output in rhythm.
  • Werksführung – Halt 10 von 16: Montage · Hochzeit; die Kamera fährt flach durch die Hallen, je Halt ein Satz.
    Factory tour – stop 10 of 16: Assembly · marriage; the camera glides low through the halls, one sentence per stop.
  • Karte Fertigplatz · Zug – fertige Fahrzeuge warten, bis der Autozug voll ist.
    Yard · train card – finished vehicles wait until the car train is full.
  • Engpass in Orange – die Zulieferung reicht nicht: Zeile oben und Lage im Werk sagen in einem Satz, was fehlt.
    Bottleneck in orange – supply is not enough: the line at the top and the works status say in one sentence what is missing.
  • Das Menü – Übersicht und Anlage, Schnitt, neu beginnen, Vorführung, Ton und andere Orte, darunter die Bedienung mit Maus, Finger und Tastatur.
    The menu – overview and plant, cutaway, restart, demo, sound and other sites, below the controls for mouse, touch and keyboard.
  • Sechzehn echte Orte – Hochöfen, Zechen, Autowerke, Häfen und eine Werft, jeder dort, wo er wirklich steht.
    Sixteen real sites – blast furnaces, collieries, car plants, harbours and a shipyard, each where it really stands.

Your site as a model

Would you like to show your plant, your museum or your industrial site like this? Write to us or call. We will send you the password for starting it on request.

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Minimal Factory: Autowerk Bochum · vom Blech zum Autozug

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Basis and limits

Real are the location, terrain and buildings in Bochum-Laer (official NRW elevation data and OpenStreetMap). The plant in the middle is our own simplified interpretation: quantities, processes, times and prices are model assumptions; the economy runs in time-lapse (10 seconds are one working day). Not a simulation of real operations and no cooperation with the site.

Public sources the model is based on:

  • Wikipedia (German), article on the site
  • Geobasis NRW: digital surface and terrain models DOM1/DGM1 (Data licence Germany – Zero – 2.0)
  • OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): streets, tracks, water, land use

More places in the model

← Minimal Factory

Real are location, terrain and surroundings (official NRW elevation data, OpenStreetMap). The halls have been demolished, their position is interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.