Industrial planning | A7010A

The course runs at half speed during the autumn semester, starting at the end of October/November and ending in January, and has its scientific basis in the engineering sciences, with the main points of departure in theories in labor science, industrial production technology, logistics, economics, social planning and industrial planning. The students work, under continuous supervision, in groups of three to four students with a clear or fictitious project at pre-study level. Students gain theoretical and practical knowledge in physical industrial planning and learn iterative work methods for change and new establishment projects. In project form, strategic spatial planning, design and location of industrial operations are practiced from an overall perspective.

Expected result

Participating companies can expect to learn about their own operations together with the students as well as, in the case of a sharp project, proposals for possible location alternatives and proposals for the operations' physical design and plot layout. The project result must be able to form a good basis for any further preliminary planning, which means that the students must present well-designed requirements specifications and elaborate and well-grounded proposals for both location and physical design of the business.

The project is presented orally and in a project report where the results are described in text and in the form of illustrations in various forms, e.g. 3D visualizations.

Implementation

The course is based on lectures, lessons and exercises as well as study visits to industrial companies in parallel with independent project work in groups with teacher guidance. A large part of the data collection to solve the project task takes place by the students themselves contacting relevant industrial companies, authorities and organisations. The project assignment can consist of a clear or fictitious assignment where the students must investigate the conditions for a new establishment of an industrial activity. The assignment includes proposing a suitable physical location as well as designing the business in the form of plot disposition and layouts. The students map and analyze the project company's operations, design requirement specifications for location and operations, carry out a location analysis based on traffic, supply and environmental issues, as well as other community planning, and develop proposals for where the operation can be located and how it can be designed.

Commitment

In case of sharp project:

• A problem situation that the students can have as a basis for designing an assignment description. The assignment description is specified in consultation with the company.
• A contact person at the company who is familiar with the problem and genuinely interested in the assignment.
• Receive visiting students. Roughly expect 2-3 full-day visits from the students.
• Provide relevant documentation for the project, e.g. production data, drawings, etc.
• Set aside time so that the students have access to staff during mapping and concept development. May involve interviewing staff, conducting workshops, etc.
• Participate in meetings when the need arises (can often be solved remotely via Teams/Zoom).
• Respond to inquiries from students via email/phone.

In case of fictitious project:

• Receive the students on a study visit where the activities are described.
• If possible, provide relevant documentation for the project, e.g. production data, drawings, etc.
• Respond to inquiries from students via email/phone.

Example

In recent years, in collaboration with Norrbotten's car dismantling, we have worked with a fictitious project where the students' task was to investigate the conditions for establishing a large-scale car dismantling business within the municipality of Luleå.

Contact

Magnus Stenberg, Lecturer

Phone: +46 (0)920 492062

Email: magnus.stenberg@ltu.se

Organisation: Human Work Sciences, Humans and Technology, Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts

This text is approved 23-02-03 by Magnus Stenberg, course responsible 2023.