Holistic optimization of the Koehler Paper production hall at the Oberkirch headquarters
Koehler Paper and airinotec have already cooperated successfully in the past. The current project focuses on the comprehensive optimization of the hall ventilation, with a particular focus on improving the climatic conditions.
Over 200 years of innovation and quality in the paper industry
Koehler Paper is a globally active family business in the paper industry with an impressive 216-year history. The origins of the company lie in a paper mill in Loh, which was acquired by Otto Koehler Paper in 1807 and laid the foundation for today's global company. Despite many changes over the past 216 years, the core areas have remained constant: the production of specialty papers and cardboard using state-of-the-art technology. A total of 2,500 employees work at four locations to produce over 500,000 tons of specialty paper and flexible packaging. For the headquarters in Oberkirch, a comprehensive optimization of the hall ventilation was on the agenda. Due to the excellent cooperation with airinotec in the design and installation of ventilation systems to date, it was decided to tackle this project together as well.
Challenges and initial situation of the project in Oberkirch: Improving production conditions.
The current project focuses on the company's headquarters in Oberkirch. With regard to the initial situation of the project, there are various aspects that were identified as pain points for the customer. The production hall, characterized by repeated expansions, presents itself as a challenge. An outdated structure and a high heat load in the areas relevant to the operating personnel represent a suboptimal working environment. In addition, the building steel in the wet area is affected by the moisture load, while an underbalance in the hall leads to undefined flows and unwanted overflows of cold air into the hall.
Optimization of hall ventilation leads to improved climatic conditions in production.
The task for airinotec includes the holistic optimization of the hall ventilation, with the main focus on creating improved climatic conditions in the relevant areas. This includes not only protecting the building's steel in the wet area through more efficient ventilation of the hall ceiling and the steel girders, but also increasing the supply air volume to compensate for the under-balance in the hall. Koehler Paper was impressed by the detailed concept, which was perfectly tailored to the customer's needs. The services commissioned range from the development of a comprehensive ventilation concept and detailed engineering to the delivery of the required systems. Supervision during installation and final commissioning are also part of airinotec's responsibilities.
Complex conversion of existing buildings with the help of 3D scanners
The special requirements for the project resulted from the complex conversion of the existing building, which required a complex adaptation of the air routing. To make matters worse, only very limited drawings and existing planning documents were available. To close this gap, the entire production hall was scanned in a single day using four 3D scanners. Over 70 scan points were recorded and merged into a comprehensive 3D model. This model served as the basis for the duct engineering and was refined by taking additional measurements on site.
The work was made much easier, as our sales engineer Simon Linhardt reports: “The 3D scan made it possible to create precise detailed engineering for the entire hall, even though the customer had no usable plans and drawings available.”
Efficient implementation with minimal business interruption
The on-site implementation was carried out efficiently and on time by airinotec. The delivery and assembly took place in an optimally utilized 2-shift operation during a planned shutdown, which made it possible to minimize the interruption to operations. The previously created hall scan proved to be crucial for precise planning, as it reduced collisions and thus contributed to time savings in the planning phase. This was particularly important as the lack of drawings and existing constraints required accurate pre-planning.
3D scan also valuable for future conversion measures
The results for the customer are multi-layered. In addition to significantly improving the climatic conditions for the operating personnel and protecting the building's steel from further damage, airinotec created a 3D model of the entire production hall. This model not only forms the basis for the current conversion project, but can also be used for future conversion measures for other trades.
Successful completion of the challenging conversion project
Looking back, the project can be considered a complete success. The well thought-out concept, the innovative hall scan and the excellent cooperation between the airinotec and Koehler Paper teams were decisive factors in the successful completion of the challenging conversion project.
