Digitally controlled timber formwork system implemented in production mold making

Oskar Heuchert GmbH & Co. KG, in collaboration with its neighboring development and technology partner Kühling & Kühling, has implemented a digitally controlled wooden formwork system in production-scale formwork manufacturing. The starting point was the question of how varying component geometries - starting from a quantity of 1 - could be implemented in the factory with reproducible build quality, clear data management, and reasonable effort.

In many precast plants, limited formwork capacities are met with increasing product variety. The approach therefore addresses the entire process chain. A precision-fit wooden kit consisting of CNC-milled formwork parts is created from drawings and a CAD model. The individual elements receive their part designations and numbering directly during the milling process. Interlocking tabs and slots position the components geometrically relative to one another; poka-yoke features reduce mix-ups and incorrect assembly directions.

Assembly takes place at the factory following digital 3D assembly instructions on an iPad. This eliminates many traditional auxiliary steps: no marking of guide lines, no measuring with a folding rule, no mental calculations when positioning individual formwork parts. Assembly is done using glue and a single type of wood screw. This ensures that even technically demanding formwork construction is clearly documented and easily traceable during assembly.

At Oskar Heuchert, the system has been tested and further developed in operation for six months. It has already been used for foundation slabs, substation foundations, trusses, columns, angle walls, balcony slabs, and tunnel forms - ranging from individual custom parts to series parts with more than 30 molds. According to an internal assessment, the process is at least on par with traditional manual formwork construction in terms of cost-effectiveness starting from a quantity of 1.

Satisfied project partners

Statement by Simon Kühling, Kühling & Kühling: “Our goal was not to build a digital solution for its own sake. We wanted to make formwork construction more predictable in day-to-day operations. When parts are clearly numbered, fit geometrically, and the assembly is traceable in the 3D model, a complex formwork setup becomes no more difficult to assemble than a Lego set or an IKEA side table.”

Statement by Jan Heuchert, Oskar Heuchert GmbH & Co. KG: “For a precast plant, what counts in the end is whether a solution improves processes. This system has fundamentally eliminated the ‘formwork construction’ bottleneck for us, because now even semi-skilled workers can produce geometrically extremely complex formwork. In this respect, the system is a key component in addressing the shortage of skilled workers. At first, it was difficult for my employees to literally leave the folding rule in their pockets; however, the precision fascinates the team and me anew every time.”