Case Study: Digital Volume Measurement for Transparency and Process Reliability at Sauerland Spanplatte

Sauerland Spanplatte, a family-owned company specializing in the production of high-quality tubular particle boards for interior doors, long faced the challenge of reliably monitoring its raw material inventories. Wood shavings and wood chips are stored in large piles at the Arnsberg and Gotha sites, where fluctuating production consumption made actual stock levels difficult to determine. Recorded incoming quantities alone were insufficient, resulting in time-consuming and error-prone inventories, uncertainty in production planning, and limited transparency for procurement negotiations.

In search of a permanent digital solution, Sauerland Spanplatte chose to implement 3D LiDAR sensors from Blickfeld. Today, multiple QbVolume sensors continuously monitor the wood shavings and wood chip storage areas. The sensors permanently capture 3D data, from which precise volume information is calculated. A central dashboard provides a clear overview of current and historical inventory levels, displayed in both cubic meters and tons.

Key advantages include fully automated, continuous data acquisition without manual measurements, flexible zoning to distinguish different material types, and daily notifications on inventory levels. As the system captures only 3D data, it raises no data protection concerns.

Shortly after deployment, Sauerland Spanplatte achieved significant efficiency gains: manual inspections are no longer required, inventory processes are faster and more accurate, and purchasing decisions can now be made on a data-driven basis. Despite challenging environmental conditions, particularly high dust levels, the sensor system operates reliably. Future plans include integrating additional storage assets and equipping the second site to further expand digital transparency across all storage areas.