Groundbreaking for new electronics manufacturing and parking garage at Neuberger

The visualization shows the two new buildings: on the left, the parking garage, and next to it, the electronics manufacturing. In the rear area, there is the logistics section with a separate access road. (Visualization: Ingenieurgemeinschaft Ammon & Vogt)

The building of the new electronics manufacturing from a south-eastern perspective. (Visualization: Ingenieurgemeinschaft Ammon & Vogt)

Groundbreaking ceremony for the new electronics manufacturing and the parking garage. In the picture from left to right: Dipl.-Ing. Siegfried Weishaupt, Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Thomas Weishaupt (company CEOs of Max Weishaupt GmbH), Friedrich Uhl (Authorized Signatory and Commercial Manager of Neuberger Building Automation GmbH), Karin Bucher (Head of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Office in Ansbach), Dr. Markus Naser (Mayor of the City of Rothenburg ob der Tauber), Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Lenkner (Managing Director of Neuberger Building Automation GmbH), Rebekka Lindenmeyer (Group Leader SMT Production, Neuberger Building Automation GmbH), Matthias Malessa (Head of Production Department, Neuberger Building Automation GmbH). (Photo: Anja Cross, Neuberger Building Automation GmbH)

The company Neuberger Building Automation GmbH, part of the Weishaupt Group since 1995, is expanding at the Rothenburg ob der Tauber site with a new electronics manufacturing facility and a parking garage for employees. The company directors of Max Weishaupt GmbH, Dipl.-Ing. Siegfried Weishaupt and Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Thomas Weishaupt, as well as the managing director of Neuberger Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Lenkner, jointly with the authorized signatory and commercial manager Friedrich Uhl of Neuberger, the mayor of Rothenburg Dr. Markus Naser, and the head of the IHK business office Ansbach Karin Bucher, performed the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. Other representatives of the two companies, as well as numerous representatives of the architects, planning offices, and trades involved in the construction, attended the event.

Highly specialized experts at Neuberger continuously develop innovative products around automation technology. To meet the ever-increasing market demands in the future, the company is now investing in a forward-looking and state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing facility as well as a parking garage for employees at the Rothenburg location. The company, active in building automation, room automation, as well as cleanroom and process technology, employs more than 600 staff members and generates a turnover of nearly 100 million euros.

New, state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing

“With the new electronics manufacturing, we significantly increase the production capacities for electronic components and parts,” says managing director Klaus Lenkner. In the total building of approximately 5,500 m², the electronics manufacturing (3,500 m²) and logistics (2,000 m²) of the Rothenburg-based energy management specialist will be housed in the future.

The Middle Franconian automation specialist is also investing in the machinery of the new electronics manufacturing. The assembly of circuit boards, known as SMT production, will be expanded with new and highly modern machines. The material flow of the individual processing stations will be optimized — resulting in a highly efficient production line that is perfectly designed for the extremely precise production of highly sensitive electronic products. This will significantly increase both personnel capacities and the batch sizes of the electronic components produced. The new electronics manufacturing also focuses on a resource-conserving approach to raw materials. Adjusted and new manufacturing processes, such as soldering under nitrogen, will further enhance the already very high quality of the products while reducing the consumption of materials needed for production. “The guiding principle of the entire Weishaupt Group is: quality above all. With the new electronics manufacturing, we are consistently continuing this guideline,” adds Lenkner.

Flexible logistics ensures delivery capability

The approximately 2,000 m² logistics area will also be housed in the new building, thereby gaining a significantly larger scope of activity. Through the principle of flexible warehousing, the inventory will be maintained in such a way that the company can also cover short-term needs for electronic products and thus remain fully capable of delivery.

Parking garage for employees

Alongside the construction of the new electronics manufacturing facility, Neuberger will also build a parking garage on the premises at Oberer Kaiserweg. “Instead of expanding the existing parking area, we decided to build a new parking garage. This secures the long-term need for parking spaces for our employees. The remaining plots of land can thus be used for additional production, laboratory, and office buildings in the future,” explains the managing director of the Rothenburg company. In addition to integrating into the existing infrastructure, the focus of the parking garage construction is also on sustainable building without additional land sealing. To be prepared for the already noticeable structural change regarding e-mobility in the long term, charging stations will be integrated into the parking garage. The energy supply will be provided via a dedicated photovoltaic system. An energy management system ensures the intelligent distribution of energy to the individual charging stations. “If the weather does not significantly affect our schedule, we hope that the parking garage will be available to our employees by next spring,” concludes the final statement.

Sustainable and resource-saving

The Middle Franconian company places great emphasis on a particularly sustainable, efficient, and highly modern operation. For example, heating and cooling are provided via concrete core activation with two reversible heat pumps. The company BauGrund Süd, also part of the Weishaupt Group, based in Bad Wurzach in Upper Swabia, is responsible for the geothermal drilling for 60 boreholes, each 100 meters deep, on the site. Additionally, a photovoltaic system with a peak output of 400 kWp will be installed on the parking garage. An energy management system ensures that the available electricity is distributed evenly to the consumption points without overloads or disruptions. Underground cisterns connected to the building supply will serve as containers for rainwater storage and utilization in the future. Excess surface water will not be discharged into the sewer system but directed to a pond with a capacity of 700 m³. The accumulated water can evaporate or seep into the ground.

With the construction of the two buildings, the company is well prepared for future market demands. The start of production operations is planned for 2024. The investment is also a clear commitment to the Rothenburg ob der Tauber location.