In the SimCar project, students use Lego cars to model industrial car production. Three THWS students are using their ideas to develop the learning environment further. Not only the Schweinfurt logistics laboratory but also the partner project at Auburn University in the USA benefit from the results.
Published on 26 November 2025
Three students are highly concentrated, sitting at the assembly line and reaching for colourful Lego bricks. They have to work quickly, as they have a maximum of 30 seconds per station. They swiftly assemble the individual parts. After two and a half minutes, a Lego car has been completed. The SimCar learning environment is based in the logistics laboratory of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering at the THWS Ledward Campus in Schweinfurt. The name stands for what happens here: the simulation of real car production.
Oleksandr Ahafonov, Nikhil Patil, and Deepak Dinesh are writing their bachelor's theses on SimCar. They are currently in their final semester of the English-taught Logistics programme. The organisation of complex production processes is a central part of the curriculum. "Logistics is more than just transporting goods from A to B. The process encompasses everything from procurement and storage to the distribution of products," explains Nikhil Patil. "The underlying organisation must run optimally so that efficiency and quality can be guaranteed within the company." SimCar is therefore used for training purposes, a kind of training unit for the professional world.
From theory to the rhythm of production
Since 2015, the laboratory has operated according to the principle of "by students, for students." "We developed the individual technical elements ourselves, piece by piece, and assembled them with students," reports Professor Dr. Peik Bremer. The professor of technical logistics heads the laboratory. SimCar was inspired by Audi in Ingolstadt, where there is also a model production facility that uses Lego.
Each semester, at least 15 students from different degree programmes put in the work to get the small production facility up and running. "We want students to find solutions to logistical challenges on their own, just as they would in industry," the laboratory director emphasises. That's why there are no step-by-step instructions for implementation, only an illustration of the product and a parts list.
The theory has already been covered in lectures, but not yet in a realistic application. So now it's time for the students to put it into practice. First, they prepare the parts assembled in pre-assembly so that the actual manufacturing process runs faster. They then go through the individual work steps several times, analyse the processes and optimise them – this is achieved through clever considerations and technical solutions. In the exam, the students must then operate the production system without disruption for a period of at least two hours. Professor Dr. Bremer and other examiners then evaluate cycle time, inventory in the assembly areas, resource utilisation and quality
Preparation is key
In addition to his logistics studies, Oleksandr Ahafonov works as an assistant in the logistics laboratory. He has supported teaching there for two semesters now. "Here, you can try out a lot of things that happen on a large scale outside," he summarises. After all, huge warehouses are difficult to accommodate at THWS. "I learned in the lab that preparation and planning are essential. Otherwise, as they say in IT, you get garbage in, garbage out," he explains. That's why he starts his project with pre-assembly and developing an intelligent solution for inventory management.
Until now, Lego pieces had to be laboriously counted before assembly. Ahafonov searched for a simpler method – and found it. A smart weighing station will recognise the different building blocks based on their weight. To do this, he first has to collect all the data sets and write a programme. Once that is done, students will be able to save time when preparing materials – and lecturers will be able to assess performance in a more differentiated way.
Learning lab 4.0: students drive digitalisation
Logistics student Nikhil Patil wants to digitally enrich the learning environment. "Students and supervisors should be able to check how the work process is going on an information dashboard," he says. This dashboard will list all the necessary data and information for the current status of the production system in an organised manner. This includes, for example, the number of cars completed and the orders still open.
Once a Lego car has been completed, Deepak Dinesh's idea comes into play. His automated quality control system uses cameras to detect whether the product matches the specified order. If parts are missing or incorrectly installed, the system immediately detects the deviation. This allows sources of error to be identified and rectified more quickly. This also reduces the workload for students and provides a better overview of the testing process.
Cooperation with Auburn University in the USA
The SimCar project is not limited to Schweinfurt. The Tigers Motors Lab at Auburn University in the USA also works with Lego, but with a different focus. The US students learn about the challenges of mass production there. The 370-square-metre laboratory is modelled on Toyota's production facilities. With 70 Lego vehicles per hour, they aim to match the cycle times of real production lines.
The cooperation enables a higher learning curve for all involved. "Our vision is for our students to meet in mixed teams, both on site and virtually," says Professor Dr. Bremer. The international cooperation also enables exchange programmes to be realised. This allows both sides to learn about different, supra-regional approaches to logistics.
Lego as a career building block
Lego is very small, compact and recyclable, as the laboratory manager emphasises. Complex cars can be assembled using the building blocks in a wide variety of colours and shapes. This is perfect for a learning environment. "Unlike in industry, we are not concerned with the end result, but with the process," Professor Dr. Bremer summarises. "We want to learn something here."
For the students, SimCar is more than just a Lego playground. It is good preparation for the world of work. Taking responsibility, solving problems independently, and understanding complex processes – these are valuable skills for their future careers. This makes the path to logistics practical, internationally networked, and fun to learn – brick by brick.
