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In 2019, Eurofound found out that 39% of European manufacturing companies reported that their production was limited by labour shortages.  

How come? The manufacturing sector offers among other things to:

1. Join a high-demand industry
2. Get good pay and benefits
3. Work with new technologies
4. Have job stability
5. Take pride in making something real! 

The last argument can be a convincing one for younger generations eager to get involved in jobs that make sense.

But despite these objective facts, young minds seem more and more inclined to stay away from a field in constant evolution, and adopting more and more deep technologies to be more productive…and more sustainable at the same time.

The manufacturing sector may well be suffering from misconceptions but also true realities that stick to the mind from a very young age.

When asked in la Fête de la Science (Grenoble 7-17 October 2022), an event aiming to raise awareness on science-related topics in front of kids, what they think when hearing the word “industry”, many kids answered (rather relevantly) “pollution”…and isn’t this precisely why we need these kids to join later the sector in order to make it more environmentally friendly?

For this reason, three manufacturing initiatives – Integradde, PeneloPe, DIMOFAC – joined forces to create a virtual escape room with Industry 4.0 being the background topic.

How to play? 

• Make sure you have a good internet connection
• 3 players are needed, ideally between 14-18 years but you could also be an adult playing with two other kids.
• Communicate through an online call (Skype, Zoom, etc.) or chat at the same time you play so that you can easily exchange information
• Each of you should play on a different screen 
• To begin, all of you should click on “Start” and then agree on who is player 1, who is player 2 and who is player 3

The idea is to hone skills that are relevant and needed in the manufacturing field:

• Time management
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Problem resolution
• Negotiation

Besides, this is also an opportunity for young minds to understand:

• What is Industry 4.0 
• What benefits it brings
• What challenges it brings
• What technologies it uses.

If you want your child to find interest, in a fun way, in skills that will be useful in the future, go ahead! 

(Plus, they get to practice their English at the same time 😉)

1. We need stricter regulations

“We are lacking stricter policies that will push circular economy implementations.” (Edurne)

Implementing new processes may be challenging but it’s the only way to go. According to the European Environmental Agency, the industry was responsible in 2016 for more than 30% of the waste produced in the EU. 

Business as usual can therefore not be an option. However, understanding it is one thing, implementing is another. And this is where public bodies have to be much more drastic in their measures.

2. Virtualisation can be a huge game-changer to save resources

“We can destroy as many virtuals materials as we want.” (Gabriele)

When testing packaging processes, Gabriele’s company can sometimes use up to 50 kilogrammes of plastic. Multiply this number by the number of tests and it results in huge amounts of waste.

However, through the use of digital twins, that is to say a digital replica of the machine, you can virtualise any process and witness the outcome as accurately as if the test had been conducted physically thus saving a lot of resources.

3. Have a life-cycle thinking approach

“Look at the broader implications of any solution that is being implemented.” (Marco)

In short, the resources that you save thanks to a new implementation might be compensated for by more waste, more energy used, etc. further down the process. A holistic view is required before making a decision.

4. You can comply with sustainable manufacturing practices but also benefit from them

“Companies tend to look toward short-term profitability especially when talking about SMEs.” (Óscar)

Nevertheless, there are some concrete benefits brought by sustainable manufacturing implementations, for the community, but also for the company. By focusing on reducing the amount of energy or waste in a given process, a factory will automatically save money on its energy bill and on its raw materials purchases hence becoming more competitive.

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Keen on knowing more about reusing, reducing and recycling, you can view the full webinar below!

On 20 March 2022, PeneloPe Partners UNIMORE and K-LOOPS published a paper on the MDPI Special Issue Industrial Robotics: Design and Applications.

Read the full paper here!

About this Paper:

Title: Engineering Method and Tool for the Complete Virtual Commissioning of Robotic Cells

Abstract: Intelligent robotic manufacturing cells must adapt to ever-varying operating conditions, developing autonomously optimal manufacturing strategies to achieve the best quality and overall productivity. Intelligent and cognitive behaviors are realized by using distributed controllers, in which complex control logics must interact and process a wide variety of input/output signals. In particular, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and robot controllers must be coordinated and integrated. Then, there is the need to simulate the robotic cells’ behavior for performance verification and optimization by evaluating the effects of both PLC and robot control codes. In this context, this work proposes a method, and its implementation into an integrated tool, to exploit the potential of ABB RobotStudio software as a virtual prototyping platform for robotic cells, in which real robots control codes are executed on a virtual controller and integrated with Beckhoff PLC environment. For this purpose, a PLC Smart Component was conceived as an extension of RobotStudio functionalities to exchange signals with a TwinCAT instance. The new module allows the virtual commissioning of a complete robotic cell to be performed, assessing the control logics effects on the overall productivity. The solution is demonstrated on a robotic assembly cell, showing its feasibility and effectiveness in optimizing the final performance.

Keywords: virtual commissioning; robotic cell; RobotStudio; virtual prototyping; TwinCAT

About MDPI: A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. Based in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI has the mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.

Read the full paper here!

Meet the PeneloPe Demonstrators! PeneloPe encompass representative large-part manufacturing in four EU strategic sectors, addressing both one-of-a-kind (Oil&Gas, Shipbuilding) and low-volume manufacturing (Aeronautics, Bus&Coach). IDESA will implement a holistic manufacturing methodology, for a more precise and accurate manufacturing of pressure vessels in the Oil&Gas sector. Learn more about IDESA below:

About IDESA:

Founded in 1993 as a Technical & Commercial office to support local manufacturing shops in the Oil & Gas business, IDESA has become one of the most recognized and respected companies for the design, fabrication and supply of static and modular equipment worldwide.

As a result of its expansive growth, IDESA is one of the leading suppliers of Long Lead manufactured equipment such as Coke Drums, Vacuum Columns, Fractionators, Reactors and FCC & FCK units, as well as all types of Vessels and Drums. Its leadership position in the market is due not only to its human resource and technical capacity, but also to the location of its production facilities in Avilés (northern coast of Spain), only 1 kilometer from the industrial shipping port, which allows direct access from plant-to-ship without transportation limitations.

Since May 2014, IDESA is part of GRUPO DANIEL ALONSO (GDA), an industrial group specialized in steel processing that has locations in four countries and provides work to more than 1,500 employees in fifteen working centers.

Role in PeneloPe:

• Manufacturing scheme: One-of-a-Kind

Expected vision based on PENELOPE approach within PENELOPE:

• IDESA currently deals with manufacturing of complex process involving a large amount of manual-labour . Within PeneloPe, worker-centric solutions will be developed focusing on on solving the identified challenges at each manufacturing stage.
• IDESA will implement a holistic manufacturing methodology, for a more precise and accurate manufacturing of pressure vessels in the Oil&Gas sector.

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Press release

EU project makes headway in zero-defect manufacturing

• EU funded project introduces new Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods for improved quality in manufacturing
• The OPTIMAI project presents intelligent approach to zero-defect manufacturing through its breakthrough AI powered toolkit
• 16 partner organisations from 8 countries across Europe join forces to optimise production processes through a mix of AI, augmented reality, virtualisation and smart sensors

[February 2022]

Manufacturing industries are constantly looking for new ways to improve quality control for both manufactured products and manufacturing processes. The OPTIMAI project is spearheading innovation in this area. Introducing new technologies designed to reduce scrap, eliminate defects, maximise productivity and improve quality of shop floor processes, the project is set to make a tangible impact on European industry and environmental sustainability.

“We are effectively looking to create a new industry ecosystem. We are optimising production processes through a unique mix of Smart Instrumentation, Metrology, Artificial Intelligence, Virtualisation and Augmented Reality”, says OPTIMAI Project Coordinator, Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriou from the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH-ITI).

The three-year project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, is shaping the factories of the future thanks to its unique set of smart technology designed for the manufacturing arena.  OPTIMAI was launched in January 2021 and has just entered its second year.

The manufacturing industry has spent the last few decades in a continuous state of technological revolution with the progressive introduction of ICT, robotics, and automation technologies and most recently the introduction of digitalisation technologies on the shop floor. OPTIMAI is now revolutionising current industry practices further by bringing together and advancing several enabling technologies that strengthen the collaboration between humans and machines.

Dr. Dimitriou and his team have designed the OPTIMAI toolkit, which will initially be tested and validated in factories focusing on the manufacturing of lifts and antennas and on the assembly of microelectronics in Greece, Spain and the UK respectively. The highly adaptable solutions will then be applied in a wide range of industrial settings and brought to market across Europe.

“We aim to strike an optimal balance between fast, cheap and reliable production choices that have a significant impact on industrial competitiveness.”, Dr. Dimitriou explains. 

Core parts of the toolkit developed by contributing organisations include a decision support system that detects and issues early notifications of defects, a continuous production, monitoring and quality inspection system powered by smart sensors, an intelligent marketplace for recycling of scrap, digital twins for simulation and forecasting of industrial processes, and, of course, a comprehensive ethics and regulatory framework surrounding the technologies.

Feeding into the current transformative phase in the Industrial Revolution known as Industry 4.0., the project’s innovations go beyond the state of the art and pave the way for a smarter, digitalised European manufacturing domain.

Ends

For further information or to arrange an interview with an OPTIMAI representative please contact:

EU Project Director Linda Henriksson, Carr Communications: linda@carrcommunications.ie,
(+353) 89 466 9902.

Technical enquiries: Project Coordinator Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriou, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH-ITI): nikdim@iti.gr

For more information, please visit the OPTIMAI website https://optimai.eu/ and for regular updates follow OPTIMAI on Twitter @OPTIMAI_Project and LinkedIn OPTIMAI Project.

This new online platform is the the European Home for Zero Defect Manufacturing. 
The 4ZDM Cluster is a European initative around the Factories of the Future Zero Defect Manufacturing priority that aims to promote the adoption of zero-defect production and quality control systems by the industry. 

This is a initiative launched by the European Projects: PeneloPe, OPTIMAI, i4Q, Data4Zero and InterQ. 

Take a look at the 4ZDM website here: https://zdmanufuture.org/