Standardisation was not a key objective of Fortissimo

The project has developed a new method of joining metal alloys called electromagnetic pulse welding. This process uses electromagnetic forces to join work pieces, rather than heat. It does not require fluxes or shielding gases and produces no harmful smoke, fumes or slag, making it more environmentally friendly. The process is also considered less safety-critical than other joining techniques, making it more easily implementable in the industry. The project aimed to decrease the consumption of copper by partially substituting it with aluminium, with the goal of creating improved lightweight designs of copper-aluminium hybrid parts with further cost reduction and better performance. There are already standards that handle this issue, however they do not specifically include EMW but rather various welding techniques. Adaptation of these standards have been made for EMW. The process has been successfully demonstrated in three full demonstrators and the project partners are now exploring the possibility of applying the process to other multi-material joints including copper-steel and aluminium-steel alloys.

The GO0D MAN project is built upon the results and knowledge gained from earlier European R&D&I projects, including GRACE (http://grace-rri.eu). The experience from GRACE highlighted the importance and benefits of standardization, leading to the creation of separate standards working group (WP) in the GO0D MAN project with a methodology specifically designed to address the standardization issue. This methodology consisted of five main steps: Identifying standardization objectives, Surveying existing or anticipated standards, Aligning and mapping standards, Undertaking gap analysis, and Making recommendations. This methodology was applied to each of the five main topics: smart inspection tools, multi-agent systems, communication, data model and rules definition, and knowledge representation and data analysis.

The project determined that by addressing standardization during the early stages of R&D, the results could be made compliant with existing standards. However, gaps in existing standards were identified, and recommendations were made to address them. In particular, the project made contributions to the IEEE P2660.1 working group on recommended practices for the interconnection between software agents and physical devices within multi-agent systems, and to the IEEE P2805 standard for establishing standards for edge computing nodes. The GO0D MAN consortium is collaborating closely with the P2660.1 working group to define these recommendation practices.

At the end of the GO0D MAN project, a system architecture for Zero Defect Manufacturing (ZDM) has been developed that can be applied to multiple industries to improve the quality and productivity of production systems. Because the architecture is consistent with existing standards for automation, smart tools can be immediately implemented on commercial production lines. A startup company is now being established to bring this technology to market. The alignment with existing standards will likely speed up the update of products and the resulting growth and scalability of the company. Additionally, increased awareness of this new technology among industry adopters has led to changes in thinking, resulting in processes being adapted to implement the results. This adoption is expected to be faster and less risky due to the confirmed standards. The success of the standards aspect of the project has been in part due to making it a distinct task. However, it was recognized early on that attention to standards was necessary, indicating that compliance needs to be taken into consideration early in the R&D process. Focusing on standards is also beneficial for the R&D team and maybe a new approach. It is important to adopt a systematic approach but also to be realistic and plan for a timeline that may go beyond the duration of the R&D project. For example, developing a standard until its adoption can take up to 5 years, and it may not be under the control of the R&D team. If it is not practical to have a standards agency as a full partner in the project due to a large number of partners, involving experts associated with standards agencies will be beneficial in providing a direct and tangible link that will increase awareness and accelerate the adoption process.

The project is overviewing standards related with laser processes to boost and empower the adoption of laser-based manufacturing among the European Industry.

The RE4DY project addresses standardization from the perspective of interoperability among data formats and protocols, along with enabling the scalability and flexibility of data systems. 

The FLASH project will develop the next generation of laser machining by integrating three laser sources and three beam delivery heads in a single laser module, incorporating dynamic beam shaping and in-process monitoring and control. The standardization will most likely focus on the beam shaping features, optics and photonics, robotics, life cycle assessment, among others.

The activities of standardisation will be directly linked to the Digital laser Certification (DILACERT), with the activities being related with the definition of on-line monitoring and a qualification and certification scheme for laser factories, processes, and complex parts.  Tests will be conducted to DILACERT to prepare for standardisation. 

The COGNIMAN consortium is committed to collaborating closely with the ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 41 Internet of Things and Digital Twin committee & WGs1 , aiming to contribute to the enhancement of ongoing standards development efforts. This collaboration will leverage the insights and knowledge generated from the project, as well as the standards implemented within the DT model framework, to support and advance the committee's work on standardization in various domains. 

The ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 41 committee, focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) and related technologies, was formed in 2017. By 2019, it was further tasked with the standardization of Digital Twins within ISO, prompting a name update to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 41 Internet of Things and Digital Twin. 

This committee is organized into several working groups (WG) dedicated to different aspects of IoT and Digital Twins, such as: 

i) WG 3 - IoT Architecture, 

ii) WG 4 - IoT Interoperability, 

iii) WG 5 - IoT Applications, 

iv) WG 6 - Digital twin 

and v) WG 7 - Maritime, underwater IoT and digital twin applications. 

This effort will be coordinated with the Norwegian Electrotechnical Committee (NEK) which is a member of the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC, which has the responsibility for developing ISO standards on DT and related applications, i.e. which contributes to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 41 Internet of Things and Digital Twin standards, aiming to enhance ISO standards for DT development. SINTEF Digital is an active member for the NEK and currently working on several WG to support the DT standardization activities.

AIRISE will support European SME's in the uptake od Artificial Intelligence applied to manufacturing aiming a total of 500 SME's with an extensive assessment programme. the standardisation activities within the AIRISE project will map existing documents for the AI topic and identify future needs to further provide suggestions for improuvment of current standards or creation of new ones.

The R3-MYDAS project is focused on the remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling of energy goods through advanced Mechatronic and Digital Technologies. The standardization will focus on the assessment of gear geometry and load distribution, lasers and laser-related equipment, metallurgical specifications for steel gearing, test methods for laser beam power characteristics, robotics, among others.

When the Lasimm project began in 2016, AM standards were in their early stages of development and particular standards for DED-Arc (also known as wire + arc AM) did not exist. Addressing the standards gap was a significant part of the project.

There was always a clear intention to contribute to the creation of AM-related standards from the proposal phase.  While no standards bodies were actively involved, the project partner European Welding Federation (EWF) serves as a liaison to many European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and ISO TCs. A 'Report on standardisation and pre-normative research (D6.2)' containing information on current AM standards was produced at the start of the project. Standards were established for each WP to guarantee that the project results met current standards at that time. This document served as the starting point for determining what gaps existed at the time and needed to be filled by standardisation actions throughout the project.  Lasimm partners ensured that project developments were recommended and subsequently integrated into new or under-development standards from the sixth to the 36th month. This alignment was accomplished through the standards bodies ISO, CEN, ASTM International, the American Welding Society, and the British Standards Institution. There was a strong emphasis on ISO and ASTM International, as these were the standardising bodies considered as most relevant by industry users.

The project primarily focused on AM standards and contributed to a total of 12 standards. The most notable of these were linked to D6.6:

• ISO/ASTM PWI 52926-1 Additive manufacturing – Qualification principles – Part 1: Qualification of machine operators for metallic parts production preliminary stage (00) (ISO/PWI stage),
• ISO/ASTM PWI 52926-5 Additive manufacturing – Qualification principles – Part 5: Qualification of machine operators for metallic parts production for DED-Arc preliminary stage (00) (ISO/PWI stage).

With regard to hybrid manufacturing (HM), the project contributed to the development of standards though technical reports and recommendations, the most notable being a recommendation to create a new liaison between ISO/TC 261 and ISO/TC 39 – Machine tools. This recommendation was made at an ISO/TC 261 plenary meeting in September 2019. ISO will assess the need and the resources available to develop standards in this area. Finally, a new ISO joint group was created with the aim of developing standards to qualify personnel involved in DED-Arc considering several materials and types of equipment used by industry.

The main standardisation outcomes of Lasimm led either to the creation of new joint CEN/ISO WGs or to preliminary work items, which ultimately led to the creation of new standards. Some of these outcomes were reached over the project's lifespan, while others were and will be suggested to various standardisation bodies as future work. In addition, a report titled "Standardisation recommendation document" (WP6, D6.6) was presented in the relevant Working Group (WG) and for Lasimm in the final (36th) month of the project, outlining the project's findings and contributions regarding standards that are being developed and potential new standards to be developed.

The mention of certification and standards in the call for proposals prompted the project to create standardisation as a specific activity as part of the WP on dissemination and exploitation from the very start. Some of the project partners had prior expertise with standardising and engagement with relevant TCs. However, overall standardising knowledge was limited. As a result, Deutsches Institut Fuer Normung E.V. (DIN) was involved in the project as an SDO to aid, training and to connect with TC 261 on AM. DIN was also in charge of developing a standards landscape to better understand what standards exist and where gaps need to be filled. According to the interviewed partners, for researchers with little experience in standardisation, it may be difficult to understand what is going on. In this case, it is vital to listen to and learn from Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) like DIN. Furthermore, if a researcher does not deal with standardisation, he or she may not actively seek training in it. Learning in practice is thus frequently in the form of learning on the job while carrying out projects. Finally, knowing standardisation also means knowing the ecosystem of stakeholders involved.

Liaisons have been formed with three TC 261 WGs during project implementation. Project members are permitted to contribute to WG meetings and participate in joint WGs. In addition to communicating with TC 261, DIN has been asked to establish connections with ongoing projects relating to design and data exchange. The project participants also received standardisation training from DIN. One particular issue arose was intellectual property protection. On one hand, open approaches are required for standardisation; on the other hand, protection is required. In this scenario, it is not so much about patents as it is about software (copyright) protection and possibly trade secrets. Two areas for developing standardisation activities are being investigated where there are gaps in standards. The first is related to digital technology, and the second is laser cladding, for which there is currently no standard.

The project has yet to produce standardised results such as CEN Workshop Agreement (CWAs). On a more positive note, the activities have resulted in the formation of new relationships, which will be useful for future standardisation and project efforts. As a result, these liaisons can be deemed a good output, even though there is still a long way to go towards a standard. There is a desire among project participants to have the opportunity to prolong the project with Horizon funding to account for the differences in timelines between standardisation processes and funded research and to allow enough resources for standardisation activities.

The contribution of the ROSSINI project have been effective to provide useful insights to the regulatory scenario, as the project tackles the development of  innovative robotic solutions characterized by built-in safety features, and a safety aware control architecture.

In particular,  the activities planned and realized within the ROSSINI Standardization Roadmap contributed fruitfully as input for standardization in terms of identification of the main issues and topic to be address into standards, contribution to offical standardizaiton documents and contribution to ISO/PAS documents.

The EFPF project has undertaken standardization activities during its implementation in order to promote interoperability and support the development of new standards. Some of the specific standardization activities that were developed include drafting of documents for the CWA (common workshop agreement) 'European connected factory platform for agile manufacturing interoperability (EFPFInterOp)', which are listed in a dedicated project deliverable. The project did not encounter any significant risks or difficulties related to standardization activities, as the NSB (project partner) applied sound risk management and provided clear guidance on how to mitigate any potential risks. 

After the project's completion, the partners will continue to promote the CWA and the standard way of establishing federated platforms. Additionally, the project has produced deliverables such as the CWAs developed by the CEN-CENELEC workshop EFPFInterOp. 

To strengthen the links between research, innovation, and standardization in the future, it is important to raise awareness of existing standards. This can be done by making more people aware of the standards that are currently in place and reminding them that the standardization process is ongoing. Additionally, encouraging more collaborations between research, innovation and standardization organizations in order to promote research and innovation in a standard-compliant way can also be beneficial.

The project has shown how to integrate the architectural features of several platforms, and how to facilitate cross-platform business activities. The interoperable Data Spine is already constructed and will shortly be verified. By offering tools for data sharing, intelligence exchange, and process optimisation, the project increases the agility of the targeted value networks. A comprehensive federated platform is created by combining the traits of current platforms. Using the open-call mechanism, The Data Spine gives the federated platform an extensible component that enables the integration of other platforms and collaborative tools to be provided through a unified user experience. An ideal alignment between the EFPF tools and relevant standards is made possible by participation in standardisation committees developing standards for strategic areas, but it must be continually evaluated and updated. By participating in strategic standardisation groups, EFPF becomes more visible to important stakeholders and has easier access to information that is directly relevant to the project. The idea of a CEN Workshop Agreement as a deliverable for standardisation has directly benefited EFPF as an ecosystem of digital platforms.

The standardisation  made by QU4LITY were intended to assure proper development and support the growth of quality management and ZDM standards in particular, as well as other related clusters. This assignment is a component of work package 2's Autonomous Quality in ZDM: Vision and Specifications, which is tasked with examining the demands of stakeholders, the underlying platforms and technologies, as well as any necessary standards and interoperability requirements. The dissemination and standardisation contributions in WP9, which provide in-depth information on the current standardisation activities of the Standard Development and Standard Setting organisations, clusters, associations, and other relevant stakeholders, are completely aligned with the standardisation strategy and work in Task 2.4.  As the T2.4 leader, FHG made a significant contribution to the drafting of this Deliverable and was in charge of coordinating efforts pertaining to standards compliance, developing the T2.4 overall strategy, and coordinating and analysing the project's interoperability specification. Along with Task T9.2 experts, 

Task T2.4 coordinated this operation and exchanged the most recent findings from the standards research. Ultimately, Task 2.4 provided the following contributions to standardisation activities:
1. a set of ZDM specific requirements to verify standards compliance interoperability framework for industrial applications; as well as interoperability goals
2. standards compliance requirements on a ZDM Framework based on standards research regarding RAMI4.0 layers and classification of standards;
 

By the project's completion, QU4LITY pilots have complied with a total of 37 standards.

Standardisation helps the end client to have complete knowledge of the equipment's lifespan, which increases dependability and enables servitisation (for example, leasing) towards machine resale. The standardisation criteria that are described by RECLAIM centre on two key subjects: (1) maintenance procedures and predictive maintenance, together with (2) specifications and design for remanufacturing.

The standards that are proposed by RECLAIM are the "CWA 17492:2020-Predictive control and maintenance of data intensive industrial processes" standard, which focuses on predictive maintenance, defines machine learning / deep learning techniques for predicting process and equipment drifts, thereby providing recommendations on when to perform maintenance and the state of the machine. A set of key performance indicators is defined in "EN 15341:2019-Maintenance-Maintenance Key Performance Indicators" to quantify and improve the efficacy, efficiency, and sustainability of maintenance actions for physical assets. “prEN 17485-Maintenance-Maintenance within physical asset management-Framework for improving the value of the physical assets through their whole life cycle” and “EN16646:2015-Maintenance-Maintenance within physical asset management” introduce the physical asset management and address the role and importance of maintenance within physical asset management system during the whole life cycle of an item. The maintenance process is depicted by all the characteristics and steps of the stated processes in "EN 17007:2018-Maintenance process and associated indicator," along with the construction of a maintenance model that provides instructions for defining indicators. This is a crucial step in standardising the entire maintenance procedure. By doing so, all the maintained equipment will be comparable to one another, allowing lifetime extension tactics to be eventually more accurate in their analysis. The "ANSI RIC001.1-2016-Specifications for The Process of Remanufacturing" standard, which focuses on the definition of remanufacturing and clearly distinguishes it from other activities, is one that addresses remanufacturing standards. Additionally, it offers a benchmark, specification, and characterisation of the remanufacturing process.