Projects overview
LASIMM | Large Additive Subtractive Integrated Modular Machine
01-10-2016
-30-09-2019
ModuLase | Development and Pilot Line Validation of a Modular re-configurable Laser Process Head
01-09-2016
-31-05-2021
Z-Fact0r | Zero-defect manufacturing strategies towards on-line production management for European factories
01-10-2016
-31-03-2020
The Z-Fact0r solution contributes to prevent defective parts to be sintered and reduces the number of defects during the machining of sintered parts. Most of the defective, very hard components, cannot be recovered by further machining or by healing operations and must thus be fully scrapped. Besides these recyclable materials there are also losses on the different production steps: from milling, spray drying, pressing, green machining and sintering.
With lesser defective part manufacturing, in the same proportion as HSS (raw material), oil consumption from the grinding machine (used as a coolant and in order to reduce friction between the tool and the part) is reduced, and the abrasive material waste generated from the cutting tool is also reduced, something which comes along with the oil as waste waters. Also, further upstream, the usage of salts for the heat treatment process also diminishes.
The reduction of the defective rate in the flute grinding process is key, due to this part of the manufacturing chain being the one with the higher proportion of scrapped parts. The time working on the reworking of the parts or the manufacturing of new, “extra” ones, inside a certain batch, multiplied by the hourly cost of the machines would be the numerical estimation of the saved energy, which, of course, is proportional to CO2 emissions. However, the flute grinding process is not the process with the most energy consumption, but it is, by far, the heat treatment (which is located upstream and, thus, the reduction of the defective in this particular process where the NECO pilot focuses would also impact on the energy saving of the machines and processes that come before).
Obtaining the part with the right specifications at the first attempt means that the energy consumption will be at its lowest. The confidence Z-Fact0r solution brings also allows us to work with closer tolerances, less excesses of material, and thus less re-working time throughout the production steps.
vf-OS | Virtual Factory Open Operating System
01-10-2016
-31-10-2019
vf-OS as an operating system is addressed to be used by humans on stations, work centers and enterprises. Due to its collaborative nature and the app store nature, vf-OS platform will cover human interacting on a connected world of manufacturing and logistic enterprises.
THOMAS | Mobile dual arm robotic workers with embedded cognition for hybrid and dynamically reconfigurable manufacturing systems
01-10-2016
-31-03-2021
SAFIRE | Cloud-based Situational Analysis for Factories providing Real-time Reconfiguration Services
01-10-2016
-30-09-2019
ZAero | Zero-defect manufacturing of composite parts in the aerospace industry
01-10-2016
-30-09-2019
OpenHybrid | Developing a novel hybrid AM approach which will offer unrivalled flexibility, part quality and productivity
01-10-2016
-30-09-2019
STREAM-0D | Simulation in Real Time for Manufacturing with Zero Defects
01-10-2016
-30-09-2020
SCALABLE4.0 | Scalable automation for flexible production systems
01-01-2017
-30-06-2020
5G-Ensure | 5G Enablers for Network and System Security and Resilience
01-11-2015
-31-10-2017
Information visibility. 5G could revolutionize the manufacturing industries in the coming years. Its higher connection speeds and reduced latency will enable companies to run in ways only dreamed about decades ago.
MANTIS | Cyber Physical System based Proactive Collaborative Maintenance
01-05-2015
-31-07-2018
I-MECH | Intelligent Motion Control Platform for Smart Mechatronic Systems
01-06-2017
-31-05-2020
UPTIME | UNIFIED PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE SYSTEM
01-09-2017
-28-02-2021
The economic impact of UPTIME is the most important one and can be seen at 2 levels :
- Short/mid-term impact: improvement of financial results of industrial companies and their competitiveness thanks to better operational performance (optimized maintenance and production)
- Mid/long term impact: the improved competitiveness will help to reconquer some market shares and then reinforce an offensive marketing strategy (low margin segments could be reprioritized)
PreCoM | Predictive Cognitive Maintenance Decision Support System
01-11-2017
-28-02-2021
LASER4SURF | LASER FOR MASS PRODUCTION OF FUNCTIONALISED METALLIC SURFACES
01-10-2017
-31-03-2021
I4MS-Go | I4MS Going to Market Alliance
01-09-2017
-29-02-2020
AMable | AdditiveManufacturABLE
01-09-2017
-30-11-2022
MouldTex | FRICTION OPTIMISATION OF SEALS THROUGH ADVANCED LASER SURFACE TEXTURING OF MOULDS
01-11-2017
-30-04-2021
Z-BRE4K | Strategies and Predictive Maintenance models wrapped around physical systems for Zero-unexpected-Breakdowns and increased operating life of Factories
01-10-2017
-31-03-2021
Z-BRE4K heavily contributes to the economic sustainability of the manufacturing sector by deploying an advanced maintenance solution aimed to attain zero unexpected breakdowns. In this regard, Z-BRE4K will avoid fatal failures, thus minimizing the breakdown times and need for spare parts and overhauls and will estimate the remaining useful life of critical subsystems of machinery, lines and shopfloor so that maintenance operations can be scheduled and optimized.
Z-BRE4K solution will guarantee the improved product quality since the machines will be stopped and the maintenance will be carried out before any failure occurs and defective products are manufactured.
By reducing failures, downtimes, unplanned outages the manufacturing will minimize the lead time and maximise the response time: stock-outs, lot processing delays, capacity bottlenecks will be avoided.
Once the Z-BRE4K system has evaluated an anomaly or a deterioration trend, the maintenance scheduling is optimized. Moreover, manufacturing machinery execution parameters can be adapted so that the remaining useful life of the incumbent system can be improved, providing Operations Managers with a flexible shopfloor.
One of the main advantages of Z-BRE4K is the Z-SYNCHRONIZE strategy that enhances the coordination of production planning, logistics and maintenance operations.
The minimization of downtimes and failures, the optimization of maintenance operations and the reduction of row material waste will lead to an increase the in-service efficiency by 26% and increased productivity.
Z-BRE4K will lead to the optimisation of the performance, avoiding waste due to malfunctioning machinery and increased energy consumption due to the presence of failures. the reduction of the electric costs is extimated by 10%.
The avoidance of defective production and overproduction will lead to a better efficiency in the use of materials.
Z-Bre4k will contribute to the optimisation of the manufacturing processesresulting in significantly less waste and scrap. Z-Bre4k will contribute to the reduction of defective production thanks to the optimisation of manufacturing through model-based control and improved accuracy. Moreover, it will allow to avoid overproduction that is to say manufacturing items for which there are no orders thanks to the collection of data that will control the production process producing only what is required and not overproduce.
Z-BRE4K will provide end-users with a solution with direct benefits for the manufacturing sector in Europe such as increasing the in-service efficiency by 24% (estimated) through a combination of preventive, predictive and prescriptive maintenance strategy. Thus, companies will be able to shift some of the operative resources from maintenance to production. The benefits of Z-BRE4K strategies deployment will result in the creation of 400 jobs and over 42M€ ROI within the consortium over after the 4th year of commercialization.
A dedicated Z-SAFETY strategy will look for the drastic reduction of accidents.
CloudiFacturing | Cloudification of Production Engineering for Predictive Digital Manufacturing
01-10-2017
-30-09-2021
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It is expected that new nozzle design and thus new water quench will be available for the customers in 5 years time. It is expected that those new products will attract new clients: 5 new contracts in 1 year increasing to 10 new contracts in 5 years, which will increase the turnover of Ferram by 500k Euros in 1 year and 3,5 million Euros in 5 years after the experiment end.
IT4Innovations as DIH and resource provider is expecting the experiment to increase their innovation potential and improve their competitiveness. They are also expecting to increase the number of customers: It is expected that 2 new customers will be attracted due to new capabilities within 5 years after the experiment and will create new sources of revenue.
The cloud-based optimisation of lamination oven’s configuration will lead to the following significant impacts: saving in energy consumption will result in saving of 18,000 kWh a year (short-term) and it will reach 27,000 kWh a year (medium-term). These figures can be multiplied by three in the long term because EndeF is going to build two new ovens. EndeF will drop CO2 emissions by 4,500 kg CO2eq and by 6750 kg CO2eq a year (short- and medium-term).
Hydal, as end user, will benefit from optimized process of water quenching by saving energy and scrap material and by having shorter turnover time as well. Expected economic impact is estimated 100 K€ a year on energy savings alone. Expected economic impact is estimated on 500 000 Euros on in turnover increase in first year after the experiment. This value will rise to the 2 million of euro after 5 years from the experiment.
For end user Ferram, it is expected that the experiment will increase in the turnover and in the number of new jobs created. Outcomes of the experiment will allow Ferram to develop a new generation of water quenches which allow for heat treatment of profiles that are hard or even impossible to cool down with existing water quenches today. This will bring a competitive advantage to Ferram and thus increase the number of customers.
The solution provided byZ-Fact0r reduces the number of scrapped parts at different steps of the production process. The use of just the needed amount of raw materials is thus a consequence of applying Z-Fact0r, but it has manifold repercussions, as there is reduction of wear of equipment and tools by doing it right the first time. It also eliminates the duplication of auxiliary materials needed to produce the parts.
The Z-Fact0r platform, and the intensive monitoring of both product and process that accompanies it, has been key for the reduction of defective manufactured parts at the flute grinding process. Should similar solutions be implemented in the rest of machines at NECO premises with a defective rate reduction of around 25%, some 20.000€ could be saved by NECO yearly in the form of raw materials (outside-diameter-grinded High Speed Steel bars), which would instead require to be recycled. Furthermore, if the cutting angle happens to be wrong, the parts cannot be remanufactured and need to be scrapped.