Using the opportunities of digitalization
In addition to designing the production lines for multi-variant production, numerous measures can be implemented from the environment of digitalization. For example, digital tools support the manufacturing staff in the retooling of machines or in the area of production control. Solutions can also be found in quality assurance or logistics processes. Driverless transport systems in particular play an important role here. They ensure that materials can be provided in real time. Many large companies are already taking advantage of hybrid manufacturing and putting resilience above productivity. The measures used by them can serve as a model for medium-sized companies. In this move, Prof. Wurster invites interested executives from the manufacturing environment to a two-day conference in October 2023 to discuss precisely these measures. More about this event is available at www.summit-allgaeu.de.
Integrated automation of product design, manufacturing and process flow planning
The complexity of today's products and, consequently, of the entire development process is placing increasingly high demands on companies. At the same time, development cycles are becoming shorter and skilled personnel fewer. Using the design of components for a helicopter as an example, Steffen Geinitz from the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV presents the development methodology of graph-based design languages. He also demonstrates their potential for a continuous and automated development process from design to line balancing in production.
Small change, big effect
Whether products or infrastructure - everything is becoming increasingly complex and thus more variant. Even small changes can result in large effects with implications for products and production processes. Even in the early stages of development, it is a matter of making the right well-founded decisions. And to define variants in such detail that they can be used for planning. This is where the graph-based design language comes into play as part of systems engineering. Particularly in aviation, a lot of work is done with models in order to describe complex interrelationships and to meet the high requirements. For this purpose, rules are defined and put into a meaningful order by software according to the if-then principle.
Optimized processes through modeling in early design phase
Concretely, this modeling is described at the Cobain project. This involves developing the next generation of a helicopter airframe. The goal is to bring together the various disciplines from design to component manufacturing to the finished product design in the early stages of product development. The assembly graph serves as input here and defines which work step is carried out when. This makes it possible to minimize throughput times later on, distribute the workload evenly and optimize the resources used. The advantage of the chosen method is that any number of variants can be calculated and optimally integrated into the processes. Another application is the development of a component for an air cab manufacturer. Here, different materials and production sizes were considered and environmental factors included. In addition, recycling routes for composite components, for example, can be identified in the sense of the circular economy. In this way, the manufacturer can ultimately decide how green his product should become beyond the specifications.
Outlook for SMEs
For small and medium-sized companies, the use of this method in the future will be about finding the appropriate partners for the definition and implementation of requirements, parameters and modeling. This is because, in order to achieve an improvement in performance as early as the design phase, a rule-based design process, a design compiler for the efficient expression of variants and the corresponding evaluation models for the domains under consideration are required. Bayern Innovativ is gladly available here as a networker in arranging the appropriate contacts
AI Production Network - An Outlook on Modular Production in Augsburg
The AI Production Network Augsburg project now presented by Dr. Andreas Hackner, Bayern Innovativ, is based on a preliminary study from 2019, in which 30 primarily medium-sized companies were surveyed on the topics of artificial intelligence and digitalization. The aim was to make Augsburg fit for the future as a production location by using new disruptive technologies, such as the various methods of AI. The result of the study was that most companies lack data or have only low quality data. In addition, a lack of capacity and know-how to implement AI in production was identified. As a result, an initiative was formed with the goal of supporting companies in precisely this area. Under the leadership of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Science, the Augsburg AI Production Network brings together numerous partners from research and various networks, including Bayern Innovativ. A total of 12 different topics are being worked on, especially by the research partners, on numerous production issues.
First projects successfully implemented
One project from this shows, for example, how an AI-supported optimization of cooling system technology in glass plant engineering can comprehensively save resources with the help of a digital twin. Also initiated was a research infrastructure in Augsburg, which is called "Hall 43 - Future Fabrication" and is expected to open in the second quarter of 2023. On more than 5300 square meters, there will be opportunities to test various new developments on an industrial scale and under conditions that are as close to real-life as possible. What is particularly exciting is that the aim here is to break through linear production to flexible and modular production. To this end, various islands will be installed between which products will seek their way through sensible production.
Technologies to touch and try out
The hall is equipped with a wide range of technologies, including CNC machines, robots, computer tomographs, additive manufacturing and component testing. But how can companies participate? This works through various cooperation opportunities offered by the research partners, for example through funding programs. Even before the opening, interested parties have the opportunity to enter the hall digitally at www.tour.kipronet.uni-augsburg.de to see for themselves.
The webinar series "From Research into Practice"
In the event format of the ZD.B thematic platform Digital Production & Engineering of Bayern Innovativ, research institutions and companies provide insights into current research activities and discuss them with participants. The aim is to support small and medium-sized enterprises in particular in making meaningful use of digital technologies in their production processes and in their engineering.
KI-Produktionsnetzwerk 
