ICT-enabled Intelligent Manufacturing

Information and communications technology (ICT) is the bedrock of the manufacturing process. It improves the efficiency, adaptability and sustainability of production systems and allows these to be incorporated into flexible business models and agile manufacturing processes. In addition, it enables industry to adapt to an increasingly globalised market which requires constant innovation in terms of production, process and output.

Research and innovation in ICT for manufacturing is thus vital for achieving all of EFFRA’s research priorities, as they help integrate any newly-developed ICT into production lines and existing industrial environments.

Smart Factories

Smart factories use simpler and more streamlined ICT for energy-efficient, reliable and cost-effective production. Future production sites for a large variety of sophisticated products will offer shorter cycle times and the ability to control variables in the manufacturing process. Owing to the increasing convergence of machine control and personal computer technology, important developments in robotics, automation, planning, simulation and optimisation technologies are also foreseen.

Digital Factories

Digital factories help to reduce the need for physical prototyping and the construction of pilot plants when designing future factories. Specialists in fields such as mechanical, software and materials engineering will use digitalised factories to enhance simulation, modelling and knowledge management. Research in this area will also cover the life-cycle management of products, from the design phase all the way through to production, maintenance, disassembly and recycling.

Virtual Factories

Virtual factories support the management of ever more complex supply chains between manufacturing plants around the world. They include a network of devices, such as, for example, the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) of work in progress, wireless sensor networks and machine-to-machine communication. These will contribute to the real-time monitoring of complex material flows and the more efficient use of resources. In addition, they will give rise to further services, such as advanced maintenance technologies for assets used in the manufacturing process.