More digitalization in production for greater competitiveness: a total of 19 partner companies, research institutions and networks from the regions of Upper Franconia and Southern Saxony have been involved in a research project for the regional economy over the past three years. The aim of the project, which was coordinated at Hof University of Applied Sciences, was to create production-related IT systems in company networks and thus, above all, to further digitalize the regional working world. Moonrise has now been successfully completed.
The project results have now been presented to the public at the event at the Institute for Information Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences (iisys). The focus was on practical applicability:
Just thinking about digitalization is not enough – a good idea only becomes an innovation when there is someone to implement it.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Valentin Plenk, Vice President Research and Development
Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences;
Companies in transition
Project leader Prof. Dr. René Peinl, Head of the Institute for Information Systems (iisys) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, made it clear just how urgently this kind of innovation is needed, especially in view of the current crises in the global environment:
In view of the digital transformation, demographic change and changing economic structures, small and medium-sized companies in particular are facing new challenges beyond the conurbations.”
Prof. Dr. René Peinl
In order to meet these challenges, the research partners – a mixture of providers and users of new technology – developed new tools and models for work design and quickly tested them in the participating companies.
Virtual worlds and modern sensor technology
For example, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) was developed at Hof University of Applied Sciences that bundles all the necessary information relating to production, from orders and machine parameters to quality assurance measures, quantities, rejects and tolerances. “HiCuMES”, an open source MES, is characterized by particularly good customization options, so that every company receives a tailor-made system for their production processes.
coordinated the “Moonrise” project at Hof University;
Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences;
Digital tools in production were also tested in model projects using virtual reality methods. In addition, machine systems were equipped with modern sensor technology and data interfaces for data evaluation so that advanced data analyses were possible in partner companies. This helps to identify complex dependencies between machines, production and order data and control them accordingly. All in all, the efficiency of the digital transformation can be significantly increased and thus contribute to the future viability of local companies in international competition, according to Prof. Peinl.
Digital mechanical engineering
At the closing event, around 50 participants were able to listen to a series of interesting presentations. Prof. Dr. Markus Rickert from the University of Bamberg dealt with the topic of end-to-end digital mechanical engineering and the control of robots for individual production. Among other things, service robotics and semantic process description are transferred into a knowledge-based production system that makes it possible to evaluate machine performance indicators and detect anomalies in the production process.
Solutions for operational practice
Using an fictitious demo company as an example, Prof. Dr. René Peinl then went into the “production process without media disruptions” using the example of ballpoint pens. The sub-topics of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), detailed planning and production data acquisition were then explained to the visitors by the partner companies Alpha Sigma GmbH, Vogler Engineering and Startpunkt Digital GmbH. The presentation of digital solutions from operational practice was also particularly exciting and user-oriented.
Hommel Möbelbaumanufaktur GmbH from Reichenbach in Vogtland demonstrated the advantages of digitalization for highly individualized production, while Rohema Percussion OHG from Markneukirchen dealt with data quality and data maintenance. Finally, richter & heß GmbH from Chemnitz focused on the analysis and evaluation of energy data.
Roadmap for the digitalization of production in SMEs
But what is the best way to implement all of this in your own company? The digital transformation of manufacturing companies begins with learning about the technical possibilities that are available and getting a feel for the complexity of the respective measures: “It is then necessary to determine how digital the company already is and what measures are available to take the next steps in the right direction. The interdependencies between the individual measures must also be taken into account,” says Prof. Dr. René Peinl. And he continues: “Then the individual measures are implemented, first in sub-areas, then across the board. Success monitoring and continuous improvement, as well as an iterative approach with frequent feedback rounds are essential. Accompanying measures are needed for change management, employee training and project management, both from an organizational perspective and in terms of support from digital tools for collaboration and cooperation. All of this is described in our transformation roadmap on three levels, starting with an overview, a brief description on two pages per topic, through to detailed instructions and working materials such as checklists or questionnaires.”
Funding
A total of EUR 5 million was invested in the “Moonrise” project, which was supported by the “REGION.innovativ – Arbeitswelten der Zukunft in strukturschwachen Regionen” funding measure of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
