Image
Industry 4.0. Lab for learning & research
Published on 17 November 2021
Romania
Vest
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
This Good Practice address the lack of a learning and testing facility for Industry 4.0. applications in manufacturing. The lab has been designed by the Faculty of Engineering from Hunedoara (part of the Politechnica University of Timisoara) and funded by a private company. Although a privately funded initiative, the lab is owned by the University and is currently used by students for testing and research. The lab is a modular production line comprising distribution/conveyor, joining, and sorting stations. The entire system is networked and additionally equipped with several RFID sensors for both writing and reading data. The system processes the work orders generated by the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) software.
The lab comprises three modules all connected to a computer and each other connected to a PLC, where students can do testing in the field of control. Each module can accommodate up to 10 projects. The other part of the laboratory is a 4.0 generation plant including the flexible lines. The Flexible Line Stand provides students with the ability to observe an entire automated flow of technology from the time it is programmed to delivering end products to customers.
Following the testing phase, the lab will be used for providing services to companies active in manufacturing industries from West Region Romania.
The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are students & researchers and manufacturing companies.
The lab comprises three modules all connected to a computer and each other connected to a PLC, where students can do testing in the field of control. Each module can accommodate up to 10 projects. The other part of the laboratory is a 4.0 generation plant including the flexible lines. The Flexible Line Stand provides students with the ability to observe an entire automated flow of technology from the time it is programmed to delivering end products to customers.
Following the testing phase, the lab will be used for providing services to companies active in manufacturing industries from West Region Romania.
The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are students & researchers and manufacturing companies.
Expert opinion
The West Region in Romania benefits of a private-funded laboratory to work as learning and testing facility for Industry 4.0 solutions in the manufacturing industry. While showcasing an excellent public-private partnership, this project enables both applied educational training activities in the universities and technological innovation breakthroughs to be adopted by the local companies in their manufacturing industries’ businesses.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The Lab provides many collaborative opportunities to match innovation demand and supply involving university and companies. It can provide significant value for the career development of students. It can be applied to the EU regions with active ecosystems in manufacturing services.
-The good practice can be useful to boost the innovative capacities of local companies. Therefore, it can provide a solution for the EU regional settings where the private sector, namely SMEs, has not yet achieved strong innovative capacities.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The Lab provides many collaborative opportunities to match innovation demand and supply involving university and companies. It can provide significant value for the career development of students. It can be applied to the EU regions with active ecosystems in manufacturing services.
-The good practice can be useful to boost the innovative capacities of local companies. Therefore, it can provide a solution for the EU regional settings where the private sector, namely SMEs, has not yet achieved strong innovative capacities.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
65.000 Euro (for lab operationalization)
Evidence of success
Researching the technological impact in processes such as:
Supply chain processes
Warehouse role inside the supply chain
Managing warehouse levels and purchasing policies
Warehouse planning
Lean Administration Game
Production control methods
Work organization
Pull – Kanban and CONWIP
Asset management
Maintenance strategies for maintenance managers
Supply chain processes
Warehouse role inside the supply chain
Managing warehouse levels and purchasing policies
Warehouse planning
Lean Administration Game
Production control methods
Work organization
Pull – Kanban and CONWIP
Asset management
Maintenance strategies for maintenance managers
Potential for learning or transfer
Services that can be provided to companies using the lab’s facilities:
- The system also addresses advanced problems of the concept of Industry 4.0, such as IT systems and economic management, logistics, by using the higher level of business administration through ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).
- Studying the impact of robotic systems in the logistics of production units, in their optimization.
- Familiarize the employees with the impact of technological developments in the optimization of industrial processes, in which the final goal is to make energy costs more efficient, the production costs, and better management of resources, both human and material.
- The system also addresses advanced problems of the concept of Industry 4.0, such as IT systems and economic management, logistics, by using the higher level of business administration through ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).
- Studying the impact of robotic systems in the logistics of production units, in their optimization.
- Familiarize the employees with the impact of technological developments in the optimization of industrial processes, in which the final goal is to make energy costs more efficient, the production costs, and better management of resources, both human and material.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara (Politechnica University of Timisoara)
Romania
Vest
Contact
Head of Office