Purpose
The purpose of the initiative Agile production systems is to develop hardware and software solutions which enable agile manufacturing systems, and ensure Danish manufacturing can maximize productivity, automate the production of small batches and scale automated production up and down based on demand at minimal cost.
A key component required to achieve this goal of developing these innovative automation solutions is the use of digital technologies to automate the programming and optimization of the hardware.
“We want to unite digital solutions with physical solutions so that in a digital world you can test solutions before they are implemented and when the solutions are implemented, you can easily adjust the applications via digital twins,” the Workstream Leader, Professor Henrik Gordon Petersen from University of Southern Denmark, explains. Henrik Gordon Petersen has worked with automation solutions in the manufacturing industry for about 25 years.
The researchers, RTOs and industrial partners working in workstream 3 will initiate many industrial pilot projects, where state-of-the-art knowledge and technologies are tested in an industrial setting and the solutions are validated across different industrial partners.
“Technologies that make programming easy have been developed. For example, we have a project with the armature manufacturer VOLA, which focuses on the automation and optimization of metal polishing robots for high-end components,” Henrik Gordon Petersen explains.
We want to unite digital solutions with physical solutions so that in a digital world you can test solutions before they are implemented.
Henrik Gordon Petersen, Professor, University of Southern Denmark and Leader of the initiative Agile production systems
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What is the goal?
“Together with the companies, the other academic partners and the Danish Technological Institute, we want to improve the companies’ technologies within digitization and automation, so they can remain competitive in the global market. In this globalized world, that requires utilizing the most advanced manufacturing technologies and solutions,” the Workstream Leader says.
Parties in the initiative
Companies
Danchell
Danfoss
Granby Pack
Jensen Group
KUKA
LEGO
Louis Poulsen
Robot Nordic
Rockwool
Siemens
Technicon
Terma
Velux
Vestas
Vikima Seed
VOLA
Universities
AU
AAU
SDU
RTO
Teknologisk Institut
SME development projects
A large number of SME’s are also key partners in the projects within the workstream and are collaborating closely with Danish Technological Institute:
The SME Paul E. Danchell, along with other industrial partners, will develop an automated assembly system for the assembly of printed circuit boards in low volumes, which offers the potential of increasing the amount of low volume production of electronic components in Denmark.
The SME, Granby Foam manufactures shock-absorbing and protective foam-based padding that protects components when they are transported. Granby Foam cuts the customer specific padding with a CNC machine and afterwards the waste material generated is removed manually. The company wants to automate this time-consuming process so that it can be applied to all customized products.
How do you balance different needs?
“It is important for us to have an ongoing dialogue so that both short-term and long-term needs from companies and universities are being addressed. Many companies are interested in research results because they are well aware that they will also depend on new technology in 10 years,” Henrik Gordon Petersen, who looks forward to achieving tangible results in collaboration with the companies, explains.
As mentioned, there are also several SME development projects where the Danish Technological Institute support the SME’s in developing innovative solutions that will help boost their flexibility.
Thematic leaders
- Peter Gorm Larsen professor AU
- Christian Schlette professor SDU
- Thomas Ditlev Brunø lektor AAU
- Anders Glent Buch lektor SDU