RESEARCH NEWS
Automation for mid-sized manufacturers
AI-based monitoring and control of production, based on Fraunhofer’ s new ECC4P, offers medium-sized businesses customised solutions with comprehensive data security from a single source. The research team presented their solutions on the joint Fraunhofer booth at this year’ s Hannover Messe trade show. The ECC4P automation solution is flexible and enables recording of process data.
“ Our ECC4P concept reduces waste, lowers testing costs and allows continuous production monitoring in an end-to-end data space with low latency,” explained project manager, Alexander Schuster, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU.
Full process control, wear detection and data storage
ECC4P directly logs sensitive measurement data in the machines using sensor systems: smartGRIND to monitor grinding processes, smartTOOL for machining and drilling processes and smartNOTCH for forming processes. These systems use a specially developed interface to communicate with each other, allowing them to connect flexibly to various analysis systems or directly to the machine control system. Together with
ECC4P monitors and controls the production process centrally and visualises the data on a monitor in real-time.
machine data, the sensor data collected is then transmitted to the ECC4P interface. A full synchronisation step takes place before an AI-supported analysis module automatically processes and analyses the data.
Depending upon the application, this enables early detection of process anomalies, component waste or tool wear. The findings from this process are then fed back into the machine control system, so the machine can respond automatically when critical production events occur. At the same time, the process data and analysis results are stored in an overarching edge cloud.
“ A user-friendly interface makes it easy to retrieve and visualise this measurement and analysis data. The data is available on server or cloud instances and in the ECC4P cloud. In this way, the system ensures secure exchanges of data between edge and cloud, with ownership and custody of the data never in doubt. A graphical user interface allows intuitive adaptation of changes in production processes, with AI models autonomously adjusting and retraining during the process,” explained the Fraunhofer team.
“ The computationally intensive training this requires takes place in the cloud, while timecritical processes are handled and analysed directly on the edge device. Ultimately, this makes production more efficient and secure and improves its viability for the future. There is no need for companies that use the system to retool, which can be costly and time-consuming,” it added
Processing power is distributed as needed, depending upon the volume of data involved and the latency requirements. Several Fraunhofer Institutes teamed up to develop this powerful technology. n
www
. fraunhofer. de
35 % reduction in energy use for laser cutter
LCA Group is a major supplier of electrical, control and instrumentation engineering solutions throughout the UK and overseas. Within its manufacturing division, LCA’ s investment in automation enables the company to produce bespoke, one-off designs and batch projects through to high-volume production line manufacturing.
The company wanted to measure a complex laser cutting process and turned to the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre( AMRC) Cymru, a research and development facility in North Wales, for support through its Flintshire sustainable decarbonised future( FAST) programme. This seeks to unlock the region’ s potential to support green growth across several work streams including energy mapping, decarbonisation roadmaps and knowledge transfer.
FAST targeted several different industries within Flintshire, to cover a representative cross section, as well as different-sized companies. It was funded through £ 562,133 of Flintshire County Council’ s UK Shared
Prosperity Fund allocation from the UK government.
The research team for the FAST programme connected an energy-monitoring sensor to the complex laser cutting machine, which operates Monday to Thursday( 7am to 3.45pm) and on Fridays( 7am to 12pm). The machine consumes high energy during the intermittent laser cutting process, for short durations within working hours, while remaining idle for the rest of the time.
Varying power consumption was observed during idle states, contributing to inconsistencies. After discussion with the LCA Group, it was concluded that the company follows two types of shutdown procedures, resulting in inconsistencies. A detailed analysis of the power consumption profiles for nonworking hours demonstrated how the different shutdown procedures were impacting upon important KPI parameters( such as energy consumption, cost and associated emissions).
The work revealed the potential for optimisation if standardised shutdown procedures were followed by the company. Based upon the total consumption, a suitable operating profile was recommended for nonworking hours of the machine, which would save 35 per cent of its energy consumption, as well as associated costs and emissions.
“ With standardised and optimised shutdown procedures, the LCA Group will be able to make a 35 per cent reduction in its energy use, reducing the cost of non-working-hours operation from £ 635 to roughly £ 435 across a six-month period, with significant reduction in emissions as well,” commented AMRC Cymru. n
www. amrc. co. uk
18 | ismr. net | ISMR May 2025