Center Data Intelligence in Operations
Increase productivity. Use digital technologies.
The Center Data Intelligence in Operations supports manufacturing companies in taking their production to a new level. The data-driven approach ensures efficiency, quality, and innovation on the shop floor. This enables companies to fully leverage the potential of their data and to establish the basis for economical, resilient, and sustainable production. An open-ended approach provides the basis for the customized optimization of production facility processes, and resources. The solutions developed are tested and validated under real-life conditions in the “Demonstrationsfabrik Aachen”. This results in practical solutions that support companies in the manufacturing industry on their journey towards smart production.
The Center Data Intelligence in Operations is part of the Cluster Smart Logistics on the RWTH Aachen Campus. Here, interdisciplinary teams from science and industry collaborate to develop concepts and solutions for the future of manufacturing companies. As one of 16 topic-specific clusters, the center stands for excellent research and application-oriented innovation.
Use Cases
Smart Digital Twin – Augmented Reality as efficient support for maintenance
The case of an automated warehouse system highlights the potential of digitalized and connected operating resources for production and maintenance. ECAD data is merged with MCAD data and this data is visualized utilizing augmented reality technology. This opens the possibility to obtain information on the wiring diagram as well as the construction plan in one single app. For maintenance, this leads to an enormous time advantage when identifying and replacing defect mechatronic components. Augmented reality supports maintenance staff with respect to both the identification of the defect component as well as the layout of the switch cabinet.
Smart Digital Twin Mechatronics – Increased maintenance efficiency through interconnected information
One problem of unplanned downtime in practice is that machine information typically is not bundled in one place. Mechanical and electric information as well as manufacturer information are sometimes not digitally available or scattered over several databases. The resulting search effort costs negatively affect a timely fixing of the problem. The Smart Digital Twin Maintenance merges all relevant machine information across disciplines in a browser interface. This way, maintenance is able to detect and fix errors significantly faster.
SmartWirAR – Augmented Reality facilitates manual cabinet wiring
Even though the wiring connections of cable cabinets are nowadays mostly stored digitally, a media break occurs at the assembly stage. Typically, the technician responsible for wiring of the individual components in the switch cabinet, prints out the instructions. This circumstance causes time-consuming and complicated searches for the right connections and is a time-consuming/non-value-adding method of working. In addition, errors become more likely.
In the project SmartWirAR augmented reality technology is utilized to overlay the physical workplace with the digital plans. Connected smart tools lead through the wiring process.
