Growing networking, more flexibility in manufacturing processes, individualized products and increased energy and resource efficiency are challenges for production technology of today and tomorrow.
Significant building blocks for overcoming these challenges are digitization in the context of Industry 4.0 and the optimization of manufacturing process chains. It is important to take a comprehensive look at the functional properties during process and product planning in order to be able to guarantee robust systems with high manufacturing flexibility at the same time. The so-called data-driven modeling can take place in measurement technology by means of sensor-generated data and their fusion.
In addition to the actual recording of measured variables, increased test frequencies and a reduction in measurement uncertainties can be achieved using smart and soft sensors, for example. A modular connection of testing technology, simulation results and process knowledge can be made by means of suitable data fusion and thus improve machine availability and product quality. The quality assurance integrated into the process and autonomous production controls allow an increase in the resource efficiency of manufacturing processes.
In addition to this, there is another possibility for increasing energy and resource efficiency in production, the optimization of the production process chain by changing and improving individual process steps. The most efficient way to achieve these improvement goals is to supplement the previous mechanical engineering and production-related core competencies with new approaches that meet the requirements. In particular, high-precision manufacturing is about increasing the load-bearing capacity of components and thereby maintaining and improving the long-term fulfillment of the specified properties in order to achieve slim and resource-efficient components. In order to meet the requirements, several process steps can be combined and in this way alternative hybrid manufacturing strategies can be implemented. On the tool side, the resource efficiency potential can be implemented through improved wear resistance, which means that production can be carried out with much less effort and expense.
Various innovative methods can make an important contribution to mastering the challenge of optimizing and making manufacturing processes more flexible in order to increase energy and resource efficiency.
In the 11 / 12-2020 edition of wt Werkstattstechnik online, readers can therefore expect interesting specialist articles with targeted approaches to deal with these current challenges in production technology. In particular, the focus is on integrated production metrology and highly efficient and precise production processes.
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