FluPro

Fluid production.

Development and implementation of a human-centered, cyber-physical production concept

Your contact person

Anwar Al Assadi

Fraunhofer IPA

Anwar Al Assadi is project manager of the FluPro project and responsible for robot programming and control. He is also an expert in the field of machine learning and analysis of screwdriving processes.

Fluid production

Human-centered, cyber-physical production concept

The aim of the joint project Fluid Production is to develop and implement a human-centered, cyber-physical production concept for automotive production. To this end, all means of production are broken down into location-flexible modules in order to be able to dynamically form and dissolve machine systems and eliminate the current separation between value creation and logistics.

Optimum adaptation to current requirements

The term"fluid production" stems from the vision that cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) permanently combine to form new resources as required. In this way, production - similar to a fluid that adapts its outer shape according to the pressures acting on it - always adapts optimally to current requirements. To this end, all production facilities are broken down into flexible modules in order to dynamically form and dissolve units. In this way, the current separation between value creation and logistics is overcome.

The modules are designed with a central focus on the role of role of people as active designers of their production environment. The result is a new, highly flexible production system that enables short-term decisions to be made before the start value creation and places the employee at the center of production design.

 

Insights into the project

The realization of the Fluid Production System is based on five sub-projects

In the first sub-project (SP1) - in close cooperation with the sister projects FlexCAR and Digital Fingerprint - fluid production is planned and the role of humans as central designers of the production system is outlined.

In SP2, the cyber-physical resources of the fluid production system are developed and prototypically realized as "production fluid particles".

SP3 examines questions of production control from order control to real-time control and is dedicated to the specification of cyber-physical systems as Industry 4.0 components of automotive production.

SP4 investigates which methods and business processes are required to make the technical results developed in SP2 and SP3 usable in operational practice.

In SP5, fluid production is implemented as an example and its performance is tested. The adaptability of fluid production is demonstrated by switching to a product that was unknown at the time of planning.

"As experts in system integration and driverless transport systems, we use the modern working environment of ARENA2036 to network with other partners and develop pioneering innovations in research and development projects. ARENA2036 is the ideal place for us to shorten the transfer from the idea to industrial use, so that we are already equipped for future challenges today."

Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Bär

Managing Director BÄR Automation GmbH

BÄR Automation GmbH

"ARENA2036 gives us the opportunity to collaborate fruitfully with a variety of different companies - from start-ups to large corporations. This allows us to quickly develop and implement forward-looking and relevant use cases with potential partners and users. In addition, the arena gives us a broader insight into future trends in automotive production and gives us early access to pioneering key technologies."

Dr. Thomas Meißner & Dr. Roland Schaefer

Head of Project and Consortia Management &
Vice President Innovation

Balluff GmbH