Methods and Tools for Industrie 4.0

Industrie 4.0 as a requirement for tomorrow‘s markets

As information technology penetrates deeper into the market, the trend towards globalization steadily progresses. Mounting transparency is making it increasingly important for companies to maximize customer benefits if they want to remain successful. In addition to rising product diversity and shorter product life cycles, companies are also trying to offer ever-shorter reaction times. However, customers often simply expect orders to be processed quickly and easily as well as products to be highly personalized. In order to satisfy customers, new information-based business models need to be developed.

Future customer wishes can only be fulfilled by merging the physical factory shopfloor with digital company data. With the aid of cyber-physical systems (CPS), the necessary information can be supplied to workers and customers as required. On top of the added customer benefits through information, the data obtained can also be used to reduce complexity in production and assembly as well as generate further competitive advantages.

Our services for your company industrial revolution

Despite its numerous potentials, many companies and their workers have a negative opinion about the fourth industrial revolution because of its complexity. This is where Fraunhofer IPA can be of assistance. Our wealth of experience from numerous research and industrial projects make us an ideal partner to help you digitize your factory. With our support, you can adapt Industrie 4.0 to the requirements of your company – not the other way around. Our services include:

• Planning and simulation of smart factories
• Selection and implementation of Industrie 4.0 technologies, methods and tools
• Industrie 4.0 for SMEs, e.g. machine data acquisition for SMEs
• Contract research on customized tools

Within the scope of a joint project, we provide you with the assistance you need. Possible sub-projects that may prove necessary when implementing Industrie 4.0 methods and tools include:

• Analysis of your company’s processes and business model
• Seminars and sensitization of managerial staff and workers to Industrie 4.0
• Derivation of potentials
• Definition of demands and selection of systems, including evaluation of cost-effectiveness
• Support in implementing and migrating Industrie 4.0 methods and tools
• Documentation of results

We support you all the way towards establishing your smart factory, from goal-setting through system description right up to the implementation of customized methods and tools. If desired, at the end of the project we also compile a report of the results and recommend possible courses of action.