Successful remanufacturing through data-based decision-making and intelligent process planning
Supply chains have been severely disrupted in recent years, due to the ongoing crises in the world. A production efficient in resources and energy is thus no longer just a question of environmental considerations, but also of the prosperity and independency of Europe in general and Germany in particular. In this context, the circular economy has become more important than ever.
Remanufacturing is one aspect of the circular economy. It describes the refurbishment process of old or worn parts. Compared to reparation, the parts are completely disassembled, and each component is tested for re-use, reprocessed, mounted and test like a new part. By now, remanufacturing can be supported with the help of industry 4.0 technologies and implemented with minimal energy requirements.
The overarching aim of the Project EREP is the increase of resilience in production. This especially involves elements of hybrid production chains. Within the project, these serve as expansion of remanufacturing and the circular economy. With the application of data-based methods for decision-making and process planning, planning the implementation should become more efficient.
The hybrid process chain combines additive and subtractive processes. Additive processes serve the application of material, for example to enrich worn areas or holes with additional material. Subtractive processes involve the removal of material and substitute additive processes to restore the properties of the functional surfaces in a precise way.
The project result is an extensive process chain for remanufacturing that has been extended through additive processes. This chain is accompanied by intelligent software tools that support the process from the initial decision-making process to the end result of a refurbished part.
For this purpose, criteria for a data-based decision process on the hybrid remanufacturing process will be elaborated. Subsequently, the resulting criteria are implemented into a software environment. With the help of artificial intelligence (specifically Convolutional Neural Networks, CNN) the software will be equipped to automatically analyze components. Additionally, the process steps of the hybrid Remanufacturing chain will be planned. This requires the possibility to determine the difference between new and worn part on a software basis. Finally, based on the difference in the geometries, the required post processing is planned.
An edge and cloud-based process control continuously feeds back information on potential production anomalies to further develop the process planning as well as securing and documenting the process. The full validation and test of the process will be set up as a pilot line across the participating companies.
The project unites ten partners from academia and industry
This research and development project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the Framework Concept “The future of value creation - Innovations on production, service and work” and managed by the Project Management Agency Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Production and Manufacturing Technologies Division (PTKA-PFT). The project number is 02J21E110.
Duration: October 1st, 2022 until September 30th, 2025
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