A Method for Improving Production Management Training by Integrating an Industry 4.0 Innovation Center in China

Production Management is an important issue for organizations that spend considerable amounts of investment annually on personnel training. Especially in the era of Industry 4.0 and Intelligent Manufacturing, considering the exponential growth of new knowledge and information, personnel need to update and supplement the necessary knowledge. Nevertheless, there is a lack of adequate methodology for executing trainings in the field of production management. This paper aims to develop a method for executing production management training which combines online learning and offline training as well as practical parts by using an Industry 4.0 Innovation Center equipped with model devices. A procedure is to first starting with an E-Learning module containing basic knowledge, accessible on the Learning Platform Moodle. Secondly, an on-line survey is created to collect expectations and requirements. Then the training schedule is carried out for execution of professional training. The training part in the innovation center will contribute to build up the basis for adaptions of the training knowledge to practical need of a company. Lastly the test and evaluation is conducted via virtual team room (Vitero). A case study based on training service provider is used to validate the feasibility of the approach. The derived results are presented and conclusions are discussed

Energy Efficient Process Planning System – The ENEPLAN Project

Part 1: SustainabilityInternational audienceThe key factor to success, towards a competitive energy consumption reduction, is the effective involvement of SMEs both in the use of more efficient machines and in the Design of an Environment for new products. A specific product can be manufactured in different ways, based on cost optimization rather than on production flexibility and energy efficiency with the involvement of different suppliers. The ENEPLAN project aims at the development of a digital and real, energy-efficient, multi-process, networked, manufacturing system, adapted to the functional specifications of metal formed or machined parts for automotive, aeronautic and domestic appliances. Seventeen partners, coming from seven European countries and the participation of OEMs, SMEs, RTD and technology providers, who work jointly to deliver through ENEPLAN a manufacturing planning decision support tool (meta-CAM tool), for the optimization of the plant operation. This tool will be used from the conceptual phase of the product (final blueprints) to its final dispatch to the customer. This paper will provide a short overview of the ENEPLAN project and its ongoing developments, while the existing results will be presented and discussed and the next steps will be described