Virtual factory layouts from 3D laser scanning – A novel framework to define solid model requirements

In a world with increasing customer demands, manufacturing companies must develop and produce products more rapidly and adapt their production systems offline, to not disturb the ongoing processes. This creates a demand of using digital production development so that development can be performed in parallel with production. Virtual factory layouts (VFLs) are essential for companies in order to plan their factory layout and evaluate production scenarios. However, requirements for a VFL depends heavily on its purpose. For example, the requirements on a model for offline programming of robots are different from those on a model used to determine buffer locations. There is currently a lack of clear guidelines for how developed a VFL should be to fulfil said requirements, which contributes to unnecessary modelling time and variation in delivery quality. This paper aims to put the actual demands and requirements of a VFL in focus. By adapting a Level of Development-framework for establishment of Building Information Models (BIMs) and connecting it to the purpose of VFLs, development of a framework for detail and functionality level of VFLs is enabled. Such a purpose-oriented framework will help to define delivery packages suited for different circumstances, which will provide the modeler with knowledge of how much detail and functionality a specific model should contain. The increased clarity provided by the developed framework results in a clearer connection between expected result and actual output from a custom VFL project. Also, by connecting model properties or development to the model-purpose, the framework brings clarity and structure to a currently vague field. This provides means for a more efficient and accurate use of VFLs, which will support the rapid development of production facilities

Directing the technology intelligence activity: An ‘information needs’ template for initiating the search

In technology-intensive sectors, strategic planning requires relevant and timely information about new/emerging technologies – this is a critical input. Therefore, technology intelligence activities should be directed to capture and deliver pertinent technological information. However, there is a distinct lack of tools for helping organizations to determine what constitutes useful/appropriate information for their needs. To address this issue, an ‘information needs’ template has been developed to support the process of eliciting and articulating meaningful search queries to guide those who will conduct and provide the necessary intelligence. The use of the template also acts as a means of priming the technology intelligence as it identifies and points to potentially useful sources of knowledge. It covers the spectrum of sources from leveraging internal information, through spanning organizational boundaries to access external sources across the specific industry and neighboring industries, to more distant fields of knowledge. Additionally, the template has sections for distinguishing ‘who to watch’ versus ‘who to talk to’. The deployment of the template can be integrated with roadmapping, using the roadmap landscape to feed hotspots/themes/gaps/white spaces into the template, which are then unpacked to determine the information needs of the organization.Non

Technology Roadmapping, um método para apoiar a gestão tecnológica.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo aplicar o método Technology Roadmapping (TRM) para o planejamento tecnológico de pesquisa em tomateiro de mesa, com foco em fitossanidade (doenças e pragas). A pesquisa-ação foi utilizada para o desenvolvimento do estudo obedecendo às seguintes etapas: (1) reflexão inicial exploratória e definição do problema e do escopo; (2) planejamento da pesquisa, com a realização de pesquisas em bases primárias e secundárias para levantamento de informações de mercado, do produto e de tecnologias; (3) execução das ações estabelecidas, com a construção do Roadmapping sobre pragas e doenças do tomateiro; (4) realização de análise das observações, reflexões e avaliações, que ocorreram durante o processo de pesquisa

Virtual Reality and 3D Imaging to Support Collaborative Decision Making for Adaptation of Long-Life Assets

European companies of today are involved in many stages of the product life cycle. There is a trend towards the view of their business as a complex industrial product-service system (IPSS). This trend shifts the business focus from a traditional product oriented one to a function oriented one. With the function in focus, the seller shares the responsibility of for example maintenance of the product with the buyer. As such IPSS has been praised for supporting sustainable practices. This shift in focus also promotes longevity of products and promotes life extending work on the products such as adaptation and upgrades. Staying competitive requires continuous improvement of manufacturing and services to make them more flexible and adaptive to external changes. The adaptation itself needs to be performed efficiently without disrupting ongoing operations and needs to result in an acceptable after state. Virtual planning models are a key technology to enable planning and design of the future operations in parallel with ongoing operations. This chapter presents an approach to combine digitalization and virtual reality (VR) technologies to create the next generation of virtual planning environments. Through incorporating digitalization techniques such as 3D imaging, the models will reach a new level of fidelity and realism which in turn makes them accessible to a broader group of users and stakeholders. Increased accessibility facilitates a collaborative decision making process that invites and includes cross functional teams. Through such involvement, a broader range of experts, their skills, operational and tacit knowledge can be leveraged towards better planning of the upgrade process. This promises to shorte

Kierunki rozwoju nanotechnologii w województwie podlaskim. Mapy. Marszruty. Trendy

W monografii zaprezentowano możliwe kierunki rozwoju nanotechnologii w województwie podlaskim opracowane w ramach projektu badawczego „Foresight technologiczny «NT FOR Podlaskie 2020». Regionalna strategia rozwoju nanotechnologii”.Joanicjusz Nazark

Brownfield Factory Layout Planning using Realistic Virtual Models

To stay competitive in an increasingly digitalised and global context, manufacturing companies need to increase productivity and decrease waste. This means their production systems must improve; something they can achieve in a multitude of ways. For example, increasing the level of automation, improving scheduling and improving product and process flows. Often, these production system improvements entail redesigning the system to incorporate these ensuing changes; a unique and temporary endeavour that is often structured as a project. One part of the production system design process is layout planning, in which the positions of operators, workstations, machines and other parts of the system are decided. This planning process can have a major impact on the overall efficiency of operations.In industrial settings, factory layout planning is often conducted in brownfield settings. In other words, in operational facilities. Since every production system and facility is unique, so is every factory layout planning project. Each such project has different preconditions, existing knowledge, availability and quality of data, lead-times, expectations and driving forces, to name just a few. If factory layout planning were treated as a design problem (more subjective than mathematical in nature), it would be hard to produce a mathematical solution for an optimal layout that would also work in reality. Instead, if a layout is developed and adapted to all real constraints and factors while it is being developed, the result would more likely be installable and work as expected.The long-term vision of this thesis is of a future in which sustainable manufacturing industry continues playing a vital role in society, because its contribution is more than just economic. A future in which the manufacturing industry is appreciated and engaged with by the local community; in which high performance is connected to the successful adoption and efficient use of digital tools in developing and improving existing brownfield production systems. This thesis aims to ensure that manufacturing industry adopts realistic virtual models in its brownfield factory layout planning processes. It does this by identifying and describing common challenges and how they may be reduced by developing and using realistic virtual models. This leads to improvements in the planning, installation and operational phases of production systems.The findings of this thesis show that brownfield factory layout planning represents a significant proportion of industrial layout planning. Its challenges lie mainly in the areas of data accuracy and richness. There are difficulties in grasping scale and perspective, communicating ideas and gathering input in the layout planning phase. By applying 3D laser scanning to provide accurate data and virtual reality to provide immersion and scale, realistic virtual models have been created. These reduce or eliminate the challenges stated above and allow more employees to be involved in the layout planning process. This, in turn, results in the identification of flaws in the layout and improvements in the early stages, rather than during or after installation. There is also an overall improvement to brownfield factory change processes, with costs that pale by comparison to the total cost of layout changes

A Framework for Systematic use of Realistic Visualisation to Support Layout Planning of Production Systems

The process of designing production systems comprises a sequence of steps toward the final design and realisation. Layout planning is a significant part of this process. Its outcome should be a layout which matches the existing spatial conditions of the factory building and desired performance of the production system. To support layout planning, virtual representations of layouts can be created to plan and evaluate layout alternatives. Costly problems can arise during the realisation, if the virtual representations are inaccurate or lack details of the factory building and planned production systems. 3D laser scanning can be used to create accurate and detailed virtual representations by capturing the spatial conditions of existing factory buildings. The data from a 3D laser scan can be used for realistic visualisation of the existing factory building. If this is combined with 3D CAD models of new equipment, the planned production system layout can also be visualised realistically. Realistic visualisation has been shown to enable accurate planning and evaluation of production system layouts, but it does require a systematic working method.The aim of this thesis is to outline and evaluate a framework for systematic use of realistic visualisation to support layout planning of production systems. This aim is addressed using an action research design; this incorporates five industrial studies targeting industrial projects designing production systems. The framework is outlined and evaluated based on the results of the industrial studies.The outlined framework follows a project model for production systems design. It includes several design activities which rely on realistic visualisation of the planned production system layouts. The framework can be used to support the layout planning of industrial projects designing production systems. Its outcomes include making the correct decisions, reducing costly risks and problems and reducing overall project time. Layout planning supported by realistic visualisation allows manufacturing companies to reduce uncertainty when realising planned production systems

Dynamics of Long-Life Assets: From Technology Adaptation to Upgrading the Business Model

Knowledge management; Business information system

Dynamics of Long-Life Assets: From Technology Adaptation to Upgrading the Business Model

The editors present essential methods and tools to support a holistic approach to the challenge of system upgrades and innovation in the context of high-value products and services. The approach presented here is based on three main pillars: an adaptation mechanism based on a broad understanding of system dependencies; efficient use of system knowledge through involvement of actors throughout the process; and technological solutions to enable efficient actor communication and information handling.The book provides readers with a better understanding of the factors that influence decisions, and put forward solutions to facilitate the rapid adaptation to changes in the business environment and customer needs through intelligent upgrade interventions. Further, it examines a number of sample cases from various contexts including car manufacturing, utilities, shipping and the furniture industry. The book offers a valuable resource for both academics and practitioners interested in the upgrading of capital-intensive products and services