Events

Visiting the Toyota plant in Zárate, Buenos Aires

By Rudolf Grünbichler on Aug 30th, 2023

On 30 August, researcher Rudolf Grünbichler from Graz University of Technology, Austria, visited the Toyota plant in the city of Zárate, Buenos Aires, together with the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at USAL, Marcelo Zanitti, the Director of the Institute for Research in Science and Technology and Head of the Industrial Engineering course, Sergio Salimbeni, and a group of students from the Faculty of Engineering. Mr Rudolf Grünbichler will spend a month working with the research team as part of the international SME5.0 project, which is part of the "Marie Curie Programme" in which the Faculty of Engineering participates. This is a major EU research and innovation funding programme, the EU's flagship for doctoral and post-doctoral research training. It aims to strengthen the human potential in research and technology in Europe, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in order to equip researchers with new skills and a broader range of competences, to create attractive working conditions for researchers, to break down real and perceived barriers between academia and other sectors, in particular industry, and to promote industry involvement in doctoral and postdoctoral research.
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Visit to “Toyota” plant

By Sergio Salimbeni on Aug 29th, 2023

On August 29, researcher Rudolf Grünbichler, from the Graz University of Technology, Austria, together with the Dean of the USAL Faculty of Engineering, Marcelo Zanitti; the Director of the Science and Technology Research Institute and Director of the Industrial Engineering Degree, Sergio Salimbeni and a group of students from the Faculty of Engineering, visited the Toyota company plant, in the city of Zárate, Buenos Aires. Mr. Rudolf Grünbichler will be working for a month alongside the Research team within the framework of the International Project SME5.0 belonging to the “Marie-Curie Program”, in which the Faculty of Engineering participates. This is a key EU funding program for research and innovation, EU flagship for doctoral education and postdoctoral training of researchers. Its objective is to strengthen, quantitatively and qualitatively, the human potential in research and technology in Europe with the purpose of providing researchers with new skills and a broader range of competencies; offer attractive working conditions for researchers; break down real and perceived barriers between the academic sector and other sectors, especially business, and promote industry participation in doctoral and postdoctoral research.
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Company Visit - "The Joursey - Imm Farm"

By Marco Berger on Aug 23rd, 2023

On August 23, I paid the 'The Joursey – Imm Farm' in Chiang Mai a visit. The Imm Farm is a dairy farm enterprise, specializing in the production of high-quality milk and an array of dairy delights, including yogurt and ice cream. Within the Imm Farm umbrella, the shop 'The Joursey' sells self-developed and -produced gelato ice cream. Engaging with the owner during the shop tour, we delved into insightful discussions about potential enhancements in the production of raw materials and shop marketing.
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SME 5.0 collaborates with EE4M Erasmus CoVE project

By Erwin Rauch on Aug 21st, 2023

SME 5.0 has started a collaboration with the EU-funded project EE4M-Engineering Excellence in Mobility Value Chains. Project leader and Principal Investigator of EE4M, Dr. Manuel Woschank, is not only a member of the SME 5.0 consortium, but also plays a leading role in work packages and tasks. "Based on the EU project SME 4.0, the implementation of new technologies in small and medium-sized enterprises has already been dealt with intensively. Now, with SME 5.0, the human factor is increasingly taking center stage in research and practice. This also results in the need to adapt training and further education. Both projects want to work together on this topic and complement each other in terms of activities, events and dissemination.
Following a link to Science Austria explaining the synergies between the projects: https://science.apa.at/power-search/5136628948025461011
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Secondment at WPI

By Lars Jakobs on Aug 20th, 2023

During his Secondment at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as part of the SME 5.0 project, Lars Jakobs, a fellow researcher and PhD candidate at the Free University of Bolzano, delved into the development of the Stakeholder and Training Network, focusing on addressing diverse needs through Axiomatic Design. Immersed in various lectures and engaging discussions both with students from WPI and professors Chris Brown, he had the invaluable opportunity to apply Axiomatic Design to conceptualize the foundation of the network.
Under the supervision of Professor Chris Brown, who has collaborated for years with the founder of Axiomatic Design, he gained a profound understanding of this innovative approach which played a pivotal role in systematically considering and addressing the multifaceted requirements of the different stakeholders within the SME 5.0 project. The insights acquired greatly contribute to the overall design and success of the Stakeholder and Training Network, empowering small and medium-sized enterprises towards their sustainable, intelligent, and human-centered transition.
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Dr.Yaibuathet gave SME5.0 keynote speech to Tha SMEs.

By Sakgasem Ramingwong on Aug 15th, 2023

Asst.Prof.Dr.Korrakot Y.Tippayawong gave SME5.0 keynote speech to Thai SMEs during a Ministry of Industry conference.

The event was held at Chiang Mai University Science and Techonolgy Park (CMU STeP) on August 15, 2023.
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New CAx - Meeting with PTC @ Boston

By Christian Landschützer on Aug 8th, 2023

Teaching CAx: Discussion and demonstration of CAx, AR and VR powered product development methods and their integration in modern teaching approaches. Special focus on maintenance within SMEs. Demonstration and hands-on PTC Vuforia Studio within industrial production (https://www.ptc.com/de/products/vuforia) and web-based CAD-solutions (PTC onshape: https://www.onshape.com/en/)
Exchange of TU Graz teaching activities and Life-Long-Learning programmes with special respect to integrated and web-based solutions as well as CAE potentialities. Discussion and hands-on as well as supporting activities from PTC to TU Graz (and the SME 5.0 project); transfer of teaching material from PTC to TU Graz.
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Secondment WPI

By Lars Jakobs on Jul 26th, 2023

As part of the SME 5.0 project, Lars Jakobs, a research assistant and PhD candidate at the Free University of Bolzano, recently had the opportunity to visit the prestigious Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). During his stay, he focused on the development of a Stakeholder and Training Network. This network aims to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the insights gained from our project towards building a sustainable, intelligent, and human-centered industry.
During his time at WPI, he engaged in in-depth knowledge exchange with students and professors, collaborating closely with Professor Chris Brown. This exchange allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of various aspects of American business and university systems, as well as the educational and innovation landscape. The diverse insights and input contribute significantly to the design of the stakeholder and training network and thus to the success of the project.
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Joint Conference Publication.

By Matteo De Marchi on Jul 12th, 2023

Following the secondment at the Malta University, a manuscript has been drafted with the intent to take part to the 17th CIRP Conference on Intelligent Computation in Manufacturing Engineering. Authors of the work have been me myself, Amberlynn Bonello, Emmanuel Francalanza, and Erwin Rauch. The paper has been presented by Prof. Emmanuel Francalanza in presence at the conference event. The abstract of the work is reported hereafter: "The deployment of Digital Twins in the age of Industry 5.0 is shifting towards a more flexible, efficient, sustainable and human-centric approach; providing ample opportunities for the manufacturing field. Having said that, Digital Twins may prove time-consuming, infrastructure-demanding, and potentially overwhelming for hefty data acquisition within simultaneous. This is particularly possible if the manufacturing company in context is a Small-Medium Enterprise (SME). SMEs contribute around 85% of new vacancies in the European Union; yet are still siloed from exploiting the full potential of Industry 4.0 technologies, due to financial hurdles and a potential absence of guidance or awareness. This research work therefore contributes an exemplary digital twin targeted towards the needs of manufacturing SMEs in the light of Industry 5.0, allowing for real-time data retrieval from a UR collaborative robot, a 3D printer and a corresponding MQTT broker. Real-time visualization of parameters such as temperatures, voltages, errors and progress will thus assist SMEs towards adopting an optimal sustainable approach. This paper will therefore outline the methodology behind the development of the digital twin, which can then be modified to incorporate human factors and a more human-centered viewpoint."
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