By Warisa Nakkiew on Jun 4th, 2024
By Seyoum E. Birkie on Jun 1st, 2024
This was mobility for research as part of the SME5.0 project. The sending organization is KTH, Sweden and the hosting organization PFW, USA. the project has been funded by the European Union through the MSCA action. The Event lasted for two months with activities including:
- research meeting for joint research development
- book chapter writing
- industry visit
By Tanel Aruväli on May 21st, 2024
The secondment at the University of Malta lasts 5 weeks.
During this time I went through several interesting and educative activities. Starting with a digital manufacturing laboratory tour and studying doctoral students’ research projects, until the company visit and cultural program in the old capital.
The main aim was to elaborate on research with my host, Prof Emmanuel Francalanza, and submit a conference paper to the ISM2024 conference. The collaboration was successful and our ideas fit well to collect SMEs’ requirements for resilience perspective and evaluate CPPS main characteristics based on these requirements.
In addition, I participated in the SME 5.0 midterm meeting where I had a great opportunity to see the participants from most of the contributing universities.
By Tibor Krenicky on May 15th, 2024
My visit of research laboratories at the Montanuniversität in Leoben on the topics of Smart and Sustainable Workstations continued by analysing and discussing on the topic of requirements and barriers regarding the trends of SME 5.0 and ways to empower workers with different abilities to increase their inclusion within SME jobs with the director of the Institute for Automation and Measurement, Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Thomas Thurner, and Dr. mont. Anika Terbuch from the Department of Product Engineering.
We also discussed possibilities for modelling how digital technologies can empower workers to enhance safety and comfort (physical/cognitive ergonomics) within the concept of Industry 5.0.
By Tanel Aruväli on May 13th, 2024
I gave a guest lecture in Digital Manufacturing study course.
I introduced the digital factory concept and we compared the competing terms, such as smart factory, Industry 4.0 factory and intelligent factory. We went through digital factory life-cycle and digital factory tools. It was great to work with interested and motivated students.
By Tanel Aruväli on May 10th, 2024
We visited a company Seifert Ltd.
The company produces primarily thermal management systems. It is a family company brought over from Germany. The third-generation representative gave us a short introduction of the company and guided a shop floor tour. It was one of the few times, I was able to hear what was spoken in the factory as our guide was excellent in managing his voice.
The factory has been constantly expanding for several years, complementing its know-how and the range of manufacturing processes.
Also, the automation level in the cutting processes was impressive, while assembly processes were mainly manual. This was another great and interesting experience during the secondment.
By Chawis Boonmee and Poti Chaopaisarn on May 6th, 2024
As part of the SME5.0 Project, Assoc. Prof. Chawis Boonmee, D.Eng, and Asst. Prof. Poti Chaopaisarn, Ph.D., were invited as guest speakers to share their expertise in industrial management and smart manufacturing systems. The event took place at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, and brought together academic researchers, industry professionals, and project partners from across Europe.
Assoc. Prof. Chawis Boonmee presented insights into the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, particularly focusing on challenges and opportunities in logistics, supply chain management, and post-disaster resilience. He also highlighted collaborative research findings and ongoing initiatives under the SME5.0 framework in Thailand.
Asst. Prof. Poti Chaopaisarn contributed by sharing applied research and case studies on smart factory development, digital integration in SME operations, and strategies for inclusive and human-centred innovation. His session emphasized the role of adaptive technologies and workforce skill development in driving Industry 5.0 readiness.
The sessions facilitated lively discussion and exchange of perspectives between speakers and participants. Both speakers also engaged in follow-up meetings to explore further research collaborations, future publications, and exchange programs with European institutions.
This event played a key role in fostering international academic cooperation and advancing the shared goals of the SME5.0 Project, particularly in strengthening digital transformation, innovation capacity, and inclusiveness among SMEs globally.
By Wapee Manopiniwes on May 5th, 2024
The second key event during the secondment involved a strategic meeting with Prof. Vladimír Modrák and Assist. Prof. Zuzana Soltysova from the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies, Technical University of Košice (TUKE). The meeting aimed to enhance academic exchange and explore deeper collaboration between TUKE and Chiang Mai University (CMU) within the framework of the SME 5.0 project.
The participants discussed ongoing and future contributions to Work Package 5 (WP5), particularly in the areas of digital innovation for sustainability and resilience in SME manufacturing environments. The dialogue also highlighted the potential for joint research activities, future secondments, and publication opportunities, further reinforcing the shared commitment to supporting SME transformation in both European and Asian contexts. This meeting served as a foundation for building long-term institutional partnerships aligned with the SME 5.0 vision.
By Tanel Aruväli on May 3rd, 2024
Students introduced their projects, which were funded through the Transdisciplinary Research and Knowledge Exchange Complex (TRAKE) program.
10 interesting projects in various fields were introduced, including topics from mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and pharmaceutical engineering.
All the projects were pragmatic and born from real-life problems.
Some examples of the project topics that were addressed were the following: how to manage aircraft emergency landings landing site selection and the landing trajectory, how to reduce fatigue stress in automotive gears using laser shock peening, how brain-computer interface can benefit wheelchair driving, etc.
The event took place in the foyer of the Engineering Research Innovation Labs building.