Zero-SWARM project advances sustainable manufacturing with trials across Europe

Zero-SWARM project is a comprehensive initiative that seeks to evaluate and validate a range of emerging technologies related to smart manufacturing, automation, and sustainable energy management. This project involves a series of trials across three main locations in Europe: North, Central, and South.

In the North node, four trials are currently in progress. The first trial focuses on implementing smart assembly techniques for cabinet production at the ABB factory in Finland. The second and third trials aim to improve resilience through remote operation in mass-customized production and sustainable powertrains, respectively. These trials are conducted by the AALTO Factory of the Future in Finland. The fourth trial explores the use of 5G-powered PLCs for real-time communication in distributed control systems, and it is being carried out by the Industrial Computing, Communication, and Control Lab in Sweden.

At the Central node, there are three ongoing trials. The first trial is centered around safe and autonomous transportation of goods in factory shop floors using 5G technology. This trial is being conducted by the Demonstration Factory Aachen in Germany. The second trial is related to 5G-enabled process-aware AGVs, and it is being conducted by the Production Technology Center in Germany. The third trial involves plug-and-connect 5G industrial network setups for industrial operations, and it is being tested by the SMS Digital GmbH testbed, also in Germany.

In the South node, three trials are currently underway. The first trial focuses on the use of mobile intelligent agents for integrated reconfigurability of the zero plastic waste production line, conducted by Reepack’s open innovation laboratory in Italy. The second trial centers on an edge-cloud continuum to support smart maintenance and optimization, also conducted by Reepack’s open innovation laboratory in Italy. The third trial involves 5G-enabled remote quality control for zero-defect resilient manufacturing, which is being conducted by the Automotive Intelligence Centre and Laser Applications Center in Spain.

Overall, the Zero-SWARM project aims to encourage innovation and sustainability in European industries by testing and validating new technologies through these trials.