This paper proposes a preliminary project of a
technology upgrade for a case of study concerning an industry
working on processing and machining of train parts. The
proposed facilities are related to the traceability process of
working activities, to the technological improvements of testing
machines, and to electronic solutions providing new controls of
wagons assigned for railway infrastructure works. The proposed
study is suitable in order to understand how can be formulated
specifications for a research industry project following research
and development principles based on knowledge gain and
prototype implementations. Project Center in Tirunelveli The proposed work concerns a preliminary case of study of
technologies suitable for the improvement of activities of a
company operating in the railway sector, having a particular
know-how in the processing train pieces. To date, the company
has a warehouse of special pieces, of used parts and of
unobtainable parts, whose processing and adaptability
represent the real added value of the company. Another
important value of the industry is the experience in carrying
out specified tests. In this context, the company is increasingly
seeking to combine, structure and use existing scientific and
technological capabilities in order to produce new processes
linked to the automation of current processing procedures. The
automation of the processes to be implemented is mainly
oriented on the warehouse traceability and on new tests
improving existing processes, and achieving efficiency in
terms of work quality and of work reliability. Furthermore, the
automatisms is planned to be implemented by means of
prototypal mechanical components and sensors to adapt to the
current processing and testing systems. In this context the
proposed study is mainly oriented at acquire new knowledge
for the engineering processes linked to the introduction of
technologies to support processing. Following Frascati
guidelines [1], the defined specifications are able to gain the
knowledge by engineering the processes using traceability and
mechanical/pneumatic/mechatronic prototypes and
measurement systems which are not present in the market
(adaptive mechanical system, particular assembly of
components following a functional logic, etc.). Specifically the
traceability system is an integral part of Research and
Development (R&D) topics, and it is used for industrial
engineering oriented on process innovation. Furthermore, the
proposed prototypes which will be analyzed in the project, are
defined as prototypical plant and as potentially patentable pilot
plants. The process innovation to achieve follows the
functional logic of Industry 4.0 about the digitization of
information associated with worker activities. For the
definition of the project specifications, a preliminary feasibility
study was carried out, by analyzing the following state of the
art of science and of industrial research. These studies therefore
serve to define the scenario of the research project, and to
introduce suitable technologies and processes to meet the needs
emerging as a result of preliminary inspections. In [2] some
researchers have shown how the Internet of Things (IoT) can
constitute an important evolution of the enabling technologies
of Industry 4.0. In this context it is therefore important to
design processes able to integrate technologies that can be
interfaced with internet facilities, enabling information
digitization of production processes, data acquisition
automation, and digital linking to the production sites.
In Industry 4.0 traceability plays an important role [3], besides the information digitization represents the first step for the automation of processes [4]. Element of novelty is the use of traceability for the specific case of study where traceability is adopted to find pieces in the warehouse by tracing at the same time the processing history. Each process of upgrading the company information flow, will therefore correspond to a specific process modeling. The modeling and the engineering of the traceability processes in the "manufacturing control systems" can be performed by different model proposed in [5]. Among the versatile technologies that could potentially be used for the development of traceability processes, we recall the barcode and QR code [6]. Furthermore the QR code technology can be used also for the marketing field [7], and can contain data in a "two-dimensional" way [8] thus increasing the knowledge associated with a web page. In [9] and [11] some researchers have analyzed the differences between barcode and QR code systems, finding greater versatility for the latter system. The use of the QR code can therefore potentially bring different benefits to the companies that use it [10], generating at the same time a competitive advantage due to an higher quality of the processes. The barcode and the QR code technologies are suitable for the whole supply chain management [12],[13]. According with the state of the art, QR code could provide major information about, origin, piece processing, and piece history. The traceability is also important for the management of risk processes [14], and can potentially reduce the risks related to misinformation about the history of the processing of mechanical components as for the case of study. The traceability concept can be applied also to test procedures [15], following the steps indicated in [16]. A good traceability tool must be characterized by specific requirements such as those indicated in [17]. In order to improve the production traceability, it is almost always necessary to intervene on the technological upgrade by adding Internet of Things -IoTfunctionalities [18]. https://edottechnologies.in/ The concept of automatic process control, which is the basis of IoT systems, follows a given data flow model that integrates data storage and data process coming from multiple systems [19]. The innovation proposed in the paper concerns also the implementation of IoT prototypes able to measure and optimize mechanical processing and testing by measuring the processing precision and the parameters to control. Another important aspect is the mapping of processes which can be performed by Fishbone Diagram, PDCA (PlanDo-Check-Act) cycle and t Xm-R charts [20]-[23]. According with recent works found in literature, alternative approaches to map process are the enhanced DMAIC (eDMAIC) model [24], machine learning oriented on production quality [25], and artificial neural networks enabling predictive maintenance in Industry 4.0 [26]. All these methodologies can be applied to map the process of the proposed prototypes and to all the technological upgrades in order to scientifically improve the process mapping by defining at the same time an innovative model to predict processing inefficiencies. The goal of the paper is to show how by combining industry needs and suggested requirements can be formulated a scientific research industry project.
In Industry 4.0 traceability plays an important role [3], besides the information digitization represents the first step for the automation of processes [4]. Element of novelty is the use of traceability for the specific case of study where traceability is adopted to find pieces in the warehouse by tracing at the same time the processing history. Each process of upgrading the company information flow, will therefore correspond to a specific process modeling. The modeling and the engineering of the traceability processes in the "manufacturing control systems" can be performed by different model proposed in [5]. Among the versatile technologies that could potentially be used for the development of traceability processes, we recall the barcode and QR code [6]. Furthermore the QR code technology can be used also for the marketing field [7], and can contain data in a "two-dimensional" way [8] thus increasing the knowledge associated with a web page. In [9] and [11] some researchers have analyzed the differences between barcode and QR code systems, finding greater versatility for the latter system. The use of the QR code can therefore potentially bring different benefits to the companies that use it [10], generating at the same time a competitive advantage due to an higher quality of the processes. The barcode and the QR code technologies are suitable for the whole supply chain management [12],[13]. According with the state of the art, QR code could provide major information about, origin, piece processing, and piece history. The traceability is also important for the management of risk processes [14], and can potentially reduce the risks related to misinformation about the history of the processing of mechanical components as for the case of study. The traceability concept can be applied also to test procedures [15], following the steps indicated in [16]. A good traceability tool must be characterized by specific requirements such as those indicated in [17]. In order to improve the production traceability, it is almost always necessary to intervene on the technological upgrade by adding Internet of Things -IoTfunctionalities [18]. https://edottechnologies.in/ The concept of automatic process control, which is the basis of IoT systems, follows a given data flow model that integrates data storage and data process coming from multiple systems [19]. The innovation proposed in the paper concerns also the implementation of IoT prototypes able to measure and optimize mechanical processing and testing by measuring the processing precision and the parameters to control. Another important aspect is the mapping of processes which can be performed by Fishbone Diagram, PDCA (PlanDo-Check-Act) cycle and t Xm-R charts [20]-[23]. According with recent works found in literature, alternative approaches to map process are the enhanced DMAIC (eDMAIC) model [24], machine learning oriented on production quality [25], and artificial neural networks enabling predictive maintenance in Industry 4.0 [26]. All these methodologies can be applied to map the process of the proposed prototypes and to all the technological upgrades in order to scientifically improve the process mapping by defining at the same time an innovative model to predict processing inefficiencies. The goal of the paper is to show how by combining industry needs and suggested requirements can be formulated a scientific research industry project.
PRELIMINAR INDUSTRY PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS
The main criteria and phases adopted for the requirements
definition are the following ones:
- mapping of the actual industry process (processing
mapping “As Is”);
- finding needs about quality process improvements;
- proposing new technologies able to improve
production processes (processing mapping “To Be”);
- formulating a preliminary project integrating new
prototypes and new analysis methodologies.
In this section are listed the main project specifications
based on the state of the art and on the needs of the company:
A. Traceability system
The production team have to manage a warehouse of
special pieces for trains which will be processed and tested in
order to become finished installable products. Each piece must
be cataloged by assigning an unique ID, and labeled with a QR
code. The QR code will contain a link to a specific web page
that will contain all the information related to the component to
process that will become a prototype as a modified piece to
adapt inoperative mechanical systems. The piece can be found
in the following four different states:
• Semi-finished;
• Processed;
• Tested;
• Finished.
EDOT Technologies Once the work piece has been identified, the same is
processed through some processing steps that will allow it to
become a product to be installed on a train. At the end of the
work the testing phase will be carried out to certify that the
piece is suitable for the new installation. All performed tests
must be stored into a special database system containing all the
information about the processing traceability: at any time it is
possible, through the reading of the QR code, to visualize the
whole piece history (main data, works carried out, tests carried
out, measurements, etc.). In Fig. 1 is illustrated a designed
layout concerning the traceability system of the case of study:
the layout indicates the network infrastructure with the
classification of the areas subject to traceability (see also block
diagram of Fig. 2). The proposed network infrastructure
represents a technological upgrade necessary for the definition
of new processes linked to traceability. About the proposed
layout, will be implemented the following elements:
• 1 physical server to be placed at the offices;
• 1 connection PC;
• 1 labeller to be placed at the offices;
• 5 access points;
• 1 network switch;
• 2 QR code readers of mobile type;
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