Green Tech Magazine December 2017 en

GREEN TECH MAGAZINE
December 2017
Visionary Grätzel cells provide power
to the world’s 1 st energy glass tower
Photo: Beat Schweizer
Predictive maintenance is booming
in the field of green machine and plant engineering
New upcycling process for
high-quality recycled plastic materials

2 CONTENT
04
DEAR READERS,
The world’s 1st in green tech. The companies
in the Green Tech Valley and the
Green Tech Cluster have their sights
firmly set on technology leadership in
the field of environmental technology.
With the Science Tower in Graz, this
has once again been proven impressively:
For the first time in the world, the
Grätzel cell is being used as a transparent
energy glass for power generation
on a large scale. A milestone in the
scaling of this technology by Global
Energy Prize Winner 2017 Prof. Michael
Grätzel, implemented by a pioneering
Styrian company.
The world‘s largest pumped storage
power plant with its technological heart
from Styria sets ‘world‘s 1st’ standards,
as does the plastics recycling
qualities that became possible thanks
to a ‘green talent’.
The path to technological innovation
is changing. This Green Tech Magazine
provides the tools you need to develop
agile and user-centric products and
services and reports on growth opportunities
made possible by predictive
maintenance and more sustainable
building use through building information
modelling.
We hope you will be able to draw
much inspiration for your next ‘world‘s
1st’ project.
Bernhard Puttinger
Green Tech Cluster Styria
Team
09
Two world premieres
at the self-sufficient
Science Tower in Graz
Page 04
Building information modelling
for green optimisation
and growth
Page 06
World news:
Largest pumped-storage power
plant & more
Page 09
Quality recycled material for
new value creation processes
Page 11
AT/028/014
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+43 316 40 77 44-0, welcome@greentech.at, www.greentech.at. Content and project management: Andreas
Pompenig, Bernhard Puttinger | Production: Die Steirerin Verlags GmbH & Co KG, Schubertstraße 29/1, 8010 Graz,
Tel.: +43 316 84 12 12-0, www.diesteirerin.at | Print: Medienfabrik Graz GmbH, www.mfg.at
06
10
Latest
Highlights
The Styrian waste management
industry’s ‘Rund geht’s’
recycling campaign
Page 10
Predictive maintenance
for green machines &
plants is booming
Page 14
11
14
The print is according to the
rules „Druckerzeugnisse“
of the Austrian Ecolabel,
Medienfabrik Graz, UW-Nr. 812
Credits: Harry Schiffer, Alexander Koch, Dr. Michael Grobbauer, SFL technologies GmbH, dieindustrie.at/Mathias Kniepeiss, autodesk, provided

World News
GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 3
A record year for renewables
In the current World Energy Outlook published by the International
Energy Agency (IEA), solar power was the form of electricity
generation with the strongest capacity growth worldwide in
2016, especially in China and India. Renewables have overtaken
gas as the second most important source of power in 2016. According
to the IEA, global use of renewable energies will increase
by a further 43 % by 2022. Furthermore, the growth of renewable
energies will be twice as high as that of gas and coal combined.
www.iea.org/renewables
Graphic: 40 % of the energy produced across the globe is used for
heating which also holds the most potential for economical applications
on the way to a heat energy transition.
Global outlook:
Renewable Power
Renewable heat
Renewable mobility
2016 2022
24 % 30 %
9 % 11 %
4 % 4,5 %
Energy revolution in China
The rapid economic growth of the People‘s Republic of China over
the past decades has contributed to serious environmental pollution.
In order to counteract the high level of air pollution, it was not
until October 2017 that more than 176,000 factories and 44,000
coal-fired power plants, which did not meet the specified emission
targets, had to cease operations. Furthermore, the current fiveyear
plan is intended to yield a u-turn. The aim is, among other
things, to reduce CO 2
emissions/GDP by 18 %, to reduce energy
consumption/GDP by 15 % and water consumption/GDP by 23 %.
german.china.org.cn
The world’s first floating wind farm
The Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, 25 kilometres off the Scottish
coastal town of Peterhead, is the world‘s first floating wind farm.
According to Norwegian energy group Statoil, the plant serves as
a model for a new type of offshore wind farm, which offers a major
advantage over conventional plants. Wind turbines with a fixed
foundation can no longer be used from a water depth of 50 metres.
Worldwide, 95 % of all coastal areas are therefore unsuitable for
stationary wind farms. www.statoil.com
Credits: statoil.com, Shutterstock
World-wide emission trade under discussion
The world must do something to get the rising CO 2
emissions under
control. This was also one of the major topics at the World Climate
Conference in Bonn. A possible important step in this direction
would be to merge the emissions trading markets of the European
Union and the US state of California. Initial talks on this matter took
place in Brussels between EU Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias
Cañete and California’s Governor Jerry Brown. The aim would be
to establish a kind of institution that could also be joined by other
states and provinces. www.eu-umweltbuero.at

4
A beacon for
green technology
The future is being
redesigned at Smart City
Graz. The Science Tower, for
whose construction Grätzel
energy glass was used on
a large scale for the first
time in the world, forms the
technological heart.
The building shows how
intelligently and sustainably
green tech can alter our
urban environment.
Graz in Austria is growing constantly, and it needs
smart planning to be able to master the future’s
challenges. In Smart City Graz, a district is being
created close to the main station which promises
just that. Urban structures are being re-imagined,
existing buildings are being consolidated and the
new living space is being connected to a good
public transport network. Intelligent building and
façade technology doing their work quietly in the
background turn the buildings into power plants
whose electricity is used up within the district itself.
This district’s beacon project and literal beacon is
the Science Tower which has been opened recently.
Costing 16 million Euros and standing 60 metres
tall, the tower serves as the world’s first power load
tower that – in its function of a ‘living lab’ – links
research, development and industry. It furthermore

GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 5
INNOVATIVE. The
Science Tower has
been designed as a
‘Living Lab’. It links
research, development
and industry.
Credits: Harry Schiffer
houses the Green Tech Cluster and other
companies dealing in topics pertaining to a
green future.
100 % renewable energy
From a technological view the Science Tower
is a project used to demonstrate urban technology
aimed at ‘zero emissions’, says Smart
City Graz Project Manager Kai-Uwe Hoffer.
The project’s objective is to supply the city of
Graz with power from the region produced
from renewable sources by 2050. The Science
Tower is part of a local power and energy
network which also includes the large
solar power system running at the premises
of SFL technologies in Stallhofen (SFL energrid).
Using the heat storage system beneath
the building and heat pumps, the tower’s entire
energy demand can be covered with solar
power, says Mario Müller from SFL technologies.
First large-scale use of Grätzel cells
Power is mostly generated through the energy
glass which converts (sun) light into electrical
energy. Contrary to traditional photovoltaic
cells, the energy glass of this Grätzel cell
is dye-sensitised. Its creator, Swiss researcher
Michael Grätzel, invented the principle in the
early 1990s. Similar to photosynthesis, his cells
convert sunlight into energy using a dye. The
glass consists of two coated adjacent panes
of glass with the gap in between filled with a
coloured electrolyte. Thus, it can receive light
“Without a doubt, the Science Tower
will become a magnet –
and not just for Europe but
for the entire world.“
Prof. Michael Grätzel,
Swiss researcher and winner of the
Global Energy Prize 2017
from both sides. Never before have Grätzel
cells been used at such a large scale as on the
Science Tower. The raw material is produced
in Switzerland, refined in St. Marein in Styria,
while the components are prepared for installation
at Stallhofen. Researchers are already
working on the next generation of Grätzel
cells. These are expected to achieve a degree
of efficiency of more than 20 %.
The new sun-powered clock tower
In the summer, the heat produced by the façade
technology is routed into the ground
via the geothermal system using twelve geothermal
probes with a depth of 200 metres
and a length of 2.4 kilometres each. Come
winter, the heat is retrieved from the ground
and increased to heating temperature by the
heat pumps. Another special feature of the
Science Tower is the use of special thin glass
in a large format suitable for buildings and its
moving sun protection system in the façade
which orbits the tower once every 24 hours.
It supplies optimal power yield, provides
shade for the office space and – just like a
sun dial – shows the time, too. “That probably
makes the Science Tower the clock tower
of the right hand bank of the Mur River and
of the digital age,” Mario Müller states with
a smirk.
Building management 4.0
Talking about digital: Thanks to building information
modelling (BIM) – a sort of 4.0 in
building management – the tower’s building
technology is controlled digitally. Using this
technology, a twin of the Science Tower is
created that can be used to simulate many
things: Incidence of light, assembly processes,
facility management and of course costs.
BIM is an enormous help, because changes
in such a large building usually have other effects
and the error redundancy is great. It
is therefore important to work digitally on
the correction of error chains. For ultimately,
several buildings at Smart City are to act as
generators in the future, mini power plants
that will form a large power plant when combined.
www.smartcitygraz.at
info.science-tower.at

6
BIM – Construction
industry 4.0 as a
growth potential
From planning to dismantling: Building Information Modeling (BIM)
makes buildings transparent.
architects who define façade elements or
other components within the framework
of possible parameters. The data is automated
and machine-readable and provides
an ideal basis for mass customised
components.
According to Michael Monsberger from
the Graz University of Technology, BIM is
already being used in official construction
procedures in Singapore. Instead of a 2D
plan, one can also submit BIM data. Based
on the parametric design model, one can
also carry out automatic tests, for example,
to ensure compliance with standards
or other rules.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
is the continuous use of a digital building
model throughout its entire life cycle, from
planning to dismantling. BIM will bring fundamental
changes but also opportunities
that should be exploited for all players in
the construction industry. At the moment
there is no obligation to carry out projects
according to the BIM method, but the
percentage of BIM projects is on the rise
nonetheless. In addition to geometric information
(3D) many other data (‘BIM dimensions’)
are incorporated into a BIM
model and are ideally available in a clear
and consistent manner. If this digital data
is used consistently throughout all phases
of the building‘s life cycle, a significant increase
in productivity and quality as well
as error prevention can be achieved. The
dimensions of BIM range from the integration
of aspects such as time (4D), costs
(5D), sustainability (6D) to facility management
(7D).
BIM conquers global markets
BIM models are refined over the course of
the different project phases. A BIM model
always consists of geometric and nongeometric
information. The level of detail
(LoD) describes the geometric requirements
for components, while the level of
information (LOI) describes the degree
and scope of alphanumeric information.
For component manufacturers such as
producers of ventilation systems or heat
generators, the challenge will be to create
their digital components (BIM objects)
with respect to LoD and LOI in such a way
that they can be easily integrated into their
planning process.
BIM also offers the possibility to parameterise
objects and make them smart. This
creates rules on how modifying parameters
within the model affects and influences
other processes. Due to the parameterisation,
BIM is also exciting for mass
customised components, for instance for
Green optimisation through BIM
BIM 6D, integrates sustainability aspects
into the 3D model. For example, one can
determine the grey energy of buildings.
All materials that have been used for the
building are saved in this model, for instance
(urban mining). Monsberger: “BIM
is a tool that creates many possibilities
for modelling. However, it must always be
seen holistically. For this purpose, it is necessary
to continually develop the model.”
Furthermore, it requires new work structures,
know-how and experience as well as
intense teamwork and the exchange of information
in order to map all data relevant
to the modelling process.
Not least, BIM will play a major role in facility
and life cycle management. Monsberger
emphasises, however, that this will only
work if all relevant information such as installed
products are depicted in the model
at an appropriate depth of data in order to
generate sustainable benefits and to be able
to service the building in a targeted manner.
www.bbw.tugraz.at
Credit: autodesk

GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 7
Explore
Create
Prototype
Launch
• Market and trend
analyses using
artificial intelligence
• Identifying innovation
potential through
virtual reality
• Technology scouting
using an intelligent
algorithm
• Hologram construction
• Product development
using tele-co-creation
• Business
model canvas
• Open innovation tools
• Design thinking
methods
• Rapid prototyping
using 3D printing
• Printed
electronics
• Bionic construction
• SCRUM – agile
processes
• Nano prototypes
• Customer co-creation
• Lead user beta testers
• Market entry
via platform
• Lean start-up
methods
• Market entry to
print yourself
Existing and future tools for innovation processes
Agile innovation
Innovation is increasingly becoming part
of every company‘s DNA. The Green Tech
Cluster‘s Innovation Box offers plug & play
tools for agile innovation.
Innovation
box
Credits: provided
Every company needs innovation to remain
competitive and secure its long-term
success. Trends show that innovation cycles
are becoming shorter due to new
technologies, and yet R&D budgets are not
being increased. In order not to lose market
share to radical and disruptive innovations,
which are mostly driven by increasing
digitalisation, companies have to be
fast. Speed is gained through agile innovation
methods.
Iterative feedback
Agile methods put the customer at the centre
of attention. Hypotheses are checked
via iterative feedback loops and finally
converted into a solution. Rigidly planned
processes are thus replaced by flexible
ones. The focus is on quickly identifying
customer needs and reacting to changes
in a flexible manner.
Artificial Intelligence
Technologically, agile innovation is supported
by artificial intelligence algorithms.
Above all, the demand for AI
software in technology scouting is increasing
significantly. Virtual reality applications,
such as tele-co-creation and
hologram construction, make it easier
to identify innovation potential through
interactive collaboration with customers.
Swiftly printed prototypes simplify
construction work.
The Green Tech Cluster offers you an
innovation box for agile innovation management.
It includes agile methods as
well as detailed instructions and materials
with which you can secure your competitive
advantage (German language):
greentech.at/innovationsbox

8
Fresh
Green million-Euro investment
Styrian plant engineering firm BDI is investing around 16 million Euros
in the construction of an industrial plant for the production of
algae biomass in Hartberg, Austria. After intensive research, it has
succeeded in developing a new indoor breeding system that allows
the algae to grow as quickly as possible. The prerequisite for this is
a completely closed system that eliminates any negative external
influences. The algae-based additives are in high demand especially
in the food supplements and cosmetics industry. The groundbreaking
ceremony for the automated plant will take place this year.
www.bdi-biolifescience.com
New circuit board recycling process
Styrian start-up UrbanGold and its partners have been awarded a
major order from Russia for a compact UrbanGold system, which is
unique in the world. For the first time, UrbanGold’s process will be
used to extract high-purity copper, nickel, gold, silver and platinum
from old circuit boards. The plant sets a new standard in the processing
of e-waste and serves as a reference for the international roll-out
of UrbanGold technologies. Starting at the end of 2018, some 6,000
tonnes of circuit boards will be processed in the Moscow area.
www.urbangold.at
Chinese market leader relies
on technology from Styria
The Chinese Fortune 500 company Midea is building a research and
innovation centre on the outskirts of Graz. The new site is equipped
with modern electrical engineering, chemistry and application laboratories.
The research focus is on innovation, industry 4.0 and smart
manufacturing. The centre’s aim is to develop state-of-the-art and
efficient compressors. Styria was chosen as the location because
it is a well-known research and development centre in Europe.
www.midea.com
Containers for safe battery recycling
From e-bikes to smart phones – lithium-ion batteries and other
rechargeable batteries are used in many everyday and household
appliances. Presenting a fire hazard due to their high probability of
spontaneous combustion, however, they require particularly careful
handling. For this purpose, Saubermacher has now launched a designated
special barrel for the safe storage and professional transport
of these lithium-ion batteries. Development took 6 months and was
carried out as part of a project initiated by the Green Tech Cluster.
www.saubermacher.at
Credits: BDI, lShutterstock.com, Saubermacher/Scheriau, Schrott24

GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 9
Green Tech
Turbines for the world’s largest
pumped storage power plant
The international technology group ANDRITZ has been awarded
an order to supply two speed-controlled pump turbines for the
world’s largest pumped storage power plant. The cavern power
plant in Fengning, China, with a peak output of 12 x 300 MW
(3600 MW) , will put all power plants built previously to shame.
In comparison, the largest pumped storage power plant in operation
in Austria (main “Malta” stage in Carinthia) has a peak output
of 730 MW. The project is scheduled for completion in 2021.
www.andritz.at
Grazer Start-up exploits
government aircraft
Discontinued passenger aircraft are a veritable gold mine for recycling
companies and scrap metal recyclers. Graz-based start-up Schrott24 has
now secured two of these aircrafts. Together with a Slovakian partner,
the two Airbus 310s, which were formerly in the service of the Belgian
government, will be professionally dismantled. Schrott24 will take care
of marketing the approximately 100 tonnes of aluminium, titanium, copper
and steel. The contract also shows that digital platforms such as
these are increasingly penetrating traditional business-to-business sectors
such as the scrap metal industry. www.schrott24.at
High-tech waste
treatment for China
Credits: dieindustrie.at/Mathias Kniepeiss, Midea, REDWAVE
Innovative film for
solar power industry
ISOVOLTAIC launches a new backing film made of co-extruded
polypropylene (PP) for the solar power industry. The PP materials
used form the core layer and the outer layers of the backing
film. These extend the service life of PV modules and ensure high
operational reliability. Since there is no need for adhesive layers on
the backing film, there is also no risk of delamination between the
individual layers. The innovative product has been developed in cooperation
with the plastics specialist Borealis and is produced close
to Graz, Austria. www.isovoltaic.com
The recycling specialist REDWAVE will upgrade a waste incineration
plant north of Shanghai with an upstream plant for domestic
waste treatment. The particular challenge is that the Chinese household
waste has a high water content, which goes hand in hand with
a low calorific value. Using the new mechanical biological waste
treatment (MBA) system, it is possible to increase the calorific value
and reduce residual moisture in the waste. After various treatment
steps, this results in a homogeneous, high-quality substitute fuel.
www.redwave.com

10
Waste management
is where it’s at
Committed companies and conscientious pre-sorting by customers are required
to turn waste into many valuable raw materials. The campaign ‘Rund geht‘s’
initiated by the Austrian waste management industry with the support of the
Province of Styria shows how awareness for recycling is created professionally.
From cable clutter to the new computer
and from copper scrap to coins. The ‘Rund
geht’s’ initiative uses creative case studies
to show how new products are created
from supposed waste. The campaign was
initiated by the Austrian waste management
industry – supported among others
by the Province of Styria – and is an ideal
platform for companies to present their
best practice examples.
From residual waste to bicycles
Waste is a valuable raw material. The Styrian
‘Rund geht’s’ partners’ examples and
exciting ReUse projects prove this. Wornout
tyres collected by Tyrec Wertstoffservice
are – among other purposes – used as
components for fall protection mats on children’s
playgrounds.
Mayer Recycling filters metal composites
from municipal waste. They are professionally
separated, prepared and processed into
components for the manufacture of bicycles.
Then, there is Müllex-Umwelt-Säuberung
that receives about 20,000 tonnes of waste
wood per year and produces versatile chipboards
for the construction and furniture
industry.
Top collectors
Separation and recycling is generally of particular
importance in Austria. The Austrians
collect around 482 kilograms of waste per
person. This is divided into 40 % residual
and bulky waste and 60 % separate collection.
This presents enormous potential
to extract the raw materials for tomorrow
from yesterday’s waste. In a European comparison
of 32 countries, Austria occupies an
absolute top position with a material recycling
rate of 66 %.
Good for the environment, but not just! Municipal
waste management secures roughly
14,800 jobs per year to which private sector
adds another 25,000 jobs.
www.rundgehts.at
www.steiermark.at
Credits: Shutterstock

ecHQ in granulate form which
is used to make Trodat stamps.
GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 11
Plastic waste as a
reusable raw material
Employing the help of a new value-added process, new goods can be replaced
by quality recyclates in a technically and economically sensible way.
Credits: Alex Koch, Katharina Wassler, Trodat
What can material recycling
of plastics achieve?
Secondary raw materials in the plastics sector
have so far barely been used in high-quality
products due to the quality requirements. Our
goal is to keep valuable plastics in the product
cycle as long as possible and to manufacture
functional components entirely from recycled
material. This enables us to achieve a significant
reduction in CO 2
emissions and high resource
efficiency, because the plastic does not have
to be manufactured again at great expense.
An important requirement in this process is
cost saving, only then can one actually speak
of sustainability on a social, ecological and
economic level.
What does the upcycling process
look like?
In the course of the Rec2TecPart research project
we were able to prove that virgin material
can be replaced by recycled material entirely
sensibly from a technical and economical
perspective. We have demonstrated this using
the plastic streams of three products: an
automotive interior part, a stamp and a multi-layer
film. The process looks like this: We
start with the market’s requirements, define
what a product needs and only then tap into
the adequate secondary ‘post-industrial’ and
GREEN TALENTS –
Introducing young
researchers
Matthias Katschnig, Plastics
Engineer:
Matthias Katschnig studied
plastics technology and
industrial management at
Montanuniversität Leoben.
He is currently writing his
dissertation at the chair of
plastics processing. One of
his research foci is plastics
upcycling.
‘post-consumer’ material sources for the customised,
high-quality material RecHQ. This is
the only way to know that we can work economically.
What results has research led to?
We have made it all the way to industrial implementation
with the upcycling of the plastic
POM. Together with the plastics processor
Thermoplastkreislauf and product manufacturer
Trodat, we have brought a stamp entirely
made from quality recycled material to
series production maturity. One million units
are now produced in a CO 2
-neutral way every
year. That’s a great achievement. Every kilo
of plastic that does not have to be produced
saves around two to four kilos of CO 2
.
What other possibilities do
these insights open up?
We are already going one step further. In the
framework of our latest research project called
Tex2Mat we are trying to dissolve plastic fibres
from textiles, granulate them and make
them suitable for spinning again to allow these
fibres to be incorporated into textiles again.
Clothes shall thus become clothes again. The
use of PET from bottles for textiles is already
being practised, after all. But our approach is
completely new.

12
Crystalline
solar power
cell dyed using
PLASMONICS.
Novel colour
coating benefits
solar power
In Austria, installation areas for solar power systems can be found where exposed
areas are primarily used for agricultural purposes, predominantly on buildings.
JOANNEUM RESEARCH has developed visually appealing new solutions.
Anyone who builds new buildings today
often does so using renewable energy –
and this is where the cost-effective solar
power technology based on crystalline silicon
solar cells, which is characterised by
its shiny blue-black surface, truly shines.
Within the framework of the interdisciplinary
PV@Fassade project in whose context
JOANNEUM RESEARCH played a major
role, nine Austrian partners from the industry
and research community led by the
Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry
and Technology worked on the development
of solutions for building-integrated
solar power.
Optical coordination
Not just roof surfaces, but also façades,
balconies and canopies could be used increasingly
to install solar power systems in
the future. The challenge was to visually
match the solar power cells to the building
and to reduce such attempts’ adverse
effects on the performance of the modules
to a minimum. This is particularly important
in urban areas, for example in old
towns in terms of gaining the acceptance
of population, developers and planners.
Among other things, JOANNEUM
RESEARCH developed coatings that enhance
the modules regarding their appearance
and functionality. Different
colour variations can be created by
printing or coating the covering
glass surfaces or the solar cells in the
module. Numerous coating processes
of crystalline silicon solar cells were tested
and different colour samples were produced.
“A coating technology based on
the use of plasmonic effects is particularly
interesting and innovative,” says Gerhard
Peharz, Project Manager at MATERIALS,
JOANNEUM RESEARCH’s Institute of Surface
Technologies and Photonics.
Plasmonic dyes
The term plasmonic describes the interaction
of light on metallic nano-particles.
The influence of these on the properties
and performance of the solar power elements
was determined both in the laboratory
and by means of long-term measurements
on a test façade. The results obtained
are very promising and it has been
shown that plasmonic dyes are extremely
reliable and yield low power losses.
Gerhard Peharz
Tel.: 0316/876-32 05
gerhard.peharz@joanneum.at
www.joanneum.at
Information &
contact
MATERIALS – Institute for Surface Technologies
and Photonics at JOANNEUM
RESEARCH offers interdisciplinary solutions
for the entire value chain. These
include large-scale micro and nano
structures, bio- and chemosensors,
light technologies, functional surfaces
and laser processes.
Credits: Dr. Michael Grobbauer, SFL technologies GmbH, beigestellt

GREEN TECH MAGAZINE 13
Green
Lifestyle
Stylish water saver
With her fitting called ‘Eve’
industrial designer Rebecca
Daum from Graz combines
modern design with sustainability.
An integrated consumption
indicator raises
awareness of daily water
consumption and thus encourages
the sustainable use
of water as a raw material.
In addition, an app can be
used to set the water volume,
retrieve statistics and compare
the results with friends.
www.rebeccadaum.com
NASA technology on your wrist
The Matrix PowerWatch draws the energy for the battery
from the wearer’s body heat. The watch uses thermoelectric
technology to convert heat into electricity. This technology has
already been used by NASA to propel its Voyager space craft and
the mars rover Curiosity. Did you know? At rest, the human body
emits 100 watts of energy. When exercising, this figure increases
to one kilowatt. www.powerwatch.com
Credits: powerwatch.com, petitpli.com, Rebecca Daum, www.vpz.at
Clothing that grows with you
Children go through seven sizes of clothing in their first two years
of life. Clothing that grows with the child would definitely come in
handy. No problem, for such clothing is no longer science fiction.
London-based inventor Ryan Yasin has designed children’s
clothing for his Petit Pli (‘little wrinkle’) label which, using a special
fabric folding solution, can be extended to four times its original
area, thus fitting children from their fourth to their 36th month.
The accordion-like structure is additionally heated in advance in
order to withstand stress such as washing cycles and spin cycles.
www.petitpli.com
Green all the way:
Packaging and labels
In shopping, more and more emphasis is placed on quality and
origin. It goes without saying that attention is also attached
to sustainable packaging. In 3 years of development, the VPZ
Packaging Center in Graz, together with IM Polymer, Lenzing Plastics
and the Marchfeldgemüse producer organisation, developed a new
bio-compound material made of cellulose paper and bio-film for
packaging labels. All raw materials used for this purpose are of
biogenic or mineral origin and compostable and have been awarded
the Green Packaging Star Award 2017. www.vpz.at

14
Digital
service
excellence
The term predictive maintenance describes the anticipatory digital
maintenance of environmental technology machines and plants.
It prolongs life cycles and reduces the environmental impact.
Annually the market grows by 20 to 40 %.
“The drive components of all our machines
require oil to function properly. We have defined
criteria for assessing the condition of
power train components by means of components
in the oil and their concentration. In
the case of gearboxes, we know what is likely
to cause bearing damage,” says Komptech’s
Managing Director Christian Oberwinkler.
Customers can send oil samples to a central
laboratory every 250 to 500 operating hours.
Should one of the components show a critical
concentration, the customer receives suggestions
for the necessary measures.
“Machine availability is a decisive competitive
advantage for us because it is vital to our
customers’ business success,” says Oberwinkler
and adds that “the next challenge will
be to integrate manual models for predictive
maintenance into the available digital
tools. In this respect, we are dependent on
the development of sensor technology and
its costs.” Predictive maintenance minimises
maintenance effort and costs. 70 % of the
total operating costs of machines and systems
are incurred during the service phases.
Predictive Maintenance is booming
“PM has established itself as an important industry
trend in the European mechanical engineering
sector. Experts worldwide expect
the market to grow by 20 to 40 % annually
across all industries and fields of application,”
Sebastian Feldmann and Vladimir Preveden
of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants state.
Nevertheless, many companies find it difficult
to arrive at a clear strategy and development
budgets.
“The aviation industry is a pioneer, the automotive
industry is following suit, and railways
are just beginning to do so,” says Helmut
Ritter, Head of Engineering for Bogies
at Siemens Mobility in Graz. Siemens is responsible
for the construction, maintenance
and availability of train fleets. From mid-2018
onwards, data on the condition of certain
components will be provided in order to predict
and correct errors before they occur, to
provide maintenance recommendations or
to inform about the remaining service life.
For the most part, the system uses vibration
sensors.
In order to be able to perform PM, sensors,
data transfer and data processing must be
integrated into a service package. “IT and
sensor technology offer many possibilities;
the topic has gained new momentum with
today’s technical possibilities, because it is
now possible to process and evaluate a lot of
data,” says Ritter. The results of the analysis
can also be used to optimise the logistics for
the necessary replacement of components.
However: It is particularly important – also
with regards to costs – to carry out relevant
measurements for a high data quality and
to interpret the results. This is usually done
by adjusting the error patterns using stochastic
algorithms. “The know-how lies in
the subsequent processing of raw data. It’s
all about knowing what a triggered sensor
means: Does it – in the case of trains – show
problems with a component or an irregularity
on the track, for instance?” Experience
values are just as relevant as knowledge of
the ageing process of materials.
Wolfgang Jilek’s Cartoon – Just in time maintenance
New service models
Franz Langmayr, Managing Director of Uptime
Engineering, points out that “PM can
only be used economically under certain conditions:
in case of high investment value, high
follow-up costs or high availability requirements.”
The more diverse component stress
is, the more profitable an investment will be.

SEQUENCE AND DECISIONCONTROL
Total asset decisions
R ICE AND BUSINESSMODELS
SERV
Automatized working instructions and
material for service teams
“Closed-loop”
quality management
Computerized maintenance
monitoring system
Customised planning of
maintenance activities
20 22
20 22
Multi-partner
management
Full operations
outsourcing
Optimisation of asset
lifecycle management
Risk protection
Uptime guarantees
Pay per X
model
Fully automatized
service workflow
Experience models
Working instructions / secondments /
mobile teams
Internal product
optimisation
Working
instructions and material
for local servicing
Training
and education
Individualised
software / algorithm
Enterprise total
asset mgmt./TCO
Machine learning /
artificial intelligence
Real time data/image prognosis
Software robots
Marketplace solution:
Platform for different
applications
Digital design and local
3D spare part printing
Service cost
optimisation (cont.)
Optimised warehouse &
supply chain (produce
to order)
Automatization
of service
Spare part
management
Continuous
improvement process
Focus training
and education
Trend
analysis
Correlation
analysis
Pattern recognition
(single state)
Pattern recognition
(fleet)
Edge prediction
Automated domain
know-how
20 22
20 17
Sensors for “ultra high
robustness”
SENSORS
Autonomous drones for
(i.e. thermographic) inspections
Novel sensors (design, installation,
capturing signals)
Intelligent sensors for unstructured data
Advanced nondestructive
testing (z.B. Ultrasonic)
Plug & Play solutions
Intelligent sensors for
structured data
Brownfield
dongles etc.
Selective visualisation system data
of deviations
Blockchain Fully automated
Data storage
root-cause-analysis
(clouds etc.) Sensor fusion
Short range, low power
transmissions (e.g. NFC)
Customized UI/
visualisation
Diagnostic servers
Data structuring / automated index /
selection / machine learning / AI
Realtime data analysis /
big data
Supply chain
integration
Customer decision-making
integration
Global remote
data access
Fully automated
image analysis
Integration external data
sources (i.e. weather)
Integration of production-,
process- and ecological
Edge computing/
analytics
Local sensor analytics/
in-memory computing
Diagnostic fusion
(diagnose matching)
20 22
GREEN TECH RADAR.
The PM topics of prognosis,
process control
and service models
require comprehensive
innovation.
20 22
DA
A
D T
AT
AND SIGNA
TA
N L PROCESSING
NA
FORECASTING ABILITY
Pattern recognition
and forecast
( process- and ecological
system data)
20 22
A NOSIS
CONDITION MONITORINGANDDIAG
AG
Relevance of devolopment
low
average
high
Type of development
radical
incremental
Green Tech
Radar
Credits: Shutterstock, beigestellt, CARTOON: Wolfgang Jilek
In addition, companies would have to deal
with possible business cases more intensively
than before. Deep learning – self-learning
algorithms for relevant results from heterogeneous
data – works in market research,
but “there are still no convincing solutions
in the field of technology.” That’s why Langmayr
and his team are pursuing an alternative,
engineering-based approach: “We create
models that predict system behaviour
as a function of stress history and framework
conditions and use these models to
detect deviations. In a second step, we feed
an expert system with the know-how about
failure possibilities in order to automate the
diagnosis of causes. We use the diagnosis to
select damage models we use to calculate
the residual life.”
The possibilities of data collection are immense
while processing remains challenging, Feldmann
and Preveden sum up. According to
them, PM does not replace physical maintenance
and customer orientation, but offers forward-looking
ways of differentiating service.
www.greentech.at/print
Exclusively
from
the Green
Tech Radar:
Predictive
maintenance
opens
up growth
opportunities
for cluster
partners.

16
Did you know?
Drone-supported forestry
The reforestation of hard-to-reach areas is the focus of a new
project being implemented by the British company BioCarbon
Engineering. Researchers have developed a drone system
that automatically plants trees. After a scanner drone has identified
the optimal locations for seedlings, other drones are
used for planting. Further advantages of the system: It is faster
than manual planting and costs are reduced to one-fifth.
www.biocarbonengineering.com
Let the light in!
Translucent, multifunctional and produced by a 3D printer. Architects
from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed
functionally integrated façade elements that offer plenty of space
for architectural design. A particularly practical aspect: Functions
such as ventilation, insulation or shading are already integrated into
the new façade. Among other things, the ‘Fluid Morphology’ façade
concept is aimed at reducing building technology, establishing
a closed material cycle and simplifying the construction process by
making sensible use of digital tools. www.hk.ar.tum.de
These plants are super
And rather smart. Hyperaccumulators or ‘superplants’, of which
there are around 500 different species in the world, take up toxic
metals such as nickel, cadmium or zinc into their leaves via the soil,
thus protecting themselves against predators. This self-protection,
also known as phytomining, has two major advantages for humans
and the environment. On the one hand, toxic metals are filtered out
of the soil and made fertile again for crops. On the other hand, the
metals can be recovered by burning the plants. One hectare of the
plant Berkheya Coddii, for example, stores 170 kilograms of nickel.
www.sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.at
The world’s first shoes made from algae
Polyurethane, the main component of shoe soles and produced
using petroleum, is one of the largest pollutants present in the oceans.
To counteract this problem, researchers at the University of California
presented the world‘s first flip-flops produced from algae
oil. This innovative footwear is even compostable. In the future, the
researchers want to go one step further and recover algae oil from
worn flip-flops. www.universityofcalifornia.edu
Credits: Erik Jepsen/San Diego Publications, Andreas Heddergott/TUM, BioCarbon Engineering, Shutterstock